QUICK READ

Ukraine

UKRAINIAN President Volodymyr Zelensky launched a global crowdfunding platform to help Kyiv win the war with Russia and rebuild the country’s infrastructure.

“In one click, you can donate funds to protect our defenders, to save our civilians and to rebuild Ukraine,” he said in English in a video on his Twitter page, launching the United24 platform.

Nine weeks into Russia’s invasion, Ukrainian cities have suffered vast destruction.

“All funds will be transferred to the national bank of Ukraine and allocated to the relevant ministries,” Zelensky said, indicating his government would give an update “every 24 hours” about how the money was used. | AFP

Cryptocurrencies

GUCCI’S high-end handbags and other luxury products can now be bought using cryptocurrencies, including bitcoin, in some US stores, the Italian company said, as digital currencies move to broader acceptance.

Starting later this month, customers can pay with crypto at some of Gucci’s flagship stores, including Rodeo Drive in Los Angeles and Wooster Street in New York, the company said.

A growing number of companies have started to accept virtual currencies, bringing an asset class shunned by major financial institutions closer to the mainstream. | Reuters

Ivory Coast

MEN beating drums and blowing ox horns sounded the arrival of the king of Ivory Coast’s Aboure people, who waved as hundreds of people lined the roadside and sat on the roofs of buildings to catch a glimpse of the action this week.

The king was participating in the Popo Carnival which organisers say attracts more than a million people over two weeks. The event draws some visitors from Europe and the US, and locals hope it could get even bigger. Popo means “mask” in the Aboure language.

“It’s our dream that our children and our grandchildren could transform this carnival into a carnival like Rio de Janeiro,” said Joseph Yao Ambo, one of the festival commissioners. | Reuters