Ruling ANC faces a tough challenge to retain its majority in the seventh election since the end of the apartheid system. South Africa will hold national and provincial elections on May 29, President Cyril Ramaphosa’s office has said. Ramaphosa’s ruling African National Congress (ANC) party is expected to face a tough challenge to retain its parliamentary majority in the country’s seventh democratic election since the end of the apartheid system in 1994. “The 2024 elections coincide with South Africa’s celebration of 30 years of freedom and democracy,” the presidency said in a statement posted on X on Tuesday. In 1994, the country held its first democratic elections after the fall of the racially segregationist system of apartheid that had brutally oppressed Black and other non-white South Africans since 1948.

"We are going through a lot as people and there is often fighting in the home, which can lead to anger issues in a child. No child can wake up and carry a gun. Where are we as parents and educators? Why are we not monitoring our children? We are losing a generation," she said.

"Yes, of course," he says. "There is a very good chance that... we would [have] prevent[ed] a lot of the money" that had gone into Gaza, and that "the monster that Hamas built probably [wouldn't be] like the same monster that we faced on October 7th."

Furthermore, public sector infrastructure often underpins vital services for private sector operations, emphasizing the interconnectedness of these sectors. In this exclusive interview, Ian Engelbrecht, System Engineering Manager at Veeam Software, discusses how Veeam improves the cybersecurity posture of public sector organizations. Further public sector infrastructure is also in consequence needed for the private sector to run their businesses. To support the public sector, Veeam has extended itself into the public organizations security operations center (SOC). What role does data backup and recovery play in Veeam’s approach to securing public sector data?

The opening session of Africa’s Green Economy Summit (AGES) 2024 will be livestreamed on LinkedIn tomorrow (21 February). Livestream: Wednesday, 21 February 9am to 10.50amLink to AGES 2024 keynote address livestream. MC for the opening ceremony – Driving Africa’s Transition to a Green Economy – will be Onke Ngcuka, Daily Maverick Journalist. The Zambian Minister of Green Economy and Environment, Collins Nzovu, will deliver an address on Putting Green Growth at the Heart of Economic Development. Green projects to present investment pipeline of over $1bnat Africa’s Green Economy SummitWhat else is happening at Africa’s Green Economy Summit 2024?

In this episode of Current Account, Clay is joined again by IIF's Garbis Iradian, Chief Economist, Middle East & North Africa, and Ivan Burgara, Economist, to revisit the economic impact of the conflict in the Middle East. The trio discuss the likelihood and impact of two proposed scenarios: One in which the conflict is contained to the region and one where the conflict escalates beyond the region. Both scenarios are analyzed on a regional and global impact level. IIF members can access Garbis and Ivan's recent report on the MENA region here.

Led by physicist René van Westen, the researchers focused on a phenomenon known as the Atlantic meridional overturning circulation (AMOC). The density of this salty water is higher than that of fresh water, so as the water cools, it sinks. At the 1750-year mark, the team observed the AMOC collapse from a flow rate of about 10 Sv to 2 Sv by model year 1850. “This means we are moving closer to the tipping point and are thus on route for tipping,” he tells Physics World. “One of the most important findings in our work is that AMOC tipping is possible and that it is not just a theoretical concept,” Westen emphasizes.

Carrefour Brasil posts fourth-quarter loss following store closuresCarrefour Brasil posted a 565mln real (€105.7mln) net loss in the fourth quarter, compared with a 426mln real (€79.7mln) profit a year earlier, driven by expenses and non-cash impairments related to store closures. Source: retaildetail.euSPAR China partners invest in retail expansion and modernisationSPAR Shandong opened the doors of a new store in Galaxy COcO City. Source: newsroom.metroag.deUK: Morrisons launches Aldi and Lidl price match on hundreds of productsMorrisons reported: "Helpful signage will reassure customers that Morrisons prices are already the same price or cheaper than Aldi and Lidl. Hundreds of our best selling products will be Price Matched in store - including weekly essentials such as bananas, bread, and pasta. Source: retaildetail.euUK: Bestway expands retail range across depot networkBestway Wholesale has announced the expansion of its retail range across its depot network, adding hundreds of new and best-selling products to meet retailer customers’ needs.

The French government has sent a series of positive signals to mend ties with its once longstanding partner in North Africa, Morocco, after relations worsened to an unprecedented level threatening to sap decades of cooperation. This strong message of willingness to foster ties, came following a series of positive remarks by French top diplomats. The new Foreign Minister, Stephane Séjourné, who led last year a campaign against Morocco at the European parliament, said he was tasked by President Emmanuel Macron to strengthen ties with Morocco. French ambassador to Morocco Christophe Lecourtier said mending ties requires Paris making its position clear on the Sahara. While French-Moroccan ties were faltering against the backdrop of a French retreat from the Sahel and a failure to strengthen ties with Algeria, Morocco forged ahead, diversifying economic and political ties with Spain unseating France as the main trading partner for the North African Kingdom.

The first study of its kind has looked into how the digital divide affects the LGBTI community. ADVERTISEMENTThe digital divide is a “vicious cycle” for the LGBTI community around the world, despite the online space also being revolutionary in spearheading movements, according to a rights group. “The digital divide affects everyone. For LGBTI people, the digital divide is an issue of also facing hostile legislation and very specific barriers,” said Daniele Paletta, communications manager for ILGA. While some social media companies do moderate content, Paletta said they can be slow to respond to reports of harassment.

For instance, major projects are underway to build electricity supply infrastructure in Senegal and others related to energy production in Ethiopia. Here are six trends and priorities expected to drive growth across Africa and solidify its status as an attractive centre for global logistics and supply chain operations. However, the road to renewable energy requires a massive transformation of the global energy system, with far-reaching implications for the energy sector. Chinese medicine manufacturers are also expanding their production into African countries, like Kenya, to service the African continent and the global market. A notable project is the construction of a 5,600km hydrogen pipeline from Nigeria, connecting 11 other West African countries and establishing access to European countries, particularly Germany.

NMDC Group today announced its participation at Egypt Energy Show (EGYPES) 2024, the largest energy conference and exhibition across Egypt, North Africa, and the Mediterranean. At EGYPES 2024, NMDC Group will highlight its expertise in both energy and dredging projects, including its significant contribution to the duplication of the Suez Canal, a vital facilitator of global maritime trade. The Group will also spotlight two of its standout vessels, the DLS 4200 and Ghasha, presented as scale models at its pavilion (stand number 3F60). Group Chief Executive Officer of NMDC Group Yasser Zaghloul said, "EGYPES presents us an excellent opportunity to highlight our ongoing efforts to redefine the landscape of energy and dredging projects through innovation, expertise, and global presence. At NMDC, our vision for the future is focused on pursuing opportunities that prioritize decarbonisation to build a more sustainable and prosperous future for all."

Digitization is fueling growth for news organizations in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region, presenting both opportunities and challenges that must be addressed. MENA region consumers are willing to pay for the news they want, particularly trustworthy, in-depth, and specialized reporting. Additionally, there is significant room for revenue growth, especially in digital advertising and consumer revenues (digital circulation). The growth is fueled by widespread mobile connectivity, high internet penetration, and social media usage in the MENA region, especially young consumers leading digital lifestyles. Collaboration with governments in the MENA region, regulators, global tech platforms, advertisers, and academia is crucial in creating an enabling environment that supports the growth of regional news organizations.

That’s why we partnered with Google to deep-dive into search insights about Neom. We discovered that while people were talking about the project, they were mostly asking “ what is Neom ”. Pressing play on a 360-degree video campaign to increase awareness and reachWe decided to use both Search and YouTube to create a stronger, more focused campaign that super-charged the question “what is Neom”. To kick off, our team worked with Google Creative Works to develop a 360-degree Google and Neom co-branded video campaign specifically designed to motivate people to go and search for “what is Neom”. Our media agency helped us take the campaign live by launching 15-second teaser video ads that encouraged viewers to search for “what is Neom” on Google Search.

blinking-dot Live updates Live updates,Israel’s war on Gaza live: Israeli forces shoot at crowd waiting for foodAt least one man was killed and many wounded in northern Gaza after Israeli forces opened fire on crowds waiting for food aid.