Four priorities for Nigeria’s newly elected national assembly: Nigeria's Senate president, Godswill Akpabio (middle), takes the oath of office on 13 June 2023. Kola Sulaimon/AFP via Getty Images Nigeria’s National Assembly – the 10th since independence – was inaugurated on 13 June 2023. It has two arms: the Senate and the House of Representatives. The …
Four ways criminals could use AI to target more victims: Building a profile of someone can make it easier for criminals to gain access to their personal accounts. Metamorworks / Shutterstock Warnings about artificial intelligence (AI) are ubiquitous right now. They have included fearful messages about AI’s potential to cause the extinction of humans, invoking …
Four ways to have hard conversations with your friends – without making things worse: It’s painful to watch someone you care about make what you perceive as bad life choices – we all want what’s best for our loved ones. This can be particularly hard when they are dating someone you don’t think is good, …
How traditional Indigenous education helped four lost children survive 40 days in the Amazon jungle: The discovery and rescue of four young Indigenous children, 40 days after the aircraft they were travelling in crashed in the remote Colombian rainforest, was hailed in the international press as a “miracle in the jungle”. But as an anthropologist …
Want to start therapy, but not sure what type will be right for you? Here are four to consider: PeopleImages.com – Yuri A/Shutterstock Have you been feeling persistently sad for weeks or months? Perhaps you’ve been lacking motivation, or feeling irritable, or anxious, or constantly “on edge”. If symptoms like these are causing you concern …
The materials used by humans now weigh more than all life on Earth – here’s four graphs that reveal our staggering impact on the planet: Yantian Port, Shenzhen City, China. Weiming Xie/Shutterstock The extent of humanity’s influence on the planet has become increasingly clear in recent years. From the alarming accumulation of plastic waste in …
Your LinkedIn doesn’t need to be perfect – four ways to build an authentic profile to boost your personal brand: To get hired, you need to get connected. Dean Drobot/Shutterstock The idea of a “personal brand” might seem like the purview of celebrities and influencers. But if you’ve spent any time on LinkedIn, you’ll know …
Four dangers lurking in your garden – and how to protect yourself: The soil you use for your roses may contain something sinister. Mariia Boiko/ Shutterstock Many people see gardening as a relaxing pastime – an easygoing way to spend hours outdoors when the weather’s nice. But as a consultant in emergency medicine, I deal …
Media freedom and democracy: Africans in four countries weigh up thorny questions about state control: Democracy cannot survive without free media. Getty Images In July 2022, BBC Africa Eye released a documentary on gang activity in northwestern Nigeria. The programme, The Bandit Warlords of Zamfara, examined the raids on villages, abductions and murders that have …
Four things you need to know about having a caesarean section: It's worth speaking to your doctor early in your pregnancy if you think a caesarean is right for you. Prostock-studio/ Shutterstock If you’re pregnant or planning to have a baby soon, you’ve probably been given lots of advice and information about what you might …
Why ‘finding your purpose’ matters – and four ways to find yours: How can you find a sense of purpose? GaudiLab/Shutterstock Often presented as the solution for people lacking direction, the notion of “finding your purpose” might sound like a cliche. But having a sense of purpose has been linked with a range of physical …
Four ways touch can boost your health and wellbeing: Touch is an essential part of wellbeing. sebra/ Shutterstock Most of us know how good it feels to receive a hug from a loved one or hold hands with a partner. But what many of us may not realise is that touch is far more than …
Four reasons inflation will stay stubbornly high for some time: Climbing inflation. Sergey Tinyakov/Shutterstock Price inflation is starting to fall in many countries but it still remains way above the typical 2% target of most major economies. In the UK, inflation has been above target since August 2021 and in double digits since August 2022. …
Quartet review: did four women really change the world of classical music?: The subtitle of Quartet, historian Leah Broad’s book about four UK women composers, reads boldly: How Four Women Changed the Musical World. But I am unsure that the musical world – for Broad, classical music – was changed in any meaningful way by …
Four myths about the financial side of divorce: News headlines tell you little about the realities of divorce for most couples Prostock-studio/Shutterstock It’s no wonder many people think divorce involves going to court, huge legal fees and decades of spousal payments, considering these are the cases that dominate our headlines. However, the kinds of divorce …
How a night of poor sleep can affect your next day at work – and four ways to function better: Evgeny Atamanenko/Shutterstock Think back to a night when you slept poorly. How productive were you the next day at work? Did you struggle to get started? Did the day drag on and on? Did you …
Four global problems that will be aggravated by the UK’s recent cuts to international aid: Flags fly outside the UN building in New York. Andrew F. Kazmierski/Shutterstock UK economic forecasts have improved markedly since the September 2022 mini-budget. The economic recession may now be more shallow and public borrowing lower than previously expected. However, faced …
Four ways the UK economy is being hampered by the private sector: IR Stone/Shutterstock The UK government has decided to go ahead with a rise in corporation tax in April 2023. The move is a clear reversal of the tax reduction which previous chancellors hoped would encourage output and innovation. The idea of lowering corporation …