Winner of North Macedonia's parliamentary election to seek governing coalition partner
SKOPJE, North Macedonia — The head of a center-right 22-party coalition that emerged victorious in North Macedonia’s parliamentary election has fallen just short of gaining a parliamentary majority, leaving it reliant on entering a partnership with another party to form a government. The “Your Macedonia” coalition, led by the head of the VMRO-DPMNE party, Hristijan Mickoski, won just over 43% of the votes in Wednesday’s election, giving it 58 of the country’s 120 parliamentary seats, three fewer than an outright majority, official results showed. Mickoski was expected to begin seeking a governing partner as early as Thursday.
Source:The North Africa Journal
May 09, 2024 13:16 UTC
Chad’s high-stake presidential vote marred by ‘threats and violence’, excluded EU-funded observers – The North Africa Post
The presidential election, which featured 10 candidates, including one woman, evolved into an unprecedented showdown between the junta leader, General Mahamat Idriss Déby Itno, and his Prime Minister Succès Masra, a former opposition figure turned ally. The latter’s party, The Transformers, on Wednesday (8 May) condemned violence and threats against 40-year-old economist, who was allegedly under “surveillance” and faced “threats to his safety”. Brussels on Tuesday (7 May) condemned the failure by Chad’s junta-controlled authorities to allow nearly 3,000 civil society members financed by the EU to observe the presidential election. Four civil society associations have slammed Deby-appointed electoral commission for refusing to accredit 2,900 of their representatives as voting observers. “The EU in Chad condemns the non-accreditation of these civil society organizations,” the EU said on Facebook.
Source:The North Africa Journal
May 09, 2024 12:33 UTC
Burkina Faso Advances Solar Initiative With €45.7 Million Loan From China's Export-Import Bank
The transitional parliament of Burkina Faso has granted its endorsement to a conventional loan deal totaling €45.7 million with the Export-Import Bank of China. This financing will be used for the development of the Donsin solar power plant and its accompanying electricity storage system. The initiative, greenlit by the Council of Ministers on February 9, 2024, under the leadership of President Ibrahim Traoré, entails the establishment of a 25 MWp solar power plant at Donsin airport site in the Loumbila district of central Burkina Faso. As of 2023, the Burkina Faso National Electricity Company (SONABEL) had anticipated importing 300 MW from Ivory Coast and Ghana to meet electricity demands. The completion of the Donsin solar power plant, expected within 15 months, is poised to bolster Burkina Faso’s energy autonomy.
Source:The North Africa Journal
May 09, 2024 11:40 UTC
North Africa football fans use stadium freedoms to back Palestinians
A mural painted by the ultras for the Wydad AC football club, in the old city of Casablanca (FADEL SENNA)In North Africa, where political speech is often harshly policed, football stadiums have long been an exception. Now, fans are using that small freedom to express solidarity for the Palestinians amid the Gaza war. "The Palestinian question unites everyone" in the region, said Abderrahim Bourkia, a Moroccan sociologist who has studied diehard "ultra" football fans. - 'Let loose' -Banners at stadiums across North Africa have denounced the humanitarian crisis in the Gaza Strip. The ultras "want to show that they're doers and not merely a reckless group of football fans -- that they, too, have a viewpoint on society".
Source:The North Africa Journal
May 09, 2024 11:34 UTC
DP World opens FTWZ at Integrated Chennai Business Park
DP World opens FTWZ at Integrated Chennai Business ParkShare This News Story:CHENNAI : DP World, a global provider of supply chain solutions, on Tuesday announced the launch of operations at Integrated Chennai Business Park, the company’s free trade warehouse zone (FTWZ) at Manali, about 30 km north of Chennai. Once the facilities are fully ready in 3-4 years, about 4 million sq ft of warehouse space would be available, he said. The unit in Chennai is the largest of the three, at 125 acres and 2 million sq ft of warehouse space; in Mumbai, it is 85 acres (also 2 million sq ft) and in Kochi 10 acres (0.2 million sq ft), he said. The Chennai facility is located within a 40-km radius of key ports including Kattupalli (~15 km), Ennore (~11 km), and Chennai (~27 km). The four warehouses at the Chennai facility can collectively accommodate 17,000 pallet positions, enabling the handling of specialised and uneven shaped cargo.
Source:The North Africa Journal
May 09, 2024 09:12 UTC
Tunisia’s Sustained Recovery Requires Quick Action to Take Advantage of Opportunities
The report emphasizes Tunisia’s improved external balance, its narrowing trade deficit supported by favorable international prices, and its external financing needs that remain significant. The report underscores the urgency of addressing the drivers behind the external financing challenges, including energy deficit, debt service, and level of capital inflows. Faced with tighter external financing conditions, Tunisia has increasingly relied on domestic banks — and more recently to the Central Bank – to finance its budget. With strategic investments, particularly in renewable energy, Tunisia could significantly enhance its economic resilience and sustainability,” said Alexandre Arrobbio, the World Bank’s Country Manager for Tunisia. This project aims to improve the resilience of the Tunisia’s electricity system and transform it into a net exporter of electricity.
Source:The North Africa Journal
May 09, 2024 08:31 UTC
Rain and dust coming to cloud sunny skies
Residents planning to put a sparkle on their cars ahead of the weekend may as well put away the bucket and sponge, as a combination of rain and dust from the Sahara will be casting a muddy pall over Greece’s sunny skies starting on Thursday afternoon. For Athens in particular, Meteo foresees overcast skies into the early hours of Saturday, with rain, and possible thunderstorms, making an appearance midday on Friday. Thursday’s daytime high of 23 degrees Celsius is expected to drop to 18C on Friday, before shooting back up to reach 27 Celsius on Sunday. Greece’s national weather service, EMY, meanwhile, has forecast rain and sporadic storms in the Aegean Sea on Thursday night and Friday, noting that these tempests may be particularly strong over the northern part of the archipelago. A similar warning of strong, sudden storms on Thursday and Friday has been issued for parts of mainland Greece – including Thessaly – and Evia.
Source:The North Africa Journal
May 09, 2024 06:10 UTC
Alvarez & Marsal India Strengthens Its Consumer & Retail Expertise by Appointing Aparna Chopra As Executive Director
Ms. Chopra's hire marks A&M's strategic move to enhance its presence in the consumer & retail sector. MUMBAI, INDIA, May 9, 2024 -- Embracing the growing opportunities in India's consumer sector, leading global professional services firm, Alvarez & Marsal India, announced the appointment of Delhi-based Aparna Chopra as Executive Director within the Retail and Consumer Products practice. Ms. Chopra has worked across multiple markets including India, the UK, EMEA, North Africa and Southeast Asia. “We are dedicated to nurturing exceptional talent that interweaves with our operational heritage and our results-driven, consulting mindset,” said, Rishav Jain, A&M India's Consumer & Retail practice leader. As a testament to her industry contributions, The Economic Times named Ms. Chopra among the 25 Women in Indian Business in 2015.
Source:The North Africa Journal
May 09, 2024 04:03 UTC
"South Indians Look Like Africans...": Sam Pitroda Embarrasses Congress Again
Senior Congress leader Sam Pitroda - whose comment last month about an inheritance tax in the United States sparked a massive fight with the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party - has triggered another row in his attempt to make a pitch for national unity. "The analogies given by Sam Pitroda to India's diversity are extremely wrong and unacceptable. (Please understand at least something about our country)" the senior BJP leader hit back at Mr Pitroda. "Sam Pitroda is Rahul Gandhi's mentor. It shows 'Congress ki Mohabbat ki Dukan actually has 'nafrat' and 'racism ka saman'..."#WATCH | Delhi: On Chairman of Indian Overseas Congress, Sam Pitroda's controversial "People in East look like Chinese, in South look like Africans..." remark, BJP leader Shehzad Poonawalla says, "This is a shocking, despicable and disgusting comment made by Sam Pitroda.
Source:The North Africa Journal
May 08, 2024 18:42 UTC
ADNOC Signs New LNG Supply Deal With German Firm
Abu Dhabi’s national oil company ADNOC has signed a new deal to supply LNG from a planned large export facility to a German firm. “We are delighted that EnBW has signed its first LNG contract in the Middle East with our experienced partner ADNOC. The deal with EnBW is the third long-term LNG supply agreement from the Ruwais LNG project. Earlier this year, Germany’s state-controlled firm Securing Energy for Europe (Sefe) signed a deal with ADNOC, under which Abu Dhabi’s company will supply LNG to Germany for 15 years beginning in 2028. ADVERTISEMENTFor ADNOC, the deal was yet another export outlet for its LNG project as the UAE’s giant looks to play a larger role in global LNG supply.
Source:The North Africa Journal
May 08, 2024 18:04 UTC
At Abu Dhabi: The Rise of Arab Representation in Video Games
Video game experts at the International Congress of Arabic Publishing and Creative Industries explored how to translate Arabic culture into authentic gaming experiences. ‘Cross-Border Storytelling through Game Adaptations’ at the 2024 International Congress of Arabic Publishing and Creative Industries. Image: Publishing Perspectives, Hannah Johnson ‘Cross-Border Storytelling through Game Adaptations’ at the 2024 International Congress of Arabic Publishing and Creative Industries. Zaher said that this involves not only thinking about regional dialects and the diversity of the Arab world, but also integrating cultural details into gameplay. More About Congress PCIAt the 2024 International Congress of Arabic Publishing and Creative Industries.
Source:The North Africa Journal
May 08, 2024 17:45 UTC
Investment in Morocco-UK energy project continues
GE Vernova and the Africa Finance Corporation (AFC) recently invested $24.3 million dollars in the undersea cable Morocco-UK Power Project. The strike price typically refers to the price at which a renewable energy project will sell its generated electricity to a government or utility company. “The increase in the Xlinks’ guidance on the Morocco-UK Power Project strike price is broadly in line with what we are seeing in CfD estimations. Morocco-UK subsea cables energy project secures early development fundingMorocco-UK project to supply clean energy to millions of him in BritainXlinks said previously that once completed, the Project’s wind and solar generation, combined with flexible battery storage, is expected to supply 3.6GW of clean energy to the UK. “Xlinks’ Morocco-UK Power Project exemplifies this pivotal role, showcasing Africa’s capability to fuel Europe’s shift to sustainable energy while simultaneously addressing urgent climate challenges.
Source:The North Africa Journal
May 08, 2024 17:16 UTC
UN food agency fears an escalation on the Lebanese-Israeli border can cripple aid efforts in Lebanon
DEKWANEH, Lebanon (AP) — If the monthslong conflict playing out on the Lebanese-Israeli border continues to escalate, the United Nations food agency won’t be ready for the spike in nutritional needs across crisis-hit Lebanon, its deputy executive director said Wednesday. “So far we’ve been able to manage based on the existing resources we have,” UN World Food Program’s Carl Skau, who is on a brief visit to the small Mediterranean nation, told The Associated Press. The WFP provides aid to over 158,000 people in Lebanon affected by the hostilities, including 93,000 displaced from their homes. Food inflation in Lebanon is among the worst worldwide, which Skau said is incomparable except with “maybe Zimbabwe or Argentina.”The conflict on the border is fueling further concern. Israeli jets continue to strike deeper into Lebanon, while Hezbollah, a Hamas ally, strikes Israel more frequently with rockets and explosive drones.
Source:The North Africa Journal
May 08, 2024 16:55 UTC
Who will win the race for Africa’s critical minerals?
Mining on Top Africa (#MOTA), the 7th Annual African Mining Congress will return once again to Paris, France for a crucial pre-Olympics meeting of the industry’s highest level mining decision makers. The world’s exponential need for critical minerals is providing momentum for the continent to capitalise on its vast resources. The main battery minerals, essential for global green and digital transitions, plus defence and space technologies are crucial to these ambitions. About AMETRADEWe are the leading independent business to business event organiser in Africa, with over 20 years of working experience in over 30 countries. With a commitment to fostering sustainable practices, technological innovation, and responsible mining, MOTA is a key platform for shaping the trajectory of the mining sector on the continent.
Source:The North Africa Journal
May 08, 2024 16:20 UTC