1Bread Protests in Sudan Force State of Emergency

Sudan has seen sporadic protests this year over rising living costs, with its currency devalued twice and some subsidies cut, which has led to the price of bread doubling. These have been part of austerity measures enacted to comply with International Monetary Fund recommendations for the economy still reeling from the loss of most of its oil when South Sudan seceded in 2011.

SOURCES: Bloomberg, Reuters

2More Worries for Disney and Use of Swahili Phrase

“Hakuna Matata” is a common expression in Swahili, a language spoken in a large part of Africa, and it became popular in the West after the original version of “The Lion King” was released in 1994. The phrase means “no worries,” but for Disney, it’s not that simple. Angry about cultural appropriation, tens of thousands of people had signed an online petition that called on the company to drop its trademark of the phrase, which the company filed when the first version of the movie was released more than two decades ago.

SOURCES: New York Times

3DRC Vote not Ready for New Systems

More than 40 million voters in the Democratic Republic of the Congo go to the polls on Sunday, they will be using electronic voting machines for the first time. The electoral commission says the devices will cut costs and speed up the voting and counting process. But the opposition, civil society groups and some observers fear the machines could be used to rig an election.

SOURCES: Al Jazeera, The Guardian

4Juba Residents get Access to Safe Drinking Water

At least 5,000 residents in and around the South Sudanese capital now have access to clean drinking water after the opening of a solar-powered water distribution system in the area. Previously, residents in Juba’s Gudele West neighborhood and nearby Luri County had to pay 500 South Sudanese pounds for a 120-liter water container. Now, residents can fill up containers of drinking water for free.

SOURCES: VOA

5South African Ad Ruffles Feathers

Advertising agencies have used reincarnation, Africans in space and the Guptas to stand out in the competitive fried chicken market, but reverse colonization was a step too far. Chicken Licken said the aim of the ad was “to show South Africans that Chicken Licken believes this country has all the potential to conquer the world and rewrite history from an African perspective.”

SOURCES: Quartz Africa

6Fight against Ebola is Far from Over

Doubts are growing about whether the world’s emergency stockpile of 300,000 Ebola vaccine doses is enough to control future epidemics as the deadly disease moves out of rural forest areas and into urban mega-cities.

SOURCES: Reuters

7Renewed Calls for Sierra Leone to end FGM after 10-year old Dies

The girl, one of 68 involved in the rite, bled to death on Tuesday following complications from the FGM procedure. A number of women, as well as cutters, known as soweis, are now on the run, among them the deceased girl’s mother.

SOURCES: The Guardian

8Promoting South African Wine to Chinese Customers

In 2013, South African wine producer L’Huguenot Vineyards together with Chinese distribution company Yangzhou Perfect China created a range of wines specifically for the Chinese market. The result was Perfect Wines of South Africa and the brand now accounts for 25% of all South African wines sales in China.

SOURCES: CNN

9Eco Resorts Blossom in Africa

Zuri was designed to have a minimal carbon footprint, from its low-impact, stilted construction to efficient air conditioning. The hotel also uses proceeds to fund community projects: It’s established the area’s first waste management program, built several wells, and created a tourism training institute to bolster local education and employment.

SOURCES: Bloomberg

10Making Hits with One of Africa’s Most Spoken Languages

Ibeyi is a band made up of two French-Cuban sisters, who often sing in the West African language Yoruba. They learnt the language, which differs somewhat from what is spoken in Nigeria and Benin today.

SOURCES: BBC

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