The Israeli military said on Friday it was engaged in “intensive battles in the heart of Khan Younis”, with forces striking dozens of Hamas fighters and infrastructure from the air and ground. It said forces also fired at Hamas targets in northern Gaza and along the Gaza coastline. Residents said gun battles continued overnight, with Israeli forces blowing up buildings and houses in the western part of the city.
Over three months into the Israel-Gaza war, Israel has neither a clear path to victory nor a feasible exit strategy. Operations in the south of Gaza are likely to follow suit, even if for now Israel has intensified pressure in Khan Younis. Yet none of these essential decisions have been taken, a reflection of the division and disarray in Israel’s war cabinet. Open dissent by the army and criticism of the political echelon is virtually unheard of in Israel. The Israeli military and security establishment, which was humiliated on 7 October, remains intent on redeeming its reputation.
Cleary Gottlieb was shortlisted and selected as a finalist for Africa-Wide Dispute Resolution Law Firm of the Year at the Chambers Africa Awards 2024. The awards reflect “a law firm’s pre-eminence in key jurisdictions in the region,” as well as “notable achievements over the past 12 months including outstanding work, impressive strategic growth and excellence in client service.”To learn more, click here.
Yesterday, 25 January, the Premier of North West, Kaobitsa Bushy Maape paid a courtesy visit to the Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Republic of South Africa in Thailand, H.E. Premier Maape is in Thailand for medical assessment. They agreed on the need to identify trade and investment opportunities in Thailand for the North West Province. On his part, Ambassador Africa acknowledged Premier Maape’s desire to mobilise trade and investment for his Province. Distributed by APO Group on behalf of North West Office of the Premier, Republic of South Africa.
The medium- and long-term objectives are to boost solar energy production and provide universal access to electricity in both countries. This financing is the largest ever granted by the African Development Bank to Mauritania. The second project, RIMDIR, is a $16 million grant from the Sustainable Energy Fund for Africa (SEFA) and concerns rural electrification for 40 localities in south-eastern Mauritania. The African Development Bank has been active in Mauritania for over fifty years in various strategic development sectors, including agriculture, governance, water and sanitation, energy, mining, private sector, transport and social. Distributed by APO Group on behalf of African Development Bank Group (AfDB).
Australia are the only team the Proteas have never recorded a win against, with a tied ODI in Coffs Harbour in 2016 the closest they have come in the 27 years since the teams first met. But opportunities have also been scant: Australia and South Africa have only played 22 times across the white-ball formats, and never in Tests. 00:55 Play video Perry eager to take India momentum into Proteas series"It'll be nice to have an extended run against the Aussies," Wolvaardt told reporters in Canberra on Friday. South Africa’s tour started with a final-over defeat to the Governor-General’s XI in a warm-up match at North Sydney Oval. "We're playing two ODIs there at North Sydney Oval, so conditions wise, it was perfect (preparation)," she said.
MENA Digest: DXWand, Crysp Farms, Karty, Crealo secure fundingCredit: 123RF.comEgyptian artificial intelligence startup DXWand led dealmaking in the Middle East and North Africa region this week. Dubai-based farming solutions provider Crysp Farms secured pre-Series A funding while Qatari fintech Karty and Morocco’s copyrights management platform Crealo raised seed funding. DXWandAdvertisementDXWand secured a $4 million Series A funding led by Shorooq Partners and Algebra Ventures to accelerate regional and product expansion. AdvertisementCrysp FarmsDubai-based agri startup Crysp Farms raised $2.25 million in a pre-Series A round of funding led by Gate Capital to facilitate regional expansion. KartyThree-year-old fintech startup Karty raised $2 million funding in a seed round from local investors to facilitate the official launch of the product.
Key topics discussed included circular economic models, exploration of the latest technologies, and issues related to carbon reduction and life cycle assessments in circular textile practices. Participants delved into international regulations, ongoing research and development scenarios, and the technical intricacies of textile circularity. The workshop aimed to raise awareness among academic institutions of their key role in the textile and apparel ecosystem. He noted that a circular economy implies “regionally logistically small circles close to the consumer” with the MENA (Middle East and North Africa) region well-positioned to develop existing and additional business, particularly considering Europe’s significant market presence with new legislation. Phase II of GTEX/MENATEX is committed to catalysing change by collaborating with businesses and the institutional ecosystem of partner countries.
Biden himself, however, has yet to visit Africa as president, despite a promise that he would do so in 2023. But despite the symbolic progress of this engagement, the substance of Washington’s policy toward Africa remains problematic. That’s largely because the White House’s motivations for engaging with African countries are clearly based on competition with China, even as U.S. officials have attempted to avoid mentioning Beijing explicitly during visits. It doesn’t help that Washington continues to repeat previous policy mistakes in Africa. To be sure, there has undoubtedly been progress in U.S. Africa policy under the Biden administration.
The African Development Bank (www.AfDB.org) and Attijariwafa bank Europe, European subsidiary of the Attijariwafa bank group, have signed a €100 million risk-sharing agreement to strengthen businesses and trade across Africa. The pact is expected to catalyse nearly €500 million worth of trade for companies operating in more than twenty African countries. We are creating new opportunities for all those who undertake and project themselves in Africa”, said Mohamed El Azizi, African Development Bank Director General for North Africa. Media Contact:Department of Communication and External Relationsmedia@afdb.orgAbout the African Development Bank Group:The African Development Bank Group (AfDB) is Africa’s premier development finance institution. It comprises three distinct entities: the African Development Bank (AfDB), the African Development Fund (ADF) and the Nigeria Trust Fund (NTF).
[2] The new Sahelian juntas have expanded economic and military relationships with each other, Iran, and Russia. [14]The Sahelian juntas have also turned to Iran and Russia for economic development and cooperation to alleviate the effects of Western and African sanctions. [18]Iran and Russia see North Africa and the Sahel as a means to advance their strategic aims of destabilizing Europe. The partnerships undermine Western efforts to economically isolate Iran, Russia, and other unfriendly authoritarian states by helping all countries mitigate sanctions. Stronger Salafi-jihadi insurgencies in Burkina Faso and Niger will amplify pressure on vital US counterterrorism and economic partners in littoral West Africa.
The International Court of Justice (ICJ) has announced provisional measures in the genocide case brought by South Africa against Israel over its military campaign in Gaza. It also ordered Israel to report to the court within a month on the implementation of these orders. Europe’s responseEuropean countries have different views about South Africa’s genocide case, as they do of Israel’s military campaign more broadly, but it is essential that they now unite to fully support the ICJ’s decision and demand the implementation of the measures it imposes. The genocide case will take years to resolve. Finally, the ICJ’s case has attracted enormous attention around the world.
As the most popular tourism destination in North Africa (and the continent at large), Morocco is a beloved vacation hotspot that is frequently in the spotlight. Here are four amazing North African travel destinations not to overlook. AlgeriaThough less frequented by travelers looking to visit North Africa, Algeria offers its own unique charm and attractions. History buffs will find themselves intrigued by the rich history of Timgad, an ancient city founded by the Romans in the first century. EgyptEgypt is another popular North African destination.
Pocatello, ID (83201)TodayCloudy skies early, followed by partial clearing. Temps nearly steady in the mid 30s. Winds SSW at 5 to 10 mph..TonightMainly cloudy. Winds SSE at 10 to 15 mph.
Under the Room to Run Sovereign (R2RS) transaction, four African countries have unlocked much-needed climate financing totalling more than $400 million thanks to loan guarantees provided by the United Kingdom (UK) government. The loan guarantees will help Benin, Kenya, Mauritius and Tunisia enhance the reliability of their national grids and strengthen the countries’ resilience to climate change. By providing these loan guarantees, the UK unlocked additional funding towards this initiative. Climate change makes it even more difficult to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals. “The UK has ambitious plans to build resilience to climate change globally, supporting climate-vulnerable countries such as Benin.
