Features

First introduced in 1997 and resurrected again seven years after its ostensible retirement, the fifth “Y61” generation Nissan Patrol’s 2017 Middle East comeback marks a welcome return of a rugged and authentic off-road icon.

Now dubbed the Nissan Patrol Super Safari and beloved by Gulf motorists in particular for its near-legendary durability, extensive off-road ability and high comfort levels, the Y61 has since been sold concurrent with the more modern and refined, if perhaps more softer-edged, “Y62” sixth generation Patrol, circa 2010 onwards.

Reliable reputation

A favourite family car and lifestyle off-roader, the Y61 Patrol’s position as an icon of the Gulf automotive scene is rooted in its extreme durability. 

This is perhaps best exemplified by its popular use as the basis for highly modified uphill sand dune drag racing, where its proverbially “bullet-proof” engine is routinely tuned to in excess of 2,000BHP. 

Playing to such a reputation, the revived Patrol Super Safari has since also spawned more off-road capable factory modified Middle East market Falcon and Gazelle editions. 

If pitched as a resurrection in response market demands in its return for private use, the Y61 has, however, never truly been retired, and remained available for fleet sales to non-governmental international agencies. 

In regular service for use in inhospitable terrain and demanding conditions by such organizations during its 2010-2017 “hiatus”, such vehicles were more basic and utilitarian variants, whereas the revived Super Safari is a more sportily styled and better-equipped variant with extensive and more up-to-date comfort, convenience and tech features.

Refreshingly uncomplicated

Boxy, chunky and upright, the Super Safari’s ruggedly utilitarian styling is virtually unchanged for it revival run, bar for the addition of more muscularly defined wheel arches, slightly redesigned light elements and the addition of two-tone paint, tailgate spoiler and new alloy wheel design. 

With a big glasshouse and low, level waistline allowing for good visibility, the Super Safari’s design is refreshingly uncomplicated and easier on the eye with its horizontal emphasis, airy cabin and low wheel-arch to bonnet height, than more complicated and vertically-oriented modern SUVs.

Renowned for its durability, the Super safari’s thoroughly proven naturally-aspirated large displacement 4.8-litre in-line 6-cylinder engine carries over. Capable of handling huge power upgrades at the hands of aftermarket tuners, the Super Safari’s engine is relatively unstressed in its stock factory state. 

Developing 280BHP at a low-revving 4,800rpm and a more substantial 332lb/ft torque at 3,600rpm on the more generous “gross” rating, as advertised, the Patrol’s engine is, however, estimated to produce perhaps around 248BHP and 310lb/ft by the more widely used ‘net’ rating system.

Ruggedly smooth

A silky smooth “straight six” with a responsive yet relaxed demeanour, the Super Safari’s engine is progressively linear in delivery. 

Pulling well from tick-over to redline, it is confident and capable, if not excessive, but delivers good low-end response, a versatile mid-range and an eager, if low-revving, top-end. 

Driving the rear wheels — under normal conditions — through a smooth shifting 5-speed automatic gearbox, the Super Safari’s engine is perhaps thirsty compared to more modern engines, but nevertheless carries its significant 2.5-tonne estimated heft through 0-100km/h in approximately 10-seconds.

Built on a rugged ladder-frame chassis and riding on multi-link coil spring suspension with good articulation, the Super Safari is designed with off-road ability and durability in mind, and even features an electric-driven winch embedded in the front bumper. 

For traversing rough terrain, the Super Safari features good 215mm ground clearance and 47° side slope and 38.7° grade capability, while short overhangs allow generous 37° approach, 27° ramp and 31° departure angles.

Its off-road abilities are meanwhile underpinned by its tough four-wheel-drive system that includes low range gears and a locking rear differential for more demanding conditions.

Sturdy and spacious

An unassailable off-road beast, the Super Safari nevertheless avails itself well on-road. Tough but comfortably compliant, its suspension and tall tyres provide a cushioned and settled ride quality, making short shrift of big and sudden bumps and potholes. 

In handling and manoeuvrability, the Patrol certainly isn’t a corner carving road racer, but isn’t particularly unwieldy either. It is instead confident, balanced and predictable through corners, and comparatively well contains body roll, while steering is light and user-friendly, if not layered with nuance and feedback.

Confidently planted and stable on highway, the Super Safari has an impregnably sturdy sense of insulated refinement, which extends to cabin quality. 

Airy and spacious, it comfortably seats front and middle row passengers, and features twin side folding third row seats to accommodate a total complement of seven. 

Styling is meanwhile elegantly uncomplicated, with user-friendly controls and instruments, and plenty of storage space. Updated in presentation and materials, the Patrol’s cabin incorporates more contemporary amenities including an infotainment screen system, reversing camera, and automatic climate control.

TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS

Engine: 4.8-litre, in-line 6-cylinders 

Bore x stroke: 99.5 x 102mm

Valve-train: 24-valve DOHC, variable valve timing

Gearbox: 5-speed automatic, four-wheel-drive

Drive-train: Locking rear differential, low gear transfer case

Power, HP (kW): 280 (209) @4,800rpm*

Torque, lb/ft (Nm): 332 (451) @3,600rpm*

0-97km/h: approximately 10-seconds**

Top speed: 190km/h**

Fuel consumption, city: 17.2-litres/100km**

Fuel capacity: 135-litres

Length: 5,080mm

Width: 1,940mm

Height: 1,855mm

Wheelbase: 2,970mm

Minimum Ground clearance: 215mm**

Approach/ramp/departure angles: 37°/27°/31°**

Grade capability: 38.7°**

Side slope capability: 47°**

Kerb weight: approximately 2,500kg**

Seating capacity: 7

Luggage volume: 668-litres**

Turning radius: 12.2-metres

Suspension F/R: 3-link/5-link, coil springs, anti-roll bars

Brakes: Ventilated discs

Tyres: 275/65R17**

*Gross power and torque

**Estimate

By Dr Tareq Rasheed
International Consultant and Trainer

There are six types of intelligences: analytical, environmental, musical, vocal, social and emotional. In many research articles, including Forbes’s “Are Men and Women Equally Emotionally Intelligent?”, women are classified as more emotionally intelligent than men in terms of empathy, interpersonal relationships and social responsibility; in other words, traits we associate with the general notion of emotion.

Men, on the other hand, lead the way in terms of stress tolerance, self-regard and assertiveness. In leadership (the act of influencing followers to achieve goals), one of the most crucial differences between men and women as leaders is differing traits within emotional intelligence. 

When it comes to emotions, children grow up to be more able to relate with their mothers than with their fathers. This is logical, as it is believed that mothers are primarily responsible for nurturing and caretaking during early infancy. The paternal role differs, as historically fathers would provide the family with financial stability and ensure the necessities of the family were met. These behavioural patterns reflect the way in which we view men and women as leaders.

The main differences concerning men and women as leaders are: 

Women

• Lead by empathy and are relationship- orientated

• Generally employ cooperation and participation

• Motivate the team through the transformational leadership approach according to the American Institute of Psychology, through moral incentives when goal setting

Men

• Lead by logic and assertiveness

• Depend mainly on power in decision-making

• Motivate the team using the transactional leadership approach of reward for successes and penalties for failures

In governmental positions, the trend is to assign women leaders in positions where social and emotional intelligences are core skills for employee-client relations. These include — exterior affairs, social development ministries and in human resource departments, customer relation management. While men would be assigned positions such as military, ministry of interior affairs, police, as well as the departments of finance, legal departments, as examples. While our neuro-anatomies differ in terms of what we bring to leadership positions, it should be noted that women and men are by no means restricted to the aforementioned job roles.

In general, emotional intelligence in leadership can be demonstrated by:

• Enhancing the self-awareness of each team member, and this is done usually in one-to-one sessions between team leader and team member. In motherhood, mothers help their kids to understand themselves and to hone their skills during the school years. Self-awareness is related to knowing the strengths and weaknesses, desires and motivators, fears and worries, and setting targets in life and work

• Helping team members to manage negative emotions easily; negative emotions include anger, sadness, worry, depression and boredom. Again, if we connect with motherhood, mothers are somewhat more capable of helping their kids to manage such emotions than fathers

• Communication with the team; a very crucial skill required for leadership. Leaders that do not master advanced communication skills with their teams will rarely manage to achieve their targets

The United Nations, in its Sustainable Development Goals (SDG’s) for 2030, emphasises in its SDG#5, Gender Equality Basis, specifically the sub-goal SDG 5.5: To ensure women’s full and effective participation and equal opportunities for leadership at all levels of decision-making in political, economic, and public life. 

Let’s ascertain one thing — both men and women can lead. However, there are major differences in the leadership styles. Women, in principle, implement emotion-based strategies in positions of leadership.

Reprinted with permission from Family Flavours magazine

WASHINGTON — Sorry, "Jurassic Park" and toymakers everywhere.

Tyrannosaurus rex probably did not have those exposed jagged teeth.

The fearsome choppers of arguably the most celebrated of dinosaurs were likely covered by lips when the mouth was closed.

It's not an open and shut case, but that's the conclusion of a team of international researchers whose findings are published on Thursday in the journal Science.

"Animals like T-Rex, theropod dinosaurs, most likely had some sort of lips, like a soft tissue covering on their mouth to cover their teeth," said one of the authors of the study, Thomas Cullen, an assistant professor of paleobiology at Auburn University.

"This is different than what a lot of prior assumptions had been — which was that they looked more like crocodiles, having the teeth exposed when the mouths were closed and having no lips."

To reach their conclusion, Cullen and the other researchers studied a range of different theropods from various museums and followed several lines of inquiry.

They looked at wear patterns, for example, on the enamel of dinosaur teeth and crocodilians, the most closely related animals to theropods alive today.

"We did that because enamel, as some people have been told by their dentists, has to stay healthy and stay hydrated in order to remain healthy," Cullen said. "If it's exposed to air for too long it gets brittle, is more likely to crack or get diseased."

Cullen said the enamel on the outer sides of the teeth of living crocodilians wears down faster than that on the insides because they don't have lips.

"When we looked at enamel thickness on the inside and outside of the teeth in large Tyrannosaurs, they don't show that pattern like a crocodile," he said.

"They show a pattern more like an animal that has lips," he said. "Their enamel thickness is the same on the outer side and on the inner side."

Teeth too big for the mouth? 

The researchers also studied whether T-Rex's teeth may have simply been too big to fit in the dinosaur's mouth, comparing them to a number of present-day lizards that have lips.

"Some of the monitor lizards today have absolutely massive teeth," Cullen said. "It looks almost unbelievable that those teeth could be fully covered in lips and yet they are. 

"And we found that that sort of relationship, that scaling relationship, is almost identical in theropod dinosaurs."

As for how the findings will affect popular depictions of theropods, Cullen said the blockbuster "Jurassic Park" franchise "did a great job at the beginning of trying to stick with what was known at the time".

"But it's gone pretty off the rails since then in terms of any attempt to stick to accurate depictions of dinosaurs," he added.

BANTAKOKOUTA, Senegal — Mohamed Bayoh climbed into the deep, pitch-black hole, hoping to emerge with a nugget that would change his life.

The 26-year-old Guinean is one of thousands of West Africans who have flocked to remote eastern Senegal in search of gold.

The rush for the precious metal has dramatically transformed Bantakokouta, a town on the borders of Mali and Guinea.

The locals numbered just a few dozen two decades ago, now there are several thousand on the back of a floating population of dream-seekers and risk-takers with gold in their eyes.

Over time, their ant-like labour has left the landscape looking like a Swiss cheese.

As far as the eye can see, through the pervasive dusty mist, small huddled groups protected from the sun by makeshift branch shelters haul up spoil scratched from the ground.

Women sit nearby, sorting the rocks into two mounds — a big one for the discards and a much smaller one for the promising samples.

The same scenes are played out every day, with no guarantee of any success.

“Working here is like playing the lottery, you are never sure of winning,” sighed Bayoh, who said he was nonetheless determined to stay put until he gets rich.

Other sites in the gold-rich region have been taken over by mining corporations, sometimes triggering land disputes with local people.

But in Bantakokouta, informal mining has been allowed to carry on.

Diggers stay typically stay for a few months — sometimes just days — to chance their arm, hoping for a lucky strike that will enable them to send money home or start a business.

Bayoh was clear in his objective: To “find a lot of gold”, he said.

“Not a little... a lot. To start another life in Guinea”.

After six months’ gruelling work, he had earned enough to buy two motorbikes. 

One gramme (0.03 of an ounce) of gold — roughly equivalent to 60 grains of rice — brings in 30,000 CFA francs, or about $48.

 Harsh life 

But the risks facing miners are many, from fatal falls and cuts and landslips to use of drugs to dull aches and pains, said Diba Keita, head of a community vigilance committee.

The town itself bears the signs of poverty and transience.

Its alleys are littered with rubbish, and goats and sheep roam untended. The vast majority of the huts are rudimentary constructions, made of bamboo and brushwood.

In his workshop, Souleymane Segda, a 20-year-old from Burkina Faso, put crushed pieces of promising-looking ore through a grinder.

The apparatus takes up most of his room, which has no toilet and doubles as his bedroom. 

The young man is covered in dirt as he sifts through the dust in search of flecks of gold.

The flakes are recovered after washing the dust with mercury — a practice that is banned because of its health and environmental risks, but which remains widespread.

“I can earn up to 50,000 CFA francs a day. I go back home as much as I can and when I’ll have earned enough, I will leave for good,” he said.

Problems 

Bantakokouta has experienced a surge of activities familiar to gold rushes around the world — an influx of stores selling tools and electronic goods, places of worship, a medical post, nightclubs, video gaming rooms... and crime and vice.

“The gold has brought wealth. In the past, we used to go to Mako,” a town 20 kilometres away, said Waly Keita, 63.

He recalled with nostalgia the time when “our mums” used to dig in the river bed, searching for nuggets, while the men went into the bush to hunt and collect honey.

But the gold rush has also brought problems, including “banditry” and “conflict”, he said.

The Senegalese and foreigners generally get on well in Bantakokouta, although flareups do occur.

In 2020 clashes between security forces and Guinean miners resulted in the death of two young men.

In a square a little away from the shops, a young woman in tight blue shorts and a red T-shirt talked on the phone.

“No, it’s not good. It’s not enough. I’m not going to do anything with you,” she said in broken French.

Like dozens of others like her, the young woman had become stranded in the town and had to resort to sex work to survive.

“I don’t like my job,” she said softly, with a look of shame.

“Prostitution has become a major problem,” said Aliou Bakhoum, head of an NGO called La Lumiere (The Light) in the regional capital Kedougou.

“Young women, mainly from Nigeria and often under-age, fall victim to highly organised trafficking.”

He said his association had taken in around 40 girls, some as young as 15, and was helping them to return home. 

Traffickers lured the women with the promise of a job, transported them across West Africa and then pressured them to keep their mouths shut when the truth of their situation emerged.

Security 

The trafficking has prompted the state to beef up vigilance and invest heavily in security and intelligence, a senior administrative official who wished to remain anonymous said.

The authorities have also intensified operations to secure the border with Mali, fearing extremist contagion from its deeply troubled neighbour.

“Eastern Senegal would be a very interesting territory for terrorists, not necessarily for carrying out attacks, but for recruitment and funding,” a Western diplomat said.

“The gold mining sites are ideal for finding frustrated young people who want to earn money, and gold is very easy to hide and trade.”

Bantakokouta has dozens of stalls run by Malians, where gold is bought and then transported illegally across the border.

A 2021 report by the Timbuktu Institute think-tank highlighted the plight of impoverished and frustrated young people as one of the primary causes of radicalisation. 

The Kedougou region suffers from over 25 per cent unemployment, a poverty rate of more than 70 per cent and a worrying school drop-out rate.

As living conditions fall, many young people are tempted to try their luck in the mines. 

But many emerge disappointed, and willing to resort to just about anything.

Among the most evocative and honest of all car segments with its emphasis on undiluted thrills, aggressive designs, feelgood flavours and visceral driving, delivery and sounds, the muscle car started out as an affordable everyman’s answer to exotic European sports cars. A byword for American charm and excess in equal measure, the muscle car saw a resurgence of fortunes during the 2000s as retro automotive designs gained favour. But with the EV age just around the corner and imminent retirement of some segment stalwarts, only one true muscle car remains as an antidote to the unpalatable prospect of tall, heavy and disconnected electric interpretations.

Ford Mustang Dark Horse

The alpha and omega of American muscle cars, the Ford Mustang was first out of the stable when introduced in 1964, and again in 2004 when its fifth generation model reestablished the segment in a distinctly retro-infused fashion. Two decades later with chief rivals set to retire within months — to possibly be replaced by inauthentic EVs later in the future — Ford instead re-commits to the muscle car ethos with a new generation that improves on the combustion engine recipe that has consistently made the Mustang the world’ best selling sports car.

Though guilty of perhaps overextending the Mustang nameplate with its own electric-powered crossover vehicle, Ford has nevertheless continued developing the soon to be outgoing sixth generation Mustang with ever sportier, better handling and more powerful models. However, the introduction of the seventh generation will ensure the survival of “real” muscle cars for enthusiast drivers well into the decade. Built on an evolution of the current model’s platform, the next Mustang also follows similar design cues, but promises to be sharper, more focused and more aggressive, both mechanically and aesthetically.

Set to initially launch with a turbocharged 2.3-liter 4-cylinder Ecoboost engine and two variants of Ford’s naturally-aspirated 5-liter V8 Coyote engine, the first higher performance MK7 Mustang will be the Dark Horse variant, with even more powerful versions arriving later. Expected to produce 500BHP and 418lb/ft, with estimated 4-second 0-97km/h acceleration, the Dark Horse wears a more sinisterly dramatic look and includes standard MagneRide dampers, Torsen limited-slip differential, stiffer suspension, improved cooling, more responsive steering and a choice of 6-speed manual or 10-speed automatic gearboxes.

Specifications

Engine: 5-litre, V8-cylinders

Gearbox: 6-speed manual, rear-wheel-drive, Torsen limited-slip rear differential

Power, BHP (PS) [kW]: 500 (507) [373]*

Torque, lb/ft (Nm): 418 (567)*

Rev limit: 7,500rpm

0-97km/h: 4-seconds*

Length: 4,818mm

Width: 1,917mm

Height: 1,402mm

Wheelbase: 2,718mm

Weight: 1,769kg*

Suspension, F/R: MacPherson strut / integral-link, adaptive dampers

Tyres, F/R: 255/40R19 / 275/40R19

Dodge Challenger SRT Demon 170

Set to retire as the longest running modern muscle car since it first arrived in 2006, the third generation Dodge Challenger was arguably the closet to its iconic 1970s forbearer in dimensions, design and disposition. Based on a Mercedes-derived platform from the bygone Daimler-Crysler era, the Challenger remains the largest and most aggressive among its Ford and Chevrolet rivals — if not the sportiest or most agile — and evokes the same palpable sense of menace as it nears discontinuation at the end of the year.

A vast and dramatically aggressive modern muscle car with its broad width, Coke-bottle hips, recessed quad headlights and small glasshouse, the Challenger has spawned numerous and ever more powerful iterations over the years, and dramatically upped the ante with the 707BHP SRT Hellcat variant in 2015. Likely to be supplanted by some EV along the lines of the 2022 Dodge Charger Daytona Concept, the Challenger’s outright power and sound might even be mimicked, but its visceral old school charms and combustion engine appeal cannot be replicated.

Going out with a proverbial bang, the Challenger added the most prodigious evolution of the Hellcat’s supercharged 6.2-litre V8 engine to the roster last month. A swan song variant and the most powerful muscle car ever, the Challenger SRT Demon 170 extensively improves on the 2017 Demon’s 840BHP and even outmuscles Dodge’s 1000BHP 2018 Hellephant crate engine. A street legal drag racer, the Demon 170 develops 1,025BHP at 6,500rpm and 945lb/ft torque at 4,200rpm when running ethanol-infused E85 fuel, and can rocket through 0-97km/h in just 1.66-seconds. 

Specifications

Engine: 6.2-litre, supercharged V8-cylinders

Gearbox: 8-speed automatic, rear-wheel-drive, limited slip differential

Power, BHP (PS) [kW]: 1,025 (1,039) [764] @6,500rpm*

Torque, lb/ft (Nm): 945 (1,281) @4,200rpm*

0-97km/h: 1.66-seconds*

Length: 5,015mm

Width: 2,001mm

Height: 1,459mm

Wheelbase: 2,950mm

Weight: 1,941kg

Suspension, F/R: Double wishbone / five-link, adaptive dampers

Tyres, F/R: 245/55R18 / 315/50R17

Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 1LE

Launched in 2015 as a slightly smaller muscle car riding on General Motor’s Cadillac Alpha Platform rather than its predecessor’s Holden-derived Zeta platform, the sixth generation Camaro placed more emphasis on sportier and more agile handling. Styled to accentuate its immediate predecessor’s stylised retro-futuristic design with a seemingly yet smaller glasshouse and more aggressive fascia, the MK6 line-up also included the first downsized turbocharged 2-litre four-cylinder engine Camaro, but is now set to be retired by early 2024, with no heir apparent.

With any next generation Camaro expected to return as a less charismatic EV after a brief hiatus, the current model however bows out with the ZL1 1LE specification as its most powerful variant. Powered by a supercharged 6.2 litre V8 engine developing 650BHP at 6,400rpm and 650lb/ft torque at 3,600rpm, the Camaro ZL1 can is even still available with a proper analogue three-pedal 6-speed manual gearbox. Blasting through 0-97km/h in around 3.7-seconds, the ZL1 is quicker still with the optional 10-speed automatic gearbox.

A welcome — albeittemporary and non-street legal — respite from the march towards electrification, Chevrolet also offer the drag race specification COPO Camaro. With a huge bonnet bulge and rugged 3-speed automatic gearbox, engine options include 470BHP naturally-aspirated 7-litre and 600BHP supercharged 5.7-litre small block V8s, and a lazy 430BHP 9.4-litre big block. But the most powerful features Chevrolet’s naturally-aspirated 10.3-litre big-block V8 ZZ632 crate engine, developing 1,004BHP at 6,600rom and 876lb/ft torque at 5,600rpm.

Specifications

Engine: 6.2-litre, supercharged V8-cylinders

Gearbox: 6-speed manual, rear-wheel-drive

Power, BHP (PS) [kW]: 650 (659) [485] @6,400rpm

Torque, lb/ft (Nm): 650 (868) @3,600rpm

0-97km/h: 3.7-seconds (estimate)

Length: 4,812mm

Width: 1,905mm

Height: 1,334mm

Wheelbase: 2,811mm

Weight: 1,772kg

Suspension, F/R: MacPherson strut / five-link, adaptive dampers

Tyres, F/R: 305/30R19 / 325/30R19

PARIS — It’s a revenge thriller where a mother turns into a ruthless vigilante, tracking down and drowning a soldier who has killed her baby, in an explosion of violence and jubilation.

What might sound like the plot of the latest flick by Quentin Tarantino or another Hollywood auteur is actually the fruit of a partnership between streaming giant Netflix and the UN cultural agency UNESCO to give a platform to new voices in African cinema.

“Katera of the Punishment Island”, directed by Ugandan Loukman Ali, is among six short films co-financed on the continent by the American platform and the UN agency.

“It’s the revenge of a young girl, left to her own devices and yet who is going to smash up everything,” said French producer Pape Boye, who served as a “mentor” to the director and praises the “jubilant violence” of the film.

Loukman Ali, he said, is a worthy representative of a new generation of African filmmakers, who grew up on a diet of mainstream cinema and “want to be seen by as many people as possible”, scorning so-called genre films.

The director, 32, said he embraced cinema as a form of escapism and a way to forget the poverty surrounding him as he was growing up.

“Each time there was a film that reminded us of how poor we were or how bad situation the situation was, it was kind of like a no-no,” he told AFP in a telephone interview. “I am more about entertainment. That’s the model I follow.”

‘Stories I wanted to tell’

Loukman Ali was chosen by the scheme last year, among 2,000 pitches received by UNESCO and Netflix, to direct his short film, with funding of some $75,000.

Five other young African filmmakers have also enjoyed this privilege, including the Kenyan Voline Ogutu, whose “Anyango and the Ogre” is set in a futuristic world where women are divided into two categories, single or married — with the latter group exposed to domestic violence.

“I always wanted to tell stories of horror and sci-fi. But the market I was in was not very accommodating,” she said.

“This is a very good opportunity for me to actually now tell the stories I wanted to tell.”

Decision makers can be bolder elsewhere, such as in South Africa, from where several daring series have recently emerged, and especially in Nigeria’s so-called Nollywood, where 2,500 films are released each year, often at low cost.

But Steven Markovitz, the executive producer of the joint Netflix and UNESCO project, said dozens of young emerging African directors were challenging ideas of a “traditional” African film.

He said that in the 1970s and 80s, slower-paced African films on sober subjects were dominant.

“But if you look at a lot of filmmakers today, they’re much more playful and provocative, they’re more open to trying new forms, they try to build bigger audiences, wider audiences for their work.”

He said that this change had been notable for some time but was now accelerating at pace partly due to new technology but also due to the fact today’s Africans may be the third or fourth generation since the colonial era.

“They are more about asserting their identity in the present and the future. There’s a philosophical shift amongst this generation, and that’s why they’re a lot more free in their thinking in the telling.”

‘Leap of faith’

Tendeka Matatu, of Netflix Africa, said that there was now even a “golden age” of African filmmaking.

“The Africa of the 1970s is very different from the Africa of the 2020s,” he said. “The filmmakers want to tell stories that reflect the society of this year.”

Streaming platforms are playing a crucial role, investing heavily in a chronically underfunded and underequipped film industry on a continent where, according to UNESCO, around 40 per cent of the countries do not have a single cinema.

Within eight years, the size of the African streaming market, today estimated at 3 million subscribers, will increase by sixfold, according to UNESCO’s deputy director general Ernesto Ottone.

But this remains a modest figure compared to the 1.7 billion Africans, because hundreds of millions still have neither a sufficiently good internet connection nor the means to subscribe to a platform.

But filmmaker Leila Djansi of Ghana, the mentor for “Anyango and the Ogre” said the main problem is that African cinema is above all lacking acceptance.

“I agree it’s a business. You are putting in millions. But give people a chance. Take a leap of faith.

“Poverty, HIV, war... there’s more to Africa than that, but until African filmmakers are given the opportunity to tell these stories, the perception is always going to be negative,” she said.

WASHINGTON — Elon Musk promised to make Twitter the “most accurate source of information about the world”, but he has repeatedly used his own account to amplify false claims from some of the most notorious disinformers on the Internet, according to an AFP analysis of his online activity.

The posts show Musk drawing attention to misinformation about everything from the war in Ukraine to the attack on US Congresswoman Nancy Pelosi’s husband. Last week, the billionaire boosted a tweet that wrongly suggested doctors misdiagnosed flu cases as COVID-19 deaths.

“One of the greatest mysteries of COVID-19: Where did the flu go in 2020 and 2021?” an account called “KanekoaTheGreat” said, to which Musk replied: “Good question.”

It was one of at least 40 times the billionaire replied to the profile, which has promoted the QAnon conspiracy theory, since purchasing Twitter for $44 billion nearly six months ago. He has only replied to a handful of accounts more in that time.

Using data from PolitiTweet, a website that tracked public figures’ posts until Twitter cut off its access, AFP reviewed thousands of replies Musk published between late October and March. 

He shared a fabricated CNN segment, called a made-up quote “wise words” and falsely claimed police escorted a rioter through the US Capitol on January 6, 2021. He amplified a post blaming mass shootings on LGBTQ individuals and endorsed a fake casualty count from Ukraine. 

Musk has also downplayed COVID-19 and promoted spurious claims about vaccines causing blood clots, miscarriages and heart problems. 

“We are running out of ‘conspiracies’ that turned out to be true!” the Twitter owner said in March, replying to a tweet that listed COVID-19 and vaccine safety among the “biggest media lies”.

Days later, he tweeted that the “best way to fight misinformation is to respond with accurate information”.

Experts say Musk’s activity is concerning — and not just because of his online influence.

“Musk has almost 135 million Twitter followers and forced his engineers to increase the reach of his tweets, so we should worry when he spreads misinformation,” Brendan Nyhan, a Dartmouth College professor who studies misperceptions in politics, told AFP. 

“I’m most worried, though, about what these tweets reveal about the judgement of the person who determines the policies of a major social media platform.”

Researchers have tied Twitter’s recent policy changes — including Musk’s reinstatement of suspended accounts and its overhaul of verification practices — to spikes in misinformation.

NewsGuard, a company that assesses websites’ credibility, found accounts paying for Twitter’s subscription service are inundating the site with false claims. 

Musk is driving attention to some of these accounts. 

“Got the Elon Musk stamp of approval,” said “KanekoaTheGreat” on Telegram after one such reply.

A January study from the Institute for Strategic Dialogue, a London-based think tank, recorded a “staggering” increase in Musk’s interactions with right-wing accounts since acquiring Twitter, including several profiles other research identified as spreaders of US election misinformation.

Musk has repeatedly amplified posts from sources such as the pro-Donald Trump page “Catturd”, the anti-LGBTQ account “Libs of TikTok” and the conspiratorial website ZeroHedge.

Ian Miles Cheong, a far-right blogger, has received at least 60 replies from Musk — topping all but a few other profiles, according to AFP’s analysis. In one instance, Musk amplified a tweet blaming Joe Biden for an immigration program that started under Trump.

“Musk is elevating some of the worst voices on Twitter,” Nyhan told AFP. “These interactions are likely to increase the reach and prominence of the accounts.”

In some cases, the Twitter boss has helped mainstream false narratives.

After an intruder broke into Pelosi’s California residence and struck the lawmaker’s husband with a hammer in October, Musk tweeted a link to an article claiming he was drunk and quarrelling with a male prostitute. #Pelosigaylover trended on Twitter. 

Court filings and footage of the incident disproved the claims, which stemmed from a site that had previously published misinformation. But the damage was done.

“It’s really sad for the country that people of that high visibility would separate themselves from the facts and the truth in such a blatant way,” Nancy Pelosi said at the time. “It is traumatising to those affected by it. They don’t care about that, obviously.” 

Twitter responded to AFP’s requests for comment with the poop emoji, an auto-reply Musk launched in March.

PARIS — Two years ago, Paul’s teacher noticed that the 10-year-old boy could no longer see anything on the board at the front of the class.

An ophthalmologist confirmed that Paul was one of the soaring number of children worldwide with myopia, also known as nearsightedness, an eye condition projected to affect half of the world’s population by 2050.

But the ophthalmologist in the western French city of Nantes had some good news: specially designed glasses had just become available that could slow down the progression of Paul’s myopia. 

“After a year, the results were quite positive because his eyesight seemed to have stabilised,” Paul’s mother Caroline Boudet told AFP.

Previous research has suggested that myopia progresses 60 per cent slower in children wearing the “Miyosmart” glasses compared to normal prescription glasses. 

A six-year clinical study also found that the disorder did not start speeding up again if the children stopped using the glasses.

Developed by Japan’s Hoya Corporation, the Miyosmart lenses, which also function as normal glasses to help the children see clearly, have been available in numerous European countries including France and the UK for around two years. 

Eyewear firm EssilorLuxottica claims its own Stellest lenses reduce myopia’s progression by 67 per cent when worn at least 12 hours a day.

The Italian-French firm said the glasses could save more than one dioptre — the unit of measurement for optical power — over three years.

Myopia occurs when there is too much distance between the cornea and retina, making far-off objects appear blurry. 

Both Miyosmart and Stellest glasses deploy hundreds of tiny lenses to counteract peripheral hyperopic defocus in which light falls behind the retina, causing the eyeball to get longer and making myopia worse.

The Miyosmart glasses are not available in the United States, however contact lenses that work on a similar principal from the California firm CooperVision have been approved by the US Food and Drug Administration.

‘The myopia generation’

Research has suggested that the percentage of people affected by myopia worldwide could surge from 27 per cent in 2010 to 52 per cent by 2050.

Children with at least one nearsighted parent are more likely to develop the condition — however no one in Paul’s family is myopic.

Environmental rather than genetic causes are believed to be behind the explosion of cases.

Children spending more time indoors, being exposed to less natural light, and looking at nearby objects such as screens has likely brought about what has been dubbed “the myopia generation”, according to researchers.

Claude Speeg-Schatz, head of the French Society of Ophthalmology, said she was “quite amazed” by the new glasses slowing myopia’s progression.

“We have tried many things to avoid myopia, but this is the first time that we have a system which really works,” she said.

For recently diagnosed children, she first prescribes normal corrective glasses.

“If the myopia increases, then I automatically prescribe” the myopia control glasses, she said.

French ophthalmologist Jimmy Chammas said the glasses were “a real gain for children”.

“The myopia of those who wear these glasses deteriorates half as much as we would have expected — if at all,” he said.

One obstacle is that the glasses cost more for parents, with prices depending on the country.

Jean-Michel Lambert, head of Hoya Vision Care France, called for the glasses to be reimbursed by French health services.

“Each dioptre lost considerably increases the risk of future pathologies,” he said, adding that “if we slow down myopia, it will be one less cost for society”.

If a prescription reads -2, that indicates two dioptres of nearsightedness. 

Nearsightedness of -6 dioptres or more is called high myopia, which can increase the risk of serious eye damage such as retinal detachment, glaucoma or early onset cataracts.

A sportily swift and stylish compact crossover SUV that first arrived in 2018, the Nautilus acted as both successor to, and evolution of the Lincoln MKX, which brought it into line with the premium American manufacturer’s then new design language.

Freshening up an already impressive model with improved tech, style, appointment and mechanicals including a new 8-speed gearbox in lieu of the MKX’s 6-speed unit, the Nautilus has since been updated as of 2021, and now incorporates a more sophisticated horizontally-oriented cabin and improved, more intuitive infotainment system.

Classy character

A classier, more confident and somewhat more conservative design that ditched its predecessor’s nomenclature and “eagle wing” grille design when it first arrived, the Nautilus has since seen a more subtle, almost imperceptible update incorporating discrete bumper and lighting re-style. That said, the Nautilus’ sophisticated broad and rectangular chrome mesh grille does unchanged. More horizontal and incorporating less chrome, the Nautilus’ re-styled bumper meanwhile both draws attention to the grille, and lend its body’s comparatively compact, low and wide stance a more grounded and confident demeanour.

Available with two direct injection engine options including an entry-level 2-lire 4-cylinder version with front- or all-wheel-drive, the top spec variant is meanwhile propelled by a perky and potent twin-turbocharged 2.7-litre V6 with standard all-wheel-drive. Passed down from it MKX predecessor, the 2.7T engine remains as convincingly eager as ever in service with the now re-branded Nautilus. Punchy and efficient, the 2.7T is inherited from its MKX predecessor and proves just as eager and responsive here, yet returns relatively moderate 11.2l/100km combined cycle fuel efficiency

Punchy and potent

Producing 335BHP at 5,500rpm and 380lb/ft torque at 3,250rpm the Nautilus 2.7T’s engine is prodigious in its output and responsive in operation. Pouncing from standstill with immediacy as all four driven wheels dig into tarmac, the Nautilus’ short gas flow paths make for responsively quick spooling and almost lag free turbocharging, while its soundtrack is characterised a distinctly urgent and visceral, yet subdued and distant snarl. Carrying its 2,061kg mass with quick confidence, the Nautilus meanwhile blasts through the 0-100km/h acceleration benchmark in approximately 6.5-seconds.

Responsive to throttle input, the Nautilus’ mighty 2.7T engine is energetic and versatile, pulling hard from low-end to a flexibly ample mid-range, where it overtakes and climbs inclines with effortless muscularity. Riding a rich and wide torque band for confident cruising, the Nautilus is nevertheless eager as its builds high-end power with an intense urgency towards its peak and onto a relatively high 6,500rpm rev limit. A slick and quick-shifting 8-speed automatic gearbox, meanwhile, well utilises the Nautilus’s output for performance, versatility, efficiency and refinement.

Confidence and comfort

A distinctly sporty crossover despite it not being marketed as such, the Nautilus 2.7T’s responsively precise throttle control allows one to dial in or ease back on power through corners without unintentionally overpowering its grippy 265/40R21 tyres. Turning tidily into corners with quick, direct and responsive speed sensitive steering ratio, the Nautilus allows the driver to keep both hands on the steering wheel for most, even tight, corners. Manoeuvrable through corners, the Nautilus’ wide track and comparatively modest wheelbase meanwhile provide a combination of agility and stability.

Reassuring yet nimble, the Nautilus’ all-wheel-drive sends power to its four corners when added traction and road-holding is needed, but can disengage the rear wheels for improved fuel efficiency under less demanding conditions. Well controlling body lean through bends, the Nautilus is offered with optional adaptive dampers that stiffen to tauten cornering body control, but also provide a smoother, more supple and comfortable ride quality on straights and over road imperfections, despite its large alloys wheels and firm low profile tyres.

Classy and contemporary

Confident, quiet and stable at speed, the Nautilus is forgiving over most but the harshest bumps and potholes. Settled over crests and dips, it meanwhile drives with composed fluency. Well insulated from noise, vibration and harshness, the Nautilus is refined inside, where it features clear instrumentation, good front visibility and a comfortable, supportive and highly adjustable driving position. Clean and modern in its style and uncomplicated user-friendly layouts, the Nautilus also features — now horizontally re-positioned — console-mounted pushbutton gearbox controls, in addition to steering-mounted paddle shifters for sportier manual mode driving.

Re-styled inside, its cabin has a fresher and more contemporary ambiance with a horizontal orientation and straighter lines. Adopting a more compartmentalised design, the revised dashboard treatment incorporates slimmer vents and a bigger, technologically improved tablet-style infotainment screen. Extensively equipped with comfort, convenience, infotainment, safety and driver assistance systems, the Nautilus’ airy cabin is meanwhile decked out with soft textures and quality leather. Spacious inside, for front and rear passengers, the Nautilus accommodates 1053-litres cargo, to the roof, which expands to 1948-litres when rear seats are folded.

TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS

Engine: 2.7-litre, transverse, twin-turbocharged V6-cylinders

Bore x stroke: 83 x 83mm

Compression ratio: 10:1

Valve-train: 24-valve, DOHC, direct injection

Redline: 6,500rpm

Gearbox: 8-speed automatic, four-wheel-drive

Gear ratios: 1st 4.48; 2nd 3.15; 3rd 2.87; 4th 1.84; 5th 1.41; 6th 1.0; 7th 0.74; 8th 0.62

Reverse/final drive: 2.88/3.65

Power, BHP (PS) [kW]: 335 (340) [250] @5,500rpm

Specific power: 124.3BHP/litre

Torque, lb/ft (Nm): 380 (515) @3,250rpm

Specific torque: 191.1Nm/litre

0-100km/h: approximately 6.5-seconds (est.)

Fuel consumption, combined; 11.2-litres/100km (estimate)

Fuel capacity: 68-litres

Wheelbase: 2,850mm

Track, F/R: 1,646/1,643mm

Ground clearance: 198mm (estimate)

Cargo volume min/max (to roof): 1,053-/1,948-litres

Kerb weight: 2,061kg

Weight distribution, F/R: 60/40 per cent (estimate)

Towing capacity: 1,587kg

Suspension, F/R: MacPherson struts/integral link

Steering: Electric-assisted rack & pinion

Steering ratio: 17.7

Turning circle: 12-metres

Brakes, F/R: Ventilated discs, 350mm/345mm

Tyres: 265/40R21

TOKYO — Munching their way through hundreds of golden-brown morsels, a team of judges has searched relentlessly to find the ultimate “karaage” — the fried chicken known as “Japan’s comfort food”.

While a global buzz has grown around Korean fried chicken in recent years, in Japan, karaage reigns supreme.

Pronounced “kara-agay”, its name refers to a technique where pieces of chicken, other meat or vegetables are marinated and coated in flour and starch before being fried.

The dish is a national obsession: winners of the Karaage Grand Prix, an annual competition to find Japan’s choicest chunks, can see their sales as much as triple if their chicken wins an award.

This year, judges were appointed to replace a public vote after allegations of fowl play by some of the competing pubs, restaurants and chicken shops.

The judges met for several tasting sessions around the country — each putting away around a kilogramme of chicken a day.

Lead judge Koichiro Yagi, who also serves as managing director of the Japan Karaage Association, told AFP he was looking for fried chicken that “tells a story”.

“There’s an initial flavour, then a secondary flavour, then an aftertaste,” he said, wearing a traditional Japanese coat bearing the slogan “karaage changes the world”.

“The initial flavour draws you in with the aroma and the taste, but the real pleasure of karaage is the journey it takes you on.”

The town of Nakatsu, on the southern island of Kyushu, has a reputation for producing Japan’s best karaage, and its shops have won several prizes at the Karaage Grand Prix.

But competition from the rest of the country is fierce, and some cooks go to great lengths to give themselves an edge.

“There are lots of chicken shops in Nakatsu and we went there and tried each and every one,” said Takehiro Matsumoto, whose Tokyo-based brand has won Karaage Grand Prix awards for the past three years running.

“It wasn’t just Nakatsu — if there was a place that people said was good, we went there and studied them all to find the best.”

‘Never get sick of it’

The contest, now in its 14th year, hands out prizes in categories such as soy sauce or salt-based flavours — and splits the awards between east and west Japan.

An overall winner is crowned in each category, with several lesser “gold” awards also handed out.

Until this year, winners were determined by public vote, and tales abounded of shops creating e-mail addresses en masse to rig the system.

Kazuhiko Nakano, managing director of a pub chain that has won gold awards in different categories, said he was glad that this year’s competition was decided by the judges’ discerning palates.

“In the past, people would vote without even tasting it,” said Nakano, adding that his firm saw an 80 per cent rise in karaage sales after winning their first award in 2020.

“When you have judges, there is a standard of what is tasty.”

The judges were largely drawn from food industries associated with karaage, and sampled around 25 entries a day.

Each entrant was given five minutes to present their product, while judges chewed on pineapple between bites of chicken to aid digestion.

“I’ve been eating karaage almost every day for more than 10 years — I’ve eaten at 3,300 different karaage places,” said judge Iku Arino, who styles herself as a karaage influencer.

“I never get sick of it.”

After much deliberation, the judges reconvened to announce the winners at a ceremony in Tokyo this week.

Tatsuya Oyama, whose Tokyo shop “Karaage-ya Oshu Iwai” scooped the East Japan prize for best soy sauce flavour, said his award was “more meaningful” than his previous two, because it had been chosen by experts.

Lead judge Yagi said the new system had been successful but stomach-busting, and vowed to reduce the load on the panel’s plates at next year’s edition.

But while the champions can concentrate on turning their award-winning status into profit, Yagi said there was no such thing as the perfect karaage.

“It changes depending on the situation in which you’re eating it,” he said.

“It also depends on who you’re eating it with and how you’re eating it. Asking ‘what is the perfect karaage?’ is a difficult question.”