ATHENS: Greece shut more ancient tourist sites in Athens on Thursday and elderly people took refuge at designated air-conditioned spots as the first heatwave of the summer persisted for a third day. Locals sat in air conditioned rooms set up by the city, using hand held fans to create a breeze. Firefighters who put out several wildfires on Wednesday remained on high alert as strong winds were expected to hit several parts of the country. Scientists warn that summer temperatures there could rise by an average of 2 degrees by 2050. Our first goal shall be to lower the median temperature, the felt-air temperature,” he told Reuters.

Police in Tanzania guarding the North Mara Gold Mine have been linked to the killing of least six people and injury of several others during clashes since February 2024, Human Rights Watch said today. Barrick Gold, a mining company headquartered in Toronto, Canada, and the Tanzanian government have jointly owned the mine since 2019. A copy of a police form, seen by Human Rights Watch, cites “unnatural death” as the circumstances of his death. The day after Nyakorenga’s death, residents reported that they found the body of an unidentified person at a mine dumping area outside the mine premises. “For years, residents of areas near Tanzania’s North Mara Gold Mine have complained about the brutality of the police,” Nyeko said.

Nokia chief customer experience officer Ricky Corker, who previously led the company’s North America operation, is set to depart the company later this month as part of the vendor’s latest operating model shift. In a statement, Nokia revealed Corker is due to step down on 28 June following a decision to make individual business units responsible for operations previously handled by the customer experience unit he led. Corker (pictured, below) joined Nokia in 1993 and held his current role since 2021. Latest restructureNokia’s Customer Experience unit was formed in 2021 as part of a sweeping restructure instigated by then recently-installed CEO Pekka Lundmark, which split the business into four autonomous product line focused units. Nokia noted the structural shift would “empower its business groups with increased operational autonomy and move into a streamlined operating model”.

Dr Ekeminiabasi Eyita-Okon, a lecturer at the Wits School of Governance, spoke to ESI Africa about grid collapses, what causes them and measures that can be taken to mitigate them. She stressed the importance of governments updating and modernising grid infrastructure. Find out more about the Wits School of Governance. This interview took place at Enlit Africa 2024.

The G7 leaders arrived at the luxury resort of Borgo Egnazia, the summit venue, welcomed by Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni. Biden is also lending his support to key themes in Meloni’s presidency – investing in Africa, international development, and climate change. Those topics were covered in the opening session of the G7 on Thursday, followed by discussions on the Gaza and Ukraine wars. Leaders will also discuss increasing tension along the Israeli border with Lebanon, Sullivan told reporters Thursday morning. The G7 statement will reflect the Nairobi/Washington vision that Biden signed with Kenyan President William Ruto, Sullivan said.

The URL has been copied to your clipboardThe code has been copied to your clipboard. The South African rand was stronger in early trade on Thursday amid signs of progress in forming a new coalition government. The upcoming end to a two-month government ban on rapid construction along Senegal’s coastline has residents concerned. This, and more Africa-related news updates on today’s VOA 60.

G7 summit updates: US, Ukraine sign 10-year security pact including F-16sUpdates from June 13, 2024: Speaking at a G7 event dubbed ‘Partnership for Global Infrastructure and Investment’, US president praises recent investments in Africa.

A scorching heatwave has prompted the closure of tourist attractions, schools and even impacted essential services in Athens. Authorities have implemented various measures to safeguard public health. Red Cross medics distributed water bottles to tourists, while primary schools and nurseries in southern Greece were closed until Friday. Additionally, drones equipped with thermal cameras will be deployed to assist in coordinating the city’s public health response. Greece faces repercussions of climate changeThis heatwave signifies another extreme weather event for Greece, a country heavily impacted by climate change.

­­Smartphone shipments in Africa surged 24% in the first quarter of this year due to lowering inflation and new device launches. Analyst company Canalys said in its quarterly report, smartphone shipments in Q1 grew to 18.2 million units making Africa the third fastest growing smartphone region globally in the quarter. Sub-Saharan Africa saw “rapid growth” at a rate of 42% YoY, with Nigeria leading the charge despite its currency plunging against the dollar. Egypt saw significant growth in North Africa with 39%, while Algeria saw a 16% rise. IDC reported smartphone sales surpasses feature phones for the first time in Africa.

Visa applicants from Africa who want to visit Europe's Schengen Area face far higher rejection rates than people from anywhere else in the worldEven when Africans want to visit Europe legally, rejection rates are high. Algeria is one exampleALGIERS, Algeria -- France has twice rejected visa applications from Nabil Tabarout, a 29-year-old web developer from Algeria who hopes this year to visit his sister there. He's among the many people navigating the often arduous visa process throughout Africa, which faces higher visa rejection rates than anywhere else in the world when it comes to visiting Europe's Schengen Area. Every pleasure deserves pain,” said Tabarout, who has succeeded just once in obtaining a French visa. Beyond rejection rates, the difficulty of applying is also a policy choice by European governments, Maru said.

Second, in continuation with the first perspective, greater engagements with Italy enhance India’s outreach to the Mediterranean Region. The Mediterranean Region, which was also a lesser focused area for India is gaining traction in India’s foreign policy. Barring France and Israel, India’s engagements with other countries in the Mediterranean Region have remained limited. However the Mediterranean Region is now becoming a major part of India’s foreign policy. All these regions had minimal presence in India’s foreign engagements.

Kenyan influencer marketing platform Wowzi has partnered Mastercard and Masria Digital Payments in a US$2.04 million deal aimed at transforming the financial management landscape for content creators through innovative digital card solutions. The well-backed startup has now signed a five-year deal with Mastercard and MDP that wull see it provide Wowzi content creators with access to a range of digital card benefits. Leveraging MDP’s expertise in digital payments, these cards are designed to offer content creators a seamless and secure user experience, simplifying both online and offline transactions. “Our journey has always been driven by the belief that content creators are the heartbeat of the digital age. “We are dedicated to being at the forefront of technology solutions that cater to the unique needs of content creators.

Eneo, the main electricity company of Cameroon, has signed two new agreements to double the generation and battery storage capacities of two of its solar energy parks. The Maroua Solar PV Park, which is located in Far North, currently generates 14.52MW. The Guider Solar PV Park, situated in the North region of Cameroon, has a current capacity of 15.78MW solar. The Maroua and Guider solar power parks are the first huge-capacity solar parks in Cameroon and in the sub-region. Phase 2 has recently been launched; Hybridise isolated power plants by attaching small solar power plants to thermal generation;by attaching small solar power plants to thermal generation; Facilitate the construction of mini-hydropower plants .

HSBC Egypt is planning to launch a fund worth EGP 1.5 billion ($31.5 million) to back the fintech sector in the North African country. EFG Holding will manage the fund, which is set to be launched in Q3. Source: ZawyaHSBC Egypt is planning to launch a fund worth EGP 1.5 billion (around $31.5 million) to invest in small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) operating within the fintech sector in Egypt, two sources in the know told Asharq Business. EFG Holding will manage the fund, one source said, expecting the fund to be launched in the third quarter (Q3) of this year. Several financial institutions, including the Suez Canal Bank, have contributed to the new fund, a banker noted, highlighting that the Central Bank of Egypt (CBE) had approved the launch of the fund.

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