Mbare Art Space: a colonial beer hall in Zimbabwe has become a vibrant arts centre: In southern Africa townships were built as segregated urban zones for black people. They were created under colonial and white minority rule policies that controlled movement, confined opportunity, and kept people apart. I grew up in a different historic black …
Mining must become more responsible and sustainable. Where hi-tech solutions fit in: Digital technologies can make mining more sustainable. Sunshine Seeds/Shutterstock/For editorial use only If you visit a commercial mining operation anywhere in the world today, some sights and sounds – workers descending in elevators to underground shafts, the roar of truck engines – will …
Autocrats and cities: how capitals have become a battleground for protest and control: Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, the world’s longest reigning female political leader, fled Bangladesh on 5 August 2024 for the safety of India. Meanwhile, hundreds of thousands of protesters descended on Bangladesh’s capital city, Dhaka. The crowds ransacked her official residence, occupied the …
Some women have become pregnant through anal sex – and other extremely rare methods of conception: Sometimes, pregnancies occur under extremely rare circumstances. fizkes/ Shutterstock Unless you skipped sex ed class, you probably have at least a basic understanding of how babies are made. An egg (ovum) needs to be fertilised by sperm during a …
‘I couldn’t stand the pain’: the Turkish holiday resort that’s become an emergency dental centre for Britons who can’t get treated at home: This clinic in the Turkish resort of Antalya is the official 'dental sponsor' of the Miss England competition. Diana Ibanez-Tirado, Author provided It’s a hot summer day in the Turkish city of …
Nigeria’s flamboyant aso ebi dressing style is popular – but it’s become a financial burden: Aso ebi – “family uniform” – is the Yoruba custom of people dressing alike for social events. The custom is rooted in kinship (ebi), an important aspect of Yoruba social life since precolonial times in what’s now south-west Nigeria. Words …
Climate change: if warming approaches 2°C, a trickle of extinctions will become a flood: The devastation wrought on tropical coral reefs will soon visit other ecosystems. Acro_Phuket/Shutterstock As delegates discuss the climate crisis in Dubai for COP28, the dazzling variety of life found on Earth hangs in the balance. Our world has warmed by roughly …
Gaza war: how Qatar used its business connections to become a leading mediator in the Middle East: During the temporary ceasefire negotiated between Israel and Hamas with the mediation of the Qatar government, 81 hostages have been released in return for the freeing of 180 Palestinians held in Israeli custody. Hundreds of lorry loads of …
How a small Caribbean island is trying to become hurricane-proof: When Hurricane Maria struck the eastern Caribbean island of Dominica in 2017, it caused the kind of devastation which is unthinkable to larger countries. The Category 5 hurricane damaged 98% of building roofs and caused US$ 1.2 billion (£950 million) in damage. Dominica effectively lost …
Trade unions in the UK and US have become more powerful despite political interference and falling memberships: In September 2023, Joe Biden became the first sitting US president to join strikers on a picket line. He told car workers that they “deserve a significant raise and other benefits”. Even more surprisingly perhaps, those same workers …
Internet of Things: tech firms have become our digital landlords – but people are starting to fight back: Hodoimg From smart toasters to fitness collars for dogs, we live in a world where everything around us is gradually being connected to the internet and fitted with sensors so that we can interact with them online. …
Colonialism shaped modern universities in Africa – how they can become truly African: One of the roles of an African university is to produce critical and democratic thinkers. Vieriu Adrian/Getty Images Colonialism profoundly shaped modern universities in Africa. It implanted institutions on African soil that were largely replicas of European universities rather than organically African. …
Make new friends and become a role model: why you should consider volunteering if you’re in your 20s or 30s: Inside Creative House/Shutterstock If you’re aged between 25 and 34, you’re part of the age group least likely to take part in volunteering. Only 19% of 25-34 year olds in England volunteered at least once …
How smaller businesses can become net-zero influencers and enablers: Rawpixel.com/Shutterstock What if all of the UK’s 48,000 hairdressing salons and barbershops started sharing water and energy-saving advice with their clients, alongside a clipper cut or a wash and blow dry? Previous studies have demonstrated that hairdressers can shape customers’ environmental behaviour with guidance they can …
The World Bank and the IMF need to keep reforming to become fit for purpose: The World Bank and the International Monetary Fund are being challenged to make substantial reforms so that they become fit for purpose in the 21st century. Some suggest that they cannot be sufficiently reformed and should be shut down. Others, …
Wolf protection in Europe has become deeply political – Spain’s experience tells us why: Wolves are making a comeback throughout Europe – but not everyone's happy. Ramon Carretero/Shutterstock Wolves are staging a comeback in many areas of Europe after centuries of persecution. Over the past decade alone, they have expanded their range on the continent …
Amnesty for Troubles-related crimes to become law – why many people in Northern Ireland oppose the bill: The UK government’s Northern Ireland Troubles (legacy and reconciliation) bill – which has faced near universal opposition in Northern Ireland – has passed the House of Commons. The Commons rejected the latest Lords’ amendments, paving the way for …
Cities like Homs and Kharkiv show how homes, streets and neighbourhoods have become the frontline in modern warfare: It has been almost 12 years since I left my city. And I have never been able to return. Homs, the place I was born and grew up, has been destroyed and I, like many others, have …