Economic policies encourage the careless use of people and the planet. Creating caring economies is the answer: The United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change includes a Gender Action Plan, adopted in 2017. The plan aims to “enhance the gender responsiveness” of climate policy and climate action. It outlines specific actions and strategies to promote …
Uganda’s tax system isn’t bringing in enough revenue but is targeting small business the answer?: Uganda, with a fiscal deficit of 5.6% in 2023, has increasingly turned to local resources to make up for its revenue shortfall since the World Bank suspended its funding on 8 August 2023 over the country’s anti-homosexuality law. In early …
Fintech is sold as the answer to Africa’s problems, but digital money services have downsides which media often overlook: The research assessed newspaper coverage of fintech in Kenya, Uganda and South Africa. Tony Karumba/AFP via Getty Images The online financial products and services known as “fintech” have become deeply embedded in the economic and social …
Why are so many graduates shunning teaching? Pay – but not bonuses – could be the answer: fizkes/Shutterstock There is a persistent shortage of teachers in England. Numbers of new recruits fail to meet targets, and too many teachers are leaving their jobs. It’s clear that more new teachers are needed – but apparently not …
The Great Escaper: Michael Caine’s final film is Britain’s answer to Saving Private Ryan: The Great Escaper is an engaging exploration of love, loss, memory and trauma. It’s also the final film for its star, Michael Caine, as he has recently announced his retirement. The film tells the real story of Royal Navy veteran, Bernard …
It’s time to limit how often we can travel abroad – ‘carbon passports’ may be the answer: Shine Nucha/Shutterstock The summer of 2023 has been very significant for the travel industry. By the end of July, international tourist arrivals globally reached 84% of pre-pandemic levels. In some European countries, such as France, Denmark and Ireland, …
Who tracked UK COVID infections the best at the height of the pandemic? A new study provides the answer: At the height of the COVID pandemic everybody, from health ministers to Joe public, wanted to know two things: how many infected people are there in the country? And is this number going up or down? …
Johannesburg has been hit by severe water shortages: new plan to manage the crisis isn’t the answer: Johannesburg and its surrounds, at the centre of the industrial heartland of South Africa, have been hit by severe water cuts. Water interruptions have been happening for years, but they have been scaled up dramatically in recent weeks. …
Trump on trial: experts answer key legal and political questions about what could happen next: Former US president Donald Trump outside a New York court on April 4 2023. Lev Radin/Shutterstock Donald Trump has notoriously become the only former US president to face a criminal indictment — much less four. Opinions on the prosecutions, predictably, …
Johannesburg fire disaster: why eradicating hijacked buildings is not the answer: The fire that killed at least 76 people in a five storey building in Johannesburg on 31 August is not an isolated incident, and has elicited the usual unhelpful response from some city officials and politicians. They have placed the blame on the informal …
Biden’s answer to Mexican border crisis might slow crossings but is not winning support: President Joe Biden has been negotiating a new deal with Mexico in the hope of mediating the long-running immigration crisis on the US southern border. There is no doubt that Mexico has played a role in reducing migrant numbers on the …
Price caps on groceries are not the answer to the UK’s inflation problem: Prime Minister Rishi Sunak is proposing a form of price caps on basic food items like milk and bread to slow their price increases. This is likely to set maximum prices which sellers are not allowed to exceed, though it appears it …
Did life evolve more than once? Researchers are closing in on an answer: Maximillian cabinet/Shutterstock From its humble origin(s), life has infected the entire planet with endless beautiful forms. The genesis of life is the oldest biological event, so old that no clear evidence was left behind other than the existence of life itself. This …
What would aliens learn if they observed the Earth? Our study provides an answer: Earth seen from orbit around the Moon. Nasa Are we alone in the universe? It’s a question that fascinates scientists and the public alike. In science, the focus tends to be on our search for life elsewhere. The idea that we …
Debt dangers in Africa: how defaults hurt people, and why forgiveness isn’t the answer: Shutterstock Public debt repayments in some African countries are at their highest levels since 1998. The Conversation Africa’s founding editor Caroline Southey talks to dean and economics professor Philippe Burger about the danger of debt problems some African countries face. What’s …
Africa’s aquifers hold more than 20 times the water stored in the continent’s lakes, but they aren’t the answer to water scarcity: Giordano Cipriani/Getty Images Discoveries of aquifers – underground earth formations that hold water – often create excitement around their ability to ease water scarcity in a region. For instance, about 10 years ago …
Installing a backup power supply: electrical engineers answer your questions: South Africans are taking their power supply into their own hands with backup systems that don't rely on power utility Eskom. Ihsaan Haffejee/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images South Africa’s electricity utility Eskom has made it clear that “loadshedding” – rolling scheduled power cuts – isn’t …
What if the January 6 insurrection at the US Capitol had succeeded? A graphic novel is uniquely placed to answer: “Art is a powerful tool to confront the complex issues we face today,” says author and artist Gan Golan. An uncontroversial statement, perhaps, when discussing great portraits, harrowing films, or triple decker novels. But not …