Ghanaian highlife music pioneer Ebo Taylor passed away at the age of 90, while sustained gunfire was reported near the central prison in Conakry, Guinea, and Japan's Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi is set to pursue a conservative agenda following a recent election. Additionally, Iran experienced a near-total internet blackout impacting its higher education system, and a group of makers in New York City are repurposing disposable vapes into musical instruments.
Ebo Taylor, a key figure in the development of highlife music, died on Sunday, a month after his 90th birthday and a day after the launch of an Ebo Taylor music festival, according to his son Kweku Taylor. Taylor was celebrated for his contributions to Ghanaian music, with some calling him the greatest rhythm guitarist in history.
Meanwhile, in Guinea's capital, Conakry, sustained gunshots were heard near the central prison on Monday morning, according to reports from AFP and Reuters news agencies. The gunfire began shortly before 9 am (09:00 GMT) and lasted for over half an hour, according to neighbors of the prison. The cause of the shooting and who was responsible remained unclear. "I heard the sound of vehicles speeding by, I rushed to the window and heard automatic gunfire," said Thierno Balde, an accountant who works in the neighborhood, confirming witness accounts.
In Japan, Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi, of the ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP), is poised to advance a conservative agenda after the party secured a supermajority in the country's lower house elections on February 8, 2026, according to NPR Politics.
Further complicating the news landscape, Iran was hit with a near-total internet blackout on January 8, impacting its higher education system, according to Nature News. This disruption is one of the most severe experienced by Iranian universities since the 1980 cultural revolution, raising concerns about digital isolation.
In a different vein, a group of makers in New York City have developed the "Vape Synth," a project that repurposes discarded disposable vape cartridges into digital musical instruments, as reported by Wired. The device utilizes the vape's low-pressure sensor to create sound, functioning like a digital ocarina.
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