Moroccans 'honoured' to co-host soccer 2030 World Cup
RABAT, Oct 5 (Reuters) - Moroccans welcomed on Thursday the announcement that their country would co-host the 2030 World Cup alongside Spain and Portugal, after years of failed attempts. After five failed attempts to become World Cup hosts, the announcement that Morocco will share the honours will lift spirits in the north African country, a month after a devastating earthquake that killed nearly 3,000 people. Morocco became the first Arabic-speaking country to reach the quarter-finals of the World Cup in Qatar in 2022. The decision comes days after Morocco was also chosen to host the 2025 African Cup of Nations after several other bids dropped out. "It is an honour for us to host the World Cup in Africa again... it will help develop African football," said Boris Yameogo, a student from Burkina Faso living in Rabat.
Source:The North Africa Journal
October 05, 2023 23:47 UTC
Cedar White Bradley expands into Africa with Hahn & Hahn
Headquartered in Dubai, Cedar White Bradley (known as CWB) is a professional services firm specialised in intellectual property services. That ambition kicked off in February through the merger with Petosevic, with Pretoria-based Hahn & Hahn now added to the group. Now with the addition of Hahn & Hahn, CWB welcomes around 20 staff in South Africa. Seller Hahn & Hahn was advised by commercial law firm KEBD (based in Gauteng). “We are extremely excited about our partnership with CWB,” said Victor Williams, Director at Hahn & Hahn.
Source:The North Africa Journal
October 05, 2023 18:46 UTC
MRDS Group to leverage MENA's rapidly expanding oilfield services market
With a dedicated team based in Jebel Ali, MRDS Group has been actively supporting international clients in the UK, Middle East, West Africa, Indonesia and Malaysia. This strategic move has resulted in several major contracts with international drilling contractors and national oil companies. McGillivray expressed his optimism, stating, "The MRDS Group is well-positioned to seize the opportunities presented by the MENA region's oilfield services market, which is projected to reach US$41.73bn in the next five years. MRDS Group has been collaborating with both international drilling contractors and national oil companies in the UAE, demonstrating its commitment to strategic growth in the region. With a senior management team offering over 100 years of combined experience, MRDS Group leads a competent workforce of skilled engineers and technicians specialising in mechanical, hydraulic, and electrical work.
Source:The North Africa Journal
October 05, 2023 17:34 UTC
U.S ambassador to Libya says deadly floods have spurred efforts to unify the north African country
U.S ambassador to Libya says deadly floods have spurred efforts to unify the north African countryCAIRO (AP) — The U.S. Ambassador to Libya said Thursday that the deadly floods that devastated a Libyan coastal city last month have spurred new efforts to unify the oil rich country. “I believe the stage is actually set for development of an agreed, credible roadmap to elections,” he said. Devastating rainfall and floods, triggered by Mediterranean Storm Danial, hit parts of eastern Libya in September. The disaster has brought some rare unity to oil-rich Libya, which has been divided between rival administrations since 2014.
Source:The North Africa Journal
October 05, 2023 17:13 UTC
Philippe to pass Bermuda; new system off Africa could form
Tropical Storm Philippe is on track to pass near Bermuda on Friday before moving toward eastern New England and Atlantic Canada this weekend, the National Hurricane Center said. A tropical storm warning has been issued for Bermuda, where tropical storm conditions are expected to start early Friday morning, according to the National Hurricane Center. Forecasters project 2 to 4 inches of rain there through Friday, and large swells from another weather system will further increase overnight as Philippe nears. As of 8 p.m., Philippe was about 340 miles south-southwest of Bermuda, moving north at 14 mph. By the time Philippe moves over parts of Atlantic Canada this weekend, it is likely to be a post-tropical cyclone, forecasters said.
Source:The North Africa Journal
October 05, 2023 16:24 UTC
Tunisia: Arrest of an opposition party leader – The North Africa Post
The leader of the Free Destourian Party (PDL), one of the main opposition parties in Tunisia, was placed in conditional detention on Tuesday after she was arrested in front of the presidential palace, according to the lawyer of her party. According to her party, Ms. Moussi was arrested in front of the presidential palace in Carthage, where she had come to file appeals against presidential decrees, as she claimed. In a video posted on the PDL’s Facebook page, Ms. Moussi stated before her arrest that the presidential office had refused to accept her appeal and issue her an acknowledgment receipt. Since early February, authorities have incarcerated several opposition figures, including the historic leader of the Islamist-conservative Ennahdha party, Rached Ghannouchi, as well as prominent figures, including former ministers and businesspeople. President Saied, accused by the opposition of authoritarianism, has labeled the arrested individuals as “terrorists” and claimed they were involved in a “plot against the security of the state.”
Source:The North Africa Journal
October 05, 2023 15:02 UTC
SDGs report says Africa’s progress is uneven and off-target
Ahunna Eziakonwa, Assistant Administrator and Regional Director for Africa, UNDP called Africa’s steady progress on the SDGs is commendable. This calls for accelerated efforts to ensure that Africa achieves the global goals by the 2030 deadline, the latest Africa Sustainable Development report has stated. Africa also needs scaled-up concessional financing to regain momentum on the SDGs and the Agenda 2063.”The report assessed Africa’s progress in implementing five main SDGs, highlighting progress, the challenges, and the numerous opportunities for improving Africa’s development prospects. The report calls on African countries to invest in water, sanitation, and hygiene infrastructure and to strengthen integrated water resource management capacity. The report calls for higher domestic resource mobilisation and efforts to address debt vulnerabilities.
Source:The North Africa Journal
October 05, 2023 13:37 UTC
Make-IT in Africa, Orange open applications for Senegal-based agri-tech programme
German government-funded initiative Make-IT in Africa and mobile operator Orange have opened applications for the GreenAPI: Smart Agriculture Programme, which aims to help agri-tech startups in Senegal scale more quickly. The GreenAPI: Smart Agriculture Programme is jointly implemented by Make-IT in Africa and Orange, and aims to improve agricultural practices in Africa by creating wider and better access to smart agriculture services for smallholder farmers, companies and other value chain actors. It leverages digital agricultural platforms (DAPs) to bundle smart agricultural products and services and thereby allow smallholder farmers to access a full range of services with the potential to improve their productivity and livelihood through a one-stop shop. The GreenAPI: Smart Agriculture Programme facilitates business partnerships between smart agriculture startups and DAPs, empowering startups to integrate their products and services with DAPs by providing them with all the skills required to plan and implement the integration and offering them a unique opportunity to be matched with a DAP to design and pilot a joint service offering with a long-term viable business partnership as a result. Applications are open here until October 16.
Source:The North Africa Journal
October 05, 2023 13:01 UTC
Vivos Therapeutics Announces Strategic Collaboration in the Middle East-North Africa Region to Support International Expansion
Noum has developed and maintains key strategic relationships and accounts for diagnostic testing with sleep physicians, sleep centers, hospitals and other healthcare providers across the MENA region. Under the terms of the agreement, Noum has been given exclusive distribution rights for Vivos products and services in Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Kuwait, Bahrain, Oman, Jordan, Lebanon and Palestine. The parties expected that Vivos products will eventually be manufactured locally in the region under a future license agreement currently being finalized between Vivos and Noum. Vivos also markets and distributes SleepImage diagnostic technology under its VivoScore program for home sleep testing in adults and children. The Vivos Integrated Practice (VIP) program offers dentists training and other value-added services in connection with using The Vivos Method.
Source:The North Africa Journal
October 05, 2023 11:48 UTC
Towards a new EU relationship with northern Africa
Migration, terrorism and energy — three 'crisis' topics — have preoccupied EU policy and their societies' view of their neighbourhood in northern Africa for a long time. For too long, keeping the problems — literally — at bay has been left to southern European member countries of the EU. The following thoughts outline some dimensions, which are crucial in opening a new chapter with our north African neighbours. Now, European policy is in danger of turning towards a 'super-realist' mode of engagement, forgetting all lessons about conditionality and, at the same time, laying the groundwork for future failures. For the moment, Europe has no convincing story it could tell our neighbours in northern Africa.
Source:The North Africa Journal
October 05, 2023 10:41 UTC
Nigeria: Project to supply electricity through battery energy service
A solar powered battery service project in Nigeria will provide electricity access to up to 300,000 people and create local jobs. The project is a collaboration between CrossBoundary Access and Mobile Power. For Mobile Power, this new partnership allows the company to accelerate deployment of its technology in Nigeria. For CrossBoundary Access, MOPO Hubs complement its mini-grid portfolio by allowing faster, lower cost deployment. Creating energy access across Africa, one battery at a timeCrossBoundary Access will finance the development and construction activities and will own the projects.
Source:The North Africa Journal
October 05, 2023 09:12 UTC
Virtual wheeling by Eskom 101
Of interestVodacom to secure IPPs after virtual wheeling deal with EskomThe virtual wheeling platform will be able to aggregate energy generation and consumption data into Eskom time-of-use periods (standard, peak, and off-peak) in hourly intervals. According to Eskom, to participate in virtual wheeling, buyers will be required to conclude a Virtual Wheeling Agreement and a back-to-back Virtual Wheeling Platform Agreement with a virtual wheeling platform vendor, who is appointed by the buyer and certified by Eskom to inter-operate with Eskom’s systems. Under virtual wheeling, these documents remain in place and are referenced in the Virtual Wheeling Agreements. In addition to the Virtual Wheeling Agreements mentioned above, buyers will be required to establish meter access for Eskom and the virtual wheeling platform with generators under their existing power purchase agreements. Of referenceCape Town wheeling pilot project starts generating clean powerWhen will virtual wheeling be rolled out by Eskom?
Source:The North Africa Journal
October 05, 2023 08:01 UTC
Morocco-Spain-Portugal Joint 2030 World Cup Bid Sends Message of Peace, Inclusion, Says FIFA President – The North Africa Post
Morocco’s bid to host the 2030 FIFA World Cup with Spain and Portugal is “a message of peace, tolerance, and inclusion,” emphasized FIFA President Gianni Infantino. The FIFA Executive Committee announced it unanimously selected the joint Morocco-Spain-Portugal bid to host the 2030 World Cup since it was the only bid in the race for hosting the 2030 event. King Mohammed VI “is pleased to announce to the Moroccan people that the FIFA Executive Committee has unanimously selected the Morocco-Spain-Portugal bid as the sole candidacy for hosting the 2030 FIFA World Cup,” the statement said. “I am confident that together with Morocco and Portugal, we will host the best World Cup in history,” he added. However, a novelty of the 2030 World Cup will be that the opening three matches of the tournament will be played in Uruguay, Argentina and Paraguay, to mark the centenary of the very first World Cup.
Source:The North Africa Journal
October 05, 2023 07:27 UTC
Moving South Africa towards a diversified energy mix
A pipeline is necessary for a sustainable wind sector. Of the 83 installed wind farm projects identified in the study, more than a third are located in South Africa. “The report identifies 114 wind projects planned across Africa, representing a pipeline of 86GW expected over the next seven years,” said Govender. Energy mix driven through the ERA BillKgopisho Mahunonyane, Key Customer Accounts Manager at Eskom, said wind power has been a strong component of the REIPPP programme. He added that Eskom believes it is important all the renewable energy sectors work together to ensure good grid integration as well as a well-balanced energy mix.
Source:The North Africa Journal
October 05, 2023 07:07 UTC