World Bank study shows countries in north Africa are losing beaches faster than anywhere else in the world
Over the past 15 years, the fishermen of Ghannouch, a town around 400 kilometres south of the Tunisian capital, Tunis, say they have seen “radical changes” on the coastline they sail around. “The sand is decreasing and the rocks are starting to appear,” Sassi Alaya, a local seaman and the...
Outgoing Kenya president cut price of staple food to tip elections in favour of preferred successor – critics
The cost of maize flour, used to make Kenya’s staple food, has been cut in half less than three weeks before general elections. The measure aims to deal with the rising cost of living that has seen prices of basic commodities soar. A 2-kilogramme packet of maize flour will now...
Cameroon’s war economy: ‘This is no longer a struggle for the common man, but an economic venture’
Five years into a deadly separatist conflict in Cameroon’s English-speaking regions, hopes of finding a negotiated settlement seem more distant than ever as both the government and secessionist rebels dig in, according to civil society activists. It’s a conflict marked by spikes of extreme violence that invariably target civilians. The...
Presidential candidate promises to publish contracts Kenya signed with China, deport illegal Chinese workers
Kenya’s deputy president and presidential aspirant William Ruto has promised to publish government contracts with China and deport Chinese nationals working illegally if he is elected on August 9, promises likely to resonate with citizens pummelled by mounting debt and the skyrocketing cost of living. Kenya, whose 2022-23 budget of...
UK minister faces stinging criticism over fraud in transfer of refugees to Rwanda, which recruits refugees in military
The Home Office pushed through its policy of sending asylum seekers to Rwanda despite repeated concerns from UK government officials, it has emerged from documents submitted to a high court hearing. The government disclosed the documents, which raise numerous concerns about the Rwanda plans, ahead of a full hearing later...
Violence against women: Media and researchers should stop revelling in calling South Africa ‘rape capital’
Researchers and journalists in South Africa tend to portray sexual violence as an ever-worsening crisis, focusing on either the latest police statistics or the most violent and horrific recent incidents. Since the late 1970s, the media has displayed a near obsession with reporting rape numbers and gruesome case details. The...
Milestone as US Marines get first Black four-star general after 246 years; to head Africa Command
In the late 1980s, Maj Ronald Bailey met a young Marine he knew had promise. Michael E. Langley was a powerlifter who dominated flag football games, an intellectual who set records for how many training courses he wrote and a problem-solver whose bosses frequently tapped him to mediate workplace disputes....
Makeweight: De Jong getting ‘shirty’ at Man United as clueless Arsenal fail to sign De Bruyne
The football media is particularly silly today, with Lisandro Martinez getting his dream Manchester United shirt number allocated and then taken away again… Things change very quickly in the extraordinary world of dream shirt numbers. ‘Lisandro Martinez can grab dream shirt number following Manchester United announcement’ – Manchester Evening News,...
Revealed: Worried his rival Messi will outscore him, Ronaldo is hunting for Champions League stage
Cristiano Ronaldo is concerned that arch-rival Lionel Messi could break his Champions League goals record amid his desire to leave Manchester United this summer, according to reports. The Red Devils icon wants to depart Old Trafford ahead of the new season to continue playing in the elite European competition. Ronaldo...
Design thinking: A powerful methodology for projects, but NOT thinking about design!
Why do simple and effective approaches to getting things done often become obscured by jargon? For example, way back in the last century when I worked at HP we experienced big changes in the business environment. Although layoffs are common at HP these days, back then everyone I knew believed...
