Israel-Hamas war updates: More than 200 killed in Gaza in 24 hoursGaza’s health ministry says 201 more people were killed and 368 others wounded over the past day.

December 23, 2023 18:14 UTC

LGBTQ+ activists decry prison sentence as too lenientBy Daniel ItaiConfessed murderer Billington Wambui Mwathi on Dec. 22 was sentenced by a Kenyan court to 30 years’ imprisonment for the murder of Sheila Lumumba in April 2022. Some LGBTQ+ rights activists decried the sentence by the Nyeri High Court as too lenient. Some local LGBTQ+ organizations calling for justice for Lumumba said that, although they welcomed the verdict, the 30-year sentence was not enough. We urge judicial systems and broader society to recognize and uphold the rights of all citizens, including those of the LGBTIQ+ community. Although the Kenyan Supreme Court in September upheld its decision for the registration of LGBTQ+ organizations in the country and freedom of association, several LGBTQ+ organizations and rights activists have suffered a series of attacks from various civic organizations.

December 23, 2023 18:08 UTC

The coordination meeting, organized by Morocco’s Foreign Minister Nasser Bourita, focuses on the royal initiative of regional and international scope which aims to promote the access of Sahel countries to the Atlantic Ocean. The royal initiative is part of the continued efforts made by Morocco, under the leadership of King Mohammed VI, for a prosperous Africa. The Royal Initiative aims to enable landlocked Sahel countries to utilize the Kingdom’s road and port infrastructure. Another example of the Kingdom’s active solidarity with African countries is translated in the King’s decision in 2000 to cancel the debt of the least-developed African countries, and exempt their products from customs duties when they enter the Moroccan market. Executive training at Moroccan universities and technical and professional institutes is also high on Morocco’s cooperation with Sahel countries.

December 23, 2023 17:10 UTC

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December 23, 2023 15:38 UTC

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December 23, 2023 13:43 UTC





It turns out that the 28th United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP28) in Dubai was looking forward in new ways from previous conferences. Sunday 10 December, 2023 was the Food, Water and Agriculture thematic day at COP28, linking organizations and governments working on future-focused ways of feeding people. A future-focused side event at the Food Systems Pavilion (next to the Water4Climate Pavilion) held a panel discussion on promoting the declaration of 2028 as the “Year of Saline Agriculture” for climate-resilient agriculture in sustainable Production Systems and healthy ecosystems in salt-affected areas. The International Center for Biosaline Agriculture (ICBA), based in Dubai, is quite simply working on growing water-efficient crops in increasingly saltier soil. ICBA highlighted its sustainable Millet Demo Farm with a comprehensive focus on the entire millet value chain from seeds to consumption.

December 23, 2023 12:52 UTC

The adoption and development of remote patient monitoring (RPM) has been influenced by several significant global health trends. Patient awareness – with the RPM tools, the patient is able to track their healing process. RPM involves the collection and transmission of sensitive patient health data, which must be protected to maintain patient confidentiality and prevent data breaches. Beyond investments in infrastructure and capacity, the development of remote patient monitoring (RPM) tools should also ensure interoperability of data and adherence to data standards. In conclusion, to ensure successful implementation of remote patient monitoring (RPM) in Africa, a collaborative and bottom-up approach is needed.

December 23, 2023 12:27 UTC

Morocco, where agriculture is a crucial sector, is heading for its sixth consecutive year of drought due to a drop in rainfall in recent months linked to climate change, Morocco's Minister of Equipment and Water, Nizar Baraka, said on Thursday. "We have entered a critical phase after five consecutive years of drought that our country has never experienced before," said Mr. Baraka at a press conference. In Morocco, agriculture employs a third of the working-age population and accounts for 14% of the country's exports. Water stress in Morocco has been exacerbated by rising temperatures, which have increased water evaporation from dams. By the end of 2027, Morocco plans to build seven desalination plants with a total capacity of 143 million cubic meters per year.

December 23, 2023 11:49 UTC

Primarily is cost-effectiveness, as cloud ERP significantly reduces initial investments, including lower equipment and total cost of ownership, TCO. Increased productivity is another driver, as cloud ERP integrates information and processes across multiple departments, allowing employees to complete tasks more efficiently. Enhanced decision-making is a critical advantage of cloud ERP, enabling decision-makers to access up-to-date information and analyse trends more effectively. Cloud ERP represents the future of enterprise, and organisations should approach its adoption with careful consideration. Partnering with experts for cloud implementations, support, maintenance is advisable due to the complexity of cloud technology.

December 23, 2023 11:31 UTC

Long a destination for donor funding from developed nations, African financial institutions are beginning an initiative to create their own energy transition, survival game plan, writes NJ Ayuk from the African Energy Chamber. The creation of the African Energy Bank is one such initiative taking place in 2024. African Energy BankIn May 2022, the African Export-Import Bank, Afreximbank signed an agreement with the African Petroleum Producers Organisation, APPO on the joint establishment of a special multi-lateral financial institution, the African Energy Bank, to provide support for the shift away from fossil fuels. The African Energy Bank will be able to reach more countries than either APPO or Afreximbank could do on its own, as their rosters are not identical. Professor Benedict Oramah, President of Afreximbank, explained it as, “For us at Afreximbank, supporting the emergence of African Energy Bank will enable a more efficient and predictable capital allocation between fossil fuels and renewables.

December 23, 2023 10:55 UTC

According to exclusive online research on customer service quality conducted by Infobip, a majority of survey participants, 51.3% give a brand two chances. The research reveals that the biggest challenge faced by customer service agents is time, particularly, the speed with which inquiries can be resolved. It is also clear that contact centres still struggle with personalisation, with customers wanting to feel that a particular brand knows them and their needs and preferences when they engage with an organisation. Brands can improve their customer experience by ensuring that they can be reached on multiple channels in order to resolve complaints or queries in a timely manner. The nature of the interaction also plays a major role in customer service.

December 23, 2023 10:17 UTC

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December 23, 2023 08:45 UTC

By taking stock of emerging trends, however, business leaders may be better able to ride the waves of change and steer their companies through turbulent waters. In 2024, business leaders will look beyond the hype and seek AI solutions that deliver real-life use cases and benefits. This will require extensive innovation in data and analytics to provide business leaders with end-to-end visibility over their environmental impact across the broader supply chain. In 2024, expect a surge in supply chain technology investments as organisations seek greater visibility, agility and risk resilience. Business leaders must lead the charge by ensuring AI is integrated with every layer of the supply chain network to achieve measurable business outcomes.

December 23, 2023 06:19 UTC

The adoption of cloud-based solutions for physical security has been gradually increasing over the past decade, but it is now picking up speed. Furthermore, 35% of channel partners stated that they prioritise cloud-based solutions whenever possible, and an additional 55% offer cloud-based solutions upon customer request. As a result, IT and physical security teams are becoming increasingly interconnected as evidenced by 65% of end users indicating that the IT department has access to physical security data. The adoption of the cloud in the physical security industry is steadily gaining prominence, with the future for most physical security solutions appearing to be a blend of on-premises and cloud-based solutions. Genetec is a global technology company that has been transforming the physical security industry for over 25 years.

December 23, 2023 06:07 UTC

Yacouba Sawadogo, a farmer known as “the man who beat the desert” in Burkina Faso for revolutionizing agricultural methods and creating a 75-acre forest on barren land, died on Dec. 3 in Ouahigouya, a northern provincial capital in that West African country. His death, in a hospital after a long illness, was confirmed by his son Loukmane Sawadogo. A throng greeted him at the airport in Ouagadougou, the country’s capital, and he was received by the country’s president at the time. The Sahara’s encroachment, abetted by decades of indiscriminate tree-cutting and now climate change, with decreased rainfall, is a major threat to an already fragile region. Large swathes of land have been stripped of trees, from the Gulf of Guinea right up to the desert.

December 23, 2023 03:32 UTC