Curtains coming down on France striker Mbappe at PSG, with Madrid or EPL his rumoured destination
Madrid have always been there for Mbappe. Since May 2022, almost the day after Mbappe turned them down in order to extend his stay at PSG, the idea of a new offensive to sign him has been given great importance.
Russia: Putin’s fiercest foe Alexei Navalny and opposition leader dies in prison, assassination suspected
Praise for Navalny’s bravery poured in from Western leaders and others who have opposed Putin’s rule. The opposition leader’s health has deteriorated recently and the cause of death may never be known, but many world leaders said they held Russian authorities ultimately responsible for his death.
Wanted: Historic convent in Spain has run out of nuns, appeals for volunteers or it shuts down
The building dates back to the 16th century and houses the hand of St Teresa of Avila, kept inside a silver gauntlet decorated with stones. Pilgrims come to the site, many of them believing the relic can help with fertility issues.
US to build five new military bases for Somali army, which faces insurgency by extremists
The UN Security Council has authorised the reduction of the peacekeeping force in Somalia and the Somali government says it is achieving progress in improving security.
Algeria’s black market for foreign currency underlines economic woes of the North African nation
From Lebanon to Nigeria, experts warn that having two parallel exchange rates can distort a country’s economy, discourage investment and encourage corruption. Algeria has historically been reluctant to lower the official value of the dinar, worried that devaluation will spike prices and anger the population.
Kenya targets lower budget deficit in next fiscal year after decade of debt-fuelled infrastructure spending
To cover the deficit, the government will raise 326.1 billion shillings in net external financing, and another 377.7 billion shillings in net domestic borrowing. Overall spending will rise to 4.19 trillion shillings ($28.90 billion) from an estimated 3.90 trillion shillings in this fiscal year, the ministry said.
Gaza war stripped media naked with claims of bias in coverage of conflict in Middle East rife
The UN’s outspoken special rapporteur on the situation of human rights in the Occupied Palestinian Territories, Francesca Albanese, has also questioned whether “journalists have codes of conduct and professional ethics to abide by and be held accountable to”. The unspoken assumption is that the reporting would greatly improve if all concerned simply stuck to the dictates of professional codes.
With wheat-based diets blamed for rising lifestyle diseases in Africa, scientists are resorting to indigenous crops to solve food insecurity
The benefits of fonio are so marked that academics and policymakers are now calling for the grain – alongside other indigenous foods, such as Ethiopia’s teff, as well as cassava and various millets and legumes – to be embraced more widely across Africa to improve food security.
Why modern farmers and scientists are keen on growing more crops for cows and cars, not food for humans
To see the yield gap in action, compare two important corn producers: the US and Kenya. In the US, the average yield is around 10.8 tonnes per hectare, while in Kenya it’s 1.5 tonnes. While the US is very close to its maximum theoretical corn yields, Kenya – taking into account its different climate – is way below its theoretical maximum. In other words, the US barely has a corn yield gap at all, while Kenya has a yield gap of about 2.7 tonnes per hectare below its theoretical maximum.
More sinned against than sinning: How successive regimes in Uganda exploited, abused and impoverished once rich Busoga
Because the Basoga are easier to divide than unite, Busoga has been a perennial loser in terms of development, transformation and progress in Musevenite times. It has lost opportunities, resources, properties and land to foreigners since precolonial times. The precolonial rulers of Busoga – Buganda and Bunyoro – exploited Busoga to their advantage when the indigenous Basoga were not united and only depended on shifting agriculture and hunting only for food. The precolonial rulers stole ivory, leopard skins and gold and traded them with other peoples. The Baganda colonisers even abducted the beautiful Basoga women.
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