Algerian authorities have announced the tightening of health measures at border crossings to avoid the spread of bedbugs, which have recently invaded French cities. Bedbugs have invaded French cities, raising concern among Algerians about the possibility of the insects’ transmission to their country, given the heavy traffic between the two countries. On Tuesday, French Health Minister Aurelien Rousseau urged the public not to panic about the spread of bedbugs. The French government early this week vowed to take action to “reassure and protect” the public against the bedbug infestation. Dozens of shocking videos were published on different social media platforms on the spread of bedbugs in buses, trains, airports, and other public places in Paris.

Gold miner Harmony Gold Mining Company says an employee has died in a gravity-related fall-of-ground incident at its Tshepong North mine, in the Free State, on October 6. “We wish to extend our deepest condolences to the family, friends and colleagues of the deceased. The safety of our employees remains our foremost priority and we continue our efforts to ensure these tragedies do not occur. A day of mourning will be observed at the mine,” says CEO Peter Steenkamp. The affected area has been closed temporarily, while investigations are under way.

Moody's on Thursday downgraded Egypt's credit rating by a notch to 'Caa1' from 'B3', citing the country's worsening debt affordability. Egypt has been facing an economic crisis with record inflation and a chronic foreign currency shortage, and a borrowing spree over the last eight years has made external debt repayments increasingly onerous. "Moody's expects the materialization of asset sale proceeds at the central bank to help restore the economy's foreign currency liquidity buffer," the credit rating agency said, placing Egypt's outlook at 'stable'. Egypt has imposed import restrictions to remedy the shortage of foreign currency, while at least two national banks have suspended the use of Egyptian pound debit cards outside the country to stop a drain on foreign currency. The country, which is preparing for elections in December, devalued its currency by more than half in the year to March.

Engineering services firm Plexus Holdings announced the successful completion of its plug and abandonment (P&A) equipment and services campaign for Oceaneering International on Friday. The AIM-traded company said the project in the North Sea was completed within a two-month offshore deployment span, seeing the use of Plexus’s specialised equipment on four wells and significantly exceeding financial forecasts. Operated via a remotely operated vehicle (ROV), the equipment was attached to well conductors in the North Sea. The endeavour was a technical success, having been smoothly executed across multiple sequential wells and a financial triumph for Plexus. It said the project generated revenues of £0.85m in the 2023 financial year, showcasing a robust 70% surge above initial estimates.

Photograph: ANI PhotoThe Eternal Gandhi Museum is the only Gandhi-related museum in the United States, dedicated to Gandhi, to preserve and promote his ever-lasting legacy of nonviolent conflict resolution. The outer walls of the semi-circle-shaped museum depict various peace activists including Mahatma Gandhi, Martin Luther King Jr., Nelson Mandela, Betty Williams, and more. "EGMH will encourage humanity to get beyond hate, violence, and supremacy," Dr. Rajmohan Gandhi, the grandson of Mahatma Gandhi, said. The EGMH Board immediately agreed to host and establish a new civic asset - the Eternal Gandhi Museum Houston. Former Consul General of India in Houston, Aseem Mahajan, facilitated the donation of the Mahatma Gandhi Statue from the Government of India.

Kristalina Georgieva, the Director of International Monetary Fund (IMF) called on Africa on Thursday to turn to green energy and to accelerate their transition to clean energy sources and sustainable agriculture given what she called the “existential threat” posed by climate change. It is an existential risk,” she added. She was speaking during an inaugural speech, in Abidjan, the economic hub of Côte d’Ivoire, in the presence of President Alassane Ouattara. IFM Chief visited the African country in the buildup to the World Bank and IFM General Assemblies to be held in Morocco next week. She argued that it was paramount for Africa and its growing population to ensure sustainable agriculture with more drought resilient seeds, and increased transportation and storage possibilities so food was not wasted.

Direct-air capture sucks in carbon dioxide from the atmosphere and stores it underground, a process that is relatively energy intensive. “The world is going to need to decarbonize,” said Bilha Ndirangu, CEO of Great Carbon Valley. “There’s a real need for safeguards on where these projects are taking place,” said Ugbaad Kosar, the director of environmental justice at Carbon180, a climate nonprofit that advocates for equitable carbon removal. With carbon removal, companies that continue to use fossil fuels can claim to be carbon-neutral because they purchased offsets created by some carbon removal plants. Climeworks said it only works with companies that plan to reduce emissions over time, using carbon removal as just one tool in that process.

As an emerging market for Japanese pop culture overseas, the MENA region holds tremendous potential for Minnapad and its innovative blockchain technology solutions. This year, Minnapad is proud to exhibit alongside the JETRO, one of Japanese arms, further solidifying its position as a pioneer in the integration of Japanese IP creation and blockchain technology. This revolutionary approach sets Minnapad apart as an industry leader in empowering Japanese IP creators and their fanbase. By utilizing blockchain, Minnapad is transforming the landscape for Japanese IP creators, offering them increased control, revenue generation, and a direct connection to their dedicated fanbase. Minnapad invites all attendees to visit their booth to witness firsthand the transformative power of blockchain technology on Japanese IP creations.

The security councils of the United Nations and African Union on Thursday began talks on funding for peacekeeping missions by the pan-African body on the continent. AU, the bloc of 55 African countries with a population of 1.4 billion people, has long struggled to finance peace operations, often relying on partners such as the EU. The topic has long been on the UN Security Council’s table, with a diplomat telling AFP that African countries are asking for the peace missions to be funded by mandatory contributions. A draft resolution has been under negotiations between the two organisations since 2018, but has been delayed particularly due to strife with the AU. UN chief’s representative to the AU, Parfait Onanga-Anyanga, expressed hope the discussions would lead to a new funding arrangement.

The agenda was carefully crafted to boost coaching skills and stimulate entrepreneurial support. The event also featured engaging panel discussions on investment trends and the startup support ecosystem, providing valuable insights into Senegal’s entrepreneurial landscape. The TOT also served as a unique platform for knowledge exchange, networking, idea sharing, and collaboration, all contributing to the enrichment of Senegal’s entrepreneurial ecosystem. Open Startup remains dedicated to advancing and empowering Senegal’s entrepreneurial community while fostering innovation within the ecosystem. Media contactEmail: press@dabuzzconsulting.comhello@open-startup.orgThe post Open Startup successfully concludes a 3-Day training, The TOT for Coaches, uniting 40 Coaches from Diverse Organizations, Empowering the entrepreneurial Ecosystem in Senegal.

Addressing the UN fourth committee convening in New York, Ms. Amanda DiCianni, from NGO Rescue and Relief International, sounded the alarm over the military training of children in the Tindouf camps by Polisario militiamen. She deplored the deteriorating living conditions in the camps infested with gang violence, insecurity, corruption, and criminal activities of Polisario. Ms. Vivian Eads, Capitol Hill Prayer Partners, advocating for a peaceful resolution to the Sahara issue, said that young people in the Tindouf camps face limited opportunities for their future. After highlighting the recognition of Moroccan sovereignty over the entire Sahara territory by several Member States, she urged the United Nations to adopt the Morocco Autonomy Plan for the Sahara, saying this plan is conducive to peace and stability in the region. While Morocco is seeking peace, the others are sowing divisions, she said praising Morocco’s pragmatic autonomy plan offering enduring stability and shared prosperity.

The Carbon Trust and Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) have announced a joint project to explore South Africa’s offshore wind energy potential. The World Bank has previously said that its research showed that South Africa could generate up to 901GW from offshore wind. The report said that a typical 1GW offshore wind project in a new market is expected to have a capital cost of roughly $ 2.9bn. Windaba: SAREM has so much more potential than other masterplansPanelists at Windaba emphasised the importance of wind energy projects close to potential feeder markets or where green hydrogen projects are being planned. The rationale is that the offshore wind energy projects could provide the green hydrogen sector with a stable and clean energy supply.

ShareFunding Overview: Q3 Witnesses the Year’s Most Modest FundingIn September 2023, 22 African tech startups secured $116.7 million in funding over 22 fully disclosed rounds. To put it in perspective, startups in Africa garnered $383.4 million in September 2022. In recent transactions this month:Wetility, an energy startup from South Africa, secured a combined debt and equity financing of $48 million. Lastly, Rentoza, a retail startup from South Africa, achieved a $6 million funding milestone. In September, the Kenyan-based venture capital firm Enza Capital secured $58 million to back startups throughout Africa.

The tragedy that befell the eastern Libyan city of Derna shocked the world. Heavy rain broke the city’s dams and a flash flood deluged the town in the early hours of 11 September, resulting in an estimated 20,000 deaths. It is too early to draw a firm conclusion as to what provoked the dams’ collapse — whether neglect due to years of civil war and political chaos compounded a natural calamity. In this webinar, Crisis Group analyst Claudia Gazzini and CNN international correspondent Jomana Karadsheh Scott, who visited Derna in the immediate aftermath, offer some preliminary considerations on what happened that tragic night, what they witnessed and what could have been done to prevent this tragedy. Moderator: Christina Boutros, Senior Communications and Advocacy Officer, Middle East and North Africa

Egyptian deeptech startup Intella has closed a US$3.4 million pre-Series A funding round to fuel its expansion into the Saudi market and support the development of end-to-end AI models localised for the MENA region. Founded in 2021 by Nour Altaher and Omar Mansour, Intella offers real-time, on-demand market research for its business clients across diverse sectors. The startup raised a US$1 million seed round last year, led by Hala Ventures, and the same investor has now returned to co-lead its US$3.4 million pre-Series A alongside Wa’ed Ventures, the VC arm of Aramco. The new funding will fuel Intella’s expansion into the Saudi market and support the development of end-to-end AI models localised for the MENA region. This move fits perfectly with our plans for expansion,” said Nour Taher, CEO and co-founder of Intella.