The United States has reached an agreement with Niger’s military leaders to resume flying drones and manned aircraft out of air bases in the country more than a month after a coup halted all those activities there. Since the July coup that removed President Mohamed Bazoum, the approximately 1,100 US military personnel deployed in the West African country have been confined to their military bases. “Through the diplomatic process, we are now doing, … (now) we’re doing a large amount of missions that we were doing before,” Hecker said. The bases are a critical part of America’s overall counterterrorism efforts in West Africa. West Africa recorded more than 1,800 rebel attacks in the first six months of this year, which killed nearly 4,600 people.

Despite belief in some quarters to the contrary, the bodies of victims of natural disasters or armed conflict rarely pose a health threat to communities, the Red Cross and the World Health Organization said Friday. Victims who have died from trauma, drowning or fire "do not normally harbour organisms that cause disease with common precautions," the agencies said. Both also noted the risk of diarrhoea from drinking water contaminated by faecal material from dead bodies. But routine disinfection of drinking water is sufficient to prevent waterborne illness, even though bodies should not be left in contact with drinking water sources, the agencies said. "Those who survive an event like a natural disaster are more likely to spread disease than dead bodies," added Pierre Guyomarch, head of forensics at the Red Cross.

Restructuring the foreign debt will not be able to alleviate Tunisia's debt burden, as a large part of its debt is contracted with multilateral creditors who do not renegotiate debts, according to a report recently published by the Malcolm H. Kerr Carnegie Middle East Center. The foreign public debt represents only a small part of the total public debt, since a large part of this public debt is domestic, the report reveals. The center considers that the programmes of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) remain necessary, adding that a programme has already been started in Egypt. To address these weaknesses, the center advocates the development of «credible» national strategies that go beyond austerity provisions and spending cuts. The Tunisian authorities refused the conditions set by the IMF to provide financial support.

Egyptian giants Al Ahly will be looking to extend their dominance in the CAF Super Cup on Friday night when this year's edition takes place in Saudi Arabia. Ahly are looking to claim a record-extending ninth African Super Cup trophy with much hope pinned on their Swiss coach Marcel Kolher. Al Ahly currently holds the record for most Super Cup wins ahead of Egyptian rivals Zamalek on four titles and Congolese outfit TP Mazembe with three. The other group of clubs to have won the African Super Cup once are Tunisia's Esperance and Ghanaian giants Accra Hearts of Oak. Al Ahly know they must be at their very best to turn the tide of history and lift the Super Cup once more.

EV provider Roam has launched its first locally manufactured electric shuttle bus, fully designed and assembled in Kenya. The locally manufactured electric shuttle bus joins the company’s mass transit electric bus designed for Africa’s Bus Rapid Transit system, the Roam Rapid, on the roads of Nairobi today. With a 170kWh battery pack, the electric shuttle bus can travel 200km on a single charge. Kenya: More electric buses for Nairobi’s public transport fleetThe shuttle bus can accommodate 51 passengers and offers a whisper-quiet, zero-emissions ride. Kenya: e-mobility companies launch public charging stationsIn addition to their two locally manufactured buses, Roam is also on an e-bike push.

How does climate change potentially play a role in what is happening in these countries? Morocco is a particularly unusual case, considering that an earthquake isn’t something you would normally associate with climate change. But mostly, lack of preparation and necessary infrastructure combine to create the high death tolls that we usually see in natural disasters like earthquakes. Morocco has had to prioritize when it comes to the natural disasters the nation is prepared for, and like many places in Africa, it has been focused intensely on rising temperatures. So until we can make a more meaningful change to the overall problem, how we can help those who have been affected by these disasters?

September 15, 2023 08:35 pm | Updated 08:37 pm IST - BengaluruThe Swedish Ministry of Justice has awarded VFS Global the global tender to provide visa services in 37 countries across the globe. In India, Sweden visa applications will be accepted across eight VFS Global visa application centres (VACs) such as Ahmedabad, Bengaluru, Chennai, Hyderabad, Kolkata, Mumbai, New Delhi and Pune, the company said in a statement. Under this new agreement, VFS Global would continue to operate on behalf of the Government of Sweden in 8 regions worldwide – South Asia, the Americas, South East Asia, China, West Asia & North Africa, Africa, Europe, and Russia. “We look forward to offer Swedish visa applicants best-in-class visa solutions, and a seamless application process across 8 regions globally,” said Chris Dix, Head of Business Development, VFS Global.

Abdérahmane Berthé, Secretary General, African Airlines Association (AFRAA) made an intervention at the 2023 Edition of the African Aviation Summit in Abuja, Nigeria themed Painting the big picture for African airlines. "The presentation covered the state of the airline industry, the economic trends, challenges and opportunities for the airline industry," says an official release. On connectivity, the outlook is positive – the total number of intercontinental routes operated by African airlines exceeded the pre-Covid levels since October 2022. On cargo, the average market share of African airlines per cargo origin is 31 percent year-to-date, he added. Among the main challenges facing the airline industry, Berthé said, is the issue of blocked funds.

The OPEC Fund for International Development has announced a $500,000 grant to support Morocco’s humanitarian relief efforts following the devastating earthquake that struck Morocco on September 8, 2023. OPEC Fund Director-General Dr. Abdulhamid Alkhalifa said: “We stand in solidarity with the people of Morocco, who have endured devastating losses as a result of this massive earthquake. The OPEC Fund works in cooperation with partner developing countries and the international development community to stimulate economic growth and social progress in low- and middle-income countries around the world. The OPEC Fund was established in 1976. It focuses on financing projects that meet essential needs, such as food, energy, infrastructure, clean water and sanitation, healthcare, and education.

The region has been hit with two major natural disasters. An earthquake struck Morocco on September 8. The 6.8-magnitude quake in Morocco was the strongest the country has seen in a century. “I was asleep when the earthquake struck,” says Fatna Bechar, who lives in Moulay Brahim. The United States says it’s working with the United Nations on how best to help.

The prestigious British newspaper The Financial Times has praised Morocco, highlighting its position as a key element for regional stability in North Africa and, consequently, for the security of the West. In an analytical article on the issue, Richard Shirreff, former NATO deputy allied commander in Europe, writes in The Financial Times that Morocco's post-earthquake reconstruction is "ambitious and desperately needed". He believes that the Moroccan kingdom "has led on every indicator of economic development in Africa and sees itself as a source of stability in the region". In this sense, the Moroccan kingdom is an important security ally for the West. Richard Shirreff points out that "by working more closely, we would learn a lot about the complexities of the region".

The global antibodies market is projected to reach $524,782.9 million by 2030, exhibiting robust growth from $224,083.5 million in 2023, at an impressive CAGR of 12.9%. However, distinct from traditional drugs, biologics, including antibodies, necessitate Biologics License Applications (BLA) to be submitted to the Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research (CBER) for approval. Market DynamicsThe global antibodies market is characterized by increasing adoption of inorganic growth strategies among key players, including collaborations and partnerships, to expand their product portfolios. This trend is expected to drive market growth in the forecast period. Market SegmentationThe global antibodies market is segmented as follows:By Drug Type:Monoclonal Antibodies: Monoclonal antibody-based drugs.

South African “re-commerce” startup Faro has launched operations in a bid to make quality fashion accessible and combat textile waste in Africa. Launched in June, Faro partners with global fashion brands to source high-quality unsold clothing for resale in Africa, disrupting the inflow of problematic textiles by giving customers a sustainable alternative. “Our commitment to the circular economy goes beyond waste prevention; we’re dedicated to addressing the existing problem,” said Faro co-founder David Torr. Torr co-founded UCOOK, while McCarren, equipped with experience at Amazon and Jumia, co-founded and built ZUMI, Africa’s largest B2B platform for clothing with a mission to reduce textile waste. “We spent three years trying to reduce waste in the second-hand clothing market, but people wouldn’t change their ways.

According to figures released in IFPI’s Global Music Report, the biggest region for recorded music in 2022 was the USA and Canada, followed by Europe, with the Middle East and North Africa third. Surprisingly, the report noted that the fastest-growing region in 2022 was Sub-Saharan Africa, growing by 34.7%, driven by South Africa, which is the region’s biggest market. ADVERTISEMENTAccording to the report, Sub-Saharan Africa – becoming the fastest growing region in 2022 was driven largely by a significant revenue boost in the region’s largest market, South Africa (+31.4%). The report also showed that the global recorded music market grew by 9.0% in 2022, driven by growth in paid subscription streaming. Total streaming (including paid subscription and advertising-supported) grew by 11.5% to reach US$17.5 billion, or 67.0% of total global recorded music revenues.

Visa’s Digital Authentication Framework (DAF) and Mastercard’s Token Authentication Framework (TAF) are set to transform the payments landscape. Mastercard Maximising Security through Tokenizing Payment CredentialsVisa’s DAF, launched in April 2023, encourages issuer identification and verification (ID&V) and token-to-device binding across token types. Tokenizing Payment CredentialsMastercard’s TAF, expected in 2024, aims to increase security and reduce friction by tokenizing payment credentials and authenticating cardholders. TAF is based on three pillars: issuer authentication during ID&V, token authentication during transactions with multi-factor authentication, and securing transactions with a Digital Secure Remote Payments (DSRP) cryptogram. DAF and TAF mark progress in enhancing the customer experience while ensuring security for merchants and customers.