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WORLD NEWS Wednesday 2 september 2020
Oil companies accused of wanting to dump plastics in Africa

By CARA ANNA and TOM tries. Nearly 190 countries
ODULA have agreed to it, but not
Associated Press the U.S. The Office of the
NAIROBI, Kenya (AP) — The United States Trade Repre-
oil industry has asked the sentative did not respond
United States to pressure to a request for comment.
Kenya to change its world- A U.S. summary of negotiat-
leading stance against the ing objectives issued in May
plastic waste that litters included this: "Establish rules
Africa, according to envi- that will ensure that Kenya
ronmentalists who fear the does not waive or dero-
continent will be used as a gate from the protections
dumping ground. afforded in environmental
The request from the Ameri- laws for the purpose of en-
can Chemistry Council, couraging trade or invest-
whose members include ment."
major oil companies, to the Kenya's government via
Office of the United States multiple ministries did not
Trade Representative comment. But Kenyan
came as the U.S and Kenya trade minister Betty Maina
negotiate what would be in comments published
the first U.S. bilateral trade Tuesday by the local Star
deal with a country in sub- newspaper said Kenya
Saharan Africa. In this Wednesday, Dec. 5, 2018 file photo, a man walks on a mountain of plastic bottles as he will negotiate with the U.S.
That deal is expected to be carries a sack of them to be sold for recycling after weighing them at the dump in the Dandora "guided by Kenyan laws"
slum of Nairobi, Kenya.
a model for others in Africa, Associated Press and talks continue.
and its importance helped Kenya banned plastic bags
lead to Kenyan President other African countries. earthed, an affiliate of the countries, notably Kenya, in 2017, inspiring similar
Uhuru Kenyatta's White The April 28 letter from the Greenpeace environmen- aim to shift away from fossil bans in other African coun-
House visit with President American Chemistry Coun- tal organization. The coun- fuels for their energy needs. tries whose streets, water-
Donald Trump this year — a cil's director for internation- cil repeated its request in a The American Chemistry ways and even trees have
rarity for an African leader al trade, Ed Brzytwa, seen public commenting session Council in a statement to long been choked with the
during this administration. by The Associated Press, in June. the AP said "it is well under- tattered bags.
Kenya three years ago im- urges the U.S. and Kenya China's ban on imports of stood that a bilateral trade The idea that Kenya's gov-
posed what was praised as to prohibit the imposition most plastic waste in 2018 agreement between the ernment might weaken or
the world's strictest ban on of domestic limits on "pro- has forced companies to United States and Kenya do away with its ban un-
the use, manufacturing and duction or consumption of seek new places to send it, will not override Kenya's der pressure from the U.S.
import of plastic bags, part chemicals and plastic" and but other countries includ- domestic approach to or oil industry has upset the
of growing efforts around on their cross-border trade. ing African ones increas- managing plastic waste or country's vibrant environ-
the world to limit a major "We anticipate that Ke- ingly are saying they don't undermine its international mental community, which
source of plastic waste. En- nya could serve in the fu- want it, either. Plastic waste commitments under the rallied support that also led
vironmentalists fear Kenya ture as a hub for supplying meant for recycling has Basel Convention," a glob- to this year's ban on other
is now under pressure not U.S.-made chemicals and piled up in dumps in Ke- al agreement which as of single-use plastics such as
only to weaken its resolve plastics to other markets nyan cities. January will make it much bottles in national parks,
but to become a key tran- in Africa," the letter says. It Meanwhile, oil companies more difficult to ship plas- beaches and other pro-
sit point for plastic waste to was first obtained by Un- are under pressure as more tic waste to poorer coun- tected areas.q

Cuba closes off Havana to stamp out spread of coronavirus

By ANDREA RODRÍGUEZ barred from selling to shop- 4,000 cases and fewer than
Associated Press pers from outside the im- 100 deaths since the start
HAVANA (AP) — Cuban mediate neighborhood, in of the epidemic, one of
authorities launched a order to prevent people the lowest rates in the re-
strict 15-day lockdown of from moving around the gion. The country made
Havana on Tuesday in or- city. Gas stations cannot face masks obligatory in
der to stamp out the low- sell gas to privately owned the early stages of its pan-
level but persistent spread vehicles, another measure demic response and in the
of the novel coronavirus in meant to reduce mobility. first months of the crisis po-
the capital. Police stationed on every lice aggressively fined and
Aggressive anti-virus mea- road leaving Havana are even jailed people for vio-
sures including closing charged with stopping ev- lations.
down air travel have virtu- eryone who doesn't have That stance slackened
ally eliminated COVID-19 a special permit to travel, somewhat as Havana
in Cuba with the exception meant to be issued only moved out of the first, strict-
of the capital, where cases in extraordinary circum- Residents get their temperatures taken amid the new coronavirus est phase of lockdown in
have surged from a hand- stances. Some provinces pandemic at a police checkpoint set up on the border of the July, public transporta-
ful a day to dozens daily that saw no new cases for province of Havana, Cuba, Monday, Aug. 10, 2020. tion restarted and people
over the last month. weeks have begun detect- Associated Press returned to work. Cases
Starting Tuesday, Havana ing them in recent days, of- The start of the school year open in the rest of Cuba. began to climb, and the
is under a 7 p.m. to 5 a.m. ten linked to travelers from is also indefinitely delayed The island of 11 million has capital province returned
curfew. Most stores are Havana. in Havana, even as schools reported slightly more than to phase zero last month. q