Cyril Ramaphosa’s speech to parliament listed South Africa’s old problems – but no new solutions: South African President Cyril Ramaphosa’s opening of parliament speech successfully captured the spirit of a diverse and cohesive multi-party government ready to get down to work. But it failed to tell South Africans how the new dispensation will do things …
Nigeria’s national anthem change was a tactic to distract attention from the country’s real problems – political analyst: A year into his administration, Nigeria’s President Bola Ahmed Tinubu signed the National Anthem Bill into law, replacing an anthem adopted in 1978 with its predecessor. The decision generated debate among Nigerians, some of whom felt it …
Leaving the European convention on human rights won’t stop the boats – but it will create other problems for the UK: Faced with legal and practical challenges to getting planes off the ground to Rwanda, Rishi Sunak has threatened to leave the European convention on human rights (ECHR). The prime minister argues the convention, which …
Fintech is sold as the answer to Africa’s problems, but digital money services have downsides which media often overlook: The research assessed newspaper coverage of fintech in Kenya, Uganda and South Africa. Tony Karumba/AFP via Getty Images The online financial products and services known as “fintech” have become deeply embedded in the economic and social …
The problems with dating apps and how they could be fixed – two relationship ethicists: Gorodenkoff/Shutterstock Hundreds of millions of people worldwide use dating apps. But only half of users say that they have had positive experiences. Indeed, a shocking 11% of female users under 50 have received threats of harm. Surely there’s a better …
Global triggers: why these five big issues could cause significant problems in 2024: The tensions between the US and China made the global economy shudder in 2023. The ramifications of the Ukrainian war echoed beyond the country’s border. In Africa, the coup d’état in Niger and Gabon contributed to the global democratic retreat of recent …
Harold Shipman was arrested a quarter of a century ago, but we still have problems with prescribing controlled drugs: Oleg Troino/Shutterstock Catherine Hudson drugged two patients on the stroke ward of Blackpool Victoria Hospital to give herself an easier life. She has been jailed for seven years and two months. Her colleague, Charlotte Wilmot, who …
There are many reasons disabled people can’t just work from home — threatening to cut their benefits won’t fix the wider problems: PBXStudio/Shutterstock As part of the UK government’s latest economic plan, disabled people may have to look for jobs they can do from home or face cuts to their benefits. Previously, disabled people with …
X/Twitter: imposing a US bot tax on new customers will only make the platform’s problems worse: X, formerly known as Twitter, is testing a subscription plan called “Not a Bot” of US$ 1 equivalent per annum in New Zealand and the Philippines. Those who don’t subscribe will still be able to log in to view …
Cosmetic surgery boosts some people’s mental health – but for others it makes problems worse: Many hope having cosmetic surgery will bring real mental health improvements. Oleksandr Berezko/ Shutterstock Demand for cosmetic procedures are higher than ever. From breast augmentations to “tweakments” such as lip fillers and Botox, more and more people around the world …
Trees, rivers and mountains are gaining legal status – but it’s not been a quick fix for environmental problems: The Whanganui River, New Zealand. Wirestock Creators/Shutterstock As the scale and severity of environmental issues become more obvious, lawmakers are experimenting with new ways to protect nature. One approach that has gone from blue-sky debate to …
The Enhanced Games: letting athletes use drugs could lead to worse problems than cheating: Pro-doping games could lead to athletes being coerced into drug-taking. luckyraccoon/Shutterstock What would sport be like if performance-enhancing drugs were allowed? How fast could the fastest athletes run? How high could they jump? How heavy could they lift? The Enhanced Games …
Businesses that address social or environmental problems often struggle to survive: 3 things that can help them: Social entrepreneurs play an important role in alleviating poverty. Per-Anders Pettersson/Getty Images Social enterprises are organisations that promote social or environmental issues as their core business. They are useful to societies in lots of ways. They can help …
NHS at 75: problems abound but founding principles are unshaken: Ink Drop/Shutterstock The NHS has just turned 75, and the British public find themselves surrounded by jollity. There is a new logo, a 75th-anniversary badge, tea parties with cakes iced in blue, talks in schools, a photography competition, endless articles by people like me, and …
ADHD: inattention and hyperactivity have been the focus of research – but emotional problems may be the missing link: japansainlook/Shutterstock Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is one of the most common mental health disorders in children, affecting 7.2% of people under the age of 18 worldwide. Many of these children will still have ADHD in …
Energy generators’ soaring revenues highlight deep problems in the way Britain prices its electricity: All electricity generators in Britain saw their revenues increase last year. sp3n/Shutterstock Twenty-nine billion pounds is a lot of money. It’s how much we estimate the total annual revenue to British electricity generating stations increased as a result of last year’s …
To understand AI’s problems look at the shortcuts taken to create it: shutterstock A machine can only “do whatever we know how to order it to perform,” wrote the 19th-century computing pioneer Ada Lovelace. This reassuring statement was made in relation to Charles Babbage’s description of the first mechanical computer. Lady Lovelace could not have …
How getting out into nature can help people with drug and alcohol problems: Jacob Lund/Shutterstock Health professionals may suggest people spend more time out in nature to help with their physical fitness by doing activities in woods, parks or gardens, but research has shown nature-based programmes are also particularly effective for improving poor mental health. …