Major International Business Headlines Brief::: 11 April 2024

Thu Apr 11 09:06:34 CAT 2024

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Major International Business Headlines Brief:::  11 April 2024 

ü  Nigeria's Consumers Upset At Electricity Rate Hike

ü  Kenya: From 5 Bags to 36 - a Farmer's Journey With Climate-Smart
Agriculture

ü  Kenya: EPRA Reports Rise in Energy Consumption Linked to E-Mobility

ü  Ghana: New NSA Boss Meets Accra Staff

ü  Africa: Why Africa's Critical Minerals Are Key to U.S. National Security

ü  Kenya: Striking Kenyan Doctors Hold Demonstrations in Nairobi Amid
Stalemate

ü  Somalia: Kenya's Miraa Exports to Somalia Suffer Due to High Levies'

ü  Africa: Massive Investment and Financial Reform Needed to Rescue SDGs

ü  US inflation jumps as fuel and housing costs rise

ü  Elon Musk to visit India for meeting with PM Modi

ü  How AI is helping to prevent future power cuts

ü  Apple sparks Palestinian flag emoji controversy

ü  Despite financial gains, some single parents are still in 'panic mode'

 <https://www.cloverleaf.co.zw/> Nigeria's Consumers Upset At Electricity
Rate Hike

Abuja, Nigeria — A sudden hike in electricity rates in Africa's most
populous country, Nigeria, has sparked a backlash.

Until now, Jude Okafor has spent an average $25 on electricity to run a
frozen fish and meat business that he started in 2021. But since last week,
when the government announced a rate hike of nearly 300 percent for
electricity, Okafor says running his business has been tough.

"There is no escape. Light has gone high, fuel has gone high. And for a
businessman, there's no way we can cope with that," Okafor said. "If there's
no light or fuel to ice our fish, what are we going to do? Our business is
running down. This is [a] first-class act of wickedness."

The Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC) announced the price
change last Wednesday and said only its bigger power consumers, about 15
percent overall, would be affected by the subsidy cut.

Authorities said consumers in that category enjoy up to 20 hours of
electricity a day and that the rate hike was only fair to customers who
receive fewer hours of light.

The decision to remove electricity subsidies is part of President Bola
Tinubu's reform drives to ease pressure on the economy.

Authorities argue that state-controlled electricity rates are too low to
attract new investors or allow distribution firms to recover their costs,
leaving the sector with huge debts.

Economic analyst Ogho Okiti says the government's move is a good one.

"The government is not able to pay those subsidies on time, and because
they're not able to [pay] them on time, gas companies are withdrawing their
gas supplies," Okiti said. "The timing is right. I think the government had
waited till April to do this because they expect power supply to improve
from now because of [the] rainy season."

But the decision is being criticized by many, including businesses,
manufacturers and workers' unions.

This week, the Abuja chapter of the Nigerian Association of Chambers of
Commerce, Industry, Mines, and Agriculture, or NACCIMA, said the decision
would threaten the survival of many thousands of businesses already
struggling to cope with soaring inflation.

"First of all, the timing is wrong," said Dele Oye, national president of
the NACCIMA. "We all know that electricity is underpriced, but to some
extent, there must be some level of subsidy. There's nowhere in the world
where there's no subsidy. We cannot compete if we have to pay everything at
market value when we don't see market value service from the government. We
do our roads. We do our security as investors."

Nigeria last revised electricity rates four years ago. Authorities say the
country could save up to $2.6 billion from the subsidy removal.

But a similar reform applied on petrol last year worsened a cost-of-living
crisis for many Nigerians after the annual rate of inflation rose to more
than 30 percent -- its highest level in three decades.

Critics will be watching to see how this newest subsidy removal unfolds.

- VOA.

 <https://www.cloverleaf.co.zw/> 

Kenya: From 5 Bags to 36 - a Farmer's Journey With Climate-Smart Agriculture

Pauline Mugambi, once struggling to yield more than five bags per acre from
her modest plot, now boasts an impressive harvest of thirty-six bags of
maize.

This outstanding results in her farming fortunes is attributed to the
adoption of climate-smart farming, particularly conservation agriculture.

Embracing conservation agriculture, Mrs Mugambi found her yields
skyrocketing, a feat she credits to the valuable education provided by
Alliance Bioversity & CIAT.

With a shift towards minimum tillage practices under conservation farming,
Mrs Mugambi safeguarded her soil structure and nurtured vital
micro-organisms crucial for optimal crop growth.

"Conservation agriculture has revolutionised my farming venture. Today, I
witness firsthand the substantial benefits this technology brings, with my
yields soaring higher than ever before," said Mrs Mugambi.

Bioversity & CIAT, an integral part of CGIAR, has also been actively
advocating for diversification strategies, aiming to reduce farmers'
overreliance on maize while bolstering their income from alternative
ventures.

Boaz Waswa, a seasoned soil scientist with Bioversity CIAT, underscores the
important role of conservation agriculture in enhancing food security
nationwide.

"With climate change wreaking havoc on traditional maize farming,
conservation agriculture emerges as the beacon of hope," says Dr Waswa.

He elaborates further, "Through initiatives like Ukama Ustawi, we aim to
diversify agricultural practices and mitigate the risks associated with
overdependence on maize. Our focus is on sustainable technologies that
safeguard soil health and water conservation, hence promoting regenerative
agriculture."

Ukama Ustawi, part of the CGIAR Initiative on Diversification in East and
Southern Africa, is committed to tackling food and nutrition security risks
exacerbated by maize monoculture.

Collaborating with key stakeholders including KALRO and county governments,
Ukama Ustawi implements on-farm demonstrations of conservation agriculture
and climate-smart practices across Nakuru, Makueni, and Embu counties.

Ensuring equitable access and utilisation of innovations, Ukama Ustawi
collaborates with HER+ to design socio-technical innovation bundles tailored
to the needs of both men and women farmers.

Leveraging project sites as learning labs, HER+ focuses on closing the
gender gap in agriculture, enhancing resilience, and empowering women within
targeted communities.

With each harvest, farmers like Pauline Mugambi represents the important
role of modern agriculture, paving the way for a more sustainable and
resilient future in farming communities across Kenya.

- Business Day Africa.

Kenya: EPRA Reports Rise in Energy Consumption Linked to E-Mobility

Nairobi — Energy consumption in electric mobility has surged in the past
year signaling increased adoption of electric mobility options in the
country.

The Energy and Petroleum Regulatory Authority (EPRA) reported a rise in
energy consumption from 29,097 kWh in July 2023, to 75,729 kWh in December
2023 in a report released on Tuesday.

"Notably during the reviewed period, energy consumption by the electric
mobility consumer category surged by 160 per cent," the authority stated.

However, given the high presence of renewable energy, EPRA is assertive that
the country's capability to support e-infrastructure is not in doubt.

"The country's energy mix is highly conducive to supporting e-mobility, with
almost 85 per cent of energy generation sourced from renewable channels,"
EPRA stated.

The rise in electric mobility adoption in the country signifies a gain in
momentum for the government's campaign to decarbonize the transport system.

The transition to cleaner mobility is a strategic move aimed at reducing
carbon emissions and fighting climate change.

As of 2023, the number of electric motor vehicles on Kenyan roads had risen
to 2,694 signifying the growing interest in electric mobility in the
country.

"As of December 2023, EVs constituted 1.62 per cent of vehicles registered
that year, with the country aiming to reach 5 per cent by 2025, as outlined
in the Kenya National Energy Efficiency and Conservation Strategy 2020,"
EPRA stated.

Transport Cabinet Secretary Kipchumba Murkomen unveiled special green
coloured number plates for electric vehicles on March 27 as part of the
government's effort to propel the adoption of e-mobility in the country.

"Special plates will help raise awareness about EVs among the general public
and encourage more people to consider switching to e-mobility," he stated.

- Capital FM.

Ghana: New NSA Boss Meets Accra Staff

The new Director General of the National Sports Authority (NSA), Mr Dodzie
Numekevor, was yesterday introduced to staff of the Head Office and Greater
Accra region at a well-attended staff durbar.

The introduction was done by the Deputy Director General of the Authority,
Mr Majeed Bawa, and other management members.

In his address, Mr Numekevor, who is the former Public Relations Officer
(PRO) of the Ghana High Commission in the UK, expressed his excitement in
meeting the staff and pledged to work with them for the Authority to regain
its past glory.

He pledged to be fair to everyone and further advised all to be loyal to the
NSA and the need to stay focused on the Authority's mandate.

He urged staff to embrace innovations as he intends to digitalise its
operations through efficient and un-interrupted internet services, among
provisions of other IT related accessories.

He stated that with the passing of the Legislative Instrument (LI) of the
Sports Bill, the Authority would have the opportunity to explore and
implement various innovations in order to generate funds internally.

- Ghanaian Times.

Africa: Why Africa's Critical Minerals Are Key to U.S. National Security

USIP report offers ways for the United States to diversify its critical
mineral supply chains through mutually beneficial partnerships in Africa.

A new USIP report emphasizes the importance of the United States government
being engaged in the African critical minerals sector if it is to diminish
its dependence on China and fortify its national security and foreign policy
interests.

The report outlines practical steps that the United States can take to build
mineral partnerships with African countries to diversify its supply chains
and strengthen peace and security on the continent. It offers options to
better support U.S. mining operations in Africa, including by working with
African civil society to strengthen the rule of law. It also highlights
potential risks, such as greater conflict as the global competition for
critical minerals on the African continent intensifies.

Tom Sheehy, a distinguished fellow in USIP's Africa Center and the report's
executive director, discusses the importance of critical minerals and key
recommendations in the report.

What critical minerals are essential to the United States' economic and
national security?

The 2020 Energy Act requires that the United States maintain a list of
minerals deemed essential to the U.S. economy and national security.
Currently, 50 minerals are listed as being critical to supporting
technological innovation in a full range of industries, including the
defense industrial base. Updated every three years, this list evolves
depending upon a mineral's importance, availability and technological
developments that impact its demand and supply. The list is dynamic: a
mineral deemed critical today could be considered not critical tomorrow, and
vice versa.

Some critical minerals are commonly recognized, such as cobalt, lithium and
nickel. Cobalt is essential to consumer electronics, including cell phones.
Lithium is a critical input to the electric vehicle and long-term storage
batteries central to the energy transition. Other minerals are lesser known,
including antimony, and important in defense applications. Many critical
minerals are not mined in the United States but are mined in African
countries.

Critical mineral development in Africa impacts U.S. interests on another
level -- namely peace and security in Africa. Much of the world is coming to
Africa in search of critical minerals. These natural resources will be
developed, our report stresses. The question is how will these minerals be
developed? Developed in a way that contributes to African economic
development and promotes social stability? Or, as we've often seen, will
these resources be developed in a destructive and exploitative way?

The USIP report aims to encourage critical mineral partnerships between the
United States and African countries that are mutually beneficial. This
includes ensuring that critical mineral development does not fuel conflict,
a U.S. interest.

What are the potential risks and vulnerabilities associated with the United
States' dependency on China for key critical minerals?

Most experts view the United States as being too heavily dependent on China
for too many critical minerals. It's common sense not to be overly reliant
on one supplier, especially a top economic and geopolitical competitor, for
any commodity or product. Of course, these concerns are heightened as the
U.S. relationship with China grows more tense across the board, including as
Beijing broadly threatens U.S. national security.

One critical mineral we look at is graphite, essential to many industrial
processes requiring lubricants, and products including batteries and fuel
cells. The United States produces little to no natural graphite, meaning we
are virtually 100 percent reliant on imports for graphite supply, with China
being the leading import source. China uses its strong market position to
manipulate the market, and recently imposed a graphite export ban of
significant concern.

The United States has a project underway to support a graphite mining
project in Mozambique, with processing to be done in Louisiana -- an effort
to counter Chinese dominance of this critical mineral. This is an example of
the United States looking to Africa to help overcome a critical mineral
vulnerability.

It's important to realize that China's dominant position as a supplier of
many critical minerals has been years in the making and won't be upended
overnight. China has systematically engaged with Africa, including through
its Belt and Road Initiative, for decades now, well outpacing the United
States in resources and political attention committed to Africa. It is
encouraging that the United States is more focused on African critical
minerals, but progress establishing a significant U.S. mining presence will
take time. And China will remain a major player in Africa, regardless.
However, we conclude that U.S. interests justify this effort for many
reasons, including diversifying its critical minerals supply chain while
helping African nations retain some value for their mineral resources by
doing more mineral processing.

What are the security implications of the global competition for critical
minerals in countries where these minerals are being sourced?

The development of natural resources often heightens conflict, with security
implications. Too often in African countries and elsewhere, the benefits of
natural resource development go to too few, while many more bear its costs,
including population displacement and environmental degradation. This can
lead to resentment and even violent conflict. Unfortunately, African
governments are challenged to manage these conflicts to see that the
benefits of development are widely shared, and damages mitigated.

For example, the resource-rich northern region of Mozambique has suffered
violent conflict recently. The roots of this violence vary, but there is
little doubt that the jihadist groups that have killed tens of thousands of
Mozambicans have seized upon general discontent with the development of
natural gas and other natural resources to win some support among the
populace. Thankfully, regional intervention has stemmed the violence, but
the Mozambican government will have to do better to ensure that natural
resource benefits are more broadly shared.

The Wagner Group, or what's now called "Russia Africa Corps," operates
solely to enrich itself by propping up authoritarian and exploitative
governments with security services, at no benefit to a nation's people.
There is no pretension of commercial transparency where this outfit operates
--including Mali, the Central African Republic and Sudan -- so it's hard to
make a definitive assessment, but this model exhibits no concern for how
fairly resources are distributed, labor conditions or environmental
standards, or the other potential downsides of natural resource development.
In fact, there are numerous reports of Wagner forces killing African miners.
Unfortunately, Africa has been cursed by Wagner-type exploiters going back
centuries.

What needs to be done to build a more robust and transparent critical
minerals sector?

No doubt, mining is a challenging industry. One of the reasons that the U.S.
critical mineral dependency is acute is that mining is unpopular at home and
projects are often opposed. If we're going to operate in African mining
sectors, the United States should do so in the most responsible way
possible.

Transparency and the rule of law are critical. If African countries are to
attract the foreign investment from high-standard foreign operators needed
to take advantage of this moment, they must respect that investment by
honoring contracts and resisting arbitrary rulings and taking other
irregular actions. U.S. and other Western mining operators will respond to
mining project opportunities in Africa, but only if there is sufficient
confidence in the business climate. If not, there are many competing
investment opportunities worldwide.

- USIP.

Kenya: Striking Kenyan Doctors Hold Demonstrations in Nairobi Amid Stalemate

Nairobi — Kenyan doctors held new demonstrations Tuesday in their push for
better pay and working conditions.

The doctors are demanding a commitment from the government to fulfill
collective bargaining agreements signed in 2017, but President William Ruto
says the country has no money to pay the doctors and asked them to return to
work.

Thousands of striking doctors and medical trainees chanted, "The doctors
united, shall never be defeated," as they protested outside the Kenyan
Parliament.

Led by officials of Kenya's main health care professionals union, the
doctors want the government to honor the agreement.

"The government has not implemented critical components of this collective
bargaining agreement and instead, they have begun to violate it outrightly."
said Davji Atellah, secretary-general of the Kenya Medical Practitioners,
Pharmacists and Dentists Union.

"Despite the inflation, despite the challenges [and] changes on all the
other civil servants and public servants, doctors and other health workers
have remained without it being considered,' Atellah said. "Instead, we
realized that the new doctor interns that are being posted, their salaries
were reduced by 91%."

President William Ruto has asked the doctors to call off the strike and go
back to work, saying the government is struggling with a huge wage bill and
cannot afford to review their salaries.

"I am telling our friends, the doctors, that we mind about them. We value
the service they give to our nation. But we have to live within our means,"
Ruto said.

Opposition lawmakers who joined the striking doctors Tuesday accuse the
president of using the wage bill as an excuse to deny doctors their due pay
at a time when there is exorbitant spending in government.

"The doctors must not be paid yesterday, they must not be paid tomorrow, but
they must be paid today," said Paul Ongili, also known as "Babu Owino," an
opposition member of parliament. "Ruto took loans, and Ruto is collecting
taxes. And those taxes must be used to pay these doctors. Ruto is
vicariously liable for all the deaths occurring in the hospitals, for all
the deaths occurring in this country, because he has refused to pay the
doctors."

Another opposition member, Otiende Amollo, said there was support for the
strike.

"We want to reassure you that we stand with you, and we stand with your
right under the constitution to peacefully demonstrate. Nobody has the
authority to outlaw a peaceful demonstration by doctors," Amollo said.

Irene Kenyatta, a final year medical student at the University of Nairobi,
was among those who joined the doctors in the demonstrations.

"I'm fighting for my future. I went to school to have a bright future. It
can't be the moment that I'm going to finish school you are telling me that
I can't have the bright future after all," she said. "I have invested a lot.
If I want a bright future, I have to get the bright future, even if it means
coming to the streets to fight for my rights."

The 2017 Kenyan doctors' strike that lasted 100 days is the longest in the
country's history.

Implementation of the collective bargaining agreement that ended that strike
is the cause of the current strike, now in its fourth week.

- VOA.

Somalia: Kenya's Miraa Exports to Somalia Suffer Due to High Levies

Kenya's miraa exports are taking a severe blow from steep levies, compelling
traders in Somalia to halt purchases of the stimulant from Kenya due to its
dwindling competitiveness in the market.

This development is adversely impacting local farmers who are unable to sell
their produce due to the lack of market options, given that Somalia stands
as the primary destination for miraa exports from Kenya.

To access the lucrative Somali market, Kenya's stimulant is burdened with a
hefty $4.5 levy per kilogramme, rendering it financially unviable for buyers
in Mogadishu.

Kenya's miraa traders argue that with the commission in place, the stimulant
in Mogadishu must sell for upwards of $30 for a bundle, which many consumers
cannot afford.

"With the effective rationalisation of the costs, the ideal price at the
moment, with the current rains should be $15 per bundle," said Chairman of
the Nyambene Miraa Traders Association (Nyamita), Kimathi Munjuri.

the expensive nature of the Kenyan miraa has seen those from Ethiopia gain
favour among buyers, overshadowing the Kenyan product.

"The imposition of this levy has significantly inflated miraa prices,
rendering it inaccessible to consumers in Somalia,"

Mr Munjuri further highlighted the predicament faced by airlines involved in
miraa transportation, as they grapple with idle capacity due to restricted
shipment quotas imposed by cartels, leading to underutilisation of aircraft
purchased specifically for servicing the stimulant trade.

Miraa plays a pivotal role in Kenya's foreign exchange earnings, having
contributed over Ksh50 billion since the resumption of exports to Somalia in
July 2022.

Despite efforts by elected leaders from Meru to broker a resolution, their
interventions have not yielded tangible results.

The industry lobby has vehemently criticised the government for neglecting
the plight of producers, attributing the current predicament to governmental
inaction against cartels responsible for imposing the punitive levy.

Expressing disappointment, the lobby emphasised the need for urgent dialogue
between the Kenyan and Somali governments to dismantle the cartel network,
reassess shipment quotas, and review import duties imposed in Somalia.

"We implore our government to fulfill its pledge of dismantling these
cartels siphoning off commissions, as promised by the President," remarked
Munjuri, underscoring the urgency of the situation.

- Business Day Africa.

Africa: Massive Investment and Financial Reform Needed to Rescue SDGs

Financing for sustainable development is at a crossroads and without urgent
investment, global efforts to achieve a more just and equitable world by
2030 will fail, the UN deputy chief warned on Tuesday.

Presenting the latest UN report on the issue, Amina Mohammed called for "a
surge in investment" and reform of the international financial system to
rescue the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) which are woefully offtrack.

World leaders adopted the 17 SDGs nearly a decade ago and they include
ending extreme poverty and hunger, ensuring availability to clean water and
sanitation, and reducing inequality within and among countries.

'Finance is the crux'

"At our current rates, we estimate some 600 million people will still be
living in extreme poverty beyond 2030. And as the report shows, finance is
the crux of the problem," Ms. Mohammed said, speaking at UN Headquarters in
New York.

The 2024 Financing for Sustainable Development Report says urgent steps are
needed to mobilise financing at scale to close the development financing
gap, now estimated at $4.2 trillion annually, up from $ 2.5 trillion before
the COVID-19 pandemic.

Meanwhile, rising geopolitical tensions, climate disasters and a global
cost-of-living crisis have hit billions of people, battering progress on
healthcare, education, and other development targets.

Drowning in debt

Staggering debt burdens and rising borrowing costs are large contributors to
the sustainable development crisis.

Estimates are that in the least developed countries, debt service will be
$40 billion annually between 2023 and 2025, up more than 50 per cent from
$26 billion in 2022. Stronger and more frequent climate related disasters
account for more than half of the debt upsurge in vulnerable countries.

Deputy Secretary-General Mohammed said roughly 40 per cent of the global
population, some 3.3 billion people, live in countries where governments now
spend more on interest payments than on education or health.

Meanwhile, the global economy is not supporting investment and development
as it should, she noted. Average growth rates have steadily declined over
the last 25 years, from over six per cent before the global financial crisis
more than 15 years ago to around four per cent today.

Reform outdated financial system

The report calls for scaling up public and private investment in the SDGs,
highlighting the importance of reform of the development bank system.

In this regard, donors also need to make good on commitments on Official
Development Assistance (ODA) and climate finance.

Secondly, the current international financial architecture - established
nearly 80 years ago - must also be remade as it is "no longer fit for
purpose", she said, and developing countries should have a greater voice in
global economic governance.

Close 'credibility gaps'

Finally, world leaders must close "credibility gaps" and trust deficits.
This is especially the case for wealthier nations, which have made promises
on global governance reform, aid delivery, and domestic reforms to tackle
corruption and inequality, including gender inequality.

Stating that the report's message could not be clearer, Ms. Mohammed said
"we must choose now either to succeed together or we will fail together,"
stressing that "failure is not an option."

The report also encourages governments to make the most of "significant
opportunities ahead", she added, pointing to major conferences such as the
Summit of the Future at UN Headquarters in September and the Fourth
International Conference on Financing for Development scheduled for next
year.

The Summit has been described as a once-in-a-generation opportunity to
enhance cooperation on critical challenges and address gaps in global
governance, and to reaffirm commitments, including to the SDGs.

- UN News.

US inflation jumps as fuel and housing costs rise

Consumer prices in the US rose faster than expected last month, in a sign
that the fight to slow inflation has stalled.

Prices rose 3.5% over the 12 months to March, up from 3.2% in February, the
US Labor Department said.

Higher costs for fuel, housing, dining out and clothing drove the increase.

Analysts warned that the lack of progress in curbing price rises will force
the US central bank to keep interest rates higher for longer.

Higher rates help stabilise prices by making it more expensive to borrow for
business expansions and other spending. In theory, that in turn slows the
economy, and eases the pressures pushing up prices.

The Federal Reserve's key interest rate is now at the highest level in more
than two decades, in the range of 5.25%-5.5%.

Forecasters had expected the bank to start lowering borrowing costs this
year, reflecting the fact that the inflation rate, which tracks the pace of
price rises, has fallen significantly since hitting 9.1% in 2022.

But recent economic data, including strong jobs creation figures last week,
has raised doubts about how soon those cuts might come.

Shares on Wall Street closed lower on Wednesday as investors had been
betting that rates could soon be cut.

US jobs boom raises doubts about rate cuts

Analysts, who once expected rate cuts as soon as March, have been rapidly
revising bets, with many now not expecting any until later this summer and
some predicting the bank could wait until next year.

What the Fed decides to do is likely to shape decisions by central banks
around the world, said Neil Birrell, chief investment officer at Premier
Miton Diversified Funds.

"The Fed has got some head scratching to do and if other central banks were
waiting for the Fed to move, they have got a conundrum on their hands now,"
he said.

Inflation cooled rapidly over 2023 as pandemic-era supply issues healed and
the spike in food and energy prices sparked by the war in Ukraine faded, but
it still remains higher than the bank's 2% target.

An uptick in oil prices in recent months has also pushed energy costs
higher, while prices for services show little sign of stabilising.

The Labor Department said prices had jumped 0.4% from March to February, the
same as in February.

Higher petrol and housing costs accounted for more than half the increase.

Car insurance, medical care and costs for internet also contributed.

So-called core inflation, which is seen by economists as a better indicator
of future trends because it does not include more volatile food and energy
prices, stood at 3.8%, the same as in February.

"We shouldn't overreact to the jump in headline inflation - which was all
about energy," said Brian Coulton, chief economist at Fitch Ratings. But he
added: "The details are not at all reassuring for the Fed."-bbc

Elon Musk to visit India for meeting with PM Modi

Elon Musk has announced on his social media platform X, formerly Twitter,
that he will visit India to meet Prime Minister Narendra Modi without giving
a date.

The Tesla boss is expected to announce major investment plans in the country
soon.

Last month, India cut import taxes on electric vehicles (EV) for global
carmakers which commit to investing $500m (£399m) and starting local
production within three years.

In 2021, the Tesla boss said that India's high import duties had prevented
the firm from launching its cars in the world's fastest-growing major
economy.

Mr Musk wrote in a post on Wednesday: "Looking forward to meeting with Prime
Minister Narendra Modi in India!"

A senior Indian government official told the BBC that the meeting is
scheduled for the last week of April and will take place at Mr Modi’s
official residence in New Delhi.

The BBC understands that Tesla’s plans for starting manufacturing in India
will feature in the talks.

Mr Musk's visit comes just as the country begins voting in marathon,
six-week-long elections on 19 April.

Mr Modi's Hindu-nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is widely expected
to win a third term in power.

A Tesla investment announcement during the election would bolster the
business-friendly credentials of Mr Modi, who has courted foreign companies
to set up manufacturing operations in India and create jobs.

The two men met last June in New York when the technology multi-billionaire
said Mr Modi had been "pushing us to make significant investments in India,
which is something that we intend to do".

Tesla's plans to move into India comes at a time when the company is
battling weakening sales in the US and China.

Deliveries slid sharply in the first three months of this year as Tesla
grappled with a fire at its European factory, global shipping disruption and
growing competition.

Tesla has cut prices repeatedly in response to increased competition from
rivals such as BYD but demand in key markets like China has fallen.

Tesla's shares have lost almost a third of their value since the start of
this year.

India overtook the UK in 2022 to become the world's fifth-largest economy,
and grew by 8.4% in the December quarter, helped by a surging manufacturing
sector.-bbc

How AI is helping to prevent future power cuts

Amid ever increasing demand for electricity, artificial intelligence (AI) is
now being used to help prevent power cuts.

"I woke up in the middle of the night very, very cold," remembers Aseef
Raihan. "I pulled out my military sleeping bag, and slept in that overnight
for warmth.

"In the morning I figured out that the power was definitely not on."

Mr Raihan is describing the scene back in February 2021 when he was
stationed in San Antonio, Texas, while serving in the US Air Force.

That month the state was blasted by winter storm Uri. As temperatures
plummeted to -19C, Texans sought to keep warm, sending the demand for
electricity sky high.

At the same time, Texas' electricity grid started to unravel. Wind turbines
froze over, snow covered solar panels, and a nuclear reactor had to be taken
offline as a precaution.

With not enough electricity to go around, the power went off for more than
4.5 million homes and businesses, first for hours, and then for days on end.

"Without power, the heating wasn't working at all. And you couldn't use the
electric stove or microwave for food," recalls Mr Raihan.

In the end it took more than two weeks for the Texan power grid to return to
normal.

Getty Images A worker repairs a power line in Austin, Texas, in February
2021Getty Images

Back in February 2021 Texan power firms had to race to fix facilities and
lines damaged by extremely cold weather

The storm revealed the fragility of the systems we take for granted to
deliver us electricity around the clock.

And while not all countries have winters as severe as they can be in North
America, demand for electricity is ever increasing around the world. From
charging electric cars, to more homes getting air conditioning installed, we
are using more and more power in our daily lives.

This comes at the same time as countries are increasingly moving towards
renewable sources of energy, which are more variable in the amount of energy
they generate. If the wind doesn't blow, and the sun doesn't shine, then
electricity production drops.

All this led to UK Energy Secretary Claire Coutinho warning last month that
the country could face blackouts in the future without new gas powered power
stations as "back up".

Another way to make energy systems more resilient is by adding huge
batteries to the grid.

The thinking goes that when there is electricity going spare, batteries can
charge up, and then release electricity later when there is more demand for
power.

This is an approach that has been taken in Texas.

"Since the storm we built over five gigawatts of battery storage capacity in
Texas in three years, which is really an incredible pace," says Dr Michael
Webber, professor of energy resources at the University of Texas at Austin.
That much energy, he says, is about "four large nuclear power plants".

Getty Images A worker pointing to batteries at an energy storage facility in
CaliforniaGetty Images

Power firms in Texas and other US states are building energy storage
facilities full of rows and rows of batteries

However, for such batteries to be really useful, they need to know the best
time to charge, and the best time to discharge. That means making complex
predictions about how much electricity is going to be needed in the future.

"The main thing that makes the biggest difference is weather and electricity
demand," says Gavin McCormick, founder of the tech start-up WattTime.

His Oakland, California-based company makes AI software that predicts
electricity supply and demand in a given area or region. This information
can then tell batteries when to charge and discharge.

The same information can also be used in homes to help people use mains
electricity more cheaply.

"So if you had an electric vehicle that you need to be ready in eight hours,
but it only takes two or three hours to charge, what it can do is it can
find the five minute periods all night where there's surplus energy, or
maybe there's clean energy," Mr McCormick says.

"It will charge in little spurts at all the best times and still be ready by
morning."

The AI can make these predictions by analysing weather patterns, holiday
dates, work schedules, and even when the football is on. "Everybody gets up
and makes a cup of tea at halftime," Mr McCormick says.

Another company using AI to predict electricity demand is Danish firm
Electricity Maps. It focuses its AI on forecasting weather patterns like
cloud cover, wind strength, temperature and rainfall.

This information is used to better understand how much electricity will be
generated from wind turbines or solar panels.

"If you can predict quite accurately in advance how much wind you're going
to have in the system, you can plan ahead." says Olivier Corradi, the
company's founder.

"One example is Google, where we're providing them forecasts of how clean
the grid is going to be in the next couple of hours. They can use that in
their data centres to change the time at which they're consuming electricity
"-bbc

Apple sparks Palestinian flag emoji controversy

Apple has been criticised after the Palestinian flag emoji was automatically
suggested to iPhone users who type "Jerusalem."

Both Israel and the Palestinians hold competing claims to the ancient city.

TV presenter Rachel Riley, who is Jewish, noted on social media that
national flags were not suggested for other capitals.

Apple has told the BBC that the change - which followed a recent software
update - was not intentional.

The issue will be remedied in a future software update, Apple says, but it
is not known how rapidly this will happen.

Writing on X (formerly Twitter), Ms Riley demanded that Apple explain what
had happened.

"Showing double standards with respect to Israel is a form of antisemitism",
she argued.

The issue, according to Apple, relates to a feature called predictive emoji.
iPhones can suggest emojis when words are typed in messages, and other apps.

The notes accompanying the latest iOS update say that it includes "new
emojis."

Deep divisions

The status of Jerusalem is one of the thorniest disputes in the conflict
between Israel and the Palestinians.

Israel sees the whole of Jerusalem as its eternal, undivided capital, while
Palestinians claim the eastern part as the capital of their hoped-for future
state.

East Jerusalem, along with the West Bank and Gaza Strip, were captured by
Israel from Jordan and Egypt in a war in 1967, and have since been viewed
internationally as occupied Palestinian territory.

This is not the first time a big tech company has found itself embroiled in
the bitter dispute between Israel and the Palestinians.

Last year rival tech giant Meta had to apologise after a bug resulted in it
adding "terrorist" to the biographies of some Instagram users describing
themselves as Palestinian.

Meta said it fixed a problem "that briefly caused inappropriate Arabic
translations" in some of its products.-bbc

Despite financial gains, some single parents are still in 'panic mode'

Single-parent households are growing rapidly. Some are better off
financially than ever. That's not the case for everyone.

Single parents are a growing demographic across the world. The US has the
most one-parent households of any nation in the world; more than 10 million,
according to 2020 US Census Data, the most recent data available. Close to a
quarter of American children live with just one parent. But these ranks are
ticking up globally, too. A data analysis by the Organisation for Economic
Co-operation and Development showed the number of sole-parent households was
expected to rise across many of its 38 member countries.

"The consistency of the upward trend across these OECD countries is
remarkable, with the bulk of projections to 2030 suggesting that numbers are
likely to increase by between 22% and 29%," the report's authors wrote. The
number of sole-parent households in Canada, for instance, has risen steadily
throughout the past decade and a half, and the Australia Bureau of
Statistics reported in 2021 that single-parent families were the
fastest-growing family type in the country.

There are a number of drivers, say experts: globally, single parenthood
numbers are rising as the divorce rate increases in many nations,
particularly in some European and Asian countries. Research points to
several other factors, including an altered socioeconomic landscape with
increased female labour-market participation, and lessened stigma around
single parenthood.

And as single parents now make up a large – and growing – share of the
labour market, many of these families have seen their financial situations
improve to the best point in decades. Yet these gains are not universal –
and to support this large group of families across the world, there's still
much work to do.

Good news – with a catch

Relying on a single income is almost always difficult, but data shows some
improvement. In the US, a recent review of Federal Reserve Surveys of
Consumer Finances shows that throughout the past three decades, US single
parents' income has increased; home ownership and retirement savings have
both gone up; and overall net worth for single-parent households has
improved at a much faster rate than other Americans'.

"If we're looking strictly at growth, things have come a long way over the
past 30 years for single-parent households," says Elizabeth Renter, a data
analyst at American personal-finance company NerdWallet (and a single mum
herself), who used the US Federal Reserve numbers to compile a January
report on single-parent finances.

Between 1992 and 2022 – the year of the most recent Federal Reserve Survey –
she found median annual income in single-parent homes rose by 45%, compared
to 27% for American households overall. Homeownership grew from 43% to 50%.
The most dramatic numbers concern net worth: while American households
overall saw an increase of 89%, the net worth of single-parent households
shot up by 189%.

Yet the gains are not universal across the country. The Federal Reserve data
reflects an enormous swath of Americans. Renter is keenly aware that while
the numbers in her report draw a narrative of broad financial improvement,
that does not reflect the lived experience of every single parent.

"I think those big aggregated national numbers mask some structural
inequality," adds Vicki L Bogan, a professor of economics at Duke
University's Sanford School of public policy. "If you look at single-parent
households by race, there's some quite different statistics."

For instance, US Census data shows black and American Indian children are
most likely to live in single-parent households. And while the poverty rate
remains higher than the national average for single parents overall – in
2022, nearly 23% of female single-parent households and 11.5% of male
single-parent households lived below the US poverty measure – being black or
American Indian raises the odds of living in poverty even more. Nearly
one-third of black families and one third of Latinx households headed by a
single parent live in poverty. For households headed by a American Indian
single-parent the number living in poverty rose to 43%. Twenty-six percent
of white single-parent-led households lived at the poverty measure.

Outside the US, the growth of single parenthood has had the dual impact of
increasing acceptance of "family diversity" and, in some places, influencing
improved policy, says Catherine Jones, a lecturer in developmental
psychopathology at King's College London. "In parts of Europe, there are
amazing childcare facilities and parental leave," she says, "and in
Scandinavian countries, you see really positive family policies."

I hustle every single day to get as much done and create as big an impact as
I possibly can - Crystal King

Those social policies are a huge influence on families' financial stability.
UCLA researchers looked at more than 370,000 households with children in 45
countries. They found while poverty levels among single parents are high
regardless of geography, in nations that provide for maternity leave,
poverty was significantly reduced.

Other, more direct assistance has an even greater impact. A 2022 paper from
researchers at the University of Antwerp concluded "it is clearly possible
to make sure that working single parents have minimally adequate incomes".
Of more than two-dozen countries reviewed, single parents in the half the
countries could reach or exceed the poverty threshold, largely thanks to
child-benefit packages, such as pandemic-era policies including the UK's
Universal Credit and the US's expanded Child Tax Credit, which have now
expired.

However, in the absence of these programmes as permanent support, and even
in nations with the most robust welfare systems, single parents are
confronted with higher poverty risks. "Although things have improved," says
Jones, "it's important that attention isn't shifted away from still trying
to further improve policies for single parents."

'Work like every day is your last day'

Ultimately, there's still a lot of work to do to improve the financial
situations of single parents – an imperative as this group grows.

One of the biggest stumbling blocks is what Rense Nieuwenhuis, an associate
professor of sociology at Stockholm University's Swedish Institute for
Social Research, calls the "triple bind". "Single parents and their families
are disproportionally caught between inadequacies in resources, employment
and policies," he wrote in in a 2018 book he co-edited on the subject.

Getty Images Some single parents say they feel their financial situations
are precarious, regardless of some gains (Credit: Getty Images)Getty Images

Some single parents say they feel their financial situations are precarious,
regardless of some gains (Credit: Getty Images)

When Crystal King, an HR professional living in Florida, US, decided to
become a mother, she knew her growing family would be completely dependent
on her income alone. "I'm a single mom by choice," says King. "I turned 35
and my partner at the time didn't want to have kids. So ultimately, becoming
a single mom was my option, and I went full steam ahead, knowing I'd be the
only provider." 

It's not a decision she regrets, but it is one that's shifted her entire
mentality around work and money. Now a mother of two children, aged six and
three, King says she saves more aggressively and is more conscious of her
liquidity – funnelling less to her 401k retirement account in case she needs
to access the savings immediately – and works harder to stand out in her
job.

"It makes me work differently," she says. "I hustle every single day to get
as much done and create as big an impact as I possibly can. Before kids, you
do your work, you chat around with people, you laugh, you go back to doing
what you're doing. Now, I have a 'work like every day is your last day' kind
of mentality." 