News Bulletin of 22 July 2025, 4pm

The Music In Africa Conference for Collaborations, Exchange and Showcases (ACCES) is set to take place in Tshwane from 30 October to 1 November 2025.
Thando Nyameni, Managing Director of the KwaZulu-Natal United Music Industry Association (KUMISA), highlights ACCES as a vital platform for building strong connections, celebrating African music, and offering vital insights on funding and rights management.
The conference also facilitates important conversations about fair pay and music policy reform across the continent.
Nyameni praises ACCES for its vibrant energy and uniquely African focus, making it essential for music professionals.
With a dynamic programme of panels, showcases, and networking, ACCES 2025 promises to unite and strengthen Africa’s music community.

Hundreds of dams have been removed along a key tributary of the Yangtze River in China, allowing rare fish like the Yangtze sturgeon to return to their ancestral spawning grounds.
The Red River, once blocked by more than 300 dams and power stations, now flows freely across 250 kilometres, giving aquatic wildlife a vital lifeline.
Since the restoration, scientists have observed adult sturgeon spawning for the first time in decades.
This is part of a broader national effort in China to restore the river’s ecosystem, including fishing bans and restrictions on sand mining.
Experts say the river’s health has improved so much that species once thought extinct in the wild are now making a comeback.

Sandtonview Combined School’s Grade 11 learners have received e-learning devices through a sponsorship by ElectroMechanica and Odin Education.
Each of the 116 pupils was given a tablet loaded with educational resources and data, plus access to a rewards programme.
A full-time liaison will help teachers use the technology effectively in the classroom.
Principal Horatio Loff said the support is a game-changer for learners from a disadvantaged community.
ElectroMechanica’s Andrew Nobbs said preparing youth for the digital age starts with education.
Odin Education’s Ajit Gopalakrishnan highlighted how their platform tracks the impact of such initiatives.