Africa particularly vulnerable as Iran conflict disrupts supply chains, say expertsFood production in many African countries depends heavily on fertiliser imported from the Gulf through the strait of HormuzCountries in Africa, where farmers depend heavily on imported fertiliser and a large share of household income goes on food, are particularly vulnerable to supply chain disruptions caused by the war in the Middle East, experts have said.The conflict has drastically disrupted trade through the strait of Hormuz, a vital shipping lane not just for oil and gas but also for fertiliser, which is produced in vast quantities in the Gulf. Continue reading...
Nigeria's online content creator market has boomed. Can the skit-makers and streamers make it pay?As platforms make less from advertising, creators are struggling to monetise work - leading to calls for more government investment and tax breaksOn a humid afternoon in Lagos, a shoot for a comedy skit is under way on a set that looks more like a small film production.Dozens of people mill about: lighting assistants, a sound engineer, a makeup artist and even a content creator recording unscripted behind-the-scenes footage. At the centre is Broda Shaggi, born Samuel Animashaun Perry, who is issuing instructions, rehearsing lines and performing caricatures. Continue reading...
France returns sacred talking drum looted from Côte d'Ivoire over 100 years agoDjidji Ayôkwé was handed to Ivorian officials in Paris earlier this monthA sacred artefact looted by French colonial authorities more than a century ago has been returned to Côte d'Ivoire in one of the most significant cultural restitutions to a former French colony in years.The Djidji Ayôkwé, a talking drum confiscated in 1916 by French administrators, landed at 8.45am on Friday at the airport in Port Bouët on the outskirts of the economic capital, Abidjan. It was handed over to Ivorian officials in Paris earlier this month after being removed from the Quai Branly - Jacques Chirac Museum. Continue reading...
UK government axes flagship global health projectProgramme which supports schemes in six African countries was previously hailed as vital protection for Britain against future pandemicsA flagship health project in Africa, which UK ministers said would play a vital role in protecting Britain from future pandemic threats, is being axed due to aid cuts, the Guardian can reveal.The Global Health Workforce Programme (GHWP) which supported development and training for healthcare staff in six African countries, will close at the end of the month, the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) said. Continue reading...
Cuba's electrical grid collapses amid US oil blockadeTen million people left without power in latest of outages that sparked violent protest last weekendCuba's national electric grid has collapsed, the country's grid operator has said, leaving approximately 10 million people without power amid a US-imposed oil blockade that has crippled the island's already obsolete generation system.The grid operator, UNE, said on social media on Monday that it was investigating the causes of the blackout, the latest in a series of widespread outages that last for hours or days and that last weekend sparked a rare violent protest in the communist-run country. Continue reading...
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