Italian Grid Operator Increases Investments to $12.5 Billion
Italy is enhancing its overall energy security by significantly increasing investments in both energy transition and conventional hydrocarbon infrastructure. By 2027, the Italian grid operator SNAM will invest approximately $12.5 billion or 11.5 billion euros in its energy transition business, covering transport, liquefied natural gas infrastructure, and storage. Additionally, EUR 1.4 billion will be used to expand or upgrade storage sites, and EUR 1.5 billion will be spent on LNG infrastructure. Venier highlighted the need to take all measures to counter potential energy supply security issues in Italy. Italian energy supply also still is under pressure of ongoing instability inside of Libya, while the pressure is on for Egypt’s LNG potential.
Source:The North Africa Journal
January 27, 2024 15:34 UTC
Bjorklund leads St. Thomas against North Dakota
North Dakota Fightin’ Hawks (11-10, 3-3 Summit League) at Saint Thomas Tommies (14-7, 4-2 Summit League)Saint Paul, Minnesota; Saturday, 8 p.m. ESTBOTTOM LINE: St. Thomas takes on the North Dakota Fightin’ Hawks after Parker Bjorklund scored 32 points in St. Thomas’ 79-66 win over the North Dakota State Bison. St. Thomas is the leader in the Summit League in team defense, giving up 63.2 points while holding opponents to 43.1% shooting. North Dakota is seventh in the Summit League with 11.6 assists per game led by Eli King averaging 2.3. St. Thomas is shooting 46.2% from the field this season, 1.3 percentage points higher than the 44.9% North Dakota allows to opponents. North Dakota has shot at a 43.4% rate from the field this season, 0.3 percentage points higher than the 43.1% shooting opponents of St. Thomas have averaged.
Source:The North Africa Journal
January 27, 2024 15:02 UTC
Supply chain diversification: Africa's chance to rise
Between 2004 and 2022, AfDB provided over $13 billion to finance regional road corridor projects. Nevertheless, addressing supply chain obstacles in African countries requires proactive policy measures. The most important factor influencing Africa’s potential to be a global supply chain leader is the abundance of critical minerals and metals, including aluminium, cobalt, copper, lithium and manganese, vital components in technology-intensive industries. Compared to other parts of the world, Africa as a continent has many disadvantages in its logistics infrastructure and supply chain system. However, the current geopolitical issues, macroeconomic challenges and the trend of supply chain diversification is the chance for Africa to change its fortune.
Source:The North Africa Journal
January 27, 2024 12:43 UTC
Dakar to host 6th International Congress on Marine Protected Areas in 2027 – The North Africa Post
Dakar, the capital of Senegal, will host in February 2027 the International Congress on Marine Protected Areas (Impac6), for the first ever in the history of the continent. The city has been chosen by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) to host the event also known as IMPAC 6. The event, held every four years, will be held in Africa for the first time. This choice is not insignificant insofar as the continent is the “junction point of all the world’s seas and oceans”, explains Mamadou Sidibé, Senegal’s Director of Community Marine Protected Areas (DAMCP). Senegal has stood out on the continent as it currently boasts 17 marine protected areas (MPAs) established in recent years.
Source:The North Africa Journal
January 27, 2024 12:02 UTC
Niger temporarily halts issuance of new mining licenses – The North Africa Post
Niger’s authorities have temporarily halted the issuance of new mining licenses and ordered an audit of the industry, the Ministry of Mining announced, according to press reports. However, it comes amid the increase in the price of the commodity on the international market. Last week, the price of a pound of uranium on the spot market reached $100, a level not seen since 2007, reports revealed. The incumbent authorities answering to a junta that seized power on July 26, 2023 after deposing President Mohamed Bazoum, want to control mining activities in the country. The country has one major uranium mining operation, run by France’s State-owned Orano company.
Source:The North Africa Journal
January 27, 2024 12:02 UTC
Time ripe to rethink ways councils generate revenue
The revenue value chain is about achieving four goals that include predictability through management, completeness of revenue (through billing and collecting every rand), protection of revenue following defined processes and growth. The process has to use revenue data science techniques to analyse complex volumes of municipal data to identify revenue leakages and discover opportunities to increase revenue from existing and, importantly, new sources. In the context of revenue, data science is about utilising data analytics across all the revenue collection and management phases to create dashboards that will indicate how and when revenue is generated. Revenue management and increase require a scientific, entrepreneurial discipline to design, test and grow new revenue lines. In addition, municipalities must implement the “science” of revenue management to achieve completeness of revenue and eliminate revenue leakages in the value chain.
Source:The North Africa Journal
January 27, 2024 11:09 UTC
Atmospheric dust’s origins aren’t what we’ve assumed, researchers say
For decades, scientists have assumed the majority of global dust emissions came from windswept deserts in North Africa. Two studies, published in JGR Atmospheres and Science of the Total Environment, say dust emissions actually vary by season and across hemispheres — and the total amount of dust emissions worldwide is much lower than previously thought. “When dust emission models were developed, there were few continuously varying global data sets available and simplifying assumptions were made for their implementation,” they write in the JGR Atmospheres paper. Atmospheric dust affects both the climate and human health, even in areas far from its source. Overall, the researchers write in the JGR Atmospheres study, the old model differs from the satellite observations by up to two orders of magnitude.
Source:The North Africa Journal
January 27, 2024 11:04 UTC
Italian PM reveals "Mattei Plan" for African development ahead of Italy-Africa Summit
Over 50 delegations, mainly from African countries, as well as EU leaders and representatives of international organizations, will arrive in the Italian capital for the occasion. Though critics argue that the plan, dubbed “Mattei Plan”, after Enrico Mattei, an Italian public administrator who, in the 1950s, advocated for Italy to support North African governments to grow their economies and develop their natural resources. Seventy years on, Meloni is showcasing the Mattei plan as the crown jewel of her foreign policy, aiming to once again renew Italy’s approach to the African continent. The widespread lack of awareness further provides an opportunity for Meloni to portray the Mattei plan as non-exploitative toward African nations, despite the absence of concrete evidence. Carbone questioned whether the government has the necessary African development knowledge or experience to make the plan work.
Source:The North Africa Journal
January 27, 2024 10:38 UTC
Mali’s Peace Deal Ends: Warring Parties Should Abide by International Humanitarian Law
Mali‘s junta announced yesterday the end of a 2015 peace agreement with armed separatist groups. Should fighting intensify, it’s critical that the warring parties abide by international humanitarian law—the laws of war—and protect civilians against dangers arising from military operations. In recent months there has been a surge in attacks by armed Islamist groups across Mali. The parties to Mali’s conflict will need to take all necessary measures to minimize harm to civilians and end unlawful attacks on civilians and civilian property. Peace deal or not, the threat to civilians across Mali remains grave.
Source:The North Africa Journal
January 27, 2024 09:44 UTC
Holocaust survivor to speak in Anderson on Monday
Joplin, MO (64801)TodayCloudy skies. Some mixed winter precipitation possible. Temps nearly steady in the mid 30s. Winds NNW at 10 to 15 mph..TonightMostly cloudy skies. Winds NW at 5 to 10 mph.
Source:The North Africa Journal
January 27, 2024 07:31 UTC
Egyptian soccer officials sacrifice cow for better fortune at Africa Cup :: WRALSportsFan.com
— ABIDJAN, Ivory Coast (AP) — Egyptian soccer officials have sacrificed a cow in a bid to bring the national team more luck at the Africa Cup of Nations. Egypt, which has yet to win a game, plays Congo in the last 16 in San Pedro on Sunday. The team’s flight from Abidjan to San Pedro was delayed by an hour on Friday. The Pharaohs lost star Mohamed Salah to a hamstring injury in their second group game, then goalkeeper Mohamed El Shenawy with a dislocated shoulder in the third and last group game. Egypt players reportedly sacrificed a calf during training before going on win the 2008 Africa Cup in Ghana.
Source:The North Africa Journal
January 27, 2024 05:55 UTC
Aton Resources secures golden opportunity in Egypt
Aton Resources secures golden opportunity in EgyptPublished by: Natasha Doris at 26/01/2024The Canadian mining company has been granted the first gold exploitation licence to a foreign company in... The Canadian mining company has been granted the first gold exploitation licence to a foreign company in almost 20 years. Aton Resources has struck a golden opportunity in Egypt, after the Canadian mining company was granted a 20-year mining license on its Abu Marawat Concession in the Eastern Desert. The Abu Marawat Exploitation Lease was agreed between Aton Resources and the Egyptian Mineral Resources Authority (EMRA), and has an option to extend for 10 years after the initial term expires. The exploitation lease was signed at the Egyptian Ministry of Petroleum and was attended by several key figures, including Minister of Petroleum and Mineral Resources Tarek El Molla, EMRA chairman Yasser Ramadan, and Aton Resources interim CEO Tõnno Vähk.
Source:The North Africa Journal
January 27, 2024 04:53 UTC
North India Cold Wave: No Respite Till Jan 29, IMD Issues Red & Orange Alerts In These States
Furthermore, North India is predicted to see cold day to severe cold day conditions for the next two days, with an eventual reduction in intensity. The IMD issued a yellow alert for the districts of Sundergarh, Jharsuguda, Deogarh, Keonjhar, and Angul. According to the IMD, cold day to severe cold day conditions are expected to prevail in various locations from January 27 to 30, with a focus on Uttar Pradesh and Bihar. Isolated areas in West Rajasthan are also expected to encounter these extreme cold weather from January 27 to 28. Furthermore, isolated pockets in Punjab, Haryana, Chandigarh, East Rajasthan, and Uttarakhand are expected to experience chilly day weather on January 27.
Source:The North Africa Journal
January 27, 2024 03:41 UTC
US, UK impose sanctions on 4 Houthi leaders, Red Sea attacks continue
The United States, jointly with the United Kingdom, imposed sanctions on four military officials of Ansarullah, commonly known as the Houthis, who have supported the Houthis’ recent attacks in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden. The Houthis’ terrorist attacks on merchant vessels and their civilian crews in the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden have disrupted international supply chains and infringed on navigational rights and freedoms, says a statement from the U.S. Department of State. "The United States is committed to safeguarding international commercial trade and taking action alongside our allies and partners to safeguard the safety of these critical waterways." Those sanctioned were Houthi Defence Minister Mohamed Nasser al-Atifi, Commander of Houthi Naval Forces Muhammad Fadl Abd Al-Nabi, coastal defence forces chief Muhammad Ali al-Qadiri and Muhammed Ahmad al-Talibi, who the two governments described as the Houthi forces' director of procurement, Reuters reported. Freight rates continue to rallyDrewry’s World Container Index increased five percent to $3,964 per 40ft container for the week to January 25, 2024.
Source:The North Africa Journal
January 27, 2024 01:17 UTC
Galp finds deeper lying oil with Mopane well offshore Namibia
Offshore staffLISBON, Portugal — Galp Energia’s Mopane 1-X discovery well in Block PEL83 offshore Namibia has proven more oil in a deeper target. AVO-2, which underwent coring and logging, delivered a substantial light oil in good-quality reservoir-bearing sands. The rig will likely now transfer to the Mopane-2X appraisal well location to assess the extent of the discoveries, before returning to Mopane-1X to perform a DST. PEL83 is north of Shell’s earlier Graff-1, La Rona-1 and Jonker-1 oil finds, and north and west of TotalEnergies’ reportedly giant oil discovery at Venus-1.
Source:The North Africa Journal
January 26, 2024 22:43 UTC