Running under the theme, ‘Good food for all, for today and tomorrow,’ the World Food Forum got underway on Monday in Rome.

The UN’s Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) chief Qu Dongyu called for the strengthening of agrifood systems as a way to enhance food and nutrition security.

“The actions we take today will directly impact the future. This year’s theme, ‘Good Food for All, for Today and Tomorrow,’ reflects the core of FAO’s mission and brings together the importance of the Four Betters: better production, better nutrition, a better environment and a better life, leaving no one behind,” said Qu, the FAO Director-General.

The leaders of Liberia, Lesotho and Eswatini are also present at the forum. They noted in their speeches that African countries were struggling in their goal of achieving zero hunger, challenged by conflict, pandemics and climate change.

“As we look at developing our food products, this will not be possible without the enabling infrastructure, such as roads, warehouses and ICT, to mention a few,” read a part of Eswatini King Mswati III’s speech.

Over the next three days, global experts, young changemakers, investors, and leaders will discuss action needed to achieve sustainable and inclusive global agrifood systems.

In Africa, over 340 million people were classified as severely-food insecure by a 2023 report by FAO.

After arriving in Beijing for an official visit on Monday, the Russian Defence Minister said that Russia and China held military and defence discussions to strengthen ties between the two countries.

Defence Minister Andrei Belousov hailed the relationship between the two countries, stating that “friendly relations between Russia and China maintain a high dynamic of development, are expanding in all directions and are at an unprecedented level.”

”Russian-Chinese military cooperation is an important element of increasing defense capability, maintaining global and regional stability,” he added.

His Chinese counterpart said that the two countries both wish to promote military co operation.

Belousov’s visit came as China’s military pledged to take further action against Taiwan if necessary after carrying out a day of war games it said were a warning to “separatist acts”.

Severe flooding in Nigeria’s Kogi State has displaced over 2 million people and submerged more than 200 communities as of October 14, 2024. Triggered by the overflowing Niger and Benue rivers, the floods have also affected approximately 60,000 hectares of land, causing widespread destruction.

Nine local government areas, including Lokoja, Ibaji, and Adavi, have been severely impacted. Critical infrastructure such as schools and hospitals has been damaged, with authorities setting up 68 displacement camps to shelter the affected. However, the camps are struggling to accommodate the massive influx of displaced people.

The flooding began in September, and with the rainy season continuing, there are fears that this year’s disaster may surpass the devastation of 2022, which claimed over 500 lives. Rescue efforts are ongoing, but the state has called for federal and international assistance to manage the crisis.

On Friday, Senegal held a training session ahead of their first leg match against Malawi in the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations qualification. This game on Saturday marks the team’s first outing since the dismissal of Aliou Cisse, who previously guided them to an AFCON title and participated in the last two World Cups. Pape Thiaw is the interim head coach.

” Our supporters have confidence in us, same as they did in the past. So tomorrow we have a good chance, in front of our supporters. Everybody knows that playing against Senegal is not easy, and it is up to us to make the match easy for ourselves, hopefully.

Malawi also held a training session in readiness for a pivotal match as they find themselves in a precarious position after two disappointing losses.

Senegal currently has one victory and one draw in Group L after their initial two games, while Malawi is at the bottom of the group with no points.

Fuel prices surged at gas stations throughout Nigeria on Wednesday, adding to the hardships faced by citizens enduring the most severe economic crisis in decades.

The state oil company has not provided any explanation for the sudden increase of approximately 15% to 20% observed nationwide.

This marks the second price hike in just over a month; in early September, the Nigerian National Petroleum Company (NNPC) admitted to significant debts owed to fuel suppliers while announcing a nearly 40% price increase to stabilize its finances.

he cost of fuel remains a highly sensitive issue in Nigeria, where millions of families and businesses rely on gasoline-powered generators due to electricity supply problems.

For many Nigerians, this latest increase further strains their budgets as President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s administration implements reforms aimed at revitalizing the economy of Africa’s largest nation.

Russian President’s foreign affairs adviser Yuri Ushakov said Thursday that 24 leaders have confirmed their participation in a summit of the BRICS bloc of developing economies set to be held in Kazan later this month.

Ushakov elaborated that the leaders of 9 member states would be among those attending the summit, including China’s Xi Jinping, Brazil’s Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva and Iran’s Masoud Pezeshkian.

Invitations were sent to 38 states including member states and countries that “want to cooperate” with BRICS, Ushakov said at a news briefing in Moscow.

The BRICS alliance was founded in 2006 by Brazil, Russia, India and China, with South Africa joining in 2010, but has recently undergone a major expansion, and now includes Iran, Egypt, Ethiopia and the United Arab Emirates. Saudi Arabia has said it’s considering joining and Azerbaijan has formally applied.

The death toll in a brutal gang attack last week on a small town in central Haiti has risen to at least 115, a local official told The Associated Press on Wednesday.

The attack on residents of Pont-Sondé on October 3 was one of the biggest massacres that Haiti has seen in recent history.

Dozens wounded in the attack were being treated at Saint-Nicolas, the lone hospital in of nearby city of Saint-Marc.

A few showed knife wounds, but most were being treated for bullet wounds.

Myriam Fièvre, mayor of Saint-Marc, said Wednesday that the toll had risen to 115 and would likely keep rising as authorities continue to look for bodies and haven’t been able to access certain areas of the town.

The U.N. had previously said that at least 70 people were killed last week when the Gran Grif gang invaded the town of Pont-Sondé in the central Artibonite region.

The victims included babies, young mothers and the elderly, with the gang approaching Pont-Sondé via canoes to catch residents by surprise, according to a local human rights group.

Survivors have questioned why authorities did not do anything to stop the attack since the gang had warned in a video posted on social media that it planned to target Pont-Sondé.

More than 6,200 survivors have fled Pont-Sondé and temporarily settled in the coastal city of Saint-Marc and surrounding areas.

As Saint-Marc struggles with the sudden influx of people, Fièvre warned that the Gran Grif gang is infiltrating nearby communities after attacking Pont-Sondé.

Gran Grif has about 100 members and has been accused of crimes including murder, rape, robberies and kidnappings.

The Democratic Republic of Congo is among 15 countries elected to the Human Rights Council on Wednesday, despite objections by the country’s opposition.

Benin, Gambia, Kenya and Ethiopia are the other African countries elected to the Council.

The five countries will serve for three years, starting on January 1, 2025. At the assembly, there was virtually no opposition to Kinshasa’s election. Congo polled 172 votes out 190.

Human Rights Watch, Congolese civil society and opposition parties had pointed out political repression, arbitrary detentions and killings as reasons to deny Kinshasa a seat on the symbolic but highly prestigious body.

Congo’s minister for human rights said the country would use the position to improve its rights situation.

The UN Human Rights Council was established in 2006 and is tasked with protecting and promoting human rights around the world, and addressing violations.