Turkey-Syria earthquake: why it is so difficult to get rescue and relief to where it is most needed: The death toll from the earthquakes that struck Turkey and Syria on February 6 has climbed above 21,000 in four days, exceeding the World Health Organization’s estimate of 20,000. But it continues to rise by the hour …
Small loans: microcredit means more people can borrow money – but more scrutiny is also needed: Farmers in India are among communities around the world hit hard by unscrupulous microlending. Narinder Nanu/AFP via Getty Images Undoubtedly, financial technology (fintech) is driving greater financial inclusion. Innovations are giving people more access to financial services through mobile …
More South Africans are smoking – higher taxes and stronger law enforcement are needed: South Africa has seen an increase in people who smoke. Lefty Shivambu/Gallo Images via Getty Images Tobacco use imposes a significant health and economic burden on countries. Research estimates that the cost of smoking in South Africa amounted to 0.97% of …
Violence against women is staggeringly high in South Africa – a different way of thinking about it is needed: Agitated women vent their anger and frustrations at a gender-based violence summit with government in November 2018. GCIS South Africa has notoriously high levels of violence against women. The latest police figures show that 10,818 rape …
Our US trillion global energy bill dwarfs what’s needed to limit global heating: William Potter / shutterstock The world’s energy bill for 2022 is set to be the highest ever, topping US$ 10 trillion (£8.3 trillion). This is the total price paid for all forms of energy across all sectors by all people. Something like …
COP27 key outcomes: progress on compensation for developing countries, but more needed on climate justice and equity: Climate activists held demonstrations in front of International Convention Center to protest the negative effects of climate change. Photo by Mohamed Abdel Hamid/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images There were high expectations for COP27, the 27th Conference of the …
Lesotho’s election brought change. Six things needed to promote peace and democracy: Outgoing Lesotho prime minister Moeketsi Majoro, right, hands over the national flag as the symbol of passing power to his successor, Sam Ntsokoane Matekane, on 28 October 2022. Molise Molise/AFP via Getty Images Lesotho’s 2022 general election, its tenth since its independence from …
In 1986 Wits University did a survey about its relevance to South Africa: another is needed: Political activities on the University of the Witwatersrand campus in 1959. Wits University As the number of black students increased at the University of the Witwatersrand (Wits) in South Africa in the 1980s, township struggles spread onto the campus …
Why food labels showing the exercise needed to burn off calories won’t work for everyone: Knowing how much exercise it takes to burn the calories in certain foods may be easier for consumers to understand. Prostock-studio/ Shutterstock In an effort to tackle the increasing prevalence of obesity, the UK government has introduced a number of …
Keir Starmer’s conference speech offered a clearer ideological position – even more ambition will now be needed: One thing was very clear from Keir Starmer’s conference speech in Liverpool: Conservative prime minister Liz Truss’s policy choices are helping the Labour leader define a clearer ideological position. A key dividing line, reiterated by Starmer throughout this …
Comments policy: We still want to hear from you – we just needed to make some changes: shutterstock A recent spam attack led us to closing comments on all articles across The Conversation’s seven sites. Now that things have settled down we have introduced a more nuanced approach in a bid to manage the threat …
Kenya’s elections are proof of change since 2007 violence, but more reform is needed: Kenyan President-elect William Ruto at a press conference after the Supreme Court decision. Daniel Irungu/EPA-EFE Kenya’s Supreme Court has confirmed William Ruto’s election as president in a unanimous ruling following the submission of eight petitions seeking to annul the result. The …
Liz Truss to become British prime minister: a laser-like focus on delivery is needed after the chaos of the Boris Johnson years: For his recent book on the role of the British prime minister, contemporary historian Anthony Seldon chose the title: The Impossible Office? Liz Truss will soon find out just how impossible the office …
Wooden housing boom needed to boost climate goals, says new study – but is it possible?: Flystock/Shutterstock Housing 90% of people moving to cities in mid-rise buildings made from engineered wood could save the construction industry 106 billion tonnes of CO? by 2100, according to a new study. This, the researchers argued, would rein in …
Media literacy education in South Africa can help combat fake news – here’s what’s needed: A teacher conducts a lesson under a tree in Limpopo Province. Sandile Ndlovu/Sowetan/ Gallo Images /Getty Images Online platforms are replete with examples of false information – from WhatsApp messages punting some miraculous cure for COVID, to social media posts …
Northern Ireland protocol row could damage good faith needed for post-Brexit trade deals: I T S / Shutterstock The European Union is taking legal action against the UK once again, after the government announced a bill altering the post-Brexit agreement that deals with trade between Northern Ireland, the rest of Britain, and the EU. The …
Antibiotic use in Uganda is high: action is needed: Shutterstock Even before the COVID crisis, excessive use and misuse of lifesaving antibiotics had contributed to the emergence of resistant strains of disease-causing organisms. This has rendered many of the most powerful treatments in modern medicine ineffective. It’s estimated that drug-resistant infections caused more than 1.2 …
Greater investments needed to unlock power of digital economy: Dr Andrew De Vries, General Manager, Digital Economy at The Innovation Hub South Africa’s trouble is not a lack of innovation. It’s investment and support for entrepreneurs and small businesses that is the major stumbling block preventing the country from harnessing the transformative power of the …