Whooping cough cases increasing in the UK – what you need to know: Zdan Ivan/Shutterstock You may have read recent alarming reports of a cough that “lasts 100 days” is “quickly spreading across the UK” and can “fracture ribs”. If you didn’t look beyond the headlines, you might have missed the fact that the reports …
Increasing melting of West Antarctic ice shelves may be unavoidable – new research: Evgeny Kovalev SPB/Shutterstock The rate at which the warming Southern Ocean melts the West Antarctic ice sheet will speed up rapidly over the course of this century, regardless of how much emissions fall in coming decades, our new research suggests. This ocean-driven …
Dengue: why is this sometimes fatal disease increasing around the world?: Something unusual seems to be happening with dengue, a potentially fatal mosquito-borne viral disease found across swathes of tropical Africa, Asia and the Americas. As with most infectious diseases, the number of cases tends to rise and fall over the years as epidemics come …
Ukraine war: capture of key Black Sea outposts and strike on Crimea show Kyiv’s increasing confidence: The recapture, by Ukrainian forces, of the oil and gas platforms off the coast of Crimea known as the “Boyko towers” has both strategic and symbolic significance. Their position, between the westerly-most point of Crimea and Snake Island, in …
Ukraine war: why Crimean Tatar fighters are playing an increasing role in resistance to Russian occupation: A resistance group of Crimean Tatars, an ethnic group native to the Russian-occupied peninsula, is now a prominent player in the Ukraine war. The Atesh (fire) movement has pledged to wage an unending war on the Russian invaders of …
Increasing heat is already a factor in human migration – new study: It was getting hotter. Frank May got off his mat and padded over to look out the window. Umber stucco walls and tiles, the colour of the local clay… [he] took a deep breath. It reminded him of the air in a sauna. …
Improving how the IMF does business could help billions of people worldwide — by giving governments money to spend on public goods and increasing accountability. Podcast: People march with a banner that reads in Spanish 'Stop the adjustment, out with the IMF,' in Buenos Aires, Argentina on May 9, 2023. (AP Photo/Victor R. Caivano) In …
How China is increasing its influence in central Asia as part of global plans to offer an alternative to the west: The Kazakh port of Aktau will be useful in the expansion of trade routes in the region. Matyas Rehak/Shutterstock As G7 leaders were preparing for their recent summit in Japan, China’s president Xi Jinping …
A digital approach to increasing value in the hospitality sector: By Tyrone Young, Hospitality Sales at LG South Africa As digital transformation continues to affect all industries, businesses need to stay ahead of the curve and see where they can use the latest technology to differentiate their offerings from their competitors. This is particularly true …
Countries agreed to ban ozone-depleting chemicals in the 1980s – but we found five CFCs increasing to record levels in the atmosphere: Despite a global ban in place since 2010, atmospheric concentrations of five ozone-depleting chemicals have reached a record high. Chlorofluorocarbons, or CFCs, are entirely man-made gases used in a variety of applications, including …
Tips for Increasing Productivity in 2023: The new year is already in full swing but it’s never too late to get those new year’s resolutions on track. Follow these four easy tips if you’re looking to be more productive in 2023. Ditch the multitasking Multitasking may seem like an attractive way to optimise your time …
Antibiotics are being inappropriately prescribed for COVID, increasing the threat of antimicrobial resistance – research: Antibiotics are for bacterial infections – they shouldn't be prescribed to treat viruses. PH888/Shutterstock Antibiotics are drugs designed to treat infections caused by bacteria (for example, skin infections). They don’t work on infections caused by other microbes such as viruses …
China’s increasing economic ties with the Gulf states are reducing the west’s sway in the Middle East: At the end of November 2022, UK prime minister Rishi Sunak announced that the “golden era” between Great Britain and China was over. China may not have been too bothered by this news however, and has been busy …
Internet search results could be increasing your carbon emissions: silvabom / shutterstock Almost everyone thinks they know how to use Google, and they usually get the answer they want. Many will intuitively know that the query “milk good for you” leads to different results than “milk bad for you”. The same goes for queries for …
The Horn of Africa has had years of drought, yet groundwater supplies are increasing – why?: Harvepino / shutterstock The Horn of Africa – which includes Somalia, Ethiopia, Kenya and some surrounding countries – has been hit by increasingly frequent and devastating droughts. Despite this, it seems the region has an increasing amount of groundwater. And …
Universal credit changes: increasing pressure on part-time workers is the wrong move at the worst time: The growth plan will require thousands more workers on universal credit to search for more work or face sanctions. 1000 Words/Shutterstock Chancellor Kwasi Kwarteng has laid out the government’s “mini budget”, a package of tax cuts that will mostly …
South Africa’s increasing water stress requires urgent informed actions: South Africa's water situation is a complex issue. Ab Rahman Awang / EyeEm / Getty Images Progress has been made since 2015 on a global scale in terms of increasing access to water of an acceptable quality and to sanitation services. But 2 billion people still …
Hepatitis cases are increasing among children in the UK – could COVID have a role to play?: Beenicebeelove/Shutterstock There has been a sharp increase in severe hepatitis cases among children under ten in the UK over recent months. The UK Health Security Agency has been informed of 74 cases since January 2022, with 49 of …