Australia suffered their first ever one-day defeat to the Proteas at North Sydney Oval on Wednesday, putting down five chances as South Africa scored 6-229 from a reduced 45 overs. It was a dramatic turnaround from the first one-dayer at Adelaide Oval, where Australia romped to an eight-wicket win after bowling the Proteas out for 105. 01:37 Play video 'Everyone is catching up': Kapp hails historic winBut Healy could see a silver lining in the rare result. The Australian squad including Gardner had a hit out at North Sydney Oval on Friday, but a call on the star allrounder’s availability will not be made until Saturday morning. Meanwhile the Proteas have their eyes set on a history-making one-day series win.

Nigerian blockchain startup Bingtellar says it is building modern cross-border payments infrastructure and tools for Africa, streamlining global transactions for individuals and businesses. Founded in 2022 by Joshua Tebepina, CEO, and Arepade Peremi, CTO, Bingtellar enables swift and cost-effective cross-border transactions into or across Africa for diaspora, freelancers, remote teams, international contractors, and businesses. Picture it as the “Wise for Africa”, harnessing the efficiency of stablecoins to reduce both costs and transaction times significantly,” Tebepina told Disrupt Africa. Bingtellar originated from the personal experiences of its co-founders, who faced first-hand challenges with the inefficiencies of the existing financial system for cross-border transactions in Africa. “Our focus is on building a robust user base and delivering a seamless and affordable cross-border payment experience.

02/09/2024 February 9, 2024Promoting sustainable development in Guinea and beating the drought in north Africa; Plus: Can Africa's baobabs be saved? And the Ugandan farmer with a global vision - we hear from the new head of the international Slow Food movement.

Tourism Malaysia strategic sales mission targets North African marketFavoriteTourism Malaysia is gearing up for a significant sales mission across North Africa, strategically designed to entice global travelers and position Malaysia as the ultimate destination for value-added travel experiences. Commencing on February 1st in Algiers, Algeria, and concluding on February 4th, 2024, in Cairo, Egypt, this mission marks a proactive effort to rejuvenate the tourism industry. Delegates will actively engage in travel expos in each country to showcase Malaysia’s rich array of tourism offerings. Ghapar, Director General of Tourism Malaysia stated: “This is a crucial step in our journey towards Visit Malaysia Year 2026. As we ramp up our strategic engagements and promotions, we aim to create lasting impressions on the North African market, making Malaysia a top choice for discerning travellers.”In 2024, Malaysia has set ambitious targets of welcoming 27.3 million international tourists, generating tourism revenue exceeding RM102.7 billion.

In a self-defeating decision Algerian bank association (ABEF) ordered in December a ban of all transactions involving transshipment through Moroccan ports. Few days later, in January, ABEF partly backpedaled on the decision excluding fresh produce and meat, while maintaining the ban of all transactions involving other non-perishable goods. “The decision has plunged the Algerian economy into a crisis with shortages of critical imports, including meat and cereals,” it said. The ban led major shipping lines such as Maersk and CMA and CGM to replace Tanger Med as the transshipment port serving Algerian ports, instead opting for the ports of Algeciras and Valencia. This would eventually impact the prices of key commodities in the Algerian markets,” the Maritime Executive said, citing analysts.

MDP, the leading issuing & payment processing powerhouse in the Middle East and Africa, has appointed Frank Molla as the Managing Director of MDP Africa. By leveraging a blend of innovative payment solutions and strategic partnerships, MDP has simplified payments for over 1,000 companies and more than 300 million people. Frank Molla joins MDP as an accomplished executive with two decades of experience in the payments industry, which has seen him work in diverse markets across Europe, the Middle East, and Africa. Prior to joining MDP, Molla was Managing Director and Head of sub-Saharan Africa at BPC Banking Technologies and coordinated the company’s digital and technology expansion in the region. Before that, he drove Mastercard’s business strategy in Eastern Africa through innovation and technology to build payment ecosystems and solutions.

When in middle school, Taskesen felt forced to bury her heritage as she struggled to find a way to assimilate into American culture. A Search for IdentityIn middle school, Taskesen tried, methodically, to find her people. By upper elementary school at BHIS, she was reading above grade level and doing middle school math work. (Photo: Alex Garland)But in a South End middle school, Taskesen was faced with an altogether different conundrum: how to avoid standing out. The after-school program blends science and math courses with Middle Eastern and North Africa cultures.

A first ODI win to follow their first T20 win against Australia has South Africa riding high ahead of Saturday's series decider00:24 Play video Peach! Marizanne magic ends Mooney's night earlySouth Africa allrounder Marizanne Kapp labelled their historic ODI win over Australia on Wednesday night one of the proudest moments of her career. The Proteas romped to an 84-run victory over the world's top-ranked side at North Sydney Oval, backing up their maiden win in the T20I format in Canberra 10 days earlier. "It's a proud moment, not only for me but for South African cricket as well," Kapp said after the game. 08:13 Play video Australia v South Africa | Second ODI"That's what makes it so special," Kapp said.

Applications are open for the fourth edition of Nomfro Technologies’ Entrepreneurship Empowerment Project (NTEEP), which will provide another 500 startups with the opportunity to join a community of like-minded entrepreneurs. NTEEP, launched in 2020, is a comprehensive support programme focused on providing entrepreneurs with the essential tools, skills, and a supportive community to scale up their businesses in an ever-evolving digital landscape. It has successfully trained and empowered over 600 startups across the continent, connecting them with experienced entrepreneurs who can provide invaluable support and insights. Participants undergo a month-long intensive training programme facilitated by industry experts, and are also offered digital marketing training and access to various cutting-edge digital tools. NTEEP also takes a hands-on approach by sponsoring websites for participating startups, and provides access to long-term mentoring.

Morocco has underscored the interconnection existing between health security and peace and security and insisted that conflict and instability can exacerbate public health problems. This came at a meeting held this Thursday by the African Union’s Peace and security Council (PSC) on “Health security and the promotion of peace and security in Africa”, chaired by the Kingdom’s Permanent Representative to the AU and UNECA, Mohamed Arrouchi. The Moroccan delegation stressed at the meeting that health security and the promotion of peace and security are deeply interconnected, and that conflict and instability can exacerbate public health problems. The Moroccan delegation called, in this vein, for a unified continental approach to pandemic preparedness, strengthening and restoring health systems in Africa, within the framework of an AU Pandemic Preparedness and Response (PRP) policy, and promoting a stronger African health diplomacy. This PSC meeting is held while a cholera outbreak is gripping the Southern Africa region, which highlights the persisting challenges of disease epidemics facing the continent.

CNN —Thousands of people are seeking shelter inside an “overwhelmed” hospital amid an escalation of fighting in North Kivu province in the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), Doctors Without Borders (MSF) warned on Thursday. At least 2,500 people, including children, are currently sheltering in Mweso Hospital, around 100 kilometers (62 miles) from the provincial capital Goma. “The hospital is overwhelmed, with thousands of people crowded inside, trying to find some protection from the fighting. In recent years, protesters have taken to the streets to demand the withdrawal of UN forces for failing to rein in rebel groups, including M23. The M23 group was named after a March 23, 2009, peace deal, which it accused the government of violating.

"Some people didn't receive heating in their accommodation over the harsh winter months, and they couldn't leave their compound at all, not even to shop for necessities," he said. Jung was allowed to make one trip outside a week, accompanied by others, but during Covid even this little freedom was removed, he said, and he was not allowed to leave his workplace for a year.

CNN —Internet connectivity was shut down in Sudan amid ongoing clashes between the Sudanese army and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) that have left thousands killed and millions displaced in nearly 10 months of fighting. Internet monitoring firm, Netblocks confirmed the outage Wednesday, saying that all three of the major network operators in the warring North African nation were out of service. The RSF has yet to publicly deny responsibility for the blackout. The UN appealed for $4.1 billion to meet the “most urgent humanitarian needs” amidst “epic suffering” in Sudan, adding that half of its population - some 25 million people need support and protection, with millions hungry and displaced by the war. Some 19 million children not attending school, continued widespread human rights violations, and gender-based violence are among the challenges cited in the UN’s funding appeal.

February 8, 2024US private equity firm Apollo Global Management is in talks to buy a minority stake in the Middle East, North Africa and Central Asia Starbucks franchise operated by Kuwait's AlShaya Group, according to a report. The Starbucks unit runs around 2,000 cafes in 13 countries across the Middle East and North Africa as well as Azerbaijan and Kazakhstan. It used to operate around 130 stores in Russia, but closed them following the country’s 2022 invasion of Ukraine. Starbucks has been operating in the Middle East since 1999. Saudi Arabia’s sovereign wealth fund the Public Investment Fund is still in negotiations to buy its own stake, two sources told Reuters Thursday.

On April 8, a spectacular natural phenomenon will take place in the skies over North America. It's a total solar eclipse, with the Moon perfectly aligned with the Earth and the Sun. On the day of the eclipse, the Moon will be only 360,000 kilometers from the Earth. Fifteen U.S. states will be able to view the eclipse, but two of them - Tennessee and Michigan - will be able to see it just barely. The further away from the total eclipse trajectory, the more partial it will be.