Concerns over pet food and vet costs affordability are as old as pet keeping itself: Bonnie Kittle|Unsplash Ever since domestic companion animals first became popular in the west, people’s ability to provide for their healthcare needs has been closely linked to their own economic situation. In October 2022, the British animal charity, the RSPCA, reported …
Victims of the green energy boom? The Indonesians facing eviction over a China-backed plan to turn their island into a solar panel ‘ecocity’: I first visited Rempang island in Summer 2022. Greeting me were lush fields lined with coconut and banana trees, picture-book fishing villages with houses jutting into the water on stilts, and boats …
The Reckoning: I’ve interviewed over 50 actors who’ve played real people and Steve Coogan’s Savile is the most contentious: Steve Coogan portrays Jimmy Savile in the new BBC mini-series The Reckoning. This much anticipated and debated show is the most recent – and perhaps most contentious – in a long line of programmes “based on …
Over 2 million Nigerians are displaced by farmer-herder conflict in Benue State: there are 4 support systems they turn to: Individuals, organisations and governments have pulled together to support those displaced by the conflict in Benue State, Nigeria. Kola Sulaimon/AFP For the past decade many residents in north and central Nigeria have lived in a …
Why a Southampton FC fan took their town to a historical ‘leet’ court over the colour of a bridge’s lights: I recently started following a Facebook page entitled “Angry People in Local Papers”. One story recently highlighted was reported in the Southampton Echo. Perry McMillan, a taxi driver and long-term Southampton FC fan, has made …
Three steps for getting over social media envy – advice from a psychologist: iSOMBOON/Shutterstock In the past, you may have envied your neighbour when they bought a new car or went on holiday abroad when you could not. Although these feelings of envy would have been perfectly valid, they were isolated incidents that would last …
Nagorno-Karabakh: the world should have seen this crisis coming — and it’s not over yet: As a result of the Azerbaijani attack on the Armenians of Nagorno-Karabakh on September 19 and the forced exodus that followed it, this region will soon be empty of Armenians – for the first time in more than two millennia. …
Inflation: I’ve been analysing the Bank of England’s forecast over the past two years – here’s how they got it wrong: The Bank of England (BoE) has been strongly criticised for failing to predict the surge in inflation. Had it done so, it could have reacted more quickly and prevented inflation from rising as high …
Russia’s disastrous decision to invade Poland in 1920 has parallels with Putin’s rhetoric over Ukraine: Polish defences near Milosna, west of Warsaw, August 1920. Wikimedia Commons From the beginning, Russia has framed its invasion of Ukraine as necessary for the defence of the country. According to Vladimir Putin, Nato’s deliberate and aggressive encroachment into a …
How action over parliamentary spying scandal could affect the UK’s economic relationship with China: The arrest of a parliamentary researcher on suspicion of spying for China has fuelled calls in Westminster for tougher action against China by the UK government. This could impact the UK economy since China is an important trading partner and industry …
Past Lives: inyeon is a Korean philosophy of how relationships form over many lifetimes: “There is a word in Korean – inyeon. It means providence or fate. But it’s specifically about relationships between people.” So writer Nora Lee tells her American lover when they meet on an artists’ retreat in director Celine Song’s new film, …
Concrete crisis: officials thought asbestos in schools was safe too – the same mistakes have been made over Raac: The decision to close some schools and erect emergency structural supports in others just days before the start of a new term appeared to come about suddenly. The announcement followed three recent failures of reinforced autoclaved …
Fyre Festival II: a psychologist on why some people fall for fraudsters over and over again: If you’ve ever been scammed, perhaps you resolved to never allow someone to take you for a fool again. But research shows not everyone reacts this way and in fact some fraud victims go into denial. This might help …
You Could Save Over R2 550.00 per month with MyPR: MyPR was initially started as a resource for us to gather re-useable South Africa and Africa focused content to re-publish on numerous web properties that we own. We figured that our social contract between PR Professionals seeking to get their clients messages out (without being …
Ghana’s colonial past and assessment use means education prioritises passing exams over what students actually learn – this must change: Formal education in the Gold Coast, now Ghana, was introduced during the 15th century when Europeans came to its shores to trade. Education was only accessible to children of women married to western traders, and …
Is the US banking crisis over?: The US banking crisis triggered worries about the global banking system earlier in the year. Three mid-sized US banks, Silicon Valley Bank, Silvergate and Signature, fell in quick succession, driving down bank share-prices across the world. America’s central bank, the Federal Reserve, made significant amounts of cash available to …
How tracking menopause symptoms can give women more control over their health: You can track your menopause symptoms by using an app, a dedicated website or a diary. Krotnakro/Shutterstock Menopause can cause more symptoms than hot flushes alone. And some of your symptoms and reactions might be due to the menopause, even if you are …
The Post Office scandal is possibly the largest miscarriage of justice in UK history – and it’s not over yet: The Post Office scandal involves miscarriages of justice involving hundreds of innocent people who were wrongly convicted of theft, fraud and false accounting. It has been going on for over 20 years, with the Post …