Archaeologists discover intact 90,000-year-old human footprints on Moroccan beach
In 2022, researchers stumbled upon the footprint site near the northern tip of North Africa while examining boulders at a nearby pocket beach. ADVERTISEMENTA team of archaeologists have unveiled the discovery of the oldest human footprints ever recorded in North Africa and the southern Mediterranean. "Between tides, I said to my team that we should go north to explore another beach," Essedrati told Live Science. Despite ongoing erosion threatening the Larache archaeological site's longevity, the footprints were likely preserved due to the favourable beach layout, fair-weather wave conditions, and tidal reach. The researchers now aim to uncover why the ice age group were on the beach through further analysis, including the exploration of various caves along Larache's southern coastline.
Source:The North Africa Journal
January 31, 2024 08:42 UTC
Morocco : Companies pre-selected for Mohammed VI Fund management contracts without notification
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Source:The North Africa Journal
January 31, 2024 07:31 UTC
How escalating Red Sea crisis poses billions of dollars of risk for India
Houthi attacks on the Red Sea have forced shippers to avoid one of the world’s most crucial trade routes. The reason is the escalating tensions in the Red Sea, the shortest and most efficient trade route for ships moving from Asia to Europe. About 35 percent of about 7.5 million tonnes of production is shipped to Europe, North America, North Africa and the Middle East through the Red Sea. About 60 percent of the country’s shipments go through the Red Sea to countries including North Africa and Russia. “Now we are expecting the Red Sea crisis will prolong for a pretty long time,” said Sahai of the Federation of Indian Export Organisations.
Source:The North Africa Journal
January 31, 2024 07:26 UTC
Applications open for latest Westerwelle Young Founders Programme
Applications are open for the latest Westerwelle Young Founders Programme, which offers outstanding young entrepreneurs from developing and emerging countries six months of business mentoring and the chance to participate in the Young Founder Conference in Berlin. The Westerwelle Foundation for International Understanding supports collaboration between young entrepreneurs, executives and decision makers from around the world. Its Young Founders Programme is a fully-funded six-month programme for 25 exceptional entrepreneurs from developing and emerging economies, offering access to a global network of entrepreneurs, mentorship from industry experts, and expert workshops. The top 10 performers will be invited to attend the Young Founder Conference in Berlin in December. Applications are now open here until February 11 for the Spring 2024 cohort of the programme, which takes place between March and August.
Source:The North Africa Journal
January 31, 2024 07:03 UTC
Auction of Nelson Mandela's possessions suspended as South Africa fights to keep them
The online auction had been scheduled by New York-based Guernsey's auction house on February 24, in conjunction with Dr. Makaziwe Mandela, the eldest daughter of the anti-apartheid icon and South Africa's first democratically elected President who died in 2013. It had received widespread criticism from the public and the South African government, which is supporting a court application by the South African Heritage Resources Agency, or SAHRA, to appeal an earlier court judgment that gave the auction the go-ahead. A note on the auctioneers' website on Tuesday indicated that the auction had been suspended without providing any further details. SAHRA said in statement that the suspension is a result of its engagement with Dr. Mandela and the auction house. "SAHRA welcomes the decision by Guernsey’s Auction House to suspend the auction," the agency said.
Source:The North Africa Journal
January 31, 2024 06:08 UTC
Europa given more time for offshore Ireland gas studies
Offshore staffDUBLIN, Ireland — Europa Oil & Gas has gained consent from the Department of the Environment, Climate and Communications to extend the term of an exploration license offshore western Ireland. Phase 1 of FEL 4/19 will now continue until the end of January. Europa will use the extension to conduct further technical studies and work on bringing in a partner to advance drilling and development of the license. The license contains the 1.5-Tcf Inishkea West gas prospect, which the company says could provide Ireland with a reliable source of low-emission energy. It is close to established gas production infrastructure and could be brought online relatively quickly in the event of a commercial discovery, Europa added, with lower carbon emissions than gas imported from the UK, Norway or elsewhere.
Source:The North Africa Journal
January 31, 2024 04:31 UTC
Ed’s note: The viability of solar power without battery storage
No matter where you reside, a solar power system is costly. Solar power and battery storage in the real worldTo give you an idea of how costly it is, here is an example. Considering that the EsQoffee outlet still needs to be grid-connected, we can assume that the solar system includes battery storage. An energy storage system, i.e., batteries, becomes indispensable to ensure an uninterrupted power supply from the solar modules. Ultimately, whether the solar power system includes battery storage is up to the person responsible for the payment.
Source:The North Africa Journal
January 31, 2024 01:07 UTC
Rapprochement with Russia not at expense of another partner – Chad’s top diplomat – The North Africa Post
Mahamat Saleh Annadif, Chad’s Foreign Minister, indicated Monday January 29 that last week trip by the country’s transitional leader to Russia was meant to diversify partners, not exclude others. Mahamat Idriss Deby met last week with Russia’s Vladimir Putin in Moscow in a visit that his office said was to strengthen ties with Russia. “It’s true that since the war in Ukraine, there have been quite a few problems between some of our partners and Russia, but that’s their business. We defend the interests of our country, and they defend the interests of their country, and that doesn’t stop us from being partners,” he added. Deby’s trip came as Russia is steadfastly returning to the continent after several decades of absence.
Source:The North Africa Journal
January 30, 2024 21:27 UTC
European immigrants introduced farming to prehistoric North Africa, new research shows
The Neolithic age reaches the Iberian PeninsulaAgriculture first appeared on the Iberian Peninsula around 7,600 years ago. In a relatively short time, these populations came to occupy the entire Iberian peninsula, where they underwent rapid cultural evolution. How innovation spreadSuch developments raise the question of whether these innovations could have spread from the Iberian peninsula. This indicates a Neolithic population in the area that we could define as “Creole”. The gene pool of the region’s present population is a union – formed over millions of years – of three continents.
Source:The North Africa Journal
January 30, 2024 21:22 UTC
Unravelling African network security trends - IT News Africa
Voted into the number one position by several countries across Africa, including Kenya, Mauritius, Nigeria and Uganda, it’s clear that cybersecurity prioritization remains critical for many businesses. The crucial role of network-based securityAccording to Campbell, network-based security is the lynchpin that binds a business’s devices, servers, applications, and users together. “The importance of network security cannot be overstated,” he explains. “And despite cybercriminals’ attempts to disable various security controls, like antivirus measures or endpoint security, for instance, the network remains the unavoidable pathway for bad actors. “Then, a bespoke network security policy, striking a balance between disruption and risk mitigation, is crucial.
Source:The North Africa Journal
January 30, 2024 20:56 UTC
Best in decade: Banner year projected for high-impact exploration wells
Africa and Latin America are likely to drive a global resurgence in high-impact exploration drilling activity this year to the highest levels seen for at least the last decade, according to market analysis from Rystad Energy. The consultancy has identified 36 potential high-impact wells to be drilled or spudded in 2024, the highest annual total since it started tracking the market in 2015.
Source:The North Africa Journal
January 30, 2024 20:38 UTC
Strategic myopia: Why Europeans should resume funding UNRWA
In total, the UN agency supplies healthcare, education, and other vital services to some 5.6 million Palestinian refugees. In war-ravaged Gaza, where Palestinians are facing “catastrophic hunger” according to multiple UN agencies, UNRWA is the primary aid distributor. European funding cuts will only worsen domestic instability in these countries in a way that risks driving further escalation between Israel and Iran-aligned groups linked to the Gaza war. Israel’s anti-UNRWA campaignIsrael has consistently opposed the internationally recognised right of return of Palestinian refugees whose families were driven out of modern-day Israel in 1948. Since the start of the war, 152 UNRWA personnel have been killed and 145 installations damaged.
Source:The North Africa Journal
January 30, 2024 16:02 UTC
Whirlpool says Red Sea crisis will start to impact its European business
FILE PHOTO: The administrative entrance at the Whirlpool plant in Clyde Ohio(Reuters) - Whirlpool Corp said on Tuesday its European business would start feeling the impact of the Red Sea crisis, as vessels sailing through one of the world's most important shipping routes come under attacks from the Iran-backed Houthi militia. "That brings uncertainty more in European supply chain," CEO Marc Bitzer said on a post-earnings call with analysts, without giving details about the timeline. Whirlpool, however, sees a small impact on some of the East Coast shipments in North America, not so much in costs but more in terms of time. Data from S&P Global showed the Suez Canal route accounts for 14.8% of all Europe and Middle East and North Africa (MENA) imports. Whirlpool on Monday forecast full-year sales and profit below analysts' estimates as the home appliance maker struggles to keep costs in check.
Source:The North Africa Journal
January 30, 2024 15:58 UTC
Helping Egypt Weather the Gaza War’s Impact
Even before the Gaza war sent Middle Eastern economies reeling, Egypt was facing an economic crisis that risked fuelling unrest and destabilising the region. Now the shock waves generated by the conflict in Gaza have augmented those already emanating from Russia’s war in Ukraine. The Gaza war poses other challenges for Egypt. A makeshift tent camp housing displaced Palestinians in Rafah near the border between Egypt and the southern Gaza Strip. Amid Israel’s military operations, as well as talk by politicians including Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of “voluntary emigration” of the Palestinian population from Gaza, Egyptian authorities struggle to conceal their powerlessness.
Source:The North Africa Journal
January 30, 2024 15:41 UTC
Senegalese retail-tech startup ProXalys raises $500k funding round
Senegalese startup ProXalys, which specialises in digital transformation in B2B commerce, has raised a US$500,000 funding round to help it scale. The startup, which has expanded its operations to Tunisia, has raised a US$500,000 funding round, led by 216 Capital, a Tunisia-based seed fund. ProXalys will utilise the funding to accelerate the go-to-market of its new product, ProBoutik, and strengthen its data and AI teams in Tunisia and Senegal. “The collaboration reflects a shared belief in the necessity of financial inclusion and digital transformation to drive sustainable economic development in the region,” he said. ProXalys raised a US$150,000 pre-seed round of funding back in 2022.
Source:The North Africa Journal
January 30, 2024 15:16 UTC