Author: OneAfricaYT

Guardian writers’ predicted position: 1st (NB: this is not necessarily Andy Hunter’s prediction but the average of our writers’ tips)Last season’s position: 1stProspectsLiverpool kitsChampions for a record-equalling 20th time, and by a comfortable margin, first-choice transfer targets secured in an ambitious recruitment drive and the possibility of Alexander Isak arriving too: Liverpool look in outstanding shape to celebrate their 21st title this season. A seventh Champions League triumph will also be considered a realistic target by Arne Slot.Expectations are high at Anfield but any analysis of the club must consider the immeasurable impact of Diogo Jota’s tragic death on teammates…

It is a rare thing in my experience that a resource management simulator, set in a retail or service environment, can strike the precise tone and pace that manages to evoke both interest and relaxation. As a player who previously worked as a bookseller, and currently is a novelist, I am poised to be extremely stressed out by a game set in a mobile bookshop. However, Tiny Bookshop is crafted with such care and balance that I found myself losing hours to the gentle pace and tiny puzzles and sheer escapism of the world it presents.The setup is simple, and…

Dozens of soldiers have been arrested in Mali accused of plotting to topple the country’s military leaders, sources say.The wave of arrests, which reportedly went on overnight and are expected to continue, reflect increased tensions within the military government, with reports that a jihadist insurgency in the north is gaining ground. The authorities have not commented on the arrests.Initial reports indicated that Gen Abass Dembele, the former governor of the Mopti region and Gen Nema Sagara, one of the few women at the highest levels of the Malian army, were among those detained.However, a source close to Gen Dembele told…

An act as small as washing hands with soap and water, can stop microbes from travelling farther than we imagine. This was evident and encouraged during the COVID-19 pandemic, when this simple habit became a major frontline defence, helping to slow the spread of a virus that brought the world to its knees. However, the power of handwashing extends beyond the pandemic. Today, handwashing remains a powerful tool in preventing many public health crises, including antimicrobial resistance (AMR), a growing global threat. In an interview with Niniola Williams, Managing Director of DRASA Health Trust, an organisation working to prevent AMR…

Boxers Shigetoshi Kotari and Hiromasa Urakawa died following fights on the same card in Tokyo last week.Japanese boxing officials will hold an emergency meeting on Tuesday as the sport in the country faces intense scrutiny following the deaths of two fighters in separate bouts at the same event.Super featherweight Shigetoshi Kotari and lightweight Hiromasa Urakawa, both 28, fought on the same card at Tokyo’s Korakuen Hall on August 2 and died days later following brain surgery.The Japan Boxing Commission (JBC), gym owners and other boxing officials are under pressure to act and will hold an emergency meeting on Tuesday.They are…

If you read the Western press this morning, you may come to believe that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s desire to take military control over Gaza is new. But dropping 2000lb bombs does not rescue captives and wiping out whole neighbourhoods does not come without plans to build something in their place.On Friday, Israel’s security cabinet approved the occupation of Gaza City, formalising what was always the endgame of this genocide. The plan follows a deliberate sequence: First destroy, then starve, occupy, demand demilitarisation, and finally carry out full ethnic cleansing once Palestinians have no political power and capacity to…

Manchester United loanee Marcus Rashford debuts for Barca as Lamine Yamal scores twice in 5-0 win against Como.Reigning Spanish champions Barcelona completed their pre-season preparations by thrashing Italian side Como 5-0 in a game which signalled a thawing of relations with goalkeeper Marc-Andre Ter Stegen.Barca also gave Marcus Rashford a substitute’s appearance on Sunday, two weeks after the England forward joined on loan from Manchester United.Double strikes from Fermin Lopez and Lamine Yamal and a first-half goal from Brazilian Raphinha completed the rout in the Joan Gamper Trophy.With the game played at the Johan Cruyff Stadium within the team’s training…

A new study by researchers at Northwestern University has set off alarm bells about the future of academic research, warning that the publication of fraudulent science is growing at a faster rate than that of legitimate research.Over the last four centuries, an implicit contract has been established between scientists and states: in exchange for producing knowledge useful for economic and social development, governments and other benefactors offer researchers stable careers, good salaries, and public recognition. This model, similar to that of a commercial enterprise, has proven to be efficient and has been replicated in most regions of the world.However, recent…

Key eventsShow key events onlyPlease turn on JavaScript to use this featureAs we mentioned in the opening post, the Metropolitan police, a force under huge budgetary and resource pressure, arrested a total of 532 people on Saturday at the largest demonstration relating to Palestine Action since the group was proscribed last month.Detained protesters were taken to prisoner processing points in the Westminster area.Those whose details could be confirmed were released on bail to appear at a police station at a future date.Th Met said 522 people were held for displaying an item in support of a proscribed organisation, and there…

The Czech Film and Television Academy has selected Klára Tasovská’s documentary I’m Not Everything I Want to Be as the country’s submission for best international feature at the 98th Academy Awards. The formally daring documentary, which premiered at last year’s Berlinale and won this year’s Czech Lion for best documentary, profiles photographer Libuše Jarcovjáková, an uncompromising artist who chronicled Prague’s underground scene in the 1980s before fleeing to West Berlin. Drawing from her private diaries and thousands of analog photographs, Tasovská’s film charts Jarcovjáková’s life from the dissident art circles of communist Czechoslovakia to high-fashion shoots in Tokyo. Related Stories…