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☆ Benin: The country’s past, present, and future is on display for the first time at the 60th Venice Biennale
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-02 | by ( Daniel Renjifo | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

CNN —Ancestral African art is a linchpin of identity and a source of inspiration to creatives across the continent. For the first time in the 60-year history of the renowned Venice Biennale in Italy – an arts and culture festival lasting eight months, hosted every other year – Benin is presenting a national pavilion. Hazoumé hopes the exhibition will reiterate his message and inspire other African artists to own their past to fuel creativity. Ishola Akpo sets up his piece titled “Iyalode” at the Benin national pavilion in Venice, Italy. Moufouli Bello draws inspiration from children’s books, Gèlèdé philosophy and Yoruba traditions in this piece titled “Egbe Modjisola," on display at the Benin national pavilion in Venice, Italy.

Persons: Emmanuel Macron, Romuald Hazoumé's, Jacopo La, Jacopo La Forgia, Romuald Hazoumé, Chloé, Ishola Akpo, Moufouli Bello, we’ll, Hazoumé, Florian Kleinefenn, ” Nwagbogu, “, ”, Gèlèdé, Chloé Quenum, Akpo, I’ve, Nwagbogu, ” Hazoumé Organizations: CNN, French, Smithsonian Museum of African, US, Venice Biennale, African Artist Foundation, Biennale Locations: Africa, West, Benin, Nigeria, Kingdom of Benin, Venice, Italy, “, Rouge, curating, France, Madagascar, Ghana, Uganda, Cameroon

☆ 18 ancient Egyptian human skulls are being auctioned for $250 each, in a grim sale of colonial spoils
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-30 | by ( Mia Jankowicz | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Read previewA British auction house has been criticized after listing 18 human skulls from ancient Egypt. But experts have raised objections, and have asked for a review of laws around the sale of human remains. This latest episode offers a window into the strange trade in human remains, which is legal in many places worldwide. The shrunken head problemVan Broekhoven has had to grapple with the issue of handling human remains in museum collections. The Pitt Rivers Museum has a collection of shrunken heads — some human — along with other human remains, which were taken off display in 2020.

Persons: —, Dan Hicks, Hicks, Augustus Henry Lane Fox, Pitt Rivers, Semley Auctioneers, Laura Van Broekhoven, Van Broekhoven, there's Organizations: Service, Business, Pitt Rivers Museum, Augustus Henry Lane Fox Pitt Rivers, Oxford University Locations: Egypt, Thebes, Benin, Augustus Henry Lane Fox Pitt, Indonesian

☆ Gangs forced out Haiti’s government. This FBI ‘Most Wanted’ gang leader claims they’re liberating the country
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-29 | by ( Caitlin Stephen Hu | David Culver | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +22 min

Port-au-Prince, Haiti CNN —Vitel’homme Innocent’s picture on the FBI’s “Ten Most Wanted” list of fugitives suggests a crazed man – eyes wide and wild, teeth bared. But the man on the gold sofa preferred to talk about a brighter future – one that he claims Haiti’s gangs are prepared to usher in. Abandoned cars on the road between the US Embassy and the Kraze Baryé stronghold in Port-au-Prince, Haiti, on April 28, 2024. Kraze Baryé employs around 100 men and women, according to Innocent’s lieutenant and cousin, the bleach-blond Dezod Augustin, 34. But Haiti’s gangs maintain they deserve a seat at the negotiating table.

Persons: Haiti CNN —, Innocent, Evelio Contreras, “, ” Innocent, de, –, Kraze Baryé, ”, Viv Ansanm, Ariel Henry, Henry, Kraze, “ It’s, ’ Marie, Lucie Bonhomme Opont, Pierre, Louis Opont, territoire perdue, Opont, ’, Jimmy Chérizier, Robin Hood, Sanjou, Dezod Augustin, Gedeon Jean, Prince, Baryé, Delmas, Antony Blinken, Haiti Dennis Hankins, Rick Barton, Haiti’s, CNN Jean, Henry’s, Jean, CNN’s Rachel Clarke Organizations: Haiti CNN, CNN, Haiti’s, Prince, de Mars, United Nations, Haitian National Police, ”, Kenya, Haiti’s National Police, CARICOM, US Embassy, Security, “, Washington, US, UN, Fund, Federal Bureau of, State Department Locations: Prince, Haiti, Tabarre, Haiti’s, Port, balaclavas, Haitian Creole, Haitian, Nairobi, “, Canada, United States, Kraze Baryé, American, France, Kenya, Bahamas, Bangladesh, Barbados, Benin, Chad, Jamaica, it’s, Atlanta

☆ This solo traveler drove from London to Lagos in a Peugeot 107
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-08 | by ( Tamara Hardingham-Gill | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +8 min

CNN —On January 24, content creator Pelumi Nubi, who grew up in London, set off on a solo drive from the UK capital to Lagos, Nigeria in her beloved purple Peugeot 107. In order to ensure that her vehicle would be suitable for the 10,000-kilometer journey, Nubi had it specially modified, adding a bed and a kitchen facility inside. However, the journey wasn’t without its challenges, some more serious than others. Bigger pictureNubi, seen in Kenya before undertaking her London to Lagos challenge, hopes that her travels will inspire us to pursue their dreams. While she believes that she’s now the first Black solo female traveler to have driven from London to Lagos, Nubi isn’t hugely interested in such titles and says that this was never her goal.

Persons: Pelumi Nubi, “ It’s, ”, Nubi, Omololu Olurinde, Kunle, she’d, Omololu, I’ve, ‘ Lumi, “ She’s, she’s, “, it’s, ” Nubi, It’s, Lumi, Nubi isn’t Organizations: CNN, Sunday, Peugeot, Osprey Locations: London, Lagos, Nigeria, France, Morocco, Senegal, Sierra Leone, Nigerian, West Africa, Namibia, Ghana, Lake Como, Italy, Spain, Paris, Mauritania, ”, Gambia, Guinea, Bissau, Liberia, Ivory Coast, Togo, Benin, Kenya, Yamoussoukro, South Africa

☆ How African Immigrants Have Revived a Remote Corner of Quebec
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-30 | by ( Norimitsu Onishi | Nasuna Stuart-Ulin | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: 1 min

Not long ago, the handful of African immigrants in Rouyn-Noranda, a remote city in northern Quebec, all knew one another. There was the Nigerian woman long married to a Québécois man. And, of course, the doyen, a Congolese chemist who first made a name for himself driving a Zamboni at hockey games. A couple from Benin has taken over Chez Morasse, a city institution that introduced a greasy spoon favorite, poutine, to this region. And women from several corners of West and Central Africa were chatting at the city’s new African grocery store, Épicerie Interculturelle.

Persons: Chez, Interculturelle Locations: Rouyn, Noranda, Quebec, Nigerian, Cameroon, Ivory Coast, Congolese, Africa, Benin, West, Central Africa

☆ Olive oil prices are skyrocketing. Here's how my startup is managing to keep costs low.
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-25 | by ( Lakshmi Varanasi | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

This as-told-to essay is based on a conversation with Andrew Benin, the cofounder of olive oil startup Graza. Putting out a high-quality olive oil is difficult for a young brand, but it's even harder now as prices hit record highs. Before I launched Graza in early 2022, we purchased nearly 50,000 liters of olive oil from Italy for about $3.10 a kilo. If you know a bit about olive oil production, you'll know that extra virgin olive oil is extremely inefficient to produce — that's one of the reasons it's more expensive. Law enforcement agencies have seized tens of thousands of gallons of olive oil and arrested suspects worldwide for fraud in the past several months.

Persons: Andrew Benin, we've Organizations: Business, Walmart, Target Locations: Italy, Spain, Greece, Graza, We're

☆ ‘Dahomey,’ Documentary About Looted Artwork, Wins Top Prize at Berlin Film Festival
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-24 | by ( Thomas Rogers | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

The top prize at this year’s Berlin International Film Festival was given to “Dahomey,” a documentary by the French filmmaker Mati Diop about 26 looted artworks that were returned to Benin from France in 2021. The unconventional feature, narrated in part by the gravelly, imagined voice of one of the artworks, is a playful exploration of the legacy of colonialism and the interplay between history and identity in present-day Benin. It is Diop’s first feature since “Atlantics,” a drama about Senegalese migrants that won the Grand Prix at the Cannes Film Festival in 2019. In Diop’s acceptance speech for the prize, known as the Golden Bear, she said that “Dahomey” was part of the “collapsing wall of silence” around the need to return artworks looted by colonial powers to their original owners. “We can either get rid of the past as an imprisoning burden,” she said, “or we can take responsibility for it.”

Persons: ”, Mati Diop, “, Dahomey ” Organizations: Prix, Cannes Film Locations: Dahomey, French, Benin, France

BERLIN (AP) — The head of the jury at the 74th Berlin International Film Festival pushed back on political questions as the festival kicked off on Thursday, seeking instead to shift the focus to the tough selection ahead for the best movie. ... We are having robust conversations.”Nyong'o is the Berlinale’s first Black jury president and said she felt greatly honored to lead this year’s jury. One question she could not avoid was about the far-right Alternative for Germany party, or AfD, which the organizers last week uninvited to the opening gala. Five AfD politicians had been expected to attend since members of all parties in Berlin’s state legislature are invited to events supported with public money. German director Christian Petzold appeared critical about the decision to uninvite the AfD politicians.

Persons: ”, Cillian Murphy, “ It’s, Lupita Nyong'o, ” Nyong'o, Nyong'o, Christian Petzold, Berlinale, Jasmine Trinca, Petzold, Mati Diop, Abderrahmane Sissako, emigrates, Trinca, Brady Corbet, Ann Hui, Albert Serra, Oksana Zabuzhko Organizations: BERLIN, Berlin, Kenyan, Germany Locations: Mexican, Israel, Gaza, Ukraine, Berlin’s, Germany, Italian, French, Senegalese, Dahomey, Benin, West Africa, Mauritian, Ivorian, China, Africa, Berlin

☆ Coup juntas threaten to quit West Africa bloc: Here’s what it means for the region — and Russia
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-08 | by ( Elliot Smith | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +9 min

ACCRA, Ghana - ECOWAS flag with member flags at the second extraordinary summit on the political situation in Burkina Faso, in Accra, Ghana, on February 3, 2022. OUAGADOUGOU, Burkina Faso - Jan. 20, 2023: A banner of Russian President Vladimir Putin is seen during a protest to support the Burkina Faso President Captain Ibrahim Traore and to demand the departure of France's ambassador and military forces. Mali has ruled out leaving WAEMU, while Burkina Faso is considering it. "Mali, Burkina Faso and Niger will likely draw on the extractive sector to improve their weak economies. A recent UN Development Programme report surveyed 5,000 people who had directly experienced a recent coup or unconstitutional change of government, including citizens of Burkina Faso, Chad, Guinea, Mali and Sudan.

Persons: NIPAH DENNIS, Bola Tinubu, Vladimir Putin, Captain Ibrahim Traore, Alex Vines, there'd, Tinubu, Ouattara, —, Vines, Mucahid Durmaz, Verisk Maplecroft, Durmaz, Balima Boureima, insurgencies, Wagner, Niger, specter, Mohamed Bazoum, Rey Byhre Organizations: Getty, Economic, West African States, ECOWAS, Nigerian, Africa, Chatham House, CNBC, Algeria —, West, Cote D'Ivoire, Anadolu Agency, Getty Images, Wagner Group, West African Economic, Monetary Union, CFA, National Council for, UN Locations: ACCRA, Ghana, Burkina Faso, Accra, AFP, Mali, Niger, Sahel, Mauritania, OUAGADOUGOU, Chatham, France, Nigeria, Côte d'Ivoire, Algeria, Malian, Russia, Bamako, Mucahid, West Africa, Togo, Benin, Cote, NIAMEY, NIGER, Niamey, West, U.S, Moscow, WAEMU, Seme, Chad, Guinea, Sudan, The Gambia, Tanzania, Kati

☆ Analysis-West Africa's 'Brexit' Moment Spells Trouble for the Region
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-30 | by ( Jan. | At A.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +6 min

Ivory Coast alone is home to more than 5 million people from Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger. Earlier this month, Russia and Niger, ruled by a junta since a coup last year, agreed to develop military ties. Russian military personnel flew into Burkina Faso's capital Ouagadougou last week to ensure the safety of the country's military leader. EMPTY THREATECOWAS has responded to a wave of coups in the region since 2020 with sanctions that the juntas have called "illegal and inhumane." "The departure from ECOWAS will have catastrophic consequences for the ability to respond to the many security challenges facing this region," said Abba.

Persons: Bate Felix, David Lewis, Giulia Paravicini, Seidik Abba, Russia's Wagner, Mucahid Durmaz, Verisk Maplecroft, Charlie Robertson, Kwesi Aning, Gilles Yabi, Adama Coulibaly, Nagnouma Keita, Abba, Tiemoko Diallo, Boureima, Silvia Aloisi, Andrew Cawthorne Organizations: Giulia Paravicini DAKAR, West, West African States, Reuters, Islamic, FIM Partners, European Union, ECOWAS, CFA Locations: Mali, Burkina Faso, Niger, Russia, Ivory Coast, Niger . Niger, Nigeria, Paris, Ghana, Togo, Benin, France, United States, Burkina Faso's, Ouagadougou, West Africa, United, London, Bamako, Guinea, China

☆ The new architecture set to shape the world in 2024
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-10 | by ( Oscar Holland | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +11 min

Kéré’s Berlin-based firm says the building’s top-heavy appearance was inspired by the palaver tree, which traditionally served as a meeting place. Designed for developer s2e Technologies by US architecture firm Gensler, the four circular residential structures can accommodate a combined 84 households. But it is perhaps Bjarke Ingels, founder of Danish design firm BIG, that has had the greatest impact on the city’s once modest skyline. The first restored sections are set to be ready in time for this summer’s Paris Olympics. Norwegian architecture firm Snøhetta and local practice Blight Rayner — who together beat more than 20 entries in an international competition — say that the design was inspired by the flow of the Brisbane River.

Persons: David Chipperfield, Francis Kéré, Kéré, China Stefano Boeri, Bosco, Stefano Boeri, Mestres Wåge, Nicolai Tangen, NBBJ, Dror, EPIQ, Ecuador Uribe Schwarzkopf, Bjarke, Moshe Safdie, Jean Nouvel, Ma Yansong, Ingels, France Chatillon Architectes, Notre Dame isn’t, Chatillon, Nikken Sekkei, ”, “, Blight Rayner —, Aunty Lilla Watson Organizations: CNN, superlatives, Malaysia’s, Benin National Assembly, Forest, Kunstsilo, Keppel South, Enclave, s2e Technologies, Bjarke Ingels, BIG, UNESCO, Heritage, Notre Dame, Palais, Beaux -, Chatillon Architects, UAE Kerzner, United, “ Michelin, New York Times, Gang, Queensland Performing Arts Centre, Queensland Performing Arts Locations: India, Benin, Porto, Novo, Burkina Faso, Kéré’s Berlin, Nanjing, China, Milan, Italy, Europe, China’s, Kristiansand, Norway, Norwegian, Keppel, Keppel South Central, Singapore, London, Canada, London , Ontario, Quito, Ecuador, Bjarke Ingels Quito, Parque La Carolina, Paris, France, Dubai, UAE, United Arab Emirates, Hotel, Denver, USA, Denver , Colorado, Urban, Brisbane, Australia, Australian

☆ 10 ancient artifacts that countries are still fighting over
▼ + stars: | 2023-12-16 | by ( Yoonji Han | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +1 min

Countries have looted and traded artifacts from one another for centuries. Some famous artifacts, like the Rosetta Stone and the Parthenon Marbles, are subjects of dispute. AdvertisementThe old adage of "finders, keepers" has been put to the test as countries have called for the return of various ancient artifacts. For centuries, legendary artifacts have been looted, traded, and taken far away from their original lands. AdvertisementHere are 10 cultural artifacts that countries are still fighting over.

Persons: Stone, — Organizations: Service, Museum, Metropolitan Museum of Art, Met Locations: New York City, Benin, Cambodia, Thailand

☆ A Thanksgiving Tradition and More
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-25 | by ( Alexander Cohn | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

A Thanksgiving Tradition and MoreA train through the forest, army training in Benin and other images from around the world selected by WSJ photo editors

Locations: Benin

"The Compact with Africa conference aims to send this signal: You can count on Germany as a partner". The 4 billion euros would be channelled into the common EU-Africa Initiative for Green Energy. The European Union had already announced it would deliver it 3.4 billion euros in grants. German trade with Africa was 60 billion euros ($65.4 billion) last year, which is a fraction of its trade with Asia but up 21.7% on 2021. Ivory Coast President Alassane Ouattara said the number of German companies had tripled in five years while Morocco's Prime Minister Aziz Akhannouch said German investment had increased sixfold since 2015.

Persons: Olaf Scholz, Emmanuel Macron, Ursula von der Leyen, Liesa, Scholz, Christian Lindner, Alassane Ouattara, Aziz Akhannouch, Andreas Rinke, Sarah Marsh, Riham Alkousaa, David Gregorio Our Organizations: French, REUTERS, Rights, Africa, Africa Initiative for Green Energy, European Union, " Finance, Ivory, Morocco's, Democratic, Thomson Locations: Africa, Berlin, Germany, Europe, China, West, Russia, Asia, Ivory Coast, Morocco, Tunisia, Egypt, Senegal, Guinea, Ghana, Togo, Benin, Burkina Faso, Rwanda, Democratic Republic of Congo, Ethiopia

KAOBAGOU, Benin—Gunmen pulled 18 villagers from their homes during a night raid this spring, shooting some and slitting the throats of the rest. They wedged hand grenades under the bodies, laying a trap for those who would discover the grisly scene. Two more villagers were later killed when they moved the corpses and triggered the explosives. By then, the attackers were hiding in nearby Pendjari National Park, a refuge for thousands of elephants, herds of antelope, the last few West African cheetahs and, increasingly, Islamist militants.

Organizations: Benin — Gunmen Locations: KAOBAGOU, Benin, Pendjari

☆ When you’re Gen Z but live in a 900-year-old European castle
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-18 | by ( Maureen O'Hare | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

Editor’s Note: Sign up for Unlocking the World, CNN Travel’s weekly newsletter. In their princess eraFor most young people, living back home with your parents is about economic necessity. But for 22-year-old Ludovica Sannazzaro Natta and 23-year-old Megan Clawson, it’s about living their absolute best life. Sannazzaro Natta is descended from Italian nobility and moved into a 900-year-old fairytale Italian castle when she was four years old. But if you’re looking for a fun nabe to base yourself while you live like a local, it’s an excellent guide.

Persons: Megan Clawson, Sannazzaro, Henry VIII, Anne Boleyn’s, Lucia, Dolly Parton, ”, Parton Organizations: CNN, United Nations World Tourism Organization, Resorts, Western Locations: London, it’s, American, Mexico, China, Ethiopia, Croatia, St, Benin, Uzbekistan, Pennsylvania, Down, Tennessee, ”, Russian, South America, Japan

Scholz, who has visited Africa several times since taking office in late 2021, will hold bilateral talks with several African countries on Sunday, before hosting a German-African investment summit at Berlin's Marriott Hotel on Monday morning. African countries have long complained that while Europe talks about investment, China actually provides financing without any moral lecturing. Still, Chinese lending in Africa is in decline, while European interest is rising as it seeks to diversify supply chains. Nearly two thirds of German companies want to expand their business in Africa, according to a study by KPMG and the German-African Business Association. The member countries of the G20 Compact are Morocco, Tunisia, Egypt, Senegal, Guinea, Ivory Coast, Ghana, Togo, Benin, Burkina Faso, Rwanda, Democratic Republic of Congo and Ethiopia.

Persons: jostling, Scholz, Macron, Ursula von der Leyen, Emmanuel Macron, Mark Rutte, Olaf Scholz, Sarah Marsh, Andreas Rinke, Mike Harrison Organizations: Africa, Dutch, African Union, KPMG, African Business Association, Democratic, Thomson Locations: Berlin, Africa, Macron BERLIN, Germany, Berlin's, Europe, United States, Russia, China, Asia, Morocco, Tunisia, Egypt, Senegal, Guinea, Ivory Coast, Ghana, Togo, Benin, Burkina Faso, Rwanda, Democratic Republic of Congo, Ethiopia

☆ Iraq becomes EBRD shareholder, Senegal and Ghana apply to join
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-16 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

People walk past the new headquarters of the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) in Canary Wharf, London, Britain, September 14, 2023. REUTERS/Alishia Abodunde/File photo Acquire Licensing RightsLONDON, Nov 16 (Reuters) - Iraq has become the 74th member of the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development, the multilateral lender said on Thursday, while Ghana and Senegal have also applied to join. Iraq first submitted its request to join the bank in 2018, and its shareholder status enables it to apply to become a recipient economy, which would unlock EBRD finance and policy support. "When the time comes, we are looking forward to starting work in Iraq, applying our expertise to developing its economy," EBRD President Odile Renaud-Basso said in a statement. Renaud-Basso told Reuters that Senegal and Ghana had submitted applications to join the bank in the latest sign of its push into sub-Saharan Africa.

Persons: Alishia, Odile Renaud, Basso, Renaud, Libby George, Marc Jones, Christina Fincher Organizations: European Bank for Reconstruction, REUTERS, Reuters, Ukraine, Thomson Locations: Canary Wharf, London, Britain, Iraq, Ghana, Senegal, Saharan Africa, Benin, Ivory Coast, Europe, East, North Africa, Asia

☆ The rare African mask at the center of a fierce multimillion-dollar legal battle
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-05 | by ( Claudia Covilla | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +8 min

The Fourniers sold their mask in September of 2021 to a second-hand dealer for 150 euros, court documents show. The mask is an extremely rare artifact of great spiritual value to the Gabonese people, Betoe Bi Evie told CNN. It was through this information that the dealer was able to deduce the origins of the mask, Mansat Jaffré, the lawyer, told CNN. “We think he (the dealer) already had an idea at the back of his head, and that he knew the mask was rare,” Mansat Jaffré told CNN. However, as the Ngil mask at the center of the ongoing trial wasn’t held in a public collection, Gabon cannot demand its restitution from France.

Persons: Fournier, Fournier’s, René, Victor Edward Maurice Fournier, Frédéric Mansat Jaffré, ”, “, Mr Fournier’s, Olivia Betoe Bi Evie, Betoe Bi Evie, Betoe, Evie, Jaffré, Mansat Jaffré, Solange Bizeau, weren’t, Emmanuel Macron, Omar Tall, Mali –, wasn’t Organizations: France CNN, CNN, Gabonese, BFMTV, ”, Senegal’s Museum of Black Civilizations, restitutions Locations: Paris, France, Central Africa, Gabonese, Gabon, ”, Gabonese State, Africa, Saharan Africa, restituted, Benin, Senegal, Chad, Madagascar, Ivory Coast, Ethiopia, Mali

☆ Lonely Planet’s top places to go in 2024
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-31 | by ( Maureen Ohare | Maureen O'Hare | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

CNN —Get your wishlist fired up, Lonely Planet just revealed its 50 top travel destinations for the year ahead. The travel publishing empire turns 50 this year, and its bumper Best in Travel 2024 list is expanded across five categories: top countries, regions, cities, sustainable travel destinations and best-value locations. The “wild beauty” of South Africa also gets a nod, with Lonely Planet recommending visitors check out the country’s “impressive crop of ecolodges” committed to protecting Earth’s biodiversity. The underrated American Midwest is the top tip here: in cities such as Chicago, Milwaukee and Detroit, “you’ll find old warehouses transformed into art studios, new eco design hotels and many Michelin-starred restaurants,” says Lonely Planet. Says Lonely Planet, “Here you’ll find the highest sea cliffs in Europe and miles of unspoilt coastal hiking trails.”Lonely Planet’s Best in Travel 2024India: A big country with a whole lot to love, including Gadisar lake in Rajasthan.

Persons: CNN —, Lucia, Torres del, ecolodges ”, Babanango, “, ”, you’ll, Ilan Shacham, Ireland País Vasco, Português, daniel Organizations: CNN, Lonely, Lonely Planet, Kenyan, Michelin, Getty, Mongolia India Morocco Chile Benin Mexico Uzbekistan Pakistan Croatia St, Regions, CNN Cities Nairobia, Chile Greenland, Lithuania Eco, France Egypt Ikaria, Greece Algeria Southern Lakes, Central Otago , New Zealand Locations: Mongolia, Mexico, Croatia, St, Benin, Uzbekistan, City, Nairobi, Paris, Prague, Czech, “, Patagonia, Torres del Paine, Spain, Valencia, Barcelona, South Africa, South, KwaZulu Natal, Chicago, Milwaukee, Detroit, Algeria, Northern Africa, Europe, Balkans, Slovenia, Bosnia, Hercegovina, Montenegro, Albania, North Macedonia, Kosovo, Serbia, Adriatic, Donegal, Ireland’s, India, Rajasthan, Mongolia India Morocco Chile Benin Mexico Uzbekistan Pakistan Croatia, Lucia Macedonia, South Australia Donegal, Ireland, Spain Southern Thailand Swahili, Tanzania Montana, USA, Austria, Kenya Paris, France Montreal, Canada Mostar, Herzegovina Philadelphia , Pennsylvania Manaus, Brazil Jakarta, Indonesia Prague, Czech Republic Izmir, Turkey Kansas City , Missouri, Spain Patagonia, Argentina, Chile, Chile Greenland Wales, Santiago Palau Hokkaido, Japan Ecuador Baltic, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, South Africa Poland, USA Poland Nicaragua Danube Limes, Bulgaria Normandy, France Egypt, Greece Algeria Southern, Central Otago , New

GOMA, Congo (AP) — The United Nations has suspended and detained eight peacekeepers in eastern Congo over allegations of sexual exploitation, a U.N. official said. Their mission is to protect civilians, deter armed groups, and build the capacity of state institutions and services. Political Cartoons View All 1207 ImagesDespite the presence of the peacekeepers in Congo for decades, the conflict has continued and is increasing. Accusations of sexual abuse by peacekeepers in Congo are not new and in the past have been considered the epicenter of the U.N.'s sexual abuse crisis. In 2017, of the 2,000 sexual abuse and exploitation complaints made against the U.N. worldwide over the past 12 years, more than 700 occurred in Congo.

Persons: ___ Kamale, Sam Mednick Organizations: United Nations, Associated Press Locations: GOMA, Congo, South Africa, Beni, North Kivu, Fizi, South Kivu, Kinshasa, Cotonou, Benin

☆ The Afrobeats star on a mission to raise the profile of African art
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-11 | by ( Natty Kasambala | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

London CNN —It was a painting in the lobby of a Benin hotel last year that changed the way Afrobeats star Mr Eazi thought about art. The works will also be exhibited in galleries internationally — in Accra, Lagos, London (where they will be displayed as part of a “listening experience” the 1-54 Contemporary African Art Fair between October 12—15) and in New York. “One of the most exciting things for me is that art represents an opportunity to discover people without a pre-bias… it’s exerting soft power,” said Mr Eazi. “It’s an ecosystem,” Mr Eazi summarises. “African music should be in African film and African art with African music… That’s culture, that’s the flood.

Persons: Eazi, “, …, Oluwole, ”, Patricorel, Eazi —, —, Eazi’s, Tammy Sinclair's, OLÚWA, Tammy Sinclair, I’m, ” Eazi, don’t, Sinclair, “ Mandela, Foli, Mr Eazi, Mr Eazi’s, ” Tesprit, undiluted Organizations: London CNN, CNN, Fair, Banku, US, Alpha Locations: Benin, Accra, Lagos, London, New York, Ghana, Nigeria, Rwanda, Zimbabwe, South Africa, Togo, Cameroon, Senegal, Kenya, Ghanaian, Kenyan, Togolese, Togo’s, Lomé, Cape Town , South Africa, ”

WASHINGTON (AP) — The United States on Tuesday formally declared the ousting of Niger's democratically-elected president a coup d'etat, more than two months after mutinous soldiers seized power. The coup designation comes with the suspension of counterterrorism assistance and military training as well as the pausing of certain foreign assistance programs worth hundreds of millions of dollars. Under U.S. law, a formal determination of a coup — the unconstitutional overthrow of a democratically elected government — typically results in a suspension of all non-humanitarian assistance, particularly military aid and cooperation, to the country concerned. The bases are a critical part of America’s overall efforts in West Africa and Niger, hosting more than 1,000 troops in the country. While a sizeable footprint remains in the country, those troops are not conducting either partnered training or counterterrorism missions, administration officials said, raising questions as to why they were staying.

Persons: Niger's, it’s, we’ve, they've, ”, Niger Kathleen FitzGibbon, Mohamed Bazoum who’s, Bazoum, —, Biden, Peter Pham, ___ Mednick Organizations: WASHINGTON, National Council for, U.S, Islamic, Atlantic Council Locations: United States, U.S, West African, Ambassador, Niger, Sahel, Burkina Faso, Mali, West Africa, Niamey, Agadez, West Africa’s, Cotonou, Benin

☆ Mali in meltdown as militants advance and U.N. withdraws
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-03 | by ( Edward Mcallister | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +6 min

[1/5] A man walks toward Sankore mosque, also known as the former University of Sankore, in Timbuktu, Mali September 25, 2023. "This conflict is escalating fast," said Ulf Laessing, the Bamako-based head of the Sahel programme at the Konrad Adenauer foundation. Back in 2012, French forces and the U.N. intervened to halt the advance in Mali. In Mali, fighting began in August between the army and an ethnic Tuareg group called the Coordination of Azawad Movements (CMA) around a base vacated by the U.N. "The problem is Mali has too few troops and too little mobility," said Michael Shurkin, director of global programs at 14 North Strategies consultancy.

Persons: Stringer, Sory Touré, jihadists, Ulf Laessing, Konrad Adenauer, Russia's Wagner, Jama'at Nusrat al, Michael Shurkin, Iyad Ag, Shurkin, Mohamed Massaya, Salaha, Aicha Sababou, Edward McAllister, Alexandra Zavis, Edmund Blair Organizations: University of Sankore, REUTERS, U.N, United Nations, Islamic, Reuters Graphics, CMA, Ghali, Transitional Council, Reuters, Authorities, Thomson Locations: Sankore, Timbuktu, Mali, DAKAR, jihadists, al Qaeda, Islamic State, West, Burkina Faso, Niger, Bamako, France, U.S, Sahara, Benin, Togo, Ivory Coast, Al Qaeda, Gao, Dakar

Unable to afford a flight to Egpyt from Guinea, he drew a map of Africa in his spiral notebook and set off on a second-hand mountain bike. Four months and seven countries later, he is in Cairo with a full scholarship to Al-Azhar University, one of the world's oldest and most renowned Sunni Muslim learning institutions. Thousands of West Africans like Barry undertake risky journeys across the Sahara desert each year, searching for a better life. Barry arrived in Cairo on Sept. 5 and days later secured a full scholarship to Al-Azhar. He intends to return to Guinea when his studies are complete, to spread the faith that has taken him so far.

Persons: Mamadou Safaiou Barry, Barry, Barry pedalled, Azhar, Cooper Inveen, Alison Williams Organizations: Al, Azhar University, International Organization for Migration, CFA, Thomson Locations: Guinea, El Marg, Cairo, Egypt, CAIRO, N'DJAMENA, Egpyt, Africa, West, Chad, Mali, Burkina Faso, Togo, Benin, Niger, N'Djamena, Chadian, Sudan

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