Birkenstock goes public: how an ‘ugly’ orthopaedic shoe company created a brand worth billions: Asked to choose between a brown Birkenstock and a pink stiletto, most people would be able to make a fairly quick decision. In this year’s Barbie movie, Weird Barbie challenges Stereotypical Barbie to make this very choice. To Barbie, the high …
What happens if a university goes bust?: fongbeerredhot/Shutterstock Governments face difficult choices when industries fail. They can stand by while private businesses collapse and see the resulting loss of jobs and revenue. Or they can step in and use public money to prop up these firms. The Scottish government intervened in 2019 to rescue Ferguson …
Women’s sexual desire often goes undiscussed – yet it’s one of their most common health concerns: Many women are afraid to voice concerns about low desire to their doctors. Lordn/ Shutterstock Female sexual desire is frequently misunderstood. Despite desire (also known as libido or sex drive) being the most common sexual health concern for women, …
Microsoft and Activision: the big questions that will decide whether the US billion deal goes ahead: Microsoft’s proposed US$ 68 billion (£52 billion) acquisition of video game maker Activision Blizzard should be allowed to go ahead, according to a US federal judge. After five days of gruelling testimony, Judge Jacqueline Corley ruled the merger is …
Africa’s linguistic diversity goes largely unnoticed in research on multilingualism: The African continent is home to some of the world's most multilingual societies. Roxane 134/Shutterstock Language is a uniquely human skill. That’s why studying how people learn and use language is crucial to understanding what it means to be human. Given that most people in …
LGBTQ+ rights: African Union watchdog goes back on its own word: Denial of observer status robs the three NGOs of a voice. Getty images The primary human rights watchdog in Africa recently made a decision that departed from its existing practice. The African Commission of Human and Peoples’ Rights, an independent expert body within the …
Tanzania’s tomato harvest goes to waste: solar-powered cold storage could be a sustainable solution: Post harvest losses are rampant in several parts of Africa Wikimedia Commons Feeding Africa’s growing population is a big development challenge for governments, policy makers and agriculture experts. Adding to the challenge is the high level of food loss and waste …
Labour sounds like the Tories on immigration – but its policy goes back to its trade union roots: Keir Starmer has given a glimpse of what immigration policy could look like under a Labour government. Speaking to the Confederation for British Industry, the party leader’s key message was about reducing the UK’s dependency on migrant …
Africa’s largest democracy goes to the polls amid rising insecurity: A woman casts her ballot at a polling station in Nigeria. Photo by Pius Utomi Ekpei/AFP via Getty Images Africa’s biggest election will be held in February 2023 in Nigeria. It’s the seventh successive general election in the country’s 23 years of unbroken democratic government. …
A video of you goes viral without your consent – what does the law say?: Privacy law doesn't do much to protect you from being photographed in public, but there are nuances. FGC / Shutterstock Going viral was once a dream for creative types hoping to make it big on YouTube. But in the age …
Nobel peace prize goes to Belarusian, Russian and Ukrainian human rights activists: On the 70th birthday of Russian president Vladimir Putin, the Nobel prize committee has recognised the work of three winners who are all battling against Putin or pro-Putin regimes. The peace prize has gone to imprisoned Belarus activist Ales Bialiatski, Russian human rights …
Child custody in South Africa: what to do when co-parenting goes wrong: Andrey Popov/Shutter stock The COVID-19 lockdowns severed many families, where they found themselves having a limited period to decide who would live where and with whom. In other instances, it cemented the divide which already existed for the non-custodial parent. Post-COVID lockdowns some …
The Conversation goes deeper, here’s how: The Conversation: news by experts “What is The Conversation?” That was the question put to Alastair Campbell on a widely subscribed podcast called The Rest is History that he presents. The former British Prime Minister’s spokesperson had been championing our work. I was delighted that he finds great value …
Ukraine Recap: Putin goes in search of friends while his ministers threaten his enemies: It’s childish, I realise, but I experienced a frisson of amused pleasure on watching the video of Vladimir Putin pacing up and down for nearly a minute while waiting for the Turkish president, Recep Tayyip Erdo?an, to show up for their …
What happens when your local council goes bankrupt: The ruin of Detroit, Michigan. Jacob Boomsma | Shutterstock Local government fulfils an essential role in society. It provides fundamental services – from social care and transport to education, water and waste collection. And when it no longer can, when a council goes bankrupt, it is the …
The award-winning African documentary project that goes inside the lives of migrants: The Last Shelter plays out at a migrant shelter on the southern edge of the Sahara desert. Image courtesy Generation Africa/STEPS For far too long the west has been telling stories about and talking on behalf of Africa. However, a new slate of …
Check out this WordPress image: WordPress goes social? Image by cubicgarden Image automatically curated and published by www.free-mail.co.za – CLICK HERE to learn more about WP Robot for WordPress. Have you tried: Travelling to South Africa?
Energy bills: why yours is now so expensive, and where all the money goes: Energy prices in the UK have soared thanks to a big rise in the price cap for domestic customers set by regulator Ofgem. This follows a smaller increase in the price cap in October 2021. The NGO National Energy Action estimates …