Reggae artiste and TikToker Shocking Murray says he is both eager and excited about the prospect of touring Africa early next year to promote his recently released EP, Unchained. "I'll never forget the first time I toured Africa; it was in 2022...

For many Jamaicans, the deceased are more than just loved ones who have passed on; they are cherished family members who deserve to look as presentable as they did in life. In a culture where the appearance of the deceased is paramount, morticians...

Africa’s maritime agency cannot be overlooked Expert comment LJefferson 3 November 2022

Increasing maritime awareness has already delivered impact, but consistency and continental leadership are needed to realize the sector’s full potential.

Africa’s 48,000 kilometres of coastline, shared among 38 coastal states, are resource rich and hold some of the world’s most strategic sea lanes, including the approaches to the Suez Canal, which carries 12 per cent of worldwide trade, and the Gulf of Guinea, a critical route for global energy. But despite the vast potential this represents, piracy and maritime insecurity have dominated the narrative of Africa’s coasts, and further propagated the image of African states as beholden to external intervention.

Yet African agency is established and evolving in the sector, with African littoral states enhancing their capacity to face collective security threats and exercising increasing autonomy in responding to the recent rush of external actors looking for port facilities and military bases. Enhanced continental coordination, consistency and leadership can help Africa’s maritime endowment become a resource that can bring sustainable benefit across the continent.  

Agency beyond piracy: the Gulf of Aden and Western Indian Ocean

Piracy became the dominant frame of reference for the East African maritime space as a result of the crisis off the coast of Somalia, which peaked between 2008 and 2012. In 2008, the UN Security Council (UNSC) took the unprecedented step of authorizing international naval operations in Somali territorial waters, contributing to a gradual reduction in attacks. There have been no successful hijackings reported since 2017.

But progress has not just been down to international assistance. Somalia is prioritizing increased domestic enforcement capacity – as demonstrated in the establishment of  a new specialized maritime unit and the wider region enhanced collaboration and information sharing through the Djibouti Code of Conduct of 2009, amended in 2017.

South Africa’s recent admission as a new signatory demonstrates its continued relevance. In March 2022, the UNSC authorization lapsed, following pressure from the Somali government. Although it is not yet clear whether Somali efforts will be sufficient to repress piracy in the long term, this reverse was a clear statement of Somalia’s agency at a level unthinkable during the outset of the crisis.

As the immediate threat of piracy has quietened, broader geopolitical dynamics have come to the fore, notably in a surge by external actors to establish strategic ports and military bases. Here too, African states have demonstrated enhanced agency, for better or worse. Consider Djibouti’s unilateral seizure of a container terminal from an Emirati firm, Sudan’s review of Russian and Turkish deals for maritime facilities, Tanzania’s rejection of a Chinese-led port investment, or the Seychelles withdrawing agreement for an Indian naval base.

Such examples point to a growing awareness of the value of maritime resources within African states, alongside a willingness and ability to push back against external imposition – and indeed to innovate in finding solutions beyond infrastructure and ‘hard’ security. In 2018, the Seychelles launched the world’s first sovereign blue bond to fund sustainable marine projects. That other countries are seeking to replicate this model points to the potentially global impact of African leadership on maritime issues.

Regional cooperation or competition in the Gulf of Guinea?

The Gulf of Guinea is likewise resource rich and geographically strategic, and has faced diverse maritime security threats including piracy, smuggling, illegal fishing, oil theft and pollution. Gulf of Guinea states put in place several initiatives to promote security, including the Yaoundé Code of Conduct (YCoC), signed by 25 states in 2013, that led to information-sharing and cooperation on interdiction, investigation and prosecution. But crime in the Gulf of Guinea nonetheless reached an all-time high in 2020, suffering 130 of the 135 maritime kidnappings recorded worldwide, due to the non-binding nature of the YCoC and gaps in capacity and finance.

Though external actors have become increasingly engaged, including the EU, US, France, Denmark, and the G7++ Group of Friends of the Gulf of Guinea (FOGG), states within the region, especially those most affected by piracy and armed robbery, have nonetheless demonstrated leadership. Nigeria, Ghana, and Cote D’Ivoire have all developed maritime security strategies; Nigeria launched its Deep Blue Project to secure Nigerian waters; Ghana has strengthened its navy; and Togo has changed its laws and judicial system to allow the arrest and prosecution of ships and persons. Maritime security incidents have consequently reduced in 2022.

South Africa's Economic Outlook 20 August 2020 — 12:00PM TO 1:00PM Anonymous (not verified) 11 August 2020 Online

South Africa’s long mooted economic reforms have been slow to materialize. The economy had fallen into recession even before the COVID-19 pandemic, and had been stripped of its international investment grade rating. The reserve bank is now forecasting a contraction in GDP of over seven percent for 2020.

There are significant questions around the role of the state in the economy, the level of intervention, and its affordability, with key government figures sceptical of rapid market reforms. The mandate and independence of the South African Reserve Bank has also been a subject of public debate. The IMF has approved a US$4.3 billion emergency financial assistance package to help mitigate the health and economic shock to the country. But it has also made clear that there is a pressing need to ensure debt sustainability and implement structural reforms to support recovery and achieve sustainable and inclusive growth.

At this event, Lesetja Kganyago, the governor of the South African Reserve Bank (SARB), gives his assessment of the expected trajectory of the South African economy in the short and medium term. He discusses the IMF package and the implications for economic reform, and the role of the reserve bank in delivering sustainable and inclusive growth.

Webinar: Turkey’s Challenging Post-COVID 19 Outlook 7 May 2020 — 1:00PM TO 2:00PM Anonymous (not verified) 17 April 2020

A zoo on England's Isle of Wight announced the saga of its escaped raccoons came to a happy ending with the final animal safely recaptured.

Animal rescuers in Texas came to the assistance of a fox that apparently attempted to scale a wooden fence and ended up dangling by its caught leg.

A coyote that had a plastic jug stuck over its head for at least a week was rescued by members of the public in Illinois and is now recovering at a wildlife rescue.

Air Force Special Operations aims to test the MC-130J Hercules transport aircraft's amphibious capability in 2022, the commander said Monday.

Amid a mounting mental health crisis among farmers, experts are working to make help more accessible

It’s raining hardware at Google Cloud, with the company making major upgrades in advance of bringing Nvidia’s Blackwell GPUs into its fold next year. The upgrades announced in late October […]

The post Google Cloud Sporting a New Look in HPC and AI Hardware appeared first on HPCwire.

Actress Megan Fox and musician Machine Gun Kelly are expecting a child together.

Film star Chris Pratt and his wife, author Katherine Schwarzenegger, have announced the birth of their third child.

Two things which make you look more intelligent that you can do right now.

TED Fellow and economic policy researcher Huiyi Lin is cocreator of "The Poverty Line," an art project examining poverty through the lens of food. By photographing the daily food choices of people living at the poverty line in 38 countries and territories around the world, Lin shines a light on the problem of poverty in a way no policy report ever could.

Do you hate having your photo taken? Portrait photographer Teri Hofford is here to change your mind. She unpacks why you may think you look bad in photos — and how to boost your confidence for those moments captured on camera.

President Donald Trumps list of priorities for his second term includes just two bullet points related to K-12 education.

A state department leader outlines what Tennessee is learning about teacher improvement and where the state still needs to learn more.

In the aftermath of last month’s killing of an unarmed Minneapolis man in police custody, school systems are re-examining their own contracts with local police agencies.

Knight receives a more traditional start, at home, with days off ahead of the game

LSU landed 22nd in the latest College Football Rankings. Here’s a playoff picture for the Tigers. LSU fell seven spots, matching the tumble the Tigers took in the media polls. The fall was expected after Alabama boat raced LSU 42-13 in the Tiger Stadium. For LSU, the ranking…

The College Football Playoff selection committee released its second top-25 rankings of the season ahead of the first 12-team playoff, and unsurprisingly, the Oregon Ducks are still the No. 1 team. Of course, there are still many game

The second College Football Playoff top 25 rankings and a 12-team bracket projection were released on Tuesday. Tennessee (8-1, 5-1 SEC) is ranked No. 7 after defeating Mississippi State, 33-14, in Week 11. The Vols are also ranked No. 4 in the US LBM…

In the aftermath of last month’s killing of an unarmed Minneapolis man in police custody, school systems are re-examining their own contracts with local police agencies.

Two of the preeminent researchers of gene therapy hope to improve their patients' sight in an experimental operation (Stephen Voss/WPN)

Learn more about color blindness: https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smithsonian-institution/ask-smithsonian-how-does-world-look-the-color-blind-180960415/ Have a question in mind? It's your turn to Ask Smithsonian: https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smithsonian-institution/ask-smithsonian/ask-form/

Christopher Nolan's epic new film "Oppenheimer" is no mere biopic… nor is it the first attempt to capture the father of the atomic bomb in fiction. We look at prior dramatizations of this very complicated man—including one wherein J. Robert Oppenheimer played himself!—and examine why they worked or didn't. In the episode: Physicist-turned-photographer Minesh Bacrania shares his experience photographing inside the top-secret labs at Los Alamos National Laboratory, where J. Robert Oppenheimer and other scientists created the first nuclear weapon. Next, with Christopher Nolan’s film Oppenheimer exceeding commercial expectations, Smithsonian magazine writer Andy Kifer discusses the complexities of Oppenheimer's genius and how prior attempts to depict him in film and television and on stage have fared. Read Andy Kifer’s “The Real Story Behind Christopher Nolan’s Oppenheimer” here (https://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/the-real-history-behind-christopher-nolans-oppenheimer-180982529/) . See Minesh Bacrania’s photographs of Los Alamos and read Smithsonian senior editor Jennie Rothenberg Gritz’s text here (https://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/exclusive-behind-scenes-look-los-alamos-lab-where-robert-oppenheimer-created-atomic-bomb-180982336/) or in the July/August 2023 issue of Smithsonian. There’s More to That is a production of Smithsonian magazine and PRX Productions. From the magazine, our team is Chris Klimek, Debra Rosenberg and Brian Wolly. From PRX, our team is Jessica Miller, Genevieve Sponsler, Adriana Rozas Rivera, Terence Bernardo, and Edwin Ochoa. The Executive Producer of PRX Productions is Jocelyn Gonzales. Episode artwork by Emily Lankiewicz. Music by APM Music.

Collector David Cammack owns three of the 43 remaining cars in existence designed by Preston Tucker, which he puts on display in a secluded museum in Virginia. Editor's Note: We're sad to report that David Cammack passed away on Sunday, April 7, 2013 at the age of 84.

The American Ingenuity Award winner is on the brink of using the human genome to provide better diagnostics for deadly diseases

Scientists used EEG headsets, MRI machines and eye trackers to study volunteers' responses to five paintings housed at the Mauritshuis museum in the Netherlands

Using high-res scans, a researcher uncovered scribbled etchings likely made by the British poet and artist while working as a teenage apprentice engraver in the 1770s

Wanita Johnson, who celebrates her birthday this weekend in Whitehorse, still has a sharp memory for how the Second World War helped shape her life.

Canadians hear the Last Post every year during Remembrance Day ceremonies. Warrant Officer Jeremy Maitland breaks down what it takes to play the melody perfectly.

Small businesses are keeping a close eye on the possibility of job action as they stock their shelves for Black Friday and holiday shopping.

Islanders are coming together to think up solutions to food insecurity and homelessness. About 80 Islanders attended a symposium at UPEI on Thursday night for a discussion focused on the intersection of food insecurity and homelessness.

The dust has finally settled on the 2024 Saskatchewan election and Premier Scott Moe has appointed a smaller cabinet with many new faces. The Morning Edition political panel discusses the potential impact.

In his new book, former Maple Leafs captain Mats Sundin dives into the pressures and anxieties of being the first European drafted first overall to the NHL, getting traded by Quebec Nordiques to Toronto for Wendel Clark, and the turbulent end to his time with the team.

Using SolidWorks Software, Company Shortens Design Cycles By More Than 25 Percent

Read about the strengths of Cushing as a crude oil trading and storage hub and, in turn, for hedging crude price risk as storage utilization levels rise.

Read about the strengths of Cushing as a crude oil trading and storage hub and, in turn, for hedging crude price risk as storage utilization levels rise.

Join CME Group Chief Economist Blu Putnam for an in-depth 2021 Economic Outlook Webinar covering the role of the US dollar, emerging market FX, US Treasuries, and much more.