Russia-Africa Summit: five things African leaders must achieve: Delegates at the Russia-Africa Economic Forum in Sochi, 2019. Kremlin Press Office / Handout/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images The second Russia-Africa Summit takes place in St Petersburg on 27-28 July. This comes at a time of a major geopolitical shift, which African leaders may see as offering …
How having five friends boosts the adolescent brain – and educational performance: Monkey Business Images/Shutterstock As most parents of teenagers are acutely aware, there comes a time when children start prioritising their friends over their parents. While young children rely on their parents for social interactions and influences, there’s a notable switch during adolescence, where …
Five parts of the economy that are hit when house prices fall: People putting their houses up for sale are starting to see signs of falling prices. William Barton/Shutterstock UK house price growth is slowing. While prices rose 1.2% compared to last year, this is down on May’s 1.9% growth, according to property website Zoopla. …
Two in five children in care are placed outside their local authority – here’s why that’s a problem: Rawpixel.com/Shutterstock Since June 2022, a series of BBC investigations have made shocking revelations about terrible abuse and malpractice in a number of children’s homes run by the Hesley Group in Doncaster, South Yorkshire. Among other things, the …
Five questions for African countries that want to build climate-resilient health systems: South Sudan has been beset by floods for the past four years. Its health system, like those in other African countries, will have to adapt to climate change. SIMON MAINA/AFP via Getty Images Every day seems to bring a new headline about a …
Five ways to know if a river is polluted – and whether it’s safe to go in the water: Monkey Business Images/Shutterstock England’s rivers are in a mess. Just 14% are in good ecological condition – and that’s just the ones that are regularly assessed. There are many reasons for this. They include growing pressure …
UK ivory trade ban extended to five more species – here’s why we think it will be ineffective: The import of ivory into the UK from five more species, including walruses, has been banned. Ondrej Prosicky/Shutterstock The loss of nature is one of the many environmental crises facing our planet. And a key challenge in …
Five reasons Adam Smith remains Britain’s most important economist, 300 years on: June 5 2023 marks the 300th anniversary of the birth of Adam Smith, the 18th-century British economist widely hailed as the father of modern economics. Born in Kirkcaldy, on the east coast of Scotland, Smith studied at the University of Glasgow and at …
Five ways to make your summer barbecue better for the environment: Before you fire up for barbecue season, make sure to consider the environmental impact of your meal. Milan Ilic Photographer/Shutterstock Summer has finally arrived. Sunny days and brighter evenings are the perfect opportunity to gather friends and family and fire up the barbecue. But, …
Price inflation: five ways stronger UK supply chains can help reduce rising food costs: Denis Belitsky/Shutterstock Annual price inflation has recently fallen below double digits, but food costs are still rising rapidly. Official UK figures show food prices rose by 19.1% in the year to April 2023. To prevent further increases, the UK needs to …
Five rare and unusual psychiatric syndromes – including one where people believe they are dead: Most people are familiar with psychiatric disorders such as schizophrenia and bipolar disorder, but some conditions are so rare that many psychiatrists won’t come across a single case in their professional lives. Here I present five of the rarest – …
Get-rich-quick schemes, pyramids and ponzis: five signs you’re being scammed: shutterstock Consumers are under a lot of financial strain. The World Economic Forum reports that the cost-of-living crisis is affecting people across the globe. With food and fuel prices rising, it’s becoming increasingly difficult to keep financially afloat. On top of that, salaries aren’t keeping …
Five reasons you should consider renting your outfits this wedding season: We tend to wear our wedding outfits only a handful a times. Supamotionstock.com/Shutterstock Wedding season is upon us and if you’ve received an invite, you’ll no doubt be having the usual thoughts of what to wear. But the outfits we buy for special occasions …
Learn to think like a plant: five questions to think about if you want to keep your houseplants healthy: Many people struggle to keep their houseplants alive. Okrasiuk/Shutterstock You don’t drown by falling into the water; you drown by staying there (Edwin Louis Cole). I’d say most potted orchid deaths arise from drowned roots. Conversely, …
Nigeria’s elections faced five serious challenges – how to fix them before the next polls: Counting of votes during the 2023 presidential elections at a polling station in Lagos. Benson Ibeabuchi/AFP via Getty Images Nigerians will see their new president-elect, Bola Tinubu, sworn in late May. A number of court cases are still being pursued …
Africa’s energy sector will need to transform radically – these are the five biggest challenges: A horse stands before solar panels used to power water pumps along the Afir agricultural irrigation canal in Egypt. Photo by Khaled Desouki/AFP via Getty Images The future of Africa’s energy sector is getting increasing attention from policymakers and the …
A dictionary of the manosphere: five terms to understand the language of online male supremacists: Tero Vesalainen/Shutterstock Thot. White knight. Red pilled. Cuck. Beta. Soyboy. Unicorn. Chad. To many people, these words won’t mean much. To others, they are a core part of the vocabulary of the “manosphere” – a collection of websites, social media …
Five misused food and farming terms, from natural to intensive – and what they really mean: Intensive or efficient? Fotokostic / Shutterstock Many words we use come with hidden baggage. For instance we tend to assume that local, natural and grass-fed foods are good for our health, the environment and animal welfare, while intensive farming …