The story of how Swahili became Africa’s most spoken language: Tanzanian leader Julius Nyerere, a Swahili advocate. Keystone/Getty Images Once just an obscure island dialect of an African Bantu tongue, Swahili has evolved into Africa’s most internationally recognised language. It is peer to the few languages of the world that boast over 200 million users. …
Ukraine: how cyber-attacks became so important to the conflict: For the past few weeks, Russia has been deploying military forces into strategic positions on Ukraine’s borders. However, there is another, virtual dimension to the escalating conflict: cyber-attacks on Ukrainian government and business websites and services. Attacks on Ukraine’s information systems are part of a type …
Wordle: how a simple game of letters became part of the New York Times’ business plan: In just a few months, a simple five-letter puzzle has earned its creator a seven-figure sum. The growth of Wordle, in which players attempt to work out a mystery word, has been rapid. At the start of November 2021, …
The Sagrada Familia: how Gaudí’s masterpiece became a myth and a divisive political tool: The new tower stands completed, to the left, with its summit star in place. Petr Tran | Shutterstock The Sagrada Familia, Antoni Gaudí’s Catalan masterpiece, recently celebrated the completion of the Mare de Déu tower by hoisting a giant, 12-pointed star …
South Africa in the news: The ultra-violent cult that became a global mafia: Between September and December this year, the US Secret Service and Interpol launched an international operation to arrest a further nine suspected Black Axe members in South Africa. “Cybercrime is a …: “South Africa” – BingNews Virus concerns and upcoming central bank …
How Peru became the country with the highest COVID death rate in the world: With 200,000 COVID deaths in a population of less than 33 million, the impact of the pandemic in Peru has been particularly devastating: the country has the highest COVID death rate per head of population worldwide. It’s also estimated to have …
Spencer: how Diana became the popular culture princess: emka74/Shutterstock Despite being dead since 1997, Diana, Princess of Wales, is once again the focus of much attention. This time it’s not due to the anniversary of her death or the apparent breakdown in her son’s relationship. Instead, the much-anticipated film, Spencer starring Kristen Stewart is being …
South Africa in the news: Neil Jenkins at 50: The humble Valleys boy who faced down the critics and became a Welsh rugby hero: He’s a Welsh rugby icon who has seen it all in the game here over the past 30 years You sometimes wonder where all the years have gone. Neil Jenkins turned …
South Africa in the news: How Elon Musk made his £141billion fortune and became world’s richest man: ELON MUSK sold his first computer program at age 12, and over 40 years later he is now the richest man on Earth, but how did the Tesla boss get to where he is now?: “South Africa” – …
How Dolly Parton’s Coat of Many Colors became an LGBTQ+ anthem: Dolly Parton has many LGBTQ+ fans and has long been considered an enduring queer icon. Parton has spoken out on multiple occasions in support of LGBTQ+ rights and has also been vocal in support of marriage equality. She has also called out Christians for …
Missile tests: how North and South Korea became locked in a dangerous arms race: Recent tit-for-tat missile tests on the Korean peninsula have ratcheted up tensions in the region. On September 15, North Korea launched two short-range ballistic missiles off its east coast, just two days after it tested a new long-range cruise missile capable …
The London riots ten years on: how a crackdown on protest became their main legacy: In the summer of 2014, I was called for jury service at the Inner London Crown Court. At the time, trials relating to the 2011 riots in England were still working their way through the court system, and one of …
Portland stone: how a creamy British limestone became a symbol of empire and elitism: If you were asked what links Buckingham Palace, the British Museum, the Foreign Office, the Cenotaph and St Paul’s Cathedral, you might say that they are all London landmarks and iconic symbols of the British state. You may not realise, however, …
How Phil Collins became cool (no, really): In August 2020, a YouTube video featuring Tim and Fred Williams, 21-year old twins from Gary, Indiana, went viral. In it, the two young men were listening to Phil Collins’ 1981 hit song In The Air Tonight for the first time, commenting as they went along. They listen …
Sang culture: how a reluctant Russian singer became the hero of young pessimists across China: Tencent/WeTV For Vladislav Ivanov (aka Lelush), being finally kicked out of Produce Camp 2021 was a dream come true. In February, Ivanov signed up for the Chinese boy-band survival show but instantly regretted it. Since then he has tried all …
How a radical interpretation of the Great Depression became the orthodoxy behind solving the COVID crisis: It even inspired the global TV hit, La Casa de Papel Netflix At the start of the COVID-19 pandemic in March 2020, US Federal Reserve System governor Jerome Powell made an extraordinary declaration: “We’re not going to run out …
Suez Canal blockage: how cargo ships like Ever Given became so huge, and why they’re causing problems: The six-day blockage of the Suez Canal by a megaship named Ever Given came to an end on March 29 after salvage teams used dredging and tug boats to heave the vessel back into operation. The capacity of …
How COVID-19 became a cover to reduce refugee rights: Even before the arrival of COVID-19 refugee rights were in trouble. For decades politicians in Europe, the US and some countries in Africa, Asia and Latin America have sought to manufacture and manipulate fears around migration for political ends. In Europe the politics of migration took …