Furore in Nigeria over fake federal agency set up in government HQPresident orders investigation after fictitious body given funding, triggering renewed scrutiny of alleged corruptionA fictitious federal entity that was allocated 1.3bn naira (£700,000) in Nigeria's 2026 budget has precipitated a political storm in Africa's largest democracy in the run-up to a general election set for January.The fake agency came to light last October when Femi Gbajabiamila, the president's chief of staff, wrote to the police alleging that his signature, along with official seals and reference numbers, had been forged by Adeniyi Adeyemi Matthew, who was claiming to have been appointed by the presidency to head the presidential foreign intervention promotion council (PFIPC). Continue reading...
LGBTQ+ cruise ship refused entry to Egypt days after Turkey turned it awayScarlet Lady's 2,000 passengers told of change as one of those onboard says they will 'sparkle and spend elsewhere'An LGBTQ+ cruise ship blocked from Turkish waters this week has been refused entry into Egypt.The Scarlet Lady's 2,000 passengers, including the Broadway performer Patti LuPone, woke on Thursday morning to find a note placed under their cabin doors informing them that the ship was urgently looking for alternative ports. Continue reading...
Species' ingenious survival strategies no match for human destruction, red list revealsNewly endangered animals include desert frogs and snails in extreme ocean depths, both threatened by miningLife has colonised every corner of the planet by evolving ingenious survival strategies but these are increasingly being overwhelmed by destructive human activities, this year's red list of endangered species has revealed.Many snails, limpets and clams have adapted to life at crushing depths in the oceans on hydrothermal vents where water temperatures can reach 450C (842F). But an assessment for the red list found that two-thirds of the hundreds of mollusc species found only on deep sea vents were at risk of extinction because of deep-sea mining. Continue reading...
Catnip lotion as effective as Deet at repelling mosquitoes, study findsResearchers testing a cheap, homegrown oil in Uganda found what cats knew all along - it worked as well as the artificial chemical used globally A homegrown catnip lotion has proven "just as effective as Deet" as a mosquito repellant in trials carried out in Uganda.Catnip, or Nepeta cataria, is a common herb from the mint family. The chemical in the plant that causes feline euphoria - nepetalactone - also has insect-repelling properties but this has not previously been commercialised. Continue reading...
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