"A desperate call for help interrupts holiday celebrations at the Bureau of Balance, and sends Taako, Magnus and Merle on a high-stakes mission to find and reclaim a fourth deadly relic: a powerful transmutation stone, hidden somewhere in the depths of a floating arcane laboratory that's home to the Doctors Maureen and Lucas Miller. An unknown menace has seized control of the stone, and is using it to transform the lab into a virulent pink crystal that spreads to everything it touches. It's only a matter of time before this sparkling disaster crash-lands, but in order to find the stone and save the whole planet from being King Midased, our heroes will have to fight their way through a gauntlet of rowdy robots and crystal golems, decide whether they can trust the evasive Lucas Miller, and solve the mystery of what— or who— has put them all in peril, before there's no world left to save." -- Provided by publisher

"Sheriff Mal Reynolds has a new partner— a law enforcing robot from the Blue Sun corporation, who doesn't care about motives, about mercy, about anything other than enforcing the law— no matter the cost. The Blue Sun Corporation has helped to run the universe from the shadows for years, but they're ready to step into the light and take over. If Mal wants to keep his job and protect his sector, the smart move would be to play by their rulebook. But for Mal, there's really one choice— reunite the crew of the Serenity for one last impossible job to save the 'verse. Greg Pak and artist Dan McDaid launch Mal & the crew of Serenity into their biggest war yet, officially continuing Joss Whedon's acclaimed series." -- Provided by publisher.

"When 18-year-old Klaus gets himself kicked out of the Umbrella Academy and his allowance discontinued, he heads to a place where his ghoulish talents will be appreciated— Hollywood. But after a magical high on a stash stolen from a vampire drug lord, Klaus needs help, and doesn't have his siblings there to save him." -- Provided by publisher.

"When Kristen Radtke was in her twenties, she learned that, as her father was growing up, he would crawl onto his roof in rural Wisconsin and send signals out on his ham radio. Those CQ calls were his attempt to reach somebody— anybody— who would respond. In Seek You, Radtke uses this image as her jumping off point into a piercing exploration of loneliness and the ways in which we attempt to feel closer to one another. She looks at the very real current crisis of loneliness through the lenses of gender, violence, technology, and art. Ranging from the invention of the laugh-track to Instagram to Harry Harlow's experiments in which infant monkeys were given inanimate surrogate mothers, Radtke uncovers all she can about how we engage with friends, family, and strangers alike, and what happens— to us and to them— when we disengage. With her distinctive, emotionally charged drawings and unflinchingly sharp prose, Kristen Radtke masterfully reframes some of our most vulnerable and sublime moments." -- Provided by publisher.

"The stage is set for the final battle as the first ever Firefly event concludes, with Sheriff Mal Reynolds— yeah, he's still getting used to it too— making a choice that may cost him those he loves most, whether he knows it or not … Shocking losses lead to stunning decisions as Mal and the crew of Serenity must face the consequences of their choices in war against the Blue Sun Corporation. The 'Verse is changing in ways no one ever expected— and a new chapter of Firefly begins here." -- Provided by publisher.

Here is a Storify collecting the online conversations from the “How are online tools changing

قدمة تستعرض هذه المذكرة المشهد السياسي المعاصر في السودان،وكيفية تأثيرهعلى جدوى الاستثماراتفي القطاع الزراعيالتي تشتد الحاجة إليها لتحقيق التحول الزراعي في البلاد. ت ركزالمذكرة بشكل خاص على سلاسل القيمة في قطاعي الثروة الحيوانية والبستنة فيولاية الخرطوم،وإدارة الموارد الطبيعية في ولايتي النيل الأزرق وجنوب كردفان. أهملت الحكومات المتعاقبة إلى حد كبير قطاع الزراعة على الرغم من أنه أكبر قطاع توظيف في السودان ويساهم بنحو 56في المئة من إجمالي الصادرات (بنك السودان المركزي، 2020).

استمرت المواجهة في السودان بين القوات المسلحة السودانية وقوات الدعم السريع لعدة أشهر قبل أن تتصاعد إلى نزاع مسلح في 15 أبريل 2023. بالإضافة ة إلى جانب الكارثة الإنسانية، عطل النزاع العديد من الخدمات العامة مثل الكهرباء والمياه والخدمات الصحية والخدمات المصرفية، بينما تعطل أيضا الوصول إلى الأسواق، مما أدى إلى ندرة كبيرة في السلع والخدمات. وقد دمر الصراع البنية التحتية الرئيسية، وقيد التجارة المحلية والدولية وعطل أنشطة الإنتاج وسلاسل الموردين.

دخل النزاع المسلح بين القوات المسلحة السودانية وقوات الدعم السريع في السودان شهره السادس منذ اندلاعه في 15 أبريل 2023، دون أي مؤشرات على انتهائه قريبا. تسببت الحرب في كارثة إنسانية حادة، دمرت البنية التحتية الرئيسية، وقيدت أنشطة التجارة والإنتاج. علاوة على ذلك، أدى ذلك إلى تعطيل الوصول إلى المرافق العامة والخدمات المالية والأسواق، مما أدى إلى ندرة كبيرة في السلع والخدمات. في هذه الورقة، نستخدم إطار نمذجة مضاعف مصفوفة المحاسبة الاجتماعية لتقييم الآثار الاقتصادية على مستوى الاقتصاد لهذه الاضطرابات في النشاط الاقتصادي والموارد الإنتاجية وسبل العيش.

The number 1 New York Times-bestselling author is back with an electrifying new entry in the FBI series featuring Savich and Sherlock. FBI Special Agent Griffin Hammersmith, last seen in Backfire, has been recruited by Dillon Savich to join his unit in Washington, D.C. Savich sees something special in Hammersmith, an almost preternatural instinct for tracking criminals. While on his way to D.C., Hammersmith plans to visit his sister, Delsey, a student at Stanislaus School of Music in Maestro, Virginia. Before he arrives, he gets a phone call that Delsey was found naked, unconscious, and covered with blood after a wild party. The blood isn't hers-so who does it belong to? Meanwhile, back in D.C., Savich and Sherlock have their hands full when the grandson of former chairman of the Federal Reserve Bank is found murdered, every bone in his body broken, and frozen at the foot of the Lincoln Memorial. Was Savich right-is Griffin gifted with a unique ability to "see" how criminals think? And will he figure out who was behind the attempt on Delsey's life-before it's too late?

Andrew Yancy-late of the Miami Police and soon-to-be-late of the Monroe County sheriff's office-has a human arm in his freezer. There's a logical (Hiaasenian) explanation for that, but not for how and why it parted from its shadowy owner. Yancy thinks the boating-accident/shark-luncheon explanation is full of holes, and if he can prove murder, the sheriff might rescue him from his grisly Health Inspector gig (it's not called the roach patrol for nothing). But first-this being Hiaasen country-Yancy must negotiate an obstacle course of wildly unpredictable events with a crew of even more wildly unpredictable characters, including his just-ex lover, a hot-blooded fugitive from Kansas; the twitchy widow of the frozen arm; two avariciously optimistic real-estate speculators; the Bahamian voodoo witch known as the Dragon Queen, whose suitors are blinded unto death by her peculiar charms; Yancy's new true love, a kinky coroner; and the eponymous bad monkey, who with hilarious aplomb earns his place among Carl Hiaasen's greatest characters. Here is Hiaasen doing what he does better than anyone else: spinning a tale at once fiercely pointed and wickedly funny in which the greedy, the corrupt, and the degraders of what's left of pristine Florida-now, of the Bahamas as well-get their comeuppance in mordantly ingenious, diabolically entertaining fashion.

Modern ideas get tangled up with traditional ones in the latest intriguing installment in the beloved, best-selling No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency series. Precious Ramotswe has taken on two puzzling cases. First she is approached by the lawyer Mma Sheba, who is the executor of a deceased farmer's estate. Mma Sheba has a feeling that the young man who has stepped forward may be falsely impersonating the farmer's nephew in order to claim his inheritance. Mma Ramotswe agrees to visit the farm and find out what she can about the self-professed nephew. Then the proprietor of the Minor Adjustment Beauty Salon comes to Mma Ramotswe for advice. The opening of her new salon has been shadowed by misfortune. Not only has she received a bad omen in the mail, but rumors are swirling that the salon is using dangerous products that burn people's skin. Could someone be trying to put the salon out of business? Meanwhile, at the office, Mma Ramotswe has noticed something different about Grace Makutsi lately. Though Mma Makutsi has mentioned nothing, it has become clear that she is pregnant . . . But in Botswana-a land where family has always been held above all else-this may be cause for controversy as well as celebration. With genuine warmth, sympathy, and wit, Alexander McCall Smith explores some tough questions about married life, parenthood, grief, and the importance of the traditions that shape and guide our lives. This is the fourteenth installment in the series. This ebook edition includes a Reading Group Guide.

Find out what happened after the conclusion of the #1 New York Times bestselling Sookie Stackhouse series. Dead Ever After marked the end of the Sookie Stackhouse series-novels that garnered millions of fans and spawned the hit HBO television show True Blood. It also stoked a hunger that will never die...a hunger to know what happened next. With characters arranged alphabetically-from the Ancient Pythoness to Bethany Zanelli-bestselling author Charlaine Harris takes fans into the future of their favorite residents of Bon Temps and environs. You'll learn how Michele and Jason's marriage fared, what happened to Sookie's cousin Hunter, and whether Tara and JB's twins grew up to be solid citizens. This coda provides the answers to your lingering questions-including details of Sookie's own happily-ever-after...

TORONTO – The Ontario Securities Commission (OSC), in partnership with the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) – Integrated Market Enforcement Team (IMET), is warning the public about fraudulent investment opportunities related to the coronavirus (COVID-19).

Toronto – The Canadian Securities Administrators (CSA) is warning the public about scammers claiming to represent large, well-known financial companies.  Recently, the CSA has noted an increase in the number of scams involving the use of professional looking electronic broch

Montréal –The Canadian Securities Administrators (CSA) warns the public about investment schemes involving fraudulent websites that solicit investments in foreign exchange (often referred to as “forex”), binary options and/or crypto assets.

Montreal - The Canadian Securities Administrators (CSA) is warning the public to be vigilant for unsolicited communications that come from scammers posing as CSA staff or staff of CSA members.

Toronto – The Canadian Securities Administrators (CSA) is warning the public that Nova Tech Ltd (NovaTech), which operates the website www.novatechfx.com, is not registered with a securities regulator in any province or territory in Canada.

TORONTO – The Canadian Securities Administrators (CSA), the Canadian Investment Regulatory Organization (CIRO), and the Ombudsman for Banking Services and Investments (OBSI) remind investors that they all offer investors services related to claims or complaints free of charge.

Using a representative sample of irrigation schemes, the study documents the physical, knowledge, and governance infrastructures of irrigation schemes in Ethiopia’s most intensively used river basin, the Awash. The findings show that about 20 percent of the equipped area of irrigation schemes in the basin is not being irrigated, while the number of actual beneficiaries […] Source: IFPRI Ethiopia: Ethiopia Strategy Support Program

Summary of the findings • We find that the PSNP did not significantly alter the risk of violent events. • However, it had a negative impact on demonstrations (protests and riots) as well as fatalities. • These effects are most pronounced during the period of 2014-18, coinciding with widespread protests in Amhara and Oromia, the […] Source: IFPRI Ethiopia: Ethiopia Strategy Support Program

PSNP is largest public works program in Africa • Started in 2005 in four main highland regions • Approximately 8 million participants • We examine the effect of PSNP on both high-intensity and low-intensity conflict • Using Govt. of Ethiopia administrative PSNP records and geocoded data on conflict events (Armed Conflict Location & Event Data […] Source: IFPRI Ethiopia: Ethiopia Strategy Support Program

Africa’s population is the youngest of any region, with more than 400 million young people aged 15 to 35 out of a total of 1.5 billion. But even though rising numbers of this cohort—a “youth bulge”—enter the labor market every year, African economies a... Source: IFPRI Malawi: Malawi Strategy Support Program

The IDB-funded PFPAS program has provided an important financial injection into Nicaragua’s agricultural research system during 2013–2018. The program has made important strides in rehabilitating some of INTA’s run-down research infrastructure, in offering degree and short-term training to research staff, and in strengthening linkages between agricultural research and producers.

En 2022, el mundo se enfrentó a múltiples crisis. Continuaron las perturbaciones de los sistemas alimentarios debidas a la prolongada pandemia de COVID-19, las grandes catástrofes naturales, los disturbios civiles y la inestabilidad política, así como los crecientes efectos del cambio climático, mientras la guerra entre Rusia y Ucrania y la inflación agravaban una crisis mundial de alimentos y fertilizantes.

La igualdad de género y el empoderamiento de las mujeres y niñas se ve reflejado en distintas prioridades de políticas a nivel global y local. El Objetivo de Desarrollo Sostenible 5 busca lograr la igualdad de género y empoderar a todas las mujeres y niñas.

América Latina y el Caribe es un importante protagonista en la producción y el comercio de productos agroalimentarios, ya que es el principal exportador neto de estos productos. La región cuenta con los recursos naturales (tierra, agua y energía renovable) y la capacidad necesaria para producir alimentos de manera sostenible y para satisfacer sus necesidades y abastecer al mundo. Sin embargo, durante 2021, la inseguridad alimentaria moderada o grave afectó al 40,6% de la población en la región (267,7 millones de personas), cifra considerablemente superior al promedio mundial (29,3%).

"It's been a year since the horrific events at Freddy Fazbear's Pizza, and Charlie is just trying to move on. Even with the excitement of a new school and a fresh start, she's still haunted by nightmares of a masked murderer and four gruesome animatronic puppets. Charlie thinks her ordeal is over, but when a series of bodies are discovered near her school bearing wounds that are disturbingly familiar she finds herself drawn back into the world of her father's frightening creations. Something twisted is hunting Charlie, and this time if it finds her, it's not letting her go." -- Publisher's description.

Selina Kyle returns to Gotham City as new socialite Holly Vanderhees, but she needs to outsmart rival Batwing to rise to the top of the city's criminal underbelly.

"Starting off with an attack on S.T.A.R. Labs in Gotham City by a giant robot that steals an entire room of the laboratory— Batman is going to have to stop it before it can cause more harm … and with Lex Luthor freshly back in Gotham— he knows where to start his search. Will Batman be able to topple the billionaire before he leaves Gotham?" -- Provided by publisher.

"Batman: White Knight Presents: Harley Quinn takes place two years after Batman: Curse of the White Knight. Azrael has wiped out criminals in Gotham, Jack Napier (formerly The Joker) is dead, Bruce Wayne (Batman) is in prison, and Harley Quinn is adjusting to life as a single mother, raising the twins she had with Jack. But as new villains arise, Harley is forced to dance with madness once again and confront her own past with The Joker and Batman while helping the Gotham City police and an eager young FBI agent uncover the truth behind a series of gruesome murders. This collection also features a chapter from Harley Quinn's newest digital first series, Harley Quinn Black + White + Red, told in a traditional black-and-white format with the color red uniquely shaping Harley Quinn's story." -- Provided by publisher.

"Raised from a kitten by a kindly old ninja master, Claude now spends his days as the pampered house cat of an eleven-year-old boy. But when trouble arises, Claude dons his mask and springs into action as Cat Ninja— Metro City's secret protector." -- Provided by publisher

"Sail the Pacific Islands in search of destiny and the demigod Maui in this retelling of Disney Moana. Moana is a spirited teenager who loves the ocean, yet she is forbidden to travel beyond the reef that surrounds her island home of Motunui. But she feels called to something more, and wants to discover who she was meant to be. When darkness begins to consume the island, and nature is out of balance, Moana knows the solution lies beyond the safety of the reef. Following the messages of her ancestors, and with encouragement from the ocean itself, Moana sails into the open sea to find the demigod Maui and right a wrong from his past. Together they face rough waters, monstrous creatures, and the unknown, in a mission to stop the darkness from spreading, and restore life to the islands! Become a master wayfinder in this action-packed story as Moana's love for the sea turns her into a hero among her people, the gods, and the ocean." -- Provided by publisher

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Last week I had a wonderful experience attending the 2019 African Green Revolution Forum, held in Accra, Ghana. Many stakeholders, including political leaders, policymakers, researchers, and private sector and civil society representatives, gathered at the Forum, focusing on the role of the digital revolution in driving sustainable food system transformation in Africa. At a plenary […]

Growing consensus in the scientific community indicates that higher temperatures and changing precipitation levels resulting from climate change will depress crop yields in many countries over the coming decades. This is particularly true in low-income countries, where adaptive capacity is low. Many African countries are particularly vulnerable to climate change because their economies largely depend on climate-sensitive agricultural production.

"Ethiopia's agricultural sector, which is dominated by smallscale, mixed-crop, and livestock farming, is the mainstay of the country's economy. It constitutes more than half of the country's gross domestic product, generates more than 85 percent of foreign exchange earnings, and employs about 80 percent of the population. Unfortunately, Ethiopia's dependence on agriculture makes the country particularly vulnerable to the adverse impactsof climate change on crop and livestock production.

Agricultural production remains the main source of livelihood for rural communities in Sub-Saharan Africa, providing employment to more than 60 percent of the population and contributing about 30 percent of gross domestic product. With likely long-term changes in rainfall patterns and shifting temperature zones, climate change is expected to significantly affect agricultural production, which could be detrimental to the region’s food security and economic growth.

The potential adverse effects of climate change on Ethiopia’s agricultural sector are a major concern, particularly given the country’s dependence on agricultural production. Securing Ethiopia’s economic and social well-being in the face of climate change requires that policymakers and stakeholders work together to integrate climate change adaptation into the country’s development process.

Numerous studies indicate that agricultural production is sensitive to climate variability, and lack of infrastructure in developing countries increases vulnerability to extreme climate events. In Ethiopia, the historical climate record indicates frequent droughts and floods, which can devastate agricultural production and existing infrastructure. Too much precipitation can flood crops, rot or suffocate roots, and wash out roads, creating similar economic conditions to those resulting from drought.

Ethiopia’s agricultural sector, which is dominated by smallscale, mixed crop, and livestock farming, is the mainstay of the country’s economy. It constitutes more than half the nation’s gross domestic product (GDP), generates more than 85 percent of the foreign exchange earnings, and employs about 80 percent of the population. Ethiopia’s dependence on agriculture makes the country particularly vulnerable to the adverse impacts of climate change on crop and livestock production.

After a decade of stagnation during the 1990s, investments and human resource capacity in public agricultural research and development (R&D) averaged more than 20 percent growth in Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) during 2001–2008. In 2008, the region spent $1.7 billion on agricultural R&D (in 2005 purchasing power parity dollars)—or $0.8 billion (in 2005 constant US dollars)—and employed more than 12,000 full-time equivalent (FTE) agricultural researchers.

Western Jane Candia Coleman is a natural storyteller whose characters come from the lands between the southwestern valleys of Arizona and the Gila Mountains of New Mexico. The night Billy the Kid died is hauntingly depicted in Corrido for Billy. Lady Flo is a memoir, based on historical fact, of the black wife of an Irish nobleman. Moving On depicts a young girl abandoned by her family who finds her way with an itinerant Jewish peddler. And Are You Coming Back, Phin Montana? is the winner of the 1995 Spur Award for Best Western Short Fiction. Each story embodies the finest elements of Western fiction imitations of hope, vulnerability, and courage.

Two-time Spur Award nominee Cameron Judd spins Westerns that lasso listeners' attention. In this inspiring story of self-sacrifice, menacing dangers spur 17-year-old Pennington Malone to grow up quickly. With his father in Leavenworth Prison, Penn travels to Dodge City packing his dad's loaded sixgun. He soon meets Jonah Littlejohn, a lanky man gifted with incredible strength and boxing prowess-and haunted by painful secrets. But when Penn learns that three shadowy riders are trailing him-and framing him for murders they commited-he needs all the help he can get.

Mr. Palomar, whose name purposely evokes that of the famous telescope, is a seeker after knowledge, a visionary in a world sublime and ridiculous. Whether contemplating a cheese, a woman's breasts, or a gorilla's behavior, he brings us a vision of a world familiar by consensus, fragmented by the burden of individual perception. Translated by William Weaver. A Helen and Kurt Wolff Book

Christmas is Mr. Putter's favorite time of the year. He starts thinking about Christmas presents in July. It's easy to buy gifts for the postman, the grocer, and the librarian. But he has to think very hard about a gift for his neighbor, Mrs. Teaberry. Mrs. Teaberry likes strange things. She likes coconuts that look like monkey heads and tiny dresses that fit her teapots. She even likes fruitcake. That's it! He'll make her a good cake for Christmas, a light and airy one that won't break her toe if she drops it. He's never baked a cake before, but it should be a cinch. Among the delightful creations of this popular Newbery Medal honoree, Mr. Putter is perhaps the most comical and endearing. Narrator John McDonough is charming in the title role. Young readers will beg to hear all the Mr. Putter series again and again.

Newbery medal-winner and recipient of the Theodor Seuss Geisel Award, Cynthia Rylant instills gentle humor into this cozy read. When Mr. Putter goes outside without a hat on, he catches a cold. Tabby tries to make Mr. Putter feel better, but "colds aren't so much fun when you're old." Yet his neighbor Mrs. Teaberry and her dog Zeke know just the thing to help Mr. Putter recover. "... will resonate with kids who know what it's like to feel dispirited when felled by a cold."-Booklist