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The British Museum has announced plans to help "investigate the history of the Kingdom of Benin", with a grand archaeology mission and new museum.

The organisation will work with Nigerian teams on the creation of a new Edo Museum of West African Art (EMOWAA) and accompanying archaeology project.

The plan represents one of largest physical projects the British Museum has ever undertaken outside the UK.

It comes after calls for it to return stolen artefacts to the ancient city.

Broadcaster and author Stephen Fry last week shared a petition encouraging the museum to give back its Benin Bronzes; as well as returning the famous Elgin Marbles to the city of Athens.

The British Museum, which has some 950 Benin Bronzes, has come under particular criticism for its refusal to give them back, but is only one of many museums struggling to justify the legitimacy of its collection.

The newly-announced $4m (£3.04m) archaeological excavation will be the most extensive ever undertaken in Benin City.

Hartwig Fischer, director of the British Museum said they were "honoured" to be working with colleagues from Edo State, the Benin Royal Palace, the Legacy Restoration Trust, the National Commission for Museums and Monuments of Nigeria, and Adjaye Associates on "this exciting project".

"The British Museum's main mission is to work in partnership with colleagues from around the world to develop our shared understanding of cultural heritage," said Fischer.

"The archaeology project also provides the groundwork for the EMOWAA which will surely become one of the most significant museum initiatives in the coming decades," he added.

What are the Benin Bronzes and why is this latest move significant?

The Benin bronzes are a group of more than 1,000 heirlooms, metal plaques and sculptures, which decorated the royal palace of the Kingdom of Benin in what is now modern-day Nigeria.

They were looted by the British army during an invasion in 1897 when British troops razed the royal city to the ground to avenge the killing of an earlier force.

Archaeologist Dan Hicks, author of the just-published Brutish Museums, described the looting in the Daily Telegraph as "a chaotic free-for-all where officers and colonial administrators desecrated sacred ancestral altars for their personal gain".

Pieces can now be found in museums in the UK, USA, Germany, Switzerland and The Netherlands.

They are a key example of artefacts that the British took by military force and have not given back, despite requests from the Benin Royal Court.

Many of the bronzes, which carried religious significance to the Edo people, were taken from altars. Some of them are portrait representations of the dead Oba or king, who was treated as a god.

The newly-announced partnership project will be viewed by many as a positive way for the British Museum to work with all interested parties to increase knowledge about the kingdom from which the Benin Bronzes were taken; and potentially create a situation which could lead to some or all of them being returned.

The archaeology project commences in 2021 and will continue for five years, to look for further royal treasures, and to enable the construction of the museum.

Adjaye Associates has been asked to come up with the design, and architect Sir David Adjaye said he was "humbled and deeply inspired".

"From an initial glance at the preliminary design concept, one might believe this is a traditional museum but, really, what we are proposing is an undoing of the objectification that has happened in the West through full reconstruction," he said.

Prof Abba Isa Tijani, director general of the National Commission for Museums and Monuments, Nigeria added that they hoped the prior archaeological work "will lead to a greater understanding of the ancient kingdom of Benin".

Follow us on Facebook, or on Twitter @BBCNewsEnts. If you have a story suggestion email entertainment.news@bbc.co.uk.

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British Museum to help dig for Nigerian treasures

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The British Museum has announced plans to help "investigate the history of the Kingdom of Benin", with a grand archaeology mission and new museum. The organisation will work with Nigerian teams on the creation of a new Edo Museum of West African Art (EMOWAA) and accompanying archaeology project.

# data[].attributes.body
The British army once took the Edo peoples Berlin Bronzes a long time ago, and now they Nigeria has asked for them back but the British museums are refusing. They are making plans to try to help Nigeria find many treasures around the world.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
The British Museum has announced plans to help "investigate the history of the Kingdom of Benin", with a grand archaeology mission and new museum.

The organisation will work with Nigerian teams on the creation of a new Edo Museum of West African Art (EMOWAA) and accompanying archaeology project.

The plan represents one of largest physical projects the British Museum has ever undertaken outside the UK.

It comes after calls for it to return stolen artefacts to the ancient city.

Broadcaster and author Stephen Fry last week shared a petition encouraging the museum to give back its Benin Bronzes; as well as returning the famous Elgin Marbles to the city of Athens.

The British Museum, which has some 950 Benin Bronzes, has come under particular criticism for its refusal to give them back, but is only one of many museums struggling to justify the legitimacy of its collection.

The newly-announced $4m (£3.04m) archaeological excavation will be the most extensive ever undertaken in Benin City.

Hartwig Fischer, director of the British Museum said they were "honoured" to be working with colleagues from Edo State, the Benin Royal Palace, the Legacy Restoration Trust, the National Commission for Museums and Monuments of Nigeria, and Adjaye Associates on "this exciting project".

"The British Museum's main mission is to work in partnership with colleagues from around the world to develop our shared understanding of cultural heritage," said Fischer.

"The archaeology project also provides the groundwork for the EMOWAA which will surely become one of the most significant museum initiatives in the coming decades," he added.

What are the Benin Bronzes and why is this latest move significant?

The Benin bronzes are a group of more than 1,000 heirlooms, metal plaques and sculptures, which decorated the royal palace of the Kingdom of Benin in what is now modern-day Nigeria.

They were looted by the British army during an invasion in 1897 when British troops razed the royal city to the ground to avenge the killing of an earlier force.

Archaeologist Dan Hicks, author of the just-published Brutish Museums, described the looting in the Daily Telegraph as "a chaotic free-for-all where officers and colonial administrators desecrated sacred ancestral altars for their personal gain".

Pieces can now be found in museums in the UK, USA, Germany, Switzerland and The Netherlands.

They are a key example of artefacts that the British took by military force and have not given back, despite requests from the Benin Royal Court.

Many of the bronzes, which carried religious significance to the Edo people, were taken from altars. Some of them are portrait representations of the dead Oba or king, who was treated as a god.

The newly-announced partnership project will be viewed by many as a positive way for the British Museum to work with all interested parties to increase knowledge about the kingdom from which the Benin Bronzes were taken; and potentially create a situation which could lead to some or all of them being returned.

The archaeology project commences in 2021 and will continue for five years, to look for further royal treasures, and to enable the construction of the museum.

Adjaye Associates has been asked to come up with the design, and architect Sir David Adjaye said he was "humbled and deeply inspired".

"From an initial glance at the preliminary design concept, one might believe this is a traditional museum but, really, what we are proposing is an undoing of the objectification that has happened in the West through full reconstruction," he said.

Prof Abba Isa Tijani, director general of the National Commission for Museums and Monuments, Nigeria added that they hoped the prior archaeological work "will lead to a greater understanding of the ancient kingdom of Benin".

Follow us on Facebook, or on Twitter @BBCNewsEnts. If you have a story suggestion email entertainment.news@bbc.co.uk.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
British Museum to help dig for Nigerian treasures

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
The British Museum has announced plans to help "investigate the history of the Kingdom of Benin", with a grand archaeology mission and new museum. The organisation will work with Nigerian teams on the creation of a new Edo Museum of West African Art (EMOWAA) and accompanying archaeology project.

# data[].attributes.body
The British army once took the Edo peoples Berlin Bronzes a long time ago, and now they Nigeria has asked for them back but the British museums are refusing. They are making plans to try to help Nigeria find many treasures around the world.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
The British Museum has announced plans to help "investigate the history of the Kingdom of Benin", with a grand archaeology mission and new museum.

The organisation will work with Nigerian teams on the creation of a new Edo Museum of West African Art (EMOWAA) and accompanying archaeology project.

The plan represents one of largest physical projects the British Museum has ever undertaken outside the UK.

It comes after calls for it to return stolen artefacts to the ancient city.

Broadcaster and author Stephen Fry last week shared a petition encouraging the museum to give back its Benin Bronzes; as well as returning the famous Elgin Marbles to the city of Athens.

The British Museum, which has some 950 Benin Bronzes, has come under particular criticism for its refusal to give them back, but is only one of many museums struggling to justify the legitimacy of its collection.

The newly-announced $4m (£3.04m) archaeological excavation will be the most extensive ever undertaken in Benin City.

Hartwig Fischer, director of the British Museum said they were "honoured" to be working with colleagues from Edo State, the Benin Royal Palace, the Legacy Restoration Trust, the National Commission for Museums and Monuments of Nigeria, and Adjaye Associates on "this exciting project".

"The British Museum's main mission is to work in partnership with colleagues from around the world to develop our shared understanding of cultural heritage," said Fischer.

"The archaeology project also provides the groundwork for the EMOWAA which will surely become one of the most significant museum initiatives in the coming decades," he added.

What are the Benin Bronzes and why is this latest move significant?

The Benin bronzes are a group of more than 1,000 heirlooms, metal plaques and sculptures, which decorated the royal palace of the Kingdom of Benin in what is now modern-day Nigeria.

They were looted by the British army during an invasion in 1897 when British troops razed the royal city to the ground to avenge the killing of an earlier force.

Archaeologist Dan Hicks, author of the just-published Brutish Museums, described the looting in the Daily Telegraph as "a chaotic free-for-all where officers and colonial administrators desecrated sacred ancestral altars for their personal gain".

Pieces can now be found in museums in the UK, USA, Germany, Switzerland and The Netherlands.

They are a key example of artefacts that the British took by military force and have not given back, despite requests from the Benin Royal Court.

Many of the bronzes, which carried religious significance to the Edo people, were taken from altars. Some of them are portrait representations of the dead Oba or king, who was treated as a god.

The newly-announced partnership project will be viewed by many as a positive way for the British Museum to work with all interested parties to increase knowledge about the kingdom from which the Benin Bronzes were taken; and potentially create a situation which could lead to some or all of them being returned.

The archaeology project commences in 2021 and will continue for five years, to look for further royal treasures, and to enable the construction of the museum.

Adjaye Associates has been asked to come up with the design, and architect Sir David Adjaye said he was "humbled and deeply inspired".

"From an initial glance at the preliminary design concept, one might believe this is a traditional museum but, really, what we are proposing is an undoing of the objectification that has happened in the West through full reconstruction," he said.

Prof Abba Isa Tijani, director general of the National Commission for Museums and Monuments, Nigeria added that they hoped the prior archaeological work "will lead to a greater understanding of the ancient kingdom of Benin".

Follow us on Facebook, or on Twitter @BBCNewsEnts. If you have a story suggestion email entertainment.news@bbc.co.uk.

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British Museum to help dig for Nigerian treasures

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The British Museum has announced plans to help "investigate the history of the Kingdom of Benin", with a grand archaeology mission and new museum. The organisation will work with Nigerian teams on the creation of a new Edo Museum of West African Art (EMOWAA) and accompanying archaeology project.

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Nigerian police fire tear gas at #EndSars protests against brutality

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Nigerian police fire tear gas at #EndSars protests against brutality

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Many Nigerian people have gathered to protest against police brutality and more. All of these protests have been sparked by a video of Nigerian police allegedly killing a man. All of these protests have drawn in celebrities, such as John Boyega, who is a Star Wars actor, and many more. Additionally, people are protesting against the Special Anti Robbery Squad, or SARS, as they have been accused of killing and torturing people. In recent years, the Nigerian police force has earned a reputation of being generally bad to the people. Now, the people are responding.

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Protesters ran away from the tear gas

Nigerian police have fired tear gas at a protest against police brutality in the capital Abuja.
A video of a man allegedly being killed by police sparked the latest protests.

Several other protests have taken place across Nigeria, including Lagos. Star Wars actor John Boyega is among the celebrities supporting the protesters.

The movement initially targeted the highly-criticised federal Special Anti-Robbery Squad (Sars), widely accused of unlawful arrests, torture and murder.

The hashtag #EndSARS was trending worldwide on Twitter on Friday with celebrities including the Nigerian superstars Wizkid and Davido tweeting their support for protesters.

Protesters ran away from the tear gas

More and more Nigerians started using the hashtag last Saturday following the alleged killing of a young man by officers from the Sars unit.

Many people were also using the hashtag to share stories of brutality attributed to the police unit.

On Sunday Nigeria's inspector general of police Mohammed Adamu banned the Sars unit from carrying out stop and search duties and setting up roadblocks.

He also said members of Sars must always wear uniforms and promised the unit would be investigated.

But protesters want the unit disbanded completely.

Gunshots heard

On Friday protesters marched to the police headquarters in Abuja.

An eyewitness, protester Brian Dennis, told the BBC that police used tear gas and some protesters were beaten up.

Videos shared on Twitter appear to show protesters running away from tear gas.

Allow Twitter content?

and

Another protester Anita Izato said she heard gunshots and protesters ran to safety.

It is the second day of protests against the police in Nigeria and in the biggest city, Lagos, protesters slept overnight outside government house.

Why are young Nigerians so angry about Sars?
Nduka Orjinmo, BBC News, Abuja
The Nigerian police have a reputation for corruption, brutality and little regard for human rights.

But people here have even stronger feelings against Sars, which has developed notoriety for unduly profiling young people.

Those considered "flashy" often attract the Sars officers' attention and very few walk away without having to hand over money. Many get arrested or jailed on trumped-up charges while others have been killed.

Celebrities such as Wizkid and Davido are getting involved because their young fans constitute the bulk of those harassed by the police.

The young people who are marching feel more determined than ever before to get Sars abolished.

The government has failed to act on promised reforms in the past but this level of protest will be harder for the politicians to ignore.

Slow to change

Boyega, who has Nigerian heritage, tweeted his frustration at an apparent lack of change within the police.

Allow Twitter content?

and

The #EndSARS hashtag is thought to have been first used in 2018.

The National Human Rights Commission published a report into the activities of Sars in May 2019 but critics say little appears to have changed.

An investigation by the rights group Amnesty International published in June accused Sars officers of using "torture and other ill-treatment to execute, punish and extract information from suspects".

It documented 82 cases between January 2017 and May 2020.

Amnesty found the group allegedly targeted men between the ages of 17 and 30.

"Young men with dreadlocks, ripped jeans, tattoos, flashy cars or expensive gadgets are frequently targeted by SARS," Amnesty said.

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Nigerian police fire tear gas at #EndSars protests against brutality

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Protesters demand a police unit is disbanded after a video seemed to show officers killing a man.

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#EndSARS protests: Nigeria president commits to ending police brutality

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#EndSARS protests: Nigeria president commits to ending police brutality

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https://www.bbc.com/news/world-africa-54491050

Summary: After people protested police brutality and unlawful arrests the nigeria president had said that he would stop this.

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Nigeria's President Muhammadu Buhari has said he is determined to end police brutality, introduce reforms and bring "erring personnel... to justice".

His comments came after two days of protests sparked by a video of a man allegedly being killed by police.

The protest movement initially targeted the federal Special Anti-Robbery Squad (Sars), widely accused of unlawful arrests, torture and murder.

The protesters say they want the unit disbanded rather than reformed.

Previous commitments to change the behaviour of the police have not had an effect, critics say.

In a series of tweets, the president said that his government's "determination to reform the police should never be in doubt".

I met again with the IGP tonight. Our determination to reform the police should never be in doubt. I am being briefed regularly on the reform efforts ongoing to end police brutality and unethical conduct, and ensure that the Police are fully accountable to the people. pic.twitter.com/yoLoZt7Et9
- Muhammadu Buhari (@MBuhari) October 9, 2020

He added that he was being "briefed... on the reform efforts ongoing to end police brutality and unethical conduct".

But he called for calm and emphasised that most police officers were committed to protecting Nigerians.

On Friday, in the capital, Abuja, police fired tear gas at protesters who were highlighting police harassment and brutality.

A police spokesman said minimum force had been used but demonstrators told the BBC that some people had been beaten and one said she had heard gunshots.

The hashtag #EndSARS was trending worldwide on Twitter on Friday with celebrities including the Nigerian superstars Wizkid and Davido tweeting their support for protesters.

British-Nigerian Star Wars actor John Boyega has also expressed his backing on social media.

'Targeted for being flashy'

The #EndSARS hashtag was first thought to have been used in 2018, but it emerged once again a week ago following the alleged killing of a young man by officers from the Sars unit.

Many people were using the opportunity to share stories of brutality attributed to the police unit, which has developed notoriety for unduly profiling young people, reports the BBC's Nduka Orjinmo from Abuja.

Those considered "flashy" often attract the Sars officers' attention and very few walk away without having to hand over money, while others are arrested or jailed on trumped-up charges and some have been killed, our correspondent adds.

On Sunday, Nigeria's inspector general of police Mohammed Adamu banned the Sars unit from carrying out stop and search duties and setting up roadblocks.

He also said members of Sars must always wear uniforms and promised the unit would be investigated.

But protesters want the unit disbanded completely.

Past promises

Two years ago, Vice-President Yemi Osinbajo tweeted that he had directed that the "management and activities of Sars" should be overhauled "with immediate effect".

Following persistent complaints and reports on the activities of the Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS) that border on allegations of human rights violations, I have directed the Inspector General of Police to, with immediate effect, overhaul the management and activities of SARS. pic.twitter.com/xliQS1CRBN
- Prof Yemi Osinbajo (@ProfOsinbajo) August 14, 2018

Then last year, a specially formed Presidential Panel on the Reform of the Special Anti-Robbery Squad recommended reforms along with the dismissal and prosecution of named officers accused of abusing Nigerians.

At the time, President Buhari gave the head of police three months to work out how to implement the recommendations, but critics say little appears to have changed.

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#EndSARS protests: Nigeria president commits to ending police brutality

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Nigeria's President Muhammadu Buhari has said he is determined to end police brutality, introduce reforms and bring "erring personnel... to justice". His comments came after two days of protests sparked by a video of a man allegedly being killed by police.

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Ryan S-https://www.cnn.com/2020/10/08/africa/ivory-coast-police-rescue-children-cocoa-farm-intl/index.html

Police rescued 11 children and two teenagers who were working on a cocoa farm against child labor laws. The children were selling cocoa pods for 20 adults.

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Algerian security forces have arrested thousands of migrants and refugees, sending them across the border on buses and trucks to Niger. Since early september, they have expelled over 3,400 migrants to Niger.

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Some of the deportees interviewed by the rights watchdog said they were abandoned at border crossings and told 'the way to Niger' [File: AFP]

Algerian security forces have arrested thousands of migrants and refugees, cramming them onto trucks and buses before expelling them across the border to Niger, Human Rights Watch said.

"Since early September, Algeria has expelled over 3,400 migrants of at least 20 nationalities to Niger, including 430 children and 240 women," the rights watchdog said on Friday.

Keep reading

"This brings the number of people summarily expelled to Niger this year to over 16,000 - a little over half of them to Niger."

Landlocked Niger is on a key cross-Saharan route for African migrants trying to reach the Mediterranean and then cross to Europe.

"Algeria is entitled to protect its borders, but not to arbitrarily detain and collectively expel migrants, including children and asylum seekers, without a trace of due process," said Lauren Seibert, refugee and migrant rights researcher at Human Rights Watch.

"Before moving to deport anyone, authorities should verify their immigration or asylum status individually and ensure individual court reviews."

Some of the deportees interviewed by the rights watchdog said they had been abandoned at border crossings and told "the way to Niger". Others said they were stripped of all their belongings before being told to leave.

"I had no shoes, I walked barefoot. It took us five or six hours," said Tamara from the Ivory Coast.

"They told us, 'you came to Algeria with nothing, and you will leave with nothing'," the 28-year-old said.

Algeria has carried out waves of deportations in recent years, including an estimated 25,000 to Niger in 2018, and another 25,000 in 2019, HRW added.

There was no immediate response from the government in Algiers.

Source: Al Jazeera and news agencies

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Algeria expelling thousands of migrants across Niger border: HRW

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More than 3,000 migrants and refugees were expelled from the North African country in September, HRW said.

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https://www.cnn.com/2020/10/09/africa/nigeria-police-sars-police-brutality-intl/index.html This article is about how Nigerians are protesting against police brutality. I found it pretty interesting because it is a lot like the entire George Floyd protest in a way.

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The government has ordered people to stay home in the middle of Rwanda’s coffee bean harvest. They allowed the agricultural sector to continue working during the pandemic, but coffee exporting businesses need special permission to drive out to coffee growing districts. Large coffee exporters lieke Uganda and Peru have been cut off due to border closure and lockdowns. Harvesters are worried that the lockdown might affect the quality of the harvest. Farmers might rush to harvest crops and there will be less oversight at washing stations, which is a step in processing raw coffee beans. Coffee trade has shown that many industries stay resilient in the face of this crisis.

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Coffee lovers, here's something to be grateful about. Unlike paper towels, disinfectant or yeast, coffee has never been hard to find during the pandemic.

It has remained widely available on supermarket shelves even though COVID-19 has been particularly bad in some of the world's largest coffee growing nations. Brazil, which has recorded more cases than any nation other than the United States, is the world's top producer of coffee. India, Mexico and Colombia all rank in the top ten globally for both COVID cases and coffee production. Other major coffee exporters including Peru and Uganda have found themselves cut off by border closures and lockdowns.

"It's natural to think that the harvesting of the coffee crops may be disrupted or perhaps badly disrupted," says Steven Hurst, a coffee trader based in London. "But quite honestly and quite frankly, we've seen relatively little, if any, evidence of that."

Hurst's company Mercanta, The Coffee Hunters, buys coffee from all over the world. He says the origin of the beans is a central part of the product he's selling. It's not just Arabica beans, it's shade-grown Arabica from Peru. Or it's coffee from a small farmer collective in Uganda.

"Built in to every coffee is a story behind it," he says. "Where the coffees come from isn't simply a GPS coordinate on a map. Where the coffees come from is absolutely integral to the to the coffee itself."

And during this pandemic, much of the world's beans are coming from either coronavirus hotspots, such as Brazil and India, or nations facing near total lockdowns such as Rwanda.

Gilbert Gatali runs a small coffee exporting business out of Rwanda called Roots Origin focusing on high-quality, specialty beans.

"The lockdown in the whole country meant cars weren't moving. Very few people were moving. It was very different," Gatali says.

The government order for people to stay home came in March in the middle of Rwanda's coffee bean harvest. Agricultural activities were allowed to continue but Gatali had to get special permission to drive from the capital out to the coffee growing districts.

In Rwanda the first step in processing raw coffee beans occurs at what are called "washing stations". The washing stations, often in the center of a village, are a series of long wooden tables set up outside for sorting and drying the beans.

At the height of the harvest, Gatali says these hubs are bustling with activity. There are "farmers coming in with sacks of coffee on their head," Gatali says. "Others are coming in with small bags, others on a bike."

Initially Gatali was very worried that the quality of the harvest could suffer due to the lockdown. Farmers might rush to harvest their crops. There'd be less oversight at the washing stations.

"At my washing stations we are probably hiring a little over 70 people," Gatali says. "Ninety nine percent of them are women who are standing next to each other hand sorting coffees."

But just like at meat packing plants and auto factories in the U.S., social distancing now means Rwandans sorting coffee beans have to be farther apart.

Instead of 20 women at each table, Gatali now has only six or seven. This slows down processing. There have been other delays, too. Warehouses in Kigali have fewer workers. Trucks hauling sacks of beans to ports on the Indian Ocean had to swap drivers at the border because Rwanda wasn't allowing truckers from Tanzania to enter.

In the midst of all this, roasting companies in North America and Europe were canceling orders as espresso machines sat cold and coffee bars remained shut.

Colleen Anunu who runs Gimme! Coffee out of Ithaca, New York says the pandemic has tip over her coffee roasting and retail business.

"We used to have pretty good a pretty good forecasting mechanism," she says for ordering beans from producers including Gatali in Rwanda. But not now. "We have no idea how the type of volumes that we're going to need. So that's a big challenge for our suppliers."

Pre-pandemic Gimme! Coffee had 7 coffee shops. They ended up closing down six of them and laying off dozens of employees, mostly baristas.

"Overall, since the end of March, our total sales have been down 80 percent in retail," Anunu says.

The collapse of latte sales at independent coffee shops has been a blow to producers like Gatali at Roots Origin in Rwanda. Gatali and many other small companies had built their businesses around supplying high-quality, specialty beans to roasters at fair-trade prices.

"So it's really hard to plan," Gatali says of the sudden upheaval in coffee consumption habits as cafes shutdown. "It's really hard to plan for next year. It's really hard to plan for next month."

Yet despite the uncertainty and turmoil, Gatali got his beans harvested, sorted and packed for export.

Despite on of the worst COVID outbreaks in the world Brazil hasn't had much difficulty with labor shortages because much of the coffee harvest is done by machines. "Because of the mechanical harvesting, picking is not as much of an issue," says Chris Davidson, a senior trader with Atlas Coffee Importer s in Seattle. "You can run a very large farm (in Brazil) with much less staff than you would in other parts of Central America and South America."

Amidst all the pandemic related challenges, most coffee producers still managed to keep operating. Brazil even appears to be on track to harvest a record crop in 2020.

COVID-19 has upended many industries around the world. It's caused some analysts to declare globalization "over". But the coffee trade shows that even in the face of this crisis some global supply chains remain incredibly resilient.

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Coffee Keeps Its Mojo: Producers Overcome Pandemic Obstacles

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Coffee lovers, here's something to be grateful about. Unlike paper towels, disinfectant or yeast, coffee has never been hard to find during the pandemic. It has remained widely available on supermarket shelves even though COVID-19 has been particularly bad in some of the world's largest coffee growing nations.

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https://www.egypttoday.com/Article/1/92787/Egypt’s-First-lady-October-6-marks-people’s-solidarity-with-armed

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Latest militia attack in Ethiopia kills 14 civilians

A militia attack in Ethiopia's Benishangul-Gumez this week killed 14 civilians. 14 militia members were killed by security forces. This is but a string of militia attacks, two attacks occurred recently in the past weeks. This latest attack seems to be ethnically motivated.

The Ethiopian Human Rights Commission has stated that it was deeply alarmed by attacks against civilians in the region.

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ADDIS ABABA, Ethiopia (AP) - A security official in Ethiopia's Western Benishangul-Gumuz region says an attack this week killed 14 civilians and security forces killed 14 militia members.

This is the latest deadly militia attack in the region. Two earlier attacks in recent weeks reportedly killed several dozen people.

The head of security for the region, Gashu Dugaz, confirmed the new attack in Dangur district and said eight people were receiving medical care for injuries.

He said one victim was a foreigner but did not give more details.

In a statement Thursday, Gashu said two attackers were captured alive and five Kalashnikovs were seized.

Ethiopian troops and members of the federal and regional police are currently deployed in the region near Ethiopia's massive Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam. Some parts of the region are under a military command post following the attacks.

A resident of Dangur Woreda, Abinet Tezaw, told The Associated Press that ethnic minorities in the region, Amhara and Agaws, were the target and people fear the attacks may continue. "We don't know when they will strike next," he said.

In September, the Ethiopian Human Rights Commission said it was deeply alarmed by the surge in attacks against civilians in Benishangul-Gumuz region and reported the killing of 15 civilians. It said another attack in the region on Sept. 6 and then from Sept. 7 to 13 also killed civilians and displaced over 300 people.

Ethnic tensions in Ethiopia are one of the main challenges for Ethiopia's Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed.

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Latest militia attack in Ethiopia kills 14 civilians

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ADDIS ABABA, Ethiopia (AP) - A security official in Ethiopia's Western Benishangul-Gumuz region says an attack this week killed 14 civilians and security forces killed 14 militia members. This is the latest deadly militia attack in the region. Two earlier attacks in recent weeks reportedly killed several dozen people.

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Nigerian police fire tear gas at #EndSars protests against brutality

A video of a man allegedly being killed by police sparked the latest protests.

Several other protests have taken place across Nigeria, including Lagos. Star Wars actor John Boyega is among the celebrities supporting the protesters.

The movement initially targeted the highly-criticised federal Special Anti-Robbery Squad (Sars), widely accused of unlawful arrests, torture and murder.

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https://www.cnn.com/2019/11/26/business/sustainable-palm-oil-liberia-intl/index.html

Liberian entrepreneur Mahmud Johnson has come up with a possible solution. He is installing milling machines in rural communities to help small local growers increase their yields on wild-growing trees, allowing them to produce the oil more sustainably and to generate enough earnings to stay independent.

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Gracious David-West: Nigerian serial killer sentenced to death in Port Harcourt

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Gracious David-West: Nigerian serial killer sentenced to death in Port Harcourt

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Dean Tran
David-West is brought in and is found guilty of multiple killings across Nigeria. He is known to take women into hotel rooms and strangle them. Most of the women were 🤬 workers. David-West is sentenced to death by hanging, which is a not common sentence in Nigeria.

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A man who killed nine women in a case that caused outrage in Nigeria has been sentenced to death in the southern city of Port Harcourt.

Prosecutors say 40-year-old Gracious David-West strangled his victims in hotel rooms across Nigeria between July and September 2019.

Justice Adolphus Enebeli said he is to die by hanging.

The death penalty is not commonly carried out in Nigeria - the last three executions were in 2016.

One of his victims survived the attack, but was not a witness during the trial. Authorities say her whereabouts are unknown despite being told not to leave the state.

The judge found him guilty of attempted murder on that charge.

Police say he also confessed to the murders of six other women elsewhere but he was not charged for those murders for lack of evidence.

Authorities say the pattern of the murders point to a serial killing - he had sex with his victims before binding their arms and feet with strips of white sheets.

He also used sheets to strangle them, the court heard.

Several of his victims were sex workers.

How was he caught?

At the beginning of the case and unrepresented by a counsel, David-West had pleaded guilty to the murders but the judge demanded a trial because of the "gravity of the crime".

At the time, authorities had suspected that he was working with accomplices but could not find any evidence as the case went to trial.

At the height of the killings in September last year, outraged citizens of Port Harcourt took to the streets, calling on authorities to solve the murders.

He was arrested on 19 September while trying to leave Port Harcourt as investigators closed in on him.

CCTV had captured him leaving a hotel and the circulated photo went viral on social media.

Security agents found him in a commercial bus travelling to Uyo in Akwa Ibom state, 45 minutes away from Port Harcourt.

David-West was born in the fishing town of Buguma in Rivers state, an oil-producing coastal community known for its beaches.

The town has a history with oil militants who operated out of its numerous mangrove swamps at the height of the oil militancy in Nigeria's Niger Delta in the early 2000s.

Police say David-West was a member of the Greenlanders - also known as Dey Gbam, a mafia-styled street gang that sprung out of the armed militant groups.

Those who know him told the BBC that he was an only child born into a polygamous home, but he and his mother lived separately from the rest of the family.

Reporters who saw him in court describe a man whose behaviour was erratic.

"He was quick-tempered, always interjected the judge, and tried to defend himself despite having a lawyer," said journalist Alwell Ene.

He used low-cost hotels, with poor security and without CCTV cameras, in the city centre and on the fringes of Port Harcourt, according to the police.

On one occasion he murdered a sex worker in a brothel in the Rumuola area of Port Harcourt, a known red-light zone in the city.

Who are the victims?

Very little is known about the victims, except for the names of the nine:

Maureen Ewuru

Jennifer Nwokocha

Linda Waripa

Dorcas Francis

Blessing Effiong

Rose Samuel

Kelechi Bridget Onuoha

Patience Hamo

Antonia Ibe

The BBC's Karina Igonikon in Port Harcourt says friends and family members of the deceased never appeared in court, except for the dad of one of the victims who only came on the opening day of the trial.

"It was as if they had no-one, no address, nothing to trace them with," she said.

Police say he also confessed to killing six other women in Abia, Imo, Edo, Lagos and Edo states but he was not charged for those murders.

"No-one came forward for those murders and there was little evidence to pin them on him," state prosecutor Chidi Ekeh told the BBC.

There are disputes about the identity of the women, and how they were able to follow the killer to the hotel.

Investigators say he lured his victims by claiming to be a military officer and promising huge amounts of money for their time.

One of the victims, Jennifer Nwokocha, was said to have arrived Port Harcourt from Lagos to celebrate her birthday.

"They met at the hotel where she was staying and had drinks, exchanged numbers and met up later in the night where she met her death," an investigator told the BBC.

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Police say he threatened the women with a knife and prevented them from raising alarm.

Before killing them he robbed them of money, ATM cards and other valuables.

"We found the victims naked, bound with a white strip of cloth on their ankles and arms and neck.

"Although there is no concrete evidence that points to some form of ritualistic killing, I personally believe it was connected to such," Mr Ekeh told the BBC.

The one who survived

Benita Etim, a 23-year-old sex-worker, survived a night with the killer.

She was not a witness during the trial as authorities say her whereabouts are unknown despite being told not to leave the state.

In an interview with the BBC in September last year, she narrated how a man she met on 18 August had tied her up in a hotel room.

She described how she was raped before he threatened her with a knife and tied her up to a chair.

"He cut the bed sheet into strings and bound my hands and legs to the chair and used another strip to tie my mouth.

"I shouted but nobody heard me because he had turned on the volume of the TV and the power generating set was close to the room," she said.

"I begged him not to kill me."

At this point, he left the room with her phone and never returned.

Hotel staff found her the next day after she had somehow managed to force the gag out of her mouth and screamed for help.

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Gracious David-West: Nigerian serial killer sentenced to death in Port Harcourt

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A man who killed nine women in a case that caused outrage in Nigeria has been sentenced to death in the southern city of Port Harcourt. Prosecutors say 40-year-old Gracious David-West strangled his victims in hotel rooms across Nigeria between July and September 2019. Justice Adolphus Enebeli said he is to die by hanging.

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Africa has held the worst of coronavirus

In Urganda, Africa there has been reported of 7, 000 cases of the virus with 70 deaths. They think Africa should prepare to go in health capacities to stay safer while Africa goes into complete lockdown. In the African countries they have fewer deaths but a lot more cases of it, they are just seemed to take care of it better then other countries.

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When the coronavirus first began spreading around the world, there was near-universal concern among experts that countries in Africa could be hit particularly hard, with high rates of transmission that could quickly overwhelm health care systems.

But roughly nine months into the pandemic, which has sickened over 31 million people and caused more than 950,000 deaths around the world, most African countries have fared significantly better than other parts of the world. The reasons are still something of a mystery - more research is needed, and some studies that aim to answer the questions are only just beginning - but scientists said the success of many African countries so far offers crucial lessons for the rest of the world and shine a light on how inherent biases can distort scientific research.

"The initial disease prediction models painted a very bleak picture of severe devastation of lives and economies in Africa," Dr. Sam Agatre Okuonzi, who works at Arua Regional Referral Hospital in northern Uganda, said Thursday in a World Health Organization news briefing. "In Uganda, it was predicted that by September, there would be 600,000 cases of Covid-19 and 30,000 deaths. But the reality is starkly different."

Uganda has 7,064 reported coronavirus cases and 70 deaths, according to a Johns Hopkins University tally. South Africa, the hardest-hit country on the continent, has recorded more than 665,000 cases and 16,206 deaths. That represents about 28 deaths per 100,000 people, compared to more than 61 deaths per 100,000 in the U.S.

Yet even though other countries, such as Ethiopia, Algeria and Nigeria, have struggled with bigger outbreaks, most countries on the continent have succeeded so far in containing the virus's spread.

Part of that success owes to aggressive measures enacted early in the pandemic to restrict people's movements and slow transmissions within communities, said Dr. Matshidiso Moeti, the WHO's regional director for Africa.

"Governments took early, quite drastic action through the lockdowns at great cost to their economies," Moeti said in the briefing. "This has bought us some time."

She said there are concerns that numbers of new infections could spike in the coming weeks as restrictions are eased and many African countries slowly return to normal. Moeti said upticks are already being observed in South Africa, Algeria, Mauritania and Ghana, likely as a direct result of the reopening of cities in May and June.

The WHO has stressed that the next few months - in Africa but also elsewhere - will be very important to stave off an anticipated second wave of infections.

Moeti said African countries should emphasize preparedness and must "put in place the public health capacities to contain the spread, so we don't have wide spread repeating itself in cycles."

As efforts to prepare for a possible second wave get underway, scientists are also trying to learn what African countries did right in the first phase of the pandemic.

More research is needed, but some early theories have emerged, Okuonzi said.

He said it's possible that some African countries are better equipped to respond to infectious disease outbreaks "because we have a lot of experience from Ebola and other diseases."

Shaun Truelove, an assistant scientist and modeling expert at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, said it's also possible that some populations in Africa could have "cross-reactive immunities" from having been exposed to other circulating coronaviruses.

There's no firm evidence of that yet, but it's something researchers are actively studying. Francisca Mutapi, a professor of global health infection and immunity at the University of Edinburgh in Scotland, is involved with research in Zimbabwe to assess people's immunity levels to six other known coronaviruses. Mutapi said she expects to know more about any potential cross-protections in the next four months.

Mutapi suggested that differences in culture and lifestyle could play a role. "One of the factors about the virus is it doesn't transmit very well outdoors," she said. "Africa has a significant population that is rural and spends a lot of time outdoors. That is one of the factors that we have found from our own work."

Moeti said it's also likely that demographics could explain why many African countries have had fewer Covid-19 deaths.

"In most African countries, we have about 3 percent of the population aged over 65 years," she said, adding that research has shown that young people are at lower risk of becoming severely ill from the coronavirus.

The trends in Africa stand in stark contrast to the experiences of African Americans, who, due to a range of other socioeconomic factors, are at a disproportionate risk of becoming severely ill from the coronavirus. Researchers have no reason to believe that Black people have a natural immunity to the coronavirus, despite some pseudoscience that has circulated about Black people in the U.S. The U.S. does, however, have a history of race- and socioeconomic-based health disparities.

Some researchers have raised the possibility that low numbers in Africa could be a result of underreporting, but Truelove said that's not likely to be the main reason.

"That doesn't fully explain it, because we would see health care systems being overwhelmed if there truly was an outbreak occurring," he said.
Full coverage of the coronavirus outbreak
Scientists like Truelove are eager to learn more about what has so far kept African countries from realizing the dire predictions from early on in the pandemic.

"It's really not clear why and if it's a combination of all these theories or other things, as well," he said. "It's going to be an interesting discovery process."

But beyond epidemiological concerns, the disconnect between early projections for what could happen in Africa and most of the continent's real-life experience exposes the limits of conventional infectious disease modeling, Okuonzi said.

Most models are "based on European populations, not on African populations, and they are also informed by very well-entrenched biases about Africa, that, for example, Africa is prone to disease," he said. "Covid-19 has shattered a lot of biases about the disease in general."

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Africa has held off the worst of the coronavirus. Researchers are working to figure out how.

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When the coronavirus first began spreading around the world, there was near-universal concern among experts that countries in Africa could be hit particularly hard, with high rates of transmission that could quickly overwhelm health care systems. But roughly nine months into the pandemic, which has sickened over 31 million people and caused more than 950,000 deaths around the world, most African countries have fared significantly better than other parts of the world.

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Africa has held off the worst coronavirus

When the pandamic started of the coronavirus hundreds of thousand of people were getting killed but in the beginning africa was getting hit the worse. In Urganda, Africa they have more then 7,000 cases reported and 70 deaths. The government right away told Africa to go on lockdown becuase it was best for there economies.

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The article is about the interseting facts about Madagascar. Some interesting facts about Madagascar is that it isn't actaully a made up place that was filmed just for Disney. Just like everyone else when they were younger, I thought it was a made up place just for the movie. If you say that you knew Madagascar was an acatul place when you were young then you are lying. Another interseting fact is that it has home to 70 differnt lemur species.

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Madagascar is one of my favorite countries in the world. Here are some interesting facts about Madagascar that you might not know!

Before coming to the Red Island, I knew nothing about Madagascar, except for its quirky lemurs and chameleons (let's admit it, even that I'd learned from the animation movie). Remote and isolated, Madagascar is a hidden paradise little known to the outside world - making it all the more fascinating and alluring for me. I knew I had to get to Madagascar soon, before it gets discovered by others. This summer as we traveled through Madagascar, I found myself falling in love with this unique island.

To tell this love story, I'm sharing with you these interesting facts about Madagascar first - perhaps then you'll be in love with Madagascar too...

Interesting Facts About Madagascar

1. Madagascar is the world's fourth largest island.

La Grand Île ranks fourth on the world's biggest islands - after Greenland, Papua New Guinea and Borneo. Plunked in the Indian Ocean, it measures over 1,600km on its longest axis and 570km along its widest points. It coastline stretches over 5,000km of wide beaches and coral reefs. With such a massive land area, Madagascar features very diverse and distinctive terrains and habitats: ranging from volcanic mountain chains (highest peak at 2,876m), central highlands to the humid rainforests in the east, dry sandstone cliffs in the west and bizarre karst forests in the north.

2. Madagascar is home to hundreds of species of animals found nowhere else on Earth.

Having been isolated from the African continent 165 millions years ago, Madagascar's bizarre animals and extraordinary plant life have been evolving ever since. Today, there are over 70 species and sub-species of lemurs in Madagascar, while 16 have been wiped up since human's arrival. The newest species of lemurs was discovered as recent as 1985. There are also over 346 species of reptiles found nowhere else besides Madagascar - including the world's biggest chameleons (Parson's chameleon) and smallest (dwarf chameleon of Brookesia). Plant life is as equally impressive here: over 6,000 species of endemic plants are found here, including the bizarre spiny octopus-like trees and the bottle-shaped baobab trees that seemingly have their roots in the air.

3. The Malagasies have have closer roots to Southeast Asians than Africans.

Although Madagascar is separated from mainland Africa by the narrow Mozambique Channel, it is a world away. Its people, the Malagasies, are descended from Indo-Malayan seafarers who'd arrived here on the Indian Ocean trade route over 2,000 years ago. Even today, their cultural similarity to Southeast Asians is obvious: their staple food is rice (they eat it at least 3 times a day) and their language traces back to Asian roots. When talking to a Malagasy, be sure to remember that they do not like to be referred to as Africans, they are simply Malagasies.

4. Madagascar is one of the poorest countries in the world.

With an annual GDP per capita of €652, Madagascar has been constantly ranked one of the poorest countries in the world. After its independence from the French, it struggled under the leadership of one incompetent government after another. A series of civil unrest and political chaos ensued. When ex-yogurt peddler Marc Ravalomanana took over as the president in 2001 (introducing new currency, rules and reduced the country's foreign debt by $20 billion), Madagascar's future looked bright. Unfortunately, he's been ousted from office and the country is sliding back into political chaos.

5. Madagascar was a French colony.

Madagascar was given its name by Marco Polo, who was the first European to report its existence. Although the Portuguese arrived next in the 1500s, it was the French who colonized the island and declared French the official language. In the 1890s, the French set out to suppress the Malagasy language and all British influence. Madagascar finally gained its independence in 1960 although the French influence can still be observed from its cuisine (common to find pastries and baguettes all over the country) and architecture, especially in Antsirabe. While most people in the city speak French, you'll find it hard to get by in the countryside with any other language besides Malagasy.

6. Madagascar does not enjoy tropical climate (at least not the whole of it).

Although the entire island of Madagascar lies in the tropics, not all of the isle experiences warm, tropical climate, contrary to most people's beliefs (including mine). As it's so large, it experiences different climates simultaneously. In winter (May to October), it can get rather cold in the central highlands, with temperatures as low as 0degC around Antananarivo and Antsirabe. But once you wind your way down to sea level in the west ( Morondava, Ifaty, Isalo), it is usually hot and sunny all year round. The rainforest in the east often receives wet and overcast weather. During our one-month trip through Madagascar, we packed everything from thick winter wear to singlets and flipflops.

7. Most Malagasies are animists - they believe in their ancestors, taboo and magic.

Although the predominant religion in Madagascar is Christianity (introduced by missionaries), most of them still believe strongly in the magic powers of their ancestors. Even modern, urban Malagasies regard the deceased relatives as part of the family. Many of them bury the dead in coffins placed high up in caves and on the cliffs (to bring them closer to ancestors in heaven). During the 'turning of the bones' ceremonies, you can see families dancing with the dead relatives and taking photos with their bodies.

8. Only 11% of the country's roads are paved.

Traveling in Madagascar takes time - not only because it's a huge country, but also because of its underdeveloped and poorly maintained infrastructure. According to the World Bank Indicators, only 11% of the total roads (30,968 miles) are paved. Most of the roads we traveled on were either extremely bumpy or potholed and muddy. During the rainy season, many of them are impassable, forming huge obstacles to travel. When we drove from Belo-sur-Tsiribihina to Tsingy de Bemahara, the 100km distance on an unpaved, bumpy road took over 4 hours to cover. Most car rental agencies only allow car hire along with a driver.
Click to read more about my trip to Madagascar and see more of my photos of Madagascar.

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Madagascar is one of my favorite countries in the world. Here are some interesting facts about Madagascar that you might not know! Before coming to the Red Island, I knew nothing about Madagascar, except for its quirky lemurs and chameleons (let's admit it, even that I'd learned from the animation movie).

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In March of this year, four people were abducted, including a 75 year old french charity worker Sophie Petronin. Islamists who were affiliated to al-Qaeda, are believed to be behind the abductions. Sophie Petronin and the four other people were recently released by their hostage-takers in a prisoner swap for more than 100 jihadists. Soumaila Cisse and two Italian nationals were also released alongside Sophie Petronin.

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Sengal's Covid-19 cases have been exceptionally low, especially for a country that only has 7 doctors per 100,000 people. They constantly had free virus testing for everyone, and everyone also has to wear a mask. They have also been able to effectively diagnose the coronavirus since April. There are also self-tests, which are easy and cost less than a dollar, and show results very quickly. They also created many songs and murals to inspire people to stay home more and be safe.

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Despite only having seven doctors for every 100,000 people, Senegal has been widely praised for its handling of the coronavirus pandemic. The BBC's Mayeni Jones and Naomi Scherbel-Ball look at how the country has managed to keep Covid-19 in check.

"When the first case came, we were very anxious and I was angry because it was an imported case," says Dr Khardiata Diallo, who co-ordinates the epidemic treatment centre at Fann Hospital in the capital, Dakar.

"We worried that we lacked equipment, for the treatment of coronavirus there were just 12 beds with limited oxygen supplies for the whole country."

That was in late February when a Frenchman had returned to Dakar from a skiing holiday with a fever, sore throat and headache.

He was Senegal's first case of Covid-19, the second reported case in sub-Saharan Africa.

Dr Diallo, who was part of the team that treated the country's single Ebola case during the West African outbreak of 2014 as well as other cholera outbreaks over the last 15 years, knew they needed to act quickly to contain the pandemic.

Free 24-hour testing

Her colleagues at the prestigious Institut Pasteur in the Dakar, which in February was one of just two laboratories in Africa that were able to test for coronavirus, trained staff from dozens of other countries on how to test.

By April, 43 countries on the African continent were able to diagnose Covid-19 effectively.

Today the lab in Dakar's central Plateau district has a 24-hour operation and testing has been expanded across the country.

Tests for those with symptoms are free and results are released in eight hours.

While there have been concerns over low testing rates across the continent, the Africa Centre for Disease Control is supporting countries to ramp up testing levels and there are hopes that cheap self-testing diagnostic kits could help that effort.

The Institut Pasteur has been crucial to this effort, with its chief virologist Amadou Sall partnering with UK-based firm Mologic to develop two home test kits:

One to test if someone currently has the virus, similar to the currently used lab-based PCR swab tests

The other to check if someone has developed antibodies for coronavirus from a previous infection

Dr Sall says the manufacturing of the antibody test has already begun and they should be released in the coming weeks.

It will work like a pregnancy test, costing close to $1 (£.80) with results in just 10 minutes.

The home test that will show if someone currently has coronavirus has been delayed and is now being validated by the Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine, but there are hopes it will still be out before the end of the year.

Higher levels of testing should also help with early diagnosis.

Ibrahima Diop, a 29-year-old telemarketer in Dakar, fell ill in April and was initially treated for malaria.

It was only at the insistence of his mother, who worked at a hospital, that he was tested and diagnosed with coronavirus - along with 60 of his call centre colleagues.

He was swiftly treated and released from hospital within a week - his case showed the need for people to seek tests in a country where symptoms can easily be confused with malaria, something the authorities have emphasised during their daily morning televised coronavirus briefings.

Singing to defeat the virus

A global Covid-19 response index by Foreign Policy magazine gave Senegal the highest possible score for its communication strategy - and top musicians too joined the effort to inform people.

In April they clubbed together to release Daan Corona, meaning "Defeat coronavirus" in the local Wolof language.

The song features famous Senegalese musician Youssou Ndour calling on people to stay at home and wash their hands.

There are also colourful murals on the walls of Senegal's oldest university calling on students to share the right coronavirus prevention techniques with their classmates, rather than sharing coronavirus.

Across the road, you can see the blue basins that have been set up for handwashing in some public areas.

In the early days of the pandemic, preventive measures were put in place including a state of emergency, full school closure and a night-time curfew

Restaurants, supermarkets and banks were quick to introduce temperature checks at their entrances.

While that's now largely been relaxed, on Dakar's streets face masks are still obligatory, a rule that was introduced as early as April.

Today all of Senegal's 14 regions are equipped to treat coronavirus patients and there are now just 26 patients remaining on ventilators across Senegal.

In the acute coronavirus ward at Dakar's Fann hospital, Dr Oumar Kane monitors his last coronavirus patient dependent on a ventilator.

The 58-year-old has been treated there for just over a week - he is diabetic.

To minimise contact, cameras from the ward link up to a television screen outside.

But back in March, when cases in Senegal first started to rise, Dr Kane remembers a very different situation.

"The problem was we only had 10 beds with ventilators and there were moments when there was pressure on the list, which meant that we would receive calls asking for a bed and we couldn't receive the patient.

"That demand continued for around three weeks, until other hospitals were equipped."

The number of recorded daily cases has been broadly decreasing since mid-August. recorded

Senegal, which has a population of 16 million, has only had 15,000 positive cases and just over 300 deaths.

Its strategy for containing the virus has adapted and many patients with mild symptoms are now treated at home, with hospital staff monitoring their condition remotely and delivering medicine.

Muslim pilgrimage challenge

When international flights re-opened in July, there were concerns that there would be a spike in cases.

Senegal, like many other African countries, has asked visitors to produce a negative Covid-19 certificate, dated no more than a week before travel.

On arrival passengers have their temperature taken. So far, these measures seem to have worked, with low levels of imported cases.

It is a historic pilgrimage to Touba, which is 190km (120 miles) east of Dakar and is the spiritual home of the Muslim Mouride brotherhood.

The pilgrims queue for hours on the city's streets to get to the Grand Mosque and to a mausoleum of the brotherhood's founder.

While posters around the capital show the leader of the community calling on followers to wear face masks, gathering such a large number of worshippers in one place will be a crucial test as the country seeks to maintain the progress made so far.

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Coronavirus in Senegal: Keeping Covid-19 at bay

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Despite only having seven doctors for every 100,000 people, Senegal has been widely praised for its handling of the coronavirus pandemic. The BBC's Mayeni Jones and Naomi Scherbel-Ball look at how the country has managed to keep Covid-19 in check.

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This past Saturday it was announced that at least 59 coffins from ancient times in Egypt (over 2600 years ago) were found. One of the coffins found included a mummy of a priest from ancient times that was in great shape. There was also a closed door that was found and it's predicted that there are even more mummies there. Another find was 28 statues. Egypt is finding lots of new things and they are promoting the finds in a hope to bring back Egypt's tourism.

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SAQQARA, Egypt - More than 2,600 years since they were buried, archaeologists in Egypt said Saturday they had found at least 59 ancient coffins in a vast necropolis south of the country's capital Cairo, one containing the pristine mummy of an ancient priest.

The ornate sarcophagi have remained unopened since they were entombed near the famed Step Pyramid of Djoser in Saqqara, according to Egypt's Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities.

Footage shared by the ministry showed colorful sarcophagi decorated with ancient Egyptian hieroglyphics. Other artifacts and at least 28 statues were found in the two deep wells, the ministry said.

A sealed door was also unearthed where it is expected more mummies may lie behind, said Khaled el-Anany the first Minister of Antiquities and Tourism, adding that the artifacts were in an excellent state of preservation and would be displayed in the Grand Egyptian museum next year.

Mostafa Waziri, the general director of Egypt's Supreme Council of Antiquities, told NBC News that the find reminded him of the tomb of King Tutankhamun, because both had been discovered almost intact.

The Saqqara plateau is part of the necropolis of Egypt's ancient city of Memphis. Designated a UNESCO World Heritage site in 1970s, it includes the famed Giza Pyramids. It is also home to tombs created across thousands of years between the 1st Dynasty (2920 B.C.-2770 B.C.) and the Coptic period (395-642).

Hundreds of mummified animals, birds and crocodiles, as well as two mummified lion cubs were found in the region last year.

Egypt has heavily promoted new archaeological finds to international media and diplomats in recent years, in an effort to revive its tourism sector, which has suffered since the 2011 Arab Spring uprisings that toppled autocrat Hosni Mubarak.

The sector was dealt a further blow this year by the coronavirus pandemic.
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Last week, the ministry displayed a bronze statue of the god "Nefertam," one of the artifacts discovered with the ancient wooden coffins.

Inlaid with precious stones red agate, turquoise and lapis lazuli, it reached a height of 35 cm (14 in) and on its base is inscribed with the name of the owner of the statue, a priest called "Badi Amun."

"Saqqara antiquities area is still revealing its secrets," the ministry said.
Charlene Gubash reported from Saqqara and Adela Suliman from London. The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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Ancient Egyptian mummies unearthed after more than 2,600 years

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SAQQARA, Egypt - More than 2,600 years since they were buried, archaeologists in Egypt said Saturday they had found at least 59 ancient coffins in a vast necropolis south of the country's capital Cairo, one containing the pristine mummy of an ancient priest.

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Christian B

https://africa.espn.com/football/nigeria-nga/story/4203927/meet-africas-exciting-new-crop-of-international-debutants

This article tells about the trials and tribulations of young athletes from Nigeria and how COVID-19 is negatively affecting them.

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Kenya-Taylor Cartago- COVID-19 Death Rates are Lower is Africa than Anywhere Else in the World

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Kenya-Taylor Cartago- COVID-19 Death Rates are Lower is Africa than Anywhere Else in the World

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Kenya, if following the same trends as other countries, should be at a death count of around 32,000, but as of right now, they're only at 691. Now what could have caused all this? There are many possible factors. One could have been the age pyramid. People at risk for dying of COVID-19 are about the age of 80. The median age range in Kenya is 20 as opposed to 40 in average to the rest of the world. There is also a theory on Africa's inability to keep accurate records of their cases. Kenya has little testing capacity and cannot keep track of deaths as fast or efficiently as 1st world countries like America. There is ALSO a theory on the connections between humidity/temperature and mortality. The higher the temperature or humidity, the less likely someone is to die when in situations like this. Whatever the case is, this information could help us (people in places still dealing with Covid) better protect ourselves in the same way Kenya has.

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This article is about a movie called "lfe" which is about two women who fall in love. Nigeria is a homophobic country, and do not support the LGBTQ+ community. same-🤬 marriage is illegal in Nigeria and anyone found guilty will go to jail for up to 14 years. The movie will face uphill battles will Nigerias film censors and they are worried that the film censors will go after them if they find that it promotes homosexuality.

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Written by Aisha Salaudeen, CNN Lagos, Nigeria

Two women lay in bed in a tight embrace, one is stroking the other's hair and whispers that she is in love with her.

These intimate scenes wouldn't be out of place in a Hollywood movie, but in Nigeria's film industry, Nollywood, they are near taboo.

But Nigerian filmmaker Uyaiedu Ikpe-Etim says she is tackling the subject head-on in her new film titled "Ife," to create space for queer characters in the country's prolific movie industry.

"Ife'" means love in the Yoruba language, spoken in West Africa, and most prominently in southern Nigeria.

LGBTQ characters are described poorly in Nollywood and are viewed in problematic roles that encourage violence or judgment from viewers, Ikpe-Etim says.

"I'm queer so 'Ife' is dear to my heart. I wanted to represent LGBTQ characters in a different light than how they are shown in past stories, to change how heterosexuals view them," she explained.

Homophobia in Nigeria

The story centers on two women Ife and Adaora and the uncertainty surrounding their relationship. It is created in partnership with Equality hub, an NGO in Nigeria focused on fighting social injustices against sexual minorities.

"They come into problems when they are not certain of the future of their relationship considering that these two women live in Nigeria which is a homophobic country," she said of the storyline.

In the West African nation where homophobia runs rampant,Ikpe-Etim is anadvocate for the country's lesbian, gay, bisexual, trans, and queer (LGBTQ) community.

Homosexuality is frowned upon in Nigeria. The Same-Sex Marriage (Prohibition) Act of 2014 says anyone found guilty of same-sex marriage faces up to 14 years in prison.

A 2019 survey by The Initiative for Equal Rights (TIERS), a Nigerian human rights organization, found that 75% of people in the country support the continued enforcement of the anti-gay laws.

Censorship of queer films

Ikpe-Etim, 31, says "Ife" has no fixed release date yet but will be out before the end of the year.

What is certain is that it faces an uphill battle with Nigeria's film censors, who have said they may "go after the producers," if they find that the film promotes homosexuality.

The National Film and Video Censors Board (NFVCB) is the government agency set up to regulate films and videos in Nigeria.

Adedayo Thomas, executive director of the NFVCB, told CNN the board will not approve films that promote themes that don't conform with the country's "constitution, morals and traditions."

"We are monitoring the progress of the movie, and if it goes against the law by promoting homosexuality, we will be forced at some point to go after the producer and executive producer," he added.

According to Thomas, Ife was never submitted to the NFVCB before its trailer was released, making it impossible to classify or censor the film.

"We look at the content of the film and we look at the end. For example, in a movie that glorifies fraud, we look at how it ends, did the fraudster meet their waterloo? How the movie ends will determine our censorship. You wouldn't watch your kid to watch a film that glorifies fraud," he told CNN.

"Ife's" producer Pamela Adie says agencies like NFVCB suppress the creativity of filmmakers.

"If there is a demand for films like Ife and if people want it, and the censor's board does not approve then it means they are indirectly stifling the creative powers of filmmakers. To deny a film simply because of queer characters is discrimination," she said.

Stereotyping queer characters

Nollywood has always had a problematic relationship with its queer characters, portraying them as mentally ill, under the influence of witchcraft or troubled.

In Emotional Crack, a 2003 film, one of the lead characters, Camilla falls in love with Crystal, a married woman who suffered domestic abuse from her husband.

Both women kicked off a relationship that eventually ended when Crystal became unsure of remaining in a same-sex relationship.

While the film was one of the country's early introductions into LGBTQ relationships, it repeated damaging stereotypes like branding Camilla as violent, predatory, and suggested that Crystal's lesbianism was as a result of being mistreated by a man.

Similarly, in a 2010 film, " Men in Lov e," the affair of the lead couple was tagged a "strong satanic bond."

Adie told CNN that she wants to challenge other filmmakers in Nollywood to create more nuanced queer stories devoid of the usual stereotypes.

"My hope is that Ife shapes things up, and mainstream Nollywood starts to think about stories that portray the reality of LGBT Nigerians," she explained.

The 36-year-old added that "Ife" is one of few films with a focus on lesbians in Nigeria, "a lot of representation has been geared towards gay men," she says.

Outpouring of support

Nigeria is not the only country with strict rules regarding films with strong LGBTQ representation.

In April 2018, Rafiki was banned by Kenya's Film and Classification Board (KFCB) because of its intent to "promote lesbianism," in the East African nation.

Despite the challenges around creating queer centered films in Nigeria, Adie says there has been an outpouring of support for "Ife" from audiences in the country.

"It is something that is groundbreaking. We have received support, from when we released the poster to the trailer. It feels like people didn't know they wanted this kind of content till now."

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" a film about two woman in love faces an uphill battle in a country where homophobia runs rampant - cnn

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A Nollywood film about two women in love faces an uphill battle in a country where homophobia is rampant

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Written by Aisha Salaudeen, CNN Lagos, Nigeria Two women lay in bed in a tight embrace, one is stroking the other's hair and whispers that she is in love with her. These intimate scenes wouldn't be out of place in a Hollywood movie, but in Nigeria's film industry, Nollywood, they are near taboo.

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Eight migrants drown after forced off a boat by smugglers.

Aideen Gaskell

https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2020/10/5/at-least-eight-migrants-drown-12-missing-off-djibouti

Near Djibouti, Ethiopian migrants were forced off of a boat by smugglers. Unfortunately, at least eight of the migrants drowned, and twelve have yet to be found. The migrants most likely have been returning to the Horn of Africa after failing to reach Saudi Arabia by Yemen due to COVID-19 border closures. The virus and the conflict with Yemen has made traveling through the gulf nations more dangerous.

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The number of people affected by flooding has increase more than 5 times in 4 years. In Sudan, one of the worst hit areas, 860,000 people have had their homes damaged or destroyed and over 120 have died. The flooding has caused entire communities to flee to higher grounds.

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Flooding hits six million people in East Africa

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After a visit to some of the worst hit areas in South Sudan last month, the UN's humanitarian coordinator for the country, Alain Noudéhou, said that "vast areas of the country along the River Nile are now under water".

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article:

Nigerian scientists develop cheaper and faster Covid-19 test kits

nigerian scientists optimized covid19 testkits so that they me be provided more cheaply. the test are used differently than PCR tests(swabs). it can give you results in under 40 minutes. the kit will be provided for under 25 dollars and will hopefully be excessible by many nations.

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Nigerian scientists develop cheaper and faster Covid-19 test kits | CNN

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Scientists in Nigeria have developed a cheaper and faster Covid-19 test kit that will enable testing to be ramped up in a place that has faced kit shortages and chronic under-testing of a massive population, according to the country's health authorities.

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Scientist in Nigeria have developed cheaper and faster Covid-19 test kits.

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Scientist in Nigeria have developed cheaper and faster Covid-19 test kits.

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Recently scientist in Nigeria have developed a cheaper and faster Covid-19 test kit. Compared to other testing kits, this newly developed kit gives results in about forty minutes. Not only is the test kit much faster, it is also much cheaper. This new test kit will cost less than twenty five dollars. Samples can also be analyzed using a mobile machine that can be operated by low-skilled personnel with minimal training. This is very important because this means that more people would be able to test which could make testing much faster and more reliable.

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Nigerian scientists develop cheaper and faster Covid-19 test kits | CNN

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Scientists in Nigeria have developed a cheaper and faster Covid-19 test kit that will enable testing to be ramped up in a place that has faced kit shortages and chronic under-testing of a massive population, according to the country's health authorities.

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https://www.sciencemag.org/news/2020/08/pandemic-appears-have-spared-africa-so-far-scientists-are-struggling-explain-why

The pandemic appears to have spared Africa so far. Scientists are struggling to explain why

africa has had fewer than one confirmed case for every thousand people and just 23,000 deaths so far. up to 12.3% of asymptotic people had been exposed to the coronavirus. Mozambique only has 16 confirmed COVID-19 deaths. Part of the reason may be that Africa misses many more cases than other parts of the world because it has far less testing capacity.

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In Nigeria on August 10 music studio assistant Yahaya Sharif-Aminu was sentenced to death by hanging after being convicted of blasphemy by an islamic court in nigeria for an intense recorded argument over whatsapp. The document stated that Sharif made a blasphemous statement against Prophet Mohammed in a WhatsApp group. A crime like that contrary to the Kano State Sharia Penal code, is an offence which carries the death sentence.

-Hayden

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the man sentenced to death for a whatsapp voice note - cnn

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The WhatsApp voice note that led to a death sentence

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A heated conversation in a WhatsApp group has led to a death penalty sentence and a family torn apart in northern Nigeria over allegations of insulting Prophet Mohammed.

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Summary: Nigeria has developed a kit known as SARS-COV-2 Isothermal Molecular Assay. this kit can test for covid-19 in less than 40 minutes, and is very helpful due to the lack of tests already out there. The health authorities said the test kits will be distributed across the country after a validation process. Nigeria has tested 500,000 people out of the 200 million people that live there. out of the 500,000 that where tested, 58,000 where sick and 1,000 had died.

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When a volcanic eruption destroyed his home in the Democratic Republic of Congo, he showed people what it's like to take second chances. Singer Tresor Riziki channeled his grief and hardships into his music quickly gaining fame. He stated " I think what sets African music apart from the rest of the world is how raw and colorful it is." Other people definitely saw this when they listened to his music.

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https://www.cnn.com/2019/11/26/business/sustainable-palm-oil-liberia-intl/index.html

In Liberia, a  28 year old man, Johnson, has found a better way to harvest palm oil. Palm oil is used in a majority of cosmetics and food products around the world. This creates a high demand for growing and harvesting Allanblackia trees. The way palm oil is being harvested right now is a waste and hurtful to the environment. Farmers have been using ineffective ways to harvest the oil. They use sticks to poke at the fruit, trying to find oil and end up throwing away the kernel that could be used for palm kernel oil. Johnson is experimenting with harvesting seeds from the Allanblackia trees instead of the previously used methods. He has found great success with this and is hoping to expand his methods.

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Pubs and schools in Kenya were closed in March, and restaurants were only allowed to serve alcohol for a little while longer before they had to close too. Their covid cases have been 38,000 and fatalities at about 700 people. Pubs are now starting to open, but Kenya still wants schools to be closed until at least 2021.

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There has been a steady decline in coronavirus cases in recent weeks with 53 being recorded on Monday, reports the BBC's Ferdinand Omondi. This relaxation of some of the restrictions can be seen as a result of that change.

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Coronavirus in Kenya: Pubs to reopen but schools stay shut

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There has been a steady decline in coronavirus cases in recent weeks with 53 being recorded on Monday, reports the BBC's Ferdinand Omondi. This relaxation of some of the restrictions can be seen as a result of that change.

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Summary: The article is mainly about this group called “Boko Haram”; a group that has launched an uprising against the Nigerian government around a decade ago. They recently tried to kill Governor Babagana Zulum by attaching a bomb to a donkey. This attack comes just two days after another attempt at his life. During the most recent attack, eighteen people were killed. They mostly use violent military tactics and have killed 30,000 people since the group formed.

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Governor Zulum said last week that feeding people displaced by violence in the state was not financially sustainable, insisting that the only option was for them to return and rebuild their homes in order to live a "dignified" life, news agency AFP reports.

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Nigeria's Boko Haram crisis: 'Bomb on donkey' used to ambush Borno governor

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Governor Zulum said last week that feeding people displaced by violence in the state was not financially sustainable, insisting that the only option was for them to return and rebuild their homes in order to live a "dignified" life, news agency AFP reports.

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Leopard walks through South African restaurant while hunting its breakfast, incredible video shows

https://www.foxnews.com/travel/leopard-hunts-restaurant-south-africa

The article is about a Leopard walking in a hotel during breakfast time in South Africa. The leopard's arrival was indicated when nearby Monkeys made a call warning everyone of a predator. Everyone had to remain calm and composed to prevent an attack and according to the person who recorded the video, everyone was in awe. “We felt complete awe, reverence, respect and gratitude.” To me, this is cool even though it is scary and it really shows how much wildlife is in places like South Africa and how close it is to humans.

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Summary HERE.

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At least 40 regional government officials in Ethiopia's western state of Benishangul-Gumuz have been sacked following a wave of ethnic-related violence, the ruling Prosperity Party (PP) has said.

Ten of the officials are now under investigation, it added, without giving further details.

Five districts in the state have been put under military control to contain the violence that left dozens dead and hundreds displaced last week.

The government-linked Ethiopian Human Rights Commission said it was deeply alarmed by the violence, which targeted civilians.

In a pre-dawn attack on Friday, at least 15 people, including four women, were killed. Attacks earlier in the month left 30 people dead, although activists say the number could be as high as 80.

Most of the victims in the attacks were said to be from the Amhara and Agew ethnic groups.

It is not clear who the perpetrators were.

On Sunday, the authorities from Amhara state accused officials in Benishangul-Gumuz of not doing enough to prevent the violence.

The Amhara state spokesperson added that his region's government was "running out of patience".

There is concern about the increasing ethnic-related violence in Ethiopia. It is seen as one of the most pressing challenges for Prime Minister and Nobel Peace Prize winner Abiy Ahmed.

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Africa Live: Smuggled animal skins seized in South Sudan - BBC News

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At least 40 regional government officials in Ethiopia's western state of Benishangul-Gumuz have been sacked following a wave of ethnic-related violence, the ruling Prosperity Party (PP) has said. Ten of the officials are now under investigation, it added, without giving further details.