Middle Eastern monarchies in Sudan’s war: what’s driving their interests: The civil war in Sudan that began in April 2023 involves several external actors. The conflict pits the Sudanese Armed Forces against the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces in a quest for political and economic power. The situation has created one of the world’s worst humanitarian …
Violence at the Kenya-Ethiopia border: what’s driving insecurity in the region: Communal conflict is endemic in the vast arid region on both sides of the Kenya-Ethiopia border. Fresh alarm has been sparked in both countries following a kidnapping and armed attacks on police and civilians in Kenya’s Marsabit county, in the extreme north of the …
Kenya protests: Gen Z shows the power of digital activism – driving change from screens to the streets: Nationwide demonstrations have erupted in Kenya over a controversial tax bill. The Finance Bill 2024, initially presented to parliament in May, has sparked discontent with an increase in an array of taxes and levies for Kenyans. The …
The surge in hydroelectric dams is driving massive biodiversity loss: Canadapanda / shutterstock Around the world, free-flowing natural rivers are being fragmented by dams, weirs and other barriers. It’s one of the biggest, yet least acknowledged, causes of biodiversity loss worldwide. River fragmentation is a key reason migratory fish populations have declined by 81% since …
Female genital mutilation is on the rise in Africa: disturbing new trends are driving up the numbers: Thirteen-year-old Salamatu Jalloh had her whole future to look forward to. But in January 2023, her lifeless body was found wrapped in a pink and blue shroud on an earthen floor in a village in north-west Sierra Leone. …
Terror in Uganda: what’s driving the Islamic State-linked rebels: The Islamic State Central Africa Province recently attacked and killed two foreign tourists and a citizen in a Ugandan nature park. Located in the country’s west near the border with the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), Queen Elizabeth National Park is about 400km from the Ugandan …
Kenya’s cost of living crisis: expert unpacks what’s driving it and what should be done: Kenyans are grappling with the high cost of living. Policy analyst Adan Shibia led a technical team that prepared a recent report on the state of Kenya’s economy. We asked him to unpack what’s driving costs, who’s affected and what …
Here’s what’s driving the record autumn heat (it’s not just carbon emissions): Climate scientists have detected a striking jump in global temperatures during 2023. September was 1.75°C above Earth’s pre-industrial average temperature and a whole half-degree celsius warmer than the previous hottest September. These observations have been variously described as “shocking”, “mind-blowing” and “gobsmacking” by …
Ethiopia: religious tension is getting worse – 5 factors driving groups apart: Religion is highly present in Ethiopia. It’s visible in churches and mosques, in clothing, and in public rituals. The country’s main religious communities are Orthodox Christians, Muslims and Protestants. It’s home to one of the world’s oldest churches and has the third-largest Muslim …
What caused the coup in Niger? An expert outlines three driving factors: Niger's Gen Abdourahamane Tchiani declares himself head of state on 28 July 2023. ORTN-Télé Sahel/AFP via Getty Images At an emergency meeting in Abuja, Nigeria, on 30 July, the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) demanded the “immediate release and reinstatement” of …
The melting Arctic is a crime scene. The microbes I study have long warned us of this catastrophe – but they are also driving it: The Arctic’s climate is warming at least four times faster than the global average, causing irrevocable changes to this vast landscape and precarious ecosystem – from the anticipated extinction of …
What is driving current labour market shortages and how older workers could help: Dragana Gordic/Shutterstock Many countries are struggling with worker shortages right now as companies in the US, UK and the EU all struggle to fill job vacancies. This is often attributed to pandemic-related phenomena such as the “great resignation” or “great reshuffle”, when …
Morocco at the World Cup: 6 driving forces behind a history-making win: Youssef En-Nesyri of Morocco celebrates his winning goal. Justin Setterfield/Getty Images History was made by Morocco, the first African and first Arab team to advance to a semi-final at the men’s football World Cup. The Atlas Lions, endowed with impeccable organisation and defensive …
Here’s what’s driving advanced noise-cancelling technology in 2022: Here’s what’s driving advanced noise-cancelling technology in 2022 By Jobin Joejoe, Deputy Managing Director, Sony Middle East and Africa In our crowded era of visual messages and noise disturbance, people often seek focus and personal immersion by isolating their senses. While one can look away or shut …
Check out this Camps Bay Beach image: Driving along the Cave Beach road Image by spelio Image automatically curated and published by www.free-mail.co.za – CLICK HERE to learn more about WP Robot for WordPress. Have you tried: Visiting Port Elizabeth?
‘Ethiopia’s other conflict’: what’s driving the violence in Oromia?: Oromo women protest against Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed over violence in their homeland in 2020. Keith Mayhew via Getty Images In November 2020 an outbreak of violence in Ethiopia’s Tigray region captured worldwide attention. The conflict was between Tigrayan forces and the forces of the …
What’s driving the surge in South Africa’s fuel price: Photo by Lyu Tianran/Xinhua via Getty Images Increases in the domestic price of fuel are big news in South Africa, with the price of petrol, diesel and paraffin reaching new highs. The underlying reason for the price increases is movements in the international price of crude …
Rising sea levels are driving faster erosion along Senegal’s coast: Destroyed buildings along an eroded coastline in Bargny, Senegal. Photo by John Wessels / AFP via Getty Images Coastal retreat in West Africa is a pressing problem. The contact between land and sea on coasts produces intense erosion and sedimentation processes. When erosion is more …