Source: Mohammed Hassan / PixabayI recently presented a talk at a conference for North Carolina behavioral healthcare professionals about how North Carolina, like many states, is in the midst of a crisis in its mental healthcare system. Alternatives to the Emergency RoomA visit to the emergency room (ER) for a mental health crisis is a traumatic experience for many, in large part because ERs are not set up to treat mental health crises. ERs across the state have been overwhelmed by mental health patients in recent years. Mental Healthcare as Primary CareDue to a lack of psychiatrists in the state, primary care providers are seeing increased numbers of patients with mental health issues. The expansion of Medicaid will also increase the number of rural patients with health insurance, which will help financially sustain rural health practices.

Global sales of solar energy kits fell to 8.96 million units in 2023, after a peak of 9.53 million units sold in 2022. “An estimated 116 million people are currently benefiting from improved access to energy through off-grid solar energy kits reported by GOGLA affiliates. GOGLA: Without derisking, off-grid solar will not achieve its goalsHow are people paying for off-grid solar lighting? Global sales of solar energy kits (lanterns, multi-light systems and solar home systems) in the second half of 2023 reached 4.6 million units. Notably, sales of off-grid solar energy kits decreased compared to the second half of 2022 in East Africa, West Africa and South Asia.

Located within a historic four-story building, Block 7 boasts a rich blend of heritage and contemporary culture. On the ground floor, The Cellar Pub offers an extensive food and drink menu, accompanied by daily music programming. For those seeking a more underground experience, Ambush Club awaits deep within Block 7. Nestled within a 2,000-year-old Roman cave, this club is dedicated to underground electronic music and house and is renowned for its immersive experiences. Lastly, The Studio serves as a space for DJing and music production, promoting artistic exploration and mentorship within the electronic music community.

What to Watch in North Africa This MonthFrom coming-of-age dramas, to comedy, to thriller, to epic space opera, this list has a bit of everything you can watch in North Africa this May.

Kenyan agri-tech startup iProcure has been placed under administration due to undisclosed debts being unpaid. Launched in 2013, iProcure has developed its own distribution infrastructure, connecting major agricultural input suppliers directly to local agro-dealers via its proprietary distribution technology system. Also backed by Safaricom’s Spark Venture Fund, iProcure expanded to Tanzania last year, but it has become one of the latest victims of the global economic crisis, and resultant “funding winter”, and been placed under administration. iProcure is the latest African tech venture to feel the heat in the current global capital shortage. Kenyan retail-tech startup MarketForce, for example, was recently forced to close down its B2B e-commerce platform RejaReja in the light of failing to adequately scale it given the global “funding winter”.

Parliament has approved a motion to establish the National Institute for Teacher Education, marking a crucial step towards enhancing teacher training programmes in Uganda. Ogwang highlighted the institute’s vital role in providing specialised education training programmes for career teachers. “The move will provide niche-based pre-service and in-service teacher education programmes for all levels of education,” he said. He emphasised the importance of collaboration with the regulator responsible for teacher education training development. Patrick Oshabe (NUP, Kassanda County North) highlighted the need to address challenges in teacher education institutions.

What led Samsung’s growth and how other brands faredOverall global smartphone market growsSamsung has replaced Apple as the top smartphone player globally in the first quarter this year (Q1 2024), accounting for 20% shipment share, a report said on Friday. Samsung reached its highest-ever ASP during the quarter as well. Emerging markets especially provide long term growth opportunities,” Fieldhack added.Meanwhile, smartphone brands from China – Xiaomi and Vivo – registered growth. While Xiaomi registered growth in almost all its key markets, Vivo posted strong performance in emerging markets of Asia Pacific including India.Huawei, Honor and Transsion also gained during the quarter. Oppo – which includes OnePlus – experienced a shipment decline due to stiff competition in key markets like China.Riding the success of these brands, the global smartphone market grew by 6% year-on-year (YoY) to reach 296.9 million unit shipments.

ABUJA, Nigeria — Two Nigerian military personnel will face a court martial over the killing of 85 villagers in a military drone attack in December in the West African nation’s conflict-battered north, authorities said, prompting calls from a rights group Friday for more transparency and justice for victims. The two personnel will be subjected to military justice proceedings “for acts of omission or commission” after investigations found that the civilians killed by the strike “were mistaken for terrorists,” Nigeria’s Defense Headquarters spokesperson Maj. Gen. Edward Buba said in a statement Thursday without providing further details.

AfriLabs, Intel Corporation and Prosper Africa have launched the Intel Community Reach Programme, aimed at addressing critical social challenges in underserved African communities by leveraging the power of artificial intelligence (AI) and broadband connectivity. The Intel Community Reach Programme initiative seeks to empower communities and drive positive change in key sectors such as education, healthcare, agriculture, environmental services, fintech solutions, and digital skills readiness. Organisations, enterprises, startups, SMEs, and institutions working towards addressing social challenges using AI or broadband connectivity are invited to apply. Projects must be based in African Union member states and serve vulnerable populations in underserved areas. Selected projects will receive technical, consultancy, and financial support from Intel, AfriLabs, and Prosper Africa to help bring their innovative ideas to life.

Apart from falling European exports, Gazprom has also been hit by stabilising natural gas prices following the Russia-Ukraine war. It was also sharply at odds with the 1.2 trillion roubles profit seen in 2022. Total revenue also dropped to 8.5 trillion roubles in 2023, a slide from the 11.7 trillion seen in the previous year. However, a milder than expected winter in 2023 also meant that less energy supplies than previously anticipated were used. As of now, Gazprom has been hiking its natural gas supplies to China, with the help of a pipeline going through Siberia.

Being “founder-friendly”, or not, has become an increasingly relevant part of a venture capital company’s armoury in an increasingly competitive investment landscape. But what does being “founder-friendly” even mean, and has the phrase in reality become somewhat of an irrelevant marketing buzzword? Once upon a time, describing yourself as “founder-friendly” made you stand out from the crowd, but now most VC firms do it. Brett Commaille, founder and managing partner of South Africa-based VC firm Hlayisani Capital, says the term “founder friendly” is a marketing tool that gets wielded in many ways to fit many agendas. I’m hesitant about the concept and I think it’s overrated.”Commaille says “founder friendly” can often be used as a cover.

MENA Digest: Abyan Capital, Bon Plus raise early-stage fundsPremium Credit: 123RF.comDealmaking activity in the Middle East and North Africa decelerated compared to the previous week but saw at least two major funding deals. This included a double-digit fundraising by Saudi Arabian financial robo-advisory company, Abyan Capital and a seed round by an Omani B2B marketplace startup, Bon Plus. The previous week saw ......

Catalan derby incoming! The blaugranes visit Girona for the matchday 34 fixture in LaLiga. A win for Xavi Hernández' side in this Saturday game ( kick-off 6.30pm CEST) will further consolidate second place in the league. This page will help you make sure what time the game will kick-off in your part of the world, while also listing the TV channels that broadcast LaLiga games in different countries or regions. That does not depend on us, and you should check their own websites for details.

After some four decades, the idea of a rail link between Morocco and Spain floats again as the two countries, together with Portugal, prepare to host the 2030 World Cup. International media is speaking of underway surveys on the project that would boost connectivity between Europe and Africa. During his most recent visit to Morocco, Spanish transport minister Oscar Puente discussed the issue with Moroccan counterpart, highlighting Spain’s interest in the link. According to rail news site Railtech.com, the tunnel’s route would run from Punta Paloma in Tarifa to Punta Malabata in the Bay of Tangiers. Besides improving political ties, trade between Spain and Morocco increased spectacularly exceeding 20 billion euros.

Morocco is busy working to ensure the best ever FIFA World Cup final to be organized jointly with Spain and Portugal in 2030. The event, which unites two continents, Europe and Africa, in a divided world, sends a message of peace, tolerance and inclusion. He made the remarks following a coordination meeting gathering all governmental departments involved in the World Cup projects. The meeting was an opportunity to look into the work accomplished so far and discuss the actions to be taken to meet the deadlines. It comes following several other coordination meetings held by the football federations of Morocco, Spain and Portugal to tune up their joint plans, actions, and projects.