Author: Agencies

Nigerian writer Ayọ̀bámi Adébáyọ̀ took the literary world by storm with her debut novel Stay With Me in 2017. Six years later, she has followed up with an equally brilliant second novel, A Spell of Good Things, which has been longlisted for the Booker Prize 2023. Just as with her first novel, A Spell of Good Things delves masterfully into the complexities of polygamy and problems with patriarchy while also exploring the corrosive effects of Nigeria’s political corruption on ordinary and, especially, poor Nigerians. As someone who studies Nigerian literature, I hold the view that the strength of Adébáyọ’s second novel lies precisely in this exploration of the effects of the political on…

“Uganda’s Anti-Homosexuality Act fundamentally contradicts the World Bank Group’s values. We believe our vision to eradicate poverty on a livable planet can only succeed if it includes everyone irrespective of race, gender, or sexuality. This law undermines those efforts. Inclusion and non-discrimination sit at the heart of our work around the world,” a statement from the World Bank dated August 8, 2023 issued by the David Theis, Press Secretary and Spokesperson, said. The statement said immediately after the law was enacted, the World Bank deployed a team to Uganda to review the portfolio in the context of the new legislation.…

A new European law that imposes the first ever carbon border tax in the world comes into force in October 2023. It will be applied gradually over the next three years before it is fully implemented. A carbon tax is a type of levy imposed on greenhouse gas emissions. It is meant to encourage companies to adopt clean methods of production. But firms could get around the tax by moving production units outside the EU to countries with less strict terms, such as those in Africa, and then exporting products back to the EU. That’s why the EU has come up with…

An essay on Ngũgĩ wa Thiong’o by Kenyan journalist Carey Baraka sparked controversy recently. Baraka spent three days with Ngũgĩ at his home in California and penned a long, reflective essay about his encounter with the renowned novelist. The essay, titled Ngũgĩ wa Thiong’o: three days with a giant of African literature,” was published in The Guardian and has drawn mixed responses since it was published on June 13, including a feature on Kenya’s public television. From Ngugi’s son calling the piece “unethical” to those who found it intimate and moving to Kenyan tabloids exploiting details for clickbait to Ngugi…

Every now and then the trade in human organs makes national, even international, news. In March 2023, a Nigerian politician, his wife and a medical middleman were found guilty of an organ-trafficking plot after they brought a man to the UK from Lagos to sell his kidney. Several months later in Kenya, following the arrest of a televangelist on charges of a mass killing of his followers, autopsies on the corpses revealed missing organs, raising suspicions of forced organ harvesting. And, in 2020, researcher Sean Columb exposed how numerous African migrants sold their kidneys in Cairo, Egypt, in hopes of using the earnings to pay…

From slouching at your desk to overdoing it at the gym, many everyday activities can lead to back pain. Regular stretching helps protect your back by increasing flexibility and decreasing the risk of injury. Done after strengthening exercise, it also helps prevent muscle soreness. Safe s-t-r-e-t-c-h-i-n-g tips Talk with your healthcare provider before starting a new back exercise program, especially if you have a history of spinal problems or back injury. Then follow these general guidelines: Here are three easy stretches that help keep your back limber and healthy. Knee-to-chest stretch On all fours — back flexion and extension Standing…

Chinese President Xi Jinping called Bill Gates “an old friend” and said he hoped they could cooperate in a way that would benefit both China and the United States, in Xi’s first meeting with a foreign entrepreneur in years. In a meeting at Beijing’s Diaoyutai state guest house, where China’s leaders have traditionally received senior foreign visitors, Xi said he was very happy to see the Microsoft (MSFT.O) co-founder and philanthropist after three years, and that Gates was the first American friend he had met this year. “I often say the foundation of U.S.-China relations lies with its people. I place my…

Silvio Berlusconi, the leader of Italy’s Forza Italia party and the country’s former premier, has died at age 86. He was admitted to a Milan hospital on Friday for what aides said were pre-planned tests related to his leukemia. Berlusconi’s death on June 12, leaves a “huge void” because he was a great man, Italian Defence Minister Guido Crosetto said on Twitter on Monday. Berlusconi led Italy as prime minister three times between 1994 and 2011. A billionaire, Berlusconi made his fortune in media, founding Fininvest, a media holding company, in the 1970s. In the 90s, he established the right wing Forza…

The anti-gay bill passed in Uganda is gratuitous in its cruelty. It criminalises the human body, speech, thought, intent, literature, music and language. In short it criminalises culture itself while claiming to be protecting African culture. I therefore feel I cannot honor my invitation to visit Makerere University to give a lecture this August at the Mashariki Conference. There are things we simply cannot allow, and outlawing humanity should be at the top of the list. How does just being who are you become illegal? Should we not be protecting and celebrating our sexual diversity? This is not an easy decision to make.…

When President Salva Kiir announced the abolition of secondary school fees in South Sudan in February 2023, he was following several fellow African leaders. Ghana, Madagascar, Malawi, Sierra Leone, Togo, and Zambia have all announced free secondary education policies in the last five years. Rwanda, Kenya and South Africa were early trendsetters in this regard. Despite its popularity with policymakers, parents and other stakeholders, the abolition of secondary school fees in resource-constrained contexts is still a subject of debate. The African Union, global NGOs like Human Rights Watch and various United Nations agencies are in favour. Others are sceptical. They highlight financial sustainability and equity implications, especially at the upper secondary…