Sexual predators at school: why South African law is failing to protect children from teachers: Schools should be a safe environment, a place of learning where children can develop their potential. In South Africa, many public schools aren’t like this. Instead they are hothouses for teachers’ poor performance, financial mismanagement, assault and sexual misconduct. When …
Africa’s data workers are being exploited by foreign tech firms – 4 ways to protect them: Data workers in Africa often have a hard time. They face job insecurities – including temporary contracts, low pay, arbitrary dismissal and worker surveillance – and alarming physical and psychological health risks. The consequences of their work can include …
Mosquito season in southern Africa: tonic water and vitamins won’t protect you but knowing where the hotspots are will: While the emergence of colourful butterflies is a welcome sign of summer, the constant buzzing of mosquitoes is an annoying part of the season. Mosquitoes are more than just pests. They are the world’s most dangerous …
Does parrot farming protect wild species? Wildlife trade researchers review the evidence: The lives of people and parrots have been entwined for thousands of years. These colourful, charismatic birds are kept as pets all over the world for companionship and entertainment. However, today, nearly one-third of the 400 parrot species globally face the threat of …
Kenya’s whistleblowers are key to fighting corruption: how a new law could protect them: Kenya has published a draft bill outlining protections for whistleblowers. Long in the making, the Whistleblower Protection Bill 2024 could help to encourage disclosures in a country where 86% of the respondents to a 2023 survey feared what might happen to …
Fungi to the rescue: South African scientists use innovative approach to protect apple trees: Woolly apple aphids are destructive pests, threatening South Africa's apple-growing industry. Westend61/Getty Images Gardeners the world over dread the appearance of aphids on their plants. There are around 4,000 species of these sap-sucking insects and about 250 are pests that can …
Planting trees in grasslands won’t save the planet – rather protect and restore forests: Tree planting is one of the nature-based solutions being used to offset greenhouse gas emissions. Trees absorb atmospheric carbon dioxide. Many of these tree planting projects target Africa’s rangelands (open grasslands or shrublands used by livestock and wild animals). They include …
Bird flu: what is it, how does it spread and how can we protect ourselves from it?: There has been an outbreak of H5N1 bird flu in Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso’s capital. The viral disease, also called avian influenza, killed 441 chickens out of a flock of 641 on a farm. There have been several outbreaks …
Senegal’s pink lake is on the verge of disappearing – how to protect it: Lake Retba, better known as Lac Rose (the Pink Lake), is located around 35km from the city of Dakar, Senegal. It sits in a depression with a shoreline 6.5 metres below sea level. The lake is isolated from the sea by …
Freedom of thought is being threatened by states, big tech and even ourselves. Here’s what we can do to protect it: Beauty Is In The Eye Inc/Shutterstock The idea of free speech sparked into life 2,500 years ago in Ancient Greece – in part because it served a politician’s interests. The ability to speak freely …
How to protect yourself from cyber-scammers over the festive period: As online shopping increases over the festive period, so does the risk of cyber-scams. Chay Tee/Shutterstock The festive season is a time for joy, family and festive cheer. However, it’s also a prime target for cybercriminals. As online shopping ramps up, so does the risk …
Slapps: inside Europe’s struggle to protect journalists from malicious lawsuits: Shutterstock/icedmocha There is a growing threat to the rule of law, democracy and human rights in Europe. It manifests as seemingly run-of-the-mill lawsuits. However, on closer inspection, many lawsuits are not as they seem. Rather than attempting to remedy a wrong, lawsuits can have a …
Rwanda’s troops in Mozambique have done well to protect civilians – the factors at play: Rwanda’s involvement in peacekeeping operations for the United Nations (UN) and African Union (AU) has increased since 2004. The relatively small east African nation is Africa’s most active troop-contributing country and the fourth most active worldwide. It has nearly 6,000 …
Why Scotland needs a legal framework to protect its living cultural heritage: From the island of St Kilda 40 miles west of the Hebrides, to Edinburgh’s splendid Georgian New Town, Scotland is a nation rich in cultural heritage, some of which is Unesco-protected. As well as the country’s globally renowned castles and monuments, Scotland has …
Forests are vital to protect the climate, yet the world is falling far behind its targets: Atstock Productions / shutterstock The world is falling behind on commitments to protect and restore forests, according to the recent Forest Declaration Assessment. There is no serious pathway to fixing climate change while forest losses continue at current rates, …
Kids are exposed to violent war images: trauma expert sets out how you can protect them: In today’s screen-filled world, many children and teens have nearly continuous access to media. Estimates from the United States suggest that school-age children spend four to six hours per day watching or using screens. Adolescents spend as much as …
New treaty to protect the world’s oceans may hurt vulnerable African fisheries: Following two decades of fierce negotiations, over 60 countries recently signed a UN Ocean Treaty to conserve biodiversity on the high seas. The “high seas” are all ocean areas which aren’t under a specific country’s direct ownership or regulation. They make up two-thirds …
AI: we may not need a new human right to protect us from decisions by algorithms – the laws already exist: Hiring algorithms could filter candidates before interviews even take place. fizkes / Shutterstock There are risks and harms that come with relying on algorithms to make decisions. People are already feeling the impact of …