India’s Kerala shuts schools, colleges amid sweltering heat
With most parts of India reeling from high temperatures, the weather department has forecast an unusually high number of heatwave days for April to June, as the country stages a general election that has seen a low voter turnout. Heatwaves are rare in Kerala and data from the India Meteorological Department (IMD) shows that the state recorded five heatwave days in April.
Source:The North Africa Journal
May 02, 2024 11:08 UTC
Israel’s war on Gaza updates: First time aid enters Gaza via Beit Hanoon
Israel’s war on Gaza updates: First time aid enters Gaza via Beit HanoonUS Secretary of State Blinken, on a visit to Tel Aviv, says there should be ‘no delays, no excuses’ in reaching a ceasefire deal, claiming the only reason it may not happen ‘is because of Hamas’.
Source:The North Africa Journal
May 02, 2024 10:09 UTC
10 Egyptian startups win VMS Bridge Programme awards
Ten Egyptian startups have won prizes at the culmination of the joint Saudi-Egyptian VMS Bridge programme. The VMS Bridge programme aims to provide opportunities for growth and expansion locally, regionally, and internationally, bridging the gap between the entrepreneurial ecosystems in Egypt and Saudi Arabia. Ten Egyptian startups have been named winners of the first edition, with five companies winning a prize that includes a four-day visit to Saudi Arabia, where they will have the opportunity to meet investors and explore investment opportunities. Additionally, three companies focused on environmental preservation and community service won a prize from Arweqah, which includes free access to Arweqah’s training programme. These three winning companies were AgriCash, a digital platform specialized in financing small farmers; ReNile, which operates in the field of Internet of Things in agriculture; and ICareer, a platform specialised in education for employment.
Source:The North Africa Journal
May 02, 2024 09:09 UTC
Planning cities amid climate change
One promising approach is green urban planning, which integrates environmental considerations into urban planning policies, processes, and practices. Green urban planning offers a holistic approach to address climate change while also tackling social and economic issues within . Therefore, urgent action is needed to embrace green urban planning principles and develop infrastructure that can support the future. Local knowledge and expertise must be leveraged to make green urban planning context-specific and culturally appropriate. However, challenges such as lack of awareness, coordination, capacity, and resources can impede the adoption of green urban planning.
Source:The North Africa Journal
May 02, 2024 08:53 UTC
Startups Without Borders’ 5th edition kicks off in Cairo this month
The fifth edition of the Startups Without Borders annual summit will take place on May 10–11 in Cairo. Set for Kamelizer Spaces, in District 5, the Startups Without Borders event will take place under the theme “Break Borders, Build Global Horizons”, and bring together 3,000 innovators from around the world alongside key players in the tech industry. Content will focus on helping entrepreneurs build businesses with global scope. Alongside talks and panels with all-star speakers, the event will host the Investor Room, where 460 meetings were hosted between startups and investors in 2023. Startups participate, get matched with an investor according to industry, geography and ticket size, and take part in 101 meetings with investors from leading global VCs and investors.
Source:The North Africa Journal
May 02, 2024 07:03 UTC
Morocco : Oracle and Huawei battle for the favours of Maroc Telecom
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Source:The North Africa Journal
May 02, 2024 06:56 UTC
Libya : TotalEnergies plans to push strategic projects with new Libya boss
Africa Intelligence uses cookies to provide reliable and secure features, measure and analyse website traffic and provide support to the website users. Apart from those essential for the proper operation of the website, you can choose which cookies you accept to have stored on your device. Either “Accept and close” to agree to all cookies or go to “Manage cookies” to review your options. You can change these settings at any time by going to our Cookie management page.
Source:The North Africa Journal
May 02, 2024 06:55 UTC
How pan-African Rwazi is using AI to help global brands make use of consumer data
Africa-born, but active globally, Rwazi is an AI market intelligence platform that helps global brands access zero-party consumer data on who is buying what, for how much, from where, when, and why, to help them drive revenue and expand. We’ve developed a system capable of capturing, validating, verifying, and enriching zero-party consumer data in ways that were previously unimaginable. “Those not leveraging zero-party consumer data are witnessing a significant erosion of their market share and are embroiled in heavy competition. “The growing demand for our services is a testament to the changing tide in consumer market intelligence. “The demand for our unique blend of real-time, ground-level consumer insights is rising, reflecting in our growing subscriber base and increasing interest across various industries.
Source:The North Africa Journal
May 02, 2024 06:14 UTC
Médecins sans frontières (MSF) warns of catastrophic malnutrition crisis in Zamzam camp amidst escalating violence in North Darfur
In response to the escalating fighting in North Darfur, Sudan, MSF has treated over 100 war-wounded patients – including 11 children, many with gunshot wounds – at South Hospital, El Fasher, over the past two weeks. We are also simultaneously scaling-up our response to the major malnutrition crisis in Zamzam camp, where the situation is becoming even more critical. As we do so, we call on the warring parties to ensure the protection of civilians, healthcare structures and staff, so that vital assistance for the tens of thousands of people whose lives are at-risk can be effectively provided before it is too late.
Source:The North Africa Journal
May 02, 2024 06:05 UTC
Learning gaps widen as extreme heat shuts schools for millions in Asia, North Africa
We’ve not seen such unbroken and expansive heatwaves before,” Bangladesh Meteorological Department senior forecaster Muhammad Abul Kalam Mallik told AFP. Thousands of schools in the Philippines and in India followed suit in late April, closing classrooms to more than 10 million students. On Wednesday, Cambodia ordered all public schools to slash two hours off the school day due to avoid peak heat at midday. In Bangladesh last year, schools were closed for 6-7 days, said Save the Children’s Sengupta. Between 40pc and 60pc of US schools are thought to have at least partial air conditioning, according to various surveys.
Source:The North Africa Journal
May 02, 2024 04:58 UTC
Inaugural Saudi WoodShow 2024: Bridging Giga Projects with Wood and Woodworking Machinery Potential
Saudi WoodShow LogoRIYADH, SAUDI ARABIA, May 1, 2024 / EINPresswire.com / -- As the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia embarks on its ambitious Giga projects, the inaugural Saudi International Wood and Woodworking Machinery Exhibition (Saudi WoodShow) is set to play a pivotal role in linking these grand endeavors with the burgeoning wood and woodworking machinery market. Organized under the banner of the renowned WoodShow Global platform, Saudi WoodShow is slated to take place in Riyadh from May 12 to 14, 2024.Saudi WoodShow capitalizes on Saudi Arabia's Giga projects, like NEOM and the Red Sea Development Project, fostering growth in the woodworking industry. McKinsey forecasts a tripling of Saudi Arabia's annual spending on projects, exceeding $175 billion by 2024. Alongside international exhibitors and partner associations, the event will feature country pavilions representing Turkey and China, showcasing their respective contributions to the wood and woodworking machinery industry. Additionally, local Saudi exhibitors will highlight the Kingdom's growing presence and potential in the sector.With an expected turnout of 8,000 visitors and more than 150 exhibitors, Saudi WoodShow is poised to be a landmark event in the region's wood and woodworking machinery calendar.
Source:The North Africa Journal
May 02, 2024 00:48 UTC
Death of 10 KDF in West Pokot makes North Rift peace urgent
The national grief is yet another stark reminder that the volatile situation in the North Rift still persists, driven by a complex web of socio-economic, political, and environmental factors. For too long, this region has been engulfed in a vicious cycle of inter-communal violence, primarily manifested through intra-communal raids, commonly known as cattle rustling and banditry. Banditry and criminality thrive, fuelled by the widespread inter-communal tensions and the lack of effective leadership. Political grandstanding and the absence of face-to-face dialogue have perpetuated a vicious cycle of revenge and retribution. Secondly, reconciliation initiatives must begin, led by political leaders as security actors coordinate a framework to support and strengthen this reconciliation process.
Source:The North Africa Journal
May 01, 2024 20:37 UTC
KDF spent Sh38m to clean Cabros, windows at KICC
The Defence Ministry spent Sh38 million to clean Cabros and windows at the Kenyatta International Convention Centre (KICC) ahead of the African Climate Change Conference that President William Ruto hosted in September 2023. The Ministry of Defence, through the Kenya Defence Forces (KDF), renovated the first four floors and the Amphitheatre at the KICC cost a whopping Sh1.98 billion ahead of the Climate Change Conference. Mr Ruku demanded to know the detergents and the equipment that was used to clean the Cabros and the windows for the four floors that KDF undertook renovations. You cannot use Sh28 million for cleaning of Cabros and Sh10 million to clean the external facade windows,” said Mr Ruku. What kind of detergent or materials were used to clean the windows and the Cabros?
Source:The North Africa Journal
May 01, 2024 19:51 UTC
Southern Europe’s Economic Boom Might Not Be Sustainable
Though unprecedented in the annals of recent European economic history, it is also reflective of a wider trend. While large economies like Germany, France and the U.K. have been mired in stagnant growth and even recession over the past few years, in Southern Europe, the so-called PIGS of Portugal, Italy, Greece and Spain have managed to flip the economic script. In 2023, GDP across the entire EU grew at an average rate of about 0.4 percent, while Greece, Spain and Portugal all posted rates comfortably in excess of 2 percent. The larger Mediterranean economies of Italy and Spain are now among the principal contributors to the EU’s return to—very modest—growth. Spain in particular has invested heavily in energy partnerships with Algeria through private Spanish energy companies such as Repsol.
Source:The North Africa Journal
May 01, 2024 18:37 UTC
Online shoppers splash Sh87.3bn on electronics, fashion products
Electronics and fashion products have continued to dominate the highest expenditure categories of consumer goods bought by Kenyans through e-commerce platforms, even as spending on beverages and food orders declined during the year ending last December, a new report shows. The value of cash spent on fashion products, however, declined by $6.2 million (Sh837 million) but still retained a top position to close the year at $280.3 million (Sh37.8 billion), compared to the $286.5 million (Sh38.7 billion) spent on fashion orders during the year ended December 2022. Other product categories that recorded a drop in spending value during the period include toys and hobby tools, luxury goods as well and eyewear, which dipped at the fastest pace of four percent to stand at $3.62 million (Sh488.7 million). Other categories where Kenyans increased their spending during the year include physical media, furniture as well as beauty and personal care products, while online spending on over-the-counter pharmaceuticals remained unchanged at an annual value of $5.91 million (Sh797.9 million). CAK said in March that it had recorded a sharp rise in complaints of product and service misinformation, fraud, and dishonest conduct such as non-refund of cash on botched purchases.
Source:The North Africa Journal
May 01, 2024 16:39 UTC