The Bizmoun necklace is the oldest piece of jewellery in the world. It’s on display at the National Finery Museum in Rabat, Morocco, a building which has reopened its doors after years of renovations. The necklace, made of 32 perforated shells, was found in 2019 in the Bizmoun cave near …
Read More »Hijabi ‘indie mothers’ embraced by young Indonesian music fans
At a packed festival in central Jakarta, hijab-clad sexagenarian singer Rien Djamain bursts into an upbeat track about nuclear destruction to a crowd of thousands, mostly young Indonesians. Behind the frontwoman of the all-female Nasida Ria band are her fellow musicians, dressed in silver and black sequined dresses, backing up …
Read More »South African farmer warns of ‘lots of food shortages’ amidst ongoing power cuts
From dairy farms unable to keep milk refrigerated, to chickens suffocating en masse as ventilators fall idle, an energy crisis is taking a heavy toll on South Africa’s food sector, industry groups said. Record power cuts have caused shortages of some staples, threatening price rises that could make some popular …
Read More »Oil drilling starts in Uganda
Oil drilling began on Tuesday in a Chinese-operated field in Uganda. According to a government official, the East African country expects to start production by 2025. The China National Offshore Oil Corporation, CNOOC, operates the field. “It is an exciting moment for us as a national oil company but also …
Read More »Morocco: Lawmakers to review ties with European Parliament
Moroccan lawmakers on Monday voted unanimously to review ties with the European Parliament, accusing it of meddling after a resolution that urged the kingdom to respect press freedom. Members of both houses of Morocco’s parliament met in the capital Rabat for a joint session in response to the non-binding European …
Read More »Burkina Faso residents broadly welcome move to oust French military
People in Burkina Faso have broadly welcomed plans by the military government to oust French troops within a month. The state broadcaster announced the move on 21 January saying the decision had been made to end the presence of France’s military on Burkinabe soil. It follows mass protests in the …
Read More »Gabon’s top diplomat suddenly dies from heart attack
Gabon’s foreign minister Michael Moussa Adamo died Friday (Jan. 20) after suffering a heart attack during a cabinet meeting. The 62-year-old, an ally of President Ali Bongo Ondimba, suffered a heart attack and died “despite efforts by specialists” to revive him, the government said in a brief statement. Reacting to …
Read More »Uganda approves construction licence for crude pipeline to Tanzania
Uganda on Wednesday issued a final tender to company controlled by TotalEnergies to construct a $3.5 billion oil pipeline through to Tanzania. The final approval will provide a way forward to the construction of the pipeline that will be used to transport the country’s crude to international. The signature follows …
Read More »Young Egyptians battle plastic plague
Entrepreneurial young Egyptians are helping combat their country’s huge plastic waste problem by recycling junk-food wrappers, water bottles and similar garbage that usually ends up in landfills or the Nile. At a factory on the outskirts of Cairo, run by their startup TileGreen, noisy machines gobble up huge amounts of …
Read More »Amid road safety concerns Senegalese transport unions gear up for strike
Ahead of an unlimited bus drivers strike, fear is growing among Senegalese passengers as tension builds among drivers. On Monday, a new fatal bus accident cost the life of at least 19 people, bringing the death toll of car crashes to about 60 in a matter of days. In order …
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