Indholdsfortegnelse for 1/24-1/31/2020 i Newsweek

1995 “Blood, race, celebrity, lust, love, sex, brutality: this case has had it all,” Newsweek reported on The People v. O.J. Simpson. In the trial of the former football star, the “prosecution and defense battled over evidence that portrayed Simpson as a brutal wife batterer and a key police witness as a racist.” A Newsweek poll revealed “82 percent of Americans” expected to follow the case, generating “the most publicized murder trial in history.” With the public divided largely along racial lines, Simpson was finally acquitted, and the murders of Nicole Brown and Ronald Goldman remain unsolved. 1973 “Harsh winter weather was biting more deeply all across America” and “fuel shortages began to plague the nation,” Newsweek wrote. The country faced “long-range prospects of brownouts” and “diplomatic repercussions in the…

THAT QUEASY FEELING YOU GOT LAST MONTH after you overindulged at a holiday party or knocked back one too many glasses of bubbly on New Year’s Eve? Chances are you may suffer a similar sensation this month when your credit card bills show up—stark proof of the toll your holiday travels, entertaining and generosity are taking on your finances. Plenty of people share your pain. The typical consumer racked up more than $1,300 in debt over the holidays, according to a MagnifyMoney survey, with Gen-Xers owing the most, at $2,076 on average. Compounding the problem: Seven in 10 borrowers already had a balance on their credit card before the giving season began. “It isn’t splurging for that one big, expensive gift—the car with the bow in the commercials—but all of…

IT’S MIDNIGHT IN A MEDIEVAL palace in the oldest city in West Africa: Kano, Nigeria. A thousand years ago, this was one of the richest cities in the world, the terminus of the cross-Saharan trade that brought guns and salt to exchange for slaves, gold and ivory. The palace has 5-foot thick walls, floor-to-ceiling bookshelves, stone pathways and ornate mosaic domes. On the walls are large color photographs of a serious-looking man wearing a white turban with a veil across the bottom of his face. The two tails of the ceremonial knot that holds the veil in place look like bunny ears. The man is Muhammadu Sanusi II, the 14th emir of Kano, the second most important religious position in Nigeria. I watch as his assistant crawls across the carpet…

THE FASHION ICON AND BUSINESSWOMAN COCO Chanel is known for her perfume, the little black dress, her quilted handbags. She was also a fixture of the social scene on the French Riviera in the ’30s on the brink of war, and one side of an intense rivalry with Elsa Schiaparelli, another up-and-coming designer who operated in similar circles. In this excerpt from her upcoming book Chanel’s Riviera: Glamour, Decadence and Survival in Peace and War, social historian Anne de Courcy shares the rise of Chanel’s fortunes and rivalries juxtaposed against the darkness of a war-threatened Europe. In 1932, no one was better known than Gabrielle Bonheur, or “Coco,” Chanel. It would be some years before a serious rival showed up to challenge her supremacy, a woman whose ethos was completely…

HOW DO YOU ADAPT A BOOK STEEPED IN CONTROVERSY AND TURN IT INTO A MOVIE? You focus on your artistic voice, says Aaron Taylor-Johnson. He stars in and co-wrote the film adaptation of James Frey’s A Million Little Pieces, alongside his wife, Sam Taylor-Johnson, who also directed the film, recently released in theaters. “He put it best himself,” Aaron says, speaking of Frey. “He kind of handed us the keys and said, ‘I wrote this in the spirit of art, go make art.’” The bestselling book, an Oprah’s Book Club selection in 2005, caused considerable controversy after it was revealed that Frey had fictionalized part of what was originally billed as a memoir. Now as a film, the narrative follows Frey on his journey to sobriety and the people he…

Ukraine’s IT sector is one of the nation’s fastest growing industries. With close to 200,000 IT engineers and thousands of companies providing cutting-edge solutions to foreign clients, the Eastern European nation has earned a sterling reputation as an outsourcing hub and ranks as one of the best countries in the world for software development. “Local companies in Ukraine have developed great experience in many areas”TARAS KYTSMEY MEMBER OF THE BOARD OF SOFTSERVE As that reputation has grown so too have Ukraine’s IT exports, which reached $4.5bn in 2018, almost $1bn more than the previous year. In line with current trajectories, the industry aims to grow this figure to $8.5bn by 2025, as an increasing number of businesses worldwide turn to Ukrainian firms to support their shift to Industry 4.0 technologies.…

When the business world watched the high-profile launch of oil giant Aramco’s long-awaited IPO in late 2019, it was no surprise to see the lead manager of the project was national banking titan Samba Financial Group. One of the kingdom’s most successful companies with a strong, visible footprint in international markets, Samba has grown from a premier bank into an international financial services entity. The firm’s increasing presence in the Middle East, Europe and South Asia includes branches in Dubai and Pakistan. International growth is a vital part of Samba’s vision as it seeks to bring its brand of world class banking services to more customers. As a leader in pioneering innovative banking services and products, Samba’s outstanding reputation is complemented by its a broad range of accounts and investment…

IN A TOTALLY UNANTICIPATED public statement earlier this month, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex mutinied against a monarchical institution, confronted vicious media outlets and common disparagers, and chose more freedom for themselves and their baby boy. Horrified traditionalists blame the uppity, black American wife. Harry was their darling, Officer Prince until the hussy got under his skin, into his head and heart. Best-selling English novelist Sir Philip Pullman named and shamed their racism in a tweet and concluded: “This really is a foul country.” So why should they not escape from it? When Harry wed Meghan in 2018, the sun shone, birds sang, crowds cheerfully waved their wee union flags. The world loves performative British Royal weddings, but this one came loaded with symbolism. Idealistic white people and minorities…

1500 B.C.-500 A.D. Iron-Age Nok civilization flourishes in north-central Nigeria near modern-day Kaduna. 10TH CENTURY Beginning of the Trans-Sahara slave trade. Continues into the nineteenth century. The traders bring Islam to Nigeria. 1526 The Atlantic slave trade begins. Multiple slave forts soon established. 18TH CENTURY British dominate Atlantic slave trade. Missionaries bring Christianity to southern Nigeria. 1804 The northern states of Hausaland are united by jihad into the Sokoto Caliphate. 1807 Trans-Atlantic slave trade is outlawed by the British. 1861 British annex Lagos, and a year later it becomes a Crown Colony 1914 Northern Protectorate, Southern Protectorate and Lagos Colony unified into Nigeria, part of British Empire 1957 Oil production begins in Niger Delta 1960 Nigeria becomes an independent nation 1966 Military coup installs Major General Johnson Aguiyi-Ironsi. Twenty nine…

IF THERE IS SIGNIFICANT ECONOMIC FALLOUT from the conflict between the U.S. and Iran, where will it show up first? There are literally dozens of metrics to predict economic trends—each with its own strengths and weaknesses. Dr. Ataman Ozyildirim, senior director, economics and global research chair at The Conference Board, says some indicators are very noisy, with so much movement it can be hard to distinguish a trend from a blip. Others can be affected by isolated events and can jump because of short-term supply disruptions. None are foolproof. Ozyildirim recommends using a dashboard of several metrics and tailoring that dashboard for the needs of the user and the specific situation. For example, for the Iranian situation, it makes sense to look at oil prices. And if you’re an investor,…

Metinvest is an international vertically integrated group of steel and mining companies. Headquartered in Kyiv, it has five mining and 11 metallurgical assets in Ukraine, Bulgaria, Italy, the UK and the US. The group manages every link of the value chain, from mining and processing iron ore and coal to making and selling semi-finished and finished steel products. Metinvest has vast raw material reserves, enabling self-sufficiency for around 250% in iron ore, 40% in coal and 100% in coke. The company also manages a global sales network of 42 offices covering the key markets of Europe, MENA, the CIS, North America and Southeast Asia. With assets close to key railway lines and ports, Metinvest can efficiently supply raw materials and steel products worldwide. “In the steel industry, there is only…

While renewable energy is still a relatively small industry in Ukraine, the sector has witnessed phenomenal growth in recent years. In 2019 alone, renewable energy capacity doubled and now makes up around 4% of the energy mix. With the goal to have 25% of the grid fed by renewables by 2030, investment in wind, solar, hydro and biomass is set to continue growing as the industry becomes increasingly attractive to foreign investors. “Our next step will be to create transparent access to the market”OLEKSIY ORZHEL MINISTER OF ENERGY AND ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION Investors are coming from Europe, Canada and the US, and are attracted by Ukraine’s vast renewable potential, generous green tariff (one of the highest in the world) and favorable business and legislative climate. “Now we have a lot of…

With more than a dozen players of varying size, Saudi Arabia’s banking industry is well capitalized, a key conduit for FDI and trade, and complemented by a financial services sector comprising insurance companies, specialized lending institutions, and the stock exchange (Tadawul). Industry guardian the Saudi Arabian Monetary Authority (SAMA) operates as the central bank, with its remit including the supervision of banks and financial entities, management of monetary policy, and responsibility for ensuring strict compliance with banking system rules and regulations. The banking sector is at the heart of Vision 2030, with the Financial Sector Development Program (FSDP) striving to develop a diversified and effective financial sector to support the development of the national economy, diversify sources of income, and stimulate savings, finance and investment, and introduce cutting-edge technologies to…

“We intend to step back as ‘senior’ members of the Royal Family and work to become financially independent.”—PRINCE HARRY AND MEGHAN MARKLE “I HAD TO PITCH PRETTY HARD ON ONE OF THEM.”—SENATOR ELIZABETH WARREN ON GETTING HER BROTHERS' VOTES “Mr. Weinstein, is this really the way that you want to end up in jail for the rest of your life, by texting and violating a court order?”—JUDGE JAMES BURKE TO HARVEY WEINSTEIN OVER USING HIS PHONE IN COURT “I have not fled justice—I have escaped injustice and political persecution.”—FORMER NISSAN CHAIRMAN CARLOS GHOSN “ONCE YOU OVERCOME THE ONE-INCH-TALL BARRIER OF SUBTITLES, YOU WILL BE INTRODUCED TO SO MANY MORE AMAZING FILMS.”—Parasite director Bong Joon-ho “If you want free Netflix please use someone else’s account like the rest of us.”—NETFLIX INDIA…

ONE OF NIGERIA’S GREAT EXPORTS IS its artists. Biyi Bandele is an award-winning Nigerian writer and filmmaker. Among his works are the novel The King’s Rifle and the films Half of a Yellow Sun and Fifty. He is currently working on a feature documentary film on Fela Kuti for the BBC and is a Fulbright Visiting Scholar at Tisch School of the Arts at New York University. Newsweek’s Sam Hill talked with Bandele from his home in New York City about being a part of the nation’s artistic diaspora and his country’s future. Edited excerpts: Q _ Why does Nigeria have what seems like an inexhaustible supply of great writers and artists? A _ Because over the last forty years to survive we’ve had to rely on ourselves. Nollywood came…

With issues like climate change, gun control and corporate diversity taking on greater urgency in the U.S. and abroad, interest in investing for the greater good has grown exponentially. As a result, the sustainable investing movement—often called ESG investing, after the environmental, social and governance criteria on which decisions are based—is going mainstream. Here’s a look at recent developments. 80% The percentage of 200+ studies on sustainability practices that suggest this approach has a positive effect on investment performance A Gender Divide Percent of individuals who are interested in sustainable investing 288 The number of mutual and exchange-traded funds in the U.S. that focus on sustainable investing, an increase of nearly 50 percent since 2018 $30,683,000,000,000 The amount of money in sustainable investments worldwide, at the start of 2018—a 34…

In honor of the 100th anniversary of the passing of the 19th Amendment, which guaranteed women’s right to vote in the U.S., Newsweek is looking at other impressive female advancements around the world over the last century. From the first woman to rocket into space to the activists who gathered for a record-breaking Women’s March, solo or in groups, women have set records and forged paths forward against all odds. 01 Equality in Sports Texas (1973) Regarded as one of the greatest women’s tennis players of all time, Billie Jean King earned a six-time world No. 1 ranking and 39 Grand Slam titles. Her crusade for pay equality gained the largest-ever worldwide audience for a tennis match—over 90 million—when she defeated “self-proclaimed chauvinist” Bobby Riggs in the “Battle of the Sexes”…

As Ukraine’s new government moves to modernize the nation’s infrastructure with $20 billion of investment over the coming years, foreign investors are lining up to reap opportunities in road, port, airport and rail projects across the nation. In October, the Ministry of Infrastructure launched two pilot concession projects at the ports of Olvia and Kherson, which attracted over 30 participants from across the world. Moving forward, more port, road and airport projects will open to investors through concessions, while the government has also earmarked IPOs. “There is a unique opportunity for investors right now because the president’s office, the cabinet of ministers and the parliament are all working together towards the same goals,” says Minister of Infrastructure Vladyslav Kryklii. “In the future, we will launch IPOs for the railway company…

With special collaboration with As comprehensive and bold as it is ambitious, Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030 strategic development blueprint is building on the kingdom’s strengths and capabilities, including vast wealth of non-oil resources and human talent. Since its launch in 2016, Vision 2030 has seen the public and private sectors strive to transform the energy-rich country into a global investment powerhouse by stimulating the economy and diversifying revenues away from black gold through a series of measures and fundamental changes. “Our Vision is a strong, thriving, and stable Saudi Arabia that provides opportunity for all,” states Crown Prince and Chairman of the Council of Economic and Development Affairs, Mohammad bin Salman bin Abdulaziz Al-Saud. “We are determined to reinforce the capabilities of our economy, turning key strengths into enabling tools…