South Africa throws away 2 million doses of COVID-19 vaccine due to contamination incident. Photo: Reuters According to RT (Russia) news agency (Russia), the South African Health Products Administration (SAHPRA) has decided not to deploy vaccination for 2 million doses of Johnson & Johnson vaccine being stored at a facility in the city of Gqeberha. , as the raw materials for their production were affected by a contamination incident at the factory in Baltimore (USA). The decision comes after the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) said that millions of doses of vaccine produced at Johnson & Johnson’s Emergent BioSolutions facility in the US city of Baltimore were not suitable for use in the United States. use. “Based on what has been announced by the FDA, batches of vaccines being stored in our Gqeberha have been affected. The batches of these vaccines correspond to about 2 million doses,” South Africa’s Acting Health Minister Mmamoloko Kubayi-Ngubane said on June 13. These doses of the vaccine have not and will not be used to immunize South Africans, she added. SAHPRA chief executive, Dr Boitumelo Semete, also confirmed the batch of vaccines “cannot be widely distributed.” Meanwhile, South Africa’s health watchdog said in a statement that a new batch of about 300,000 doses of Johnson & Johnson’s COVID-19 vaccine has been approved by the FDA and will be shipped to South Africa at a later date. some point. The agency did not disclose the exact date the shipments arrived. However, Mr. Semete acknowledged that the problem with Johnson & Johnson’s vaccine had a significant negative impact on South Africa’s vaccine deployment strategy. As of June 13, South Africa, the country hardest hit by the COVID-19 epidemic in Africa, has recorded about 1.7 million cases of COVID-19 and over 57,000 deaths. However, the country with a population of about 58.5 million people has only injected 183,000 doses of the vaccine to its people, as of June 9, according to the World Health Organization (WHO). South Africa is also one of the countries that is campaigning to give up patents for a COVID-19 vaccine to allow all countries to produce generic versions at low cost. “If we want to save lives and end the pandemic, we need to expand and diversify our production, put medical products into treatment, and fight and stop the pandemic for as many people as possible,” the president said. South Africa Cyril Ramaphosa speaks at a meeting with G7 countries in the UK on June 13.

A small country actually has its advantages, especially for those of us foreign tourists who come to North Africa. This trip to Morocco, a small country in Africa, only has a one-week time budget, but you can basically visit the main cities and towns of Morocco: Chefchaouen, Asilah, Casablanca, Marrakech, Essaouira, almost a day or two Can win a city, after all, the distance between the city and the city is not far, driving by car is the most ideal way to travel. Driving east from the world-class “net red and blue city” Chefchaouen, a two-and-a-half-hour drive can reach Asilah, a quiet small town on the shore of the Atlantic Ocean. The closest Moroccan city to this small town is Tangier, which is where you reach from Spain across the Strait of Gibraltar. So this town, like Tangier, has a very strong southern Spain style. Almost all the buildings in the small town are It is a combination of white and blue, so it is also called “blue and white town”. Fortunately, the road conditions on this road are good and there are few cars. The first feeling of entering Asilah City is quiet. Along the way, I couldn’t imagine what Asilah would be like, what kind of story would happen. For Asilah, I can’t find a guide at all. Even where the Riad bed and breakfast I booked is, I found it in a daze. I don’t know how other tourists find this secret place. It is completely different from other Moroccan cities and small towns I have visited. The biggest feeling is that there are very few people here, and there are even fewer tourists. The strongest feeling after coming to the town is that the world is suddenly muted, and all noise and interference are blocked. I have been to Essaouira and Chefchaouen. My initial hypothesis: Asilah will be a fusion of them-because there is the Atlantic Ocean like Essaouira, it should be warm and slightly salty. The smell of the sea breeze and the fisherman who fished; because it is closer to Spain, there should be blue house buildings similar to Chefchaouen and residents who hate taking pictures, right? As a result, Asilah is Asilah, it has its own style and breath. Walking along the alleys of Medina is like watching an art exhibition. And when you pay attention to your surroundings and find that it is quiet, you are the only one. Walking in the alleys of the old city where there are almost no people, the walls of the white houses around us are full of graffiti of various styles, some of them are exaggerated, some are delicate and gentle, we just walked and watched, and suddenly met a street corner. “Colored Box”. In fact, it was not a box, but a wooden independent small house. The exterior wall made of wooden planks was graffitied in various exaggerated colors. When I raised my camera to take a picture of this strange big guy, I poked a head out of the window. Smiled to me and said, you can’t take pictures here. But it was precisely because of this smile that I knew that he was not disgusted or disgusted, so I stepped forward to chat with the old man. He is a local artist, and this house is one of his proud works. Of course, he often changes his ideas, transforming this wooden house into various colors and themes. So on this topic, I chatted with him about the murals that can be seen everywhere in the city. He told me that the town of Asilah hosts a mural festival every August. Artists from all over the world will come to this quiet Atlantic town to use their imaginations and their views on the times and society through colors and patterns. Let it out and smear it on a white or blue wall. Every year, the public will also select some of the most popular works, and they will be preserved. He said that Asilah’s well-preserved city walls and gates record its history, and today’s murals have revived the old city of Asilah’s Medina! At this time, I suddenly realized how different this magical town was from my previous assumptions. I began to believe that classic saying– You can never truly understand any place where you have never really set foot, even if you have touched this piece of land thousands of times in your books. Walking out of the gates of Medina, warm colors appeared on the Atlantic Ocean. When the evening came, the pedestrians on the streets of Asilah gradually increased. People walked along the seawall and rested on the rocks when they were tired to watch the sunset. We also went to the bottom of the seawall and watched the setting sun sink into the sea in the distance. The sunset here is also so peaceful, with a little loneliness and little comfort. We were a little tired and wanted to find a restaurant to eat early, so we walked into the city. I naturally wanted to taste the local seafood by the sea, and suddenly I remembered the old artist-the only person I know in this small town. So according to a short memory, I tried to find the alley I just passed by, but the old man’s house was closed, and it seemed that he had gone back to his real home. Just as I was looking around, I saw the smiling face of a little girl who looked like a teenager. She was a school child. She should be able to speak English, right? I asked her, do you know which restaurant in Asilah is the best? She said a name without hesitation, I took out the phone and asked her to type the name of the store on my screen, and then I actually found the store in the navigation, the location is on the seaside road, and I read the reviews and said it was possible to eat Enjoy the sunset over the Atlantic Ocean. This should be the most popular seafood restaurant in the local area. From the description on the Internet, I guessed that it should be very lively. When I found the restaurant, I thought I had gone wrong. It’s the meal now, and the entire huge luxury restaurant counts us, and there are only three tables of guests in total. The diners at the neighboring table threw kind smiles at us from time to time, and we also greeted each other friendly. At this moment, you don’t have to worry about any trivial matters, just appreciate it and enjoy the seafood feast, and you will feel quite satisfied. I stayed in Asilah for one night and listened to the owner of the hotel. Asilah’s current fame has surpassed Chefchaouen, and has become an Internet celebrity destination for more and more young people from all over the world to come to Morocco to take pictures and check in. Its influence on Twitter and Facebook is very high. Indeed, the next morning, I paid special attention to the state of some tourists on the streets of Asilah. They really like to take pictures and punch in cool, enchanting, or charming actions on the streets of small towns.

Annual global app innovation competition. This year’s version of the competition in the Asia-Pacific (APAC) region will be where contestants in the region showcase their skills and talents to win a prize pool totaling $200,000. Interested candidates can apply for the exam from June 10 to August 20. AppUP Contest 2021 Jury Member This year’s Asia-Pacific region competition will feature 10 award categories – Best App, Best Game, App Award with Biggest Social Impact, Honor App Award and Most Popular App Award; as well as new categories including AppGallery’s Rising Star Award, Best FinTech Innovation Award, Best HMS Core Innovation Award, Outstanding Student Award, and Best Student Award Technology women. 20 featured applications will be selected based on social value, business value, user experience and innovation. Shane Shan, Director of Huawei Consumer Cloud Services in Asia-Pacific, said: “At Huawei, we believe in building an inclusive digital society where technology is open to all. Through Huawei’s easily accessible platforms, development tools and technical resources for everyone, we hope to empower developers at all levels to So at AppsUP 2021, we’ve doubled the number of award categories with new awards specially created to honor student developers, developers, and developers. female developers and new developers entering the HMS mobile ecosystem”. Comprehensive support for developers In addition to the cash prize, AppsUP 2021 offers an opportunity to accelerate the way towards the third largest mobile ecosystem, providing a stepping stone for developers to enter the global market. Participating in the competition and introducing developers’ apps to the AppGallery app store is a launchpad for them to reach more than 730 million Huawei smartphone users globally, and increase their exposure. with potential partners and investors. Candidates in the Asia-Pacific region will enjoy an expanded array of technical support, including hands-on training seminars from top Huawei engineers and guest judges. The finalists may also have the opportunity to participate in a global marketing and communication campaign with Huawei.

Vaccination against COVID-19 is given to a health worker in Khartoum, Sudan. (Photo: THX/VNA) According to the Vietnam News Agency correspondent in Africa, on June 14, President World Bank (WB) David Malpass had a meeting with the African Union (AU) COVID-19 Vaccine Procurement Task Force (AVATT) to discuss ways of cooperation to promote the vaccination against COVID-19 in Africa, of which WB will support the AU to deploy 400 million doses of vaccination Johnson & Johnson vaccine . Previously, on March 28, AVATT signed an agreement to buy 400 million doses of Johnson & Johnson’s one-shot vaccine with a financial guarantee of $2 billion from the African Export-Import Bank (Afreximbank). The World Bank and the AVATT Group agreed to speed up all administrative procedures to ensure African countries have access to vaccines as soon as possible. The agreement between the World Bank and the AVATT Group will support AU Member States to implement immunization, including domestic distribution (logistics and storage in accordance with cold chain requirements), ensuring systems, energy necessary capacity and capacity for vaccination, promoting propaganda campaigns so that people are ready to receive the COVID-19 vaccine. Dr. John N. Nkengasong – Director of the Africa Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) and member of AVATT – said the number of Johnson & Johnson vaccines reached under the agreement is an important key to directing aim to immunize at least 60% of Africans. Achieving this goal is a prerequisite for saving the lives and livelihoods of the people of Africa, safely reopening the continent’s economy, and continuing the continent’s economic development agenda. With more than 41 countries at various stages of finalizing their vaccine orders, and with increasing vaccination momentum, it is essential that countries can organize full vaccinations for their populations quickly and with affordable prices. Mr. Strive Masiyiwa – AU special envoy and AVATT coordinator – said that the decision to cooperate with AVATT by the World Bank was made after the US announced the sharing of COVID-19 vaccine, which means that countries can rest in peace. more concerned about access to and financing of needed vaccines. Under the AVATT structure, AU member countries are allocated vaccines based on population size through a collective procurement mechanism. These doses complement vaccines offered through the COVAX Mechanism – which aims to provide vaccines to 30% of the population of the participating countries – allowing AU Member States to achieve their continental vaccination targets. AVATT was established on November 6, 2020, with the task of finding the necessary funding and ensuring equitable access to the COVID-19 vaccine for AU member countries.

US soldiers take part in a joint exercise called African Lion in Grier Labouihi, Morocco. (Photo: AFP/VNA) U.S.-led forces are conducting the operation joint exercise with Morocco, entitled “ African lion .” According to the Africa Command (AFRICOM) under the US Department of Defense, more than 7,000 troops come from 9 countries and the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (North Atlantic Treaty Organization). NATO ) is participating in the exercise that started on June 8 and is expected to end on June 18. In a notice posted on the website, AFRICOM confirmed that this is the largest exercise of this force. The exercise aims to enhance combat readiness for the US and partner countries. The exercise was conducted mainly across Morocco, from Kenitra Air Base in the north to the Tan Tan and Guerir Labouhi training grounds in the south. The exercise includes many contents, including training on land, in the air and at sea; tactical simulation; training in commanding and combating violent extremist organizations; defense in cyberspace. In recent days, the soldiers have participated in many activities, including patrolling off the Canary Islands of Spain and the air force conducting training exercises. Africa Lion 2021 is one of the large-scale exercises co-organized and directed by AFRICOM and the Royal Moroccan Armed Forces aimed at enhancing cooperation and training, interoperability and promoting cooperation. promote the exchange of experience and knowledge between different military units to achieve the best combat ability.

According to what plant scientists at the Missouri Botanical Garden (USA), the tiny purple-white flower that has just bloomed in their greenhouse has never been seen, at least by experts like them. In early May, Justin Lee, a gardener, was inspecting a group of Karomia gigas seedlings when he discovered a strange flower. This plant is related to mint and is native to Africa and is one of the endangered plants. Strange flower varieties Giống This flower less than 3cm long has pale purple ring-shaped petals, which slope down to form an arch connected to four white petals, with outstretched pistils. Mr. Lee said: “It doesn’t look like a mint flower. It looks like it’s upside down.” The mint family, Lamiaceae, usually has funnel-shaped flowers. Caregivers think the flowers may attract bees, butterflies and moths, but they may also be self-pollinating. Over the next few weeks, they expect more Karomia gigas flowers to bloom in the greenhouse, and instead of attracting insects, they will attract human hands trying to keep the species from extinction. When more flowers bloom, plants can cross-pollinate and have an extra chance of survival. Currently, only about 20 individuals of Karomia gigas are known in the wild in Tanzania. Roy Gereau, Tanzania project leader at the Missouri Botanical Garden, said it’s not uncommon for anyone to have seen flowers grow from this tree. Karomia gigas is a tall, straight-stemmed tree that can reach a height of 25 m, the branches grow about 13-14 m above the ground, making the flowers difficult to see. Karomia gigas is quite tall and is located deep in the forest. The tree is so rare that it does not have a common name in English, Swahili (the main language of Tazania) or the dialect of the area around the reserve where the tree was found. Of the more than 60,000 known tree species on Earth, Karomia gigas is among the most threatened and endangered in Africa. “As far as we know, there is no scientific record of the flower of this plant,” said Gereau. And now, when the trees bloom, conservationists believe they can keep them from disappearing. “In terms of extinction, this is a really, really good sign. We can make sure this plant doesn’t go away,” said Andrew Wyatt, vice president of horticulture at the Missouri Botanical Garden. There is still hope Growing this tree is a challenge. In the wild, Karomia gigas is highly susceptible to a fungal infection spread by insects. In September 2018, thousands of seeds were collected in Tanzania and brought to St. Louis, but only 100 seeds can be used for germination. The nursery also had to adjust soil texture, water availability and sunlight to mimic the East African environment in which the plants grew. Gardeners are finally able to grow the plants by letting the seeds germinate on wet paper towels (reducing the risk of infection), and then planting them in the potting soil. Currently, they have about 30 seedlings from seeds and one from cuttings. Creating a growing environment for this species is very difficult. “We’re debating whether they can bloom in a caring environment,” Mr Wyatt said. When there are only a few trees of this species left in the world, trying to save them and seeing them grow successfully is very emotional. “You will cherish every stage. They are like your children. You are like the housekeeper of these plants. You not only have a scientific connection, but also a love for them” – he Wyatt shared. Mr. Lee agrees: “They are like my children.” The flower helped scientists understand more about the plant, verifying it was classified correctly, and the shape suggested it was most likely pollinated by an insect. To date, they have not been able to tell if this flower structure is common to the species, or just a genetic mutation in the still young plant. “This single flower … may not be the usual flower form of the tree. This is the first flowering tree of fortune telling” – Mr. Gereau commented. The first flower was recorded. Most importantly, this helps ensure the survival of the tree. Botanists can take cuttings to propagate, but they will share the same DNA. Having genetic diversity will help ensure that plants can withstand harmful elements such as pests. “If crops don’t bloom, we have to depend on wild plants for seeds, and their survival is very low,” Wyatt said. While some species are able to self-pollinate, it is not clear whether Karomia gigas does. Mr. Lee tried pollinating before the flowers died, but said adding flowers from other plants would help create a new generation of plants that are genetically more tolerant. “I’ve chalked the flowers. But so far the self-pollination is still a big question mark. And this time we didn’t succeed. However, we have many seedlings left, if they bloom and pollinate. Cross-pollination is better for genetic diversity.” “Having a tree in bloom is a great start in a species recovery effort,” says endangered tree expert Emily Beech. Although not involved in the tree planting process in St. Louis, in 2016, Ms. Beech and Mr. Gereau and rangers searched for this tree in Tanzania. “When we got there, we didn’t see any sprouts in the forest, but the blossoming tree shows that there is still hope for this tree in the future,” she added. One step closer to reinvention Karomia gigas was discovered in 1977 in Kenya. When the last two trees here were cut down, scientists thought the species was extinct. Then, in 1993, several trees were discovered in Tanzania. From 2011 to present, Mr. Gereau and Tanzanian botanists have found more individuals in the wild. According to Mr. Fandey Mashimba, head of the seed department of the Tanzania Forest Service, about two dozen Karomia gigas trees still exist in the wild, in two forest reserves Mitundumbea and Litipo. These two reserves have the Miombo forest ecosystem – common in Central and South Africa. This is the habitat of wild animals such as gorillas, wild boar, wild buffalo and a small antelope called Dik-dik. While individuals studied in the native environment and one growing in St. Louis, their flowers are still a mystery. “We have a person in the nearest village to the reserve, he keeps an eye on them and will notify us when he notices the plants are about to flower,” said Mr. Gereau. However, when someone drove the long way through the forest and reached the tree, no flowers were found. “They’re in a reserve protected by the government, but a lot of people go there to get wood,” Mashimba said. The wood of Karomia gigas is compared to teak – a precious wood, so they have a high value. “We have trees that are still alive. We can make sure they don’t go extinct. Successful conservation of this species is possible. They are protected in Tanzania. We have a bunch of trees in the botanical garden. When we have enough seeds, we can store them in case.” Seedlings are cared for at the Missouri Botanical Garden, USA. Gereau said he does not want to transfer the plants yet, fearing they are too fragile to make it through the trip between the two continents, but his team will actively share knowledge with the Tanzanian government and botanists at the University of California, San Francisco. University of Dar es Salaam, which is conducting research on this plant. For now, a flower is a hopeful sign of what’s to come. The staff at the botanical garden at St. Louis was surprised when it quickly fell from the tree in less than 24 hours. “It withered and fell. I picked it up and used it as fertilizer,” said Mr. Wyatt.

Mapogo lion union has raised the brutality of lions to a new level when they have actions involving cannibalism, murder and are believed to be the culprits that have killed more than 100 male lions. other died. The Lions Union is said to be named after a South African security company, Mapogo A Mathamaga Security. No longer active, Mapogo A Mathamaga is known for its intense and often brutal forms of crime handling. The Mapogo Lions Union is a pack of six male lions that dominate the Sabi Sands area, and they have shown unprecedented levels of brutality and violence among lions. The union of six male lions first appeared in March 2006, when they claimed their own territory by force. Normally, when lions come to a new area, they will be very quiet, but the Mapogo alliance is completely different, they move, expand their territory and dominate with great power in a loud roar. , they will kill any male lions around to fight for territory. The members of this lion union include: Makhulu, born in 1998 and also the oldest member of the Mapogo lion union, Makhulu is the only male not from the same bloodline as the other members to join the alliance. smart. The second member – Pretty Boy, it is so named because this is a lion that possesses a lot of strategy when fighting, so it is the member with the least scars in the Mapogo alliance. The third member – Mr T (Satan), this is a lion known for his extreme brutality, it is named after the classic Mohawk hairstyle similar to the character Mr. T in The A-Team. Notably, this lion also received the nickname “satan” after killing his own brother’s cubs. The fourth member – Skew Spine, is literally named because of the distinctive scar on his spine and left hip. Fifth member – Dreadlocks, this is a lion that has something on its mane that makes its fur sticky. The sixth and final member is named Kinky Tail because of its unusual tail. These six male lions are descended from Spartan/Eyrefield Field Pride lions, bred by West street males. Makulu, the oldest member, and also the only lion from a different bloodline, while the rest of the members are brothers. During their rule, the Mapogo confederacy wiped out countless other males. Together, they killed more than 100 male lions and pose a threat to herds of such male lions, including females and cubs. These sadists take over the entire territory of the surrounding males with unprecedented aggression, and males that dare to challenge and enter their territory will often receive a bitter end – being eaten. meat . This alliance of six male lions changed the entire ecosystem in the Sabi Sands area, dominating and controlling an area once ruled by eight other individual lions. The behavior of lions Lions are the only feline animals that live in groups, each pack usually includes two to 40 lions, in large groups there will be about three or four males, about a dozen females and cubs. of them. All lionesses in a pack are usually related by blood, they will often stay in their herd after adulthood. On the other hand, the males will be driven away when they are 2 – 3 years old to build their own new herd. The males will generally take on the role of defending the territory of the herd. While lionesses are predators, they will work together to both capture prey and feed their cubs. This is the usual way of forming a pack of lions, however, occasionally there will be groups of only male lions, which are called alliances. What is lion union? A lion union is usually a group of two or more male lions (sometimes up to seven) that join together. These male lion alliances are usually made up of half brothers or cousins, and they often grew up together in the same original pack. Even so, it’s not uncommon for unrelated male lions to join an alliance. The main reason for lions to form alliances is to protect each other. When they are removed from the original pack, each day that goes by for them is a struggle to survive because they face many difficulties while trying to hunt while trying to defend themselves against strong male lions. stronger. This is why male lions removed from the original pack at the same time form strong bonds that are strengthened by their common struggle. By bonding with each other, they will have a higher chance of survival. However, as they become stronger, their focus will shift from survival to gaining territory. More members in their alliance will mean giving them a better chance of winning fights with other males. Benefits of a large male lion union include: They are capable of driving out single male lions, or even smaller alliances, that take over territory at a much younger age than if they were alone. Lions become more successful in hunting, an important aspect of survival after being driven out of the original herd. A larger union would likely dominate a larger territory and give them access to more female lions to mate with. Larger alliances will often hold territory and mating rights longer than regular packs because their “empire” is harder to topple. This also results in a longer life span for males in a large union. Why is Mapogo lion alliance so unique? The Mapogo Lion Alliance is perhaps the most famous lion alliance in recent history. They became famous for their ruthless tactics and they also possessed the speed of conquering new territories extremely quickly. Mapogo lion alliances differ from normal alliances in that they will kill all lions they come across. The lions in the Mapogo alliance are also said to have taken down wild buffalo, adult giraffes, even rhinos and hippos. They not only kill the lions that cross their path, but also eat the ill-fated lions. The Mapogo Lion Alliance’s ability to control and defend such a vast expanse of land is unprecedented in the lion population – they have captured and ruled eight other lions. How did the Mapogo Lions Union break up? As with all lion alliances, they don’t last forever. Mapogo suffered the same fate. In 2010, the Majingilanes, an alliance of five adult male lions, entered Mapogo’s territory to challenge them. As a result, Kinky Tail was killed. Majingilanes took over their territories. Over the next three years, two other lions in the Mapogo pack disappeared without a trace. In 2012, the Southern lions challenged the remaining members of the Mapogos alliance, forcing them to retreat, and Mr T was chased and killed. Makhulu and Pretty Boy were the last two lions in the Mapogo alliance to survive the event. They were last seen together in Kruger National Park and buffalo hunting in October 2012. Makhulu was last seen in 2013, alone in Mala Mala. Mapogo has had a huge impact on the Sabi Sand ecosystem because of the demise of lion populations. Examples include groups such as: Castleton Pride: originally from 22 members down to 6; Tsalala Pride: originally 10 down to 5; Ximunvanyane Pride: original 10 down to 0; Elephant Plains suffered a 40% reduction in membership. This means that the Mapogo alliance has killed about 40 – 50 lions in the neighboring areas. According to Willem Botha, Head of Anti-Poaching in Sabi Sands during Mapogo’s rule: “From the first time I saw them until I left Sabi Sands, Mapogo killed between 90 and 110 other lions. In the park”.

The Dahomey Amazons Women’s Troops. Photo taken in the 1890s Well trained From the 17th century until 1904, the Kingdom of Dahomey in West Africa included a large area, today known as the Republic of Benin. The kingdom had a prosperous economy, a complex tax system, and a powerful military. But most impressive of the pre-colonial strength of Dahomey was the brave female warriors. Known as Mino, or “mothers,” and Ahosi or “king’s wife,” this legion of more than 3,000 female soldiers defended the Kingdom of Dahomey for centuries. One scholar has traced these famous warriors back to the early days of Dahomey. At that time, the king recruited bodyguards from “third-rate” wives, or women he considered too unattractive to have sex with him. These female bodyguards have an advantage over the male soldiers. Since they were married to the king, though mostly in name only, their loyalty was guaranteed. They could patrol the palace grounds at night, when men were forbidden to enter. In the mid-19th century, the Dahomey Amazons made up 40% of the kingdom’s army. Arthur Eardley Wilmot, a British naval officer, visited Dahomey in 1862 and found women outnumbered men in the towns – a phenomenon he attributed to military losses and the consequences of the trade. sell slaves. Divided into several units, each unit has a female commander, wearing a military uniform and carrying a characteristic weapon. Among these, the famous gbeto, made up of female hunters, was the oldest unit of the female army. In the 1850s, a French tourist reported that a group of 20 women armed with curved daggers and tied with antelope horns had attacked a large herd of elephants. Despite being the king’s “pet” army, these female soldiers also had to pass a series of challenging tests, from demonstrating physical strength, to acts of torturing enemies. But the most brutal tests belong to the so-called “insensitivity training”. Most of the recruits had never killed before joining the army, so the king wanted the warriors to execute prisoners to show their bravery. In one test, the women were ordered to throw bound prisoners from a raised platform. In another challenge, the recruits had to use blades to execute prisoners. In 1861, an Italian monk, Francesco Borgero, described an exercise in which thousands of barefoot women climbed thorny acacia trees without flinching. In 1889, Jean Bayol, the officer in charge of the French colony, described the scene he witnessed: “A young woman of the Amazons in training approached a prisoner. She happily stepped forward, raised her sword with both hands three times, then calmly cut off the flesh that was still attached to the prisoner’s head and body. Then she wiped the blood off the weapon and swallowed it.” After passing the tests, the female recruits will enjoy a lavish life in the king’s palace, drinking alcohol and tobacco given by the king. According to one scholar, “when the Amazons came out of the palace, ahead of them was a slave girl carrying a bell that sounded to all men to get out of their way, to take a step back. and look the other way”. Failure to comply will result in the violator being punished with death. Female soldiers practice. Photo taken circa 1890. Fight till the end In late 1978, a Benin historian met an elderly woman in the village of Kinta, named Nawi. She claimed to have fought against the French in 1892. She died in 1979, aged over 100 years. Perhaps this is the last female soldier of the army of Dahomey Amazons. In 1890, during the First Franco-Dahomey War, the French prevailed thanks to more advanced rifles. What makes Dahomey’s female warriors legendary is that they fought, willingly died for the king and country. In the final battles against the superiorly armed French army, about 1,500 women went to battle and only about 50 were fit to carry out the final mission. A French legionnaire named Bern praised them as “warriors who fought with great courage, always ahead of other armies. They are very brave, well trained and very disciplined.” One French marine, Henri Morienval, said, “…they were ready to throw themselves at our bayonets with extraordinary courage.” After Dahomey fell to the French, the female warriors continued to fight. They mingled with the women captured by the French, sneaking out at night to kill French officers. The French were terrified, outlawed the Amazons and banned Dahomey women from serving in the army or carrying weapons. But the Dahomey Amazons haven’t completely disappeared. Most sources suggest that the last female warriors died in the 1940s, but Stanley Alpern, author of Amazons of Black Sparta: The Women Warriors of Dahomey (Dahomey’s Women Warriors) opposes this. He pointed out that, “a woman who fought France as a teenager would not be older than 69 years old in 1943. It is likely that one or more will survive long enough to see their country regain its independence. in 1960”.

The meal was cooked and presented by Vu Van Vo. (Source: Vietnamnet) Presented extremely beautifully, Vo’s plump, multi-dish dishes made the online community admire. Van Vo said that he was born in Bac Ninh, went to Africa to live and work since he was 17 years old. Currently, he works at a photocopy and photography shop in a rural area of ​​Angola. Having lived in Africa for 10 years, Vo still finds it difficult to eat local food. “There are few dishes that I feel good about, one of them is grilled goat – a specialty of Angola. That’s why I often cook Vietnamese food for my family.” The 27-year-old said that he works from Monday to Saturday, so he often “draws” on weekends. As a person who loves to cook, Vo has taught himself how to prepare and present food online, plus his own creativity, he has never taken any cooking courses. Vo shared: “To cook Vietnamese food here, I often have to go to the city 40-50 km away from home to buy ingredients. But not everything can be bought, so when I cook, I have to fix it myself.” The cost for these 6-person rice trays, if calculated in Vietnamese money, is quite expensive – usually ranging from 4 to 10 million VND. For example, a meal with grouper costs 10 million VND, because a 6 kg fish alone costs 6 million VND. As for the more simple meals, eating every day is about 400 – 500 thousand VND / meal. “People who come to the house to eat rice often praise the beautiful tray of rice and do not want to eat it. I feel very happy and motivated to cook more delicious meals,” Vo said. Vo also confided that he has been to Africa since 2011 but he has only visited his hometown once in 2015. Therefore, he is very homesick and the dishes have a taste of his homeland. Let’s take a look at Vo’s beautifully presented pure Vietnamese rice trays: (according to Vietnamnet)

Rice tray presented by Vu Van Vo. Presented extremely beautifully, Vo’s plump, multi-dish dishes made the online community admire. Van Vo said that he was born in Bac Ninh, went to Africa to live and work since he was 17 years old. Currently, he works at a photocopy and photography shop in a rural area of ​​the country of Angola (Africa). Having lived in Africa for 10 years, Vo still finds it difficult to eat local food. “There are few dishes that I feel good about, one of them is grilled goat – a specialty of Angola. That’s why I often cook Vietnamese food for my family.” The 27-year-old said that he works from Monday to Saturday, so he often “draws” on weekends. As a person who loves to cook, Vo’s cooking and presentation methods are self-taught online, plus his own creativity, he has never taken any cooking courses. “To cook Vietnamese food here, I often have to go to the city 40-50km from home to buy ingredients. But not everything is available to buy, so when I cook, I have to fix it myself “- Vo shared. The cost for these 6-person rice trays, if calculated in Vietnamese money, is quite expensive – usually ranging from 4-10 million VND. For example, a meal with grouper costs VND 10 million, because a 6 kg fish alone costs VND 6 million. “As for the more simple meals, I cook 400-500,000 VND/meal every day,” Vo said. “People who come to the house to eat rice often praise the beautiful tray of rice and do not want to eat it. I feel very happy and motivated to cook more delicious meals.” Vo also confided that he has been to Africa since 2011 but he has only visited his hometown once in 2015. Therefore, he is very homesick and the dishes have a taste of his homeland. Vo’s rice trays cost from 4 to 10 million VND / meal for 6 people to eat.

Skybed Scar – the mighty lion king that once ruled the Kruger grasslands. In April 2018, in Kruger National Park, South Africa, two photographers Larry Pannell and Greg Parker took a rare set of photos of male lions taking their last breath naturally out in the wild. wild. In the last moments of his life, Skybed Scar – the mighty lion king that once dominated the Kruger grasslands and the photographers stood just over a meter apart. This male lion is a famous lion king in Kruger Park and once dominated a lion herd for several years. In his heyday. Skybed Scar has a mighty and majestic appearance, with muscular muscles and a loud roar that can make the surrounding herbivores tremble, even other male lions who want to usurp its throne. must also carefully consider the enormous power hidden in this roar. However, by the time the two photographers took these photos, Scar was old and had to leave her lions, or be chased from the lions, so she could only hunt alone. Lions are the only sociable of the big cats. They hunt together and take care of their young in packs. This helps them hunt more efficiently and can even kill large animals like the buffalo. A group of lions will usually include a male lion and a few female lions, sometimes even a herd of lion cubs running behind. A group of lions can have more than 50 individuals and in such large groups there can also be a few more adult male lions. Throughout her life, a female lion in a group of lions will be primarily responsible for hunting, while male lions are primarily responsible for patrolling the territory, intimidating other lions or other lions. invaders, keep the lions safe, and occasionally assist the lioness in her hunt. When the male lion cubs are close to reaching adulthood (under 3 years old) they will be kicked out of the herd to live in the wild, sometimes they will bond with several male lions like themselves to hunt together. bait. When these male lions are 6 years old (fully mature), they will use their strength to challenge other male lions to gain dominion over the lions. The defeated male lions will usually die from severe wounds, but if they are not dead then these old kings will be driven out of the pack and left to live alone, even if they are not. could become the target of the hyenas, and being able to die naturally would become a luxury. The photographer saw Skybed Scar at a watering hole, where a herd of small elephants usually drink water. When they got there, they noticed that a lion was drinking water on the bank, it seems that it is having problems with its left leg because its sitting angle is not very normal right now. And then they saw the lion stand up with a swaying posture like a drunk man, but in the end they discovered that it was an old lion and had not been eaten for a long time, its body only covered with skin. bone. Parker was a local photographer and recognized the old lion as Skybed Scar. It left the puddle and staggered toward a small high ground. Every few steps it will stop, bow its head to rest, accumulate the remaining strength in its body to be able to take a few more steps. After going up to the high ground, Skybed Scar looked back at the puddle one last time and then slowly walked down the slope, but only halfway through it, it fell. But right after that, a herd of elephants came to the puddle to play and satisfy their thirst, one elephant left the herd and walked towards the high ground, seeming to want to stand at a higher position to see the surrounding. Is there any danger around? At first, it did not detect the lion Scar 30 meters away, and Scar purposely avoided the view to avoid the elephant from detecting her. But unfortunately, the elephant still found it, stepped back and rushed towards Scar with a roar, when the other elephants heard the noise, they began to rush towards the old lion. Scar wanted to snarl at the elephants like when she was a child to scare away these scary giants, but now, she only had one choice, and that was to turn around and run with all her strength. The sound of galloping footsteps gradually disappeared, the dust also subsided, the two photographers drove to find the old lion, finally found Scar lying on the grass under the tree, dying unable to move. This last run had obviously exhausted him. Scar looked at the photographer with sad eyes, no one dared to approach the former king, but now, the photographer was more than a meter away, staring at its death. The old lion was breathing heavily, his chest heaving weakly, and his eyes slowly fading. Finally, after taking his last breath, Skar closed his eyes and safely left this world forever, and a generation of lion kings fell. You may often hear the traditional virtues of respecting the elderly and caring for young children on a bus, but in essence, such a statement clearly confuses many animals. Once the old male lion is driven out of the lions, only death awaits him; The new lion king will also kill the old lion king’s cubs, so that the lioness can mate with her In fact, most animals in the wild can hardly live to old age, not because they don’t want to die of old age, but their fellows don’t want to. Think twice, have you ever seen wild animals die of old age? Most people probably don’t see that in their lifetime.

Documentary image of the mutiny “Munity on the Bounty”. Touching Legend Sake has the English name breadfruit, or bread fruit, because after being cooked, this fruit has a surface like a loaf of toast while the smell and taste is like a potato. The mulberry tree is a flowering, woody plant in the mulberry family. Sake is grown for fruit, with a very high yield, each tree can yield from 150 to 200 fruits per crop. Sake fruit can be processed into many delicious dishes and is loved by many people. In it, the people of the French Polynesian island still tell the legend of the famine that occurred on the island of Raiatea. The story goes that, once upon a time, a family of six, in a desperate search for food, had to eat wild ferns in the valley around the cave where they lived. Unable to see his loved ones starving, the husband told his wife that he would bury himself outside the cave and transform into a flowering tree to feed his children. One morning, the wife woke up and her husband was nowhere to be found. She knows what happened. After looking around, the wife discovered near their place a tree that grew very fast, its branches laden with sake. Hawaiian mythology also circulates a similar story about the origin of the sake plant. Accordingly, sake is derived from the sacrifice of the war god Ku. After deciding to live in seclusion from the common people as a farmer, Ku married and had children. His family lived happily until a famine hit their island. When he could not see his children suffering forever, Ku told his wife that he could free his children from poverty, but to do this he had to leave them. His wife reluctantly agreed and after she agreed, Ku was sunk into the ground where he was standing until only the top of his head could be seen. His family waited around the place where he had stood day and night, crying and drenching the ground until suddenly a small tree bud appeared in the very spot where Ku had stood. Very quickly, this small bud grew into a tall, leafy tree and fruit. The Ku family and their neighbors ate deliciously, helping them escape starvation. This plant is the sake tree. The fruit of the sake in Africa. Today, this place is called Mahina but many locals still call it Tua-uru (meaning sake valley). Currently, the sake fruit, also known as the uru fruit as the locals call it, is an important part of the people’s diet and their culture. On the island of Polynesia, wherever you go, you will see tall trees with waxy leaves, sometimes heavy with fruit, each the size of a ball or maybe larger. Sake fruits are used to decorate roadsides and houses. In the market stalls, round and rectangular Sake fruits are lined up next to coconuts, bananas, soursop and passion fruit. On the more than 100 islands that make up the archipelago of French Polynesia, sake is a staple food. The name of this fruit comes from the fact that when it is ripe, this fruit contains a lot of pulp, if cooked, it will smell like freshly baked bread. The riper the Sake fruit, the sweeter it is and can be processed in many ways such as finely ground, boiled, grilled or fried with the pulp, even eaten fresh. Some locals call it the “Tree of Life” because it is so useful, both the fruit and the young leaves are edible; Wood is very light, can be used to build houses and make canoes. The bark is even used to make clothes. The Sake tree has been brought by the Polynesians and planted in their explorations throughout the South Pacific for thousands of years. When British explorers learned about this highly productive and nutritious fruit, it was taken around the world. Today, the sake plant is found in many tropical low-lying areas in more than 90 countries. Legendary mutiny Referring to this fruit, many people will immediately remember the mutiny that happened more than 200 years ago. Number is, in 1768, when Captain James Cook set sail aboard the British Royal Navy ship HMS Endeavor, British botanist Sir Joseph Banks also followed. During that three-year expedition, they stopped for about three months in Tahiti, Polynesia. Here, when witnessing the rapid growth of the Sake tree, which requires little care and produces a very high yield of starchy fruit, the two were quickly intrigued by the prospect that this fruit would eventually be used for food. slave farming in the West Indies region of the Caribbean. Upon his return to England, Mr Banks – who later became President of the Royal Society, the world’s oldest national scientific organization – presented King George III with their findings. The botanist even offered a prize to anyone who succeeded in transporting 1,000 sachets from Tahiti to the West Indies. Nearly 20 years after Captain Cook’s original expedition, King George III appointed Navy Captain William Bligh to lead the Sake expedition, to Tahiti. On November 28, 1787, Captain Bligh sailed with his crew aboard the HMS Bounty for an ambitious mission. Their journey had a rough start. Heavy rain and strong winds caused the trip to be significantly delayed. Once they reached Tahiti, Mr. Bligh and his crew had to wait another 5 months for the trees there to be big enough to be taken away. However, by this time, new problems arose as Bligh’s sailors had become accustomed to island life and Tahitian women. Many of them don’t want to leave. So on April 29, 1789, just a month after crossing the South Pacific to the West Indies, his friend Fletcher Christian and 18 other disgruntled sailors forced Bligh and his supporters to board a boat. 7m long boat and pushed them out to sea, throwing all the sake trees on that boat to rob the ship. This mutiny on the Bounty has become a legend. Bligh and his crew miraculously survived thanks to their instincts and great memory. It was thanks to this excellent memory and instinct that the Captain and his crew were able to travel 3,618 nautical miles (approximately 6,701 km) in 48 days, reaching Timor – an island located in Southeast Asia. From there, Bligh quickly returned to England, where he was honored and acquitted of all wrongdoing. Two years later, he once again sailed to Tahiti and this time he fulfilled his mission. In fact, some of the trees believed to have been brought by Bligh in the early days are still bearing fruit in Jamaica.

(Source: Reuters) Sumitomo Corp. (Japan) will provide mobile service in Ethiopia through a consortium with a telecommunications service provider Vodafone Group (United Kingdom). The move will make Sumitomo the first Japanese company to enter the African market. Ethiopia has approved a license for the consortium on mobile service providers in the country. It is expected that Sumitomo will hold about 30% of the shares in the new business and invest about 8 billion USD in 10 years, including investment capital for base stations. This will be the largest foreign direct investment on record in Ethiopia. According to the plan, service delivery will begin in 2022. Ethiopia is one of the largest countries in Africa, with 112 million inhabitants. According to statistics, when the rate of mobile phone usage is only about 40%, the new consortium has seen growth opportunities in this country. In addition to mobile services, the consortium also plans to launch services in areas such as digital currency, education, and health information technology. The announcement of the cooperation between Sumitomo and Vodafone comes amid concerns in Japan, the US and the UK about the trend of Chinese companies such as Huawei Technologies and ZTE building much of Africa’s telecommunications infrastructure.

However, Bieber doesn’t seem to care about the market when he keeps his hairstyle and with his wife – model Hailey Baldwin – went out to dinner on May 4. Justin Bieber’s braided hair. Photo: PeBu/BACKGRID. He tied his braided locks into two bundles and used a black bandana. In addition, the male singer chose to wear a hip hop-style outfit including a red sweatshirt and jeans. Accessories such as eyeglasses, necklace, bracelet… contribute to complete his look. Under the image of Bieber’s braided hair, some famous artists left comments praising. Rapper Quavo wrote: “Beautiful hair”. Meanwhile, Jaden Smith found Justin Bieber’s hair “cool”. Besides, some netizens continued to disagree when the male artist wore this hairstyle. User Brielle Andrews commented: “He looks very handsome, but when will he take off his braided hair?”. “It’s disappointing to see Justin Bieber with braided hair. I thought he had learned,” another user shared. Justin Bieber appeared at iHeartRadio Music Awards 2016 with controversial hair. Photo: Film Magic. In 2016, the Canadian male singer faced similar criticism. At that time, he replied: “Being like no other is fun. If you’re not weird, I don’t like you.”

An estimate of the number of daily excess deaths from Covid-19 around the world. Photo: The Economist In the year to 8 May, South Africa recorded 158,499 excess deaths (deaths that were higher than estimated under previous trends due to demographic changes). Health officials are confident that 85-95% of these deaths are caused by the new strain of corona virus, which is almost three times the official statistics. The disparity stems from the fact that, for a death to be recognized as caused by SARS-CoV-2, the deceased needs to undergo testing and be confirmed. Although South Africa does more testing than its neighbors, rates are still low. And the cause of death is not fully documented for those who die at home. Common phenomenon Mortality rates that exceed official statistics, at least at some point during the pandemic, occur in most if not all of the world. According to the most recent data, the number of excess deaths in the US was 7.1% higher than official statistics between early March 2020 and mid-April 2021. Studies have discovered such a mismatch in several countries. For example, the UK saw an excess death rate that was higher than published in the first wave of infections, but lower in the second, reflecting how measures to contain the spread of the virus helped. save many lives. A similar situation occurs in France. The inadequacy is simply because most countries, especially poor ones, do not provide such data in a timely manner. The best official data only reflect more than half of the real numbers, while the worst data show only about a quarter of reality. Photo: The Economist The Economist has attempted to model the extent of excess deaths during the pandemic in countries that do not report. With 95% probability, the model estimates the number of deaths globally to date between 7.1 and 12.7 million, with an average of 10.2 million. Not surprisingly, most of the missed deaths are in low- and middle-income countries. The actual death toll in most rich OECD countries is 1.17 times the official data, but 14 times higher in sub-Saharan Africa. Notable points The structure of the first and second waves in Europe and the US is less visible in the data of the statistical model for the whole world. Overall, the pandemic is increasingly concentrated in developing economies and continues to increase. In some places, seroprevalence surveys have shown that many people have Covid-19 antibodies, a sign of previous illness. Other factors that may also play a role are the measures governments have taken to limit the spread of the virus. Demographics also have an effect, with more young people often synonymous with lower mortality rates. By collecting 121 indicators for more than 200 countries and regions and machine learning models, The Economist experts estimate that, by May 10, there is a 95% probability that the pandemic has led to 2.4 – 7.1 million excess deaths in Asia (official death toll at 0.6 million), 1.5 – 1.8 million in Latin America and the Caribbean (officially 0.6 million), approx. 0 -2.1 million in Africa (officially 0.1 million), 1.5 – 1.6 million in Europe (officially 1 million) and 0.6 – 0.7 million in the US and Canada ( official 0.6 million). In Oceania, where only 1,218 deaths are officially reported, the model predicts that the actual number of deaths is between 12,000 and 13,000. The estimated range for Africa and Asia is very broad due to lack of data. If the probability is 50%, the estimated range narrows significantly, to only 3.3 – 5.2 million excess deaths in Asia, 0.8 -1.6 million in Africa and 8 ,2 – 10.5 million cases worldwide. In 2020, the number of daily deaths increased during 33/52 weeks. After a brief lull in early 2021, they bounced to new highs, largely due to the tragedy in India. According to estimates, the South Asian country is seeing between 6,000 and 31,000 deaths a day, far exceeding the official figure of about 4,000, in line with independent epidemiological estimates. Remarkably, the death rate from the epidemic is actually worse in richer countries. For Asia and Africa, the estimated death toll per million population is about half that of Europe. India is just the equivalent of Britain, at least for the time being. If two communities have the same level of health care, the community with more elderly people will have a higher number of deaths. If demographics are the only differentiating factor, estimates suggest that epidemic deaths in Japan (mean age 48) are 13 times higher than in Uganda (mean age 17). However, in absolute terms, the mortality rate among the young and poor population is much higher than that of the rich population of the same age group. And for the elderly in poor countries, the situation is clearly dire. The number of excess deaths (red) and the number of officially announced deaths by week in the US. Photo: The Economist Meaning of model The fact that mortality rates are relatively low in the developing world seems to be due to age several different meanings, as the virus is spreading more easily among younger people, a finding that has been reinforced by investigations. serum value. This implies many cases of non-fatal illness. It also means that the virus has a lot of opportunities to mutate. There is a documented exception where in some Southeast Asian countries, mortality rates appear to be very low. It is possible that residents here are benefiting from “cross-immunity”, the level of protection against SARS-CoV-2 caused by infection in other virus outbreaks in the area in the past. But, unfortunately, there are now signs that the numbers are on the rise. The Economist’s estimation model is the first of its kind, though not the only way to deduce the total number of deaths from Covid-19. However, Ariel Karlinsky, a statistician at Israel’s Kohelet Economic Forum think tank, notes that either way, the estimates are no substitute for official data. Tuan Anh

The Portuguese navigator Bartolomeu Dias first crossed here in 1488. He named it “Storm Cape”. Later, the king of Portugal changed its name to “Nose of Good Hope”. The entire southern part of the Cape peninsula is a national park that is wild, rolling hills, beautiful scenery and has not been ravaged by human hands. The Cape of Good Hope has been considered a place that hasn’t changed much in the last 500 years, since the Portuguese explorer Bartolomeo Dias discovered it. The route around Cape Hope is important, but the waters next to it are still a known danger in the world. South of Cape Hope is an area with strong westerly winds, on the immense sea surface there is nothing to cover, so the waves are big Before the Suez Canal was built in 1869, the Cape of Good Hope was the only sea route between Europe and Asia. A lighthouse is built on top of a mountain 249 meters above sea level. However, it is often covered by clouds, so it has been decommissioned since 1911, after a shipwreck accident. This place is only open to tourists to enjoy the view. Another lighthouse was built as a replacement, just over 80 meters above sea level. Coming here, visitors’ emotions surged: the greatness, generosity, romance of nature; the gentleness, the blue, the charm of the sea; boundless love, hope, human creative labor. Cape of Good Hope is the most beautiful destination, not to be missed when coming to South Africa.

Panoramic cave area Panga ya Saidi, Kenya, where ancient tomb is excavated Despite being home to the earliest indications of modern human behavior, early evidence of African burials is scarce and often ambiguous. Therefore, very little is known about the origin and development of the continental burial practices that gave birth to mankind. Pang ya Saidi has been an important site for the study of human origins since excavations began in 2010 as part of a long-standing collaboration among archaeologists from the Max Planck Institute on the Faculty. Study Human History (Jena, Germany) and National Museum of Kenya (Nairobi). Repeated excavation seasons at Pang ya Saidi now help establish it as a key site on the East African coast, with a special 78,000-year record of cultural, technological and iconic activities. original human. Parts of the child’s bones were first found during the excavation at Pang ya Saidi in 2013, but it wasn’t until 2017 that the feature of the small bone-filled pit was completely revealed. About three meters below the existing cave floor, the shallow, round hole contains bones that have decomposed tightly and are very difficult to decompose, and should be stabilized and plastered at the scene. New findings in the laboratory After being reassigned, the remainder was taken to the National Museum in Nairobi and then to the National Research Center for Human Evolution (CENIEH) laboratories in Burgos, Spain, for further excavation and analysis. Two teeth were exposed during the initial laboratory excavation, leading researchers to suspect that the remains could be human. Subsequent studies at CENIEH confirmed that the teeth belonged to a child between 2.5 and 3 years old, later nicknamed ‘Mtoto’, meaning ‘child’ in Swahili. Through months of intense excavation in CENIEH’s laboratories, spectacular new discoveries have been made. Professor María Martinón-Torres, director of CENIEH, explained: “We started to explore parts of the skull and face, with the intact joint of the lower jaw and some uneven teeth. The articulation of the spine and ribs is also surprisingly preserved, even preserving the curvature of the chest. It showed that it was an intact burial and the decomposition of the body took place in the hole where the bone was found. ” Microscopic analysis of the bones and surrounding soil confirmed that the body was quickly covered after burial and decomposition took place in the pit. In other words, Mtoto was intentionally buried shortly after death. The researchers also suggest that Mtoto’s bent body, found to be reclined to the right with the knees pulled towards the chest, represents a tightly wrapped burial with deliberate preparation. Martinón-Torres noted that this community may have performed some form of honor ceremony. The burial was different among modern humans and Neanderthals The child’s date (Mtoto) is 78,000 years ago and it is the oldest known human burial site in Africa. Later periods from the Stone Age of Africa also included many children, perhaps signaling special treatment of children’s bodies in this ancient period. Human remains have been found on an archaeological level with mid-African Neolithic stone tools, a distinct type of technology believed to be more involved than hominins. Ndiema noted: “The link between this child burial tool and the Stone Age played an important role in proving that Homo sapiens was the exact producer of these particular industries, in contrast to other hominin species ”. Professor Michael Petraglia of the Max Planck Institute in Jena noted: “The burial of Pang ya Saidi shows that the dehumanization of the dead is a cultural practice shared by Homo sapiens and Neanderthals. This finding raises questions about the origins and evolution of corpse burial rituals between the two human species is closely related and the extent of this behavior is far from that of people today.

Lake Tanganyika monster described by German doctor, Thierfelder in 1914. From the scientist’s notes The people of Lake Tanganyika have long spread about the appearance of a large and ferocious creature living at the bottom of the lake. The Tabwa tribesmen in northern Zambia call it the “God of Fishing”, they often hold rituals before the fishing season to pray for the “god” to facilitate the trip. The first reports of the monster appeared in 1893, when a survey led by Irish explorer Joseph Augustus Moloney went to the lake and met missionaries in the area. The monks told them of a large “sea serpent”, lurking in the murky depths of Lake Tanganyika, also sometimes seen lying in the sun on the shore. Another 1907 report came from the English naturalist Lord Walter Rothschild. He said he had heard stories of a large tusks monster lurking in the southern part of the lake, said to be quite ferocious. Rothschild did not see the creature, but said one of the witnesses was a South African police officer who recounted it and he believed them. Tales of the monster of Lake Tanganyika continued to circulate through the 1900s, mostly from foreigners, with a growing presence in the area. In 1914, a German doctor, MV Thierfelder walked along the banks of a remote lake in Burundi, where he set up a medical station to help deal with the alarming situation of sleeping diseases. One day, he went hunting with a local guide named Ilsgensmeier. This man took him around the area of ​​the lake, which is bordered by a cliff, and here they saw an entity that the German doctor did not know how to describe. It was a giant sea monster that he later estimated to be 30 meters long. “Suddenly, I saw from the lake a monster that looked like a monstrous snake appeared,” he said of the monster. It did not zigzag like a snake, but vertically above the water, at a fairly fast speed, straight up to the area bordering on the rocky shore, where I was lying still. It has no legs, near the head there are slender, fin-like structures on the sides. The whole body has a light brown color, without scales, but is covered with a thick, silky coat. The head of the animal is difficult to discern, because it appears only briefly in the water, but is not large and not clearly separated from the body. It is not like the head of a snake, but quite like the head of a mammal, like a manatee. However, its mouth seemed narrow and elongated. After moving among the otters for a while, the giant beast turned around and plunged into the lake, mixing in undulating waves. Where is the truth? Lake Tanganyika seen from satellite (left) and the area is said to have appeared monsters. In 1920, another remarkable story emerged, also of a foreigner, French writer and explorer, Victor Forbin. He said he had collected many reports on creatures called “amphibians, of enormous size, similar to elephants, rhinos and hippos in many different ways”. But Forbin’s documents in later years were considered untrustworthy, mostly just rumors and false assumptions, even the famous mysterious animal researcher, Bernard Heuvelmans, expressed doubted the authenticity of his stories. In 1928, there were numerous reports of an underwater reptile being seen by sailors on ships passing through the lake, and on one occasion they even spotted traces of this creature on shallow, described as the claw of a giant bird. These stories inspired explorer George Gray. He conducted a search throughout the area but was unable to locate the strange creature, other than reports from natives. Witness sightings after the 20th century began to dwindle, leaving one wondering what was seen, if it were a monster, where it was. Is this an unidentified reptile or a thick-skinned animal (pachyderm) with unidentified horns? It’s difficult to answer because the descriptions vary widely, from a sleek, zigzag reptile, to a large, lumbering hippopotamus. This made one consider, whether there could be more than one beast in the lake area. Whether the story is based on a real creature or just a part of the imagination, the monster Lake Tanganyika has become a bizarre African story and the search is not necessarily over. But with a depth of 1,436m (the second deepest in the world), 670km long of the lake, it is not easy to detect strange creatures here.

Modern boats take tourists about 7km from the mainland in the Aliwal Shoal (PV Dinh Luong at the far right). South Africa in particular and Africa in general attracts tourists with its pristine beauty, mystical indigenous culture and with 5 large species of “Big Five” including African elephants, Cape buffalo, leopard, lion and Rhino. But there is a different South Africa from the trips adventure travel Swim with sharks at Aliwal Shoal Marine Life Reserve, Umkomaas Town, KwaZulu-Natal Province, South Africa, about 50km south of the provincial capital Durban. Here’s your chance to meet these amazing creatures face-to-face throughout your life, a new adventure experience that challenges logical thinking and does what you never thought you’d ever do – in the water surrounded by sharks. Wondering if you can’t swim, can’t swim well, or are afraid of risking your life? All you need is an adventurous, adventurous and challenging spirit as the tour organizers will offer you a variety of options – from near absolute safety to the ultimate test of willpower. . You can simply drop yourself inside a stainless steel cage approved by the Maritime Safety Authority of South Africa (SamA) with a safety mask, choosing from different degrees of shallow depth when standing in the cage according to your preference. . But prepare for adrenaline rush with a more adventurous and memorable option. Many different options when diving with sharks. (Photo: Dinh Luong / Vietnam +) We came to Aliwal Dive Center because it is a diving center with sharks with more than 28 years of experience. Answering my concerns and worries when considering bringing both my wife and two children to the shark experience diving tour – guide and diving expert with the shark Danie Bester said he has more than 4 years in job and no mistakes have occurred. Aliwal Dive Center is part of an effort to conserve marine life, including sharks in the Indian Ocean, around the coastal city of Durban. Leaving previous jobs in Pretoria and Johannesburg, Danie chose to guide diving with sharks, because he could do what he loved and wanted to contribute to changing the animal’s perception. After helping with the selection of swimsuits, propellers and waterproof masks, Danie carefully told us to keep our arms closed under our armpits, use the propeller to swim softly, avoiding the shark’s mistaken hands other small fish species for food and attack. Strictly complying with the requirements for medical reporting during the COVID-19 pandemic season, my family of 4 and my friend Lina, 17, a South African citizen of Indian origin join a shark diving tour. . Lina’s parents pleased their daughter but still worriedly sent off to the beach and waited. Surf safely on custom 8m Superduck Semi Rigid boats equipped with a Yamaha Four Stroke 2×100 HP engine, to the area south of Aliwal Shoal, where skilled guides say there’s plenty of fish fat. The modern motor boat takes the group about 7km from the shore, the water depth is 20-30m. Sharks head to the ocean from many directions. (Photo: Dinh Luong / Vietnam +) We are fortunate to have a beautiful International Labor Day, the sea is relatively calm, the water is clear, the sunlight helps the view to the sea floor. In the breeding season from July to November each year, sharks often gather in high density in this sea. Captain Keith Rousouw with 25 years of experience instructing diving with sharks directly steered the boat. He said a support group of four divers on another boat helped us attract sharks, using food from small marine fish that was prepared and strictly followed the Ministry of Environment’s Shark Diving license. South Africa. The stainless steel cage floats on the water thanks to two buoys. The cage designed and perfected by an engineer can accommodate 8 people at a time, providing a relatively comfortable space for 4 visitors on this discovery tour. You might be wondering with the number 4? I chose to swim with Danie right from the beginning after consulting with these two skilled experts. Danie let me hang on a floating wooden stake thanks to two large floats, attached to the iron cage, for a wider view and better experience. You can feel my worries more clearly when you have seen the shark videos. The Oceanic Blacktip is 1.5-2m long, stout body with pointed snout, long gill slits and no burrs between dorsal fins. This species reached a maximum known length of 2.8m and a maximum weight of 123kg. Most individuals have a black head or edge on pectoral, dorsal, ventral, and caudal fins. Danie was in the water directly with us and Keith watched carefully from the boat. Expert Danie in turn helps team members cling to the wooden stake and swim with each person closer to the sharks. The experience of diving and being up close with the sharks affirms Danie’s love and understanding for this fish – calm and flexible. Between the time diving and underwater observations, I rose to the surface to breathe but many times saw the tall and crescent-shaped front dorsal fins of the ocean blackhead sharks moving around in the afternoon. It is about 1.5m long and weighs about 50-70kg, according to Danie. The blackhead shark is an agile and energetic carnivore. Oceanic Blacktip can jump out of the water while attacking small schools of fish. Their demeanor has been described as “timid” compared to other great globular sharks (family Carcharhinus), which are common in coastal tropical and subtropical seas around the world, including lips. brackish water habitat. We assessed that we had met about 25-30 marine blackhead sharks during the trip, but Danie said there were about 17 (perhaps due to anxiety, so amateurs “look nationalized chickens”). Many times while swimming next to Danie gets closer to the sharks, it feels as if they are rushing towards you, but with a graceful turn. Although I have had very close experiences with these ferocious animals, to a certain extent, I have to admit that they seem to be very friendly. And to be very restrained, we do not reach out to touch the flexible swim bodies very close – which expert Danie always warns to absolutely comply. Not only having a diving experience with sharks, the trip brings an understanding of other creatures living in shallow waters below 40m and small, symbiotic fish always “side by side” with the sharks. Another plus point is that you will experience surfing on a modern boat controlled by skilled captains. Goodbye, Ms. Basie Aukermann, Director of Aliwal Dive Center, said that the Center has actively and silently contributed to the conservation of marine life at Aliwal Shoal Protected Area and is delighted to have tourists from Vietnam. The distant south has come and experienced. Nature has its own ways of functioning, and South Africa is not just famous for the Big Five on land. The land of great experiences to challenge the will and adventure, to explore. Expert Danie Bester (left) supports journalist Dinh Luong on adventure travel. (Photo: Dinh Luong / Vietnam +)

Looks like chocolate cookies, but in fact these are cakes made from mosquitoes. (Photo: Internet) The mosquito burger, also known as the mosquito burger, as its name suggests, this burger is made from 100% mosquitoes, not mixed with any ingredients. The cakes have ingredients from 100% mosquito meat. They also have another name, Mosquito Burger, sound and like, but few people dare to try. (Photo: Internet) The method of catching mosquitoes is also very simple. People will find a large pot or a wooden board dipped in water, then spread all over the air to get the mosquitoes to stick, in just a few moments you can catch a few kilograms of mosquitoes very easily. Africans catch mosquitoes to make a 1-0-2 cake. (Photo: Internet) The next step is to dip mosquitoes into a pot of boiled water and knead like flour, make round, flat cakes like donuts, drop on greasy cooking oil, and give off a characteristic aroma. It looks like a dough to make a ramie, but it’s actually made up of thousands of mosquitoes. (Photo: Internet) In addition, Africans still have another way of processing. They will put mosquitoes in special sauce then cook them on stone slabs. It is estimated that each mosquito cake needs from 200,000 to 500,000 mosquitoes, especially this cake has a protein content 7 times higher than beef. Although mosquito cakes are good for the body, not everyone has the courage to eat an animal that specializes in sucking human blood. This dish is very nutritious, the protein is 7 times higher than beef. (Photo: Internet)

This shows that Mr. Guterres recognized the need and importance of input and feedback from international youth leaders in addressing 17 sustainable development goals related to the plan. Climate action. The common point of most of these goals is environmental sustainability and climate change resistance. Not only in the future, our children will “inherit” the Earth, but at this very moment, they are exercising inheritance rights in urgent ways and need to solve current problems immediately. ie. We can name a few members of the United Nations Youth Advisory Council as well as other youth activists from Asia and Africa, who may not be popular but remain silent. make an impact in their community. One of the new members is Archana Soreng of the indigenous Khadian tribe from the Sundergarh district in Odisha, India. Soreng is a research officer at Vasundhara Odisha and a climate leader. In her own opinion, she feels that “in order to build a better world after the Covid pandemic, it is important for indigenous communities to be aware of their joint role in protecting their lips. School, the environment itself will have a direct and long-term impact on their lives ”. Archana Soreng is a research officer at Vasundhara Odisha and a climate leader Speaker and climate activist, Vanessa Nakate has studied and educated herself for many years around environmental and political issues. Before crops failed, record heatwaves, increased deforestation and recently a grasshopper epidemic in East Africa, where she lives, Nakate felt that she could not stand and watch without speaking out for herself. Joining the Fridays for Future and Uganda Rise Up strikes at school, Nakate is at the forefront of the international youth movement working for the climate. Arshak Makichyan is an enthusiastic and outspoken Armenian Russian climate activist. He spoke enthusiastically about activities for the climate, frankly pointing to serious issues such as widespread wildfires, famine, rising sea levels, and rising temperatures that will affect today’s children. and tomorrow. He is an important representative of Russian youth in expressing anger and fears about climate change. Arshak Makichyan is a Russian-Armenian climate activist Ou Hongyi is an 18 year old climatologist located in Guilin, China. Concerned about pollution, emissions, flooding, and other climate-related emergencies in China, Hongyi even went against her parents’ desire to join air advocates. another poster in the world. She has been greatly influenced by Al Gore’s 2006 film An Inconvenient Truth and since watching it at the age of 16, she has repeatedly demonstrated to everyone the state of climate emergency. Fatou Lamin Jeng is a leader and youth educator on climate and gender issues. As a member of Clean Earth Gambia and a speaker at UNFPA Youth Day International in the summer of 2020, Jeng brought the dialogue on this issue to the fore. Kisha Erah Muanã is an avid climate leader in the Philippines, where numerous issues are emerging such as global warming, rising sea levels, soil erosion, water pollution, poverty. , gang activity and violence. In addition, deforestation, super typhoons and earthquakes have been and are having a huge impact on the Philippines. As the youth spokesperson for the Cebu region, Muanã said: “I feel very happy to represent the country at a major event to voice my views on emergencies towards emergencies. with the climate. All these young leaders and many more have given us inspiration to take quick action against climate change to protect the future of this planet. and of all peoples, races, species, and nations. We will be wiser if we rely on the advice of indigenous people, those who are marginalized, who know best of the consequences of irresponsibility. As Archana Soreng observed: “Our ancestors protected forests and nature through the ages with their traditional knowledge and practices. Now, we must become the leaders in combating the climate crisis ”.

A colony of giant grasshoppers is a terrible disaster. They begin with a black streak on the horizon, followed by darkening gradually. The small rustling noises gradually turned into the shrill noise of the millions of yellow insects that came. Since the end of 2019, grasshopper clouds have spread across the Horn of Africa, devastating crops and meadows, prompting people to trigger a massive campaign to destroy them. The ground and air spraying of insecticides in eight East African countries, coordinated by the World Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), prevented the worst scenario – the destruction of the grasshoppers. the food source of millions of people. In 2020, according to FAO calculations, the campaign will preserve the amount of grassland and food enough for 28 million people in the Horn of Africa and Yemen in a year. But this progress has come with unspecified consequences for the environment, and the difficult problem is to find a way to destroy this invasive insect without destroying plants, harming insects, and wild animals. wild and human. The consequences have not been determined To date, 2.3 million liters of chemical pesticides have been sprayed on 1.9 million hectares, at a cost of about $ 195 million (according to FAO statistics). This campaign will continue this year. Assessment of damage to the environment is not complete, but the effects of the insecticide have been recorded for centuries in other areas. Extensive pesticides not only kill grasshoppers, but also bees and other insects. They penetrate into water sources and can affect human health. Dino Martins, executive director of the Mpala Research Center in Kenya, said: “Of course there will be uncontrolled damage. All these chemicals are made to kill insects, and they do it with that. bulk”. Grasshoppers formed in 2018, after a hurricane brought heavy rains to the Arabian desert, allowing them to breed on wet sand. Strong winds in 2019 push the flock to Yemen, then across the Red Sea into Somalia, Ethiopia and Kenya. Grasshoppers proliferate quickly and eat everything in the way they fly. Photo: National Geographic. The spraying was carried out even when the Covid-19 pandemic spread around the world. Wearing masks, hundreds of local volunteers and Kenyan conscripts wore aerosols and sprayed the grasshoppers with any pesticide in stock. They sprayed tens of thousands of liters of deltamethrin, as well as hundreds of liters of fipronil, chlorpyrifos, and other insecticides. In particular, many types are banned in Europe and some parts of America. In the reported case in the northern Samburu region, a ground control team sprayed 35 times the recommended amount of chemicals on an area, killing both bees and beetles. “Originally, this was an emergency situation. The idea was to try to control as quickly as possible to control the environment,” said Thecla Mutia, head of the environmental impact monitoring group of locust control efforts in Kenya. ensure food security “. Struggled to find an alternative Pesticides are poisons. Four types used in Kenya under FAO censorship have a high risk of harming bees, low to moderate to birds, medium to high with grasshoppers and soil insects, such as ants and termites. The European Union has banned the use of chlorpyrifos since early 2020, and some American states such as New York, California, and Hawaii also banned it. Fenitrothion is not approved for use in Europe, but is used in the US and Australia against grasshoppers. “We are not hiding the nature of the insecticide, but we cannot do anything while the grasshoppers spread. We want to reduce the number of desert locusts,” said Cyril Ferrand, FAO’s team leader in Nairobi. in a responsible way. Grasshoppers wreak havoc on crops with terrifying speed and scale. Photo: BBC. Biological solutions that are non-toxic, which can kill grasshoppers without harming other species, have been around for decades. However, chemical pesticides remain the top choice, accounting for up to 90% of the solution sprayed during the campaign in East Africa. The development of biological insecticides began in the late 1980s, after the grasshopper epidemic lasted for many years, stretching from North Africa to India. Christiaan Kooyman, a Dutch scientist who makes a bio-insecticide from the fungus Metarhizium acridum, which attacks grasshoppers, said: “When we see the number of millions of liters of pesticides sprayed, even the community. Donating them was also frightened. And they asked, ‘What else can I do?’ Metarhizium, marketed since 1998, has been proposed by FAO as “the most suitable control solution” for grasshoppers, but is rarely used. The drug works slowly, giving it a low “suppression” rate – that is, killing after days instead of hours. At the same time, its use was very expensive and difficult, more effective with young than adult swarms of grasshoppers – which was a great threat at the time. The biggest advantage of Metarhizium – just killing grasshoppers – also makes it a less profitable product. Companies make very little money making the drug, and go through the costly licensing process in one country and take a long time until it is allowed to be used. “Grasshoppers don’t usually show up, and businesses aren’t interested in producing something that isn’t used,” said Graham Matthews, a scientist on the Pesticide Review Foundation founding council. The grasshoppers come, you don’t want to wait for new production, you want a solution. As a result, governments have used wide-ranging, readily available chemical pesticides. Pesticides are the solution of choice to control grasshoppers. Photo: FAO. What worries the farmers, herders, scientists and conservationists of Kenya with these chemicals is that there is so much unknown – if any – about the harm they cause. A US government assessment warns “the risk of a significant negative impact on the environment and human health”, and the World Bank considers that the risk to the environment is “enormous”. “The use of large amounts of pesticides will of course harm biodiversity, but the magnitude of the effects has not been determined,” said Sunday Ekesi, an entomologist who joined his own anti-desert locust force. Nairobi, said. A major concern in Kenya is the impact of pesticides on pollinators. Farmers believe that the disappearance of bees is a factor in the low production of honey and mango. However, the lack of surveillance information makes it difficult for scientists to know what is actually going on. FAO’s 2003 guidance on safety measures shows that aerial spraying has no less impact on human health than ground spray, but often presents “more environmental concern” because There is a risk of entering sensitive areas in the ecosystem. In general, Kenya’s current grasshopper eradication campaign has improved compared to the first few weeks. If done correctly, the environmental impact will be very low. However, not many official reports have been published on this matter. Aircraft sprayed insecticides in the area invaded by locusts. Photo: FAO. Raphael Wahome, an animal scientist at Nairobi University, said FAO needs to release reports soon, so that researchers can evaluate more comprehensively. “Our main concern is that it’s all focused on locust control without the parallel monitoring system for undesirable effects,” he said. occurred where the “pesticide was used”.

Lake Tanganyika monster described by German doctor, Thierfelder in 1914. From the scientist’s notes The people of Lake Tanganyika have long spread about the appearance of a large and ferocious creature living at the bottom of the lake. The Tabwa tribesmen in northern Zambia call it the “God of Fishing”, they often hold rituals before the fishing season to pray for the “god” to facilitate the trip. The first reports of the monster appeared in 1893, when a survey led by Irish explorer Joseph Augustus Moloney went to the lake and met missionaries in the area. The monks told them of a large “sea serpent”, lurking in the murky depths of Lake Tanganyika, also sometimes seen lying in the sun on the shore. Another 1907 report came from the English naturalist Lord Walter Rothschild. He said he had heard stories of a large tusks monster lurking in the southern part of the lake, said to be quite ferocious. Rothschild did not see the creature, but said one of the witnesses was a South African police officer who recounted it and he believed them. Tales of the monster of Lake Tanganyika continued to circulate through the 1900s, mostly from foreigners, with a growing presence in the area. In 1914, a German doctor, MV Thierfelder walked along the banks of a remote lake in Burundi, where he set up a medical station to help deal with the alarming situation of sleeping diseases. One day, he went hunting with a local guide named Ilsgensmeier. This man took him around the area of ​​the lake, which is bordered by a cliff, and here they saw an entity that the German doctor did not know how to describe. It was a giant sea monster that he later estimated to be 30 meters long. “Suddenly, I saw from the lake a monster that looked like a monstrous snake appeared,” he said of the monster. It did not zigzag like a snake, but vertically above the water, at a fairly rapid speed, straight up to the area bordering on the rocky shore, where I was lying still. It has no legs, near the head there are slender, fin-like structures on the sides. The whole body is light brown, without scales, but covered with a thick, smooth coat. The head of the animal is difficult to discern, because it appears only briefly in the water, but is not large and not clearly separated from the body. It is not like the head of a snake, but quite like the head of a mammal, like a manatee. However, its mouth seemed narrow and elongated. After moving among the otters for a while, the giant beast turned around and plunged into the lake, merging with the undulating waves. Where is the truth? Lake Tanganyika seen from satellite (left) and the area is said to have appeared monsters. In 1920, another remarkable story emerged, also of a foreigner, French writer and explorer, Victor Forbin. He said he had collected many reports on creatures called “amphibians, of enormous size, similar to elephants, rhinos and hippos in many different ways”. But Forbin’s documents in later years were considered untrustworthy, mostly just rumors and false assumptions, even the famous mysterious animal researcher, Bernard Heuvelmans, expressed doubted the authenticity of his stories. In 1928, there were numerous reports of an underwater reptile being seen by sailors on ships passing through the lake, and on one occasion they even spotted traces of this creature on shallow, described as the claw of a giant bird. These stories inspired explorer George Gray. He conducted a search throughout the area but was unable to locate the strange creature, other than reports from natives. Witness sightings after the 20th century began to dwindle, leaving one wondering what was seen, if it was a monster, where it was. Is this an unidentified reptile or a thick-skinned animal (pachyderm) with an unidentified horn? It is difficult to answer because the descriptions vary widely, from a sleek, zigzag reptile, to a large, lumbering hippopotamus. This made one consider, whether there could be more than one beast in the lake area. Whether the story is based on a real creature or just a part of the imagination, the monster Lake Tanganyika has become a bizarre African story and the search is not necessarily over. But with a depth of 1,436m (second deepest in the world), 670km long of the lake, it is not easy to detect strange creatures here.

Africa is a magical continent. There are some peculiar scenery here, among which the most worth mentioning is the African desert. Today, the editor will introduce to you the Namib Desert, the oldest desert in Africa. This desert has a unique landscape. Looking at the photos of the Namib Desert is simply a visual feast.

If you come to Namibia, you will find that there are beautiful scenery everywhere, you can feast your eyes. Let’s explore the wonderful Africa with the editor today and experience the magic and beauty of Africa’s Namibia. The Namib Desert is one of the most worthwhile deserts in Africa. The unique landscape here has attracted many tourists and videographers from all over the world.

The shape of the Namib Desert is very beautiful. The sand dunes in the desert are semi-circular, like crescent moons. At first glance, they are full of beautiful scenery. Take pictures with you. They are all beautiful pictures. The beauty of Namibia can only be felt when you go there. The beauty is amazing, and the beauty makes people forget where they are.

The most noteworthy thing about the Namib Desert is its red desert. If you get up early, then I recommend you to welcome the morning sun on the red desert. When the sun rises, the sky is red and the desert is red. The upper and lower reds are connected together, which is extremely magnificent. It’s hard to describe it in words. After the sun came out, under the sunlight, the color of the red desert became more vivid, no matter from which angle it was viewed, it was extremely beautiful.

Coming to the red desert of Namibia, if you don’t take a few photos, you are really sorry for this trip. By the way, the red desert of Namibia is related to its rich iron elements. The unique red desert of Namibia attracts many tourists to come for sightseeing experience, and come back with satisfaction.

There is another place worth visiting in the Namib Desert, which is the “Death Valley”. There are many dry and dead trees in it. Even though these trees have been dead for hundreds of years, they still stand there, with their branches straight. It is proclaiming its undefeated spirit. This kind of spirit is worthy of our study, never give up in the face of setbacks, and still maintain our strength of character. Of course, in addition to dead trees, there are also green trees in the Namib Desert. Although there are not many, they are also exciting. The scenery of Namibia can only be truly felt when you see it yourself.

The scenery of Namibia is amazing, its beauty is amazing, and its spirit is worth learning. If you have the opportunity, you must visit Namibia to see this scenery that is different from our country’s desert.

“Take long distance water” – survive where there is no water

Every day 11-year-old Nya has to walk barefoot to get some standing water from a shallow lake a half-day walk from her home. Go then go, go and go. Almost all day walking. I have been walking like that for 7 months a year.

But even if she walked this far, the amount of water Nya took back was not much. It was also very hard to get water. Nya had to dig a small hole in the shallow bed of the lake, pick up each handful of soil so that the little remaining water would flow and that hole. I have to wait a long time to scoop a bucket of water into the can. But the water is cool, leaving the water to settle for a long time still does not get rid of the dirt.

The book Taking Long Distance is based on the true story of Salve Dut. Photo: Pham Thuy.

Salva was only 11 years old when she had to flee the war and lost her family. From Sudan, I joined a group of refugees heading east, back to Ethiopia. On the way, they experienced many dangers, from lions to catch people, to groups of robbers along the way.

But there is nothing more terrible than not having water. They crossed the hot desert with little water in hand. A lot of people did not make it out of the desert. The remainder of those who reach a refugee camp in Ethiopia cannot stay there forever as the refugee camp will be closed. Salva is one of the rare children raised in a refugee camp and adopted by an American family.

Take long distance water is a book written on the true story of Salva Dut, one of hundreds of children lost in the Second Sudanese Civil War that broke out in 1983. After 15 years of living in America, Salva returned to her homeland and began drilling wells throughout the villages bringing water back to the people, for kids like Nya who no longer have to walk long distances to get water.

“The boy reap the wind” – survives where there is no electricity

In 2000, there was no electricity in the place where William Kamkwamba lived. It’s a tiny African country called Malawi, where electricity is not easily accessible because the price is too expensive and difficult to get in.

Because there is no electricity, the daily activities must be done early and they go to bed at 7pm. In the dark, William could not study, could not read, even went to the toilet and could not see anything.

William Kamkwamba’s book The Boy Windbreaker documents the electric journey back to the village. Photo: Thien Ai.

But refusing to accept fate, William fumbles himself to generate electricity … a homemade windmill. This mill was made from discarded materials in a junkyard near William’s house. Those were broken plastic pipes, discarded sheet metal, battery out of battery, and most importantly, his father’s old bicycle.

William’s dream is not merely to create a windmill, but to further bring electricity to his villagers and change his country.

Book The boy reaped the wind He has recorded his journey from a naive young William just playing to becoming a TED speaker telling his story to many people, graduating from Dartmouth College and returning to build his homeland.

“Little homeland” – survived in a violent war

Born and raised in Burundi, a small country in Central Africa, Gaby thought he would have a peaceful childhood, just going to bathe in the river and steal mango all day. But where Gaby lived, the two main ethnic groups, the Hutu and the Tutsi, had a great deal of hatred.

Hutu people make up the majority of this land, although their bodies are small, they have a very large nose. The Tutsi, on the other hand, was tall, thin with a delicate nose. And war broke out between the Hutu and the Tutsi, they fought because their noses were not the same.

The Little Homeland book reveals the curtain of genocide in Africa. Photo: Young Publishing House.

That was the beginning of the horrific genocide that took place in Burundi and neighboring Rwanda, which took place 100 days in 1994. Gaby was built on the author Gaël Faye himself, who witnessed the violent war. then he was forced to leave his homeland.

The genocide in 1994 was a bloody event in Africa that no one wanted to talk about in the world. And to break the fog that envelops that truth, in 2013, Gaël Faye returned home, composing music and writing books about the event.

Book Small homeland He won the 2016 Teen Goncourt Award, which is translated into 36 languages ​​and shows the world the best of what happened to the children of Africa.