Zaï holes are holes dug in the soil. They also catch water, but in a different way. They used to only be used a little bit to make land better for growing plants. Yacouba Sawadogo had the idea to fill the holes with manure and other things to make food for the plants. The manure attracts termites, whose tunnels help break up the soil even more. He also made the holes slightly bigger than the traditional ones. Zaï holes have been used to help cultivate trees, and crops like sorghum and millet.
Yacouba Sawadogo holds "Market Days" to get other people to do these things, especially zaï holes. People come to share seeds and learn from each another.
Yacouba Sawadogo's work with zaï holes helped him make a forest of about fifty acres (20 hectares). The nearby city of Ouahigouya took the land to make money. Sawadogo and his family members each get one tenth of out of the plot, and don't get any other payment.
Sawadogo is trying to get $20,000 (American dollars) to buy the land.
Zaï
Zaï is a technique used in agriculture. Holes are dug in the soil to catch water. They have been used in the western Sahel area to make soil healthier and grow more plants.
Yacouba Sawadogo, a farmer from Burkina Faso, is bringing back zaï holes. He came up with the idea of filling them with manure and compost as food for plants. The manure attracts termites, whose tunnels help further break up the soil. He also made the holes slightly bigger than the traditional ones. Zaï holes help trees, sorghum, and millet make up to 500% more food or wood.
Jury trial
A jury trial or trial by jury is a legal proceeding in which a jury either makes a decision or makes findings of fact. This is called a verdict. The judge usually follows the jury's verdict in his ruling. It is distinguished from a bench trial, in which a judge or panel of judges make all decisions.
William the Conqueror brought to England a system of having witnesses who had any knowledge of a crime, tell the court what they knew. They did this after first swearing an oath. The word juror in English comes from the French "jurer" (to swear). In the 12th century juries were used by the king to discover and present facts. Usually this was in answer to questions posed by the king or his ministers who made the final decision in the case. Eventually this led to a system where the jury made a verdict based on evidence. In the late colonial period, juries became a tool used to express American discontent with British rule. A series of Navigation Acts prohibited the American colonies from trading directly with the Netherlands, Spain, France, and their colonies. As more and more trade restriction were imposed, the American colonists turned to smuggling. When smugglers were caught, they were brought before juries made up of other colonists. These sympathetic juries often acquitted their fellow colonists. The king, angered at these lawbreakers going free, created new courts that did not allow juries. This was a breach of common law practice and infringed on their rights as British citizens. After the Revolutionary war, the Seventh Amendment's right to a jury trial was written to limit the powers of the executive and the Judicial branches of the new federal government.
Jury trials are changing worldwide. In 2008 Russia abolished jury trials in cases of treason and terrorism. Britain, where juries got their start, is using them less in cases of serious fraud and may ban them from some inquests. In many asian countries, their legal systems are moving towards using the jury trial more. In the United States jury trials are on the decline. In federal courts
The right to a jury trial in civil cases is found in the United States but in very few other places. England, Canada, Australia and New Zealand have all but done away with civil jury trials in favor of bench trials. Fewer than 1 percent of civil trials in the US are jury trials. The Seventh Amendment prevents judges from overturning a jury verdict in federal cases where the finding of fact is reasonably supported by the evidence. In addition, the Sixth Amendment guarantees the right to a speedy trial by an impartial jury in criminal trials.
Lacrimal bone
The lacrimal bone is the smallest bone in the face; about the size of the little fingernail. It is at the front of the inside wall of the eye socket.
The lacrimal bone is involved in crying. It is part of the tear duct, where tears drain from the eye. The lacrimal sac is where tears flow when you cry. The tears then go down a duct inside the nose. This is why you can get a runny nose from crying.
Chief Mouser to the Cabinet Office
The Chief Mouser to the Cabinet Office is the official cat of the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom. The cat works at 10 Downing Street. Only three cats, Humphrey, Sybil and Larry, have been given the title officially. Other cats have been given this title as a nickname, usually by the British press. There has been a Downing Street cat mouser and pet since the reign of Henry VIII.
Official records about these working cats only date back to 3 June 1929. These come from the Treasury and state the cost for taking care of the cat. Now, the mouser costs 100 GBP (about $140) a year for keep.
The cats do not always belong to the Prime Minister in residence. Only rarely do they serve for exactly the same time as a Prime Minister.The cat with the longest known time at Downing Street is Wilberforce. He served for eighteen years under Edward Heath, Harold Wilson, Jim Callaghan, and Margaret Thatcher.
The incumbent is Larry, since 15 February 2011. The last cat Sybil, was the first mouser after a ten-year gap. She began in September 2007 and left in January 2009. Sybil was owned by the Chancellor of the Exchequer Alistair Darling, who lived in 10 Downing Street. The Prime Minister, Gordon Brown, lived in the larger 11 Downing Street. It was reported that Sybil did not like living in London. She went back to Scotland to live with a friend of the Darlings until she died.
In January 2011, rats were seen in Downing Street, "scurrying across the steps of Number 10 Downing Street for the second time during a TV news report,", as reported by Independent Television News . The Prime Minister's office first said there were "no plans" for a cat to be brought in. On 14 February 2011, it was reported that a cat named "Larry" had been brought in to get rid of the rodents. The "London Evening Standard" reported that the brown and white tabby cat had been chosen by David Cameron and his family, from those at Battersea Dogs & Cats Home.
In September 2012, it was reported that Prime Minister David Cameron had dismissed Larry from the post of Chief Mouser. He put in place Chancellor George Osborne's tabby cat, Freya, as the new Chief Mouser to patrol Numbers 10, 11, and 12. Some sources said the two cats would be "job sharing" to avoid any hurt feelings. In November 2014 Freya was exiled from Downing Street, again leaving Larry as the Chief Mouser.
When Theresa May became new Prime Minister in July 2016, Cabinet Office staff said that Larry would still live at Downing Street and would be Chief Mouser under the new Prime Minister. However, "The Daily Telegraph" says maybe Cameron does not really like Larry. During David Cameron's final Prime Minister's Questions on 13 July 2016, the Prime Minister said to the House that Larry's role as Chief Mouser was secure even after the change of premier. Cameron also showed photos that prove he loves Larry. He spoke of his "sadness" that he cannot take Larry with him.
The British government voluntarily employees and feeds 100,000 cats to keep down mice on government property. By being chosen Chief Mouser, of course, Larry (and Freya) became quite pampered cats, living in royal luxury.