oleh admin | Apr 1, 2025 | africa, business, controversies, government, politics
Sudan maintains that it has not lifted the ban on tea imports from Kenya, which was implemented around three weeks ago as a protest against Nairobi’s association with the paramilitary group Rapid Support Forces (RSF) that are battling the governing military council.
On Tuesday, Sudan’s embassy in Nairobi refuted President William Ruto’s statements from Monday evening, claiming that Kenyan merchants continue to sell tea to Sudan. These claims were deemed incorrect by the embassy.
During a joint interview with local radio and TV outlets held at the Sagana State Lodge in central Kenya, the president stated, “Despite their claim of not purchasing our tea, we continue to sell tea to Sudan. The demand for our product compels them to do so. Therefore, there isn’t an issue regarding the sale of tea, which contributes positively to profits within the tea industry.” However, on Tuesday, Sudan released a statement asserting that the import ban imposed on March 11, 2025, was never reconsidered.
“The Ministry of Trade and Supplies in Sudan enacted a directive halting all goods coming from Kenya according to what aligns best with Sudan’s national interests,” explained the embassy. “This measure has been strictly enforced, ensuring that no items originating from Kenya—tea included—are allowed entry into Sudan. We remain steadfast in maintaining these trading policies due to significant domestic economic and diplomatic reasons,” the communication concluded.
They also stated that any assertions to the contrary are baseless and incorrect.
Meanwhile, Khartoum reiterated its “dedication to regional collaboration and productive discussions, adhering to the tenets of mutual respect and non-intervention.” Tea merchants informed The EastAfrican that approximately 207 shipping containers filled with tea destined for export to Sudan are currently stalled within the supply chain, which could result in damages exceeding $10 million.
The East African Tea Trade Association (EATTA) Managing Director, George Omuga, has urged Nairobi to collaborate with Sudan in granting at least a one-month period for clearing tea shipments destined for that nation. This move aims to minimize potential financial setbacks for both merchants and growers.
There are 400 bags of tea headed for Sudan at the port of Mombasa, along with various shipments stored in warehouses, navigating the high seas, and waiting at Port Sudan for approval.
In early March, Eatta expressed worries over possible repercussions in Sudan, a crucial marketplace for the nation’s tea industry, following the RSF’s holding of a ceremonial political gathering in Nairobi aimed at establishing an alternative administration.
Black market brew: Sudan conflict disrupts Kenya’s tea exports
Sudan has labeled Kenya’s sheltering of the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), which has been engaged in combat with the Sudanese army since March 2023, as hostile towards the Sudanese population. Consequently, they imposed a prohibition on imports from Kenya into their country.
Kenya ranks among the top 10 suppliers of tea to Sudan, and the current conflict could lead to reduced exports, affecting bilateral commerce.
Other Kenyan goods shipped to Sudan include food items and medicines.
Prior to the present deadlock, Sudan purchased approximately $37 million worth of Kenyan tea. This information was provided by SyndiGate Media Inc.
Syndigate.info
).
oleh admin | Apr 1, 2025 | business, female empowerment, government, politics, women
Biswanath
(Assam), India, April 1 (ANI): The Chief Minister of Assam
Himanta Biswa Sarma
On Tuesday, the ‘Lakhpati Baideo’ initiative commenced with the launch of Assam’s largest women entrepreneur support program. During this event, he presented the initial batch of checks to 23,375 female business owners as part of the Mukhyamatri Mahila Udyamita Abhiyan at the newly established Kettala Playground in Borgang, Behali.
Biswanath
district.
Through this launch, 2,704,161 SHG members will reap benefits as Assam progresses toward a new epoch of female financial autonomy.
Under the Abhiyan initiative, Chief Minister Sarma distributed the initial installment of Rs 10,000 as startup funds to female recipients with the aim of enhancing self-employment prospects.
During his address, Chief Minister Sarma stated, “For empowering our state in Assam, we are implementing a multifaceted approach.”
Nari Shakti
from young students to senior citizens. Open access for all, tuition-free education, and living assistance via Orunodoi,
Chief Minister Women Entrepreneurship Scheme
(MMMUA), senior citizen pensions, and complimentary food grains—in each phase, we remain steadfast in our support.
Nari Shakti
.”
CM Sarma stated that according to MMMUA, if the beneficiaries effectively utilize their initial grant of Rs. 10,000 during the second year, they will qualify for an additional amount of Rs 25,000, with Rs 12,500 being a subsidy.
bank loan
, with the remaining ₹12,500 coming as a state grant.
He further mentioned that the state government would cover the interest charges.
bank loan
The Chief Minister stated that women who succeed in their businesses through this initiative will receive an entitlement of Rs 50,000 during the third year.
Chief Minister Sarma stated that the women’s self-help groups (SHGs) would keep receiving all the benefits, since the state government allocated Rs 1,090 crores to 2.17 lakh women SHGs through various programs.
He mentioned that an e-commerce platform was developed and reinforced to assist these women with their business endeavors.
The Chief Minister further stated that for the students from underprivileged backgrounds who are preparing for their matriculation exam, the government will provide a monthly deposit of Rs 300. This financial assistance aims to support these students in accessing tutoring services and improving their performance in the examinations.
He further mentioned that starting today, the government will decrease the price per unit of electricity by Rs 1, and it will purchase each quintal of rice for Rs 2,550 and each quintal of mustard for Rs 6,450.
The Panchayat and Rural Development Minister Ranjeet Kumar Dass, along with Health and Family Welfare Minister Ashok Singhal, Food and Civil Supplies Minister Kaushik Rai, Member of Parliament Ranjit Dutta, Members of Legislative Assembly Diganta Ghatowar, Pramod Borthakur, Utpal Bora, Krishna Kamal Tanti, Amiya Kumar Bhuyan, and numerous other esteemed officials attended the event.
Previously, Chief Minister Sarma launched a specialized health clinic at Rupjyoti Kala Parishad Field in Pabhoi.
Biswanath
.
The specialized health camp aims to make high-quality medical care accessible and budget-friendly for everyone. In an effort to enhance public well-being, the state administration has initiated these health programs throughout each Gram Panchayat, Village Cooperative Development Committee, and city region. These initiatives offer complimentary examinations, medications, as well as guidance on maintaining a healthy lifestyle and proper nutrition.
The health camps will offer free consultations along with diagnostic care. Additionally, the Chief Minister presented Rs 2 lakh as timely aid to 10 former ASHA workers in recognition of their significant contributions.
The Chief Minister, during the inauguration of the Circuit House, also
Biswanath
, planted an Ajar seedling. (ANI)
Provided by SyndiGate Media Inc.
Syndigate.info
).
oleh admin | Apr 1, 2025 | cricket, cricket players, indian cricket, indian cricket players, sports
Following Mumbai Indians’ (MI) win against defending champions Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) on Tuesday, team owner Nita Ambani commended the franchise’s recruitment team for discovering remarkable talents such as bowlers Ashwini Kumar and Vignesh Puthur, alongside wicketkeeper-batsman Robin Minz.
During his remarkable debut, Ashwani took the first-ever four-wicket haul by an Indian player in an IPL opening match, inspiring Mumbai Indians to secure an eight-wicket victory against Kolkata Knight Riders at the Wankhede Stadium during their inaugural home game this season on Monday. Following contributions from Ashwani (4/24) and Deepak Chahar (2/19), who helped dismiss KKR for only 116 runs in 16.2 overs—with notable performances from Angkrish Raghuvanshi (26) and Ramandeep Singh (22)—Ryan Rickelton (62*, off 41 balls, hitting four boundaries and five sixes) along with Suryakumar Yadav (27*, scoring off nine balls with three fours and two sixers) ensured that MI achieved the target with 43 deliveries remaining.
After the match, Nita Ambani lauded the scouting team for their contributions. “I just want to congratulate everyone. This is what Mumbai Indians is known for. I think today I also want to take this opportunity to thank the scouts of the Mumbai Indians. They have worked very hard. Rahul (Sanghvi, Director of Cricket) is there in the corner. DJ (Dhananjai CKM, Chief Data Performance Manager) with all his stats and the entire scouting team. We have youngsters like Ashwani (Kumar), Vignesh (Puthur) in our team, Robin (Minz), so many of them, and I think we need to thank them also. So let’s give a big round of applause to all our scouts,” she said.
oleh admin | Apr 1, 2025 | cricket players, indian cricket, indian cricket players, international cricket, sports
Bengaluru (Karnataka), India, April 1 (ANI): Before facing Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) at their home ground in Bengaluru, Gujarat Titans’ bowler Prasidh Krishna shared his joy about returning to play at this familiar venue in domestic cricket. He also mentioned feeling some initial apprehension when making his comeback to the league following an absence of two years because of injuries.
Impressed by his recent performance of taking 2/18 off four overs against Mumbai Indians (MI) in a victorious match, Krishna aims to regain his best form as they face RCB at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium on Wednesday. This comes after Krishnas’ prior two matches following his most recent Indian Premier League (IPL) outings from 2022, where he claimed 19 wickets across 17 fixtures for the Rajasthan Royals (RR), maintaining an economy rate of 29.00.
Krishna aims to provide his teammates with insight into what life is like in Bengaluru, a city where he has spent considerable time playing cricket.
“Returning home to play in the same stadium where we grew up competing is fantastic,” Prasidh stated according to ESPNCricinfo.
“The inaugural match in Bangalore is also thrilling, and we’re eager to see what it will bring. The team is enthusiastic about the way the tournament has begun. We’ve performed several aspects impressively and are working on improving certain areas. Overall, it promises to be an exhilarating experience,” he concluded.
Prasidh acknowledged feeling anxious about returning to the IPL, yet his rigorous fitness regimen following prolonged struggles with back and quadriceps injuries has left him in excellent physical condition, thus making him feel more prepared.
“No matter how hard I attempt to convince myself that this is merely another competition, just another match, I can’t help but sense my return after several years, particularly since I haven’t participated in many T20 games over the past couple of years,” Prasidh stated.
The tempo of the game evolved between 2022 and 2025, so adapting took some time. However, this is just how the sport goes; it constantly progresses, and one must stay ahead. Fortunately, my physical condition hasn’t altered significantly. I’ve had the chance to play some cricket recently during India’s Test series in Australia in 2024-25, and fortunately, my body allows me to perform as needed.
“After playing many matches here, you get some sense of what the pitch might be like. However, regardless of your knowledge, success ultimately depends on how well you perform that day. It also relies on the flow of the game’s momentum. If you can effectively implement your strategy, you’ll likely find yourself performing strongly for much of the match,” he ended his statement.
Squads:
Gujarat Titans Team Members: Sai Sudharsan, Shubman Gill (captain), Jos Buttler (wicketkeeper), Shahrukh Khan, Sherfane Rutherford, Rahul Tewatia, Rashid Khan, Kagiso Rabada, Ravisrinivasan Sai Kishore, Mohammed Siraj, Prasidh Krishna, Ishant Sharma, Washington Sundar, Glenn Phillips, Anuj Rawat, Mahipal Lomror, Arshad Khan, Jayant Yadav, Nishant Sindhu, Kulwant Khejroliya, Gerald Coetzee, Manav Suthar, Kumar Kushagra, Gurnoor Brar, Karim Janat
The Royal Challengers Bangalore team includes players such as Philip Salt, Virat Kohli, Devdutt Padikkal, Rajat Patidar (captain), Liam Livingstone, Jitesh Sharma (wicketkeeper), Tim David, Krunal Pandya, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Josh Hazlewood, Yash Dayal, Suyash Sharma, Rasikh Dar Salam, Manoj Bhandge, Jacob Bethell, Swapnil Singh, Abhinandan Singh, Romario Shepherd, Lungi Ngidi, Nuwan Thushara, Mohit Rathee, and Swastik Chikara. (ANI)
Provided by Syndigate Media Inc. (
Syndigate.info
).
oleh admin | Apr 1, 2025 | automotive industry, autos, car companies, cars, electric cars
The firm’s budget-friendly electric vehicle gamble is proving successful, yet these favorable circumstances could be short-lived.
A year back, General Motors’ plans for electrification were not faring well. The Chevrolet Bolt had been discontinued. Meanwhile, the Chevy Blaser EV faced a difficult beginning.
leaving one of our reporters caught in a significant public blunder
. Software problems
plagued the Cadillac Lyriq
.
We were discussing how the entire “Ultium” initiative had derailed.
However, the company pressed ahead, establishing itself as a leader in electric vehicles and debuting the most capable budget-friendly EV to date, which turned into
our first-ever Electric Vehicle of the Year award
.
The market has responded. General Motors’ electric vehicle (EV) sales have surged by 94%, positioning them to become the second-largest EV manufacturer in the U.S. However, this achievement comes with a significant caveat. While the company excels in producing EVs, their top-selling models are manufactured in Mexico.
With 25% duties scheduled to come into effect tomorrow
GM will now have to figure out how to sustain its progress even though its two least costly models have become significantly pricier. This presents quite a challenge.
Photo by: Fernando Pino
Our 2024 Breakthrough Electric Vehicle of the Year award went to the Equinox EV due to its excellent pricing and remarkable range. However, it’s manufactured in Mexico.
The Equinox EV starts at around $35,000, and because it’s imported from Mexico, it could have a tariff of around $8,750 for a base model. The Blazer EV will have an even steeper duty. When you dive into GM’s EV sales figures, you see how big of a problem that is. Chevy sold 6,187 Blazer EVs and 10,329 Equinox EVs last quarter.
Those numbers make them the #1 and #2 players in GM’s EV bullpen. Here’s how many sales each of GM’s other EV models recorded last quarter:
-
Cadillac Escalade IQ: 1,956 units sold
-
Cadillac Lyriq: 4,300 sales
-
Cadillac Optiq: 1,716 sales
-
Chevrolet Bolt EV/EUV: 13 units sold
-
Chevrolet Silverado EV: 2,383 sales
-
GMC Hummer EV: 3,479 units sold
-
GMC Sierra EV: 1,249 sales.
The
Cadillac Optiq
The Equinox EV, Blazer EV, and Optiq are also manufactured in Mexico. Adding these together, we have 18,232 sales from the Mexican-made models. In contrast, the remaining models produced in the U.S. contributed only 13,380 sales among them.
The Blazer and Equinox performed exceptionally well on their own. Additionally, they come at the lowest price points among available options, making electric vehicles accessible to a broader audience. Personally, I opted for a Chevy since the Blazer EV had the most budget-friendly leasing option when I made my decision, and it met all of my requirements.
Related News
-
The Chevy Equinox EV Takes Home Our Title of 2024 Breakthrough Electric Vehicle of the Year
-
Trump Imposes 25% Duties on All Incoming Vehicles
-
2024 Chevy Blazer EV Owner Review After Six Months: Pros and Cons Revealed
-
No One Is Emerging Victorious In The Electric Pickup Truck Battle… Not Yet At Least.
-
Chevrolet Equinox EV: Ways to Obtain One for Less Than $30,000
-
2026 Chevy Bolt EUV: All the Details Available
Certainly, the pickup trucks are presently quite costly.
However, more affordable alternatives will be available shortly.
A fresh version of the Bolt EV is expected to launch this year as well, and it’s slated for production in the United States. However, General Motors’ domestically produced items will still face challenges.
According to federal filings
Only 36% of the parts value in the Silverado, Sierra, and Hummer EVs originates from America and Canada combined (the data doesn’t distinguish between them). This implies that if every component within that 36% comes from the United States, approximately 64% of these vehicle’s components by value would still face a 25% tariff.
In brief: All GM electric vehicles might become pricier soon.
General Motors isn’t facing this situation alone. The entire automotive sector is grappling with the impact of these tariffs, leaving everyone uncertain about future developments. However, GM has recently kickstarted its electric vehicle transformation. According to the company, their EVs generate “positive variable profits,” which basically indicates that excluding initial expenses and factoring in the advantages of Zero Emission Vehicle (ZEV) credits they avoid purchasing, EV production turns out to be financially beneficial for them.
Image courtesy of: Out of Spec Testing (YouTube)
The Chevy Silverado EV 4WD.
It appears unlikely to endure. The growth in sales for the Equinox EV and Blazer EV can be attributed partially to substantial incentives offered. My vehicle came with a $52,000 MSRP, yet my leasing cost remained lower than that of a Honda Civic.
I’ve come across individuals who have managed to secure a two-year lease on a Blazer for less than $5,000 overall, which is quite unusual in this market sector. The firm has to move these vehicles due to their less efficient gasoline-powered pickup trucks and sport utility vehicles, hence the strategy seems effective; however, the pricing clearly doesn’t leave much room for absorbing a 25% duty.
The cost of trucks is also likely to increase, but to a smaller degree. It remains uncertain how significantly these price changes will compare to those of competitors. Electric vehicle alternatives such as the Hyundai Ioniq 5, Volkswagen ID.4, and Tesla Model Y are manufactured in the U.S., although
different levels of American-made components
.
Moreover, with Trump both threatening to eliminate the tax credit and informing the automakers that he will ease fuel efficiency requirements, several conflicting factors remain unresolved.
However, due to the increased costs of all goods, it’s improbable to witness sales expansion for any vehicle manufacturer, particularly not for businesses heavily affected by import duties.
Therefore, GM might have overcome its initial electric vehicle challenge. However, facing upcoming tariffs and an unexpectedly soft demand for electric vehicles, the toughest fight could well lie ahead.
Contact the author:
Mack.Hogan@insideevs.com
.
