Firms led by US military veterans deliver aid in Africa and Gaza, alarming humanitarian groups
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
8 hours ago
- Yahoo
Nigeria's victorious women footballers promised $100,000 each
Nigerian President Bola Tinubu hailed the women's national football team for their victory at the 2024 Women's Africa Cup of Nations (Wafcon) at a grand celebratory reception where he promised them gifts and cash rewards. Hosting them at Aso Rock, the presidential residence, on Monday, Tinubu announced each player would get a $100,000 (£75,000) plus a three-bedroom apartment. The 24-woman squad cheered when they heard the news, but there have been criticism in the past that prizes promised by Nigerian governments have not materialised. Nigeria's Super Falcons - as the team is known - defeated hosts Morocco 3-2 on Saturday in a stunning second-half comeback, clinching their 10th Wafcon title. Tinubu said the victory was a "triumph of courage, determination and consistency" adding that at some point "didn't want to watch the match" because of the stress. "Today, you returned home as champions of Africa," he said. "We could not be prouder." On their arrival at the main airport in the capital, Abuja, the team had been welcomed by traditional dancers, drummers, journalists and government officials. They were then escorted to the presidential residence in a convoy. Tinubu conferred national honours, the Officer of the Order of the Niger, to all the players and staff, saying this was "on behalf of a grateful nation". Captain Rasheedat Ajibade said that her team's victory was for "every young girl in our villages, towns and cities who dares to dream". She also outlined her vision for the Super Falcons to become the best team in the world but said this can only happen with continued support from the football federation and government. The Super Falcons have won 10 of the 13 editions of Wafcon since it began in1998. The president described the latest win as a "milestone in the history of sport". While the players celebrated the extra gifts from the president, in the past, both the men's and women's national football teams in Nigeria have had repeated issues with the authorities over delayed payment of bonuses and salaries. The government has only just honoured its three-decade promise of new homes for the victorious men's team, the Super Eagles, which won the 1994 Africa Cup of Nations. The Super Falcons have several times been involved in sit-in protests during major tournaments over pay issues, including after their 2023 Women's World Cup run. There has also been concerns over pay disparities, and in recent years, fans have called for them to be paid the same as the Supee Eagles. Ahead of their final match on Saturday, Tinubu reportedly approved players' match allowances and bonuses, including backdated payments, adding that this would the standard practice in the future. You may also be interested in: What we learned from Women's Africa Cup of Nations 2024 Wafcon winner will stay in my heart forever - Echegini Watch: The Wafcon star who is also a doctor Go to for more news from the African continent. Follow us on Twitter @BBCAfrica, on Facebook at BBC Africa or on Instagram at bbcafrica BBC Africa podcasts Africa Daily Focus on Africa
Travel Weekly
a day ago
- Travel Weekly
Waterfalls Lodge opens just steps from Victoria Falls
Wild Horizons has opened Waterfalls Lodge in Victoria Falls, Zimbabwe. The 60-room property is positioned within walking distance of Victoria Falls and the city center. The lodge features en-suite rooms with king-size or twin beds, air conditioning, ceiling fans and complimentary WiFi. Design elements inspired by the nearby natural wonder can be found throughout the property. Facilities include an on-site restaurant, swimming pools and landscaped gardens. Guests can dine at the lodge restaurant or at Wild Horizons' Lookout Cafe, which is positioned over the Batoka Gorge and offers panoramic views. B&B guests can exchange their hotel breakfast for dining at the Lookout Cafe, while full or half-board guests have the option to take either breakfast or dinner at the scenic venue. The lodge's central location places guests within a 15-minute walk of the town's restaurants and shops as well as a short walk to the falls themselves. The Victoria Falls Rainforest, meanwhile, is about a 10-minute drive away. Wild Horizons positions the lodge as offering "refined, accessible accommodation" that balances comfort with affordability for travelers seeking a relaxed Victoria Falls experience.
Travel Weekly
a day ago
- Travel Weekly
'Rivers of Life' itinerary breaks down borders for a rewarding safari experience
Africa's wildlife isn't bound by borders, and in the Kavango Zambezi Transfrontier Conservation Area (KAZA), neither are travelers. Five countries recently looked at their shared borders and asked a simple question: What if we took down the fences? The answer to that question is the world's largest conservation area. Angola, Botswana, Namibia, Zambia and Zimbabwe created a seamless 200,000-square-mile ecosystem where elephants migrate freely across international borders and safari-goers can follow the same herds across three countries without ever feeling like they've left one destination for another. This cross-border vision is now captured by KAZA's new "Rivers of Life" tourism brand, a coordinated effort launched by all five partner nations to present this vast wilderness as a single adventure for travelers looking for more than just a classic game drive. Nyambe Nyambe, executive director of the KAZA Secretariat, said that this isn't just another game park with artificial boundaries but a living ecosystem that happens to span five countries. KAZA said the absence of traditional safari crowds makes wildlife encounters in KAZA that much more intimate. Crowd control While Kenya's Masai Mara battles overcrowding and Tanzania's Serengeti sees endless vehicle queues, KAZA said it is offering something that is becoming increasingly rare: authentic wilderness experiences without the crowds. This is especially relevant after the July 21 incident in Kenya's Kogatende area, where video footage showed tourists disembarking from safari vehicles and physically blocking the free migration of wildebeest, a clear example of how overtourism pressure is damaging East Africa's wildlife experiences. The best way to understand KAZA's seamless nature is through an actual cross-border itinerary that showcases how easily travelers move between countries while following wildlife and water. The destination platform Uncover Kavango Zambezi features several sample itineraries that make these experiences easy for travel agents to string together. One such route, an itinerary called Treading the Lesser Known Pathways, starts from Caprivi Mutoya Lodge in Namibia, positioned near southern Africa's largest carmine bee-eater breeding colony. From August to November, up to 4,000 of the bright-red birds create aerial displays that rival East Africa's famous migrations. Between wildlife viewing, guided village tours let visitors interact with local families, meet their children and taste traditional foods during two-to-three-hour walking experiences. The drive of about 180 miles to the Divava Okavango Resort and Spa shows the beauty of KAZA as it follows the river system that connects the entire region. Divava resort's 20 luxurious chalets overlook the Okavango River near Popa Falls, with Mahango National Game Park just 10 minutes away. Boat trips downstream enable travelers to see hippos, crocodiles and incredible birdlife, while sunset cruises upstream to Popa Falls provide perfect endings to days exploring both Namibian and Angolan border waters. Hartebeests, lions and wild dogs From here, the route ventures into Khaudum National Park in northeast Namibia, 384,000 hectares of incredible wilderness that requires serious 4x4 skills. This underrated park offers encounters with tsessebe, roan antelope, red hartebeest and important populations of lions and wild dogs. With virtually no signage and few visitors, Khaudum represents an authentic wilderness challenge where your vehicle might be the only one tracking wildlife across fossil river valleys. The journey's cultural highlight comes at The Living Museum of the Ju/'Hoansi-San, where traditional hunter-gatherer culture continues in authentically reconstructed nomadic villages. Local San communities present their nearly forgotten culture in traditional clothing, demonstrating survival techniques developed over millennia. Crossing into Botswana, Tsodilo Hills is sometimes referred to as the "Louvre of the Desert" with over 4,500 San paintings preserved in a small portion of the Kalahari Desert. These paintings have remained in their original state and record human activity for more than 100,000 years. Current San guides interpret these galleries, sharing stories and traditional knowledge that connects past and present. Nxamaseri Island Lodge provides a distinctly African experience on a private island in the permanent waters of Botswana's Okavango Delta. As one of the Delta's oldest lodges, it showcases the beauty of permanent swamp and embodies the values of the indigenous people. From here, mokoro journeys cross from Botswana into Namibian waters, the only place where visitors can paddle traditional dugout canoes across international borders. The circuit completes by crossing back into Namibia at Mohembo Border-post, continuing to Bwabwata National Park and Kazile Island Lodge. Situated on a private island within the park itself, Kazile is one of only two lodges uniquely positioned inside Bwabwata. Its 13 Meru tents overlook the Kwando River and expansive floodplains, providing direct access to some of Africa's last unfenced wilderness corridors. This route naturally connects two of KAZA's three Unesco World Heritage Sites, the Okavango Delta and Tsodilo Hills, while positioning travelers within easy reach of Victoria Falls. But these aren't isolated attractions; they're bound together by rivers whose annual flood cycles shape not only migration routes but also cultural calendars across hundreds of communities throughout KAZA. KAZA's mokoro safaris enable travelers to paddle traditional dugout canoes across international waters, from Botswana into Namibia, without leaving their boat. Photo Credit: Uncover Kavango Zambezi Each year, seasonal rains in Angola's highlands create floodwaters that take four months to travel through the system, first swelling Namibia's rivers, then creating Botswana's famous delta floods and finally feeding the thunderous Victoria Falls. This annual water cycle transforms the entire landscape, creating different wildlife-viewing opportunities and water-based activities, depending on when visitors arrive. Fams tell the story Recent fam trips for international tour operators have demonstrated KAZA's potential as a unified destination. Amanda England of Ethos Marketing, which handles KAZA's international promotion, highlighted the transformation of tourism marketing in the region: "Previously, marketing focused on individual protected areas like Victoria Falls. These familiarization trips help bridge this gap, equipping international agents to promote the destination as a cohesive experience." As overtourism pressures traditional safari destinations and conscious travelers seek authentic conservation stories, KAZA offers genuine alternatives. Tourism revenue directly funds wildlife corridors, enabling over 130,000 elephants, nearly 75% of Africa's population, to follow ancient migration routes between 36 national parks without human interference. The "Rivers of Life" brand provides a compelling narrative for what could be a complex multicountry experience, proving that when countries cooperate, they create tourism possibilities that none could achieve alone.
