Africa – Latest News

Manie Libbok’s no-look pass to set up Kurt-Lee Arendse’s try for South Africa leaves fans

admin — Sun, 10 Sep 2023 18:57:31 +0000

Manie Libbok’s no-look pass to set up Kurt-Lee Arendse’s try for South Africa leaves fans blown away during win over Scotland as they hail the ‘outstanding’ Springboks star

Published: 14:03 EDT, 10 September 2023 | Updated: 14:46 EDT, 10 September 2023

South Africa‘s Manie Libbok produced one of the passes of the tournament so far with a ‘no look’ pass for the Springbok’s second try against Scotland in their opening game of the World Cup.

With South Africa already 11-3 up in the second half, Libbok received the ball and in one quick motion released it upfield.

However, this wasn’t by way of any standard pass, no. Instead, the 26-year-old conjured up a no look pass, deftly hit to the right flank, that spilt the Scottish defence and landed straight into the hands of Kurt-Lee Arendse.

With space to spare, Arendse then sprinted pass the line to extend South Africa’s lead in the Group A clash.

It has already been an eventful game for Libbok, who put the Springbok into the lead with two penalties in the first 25 minutes, before failing to covert a third before the break.

The moment Manie Libbok produced a no look pass on route to South Africa’s second try

The pass saw Kurt-Lee Arendse aches of space to convert the try and their lead over Scotland

Arendse celebrates his try with Libbok after the magical moment in opening World Cup win

Yet, it was his moment of magic for Arende’s try that had fans on social media salivating over the no look pass.

One account posted; ‘No-look cross-kick pass. Outstanding. Manie Libbok to Kurt-Lee Arendse.’ Complete with a drooling emoji.

Another fan was so dumfounded by the pass they used a special shocked faced GIF from a familiar character in TV classic Friends to convey their view of Libbok’s assist.

Adding the comment ‘Manie Libbok No Look Kick Pass’ to clarify what they were referring to.

There was even a claim to Libbok being a cheat code from another user who waxed lyrical about the pass by saying; ‘Manie is a cheat code…no look pass kick!?! That was RIDICULOUS.’

Fans took to social media to praise the Libbok pass and call it ‘ridiculous’ and a ‘cheat code’

Libbok scored two penalties and missed a third in the 18-3 Group A winner over Scotland

Others called the pass ‘outrageous’ and ‘gorgeous’ and described the assist as ‘something else.’

While one post posted a picture of former Liverpool striker Roberto Firmino pulling off the same act, with the caption; ‘Libbok with that no look cross-kick. Things you love to see.’

Pieter-Steph du Toit scored an opening try for South Africa before Libbok’s role in the game, which eventually saw them secure an 18-3 victory.

US quietly shuts down $125million USAID project to find novel viruses in Asia and Africa

admin — Thu, 07 Sep 2023 18:15:38 +0000

US officials are quietly shutting down a taxpayer-funded $125million project to hunt for new viruses due to fears it could spark another pandemic.

DEEP VZN – pronounced deep vision – was launched in October 2021 with the aim of finding and studying novel pathogens in wildlife in Asia, Africa and Latin America.

While the research was meant to prevent human outbreaks and pandemics, critics, including Biden administration officials, are afraid it could do the opposite and have voiced their fears about the potentially ‘catastrophic risks’ of virus hunting.

And their concerns are amplified due to the growing suspicion Covid emerged from an American-sponsored lab in Wuhan, China – a theory the FBI subscribes to.

The project was meant to run until 2026, but DEEP VZN was shut down in July 2023 after a wide swath of experts stressed concerns over the safety of the research.

USAID’s DEEP VZN (pronounced deep vision) project was hunting viruses among wildlife in Asia , Africa and Latin America.

Announcement of the closure came Thursday in a feature published in The BMJ by investigative journalist David Williams.

While this is the most recent to come to light, it is far from the first research the US has conducted on this matter.

For more than a decade the government has funded international projects aimed at identifying exotic viruses among wildlife that could infect humans someday, sending millions to support various similar projects.

Money has flown overseas from the Department of Defense and the National Institutes of Health to the tune of hundreds of millions of dollars.

DEEP VZN, which stands for Discovery & Exploration of Emerging Pathogens – Viral Zoonoses, was launched by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) in October 2021 and less than two years later, USAID officials informed members of Senate committees with jurisdiction over DEEP VZN the program was being shut down.

The premature closure of the project came abruptly and was privately relayed to Senate aides by the office of Atul Gawande, USAID’s assistant administrator for global health.

The news was buried in a congressional budget document hundreds of pages long and was discussed during interviews Mr Williams conducted with federal lawmakers and researchers.

At its launch, USAID said the ‘ambitious new project’ was meant to work with partner countries and the global community to ‘build better preparedness for future global health threats.’

The organization said the project would ‘strengthen global capacity to detect and understand the risks of viral spillover from wildlife to humans that could cause another pandemic.

‘The COVID-19 pandemic has demonstrated how infectious diseases threaten all of society, up-ending people’s lives and attacking societies at their cores.

‘It is also a strong reminder of the connection between animals, humans, and the environment, and the effect that an emerging pathogen spilling over into humans can have on people’s health and on global economies.’

The project was being carried out by scientists from the Washington State University Paul Allen School for Global Health among other research and partner entities.

The goal was to collect more than 800,000 samples over the five-year period, mostly from wildlife, to identify a subset of ‘previously unknown’ viruses that ‘pose a significant pandemic threat.’

The university sought to detect 12,000 new viruses throughout the program’s run and scientists hoped the information would not only help prevent future pandemics, but also better prepare health officials if one did emerge.

‘DEEP VZN is a critical next step in the evolution of USAID’s work to understand and address the risks posed by zoonotic diseases that can be transmitted from animals to humans.’

However, in a statement regarding the closure of the program, USAID said it had determined the research was ‘not an agency global health security priority at this time’ and its decision reflected ‘the relative risks and impact of our programming.’

Now, the organization said it will focus on improving laboratory capacity, disease monitoring, human resources, biosafety and security and risk communication.

Criticism of the program arose almost immediately after its launch from wide-ranging government figures and advisers, including health, biosafety and security officials, as well as Senators and White House officials.

In a private letter to a USAID administrator in November 2021, members and staff at both the Senate foreign relations committee and the Senate appropriations committee said they were ‘particularly concerned’ about DEEP VZN’s research into ‘studying unknown viruses in areas where there is high risk of animal to human spillover.’

They continued: ‘Given all of the outstanding questions surrounding the origins of the Covid-19 pandemic, it is critically important that this initiative be adequately vetted.’

Additionally, a biosecurity, biosafety and White House official, advised the same USAID administrator to shut down DEEP VZN in December 2021, Mr Williams wrote.

After a review of the project aimed to ensure it would be conducted in a way to adequately manage risks, USAID told researchers in March and November 2022 to not collect samples of viruses until proper safety protocols were reviewed.

However, federal records show through the spring of 2023, USAID continued to fund research while the project leaders established more labs, technicians and support staff needed to handle the volume of genetic samples collected.

In interviews, White House officials told Mr Williams the decision to discontinue DEEP VZN reflected the Biden Administration’s ‘commitment to weigh more rigorously the risks and potential benefits of research projects.’

Recent data found between 2015 and 2023, at least seven US entities supplied NIH grant money to labs in China performing animal experiments.

The officials referenced policy recommendations that only supported research like DEEP VZN’s if there was no other safer method that would produce the same benefits and only after ‘unnecessary risks have been eliminated.’

Virus hunting has been a point of contention long before the Covid pandemic and scientists have dismissed the notion it could lead to lifesaving drugs or the prevention of a pandemic.

Now, in the wake of the pandemic, more people in the science community have raised additional concerns, warning the risks of collecting animal-to-animal transmitted viruses should be highly considered as this type of research typically involves collecting animal blood, excrement or saliva and transporting samples to labs for analysis.

A misstep at any point in the process could produce a catastrophic outcome and result in a new pandemic.

In May, three leaders of the Republican-controlled House Energy and Commerce Committee asked the Government Accountability Office (GAO) to examine the benefits and risks of virus hunting, expressing this very concern.

The lawmakers said in a letter to GAO that while similar research has identified thousands of new viruses, scientists question if collecting animal viruses can ‘accurately predict those that may infect humans, or what the effect would be if and when humans are subsequently infected.’

They continued, according to The BMJ feature, warning that others in the community ‘have suggested these types of programs risk unintentional infection of field or laboratory workers that could result in an accidental outbreak.’

GAO began an audit into DEEP VZN following the letter, but told Mr Williams it would not be completed until spring 2024.

Wales 16-52 South Africa: Welsh rookies taught tough lesson in World Cup warm up by

admin — Sat, 19 Aug 2023 16:19:16 +0000

Wales 16-52 South Africa: Welsh rookies taught tough lesson in World Cup warm up by defending champions as Jesse Kriel and Canan Moodie both bag a brace in eight-try romp

By Press Association

Published: 12:15 EDT, 19 August 2023 | Updated: 12:15 EDT, 19 August 2023

Wales’s World Cup rookies were taught a tough lesson by South Africa in Cardiff.

The Springboks surged into a 24-9 lead at half-time with tries by Marx, Moodie, Kriel and a penalty try.

The visitors ran in three tries after the break to seal an emphatic victory.

Sam Parry scored a late consolation try for Wales.

More to follow

Awe-inspiring new photo travel book reveals the majesty of Africa, from Morocco to

admin — Sat, 10 Jun 2023 18:58:52 +0000

Want to explore Africa but not sure where to start? Turn to the pages of this stunning new book for inspiration.

Africa, written by Anne-Marie Bissada and published by Amber Books, takes you on an eye-opening journey through the continent, showcasing ‘a diversity of culture and landscape rarely seen elsewhere’.

Its pages are lavishly illustrated with 180 stunning colour photographs, offering ‘a pictorial exploration of this great and varied continent in all its majesty’.

Among the striking photographs to appear in the tome, there’s a heartwarming shot of a tender moment between a lioness and her cub in South Africa, a dramatic image of a ‘UFO’ cloud over towering Mount Kilimanjaro and a powerful picture of wildebeest thundering across Kenya’s Mara River.

In the introduction to the book, Bissada writes: ‘There is so much more to Africa than the usual images portrayed in everyday media.

‘It’s a continent alive with various cultures, languages, rituals, landscapes and colour… No matter where you are, the blend of modern and past traditions is alive – this is Africa.’ Scroll down to see 21 pictures that bring this tome to life…

LIONESS AND HER CUB, KRUGER NATIONAL PARK, SOUTH AFRICA: Bissada notes that Kruger National Park is home to a ‘large African lion population’, revealing: ‘Lions prey mostly on large animals such as zebra and wildebeest. The hunting is usually left to the lioness of the pride’

AVENUE OF THE BAOBABS, MADAGASCAR: ‘The baobab trees lining this dirt road in western Madagascar are up to 2,800 years old,’ the author writes. Also known as ‘Alley of the Baobabs’, it is ‘a striking visual reminder of the once dense tropical forests in Madagascar’, she adds

MANGROVE FOREST, SINE-SALOUM DELTA, JOAL-FADIOUTH, SENEGAL: This aerial view of a mangrove forest in the Sine-Saloum Delta shows the point ‘where the rivers converge as they flow into the Atlantic Ocean’, the book explains. It notes: ‘Due to the slow waterflow, the delta remains salty, which makes it a prime habitat for mangroves’

CHOUARA TANNERY, FES, MOROCCO: This tannery is ‘one of the largest and oldest’ tanneries in the old city of Fes that continues to operate in the same traditional way that it did when it was founded, Bissada reveals. She adds: ‘Although its exact age is unknown, it has remained an integral part of the city’s economy’

GREAT ZIMBABWE RUINS, ZIMBABWE: This picture shows a section of the ruins of Great Zimbabwe, a city that was ‘built between the 11th and 15th centuries and was home to cattle-herding people’, the book reveals. It notes that it’s the ‘largest collection of ruins in sub-Saharan Africa’

LAKE NYASA: The author says: ‘Nyasa is one of the Great African Lakes. It lies within Mozambique and Tanzania but mainly in Malawi.’ It’s pictured above from the shores of Malawi’s Kande Beach. The lake is ‘home to more species of fish than any other lake in the world’, the book reveals. The author adds: ‘Nile crocodiles, hippos, monkeys and African fish eagles are found in and around the lake’

LAMU OLD TOWN WATERFRONT, LAMU ISLAND, KENYA: ‘Unlike other Swahili settlements in the area that have been abandoned, Lamu has continuously been inhabited for over 700 years,’ the book says. ‘In the 14th century, a port was built on the island by Arab traders, which allowed the island to prosper during the East African slave trade.’ Influences from Arabia, Persia, India and Europe have ‘created a distinct culture’ over the centuries

CAMEL CARAVAN, SAHARA DESERT: ‘The Sahara is the largest hot desert in the world,’ Bissada writes. This stunning image shows camels passing through the desert’s barren landscape, which is home to the Berber – an ethnic group indigenous to North Africa. Bissada continues: ‘The domestication of camels in the third century allowed the Berber to move easily across the desert, but regular trade routes developed under the spread of Islam in the seventh and eighth centuries’

FISHING DHOWS, LAMU ISLAND, KENYA: ‘Once the largest traditional boats of the Indian Ocean, these wooden sailboats were used to transport exotic spices and goods between East Africa, Asia and the Arabian Peninsula,’ Bissada writes

WILDEBEEST CROSSING THE MARA RIVER, MASAI MARA NATIONAL RESERVE, KENYA: The author reveals: ‘Every year at the start of the rainy season, over a million wildebeest make the dangerous crossing from Tanzania to the Masai Mara in search of grazing and water’

LAKE NAIVASHA, KENYA: Bissada writes that ‘pelicans and numerous other bird species’ live beside the freshwater Lake Naivasha, which is situated outside Naivasha town in Kenya’s Nakuru County. She continues: ‘The name Naivasha comes from the Masai word “Naii’posha” meaning “rough waters” due to the sudden storms that can occur’

MUIZZ STREET, CAIRO, EGYPT: ‘Along this 1km- (0.6-mile) long street in old Fatimid Cairo, one can find great medieval architectural treasures from the Islamic era,’ according to Bissada. She adds that the street has been converted into ‘an open-air museum’ following ‘extensive government renovations’ and a ban on cars

STREET MARKET, ABIDJAN, COTE D’IVOIRE: The author says that all over Cote d’Ivoire’s capital city of Abidjan, ‘there are busy open-air markets selling seasonal fruits and vegetables such as cassava, a root vegetable used to make the popular side dish attieke’

AFRICAN PENGUINS, BOULDERS PENGUIN COLONY, CAPE TOWN: The book reveals that Cape Town’s Boulders Beach ‘has become famous for its thriving colony of African penguins’. It says: ‘In 1982, just two breeding pairs were brought in and, since then, the colony has grown to about 2,200’

SAINT GEORGE CHURCH, LALIBELA, ETHIOPIA: Saint George Church is one of 11 rock-hewn churches in Lalibela, a town in northern Ethiopia. ‘Saint George – known locally as Bete Gyorgis – is considered the most iconic due to its cross shape,’ Bissada writes, adding: ‘It dates from the early 12th or 13th century. The churches were built by Lalibela, King of Ethiopia, to create a “new Jerusalem”‘

CAPE TOWN HARBOUR, SOUTH AFRICA: The author says that the above harbour ‘lies in the shadow of Table Mountain’ – the flat-topped mountain pictured behind it. She adds: ‘Cape Town sits at nearly the most southern tip of Africa’

AERIAL VIEW OF GOREE, SENEGAL: The aerial image above shows the small island and former slave fortress of Goree, as Bissada explains. She continues: ‘One of the oldest sites of European settlement on the African coast, Goree was the largest slave-trading centre from the 15th to 19th century. It was the final stop for slaves before they were transported over to the Americas’

PANORAMA OF THE NILE FROM CAIRO TOWER, EGYPT: At sunset, the River Nile is often ‘dotted’ with traditional sailing boats called feluccas – as seen in this picture taken from Cairo Tower – the author notes. ‘One of Cairo’s more modern monuments, the Cairo Tower was once the tallest free-standing structure in Egypt when built in 1971,’ she says, adding: ‘Located on the island of Zamalek, it offers the best view of the Nile looking south to Garden City and Rhoda Island’

JEMAA EL-FNAA, MARRAKESH, MOROCCO: Located in the old medina of Marrakesh, the square of Jemaa el-Fnaa, pictured above, is ‘a gathering place for tourists and locals alike’, says the author. She says: ‘During the day, it’s packed with fresh orange juice sellers and snake charmers, and at night, food stalls and tents go up and the air fills with the aroma of spices and cooking’

MOUNT KILIMANJARO, TANZANIA: ‘Of the seven summits in the world, Kilimanjaro is considered to be the easiest for climbing, but many people don’t make it to the top due to altitude sickness,’ the author says, adding: ‘Although it’s a dormant volcano, it could erupt again. The last eruption was 360,000 years ago.’ The mountain is pictured here garlanded with a magnificent ‘UFO’ cloud

SUEZ CANAL, EGYPT: The book reveals: ‘This artificial waterway was built in 1869 to connect the Mediterranean Sea to the Red Sea and to allow for quick travel between Europe and Asia. Attempts by the pharaohs to construct such a canal were never realized.’ The tome adds: ‘In 2014, the government expanded one section [of the canal] to expedite travel time’

All images taken from the book Africa by Anne-Marie Bissada (ISBN978-1-83886-283-1) published by Amber Books Ltd and available from bookshops and online booksellers (RRP £24.99 / $29.99 / CAN$38.99)

MIDAS SHARE TIPS: Focus on cleaner fossil fuel in Africa

admin — Sun, 30 Apr 2023 05:27:00 +0000

MIDAS SHARE TIPS: Fossil fuel firms are besieged by critics but perhaps the loudest opposition is reserved for Africa-focused businesses

By Joanne Hart, Financial Mail on Sunday

Published: 16:53 EDT, 29 April 2023 | Updated: 16:56 EDT, 29 April 2023

Experienced: Afentra’s Paul McDade

Fossil fuel firms are besieged by critics but perhaps the loudest opposition is reserved for Africa-focused businesses.

Eco-warriors argue that oil and gas exploration and production is exploitation by another name and that any company worth its salt should stop what it is doing – and fast.

Paul McDade takes a different view. Formerly chief executive of FTSE 100 Tullow Oil, McDade has spent 35 years in the oil and gas industry, including almost two decades in Africa. He understands the continent and the role that energy plays in helping Africans improve their lot. That is why he established Afentra – a short form for ‘African energy transition’.

McDade’s mission is to buy oil and gas assets that are already in production, make them as safe and environmentally efficient as possible and employ local people to their benefit and the company’s.

Afentra shares are 25p and should increase substantially, as McDade puts his strategy into effect.

Early signs are encouraging. Afentra was formed through a quasi-takeover of Sterling Energy, a small energy firm in need of a change of direction. In the spring of 2021, McDade was parachuted in to deliver that change.

Within months, he and his team had found a deal – 20 per cent of a world-leading oil field just off the coast of Angola.

The state-owned energy group, Sonangol, wanted to reduce its 50 per cent stake in the field, known as Block 3/05 – Afentra was keen to buy. Like almost everything in Africa, the transaction has taken longer than expected. Finally signed off last April, the deal has been delayed ever since.

In the meantime, McDade acquired another 4 per cent of the Block from INA, a state-backed Croatian energy firm. Now, finally, the end is in sight. The INA sale should complete within days, Sonangol is expected to follow suit in June and Afentra will then start to make money. Block 3/05 produces almost 20,000 barrels of oil a day so Afentra’s position will amount to around 5,000 barrels a day.

Under the terms of the Sonangol and INA deals, however, Afentra is entitled to oil accrued since a particular date in their negotiations – counter-intuitively, September 2021 for INA and April 2022 for Sonangol.

The agreements mean that McDade will end up paying out considerably less in upfront cash than he would have done had the deals completed straightaway. And he has had ample time to plan how to boost production from the Block.

Up to 30,000 barrels a day is in Afentra’s sights, through modern extraction techniques and more proactive management. There are also clear opportunities to make the Block environmentally cleaner, including a reduction in gas flaring, which sends greenhouse gases shooting into the atmosphere.

McDade and his crew are looking for other transactions too, several are in the pipeline and the hope is to achieve daily production running into tens of thousands of barrels in years to come. Crucially though, Afentra is focused on mature assets, fields that are already operating but could do better and become cleaner.

Brokers expect sales of around $60 million (£48 million) this year, rising to almost $100 million in 2024. Profits of some $22 million are forecast for 2023, with further growth pencilled in for next year.

Midas verdict: Fossil fuels pollute the planet so consumers and businesses alike need to shift towards renewable power. But the transition will take time and needs to be handled with sensitivity. McDade is determined to do just that at Afentra, delivering benefits for shareholders, customers and African communities. At 25p, the shares are a buy.

Traded on: AIM Ticker: AET Contact: afentraplc.com or 020 7405 4133

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Africa – Latest News

Manie Libbok’s no-look pass to set up Kurt-Lee Arendse’s try for South Africa leaves fans

Manie Libbok’s no-look pass to set up Kurt-Lee Arendse’s try for South Africa leaves fans blown away during win over Scotland as they hail the ‘outstanding’ Springboks star

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US quietly shuts down $125million USAID project to find novel viruses in Asia and Africa

Wales 16-52 South Africa: Welsh rookies taught tough lesson in World Cup warm up by

Wales 16-52 South Africa: Welsh rookies taught tough lesson in World Cup warm up by defending champions as Jesse Kriel and Canan Moodie both bag a brace in eight-try romp

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Awe-inspiring new photo travel book reveals the majesty of Africa, from Morocco to

MIDAS SHARE TIPS: Focus on cleaner fossil fuel in Africa

MIDAS SHARE TIPS: Fossil fuel firms are besieged by critics but perhaps the loudest opposition is reserved for Africa-focused businesses

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