In Niger, the coup removed the democratically elected President, Mohamed Bazoum, who enjoyed close ties with France and the US. The French military presence has also helped keep tyrants in power and leads the fight against domestic dissidents and extremist groups that threaten the ruler or country. They promise a “second scramble for independence” based on providing real freedom from domestic tyranny and external control. This would include reduced presence of military personnel and co-management of French military bases (except the one at Djibouti). All of them saw military coups recently and all of them are seeking a strong Wagner presence.

Egyptian fintech and customer loyalty app Zeal has closed a US$4 million funding round to help it increase its footprint into the wider MENA market. Founded in 2019 by Omar Ebeid, Zeal offers payment solutions to retailers and other offline businesses to improve in-store customer engagement and brand loyalty. This funding will further Zeal’s reach and impact, enhancing its existing payment acquirers portfolio and ease of integrating with POS terminals globally. “The global payment acquiring space is hungering for value-added service disruptors that can propel the next phase of innovation. We believe that Zeal’s holistic product is a key innovative solution to payment service providers and POS manufacturers globally,” he said.

French Foreign and European Affairs Minister Stephane Sejourne arrives for a Defence council at the presidential Elysee Palace in Paris. France colonised Algeria for 132 years (1830-1962), leading to wars and conflicts that caused the deaths of between 500,000 and one million Algerians. However, Algeria’s request for an apology and potential reparation has been met coldly by Mr Macron. The word [apology] will sever all ties,” Mr Macron told Algerian writer Kamel Daoud in an interview published by Le Point magazine. President Vladimir Putin told Russian media in December Moscow was "preparing agreements on a free-trade area with Egypt, Morocco, Tunisia and Algeria.

Enter the HUAWEI MateBook D 16, a portable powerhouse that complements the contemporary work environment. Recognizing the importance of connectivity for on-the-go users, HUAWEI introduces the innovative HUAWEI Metaline Antenna, a game-changer in wireless performance. What is the HUAWEI Metaline Antenna? The Metaline Antenna, a product of HUAWEI’s Antenna Project, stands out with its unique electromagnetic properties, such as negative refraction. The HUAWEI MateBook D 16 is the first laptop globally to achieve the prestigious 5-Star Wi-Fi Signal Capability Certification, excelling in rigorous industry-standard tests.

Christians in North Africa Face 'New Year of Persecution'As Algeria shutters evangelical churches, U.S. organization says 2024 will be 'very difficult''PERSECUTION IS A CROWN WE WEAR': Christians in North Africa face a "new year of persecution" that is intensifying in the shadow of the Holy Land conflict, says Middle East media ministry SAT-7 USA (www.sat7usa.org). NEWS PROVIDED BYSAT-7 USAJan. 24, 2024EASTON, Md., Jan. 24, 2024 /Standard Newswire/ -- Christians in North Africa, where less than 1% of the population follows Christianity, are facing a new year of escalating persecution in the shadow of the Holy Land conflict. "Persecution is like a crown we wear on our heads every single day," said Samia Kessai, a SAT-7 presenter in Algeria. Social media, especially, gives them the opportunity to chat and worship with other Arabic-speaking believers in real-time and join live Christian programs on their phones and digital devices. Launched in 1996, SAT-7 (www.sat7usa.org) -- with its international headquarters in Cyprus -- broadcasts Christian and educational satellite television and online programs to the Middle East and North Africa.

Morocco has launched a tender to build a waterway connecting two northern dams to ensure supply to Tangier industrial region. The project emulates the success of the waterway that carries water from the northwest to Rabat and Casablanca and which spared the two cities water cuts. Rainfall shortage this year was 67% lower compared to a normal year, according to the Moroccan water minister. Morocco is also stepping up its desalination projects, notably in large cities such as Casablanca, besides taking measures to preserve ground water. In Errachidia, authorities banned the water intensive cultivation of melons for fear of depleting already scarce ground water.

Contest looks to discover and showcase innovative use cases for the world’s most technically advanced 3D design solutionAVEVA, a global leader in industrial software, driving digital transformation and sustainability, has opened entries for its first ever AVEVA E3D Design Competition. The contest invites users from across the world to create innovative solutions with AVEVA’s E3D Design’s machine learning (ML) interface to address their organization’s business challenges. AVEVA E3D Design is the world’s most technologically advanced 3D design solution for multiple industries. It enables powerful visualization, clash-free, multi-discipline 3D design, and rapidly generates accurate drawings and reports to reduce costs, timescales and commercial risks of both greenfield and brownfield capital projects. Stephen Burrows, R&D Director AVEVA E3D Design, commented: “This competition is designed to showcase the solution’s many uses for addressing business challenges and the ingenuity of the E3D community.

In 2023, the DRC achieved a notable milestone by securing $62 million in startup funding. This impressive feat positioned it as the leading contributor to the year-on-year growth of startup funding in the Central Africa region, with a remarkable increase of 33%. In the recent rankings of Africa’s startup investment landscape, the vast nation in Central Africa has secured the sixth position on the continent, following closely behind Benin. Kenya emerged as the leader in Africa’s startup funding, garnering $800 million. This accounts for 31% of the startup investment across the continent, highlighting the crucial impact of energy startups in this sector.

South Africa reached the last 16 at the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations with a goalless draw against Tunisia which eliminated the 2004 champions. Sphephelo Sithole had Bafana Bafana's best chance, forcing Bechir Ben Said into a low save with his shot from outside the box. South Africa held their nerve to see out five minutes of added time. A point was enough for Bafana Bafana to clinch second place in Group E as third-placed Namibia drew 0-0 with group leaders Mali - a result which saw both sides progress. Bafana Bafana suddenly started to threaten, with Sithole calling Ben Said into action before Teboho Mokoena shot wide from range and Tau had an effort blocked.

According to EastFruit analysts, since the beginning of 2024 onion prices in Poland have been on rise and were unusually high for this period of the year. Price were actually at all time record high levels for this time of the year. After all, last season was marked by a record level of onion prices. Will a similar scenario repeat this year, given that onion prices are already higher than a year ago? Onion prices in Central Asian countries are 4-5 times lower than in Poland and stocks are record high, while a year ago these countries were actually importing onions.

South Africa vs Tunisia 0-0: Africa Cup of Nations 2023 – as it happenedAll our updates as South Africa draw 0-0 with Tunisia at the CAF Africa Cup of Nations 2023.

Separately, on 9 January 2024 executives from another US oil major, ExxonMobil visited Algeria and held talks with industry leaders in the North African country. Sources in Algeria say both Oxy and Chevron have engaged in talks with Algerian state-owned oil firm Sonatrach. The news was immediately magnified by the Algerian press as a fait-accompli, claiming the two parties reached a final deal. The Algerian press even quoted in June 2023 Minister of Energy, Mohamed Arkab, stating agreements between Algeria and the two oil companies “will be completed by the end of 2023.” Fast forward six months later, no contract has been signed yet. Algeria is reported to be extracting oil and gas on only 47% of the 1.5 million square kilometers of exploitable zone.

Among these, the United States, with its many high-tech companies and large market scale, represents a particularly important region in terms of business expansion and technology alliances. Canon U.S. patent rankings 2014 – 2023 (previous 10 years)YearOverall rankingRanking amongst Japanese companiesNo/ of patents20235th1st2,89020225th1st2,69420213rd1st3,02120203rd1st3,22520193rd1st3,54820183rd1st3,05120173rd1st3,28420163rd1st3,66220153rd1st4,12720143rd1st4,048Canon aims to create new technologies in its four business groups of Printing, Imaging, Medical and Industrial Equipment. Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Canon Central and North Africa (CCNA). Media enquiries, please contact:Canon Central and North AfricaMai Youssefe. Mai.youssef@canon-me.comAPO Group – PR AgencyRania ElRafiee. Rania.ElRafie@apo-opa.comAbout Canon Central and North Africa:Canon Central and North Africa (CCNA) (www.Canon-CNA.com) is a division within Canon Middle East FZ LLC (CME), a subsidiary of Canon Europe. The formation of CCNA in 2016 was a strategic step that aimed to enhance Canon’s business within the Africa region – by strengthening Canon’s in-country presence and focus.

Running from Friday to February 11 in the French capital, it will spotlight the rich artistic continuum of North African art, touching upon how its concerns are not bound by geography. “Almost half of the exhibition is dedicated to artists who were leading cultural figures in North Africa,” says Ridha Moumni, the exhibition’s curator and Christie’s deputy chairman of Middle East and North Africa. To title it something along the lines of Art from the Maghreb would have gone against contemporary efforts to show the fluidity and propagation of North African culture. “We are presenting artworks from 1953, which was still during the colonial period and we follow their production during the decolonisation of the arts of North Africa,” Moumni says. “In parallel, we display works by artists integrated in a global world who are living in Berlin, New York, Paris and North Africa.

The number of migration attempts foiled by Morocco in 2023 increased 6% year-on-year to 75,184 as the number of rescue operations at sea also grew, the interior ministry said. The rescued migrants received medical assistance and accommodation in keeping with Morocco’s humane approach to border management and migration. Crossing attempts to the Spanish-occupied enclaves of Ceuta and Melilla have also dropped significantly by 62% to only six attempts involving 1400 migrants, it said. Morocco’s efforts were also reflected in the number of arrivals in mainland Spain in 2023 underscored the efficiency of Morocco’s surveillance system. However, embarkations increased from West African coasts to the Canary Islands which became the main gateway for migrants seeking to reach Spain.