Ghanaian highlife music pioneer Ebo Taylor passed away at the age of 90, while sustained gunfire erupted near a prison in Guinea's capital, Conakry, and Japan's Prime Minister, Sanae Takaichi, is set to pursue a conservative agenda following an election landslide. 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 the highlife genre, 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 significant contributions to Ghanaian music, with some calling him the greatest rhythm guitarist in history. His passing leaves behind an unmatched artistic legacy, as stated by his son.
Meanwhile, in Conakry, Guinea, sustained gunshots were heard near the central prison on Monday morning, according to reports from AFP and Reuters news agencies. The gunfire, which lasted for over half an hour, began shortly before 9:00 AM GMT. An accountant who works in the neighborhood told AFP that he heard vehicles speeding by before the sound of automatic gunfire. The cause of the shooting and the identity of those involved remained unclear.
In Japan, Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi, the country's first female prime minister, is poised to implement a conservative agenda after the ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) secured a supermajority in the lower house elections on February 8, 2026, as reported by NPR.
Elsewhere, Iran was hit with a near-total internet blackout on January 8, impacting the country's higher education system. This disruption is one of the most severe since the 1980 cultural revolution, according to Nature News. The blackout has raised concerns about digital isolation, echoing a similar five-day internet shutdown in 2019.
In a different development, a group of makers in New York City is repurposing disposable vape cartridges into musical instruments, as reported by Wired. The project, called the Vape Synth, transforms e-waste into digital musical instruments that resemble a vape cartridge but include a small speaker and buttons. The device utilizes the vaporizer's low-pressure sensor, allowing users to create sounds by drawing air through it.
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