Balmy weather yields to storms and cooler temperatures
The balmy weather of recent days is giving way to storms and a drop in temperature in various parts of the country. The weather began to turn on Wednesday night due to the arrival of a low-pressure front which started from the Gulf of Sirte in Libya. It moved towards southwest Turkey and will affect the weather in Greece as well, according to the Meteo weather service. It will mainly impact the west and south of the country first, with localized showers, storms, gradually strengthening winds and a drop in temperature. A possible transfer of dust from North Africa on southern winds is not being ruled out.
Source:The North Africa Journal
May 08, 2024 07:44 UTC
FIFA Futsal Men’s World Ranking: Morocco Stand in 6th Place – The North Africa Post
Morocco earned the 6th place in the first FIFA Futsal Men’s World Ranking after completing an unbeaten season with a stunning performance. Brazil sit at the summit of the first FIFA Futsal Men’s World Ranking. Russia ranked 7th followed by Kazakhstan, Thailand and France. The top five-ranked nations, along with hosts Uzbekistan, will be the Pot 1 seeds in the upcoming draw for this year’s FIFA Futsal World Cup. Pot 2 will comprise Morocco, Kazakhstan, Thailand, France, Ukraine and Paraguay.
Source:The North Africa Journal
May 07, 2024 18:58 UTC
Accessing DW's content via TV in the Middle East/North Africa
Here you can find information on the reception of DW in Near / Middle East and North AfricaChoose your country to get a list of local cable providers and satellite providers you can contact to receive DW programs. Find information on the satellites carrying the English and the Arabic channel of DW free to air in our article "Satellite reception in Africa". Please note that the German program is only available via local cable partners or local satellite providers in Africa. The article "Digital and mobile" informs you on how to get our live streams or video on demand offering.
Source:The North Africa Journal
May 07, 2024 18:01 UTC
Morocco expands legal cannabis cultivated area eightfold – The North Africa Post
Morocco increased eightfold the area cultivated with legal cannabis to 2078 hectares as the number of permits for investors grew to 161. “This year we will have an important harvest given the cultivated area,” he said, adding that the average hectare output stands at up to 20 quintals. The agency, known as ANRAC, has greenlighted the cultivation of the local strain “Beldia”, which has a low THC and requires less water compared to imported seeds. The cultivated area with Beldia was 732, that is 35% of the total areas dedicated to legal cannabis, he said. In April, Morocco reported its first legal export of the substance to Switzerland for medical purposesLast year, Morocco’s legal cannabis harvest stood at 294 tons, the first since the country legalized the cultivation of cannabis for medicine and industry use in 2021.
Source:The North Africa Journal
May 07, 2024 16:54 UTC
Biocartis and Merck to Collaborate on Improving Patient Access to Personalized Medicine in Middle East and North Africa (MEA) Region
Biocartis (Mechelen, Belgium) announced an expansion of its collaboration with Merck Serono Middle East and Merck Saudi Ltd., both affiliates of Merck KGaA (“Merck”). The collaboration aims to improve patient access to RAS biomarker testing in the Middle East and North Africa (MEA) region. The Idylla™ KRAS Mutation Test and Idylla™ NRAS-BRAF Mutation Test are highly performant6 Tests that rapidly determine the RAS biomarker status in mCRC tumor tissue samples. Due to the ease-of-use of the Biocartis Idylla™ Platform, the Tests can be deployed in any user setting and in turn aid patient access to biomarker testing globally. In our mission to enable universal access to personalized medicine for patients around the world, Biocartis is proud to provide Idylla™'s cutting-edge technology for mCRC testing across countries in the MEA region.
Source:The North Africa Journal
May 07, 2024 15:59 UTC
New study estimates Morocco earthquake damage at $300mln – The North Africa Post
A new assessment by the Policy Center for The New South put the material damage of Sept 8 earthquake at 3 billion dirhams ($300 million), accounting for nearly 0.2% of Morocco’s GDP. Al Haouz province, where the epicenter is located, lost 10.2% of its GDP to the quake, that is 53% of the overall economic damage. The government has allocated 12 billion dollars to a five-year program to help quake-stricken population, upgrade destroyed infrastructure and spur the local economy. Up to March, Morocco offered 1 billion dirhams in reconstruction aid to 51,300 families whose houses were totally or partially destroyed in the quake. Morocco has promised to offer 140,000 for totally demolished homes and 80,000 for partly destroyed ones following the quake that killed nearly 3000 people.
Source:The North Africa Journal
May 07, 2024 15:54 UTC
Nigerian biotech startup Syndicate Bio to implement new liquid biopsy offering to advance cancer diagnostics
The company, which in November announced a strategic partnership with the National Institute for Cancer Research and Treatment (NICRAT) to initiate the Cancer Genome Nigeria project. The implementation of the new genomic profiling and liquid biopsy technology will further existing work from SOPHiA GENETICS, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center (MSK), and Syndicate Bio to advance health equity on a global scale. “Partnering with SOPHiA Genetics to bring MSK-ACCESS® powered with SOPHiA DDM™ to our lab is a monumental step in accelerating the cancer treatment and research landscape across Africa, beginning in Nigeria. Next-generation sequencing technologies in oncology and liquid biopsy, which this collaboration enables, hold the potential for creating a leapfrogging opportunity in the oncology treatment and research landscape in Africa,” said Ene-Obong. “Through this collaboration, we aim to enable the widespread application of precision medicine in oncology across Africa, and thus contributing to the improvement of patient outcomes across the African continent.
Source:The North Africa Journal
May 07, 2024 15:48 UTC
The Surprising Face of German Anti-Immigration Policies
In recent months, a new party has entered the German left. Steeped in accounts of biological hierarchy and genocide, “race” could play no function in building German democracy. In this context, many on the right and the left redrew German belonging along the lines of race and religion. Policymakers and mainstream media outlets were less willing to face the embedded bigotry in German society. Together, they reveal that the politics of racism is both durable and highly adaptable, functioning not as curious exceptions, but as a core part of the German political calculus.
Source:The North Africa Journal
May 07, 2024 15:39 UTC
Clean technology manufacturing investment worldwide is booming
Countries are racing to capitalise on the benefits of clean technology manufacturing such as economic security, employment and the resilience of a clean energy transition. Investment into clean technology manufacturing is becoming significant enough to register in broader macroeconomic data. Virtually no clean technology manufacturing takes place in Africa today. Outsized effect of solar PV on clean technology manufacturingThis first of its kind analysis shows that investment in clean technology manufacturing was around $200 billion in 2023. “India, Japan, Korea and Southeast Asia made up most of the remaining share, with virtually no manufacturing investment taking place in either Africa or Central and South America.”Clean technology manufacturing is growing to meet net-zero needsNear-term momentum for clean technology manufacturing is looking strong.
Source:The North Africa Journal
May 07, 2024 15:22 UTC
UCL Study Maps 5,000-Year Climate Shift in North Africa
The transition from the African Humid Period (AHP) to dry conditions in North Africa is the clearest example of climate tipping points in recent geological history. Tipping points occur when small perturbations trigger a large, non-linear response in the system and shift the climate to a different future state, usually with dramatic consequences for the biosphere. Climate researchers have identified two main types of tipping points. Researching and better understanding them is important if we want to be able to predict possible future climate tipping points caused by humans. Later in the transitional phase, starting in 6,000 BC, seven wet events occurred in addition to the dry events, which were of a similar duration and frequency.
Source:The North Africa Journal
May 07, 2024 15:08 UTC
Projects Team Win IJGlobal Middle East & North Africa 'Alternative Infrastructure Award'
PRESS RELEASEGowling WLG's Energy Transition, Infrastructure and Projects team was awarded the 'Alternative Infrastructure Award' at the IJGLobal MENA Awards 2023 for the NEOM Residential Communities project. The residential communities are the first phase of NEOM's residential communities' expansion and form part of projects totalling SAR 21 billion (USD $5.5 billion) in value, representing one of the largest international public-private partnerships for accommodation. This is the third award the team has been recognised for in relation to the project, having also been awarded'Social Infrastructure Deal of the Year' for the NEOM Residential Communities project by the PFI Awards Middle East & Africa 2023. 'Social Infrastructure Deal of the Year' at the 2023 GFC Media Group presents Bonds, Loans & Sukuk Middle East Awards. Our team has also been shortlisted for the 'Infrastructure & Energy Team of the Year' in the Oath Middle East Legal Awards 2023 and for 'Infrastructure and Energy Projects Team of the Year' in the Middle East Legal Awards 2024 for our role in the transaction.
Source:The North Africa Journal
May 07, 2024 14:54 UTC
Blinken: Digital Solidarity Is 'North Star' for US Policy
US Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken announced a new federal initiative to set up guardrails for digital technology and establish international norms around security, privacy, and new technology. To maintain cybersecurity for the United States and its allies, the secretary of state emphasized the importance of establishing and upholding "cyber norms" on a global level. The United States will partner with "any country — or company — that's committed to that same vision," Blinken told attendees. But he warned, "Some of our strategic rivals are working toward a very different goal: They're using digital technologies and genomic data collection to surveil their people, to repress human rights." Plea for Digital SolidarityThe stakes for digital solidarity, according to Blinken, can be literally life and death, at least in the case of Ukraine in the wake of the Russian invasion.
Source:The North Africa Journal
May 07, 2024 14:02 UTC
Surveys (Diversity Dividend 2024)
Disrupt Africa is set to release the second edition of “Diversity Dividend”, its groundbreaking research publication focusing on gender equality in the African tech startup ecosystem. The inaugural 2023 edition of “Diversity Dividend: Exploring Gender Equality in the African Tech Ecosystem” marked the first ever deep-dive into gender equality, or the lack of it, within the African tech startup space. Aggregated data from the answers collected will be featured in the report; but individual answers remain anonymous. Most are multiple choice answers, but please feel free to leave your additional comments in the blank section(s) provided. Investor survey 👇https://forms.gle/P5ZXvQiFCE5P1V2a7Founder survey 👇https://forms.gle/frhB6g3WifTeGcUm7
Source:The North Africa Journal
May 07, 2024 13:48 UTC
SLB OneSubsea and Subsea7 Awarded Integrated Contract for OKEA’s North Sea Bestla Project
Regulatory News:This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20240507027968/en/SLB OneSubsea and Subsea7 are providing North Sea compliant equipment for the sustainable field development of OKEA’s Bestla Project (Photo: Business Wire)SLB (NYSE: SLB) has announced the award of a sizeable integrated engineering, procurement, construction, and installation (EPCI) contract by OKEA to its OneSubsea™ joint venture and Subsea7. Early engagement and collaborative field development planning combined with North Sea compliant configurable equipment will be critical for enabling profitable and sustainable marginal field development. SLB OneSubsea will deliver the subsea production system which will include two subsea trees, a two-slot template, an umbilical, and a control system. In case you have any questions about this press release, please refer to the contact person/entity mentioned in the text of the press release.
Source:The North Africa Journal
May 07, 2024 13:32 UTC
DR Congo: Displaced students in North Kivu ready for state exam despite raging conflict
Many of the students from Rutshuru and Kibumba had fled their towns after an upsurge in fighting in recent weeks between M23 rebels and Congo army forces. But some of these young people, traumatized by the conflict, are now preparing to take a crucial exam far from home. Having fled the war the previous year, he yearns to find the strength to pass his exam and obtain his baccalaureate. “I'm obliged to take the exam here because the situation in Kibumba is disastrous. Thousands of students are expected in Nyiragongo for this state exam.
Source:The North Africa Journal
May 07, 2024 10:38 UTC