CAIRO/JERUSALEM, May 15 (Reuters) – Israeli troops fought militants across Gaza on Wednesday, including in the southern city of Rafah that had been a refuge for civilians, in an upsurge of the more than seven-month war that has killed tens of thousands of Palestinians. Antagonism between Israel and the United Nations worsened as the Israeli army sought an explanation for footage showing armed men next to U.N. Palestinian relief agency vehicles. Separately, the U.N. said it was investigating an unidentified strike that killed an international staffer in Gaza earlier this week.

African swine fever detected in wild boar in north of Poland - ISN 61 new cases were detected in the first two weeks of May15 May 2024 15 May 2024 1 minute read 1 minute read By: By: Global Ag Media EuropeIn northern Poland, cases of African swine fever (ASF) in wild boars have recently been detected again, according to ISN, the interest group for German pig producers. Overall, however, the epidemic has decreased significantly compared to the previous year, reports Agra EuropeAccording to ISN, a total of 61 new ASF outbreaks in wild boars were detected nationwide in the first two weeks of May. Almost half of the cases were detected in the counties of Pomerania and West Pomerania in the north of the country. Overall, however, ASF events in Poland have subsided this year. According to the Supreme Veterinary Inspectorate, until the May 12, 740 ASF outbreaks in 11 counties have been confirmed.

Digify Africa, in partnership with Meta and the Michael and Susan Dell Foundation (MSDF), has opened applications for the Digify Pro Online digital entrepreneurship programme, centered around the dynamic field of digital marketing and tailored for unemployed youth aged 18 to 35. Digify PRO Foundational Level is a gateway to the Digify Pro Online Bootcamp, introducing participants to the fundamental aspects of digital marketing and entrepreneurship. Digify PRO Intermediate Level is a 10-week bootcamp that propels participants into strategic digital marketing, while Digify PRO Advanced Level represents the pinnacle of the Digify Pro Online journey, providing six weeks of elective training. “The new 3-Level programme directly responds to the ever-increasing youth unemployment rates and the clear need for more inclusive learning opportunities, especially targeting the previously under-represented,” says Nothando Gininda, Digify PRO Project Manager. Applications are open here until June 2.

Moroccan officials are determined to maintain the country’s role as a car-making juggernaut by competing for electric vehicle projects. China’s BYD — the world’s largest electric vehicle maker — has at least twice announced plans to build factories in the country that have stalled before starting. And the day they decide they need electric vehicles, we will,” he said. However, as the United States and European countries encourage their automakers to “onshore” electric vehicle production, it’s unclear how Morocco will fare. France and the United States both passed tax credits and incentives last year for consumers who buy electric vehicles manufactured in Europe or North America, respectively.

Stephen Moss, Regional CEO, Middle East, North Africa and Turkiye, HSBC. As the region’s leading transaction bank, HSBC “continues to grow its digital footprint and capabilities” across the country in support of the Qatar Central Bank’s digital strategy, noted Stephen Moss, Regional CEO, Middle East, North Africa and Turkiye, HSBC. “In short, billions of dollars of trade and investment are flowing between Asia and the Middle East. HSBC Qatar actively invests in recruiting, developing, and retaining local Qatari talent. About future outlook for HSBC in Qatar, Moss stated: “As one of the first banks in Qatar, HSBC has helped lay the foundations of the banking and finance industry and played a part in several milestone developments.

The Middle East is expanding its renewable energy and clean tech sectors at an accelerated pace, as several countries plan for economic diversification beyond oil and gas. Together, these countries will contribute around 90 percent of the region’s renewable energy capacity growth. The Kingdom says it will be powered wholly by renewable energy, with no roads or cars. The UAE hopes to become one of the biggest producers of green hydrogen worldwide in the coming decades. In April, the UAE and Oman signed a $35-billion investment partnership for the development of renewable energy, green metals, railways, and digital infrastructure and technology.

A group of organizations are pushing for New York lawmakers to pass a bill that would disaggregate data of Middle Eastern and North African (MENA) individuals, according to a letter sent Monday. The bill (S6584-B/A6219-A) would direct every state agency, board, department and commission that collects demographic data to use separate categories to collect data for the “White” and “Middle Eastern or North African” groups. “Our organizations have seen firsthand the impact of the systemic exclusion of Middle Eastern and North African communities from data collection,” the letter reads. “For too long, Middle Eastern and North African communities have been made invisible by our federal and state governments' lack of data collection or lack of disaggregation," Assembly sponsor Jessica González-Rojas said in a statement. "By not including categories for these various communities in the data compiled and analyzed by our state institutions’ data, the needs of neighbors have been unaccounted for and ignored."

Summer is on the way, meaning that the orcas are out to play near the Strait of Gibraltar — which is bad news for sailors. Two people were rescued on Sunday after an attack by a group of orcas caused enough damage to sink their boat, according to the Spanish maritime rescue service. Crew members onboard reported that the animals had slammed the hull, damaged the rudder and caused a leak. A nearby oil tanker quickly maneuvered toward the boat and evacuated the two sailors, who were taken to Gibraltar, the rescue service said. The boat was left adrift, and the Moroccan authorities reported that it eventually sank.

TUNIS, May 14 (Reuters) – The European Union said on Tuesday it was concerned about the wave of arrests of many civil society figures, journalists and political activists, and demanded clarifications from Tunisia as the North African country faces a growing political crisis. Tunisian police stormed the bar association’s headquarters on Monday for the second time in two days and arrested Mahdi Zagrouba after detaining Sonia Dahmani, another lawyer critical of the president, over the weekend.

The latter is supported by the House of Representatives and the Libyan National Army, both essentially representing eastern Libya. In this abnormal new normal, we see the usual signs of instability progressing along with a flurry of what appears to be normal government and civilian activities. Efforts by the Tripoli government to force militias back into their bases failed to deliver and violence remains normal. Daily news and newspaper headlines will make efforts to show normalized activities taking place, like more airlines resuming operations and administrations making normal decisions. Clashes like the one that rocked Aljmail risk have become trivial and normal matter.

Reuters —An unknown number of orcas have sunk a sailing yacht after ramming it in Moroccan waters in the Strait of Gibraltar, Spain’s maritime rescue service said on Monday, a new attack in what has become a trend in the past four years. The passengers reported feeling sudden blows to the hull and rudder before water started seeping into the ship. After alerting the rescue services, a nearby oil tanker took them onboard and transported them to Gibraltar. The incident is the latest example of recurring orca rammings around the Gibraltar Strait that separates Europe from Africa and off the Atlantic coast of Portugal and northwestern Spain. Although known as killer whales, endangered orcas are part of the dolphin family.

Fifteen startups have been picked to pitch to investors at the eighth Africa Tech Summit (ATS) London at the London Stock Exchange on June 7. The ATS conference series provides insight and networking with the African tech ecosystem in London, Kenya, and West Africa, bringing together tech leaders, MNOs, banks, international investors, entrepreneurs, governments, trade bodies, media, and leading ventures to drive investment and business in African tech. They are digital addressing solution OkHi, carbon finance platform Earthbond, e-health platform OneHealth, AI healthcare service PBR Life Sciences, energy solutions startup Rana Energy, clean energy venture So-Cool, and fintech startup VeendHQ. “As we celebrate the eighth ATS London, we are delighted to spotlight 15 ventures defining the future of tech innovation. With several of our past ATS Investment Showcase participants securing funding and partnerships, we’re excited to see what the future holds for these ventures,” said Lauren Adair, director at Africa Tech Summit.

19 - Yasmine Barka analysed Morocco-Algeria's Relations Play Episode Pause Episode Mute/Unmute Episode Rewind 10 Seconds 1x Fast Forward 30 seconds 00:00 / 20:59 Share Share Link EmbedIn the last episode of the Geopolitical Report Podcast, our discussion with Yasmine Barka shed light on the current state of relations between Morocco and Algeria and which factors can further increase the regional geopolitical risk. Yasmine Barka is a PhD candidate in international relations at Corvinus University of Budapest. She also specialises in the geopolitical relations in North Africa, notably in interaction with its adjacent regions of the Euro Mediterranean and the Sahel. Yasmine is also interested in relations between Morocco and Central European countries. Furthermore, Barka highlighted the recent intensification of disputes between Algeria and Morocco and the factors contributing to this escalation.

On Sunday afternoon, north Kashmir's Tangmarg experienced a sudden change in weather, leading to a hailstorm that caused significant damage to the agricultural sector. According to thekashmirimages.com, the heavy hailstones left fruit trees in a devastated condition, greatly diminishing the expected yield. Hailstorm impacts Himachal mango cropApproximately 15% of the mango crop in the district of Hamirpur was damaged due to a hailstorm. In the district, both hybrid and local mango varieties play a crucial role in the livelihoods of farmers. A local farmer from Bhumpal village in the Nadaun subdivision, observed an exceptional flowering on his mango trees and was expecting a lucrative return.

But the recent push by the National Environment Management Authority (Nema) for mandatory biodegradable bin liners for organic waste feels like putting a fancy Band-Aid on a gaping wound. In recommending the shift to biodegradable garbage bags, there is a need for Nema to recognise the glaring gaps and weaknesses in Kenya's waste ecosystem. Granted, the Sustainable Waste Management Act 2022 has various provisions that are yet to be implemented, including enforcement on the closure of illegal dumpsites or landfills. Worryingly, Nema has not made public what standards would be used to determine what would constitute biodegradable garbage bags. Biodegradable materials should be broken down by microbial action, chewed up, and turned into natural byproducts like biomass and methane.