Making sense of commodities in 2019

The President of the African Development Bank (AfDB), Dr. Akinwumi Adesina, has called on African countries to take urgent action to end poverty and mismanagement of natural resources if they want to earn the respect of the global community. Adesina made the remarks while delivering his speech titled “For the world to respect Africa” at the 40th anniversary of the Guardian newspaper in Lagos.

The death toll from floods in northern Tanzania following torrential rains this weekend has risen to 63, the prime minister said on Monday, adding to hundreds of other deaths caused by extreme weather in East Africa since seasonal rains began in October.

At COP28 in Dubai, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz called for a phase out of fossil fuels, the US announced $3 billion in new climate funding and France pushed for nuclear energy as a way to reduce emissions.

South Korea has been ramping up its surveillance capabilities in order to gain a strategic edge over North Korea. The move comes after North Korea launched a satellite of its own in violation of UN resolutions.

Early drafts of the COP28 agreement refer to the "phasedown/out" of fossil fuels, which are responsible for most climate emissions. The final wording will likely be disputed. What's the difference — and does it matter?

Britain and Rwanda have inked a new treaty aimed at rescuing failed plans for the UK to deport asylum-seekers. A top court ruling had blocked the policy, saying it violated human rights laws enshrined in UK legislation.