Human Rights Watch (HRW) reported on Thursday that ethnic cleansing and crimes against humanity are occurring in El Geneina, Sudan. The events are labeled as “among the worst atrocities against civilians so far in the current conflict in Sudan.”...
Jenny Erpenbeck opens #Spring 2024 with Sloughing Off One Skin, a haunting #ShortStory that explores truth and identity, translated by Michael Hofmann.
We're on the lookout for perspectives that are currently under-represented on bookshelves in the UK and in the US, and material first written in languages other than English.
#CatsOfMastodon the boss lady is flat out on this #Caturday - she has just finished the last episode of Season 2 of #TheGlobalJigsaw. This one is on the signs of a potentially cooling friendship between #China and some countries in #Africa. “China is not buying Africa, it is building Africa” is the view from Beijing. How is this landing with local audiences? https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p0hx9h3z
She meowed plenty with Nairobi cats (next post) for some background and they had a lot to say...
A new study reveals that before northern Africa dried out, 5,500 years ago, its climate “flickered” between two stable climatic states before tipping permanently. This is the first time it’s been shown such flickering happened in Earth’s past. And it suggests that places with highly variable cycles of changing climate today may in some cases be headed for tipping points of their own.
Complementary and Disparate: Conceptualising Female and Male Genital Cutting in Northern Tanzania
Mary-Anne Victoria Decatur, PhD dissertation, U of London 2023.
Yes, I do read your dissertations!
"It is the normal, functioning cells of all foreskins that are deemed dangerous. And yet it is specifically Black male bodies that are being constructed as promiscuous sources of infection in need of medical intervention."
🇵🇹 #Portugal said it is "greatly concerned" by reports that its former colony Sao Tome and Principe has signed a military cooperation accord with #Russia, the latest in a series between Moscow and West African nations.
Some people say lions sleep 22 out of every 24 hours. It's true we often see them lying in the grass, sometimes yawning. But it doesn't mean they sleep when we're not there. “Lions lying sleeping in the shade on a hot day are […] conserving energy during the least energetically efficient time of the day. […] If the energy costs involved in an activity aren’t outweighed by its potential benefits, they simply won’t do it.” Clever.
Author copies arrived of this bulky anthology of African ghost stories. Now I can say that my story was published in the same book as the legend, Amos Tutuola!
Amboseli National Park is a national park in Kenya that spreads across the Kenya-Tanzania border. It has great views of Mount Kilimanjaro, the highest free-standing mountain in the world.
This awesome view, the large variety of wild animals, and dirt tracks that can be used by buses, make it one of the most tourists crowded national park in Kenya.
“The iconic acacia tree in front of Mount Kilimanjaro”
The plains surrounding Kilimanjaro (the “lowlands”), are located between 600 and 800 meters above sea level. The climate is very hot and dry.
The vegetation is mainly composed of savannahs made up of numerous plant species, including the famous umbrella thorn acacia, a thorny tree that can reach up to 21 m high.
I understand the need to fund cybersecurity efforts to thwart criminals. However, this latest levy conveniently exempts the affluent by focusing on select transactions.
Following the enactment of the Cybercrime (Prohibition, Prevention, etc) (amendment) Act 2024 and pursuant to the provision of Section 44 (2)(a) of the Act, “a levy of 0.5% (0.005) equivalent to a half percent of all electronic transactions value by the business specified in the Second Schedule of the Act”, is to be remitted to the National Cybersecurity Fund (NCF), which shall be administered by the Office of the National Security Advisor (ONSA). […]
The levy shall be applied at the point of electronic transfer origination, then deducted and remitted by the financial institution.
The deducted amount shall be reflected in the customer’s account with the narration: “Cybersecurity Levy”. (Central Bank of Nigeria 🇳🇬, PDF here)
The Premium Times provides reactions from Nigerians 🇳🇬, which is unfavorable as no one wants an increase in expenses during this age of inflation we are living in.
Although I do not desire to pay extra fees when conducting transactions, I understand the levy’s necessity, even if I do not appreciate the expense.
While it is understandable that there would be exemptions to the new Levy (for charities, payroll, school, transactions within the bank, government, etcetera), one exemption did capture my attention.
SCHEDULE OF EXEMPTIONS FROM CYBERSECURITY LEVY […]
Savings and deposits including transactions involving long-term investments such as Treasury Bills, Bonds and Commercial Papers. (Central Bank of Nigeria 🇳🇬)
Usually, the affluent invest long-term in bonds & treasury bills, so its appearance here as an exception is suspicious. Like any other nation, Nigeria 🇳🇬 needs investors, but they should not cater to their interests while asking the public to increase their burden.
Nigerians 🇳🇬 are threatening lawsuits against the Cybersecurity Levy. However, I doubt the government will suspend a new source of revenue when nations seek extra cash to maintain the upkeep of their respective countries.
People living in Nairobi’s Mathare slum fear that if catastrophic flooding does not bring down their homes, the government will. Jane Kalekye trudges through the narrow muddy alley to her tin-roof house in Mathare, one of Kenya’s largest slums. Ever since the devastating floods that forced her out of her home last month, she...
Amboseli National Park is a national park in Kenya that spreads across the Kenya-Tanzania border. It is one of the best place in the world to get close to free-ranging elephants.
The park also has views of Mount Kilimanjaro, the highest free-standing mountain in the world.
It's amazing how seeing a herd of goats and a few houses is enough to bring you back to earth after a few days spent admiring the wild animals of Amboseli National Park, in a largely untouched wilderness.
Crimes against humanity and ethnic cleansing occurring against the Massalit in West Darfur: Human Rights Watch (www.jurist.org)
Human Rights Watch (HRW) reported on Thursday that ethnic cleansing and crimes against humanity are occurring in El Geneina, Sudan. The events are labeled as “among the worst atrocities against civilians so far in the current conflict in Sudan.”...
‘I’ve only the clothes on my back’: lives swept away by floods in Kenya (www.theguardian.com)
People living in Nairobi’s Mathare slum fear that if catastrophic flooding does not bring down their homes, the government will. Jane Kalekye trudges through the narrow muddy alley to her tin-roof house in Mathare, one of Kenya’s largest slums. Ever since the devastating floods that forced her out of her home last month, she...