🪨 Sticks and stones

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Good morning 🌤️ Apple unveiled its latest lineup of devices that, despite the public outcry over the lack of innovation, will dominate many a mirror selfie soon.

For the 1% of our readers mulling an upgrade, here's what’s new—not much: 1) the newly titanium-encased devices look unchanged, with the entire 15 lineup featuring dynamic island; 2) a customizable action button replaced the iconic silent mode toggle button; and—in a move that’ll make it easier to ask for a charger at the bar—3) Apple finally adopted USB-C charging ports.

Our advice: Don’t buy it. Instead, get somebody’s son to buy you the 15 Pro Max and give them the only gift that could match that kind of generosity—socks.

—Gloria Mbabazi, Shem Opolot

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Headlines

🪨 Sticks and stones

Every 3-5 business days, spurred by the slightest of things, the issue of tribalism in Uganda rears it’s ugly head. This time, NUP President Robert Kyagulanyi, aka Bobi Wine, made headlines and the Uganda Police meeting agenda by allegedly making sectarian remarks while addressing his supporters in Luweero Town. Mr. Kyagulanyi’s words were termed as sectarian, hate speech, and defamatory against the President. Subsequently, the police, who plan to build a case against Bobi Wine after seeking the opinion of the Director of Public Prosecution, placed a ban on the NUP mobilization tours.

📝 Previously, on the Blacklist

Somewhere in the multiverse, Raymond Reddington is name-dropping one of your uncles. Uganda is in a race against time and money as it ramps up efforts to get off the financial grey list. Being on the list has negatively impacted the country's financial industry, resulting in increased costs and reduced investment flows. As it stands, we’re teetering dangerously close to the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) blacklist due to safety concerns and failure to meet requirements to prevent financial crime.

🐮 Milking profits

Uganda is set to begin its first official dairy exports to Algeria next month, with an expected export value of up to $500 million. The deal comes at a good time to rescue a dairy sector that has struggled with an unreliable market (Bombastic side-eye to Kenya for their wishy-washyness).

🇰🇪 Kenya

Kenya suspended a fuel stabilisation fund and fuel prices spiked as high as 13%, raising transport costs and inflation. The Kenyan government is mobilizing funds to pay off a debt to Gulf Petroleum Conglomerates, which is like trying to pay off your credit card with your other credit card.

 Rwanda

Rwanda's splurging 90 billion francs on a nuclear sandbox with Dual Fluid Energy. While the reactor won’t light a bulb, it will be used for enlightenment purposes—exploring the technology needed for low-carbon energy.

🇹🇿 Tanzania

Tanzania got a spanking from the African Court after being ordered to can the canes and remove corporal punishment from its laws.

Other headlines

Uganda Heart Institute secures a $30 million development loan agreement from the Saudi Fund.

Digital plates: How far?

Uganda’s talks with the World Bank.

Shs. 11m deposit fee on Uganda-bound containers scrapped by Kenya.

Salva Kiir visits Museveni.

FDC National Delegates Conference blocked by court.

Germany advises against nuclear power in Uganda.

Kasubi Tombs removed from list of endangered World Heritage Sites

Uganda reopens embassy in Havana, Cuba.

Coach Micho sacked after Uganda fails to qualify for AFCON finals.

74 inmates graduate from MUBS.

Cost of education bankrupting parents.

Mumbere's homecoming.

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Beyond Borders 

🌍️ Africa

Tragedy in Libya. In one of the worst disasters in Libya’s recent history, catastrophic flooding caused by the Mediterranean storm Daniel hit Libya this past week. The flooding was most severe in the port city of Derna, where two dams in the mountains burst after they had overflowed because of the heavy rains caused by the storm. As of writing this, the death toll has passed 11,300, with more than 10,000 people missing and 40,000 displaced. Despite warnings from scientists and dam engineers, the Libyan government refused to evacuate people before the floods hit, and ignored warnings about the dangers that the dam posed for years (What caused the floods?).

🌍 Junta Justice League. Demonstrating that misery loves company, Mali, Niger, and Burkina Faso signed a security pact known as the Alliance of Sahel States. The pact aims to establish a collective defense and mutual assistance framework among the three countries in the event of rebellion or external aggression. The agreement, which signifies a commitment by the three countries to support each other in maintaining their sovereignty and territorial integrity, includes provisions for individual or collective assistance, including the use of armed force, in case of an attack on one of the contracted parties.

The establishment of the Alliance of Sahel States is seen as a step towards enhancing regional security cooperation and addressing common threats in the region.

🇲🇦 Morocco Update. The aftermath of the devastating earthquake in Morocco continues to unfold. Here is an update on the situation:

• The magnitude 6.8 earthquake struck the Moroccan High Atlas region on Friday, September 8, 2023.

• The death toll has risen to over 2,900 people, with more than 2,500 injured.

• The mountain village of Imi N'Tala, near the epicentre, experienced aftershocks on Wednesday, September 13.

• Rescue efforts are ongoing, with some teams using their hands to dig for survivors.

• The town of Amizmiz, which was heavily impacted by the earthquake, has been left in ruins.

• While the Moroccan government has been working to provide aid and support to those affected by the disaster, some citizens feel forgotten by the state.

Other headlines

Morocco reluctant to accept aid.

U.S. resumes counterterrorism missions in Niger.

Zimbabwe's Mnangagwa appoints son, nephew to Deputy Minister posts.

Conflict in Northern Mali resumes as the UN leaves.

Power restored in Nigeria after nationwide grid collapse.

Mining of cobalt and copper in DRC leading to human rights abuses.

Burkina Faso junta orders French embassy's defense attaché to leave.

Tunisia arrests migrants, seizes boats in major people-smuggling crackdown.

Volker Perthes, UN Special Representative to Sudan, quits.

Mali cancels Independence Day celebrations.

Sudan paramilitary threatens to set up authority with Khartoum as capital.

🗺️ The rest of the world

Putin 🤝🏾 Kim Jong Un. Russian President Vladimir Putin and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un met to discuss some quid pro quo: N. Korea’s declining economy could use a boost while Russia’s stockpile of weaponry and ammunition is depleted after 19 months of war. While Western officials condemned the talks, there was no specific response.

💊 Cocaine is a helluva drug. Apparently, Colombia is thinking outside the hot box amid the green energy revolution, as the country’s cocaine production is poised to surpass oil as the nation's top export, per Bloomberg Economics. Despite crackdowns on cocaine labs, production keeps growing, hitting a record 1,738 tons last year, with coca cultivation increasing by 13%. President Gustavo Petro admitted that cocaine has always been a "high" point for Colombia's exports, highlighting the need for a more diverse economy that’s also, ostensibly, on a high. Economists suspect the government's lenient approach towards drugs is enabling illegal groups to dominate cocaine production.

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Nn’ebigenderako

Politics and Government

G-7 to ban Russian diamonds.

A Biden impeachment inquiry.

Business and Finance

The monopoly trial against Google.

Coca-Cola debuted a flavor made by AI.

Science and Technology

Dolly’s daddy died.

AI for medical diagnostics.

Sports

US investment firm agrees to buy Everton F.C.

WWE officially merges with UFC to form TKO.

Lifestyle and Entertainment

The results from the MTV VMAs.

Viral ‘aliens’ weren’t real.

Procrastination corner

Games and Puzzles

From Braingle.

These clues are for words that start with "re". The clues do not refer to the words themselves, but rather to the word that must be added to "re".
eg. "Re: starting a tennis rally" would be "reserve".

1. Re: a contract of rental
2. Re: a strong wind
3. Re: ill will, malice
4. Re: someone aligned with you
5. Re: the place where an event is held
6. Re: change direction

Answer at the bottom.

Our picks

📜 For help kicking your doomscrolling habit

🧳 If you’re well-traveled, you’ll love this guessing game

🖼 Pictures that changed sports forever

Games answer

Answer:

1. release
2. regale
3. respite
4. really
5. revenue
6. return

Have a good week!

— Too Long; Didn’t Read (TLDR)

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