🔅 The World's Biggest Ship Graveyard & Uganda's Swahili Investment
Plus, Crypto Execs Detained in Nigeria
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The World's Biggest Ship Graveyard
The beautiful waters off of Mauritania are marred by the sight of 300 rusting, abandoned ships. These hulks were sent here by their owners, who found it cheaper to bribe officials and dump their boats than dismantle them properly as per international regulations.
These ships are left to decay and slowly seep toxic waste into the ocean.
But it's not all doom and gloom: the ships have actually created new homes for fish and other sea creatures, boosting the local fishing industry. What's more, a thriving salvage business has emerged from the wrecks.
Uganda's $800M Investment in Swahili
The Ugandan government has decided to invest $800 million in promoting and teaching the Swahili language. The move is aimed at fostering regional integration. The training program will target everyone, from civil servants, including doctors and nurses, to senior government officials, like cabinet ministers and judges.
Swahili, also known as Kiswahili, is already spoken by about 200 million people worldwide and is recognized as the official language of the East African regional bloc, of which Uganda is a part.
Cryptocurrency Execs in a Bind in Nigeria
Two high-flying execs from Binance, the cryptocurrency giant, find themselves in a bit of trouble in Nigeria. Tigran Gambaryan, a U.S. citizen with the grand title of "Head of Financial Crime Compliance," and Nadeem Anjarwalla, a British-Kenyan who oversees Binance's African operations, thought they were flying into Nigeria for what could be just another day at the crypto office.Â
Except it wasn't.
Landing in the country on Feb. 26, the duo was detained faster than you can say "Bitcoin." They have yet to be formally charged with any misdeeds, but the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) says it will keep them for another couple of weeks.
Their detention came against a backdrop of Nigeria banning several crypto trading sites, as we reported here.
Zimbabwe: A "Prophet" is Detained For Putting 251 Kids To Work
Zimbabwe's own "self-styled prophet," Ishmael Chokurongerwa, has found himself in hot water after police discovered a disturbing operation on his farm. The 56-year-old leader of the Johane Masowe sect, also known as Madzibaba Ishmael, reportedly housed 251 kids on his farm who were put to work. What's more, police also found 16 unidentified graves.
During a court appearance near Harare, the prophet and seven of his disciples faced the magistrate, Christine Nyandoro, who rejected bail and will keep them under lock and key until April 4.
Food for Thought
“An orphaned calf licks its own back."
— Kenyan Proverb