A French PhD student, Vincent Dupont, researching the career paths of 2011 Tunisian protesters, has been detained in Tunisia since October 19. His supervisor, Vincent Geisser, described the detention as "exceptional" for a French student and emphasised that Dupont's research is not politically sensitive. French diplomatic services are involved in the case, with Dupont's family in Tunisia for support. This incident occurs amid concerns over President Kais Saied's re-election and a crackdown on dissent in Tunisia.  

Tunisia to send 3 elephants to India for better care

Three African forest elephants, Achtaum, Kani, and Mina, aged 28 to 29, will soon be relocated to Vantara, a wildlife rescue centre in Jamnagar, India. They are coming from a private zoo in Tunisia that struggled to meet their dietary and veterinary needs due to financial issues. After nearly 23 years in captivity, the zoo sought a compassionate facility for their retirement, leading to Vantara's acceptance. The elephants face several health challenges requiring medical attention, and their current living conditions are inadequate. At Vantara, they will receive specialised care in an enriched environment designed to resemble their natural habitat, offering them a chance for a fulfilling life. 

Tunisia ranks high in unemployment rates globally   

The United Nations' 'World Social Report 2024' highlights a rise in unemployment rates globally between 2018 and 2023, with Tunisia ranking tenth among 22 countries experiencing at least a one percentage point increase, rising 2.3 points. Factors contributing to this trend include the COVID-19 pandemic, conflicts like the war in Ukraine, and climate change, which have disrupted economies and supply chains. Additionally, the report notes a significant increase in food insecurity, with Tunisia having a rate between 20% and 30%, alongside countries like Ecuador and Mexico. 

Family denied access to jailed Tunisian opposition leader since hunger strike

Family members of Tunisian opposition leader Said Ferjani have been denied access to him after he began a hunger strike in jail, protesting poor conditions and lack of healthcare. Ferjani, a leader of the Ennahda party, was arrested in February 2023 on various charges, including money laundering and undermining state security. His daughter reported that neither the family nor his lawyer has been able to get updates on his health, and doctors have refused to provide medical information. Ferjani's arrest is part of a broader crackdown on opposition figures following President Kais Saied's consolidation of power in 2021. 

Tunisian TikToker jailed 4 years for "obscene content"

A Tunisian court has sentenced a social media influencer to four and a half years in prison for sharing "obscene content," marking the first enforcement of a new law targeting TikTok and Instagram influencers. The influencer, along with four others arrested, faces charges related to "harassment" and "immoral behaviour." This crackdown follows Tunisian Justice Minister Leila Jaffel's directive to prosecute individuals who use social media to spread content that conflicts with public morals, igniting a debate about morality and freedom of speech in the country. Critics view the law as a means to suppress dissent against President Kais Saied, who has faced local and international backlash for consolidating power and undermining democracy. Concerns have been raised about the law's vague language regarding "moral and social values," leading to calls for clarity. The law reflects a broader trend, as several countries have taken action against TikTok over moral concerns.

Despite three years of improved security, a third of the nearly 40 million Afghans now survive on just bread and tea, according to the United Nations. Unemployment is widespread, and the World Bank warns there could be zero economic growth over the next three years.

Nikki, who previously ran a salon in Kabul, the capital of Afghanistan, reopened her business four months ago in a hidden location. To avoid detection, customers visit discreetly, and some of her 25 employees live on-site to maintain the appearance of a family residence.

Before the ban, her salon served 30 to 40 customers daily, but now she receives only six or seven, according to the AFP.

Despite this, she has kept all her employees on the payroll, though her monthly income has dropped from 25,000 Afghanis to between 8,000 and 12,000.

Nikki is concerned about being discovered by the authorities, who have previously shut down other underground salons, destroyed equipment, mistreated staff, and imposed fines.

"We're working in hiding, and we don't know for how much longer," she told AFP.

Indonesia signed a contract for a two-year gas pipeline project, set to finish in 2025. The project, a National Strategic Project, is a joint operation between PT Timas Suplindo and PT Pratiwi Putri Sulung. The pipeline spans 245 kilometers and is divided into three segments, with plans to be operational in the first quarter of 2026, Antaranews reports.

Rebels kill New Zealand pilot

Rebels in Indonesia's Papua region have killed a New Zealand helicopter pilot working for a private company. According to ABC News , the pilot was captured when the helicopter landed in an isolated area, but the four passengers on board are safe. Another New Zealand pilot, Phillip Mehrtens, was captured by rebels last year and remains in captivity, but there are plans for his release.

Acute shortage of nurses

Indonesia is pursuing a nursing partnership with Japan to address the acute shortage of nurses in Japan, due to its aging population. The two countries are negotiating an extension to the Memorandum of Cooperation on Specified Skilled Workers, with plans to increase the number of Indonesian nurses in Japan and collaborate on training programs and technology exchange. Antaranews reports that the CEO of a nursing care service provider in Japan expressed keen interest in collaborating with the Indonesian government to address Japan’s nursing workforce crisis.

Earthquake

A subterranean earthquake measuring 5.0 in magnitude jolted Indonesia’s eastern Central Papua province on August 3, the country’s meteorology, climatology, and geophysics agency said. According to Munsifdaily , the quake struck at 12.32 p.m. local time, with its epicentre located 28 km northeast of Puncak Jaya Regency at a depth of 100 km.

Unemployment rate decreases

Minister for Human Development and Culture Muhadjir Effendy has confirmed a decline in Indonesia's national unemployment rate. The government is implementing people's empowerment programs in major cities to create job opportunities and suppress the unemployment rate. According to Antaranews , Measures include improving educational and training activities, boosting investments, and shifting workers from the informal to the formal sector. The decline is attributed to improved workforce absorption, but the government aims to further boost labor productivity.

The National Democratic Party (NDP) aims to process at least half of Namibia's mineral resources locally, in order to create millions of jobs and address the country's high unemployment rate. Namibian reports that social justice activists believe that this approach could potentially lead to a more equitable distribution of wealth and opportunities, and create a more just society. However, they also emphasise the importance of effective implementation and sustainability. Some experts are skeptical about the lack of specific details in the NDP's proposal and emphasise the need for a more comprehensive approach to natural resources in order to create more jobs and income for Namibians.

Local dogs training

Dogs trained to protect livestock in Namibia from cheetahs and other predators are being killed by venomous snakes, prompting a new training method to teach them to avoid snakes. Conservationists are using pioneering snake aversion lessons, involving familiarising the dogs with the sight and smell of snakes using frozen snakes and toy snakes. The training aims to reduce livestock losses and save the endangered cheetah population in Namibia, where 90 percent of the cheetahs live on farmland. According to the RFI , the training has reduced livestock losses by over 90 percent in areas where the dogs are being used. This innovative approach is crucial for protecting livestock and preventing retaliatory attacks on cheetahs.

Tourism growth

Namibia has seen a surge in its tourism industry, welcoming a significant increase in international visitors and aiming to reach its pre-pandemic goal of 1.8 million annual visitors. TTW reports that the country has implemented a new visa-free travel policy for 53 countries, including Brazil, the UK, and Schengen nations. Namibia offers a rich and diverse experience with natural beauty, including the towering dunes of Sossusvlei and the wildlife of Etosha National Park, as well as vibrant nightlife in Windhoek and Swakopmund. Iconic venues like Joe's Beerhouse and Sky Bar in Windhoek, and Infinity Lounge in Swakopmund ensure visitors enjoy the best Namibian culture and hospitality day and night.

Rugby semi-finals

Kenya and Namibia have secured spots in the Africa Rugby semi-finals after defeating Senegal and Burkina Faso. Kenya beat Senegal 36-17, while Namibia won 38-5 against Burkina Faso. Both teams will advance to the next round of the Rugby Africa Cup, New Vision reports.

Miss Namibia

Preparations are underway for the crowning of Miss Namibia, which will take place at the edge of the Atlantic Ocean for the first time in history. Namibian reports that the event will be held at the Old Power Station at Lüderitz and is expected to be a spectacular show. Miss Namibia Organisation chief executive Umbi Karuaihe-Upi expressed excitement for the event and emphasised the importance of taking the pageants outside of Windhoek to make them more exciting for the public. Tickets for the event have already sold out. The Miss Namibia and Miss Teen Namibia events have become the most prestigious events on the Namibian social calendar. 

According to the latest Africa Youth Employment Clock by World Data Lab and Mastercard Foundation, 60 percent of Kenya’s youth population is employed, comparatively higher than the African average of 52 percent recorded in most countries in Africa.

About 19 percent of NEET female youth are employed compared to 11 percent of males. Similarly, 85 percent of women are more educated than men with the numbers standing at 78 percent.

"Kenya’s youth labour market is characterised by high youth employment in the services sector, low shares of NEET, and high education attainment relative to African averages,'' says the reported mapping 52 countries in the continent,” The Star quoted the report.

The Star further noted that 89 percent, or 10.37 million out of 11.63 million young working-class Kenyans work in the informal sector, with 52 percent working in services, and 89 percent of jobs created for youth between 2020 and 2023 in the services.

Kenya’s youth population is 19.5 million and is expected to grow by 16 percent to 22.7 million by 2030

The Council for the Welfare of Children has issued a warning to parents and guardians regarding the growing use of artificial intelligence to create abusive material involving children, urging them to refrain from posting unnecessary photos of minors online. Angelo Tapales, the Executive Director of CWC, made this statement during the Safer Internet Day conference, emphasizing the organization's collaboration with government agencies and the private sector to combat violence and sexual abuse against children, including emerging forms of exploitation, local media Philstar reported. Tapales emphasized the high vulnerability of Filipino children to being exploited for the production of sexually abusive material, with UNICEF previously identifying the country as a significant hub for such activities.

Landslide accident

A tragic landslide hit Maco, Davao de Oro on February 6, burying two buses carrying employees from Apex Mining Co. Seven fatalities have been confirmed, with 31 individuals rescued but injured, and 48 still missing. The landslide struck around 7:30 p.m. in a mountainous area outside the mining site, worsened by heavy rainfall that has persisted in Mindanao since January 28, attributed to a low-pressure area. Alongside those directly impacted by the landslide, 758 families were evacuated as a precautionary measure, local media Manila Bulletin reported.

  Unemployment drops

The Philippine Statistics Authority announced on February 7, that the number of unemployed individuals dropped to 1.6 million in December of the previous year, marking the lowest figure in nearly two decades. According to the PSA's Labor Force Survey of 11,235 households, the unemployment rate stood at 3.1 per cent, a decrease from 4.3 per cent in December 2022, indicating a decline of 617,000 unemployed individuals, reports local media Inquirer . The employment rate surged to 96.9 per cent, representing 50.52 million employed individuals, up from 95.7 per cent in December 2022.

Cyberattacks traced to China

The Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT) has revealed that recent cyberattacks targeting several government servers have been traced back to IP addresses originating from China. According to DICT Undersecretary Jeffrey Ian Dy, unidentified hackers attempted to breach servers used by overseas Filipino workers and Google Workspace, which hosts the Philippine government's email and storage for non-confidential data, local media Philstar reported. Jeffrey disclosed this information during a House hearing on Tuesday.

US-Philippine Health partnership

The USAID has reaffirmed the partnership between the United States government and the Department of Health (DOH) of the Philippines to strengthen the Philippine health system and tackle health challenges, including combating tuberculosis (TB) and HIV. During the visit of the Assistant Administrator for Global Health Dr. Atul Gawande in Manila, he engaged in discussions with Philippine Health Secretary Teodoro Herbosa and key government stakeholders to explore avenues for strengthening primary health care in alignment with the Philippines' Universal Health Care objectives, local media Sunstar reported.

Chike made this statement in an interview with GSW’s Ismail Akwei following the public outcry after reports of the purchase of a presidential yacht in November 2023 by the Nigerian government amid the economic struggles in the country.

“If you look at some of the African countries, in my opinion, that are doing well, they have leaders with a vision. When I talk about vision, I don't mean let's just build roads or let's feed the hungry, those are important. But if you're building roads for 200 million people today, for a nation whose population might double in the next three decades, it means that 20 years from now, you have created another problem because you still have overpopulation, So the main problem we have in Nigeria is not having leaders who understand a vision that can carry the nation beyond now,” Chike said.

“We have a Congress that is buying cars for itself. You have a president who is doing whatever. Meanwhile, there are people in Nigeria who live in extreme poverty. It's like we have tone-deaf leaders who don't care about the masses. When the two basic responsibilities of governance are to provide and protect the people or create the environment that enables them to do that safely and as of yet, we're yet to see that,” he added.

Between 2014 and 2023, Nigeria's youth unemployment rate averaged 24.28%. In September 2023, the West African nation had a 26.72% inflation rate, 5.94% more than the 20.77% rate in the same month the previous year, the Guardian Nigeria reported.

Nigeria was also ranked as the 145 th best out of 180 nations globally in a Corruption Perceptions Index report according to corruption in the public sector.

This growth only resulted in a marginal rise in the share of working-age individuals with wage jobs, increasing from 14% to 16%, according to the World Bank 2023 report.

Insufficient impact on poverty

The growth in the region has failed to significantly reduce extreme poverty or promote shared prosperity. SSA exhibits a lower responsiveness of poverty to growth spells compared to other regions.

The poverty headcount ratio at $2.15 per day declined slightly to 37.2% in 2023 from a COVID-19 peak of 37.6% in 2020. However, the number of people in poverty increased to 462 million, the World Bank reported.

Job creation lagging behind

Despite the need for the labour market in SSA to generate an estimated 18 million new jobs annually, only 9 million new jobs were created between 2000 and 2021, the IMF reported in 2023.

Population growth outpacing job creation

The IMF projects SSA's population to double from 1 billion to 2 billion by 2050, significantly intensifying the demand for jobs.

However, the current rate of job creation is insufficient, leading to higher unemployment rates. As of 2021, the average male and female unemployment rates in SSA were around 6.7% and 6.5%, respectively, slightly exceeding the global average of 6.36%, Statista reports. 

Imbalance fuels poverty

The imbalance between job creation and population growth contributes to high unemployment rates and poverty levels in the region.

The number of people in extreme poverty in Africa increased from 370 million in 2014 to 391 million in 2019, with projections indicating a further rise due to the economic impacts of COVID-19. Almost 60% of the world's extremely poor reside in Africa, and 40% of Africa's poor are concentrated in four SSA countries: The Democratic Republic of Congo, Madagascar, Nigeria, and Tanzania, the World Bank reports.