Yuck to profits: Zimbabwe resorts to maggot farming to survive drought, thrive
In Uganda, the maggots helped plug a fertiliser crisis caused by the war in Ukraine. In Nigeria and Kenya, they are becoming a commercial success.
Swiss commodities firm Trafigura goes on trial over alleged bribes paid to secure Angola oil contract
Trafigura said it has invested “significant resources” in strengthening its compliance programme over a number of years. The defendants are entitled to a presumption of innocence as the court case plays out in Switzerland.
Biden heads to Africa to fulfil longstanding promise to tour continent before he leaves office in January
The US has for years built relations in Africa through trade, security and humanitarian aid. The 800-mile (1,300-kilometer), $2.5 billion railway upgrade is a different move and has shades of China’s Belt and Road foreign infrastructure strategy that has surged ahead.
UN Convention to Combat Desertification requires $2.6 trillion to reverse land degradation
A large chunk of the around $1 billion a day that is required will need to come from the private sector, said Thiaw, who is Executive Secretary of the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD).
Left behind in Kenya, children of British soldiers struggle to find their identity
The countries’ $44 million defence cooperation agreement was renewed in 2021. It allows up to 10,000 British forces to train for eight weeks in Kenya every year. Kenya’s biracial children are part of broader concerns about the British mission, notably the persistent allegations of rape of local girls and women.
Trump raps President Biden’s pardon of his son Hunter as an ‘abuse and miscarriage of justice’
Hunter Biden faced sentencing for the false statements and gun convictions this month. In September he pleaded guilty to federal charges of failing to pay $1.4 million in taxes while spending lavishly on drugs, sex workers and luxury items. He was scheduled for sentencing in that case on December 16.
Nairobi Governor Sakaja comes under searing criticism over soaring crime, poor roads in high-end residential area
General Mathenge Drive is a very busy street that connects to Westlands and Parklands. For over two years residents say they suffer because of very poor road and maintenance, poor darning and potholes are making it dangerous to drive on.
Death toll rises to at least 15 after landslides bury 40 homes in eastern Uganda
Local officials told a journalist in the area that an excavator would be brought to assist in the rescue efforts, but the roads were covered in mud and rain was still falling. The impacted area is about 50 acres with homesteads and farmlands spread downhill.
Controversial world-first social media ban for children under 16 puts Australia on collision course with Big Tech
Countries including France and some US states have passed laws to restrict access for minors without a parent’s permission, but the Australian ban is absolute. A full under-14s ban in Florida is being challenged in court on free speech grounds.
It was ‘massacre’, France’s Macron admits 1944 killings of West African troops demanding wage was a crime
The win granted newly elected President Faye a clear mandate to carry out ambitious reforms promised during the campaign, which include more economic independence from foreign companies, including French ones, which are heavily invested in the country.
