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BBC HomepageSkip to contentAccessibility HelpYour accountLiveNotificationsHomeNewsSportWeatheriPlayerSoundsBitesizeMore menuMore menuSearch BBCHomeNewsSportWeatheriPlayerSoundsBitesizeCBBCCBeebiesFoodClose menuBBC NewsMenuHomeIsrael-Gaza warCost of LivingWar in UkraineClimateUKWorldBusinessPoliticsCultureMoreTechScienceHealthFamily & EducationIn PicturesNewsbeatBBC VerifyDisabilityWorldAfricaAsiaAustraliaEuropeLatin AmericaMiddle EastUS & CanadaRussian student jailed for pro-Ukraine wi-fi namePublished14 hours agoShareclose panelShare pageCopy linkAbout sharingRelated TopicsWar in UkraineImage source, Getty ImagesImage caption, The student was arrested at the dormitories of Moscow State UniversityBy Sofia Ferreira SantosBBC NewsA student has been sentenced to 10 days in jail in Moscow after renaming his wi-fi network with a pro-Kyiv slogan.The Moscow State University student had titled the network “Slava Ukraini!” which means “Glory to Ukraine!”.A Moscow court found him guilty of displaying “symbols of extremist organisations” on Thursday.Since the start of Russia’s war in Ukraine, thousands have been handed prison terms or fines for criticising the invasion or supporting Ukraine.The student was arrested on Wednesday morning in Moscow, after a police officer had reported the network name to authorities.According to court documents, officers inspected his room within the university’s student accommodation, and found his personal computer and a wi-fi router.The court said he had used the network to “promote the slogan ‘Slava Ukraini!’ to an unlimited number of users within wi-fi range.” The router has now been confiscated.”Slava Ukraini” has become a rallying cry for supporters of Ukraine, and is regularly heard chanted during protests against Russia’s full-scale invasion, which it launched on 24 February, 2022.The student was found guilty of “public demonstration of Nazi symbolism… or symbols of extremist organisations”. Russian President Vladimir Putin has repeatedly made baseless claims about a “neo-Nazi regime” in Ukraine, and used it to justify his invasion.The student is the latest in a long list of ordinary Russians who have been punished for their comments – or actions – about the war. Last month, hundreds of people were detained for simply laying flowers in memory of opposition leader Alexei Navalny, who died under suspicious circumstances in an Arctic Circle prison.The conflict is not even allowed to be called a “war” in Russia – it must be referred to as a “special military operation”.According to Amnesty International, last year more than 21,000 people were targeted by Russia’s “repressive laws” used to “crack down on anti-war activists”.The human rights group said “deeply unfair trials” were used to “dish out prison sentences and hefty fines to silence critics in response to the slightest dissent.”Related TopicsWar in UkraineRussiaUkraineMore on this story’We know what’s coming’: East Ukraine braces for Russian advancePublished3 days agoRosenberg: How two years of war have changed RussiaPublished22 FebruaryTop StoriesFirst official picture of Kate since surgery releasedPublished2 hours agoLabour won’t turn things around immediately, Reeves saysPublished1 hour agoUS military ship heading to Gaza to build portPublished3 hours agoFeaturesLily Gladstone: The actress who could make Oscars historyIs Europe doing enough to help Ukraine?What a $1 deal says about America’s office marketGaza war fuels Jerusalem fears as Ramadan to beginListen: How to win an Oscar. AudioListen: How to win an OscarAttributionSoundsThe people keeping the historic foot ferry afloat’I thought I’d never get to have a Mother’s Day’Your pictures on the theme of ‘speed’How China’s boarding schools are silencing Tibet’s languageElsewhere on the BBCHair-pulling, punching and kickingFootage from the moment a brawl erupts in the Maldives ParliamentAttributioniPlayerExploring the mysterious deaths of Nazi fugitivesThree brothers investigate whether a family connection may explain the truthAttributioniPlayerFrom triumph to tragedy…After more than 30 years of service, America’s space shuttle took to the skies for the last timeAttributioniPlayerCan they take on an elite boarding school?Five black inner-city teens must leave their old worlds behind…AttributioniPlayerMost Read1First official picture of Kate since surgery released2Del Amitri singer: I know Parkinson’s will stop me3Man arrested after Buckingham Palace gate crash4Doctor reveals how ‘brutal’ therapy tackled Rhod Gilbert’s cancer5What a $1 deal says about America’s office market6Johnson flew to Venezuela for unofficial talks7King gives Scotland’s top honour to Prince Edward8Labour won’t turn things around immediately, Reeves says9IDF completes road across Gaza, satellite images show10Attack victims hit out at extremism in open letter
[ad_1] Russia’s ruthless crackdown on dissent has seen thousands of ordinary Russians jailed or fined.
![BBC HomepageSkip to contentAccessibility HelpYour accountLiveNotificationsHomeNewsSportWeatheriPlayerSoundsBitesizeMore menuMore menuSearch BBCHomeNewsSportWeatheriPlayerSoundsBitesizeCBBCCBeebiesFoodClose menuBBC NewsMenuHomeIsrael-Gaza warCost of LivingWar in UkraineClimateUKWorldBusinessPoliticsCultureMoreTechScienceHealthFamily & EducationIn PicturesNewsbeatBBC VerifyDisabilityBusinessMarket DataEconomyYour MoneyCompaniesTechnology of BusinessCEO SecretsArtificial IntelligenceHow AI is helping the search for extraterrestrial lifePublished24 minutes agoShareclose panelShare pageCopy linkAbout sharingImage source, Getty ImagesImage caption, The Very Large Array facility in New Mexico is searching for signs of alien lifeBy Emma WoollacottBusiness reporterThere are between 10 and 50 billion potentially habitable worlds in our galaxy, says Bill Diamond. It makes his job rather difficult.Mr Diamond is the chief executive of the US-based research organisation Seti Institute. The letters “Seti” are an acronym for the Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence.”Seti, as an endeavour, is looking for science and technology beyond the solar system as evidence of life and intelligence, and that’s by and large a needle in a haystack problem,” he says.”We’re looking for something that is likely exceedingly rare, and may be very difficult to find and extract from the background phenomena that you’re observing at the same time.”But new tools are helping the search. The ability of artificial intelligence (AI) to both handle massive datasets – and to spot anomalies – is transforming the hunt for alien intelligence.One such project involves a Seti Institute partnership with the US’s National Radio Astronomy Observatory in New Mexico. This federal facility uses radio frequencies to study celestial objects, such as planets, stars and asteroids.Seti is building a parallel, AI-powered software system for the observatory’s core facility, the Very Large Array. Built between 1973 and 1981, the VLA comprises 28 large, 25m diameter, dish antennas spaced out across a desert plain. Imagine the satellite dishes you find on people’s homes, just on a giant scale.When operational, the AI will be able to process every bit of data captured – two terabytes (TB) every second. To put that into context, modern laptops now typically have around 1TB of total storage.Image source, Bill DiamondImage caption, Mr Diamond says that the use of AI is already invaluableMr Diamond says that the increased use of AI is already proving to be “indispensable” as his institute continues to hunt for alien life.He points to AI making it possible to search for new types of radio signals from alien sources. He explains that traditionally, Seti has looked for narrowband signals similar to those used by human beings.”But there was always the question ‘what if there’s an alien advanced technology that is using wideband [radio]?’. And if that’s the case, our traditional methods wouldn’t work, it would look like a bunch of noise on the screen.”However, Mr Diamond says that the ability of AI to handle massive amounts of data means it’s possible to take millions of “snapshots” of this snowy audio picture over time, and to start to look for patterns. “It’s a way of adding on a new thing to look for.”Another project with which Seti collaborates is Breakthrough Listen. Backed by more than £100m of private sector funding, this scheme is scanning a million stars, and 100 galaxies, across a wide range of radio and optical bands, to look for evidence of technological life. One project member, University of Toronto student Peter Ma, recently developed a new AI system designed to examine telescope data, and distinguish between possible real signals from aliens, and interference. His team did this by simulating both types of noise, and then training their AI to differentiate between the two.Mr Ma says that an alien signal would, for example, “only appear when we point our telescopes at it… and disappear when we point away”. The project has already identified eight potential alien signals that went undetected by traditional analysis. However, Mr Ma believes that as the observations haven’t yet been repeated they are probably false positives.AI is also being used to try to detect signs of life of a more modest nature, and closer to home.Last year, Nasa’s Perseverance rover started collecting samples from the Jezero Crater on Mars, which will, if all goes well, be returned to Earth in several years’ time.Image source, Getty ImagesImage caption, Nasa’s Perseverance rover is collecting rock samples from the surface of MarsAlready, scientists believe that the rover’s Sherloc instrument has detected organic compounds, which glow under ultraviolet light. However, organic compounds can be created by non-biological processes, meaning that it’s not yet possible to say whether they derive from past life on the planet.All this could change, though, thanks to new research from the Carnegie Institution for Science, which is using AI to analyse rock samples for signs of present or past life. The team found that the AI is able to distinguish former living and non-living material, with an accuracy of almost 90%.”This is a very new approach to searching for molecular biosignatures,” says joint lead researcher Dr Robert Hazen.”We employ machine learning to look at all of the vast amount of data from an analytical method that produces half a million data points per sample. So we’re seeking subtle patterns in molecular distributions.”Read additional stories on artificial intelligenceThe first plans are to use the system to analyse ancient samples from Earth, as well as some Martian samples in the form of meteorites. But, says Mr Hazen, “We could, for example, fly an instrument through the plumes of Enceladus [one of Saturn’s moons], or land a carefully designed instrument on Mars.”It’s early days, and any promising results generated by AI need to be validated by other observations, or by physics-based models, before they can be shouted from the rooftops. But as more and more data is collected and analysed, the chances of detecting alien life – if it exists – are increasing all the time.In the meantime, though, says Mr Diamond, “The progress is measured in the scale of the effort, not yet in the results.”Related TopicsArtificial intelligenceTop StoriesCommons descends into chaos over Gaza votePublished1 hour agoWatch: Angry scenes as MPs clash over ceasefire vote. VideoWatch: Angry scenes as MPs clash over ceasefire votePublished3 hours agoAnti-terror failures leave public at risk – ex-adviserPublished2 hours agoFeatures’Dad, please don’t go out’: The Gazans killed as Israel freed hostages’Premier League caught my online troll. Should I forgive him?’Watch: Chaos in the Commons over Gaza ceasefire vote. VideoWatch: Chaos in the Commons over Gaza ceasefire voteListen: Newscast – Disorder Disorder in the House of Commons. AudioListen: Newscast – Disorder Disorder in the House of CommonsAttributionSoundsK-Pop acts outsold everyone except Taylor Swift in 2023The strangers who saved each other’s livesWatch Big Keith’s iconic scotch egg scene from The Office. VideoWatch Big Keith’s iconic scotch egg scene from The Office’I was raped more than 100 times by grooming gang’Election poll tracker: How do the parties compare?Elsewhere on the BBCCan Molly keep her life afloat?A moving portrayal of a daughter’s love in the face of her father’s struggleAttributioniPlayerThe Swedish furniture king’s billionaire lifestyleDeconstructing IKEA founder Ingvar Kamprad and his eccentric way of livingAttributionSoundsWhat is it really like to be a monk?’To be a monk is something very vast, very high and very beautiful’AttributioniPlayerHow did a booming computer manufacturer go bust?Commodore computers were huge in the 1980s, so why couldn’t the business adapt and survive?AttributionSoundsMost Read1Commons descends into chaos over Gaza vote2Russia ‘struggling with supply of weapons’ for war3New images show British ship in Red Sea has not sunk4Australian bishop Christopher Saunders charged with rape5The Office actor Ewen MacIntosh dies aged 506Met Police take no further action against Wootton7King ‘reduced to tears’ by cancer support messages8Prevent failures leave public at risk – ex-adviser9Cordon around unexploded WW2 bomb to be extended10’Dad, please don’t go out’: The Gazans killed as Israel freed hostages](https://newsinsightplus.com/wp-content/uploads/https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/news/1024/branded_news/11C0F/production/_132691727_gettyimages-1205366009.jpg)
![BBC HomepageSkip to contentAccessibility HelpYour accountLiveNotificationsHomeNewsSportWeatheriPlayerSoundsBitesizeMore menuMore menuSearch BBCHomeNewsSportWeatheriPlayerSoundsBitesizeCBBCCBeebiesFoodClose menuBBC NewsMenuHomeIsrael-Gaza warCost of LivingWar in UkraineClimateUKWorldBusinessPoliticsCultureMoreTechScienceHealthFamily & EducationIn PicturesNewsbeatBBC VerifyDisabilityWorldAfricaAsiaAustraliaEuropeLatin AmericaMiddle EastUS & CanadaGaza doctors: ‘We leave patients to scream for hours and hours’Published4 hours agoShareclose panelShare pageCopy linkAbout sharingRelated TopicsIsrael-Gaza warImage source, AFPImage caption, An injured man lies on a bed in the Gaza European hospital in late DecemberBy Alice CuddyBBC News, JerusalemDoctors across Gaza have described operating on patients without anaesthetic, turning people with chronic conditions away, and treating rotting wounds with limited medical supplies.”Because of the shortage of painkillers we leave patients to scream for hours and hours,” one told the BBC.The World Health Organization (WHO) has described the state of healthcare in Gaza as being “beyond words”.It said 23 hospitals in Gaza were not functioning at all as of Sunday – 12 were partially functioning and one minimally.The health agency said air strikes and a lack of supplies have “depleted an already under-resourced system”.WHO says Nasser hospital, raided by IDF, not functionalThe Israel Defense Forces (IDF) says Hamas “systematically uses hospitals and medical centres for its terror activities”.In a statement to the BBC, it said the IDF “did not ‘attack’ hospitals, but rather entered specific areas… [to] neutralise Hamas’ infrastructure and equipment, and apprehend Hamas terrorists, while acting with great caution”.It said it was allowing humanitarian aid into Gaza, including medical supplies. Aid organisations, including the WHO, say there have been “repeated access restrictions and denials”.Warning: This article contains details some readers may find upsettingHospitals stretchedMany of Gaza’s hospitals are overcrowded and have limited equipment, healthcare workers say. There are reports that some hospitals in southern Gaza are operating at over 300% of their bed capacity.Four field hospitals have been set up in Gaza, with 305 beds combined, according to the WHO.On Sunday, it said the Nasser hospital in southern Gaza was the latest facility to become non-operational, following a raid by Israeli forces.The IDF said on Sunday night it had found weapons at the hospital, as well as medicines with the names and photos of hostages on them, and had apprehended “hundreds of terrorists” hiding there. “Hamas continues to put Gaza’s most vulnerable citizens in serious danger by cynically using hospitals for terror,” it earlier told the BBC.Why are Israel and Hamas fighting in Gaza?Israel-Gaza war: Death and Israel’s search for ‘total victory’Staff at nearby hospitals say the operation at Nasser has put extra strain on them.Yousef al-Akkad, director of the Gaza European Hospital in the southern city of Khan Younis, described the current situation there as the “worst we’ve faced since the beginning of the war”.”This situation was severe before, so what do you think it’s like after receiving thousands more who’ve been displaced and are now staying in the hallways and the public areas?”He said the hospital did not have enough beds for the patients needing treatment, so staff were laying sheets over metal frames and wood, and putting “a lot of patients on the floor with nothing at all”.Other doctors from across the Gaza Strip described similar situations. “Even if there is somebody with cardiac arrest or cardiac problems, we put them on the floor and start to work on them,” said Dr Marwan al-Hams, director of Rafah’s Martyr Mohammed Yusuf al-Najjar Hospital.A Hamas political committee appoints directors of public hospitals in Gaza. In some cases, these directors were in place before Hamas took control of the Strip.Image caption, Dr Marwan al-Hams says patients are being treated on the floorMedication and suppliesDoctors say they are struggling to work with limited medical supplies. “We cannot find a drop of oxygen,” one told the BBC.”We’re missing anaesthetics, supplies for the ICU, antibiotics and lastly painkillers,” said Dr al-Akkad. “There are a lot of people who were severely burnt… we don’t have any suitable painkillers for them.”One doctor confirmed that operations were going ahead without anaesthetic.A WHO team said they recently met a seven-year-old girl at the European Gaza hospital who was suffering from 75% burns, but unable to receive pain relief because of short supplies.Dr Mohamed Salha, acting director of northern Gaza’s Al-Awda hospital, said people had been transported for treatment there on donkeys and horses.”The catastrophe is when the patients’ wounds are rotting, as the wounds have been open for more than two or three weeks,” he said.He said doctors there had performed surgeries by the light of headtorches because of electricity shortages.Staff separated from familiesThe WHO says there are around 20,000 healthcare workers in Gaza, but that most are not working “as they are struggling to survive and care for their families”.Dr al-Akkad said the numbers of staff and volunteers at his hospital had grown, partly because of people displaced from other areas coming to help. But he said it was not enough to cope with the volume of patients and types of injuries they were receiving.Following bombings, he said injured people come to the hospital “looking like kofta” – a dish with ground meat.”The same person comes with brain injuries, broken ribs, broken limbs, and sometimes losing an eye… every injury you can imagine, you can see it in our hospital.”He said one patient could need five or more specialist doctors to deal with the range of injuries.Image source, ReutersImage caption, A wounded man is rushed to a hospital in RafahSome of the doctors who have continued working are separated from their families.”My family has been away from me for more than three months and I long to embrace them,” said Dr Salha in northern Gaza, whose family have sought safety in the south.”My consolation is that I am here serving children, women and the elderly in receiving health care and saving their lives.”No room for chronic patientsDoctors told the BBC that people in Gaza with chronic conditions had “paid a big price”.”Frankly we don’t have any beds for them or any potential to follow up with them,” said Dr al-Akkad.”For anybody who does dialysis four times a week, now he does it once a week. If this guy was doing 16 hours a week, it will be one hour now.”Some women are giving birth in tents with no medical support, while hospitals that provide midwifery services say they have limited capacity.”In one department a person dies and in the other department a new life is born. Children are born and there is no milk for them. The hospital provides one box of milk for every child,” Dr Salha said.People are coming to hospitals with diseases that have spread in overcrowded and unsanitary conditions.”There are sicknesses and we can not find any cure,” said 54-year-old Abu Khalil, who has been displaced to Rafah in southern Gaza.”We need to go out from dawn and get in a queue and maybe you will find 100 people in front of you. You go back empty handed.”Additional reporting by Muath Al KhatibRelated TopicsMiddle EastIsrael & the PalestiniansIsrael-Gaza warIsraelHealthcareMore on this storyWhy are Israel and Hamas fighting in Gaza?Published5 days agoWHO says Gaza hospital raided by IDF not functionalPublished1 hour agoIsrael-Gaza war: Death and Israel’s search for ‘total victory’Published7 days agoTop StoriesMurder arrest after three young children found dead in BristolPublished1 hour agoWHO says Gaza hospital raided by IDF not functionalPublished1 hour ago‘Without painkillers, we leave patients to scream for hours’Published4 hours agoFeaturesWho won what at the Bafta Awards – the full list‘Without painkillers, we leave patients to scream for hours’The Oscar-winning film that captured Navalny’s life and future deathWhat should you do if a dog attacks?Conjoined twins given days to live are proving world wrongInfluential names among those rejected for new Overground linesUN: Asylum seekers report assault and self-harm on remote UK islandMatt Smith on a Doctor Who return… and Prince Harry. VideoMatt Smith on a Doctor Who return… and Prince HarryCase of US sailor stirs unease over Japan military tiesElsewhere on the BBCHow are jelly beans made?Gregg Wallace visits a Dublin factory that makes over ten million of the sweets per day!AttributioniPlayerHair-pulling, wrestling and kicking!Watch the moment a violent brawl unfolded in the Maldives ParliamentAttributioniPlayerA billionaire’s playground…What is it really like in the boom town of Mumbai?AttributioniPlayerCould this Italian dream turn into a real nightmare?Amanda Holden and Alan Carr don their boiler suits to renovate a dilapidated house in TuscanyAttributioniPlayerMost Read1Two boys charged over fatal stabbing of teenager2Murder arrest after three children found dead3Major search after reports child, 3, fell into river4Badenoch in row with former Post Office chairman5Harry Styles turns heads at Premier League match6What should you do if a dog attacks?7Steve Wright’s Love Songs airs ‘without the chief’8‘Without painkillers, we leave patients to scream for hours’9In pictures: Stars on the Baftas red carpet10Who won what at the Bafta Awards – the full list](https://newsinsightplus.com/wp-content/uploads/https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/news/1024/branded_news/98D8/production/_132682193_d97dc6767fc66fc1fd26fb680f1c2ea3dc2cb2d3.jpg)
![BBC HomepageSkip to contentAccessibility HelpYour accountLiveNotificationsHomeNewsSportWeatheriPlayerSoundsBitesizeMore menuMore menuSearch BBCHomeNewsSportWeatheriPlayerSoundsBitesizeCBBCCBeebiesFoodClose menuBBC NewsMenuHomeIsrael-Gaza warCost of LivingWar in UkraineClimateUKWorldBusinessPoliticsCultureMoreTechScienceHealthFamily & EducationIn PicturesNewsbeatBBC VerifyDisabilityWorldAfricaAsiaAustraliaEuropeLatin AmericaMiddle EastUS & CanadaWest Africa’s Michelin-starred cuisine wows LondonPublished28 minutes agoShareclose panelShare pageCopy linkAbout sharingImage source, Jodi Hinds Image caption, Ayo Adeyemi (L) and Aji Akokomi (R) opened Akoko in 2020By Danai Nesta KupembaBBC NewsTender, buttery, spicy cow tongue is one of the dishes delighting diners at a high-end West African restaurant in central London.The thinly sliced meat is seasoned with suya, a traditional Hausa spice, grilled over firewood and served with a creamy bone marrow emulsion on a ceramic plate inspired by Nigeria’s late renowned potter Ladi Kwali.It is the signature dish of the newly minted Michelin-starred restaurant Akoko.A Michelin star is awarded to restaurants around the world “offering outstanding cooking” – and Akoko is one of the three with a West African heritage head chef to receive the highly sought after and prestigious honour in the last year alone.”This is just the icing on the cake,” Akoko’s executive chef Ayo Adeyemi told the BBC.Around the corner from Akoko in London’s Fitzrovia neighbourhood another West African chef is also basking in pride.Image source, MichelinImage caption, Adejoké Bakare made gastronomic history when her Chishuru restaurant was awarded a Michelin star earlier this monthAdejoké Bakare is a self-taught chef from Nigeria whose Chishuru restaurant also received a Michelin star at a ceremony in Manchester earlier this month.She made gastronomic history, becoming the first black female in the UK to win a star and just the second in the world.”People can connect to that fact that we are sharing our heritage and people can see themselves on the table,” she told the BBC about her accolade.Ms Bakare hopes this recognition means Michelin will “start looking at the continent”. Currently there is only one Michelin-starred restaurant in Africa – located in the South African city of Cape Town. The award, widely considered the barometer of gastronomic success, has been criticised for being overwhelmingly skewed towards restaurants with white male chefs and for lacking inclusion when it comes to African cuisine. “We are only looking for the restaurants proposing the best food regardless of category,” the UK Michelin chief inspector, whose identity is a closely guarded secret, told the BBC.”Our restaurant selections reflect the culinary diversity and evolution of the food scene,” the inspector added.”Chishuru and Akoko are therefore an illustration of the growing diversity of London’s fine dining scene.”Image source, Jodi Hinds Image caption, One of Ayo Adeyemi’s creations – scallops served with ayamase stew and plantain chipsIt is evident that jollof rice, egusi soup (made from melon seeds) and moi moi (puréed black-eyed peas) – among other traditional West African food present on Akoko’s and Chishuru’s menus – have now captured Michelin’s palate and attention. This is not only limited to UK restaurants. Parisian restaurant MoSuke, opened by celebrity chef Mory Sacko, was awarded a Michelin star within months of its opening in 2020 – the inspectors in France praising the successful fusion of his Malian and Senegalese roots with a Japanese twist.It was the first Gallic nod to a restaurant with a mainly West African menu.Last year, comments by British actor Will Poulter went viral with his criticism of the Michelin system and how food of African origin tended to be underrepresented at the fine-dining levelThe 31-year-old had just starred in the second series of the acclaimed US TV drama The Bear – about a chaotic sandwich shop in Chicago run by an award-winning chef.”There’s a massive oversight of food of African origin and black chefs in general,” he said.
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Maki ManoukianI have heard several people say that African cuisines don’t have a place on gastronomic tables”Beninois chef Georgiana ViouThings seem to be turning around, though it is a slow process, says Georgiana Viou, a chef from Benin based in France.”I have heard several people say that African cuisines don’t have a place on gastronomic tables,” the 46-year-old told the BBC.But Rouge, the restaurant where she is head chef in Nîmes, southern France, received a Michelin star last year.It has a Mediterranean menu with a Beninois influence – introduced through “dja”, a traditional tomato sauce offered to all diners at the beginning of their meals. This is Ms Viou’s way to “change mentalities” about food from Africa.But seeing Akoko and Chishuru “serving 100% West African” food receive a Michelin star “sends out a strong signal”, she says.”I have a secret dream of opening a restaurant with even more West African and Beninois cuisine.”According to Mr Adeyemi, whose parents hail from Nigeria, where he spent time as a child, this growing interest in West African food stems from the region’s growing global cultural domination – think Afrobeats.”This interest translates to food. What is one way of experiencing someone’s culture [other] than through food?” the 34-year-old asks.He takes diners at Akoko on a culinary expedition through Ghana, Nigeria, Senegal and The Gambia.”We tell a journey and a story with the food. But it is not just the food itself,” the chef says.Image source, Jodi Hinds Image caption, Akoko’s menu is influenced by dishes cooked by Ayo Adeyemi’s motherThis is a nod to Akoko’s founder Aji Akokomi. The 46-year-old Nigerian, who came to the UK in his twenties, has overseen the feeling of West Africa in the restaurant’s design – every detail meant to mirror the cuisine.An imposing two-toned black and brown Ghanaian drum greets people as they are ushered to their tables. There is a large floral centrepiece of dried palm leaves and African flowers, with the restaurant’s rustic clay walls evoking the atmosphere of an African village.For Mr Akokomi, this is all meant to conjure the feeling of “ajosepo”, which means community in Nigeria’s Yoruba language – highlighting all that “Africa can offer”.Both Mr Akokomi and Mr Ademayi set out to create a menu with their mothers and aunties in mind. For Mr Adeyami, every spice, ingredient and dish is an ode to his mother who he said was his “first inspiration”. He defines West African food through these three classic flavours: smoke, heat and savoury umami. Many African restaurants in London have thrived outside the fine dining space like Chuku’s, Beyoncé’s favourite in north London, or Enish – the largest Nigerian franchise restaurant in the world with branches in the UK and Dubai.But those behind Akoko wanted to push the boundaries of what African cuisine could achieve – opening it up to a new diners, while staying true to its roots. “We take inspiration from authentic dishes and flavours and present it in a unique way,” Mr Ademayi says. “Our food is approachable to a Western palate and recognisable to an African palate.” Curtis Mccalla, the Jamaican sous chef at Akoko, welcomes the inclusion of African cuisine by Michelin.”It is about time,” he says – momentarily stopping chopping fish as the kitchen behind bustles ahead of the lunchtime sittings.The Akoko team works like a well-oiled machine as the clock runs down to noon, when smooth African jazz fills the restaurant preparing for their first guests of the day. With the firewood burning, the Nigerian Guinness chilled by the in-house sommelier, the chefs in their whites gather in the stainless-steel kitchen for a brief team meeting. Afterwards they all clap, the door is opened and feasting begins.More stories on African food:African food: The next gastronomic trend?Nigerians turn to rice that’s normally thrown awayNew York’s hottest West African tableRelated TopicsMichelin StarFoodBlack interestAround the BBCFocus on Africa podcastsTop StoriesNavalny’s team accuses Russia of ‘hiding’ his bodyPublished9 hours agoZelensky warns of ‘artificial deficit’ of weaponsPublished35 minutes agoGaza ceasefire talks not very promising, says QatarPublished4 hours agoFeaturesThe Papers: Starmer ‘attacks Trump’ and ‘No way back for Harry’A US soldier killed two at Mount Fuji. So why must Japan apologise?West Africa’s Michelin-starred cuisine wows LondonHow London Overground’s new line names were chosenHow an Australian stuntwoman conquered Indian action filmsHow Kerrang TV shaped the alternative music sceneLast orders for Westminster pub bells calling MPs to voteRosenberg: Dissent takes courage – and Navalny supporters are defiantHow Russian state media are spinning Navalny deathElsewhere on the BBCThe sound effect that became the ultimate movie in-jokeIt’s used in everything from Toy Story to Reservoir Dogs, but what is the Wilhelm Scream?AttributioniPlayerWhat is it really like to be a monk?’To be a monk is something very vast, very high and very beautiful’AttributioniPlayer’I smashed all my trophies’Bradley Wiggins opens up about his mental health and imposter syndromeAttributioniPlayerFancy a film tonight?There’s something for everyone on BBC iPlayerAttributioniPlayerMost Read1Starmer ‘attacks Trump’ and ‘No way back for Harry’2Conjoined twins given days to live are proving everyone wrong3No discussion over Falklands, says Lord Cameron4Jordan North speaks out after sudden Radio 1 exit5Asylum seekers feel unsafe on remote UK island6Navalny’s team accuses Russia of ‘hiding’ his body7Two sinkholes open up in field above HS2 tunnel8Did Bigfoot, Cricket or Piranha win Masked Singer?9Zelensky warns of ‘artificial deficit’ of weapons10Last orders for Westminster pub bells calling MPs to vote](https://newsinsightplus.com/wp-content/uploads/https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/news/1024/branded_news/64E3/production/_132672852_akoko_team976.jpg)
![BBC HomepageSkip to contentAccessibility HelpYour accountLiveNotificationsHomeNewsSportWeatheriPlayerSoundsBitesizeMore menuMore menuSearch BBCHomeNewsSportWeatheriPlayerSoundsBitesizeCBBCCBeebiesFoodClose menuBBC NewsMenuHomeIsrael-Gaza warCost of LivingWar in UkraineClimateUKWorldBusinessPoliticsCultureMoreTechScienceHealthFamily & EducationIn PicturesNewsbeatBBC VerifyDisabilityAsiaChinaIndiaIndia navy rescues two hijacked vessels off Somalia coast in two daysPublished22 minutes agoShareclose panelShare pageCopy linkAbout sharingImage source, Indian NavyImage caption, The Indian navy posted a photo of its personnel with the captured hijackersBy Meryl SebastianBBC News, KochiIndian naval forces have rescued two hijacked vessels off Somalia’s coast as fears grow over a possible resurgence in piracy in the area.The rescues by the warship INS Sumitra came within 36 hours of each other.Just days earlier, Seychelles defence forces reported freeing a group of fishermen from pirates.The waters off the Somali coast were previously a hotbed for piracy, but it had all but stopped after international forces stepped up patrols.India, for example, has helped patrol the area constantly since 2008.However, many of those naval forces have moved up into the Red Sea, AFP news agency reports, where the Houthi rebel group have been attacking ships. Experts now fear the gap will be exploited by pirates in the region, the news agency said. The first successful hijacking in the region since 2017 took place last December, with Michael Howlett, director of the International Maritime Bureau, noting it was “a cause for concern”. Who are the Houthis attacking Red Sea ships?There have been a series of reports of rescues since then.According to the Indian navy, its ship responded to the first distress message on 28 January, intercepting an Iranian-flagged vessel. Naval officers then “coerce[d] the pirates for safe release of crew along with the boat”, according to a post on X (formerly Twitter).Once the 17 crew members were released, the ship was sanitised and allowed to continue its journey. The statement did not mention the status of the pirates.Then on Tuesday, the navy said INS Sumitra was again “pressed into action to locate and intercept another Iranian-flagged fishing vessel Al Naeemi”.Navy personnel boarded the vessel to sanitise the vessel and check on the well-being of the crew, made up of 19 Pakistani sailors, it added. The status of the pirates was not mentioned again, but a photo posted on X showed armed Navy personnel guarding men who had their hands tied behind their backs.And earlier in January, Indian navy commandos had rescued 21 crew members from a Liberian-flagged ship which was attacked by pirates off the Somalian coast.Meanwhile, the Seychelles said its forces freed six Sri Lankan fishermen on Saturday, after they were held hostage for three days by gunmen who attacked them some 840 nautical miles (1,555 kilometres) southeast of the Somali capital MogadishuOn 26 January, the Indian Navy said it deployed its warship INS Visakhapatnam in the Gulf of Aden in response to a distress call from Marlin Luanda, a tanker with links to the UK that was on fire for several hours after being hit by a missile fired by the Houthis. French and US naval ships also provided assistance to the vessel.Read more India stories from the BBC:Why India wants to fence its troubled Myanmar borderIndia’s ancient carpet weaving industry meets AIThe Sufi shrine caught up in a religious row in IndiaWho invented butter chicken? Creamy dish centre of court battleA jobs crisis in India is driving workers to IsraelRelated TopicsAsiaIndiaTop StoriesLive. Sinn Féin says next days ‘crucial’ for return of NI power-sharingMan armed with crossbow shot dead by policePublished2 hours agoIMF warns UK government against further tax cutsPublished34 minutes agoFeaturesTrain strikes: All you need to know on week of disruptionNothing but rubble: Ukraine’s shattered ghost town AvdiivkaA simple guide to the Northern Ireland Brexit dealCould Lily Gladstone make Oscars history?Disguised Israeli forces kill three militants in hospital. VideoDisguised Israeli forces kill three militants in hospitalSecret calls and code names: How money makes it to N KoreaNew Brexit food checks will test Britain’s supply chains’I found my son’s vape stash in roof – we need this ban’Guardiola, Mourinho and the game that changed everythingAttributionSportElsewhere on the BBCThe bizarre origins of a world-altering act of violenceJon Ronson returns with more unexpected, human stories from the culture warsAttributionSoundsThe mysterious deaths of Nazi fugitivesThree brothers investigate whether a family connection may explain the truthAttributioniPlayer’Songwriting is easy. Getting it played is not easy’Boy George talks to John Wilson about his formative cultural influencesAttributionSoundsBig laughs, big stars and big surprises!Michael McIntyre is back, with guests Dermot O’Leary, Tony Hadley, Jess Glynne and Tom KerridgeAttributioniPlayerMost Read1Mother of baby found dead in pub toilet identified2Man armed with crossbow shot dead by police3Record-breaking Suits was 2023’s most-streamed show4IMF warns UK government against further tax cuts5Israel W Bank hospital raid kills three Palestinian fighters6Run-DMC DJ shot by godson for revenge, court told7UK considering recognising Palestine state – Cameron8Review into decision to accept triple killer’s pleas9Channel migrants screamed ‘we’re going to die’10Woman injured in Sydney Harbour shark attack](https://newsinsightplus.com/wp-content/uploads/https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/news/1024/branded_news/13EB/production/_132499050_withpirates.jpg)
