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Sources

Dude, Where's My Dreads? South Africa's Odd Spate Of Dreadlock Theft

I've been dreadknapped!? And they didn't even take my wallet.

THE TIMES (South Africa)

Worldcrunch

JOHANNESBURG – Jasper Munsinwa was partying at a nightclub in Johannesburg when he noticed his friend, Mutsa Madonko, was missing. “When we found him, he still had his cellphone and wallet with all his money inside.”

Mutsa was passed out, with all his deadlocks cut off.

According to The Times, Mutsa is one of a growing number of people who have had their dreadlocks stolen these past few months. This new trend is linked to the rising demand for natural dreadlocks as hair extensions, said The Times.

In South Africa, shoulder-length dreadlocks cost between $20 and $80, while longer ones can cost up to $280. It takes years to grow proper dreadlocks – 10 years, in the case of Mutsa Madonko.

Hairstylist Lebo Masimong said women were the most at risk of getting their locks chopped off: "You are an easy target if you walk around the CBD central business district and your hair is loose. They don't care about your money or fancy phone. They are only after your hair."

Photo -Knotty Boy Natural Dreadlock Care

Photo - Dreadlocks

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FOCUS: Russia-Ukraine War

Alexandroupoli, How The Ukraine War Turned A Sleepy Greek Port Into Key Strategic Hub

Once neglected, this small port in Thrace, northeastern Greece, has become a strategic hub for transporting men and arms to the shores of the Black Sea. Propelled by ambitious infrastructure and gas projects, the region dreams of becoming an alternative to the Bosphorus strait.

Alexandroupoli, How The Ukraine War Turned A Sleepy Greek Port Into Key Strategic Hub

The U.S. military processing military equipment in the port of Alexandroupoli.

Basile Dekonink

ALEXANDROUPOLI — Looks like there's a traffic jam in the port of Alexandroupoli.

Lined up in tight rows on the quay reserved for military activities, hundreds of vehicles — mostly light armored vehicles — are piled up under the sun. Moored at the pier, the "USNS Brittin," an impressive 290-meter roll-off cargo ship flying the flag of the U.S. Navy, is about to set sail. But what is all this gear doing in this remote corner of the sea in Thrace, in the far northeast of Greece?

Of all the geopolitical upheavals caused by the Russian offensive of Feb. 24 2022, Alexandroupoli is perhaps the most surprising. Once isolated and neglected, this modest port in the Eastern Mediterranean, mainly known for its maritime connection to the nearby island of Samothrace, is being revived.

Diplomats of all kinds are flocking there, investors are pouring in, and above all, military ships are arriving at increasingly regular intervals. The capital of the province of Evros has become, in the midst of the war in Ukraine, a hub for transporting arms and men to the shores of the Black Sea.

“If you look north from Alexandroupoli, along the Evros River, you can see a corridor. A corridor for trade, for the transport of goods and people to the heart of the Balkans and, a little further, to Ukraine," explains the port's CEO, Konstantinos Chatzikonstantinou, from his office right on the docks. According to him, the sudden interest in this small town of 70,000 inhabitants is explained by "geography, geography, and… geography.”

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