Young people’s reluctance to talk about money is putting them at risk – here’s how to help them: Rawpixel.com/Shutterstock Credit is an everyday, and often essential, part of young people’s lives. Gaining access to credit for the first time is an important transition to adulthood that can enable you to study, earn and invest in …
South Africa’s surveillance law is changing but citizens’ privacy is still at risk: In a ringing judgment for the right to privacy, the South African Constitutional Court declared sections of the country’s main communication surveillance law unconstitutional in February 2021. The court gave parliament three years to pass a new law remedying the areas of …
Hepatitis C: Britons getting tattoos and cosmetic procedures abroad may be at risk – here’s how to avoid it: If proper sterilisation procedures are in place, your chances of contracting hepatitis C from a tattoo are extremely low. Hryshchyshen Serhii/ Shutterstock A growing number of people living in the UK are going abroad to have …
The first dog-fox hybrid points to the growing risk to wild animals of domestic species: A pampas fox Foto 4440/Shutterstock Next time you see a fox when out walking with your dog, pause for a moment and ponder their relatedness. Dogs and foxes are distinct but distantly related canine species. Until recently, scientists thought it …
How AI and AR could increase the risk of problem gambling for online sports betting: Kaspars Grinvalds/Shutterstock Sometimes referred to as the “crack cocaine of gambling”, electronic gaming machines (EGMs) such as slot machines allow bets to be placed as quickly as once every 2.5 seconds, delivering a rapid and immersive gambling experience. Similar features …
Young people with sexual or gender diversity are at higher risk of stopping their HIV treatment because of stigma and harsh laws: Ending the AIDS pandemic – particularly in eastern and southern Africa – cannot be achieved unless more resources are channelled to meet the needs of key vulnerable populations. This is one of the …
Andrey Rublev has been called the ‘greatest Russian artist who ever lived’ – but one of his most famous works is at risk under Putin: Andrey Rublev (or Rublyov – nobody is sure how his name was pronounced) has been described as “the greatest Russian artist who ever lived”, whose work had “a clarity of …
How ducks, geese and swans see the world – and why this puts them at risk in a changing environment: The blue duck (Hymenolaimus malacorhynchos) is a species endemic to New Zealand. Graham Martin, CC BY-NC-SA Each year, millions of birds fly into power lines, wind turbines and the other man-made structures that litter the …
Breast cancer: new study reveals real risk of the disease if you have genetic mutation: There are numerous consumer tests available that look for BRCA gene mutations. Photoroyalty/ Shutterstock In 2013, actress Angelina Jolie wrote an op-ed where she revealed she’d undergone a double mastectomy. Although Jolie didn’t have breast cancer, a genetic test had …
Alzheimer’s disease blood tests: here’s what they look for, and what they can tell you about your risk: Blood tests would offer a faster, less invasive way of diagnosing Alzheimer's disease. angellodeco/ Shutterstock Despite affecting 55 million people worldwide, Alzheimer’s disease still has no cure. But recent advancements in the field have seen a number …
Kenya: Ongata Rongai boom town destroyed two vital rivers – new study flags a major health risk: Over the past 10 years, Ongata Rongai, a satellite town on the edge of Kenya’s capital, Nairobi, has experienced uncontrolled development and exponential population growth. Because of its appealing location close to the city, it’s jumped from just …
Birmingham’s bankruptcy is only the tip of the iceberg – local authorities across England are at risk: The city of Birmingham has issued what is known as a section 114 notice. This signals that the council is unable to balance its budget, due to lack of financial resources. That the largest local authority in Europe …
Invasive species risk a biodiversity disaster – but there is still time to stop it: Native to South and Central America, cane toads are an invasive species in most regions they have been introduced. Seregraff/Shutterstock Earth’s habitats are facing a big increase in the number of alien species they have to deal with. These are …
Rooftop renewables risk making the rich richer, as latecomers will struggle to access the grid: Wozzie / shutterstock Many people are now becoming “energy citizens” by installing rooftop solar panels and other small-scale renewable energy projects in their properties. In theory, this is a “win-win”. Added renewable energy brings down the cost of energy, and …
‘Worthless’ forest carbon offsets risk exacerbating climate change: In early 2023, the Guardian published an article suggesting that more than 90% of rainforest carbon offsets are worthless. These credits are essentially a promise to protect forests and can be bought as a way to “offset” emissions elsewhere. Verra, the largest certifier of these offset credits, …
Six pregnancy terms you probably won’t hear again, including ‘high risk’ and ‘failed’: The language midwives use is an important part of the care they provide. Blue Planet Studio/Shutterstock Medical terminology evolves alongside our understanding of medicine. As time goes by, new terms are adopted while others are abandoned. In midwifery, there should always be …
Ticks are becoming a growing health risk in the UK – here’s why: The castor bean tick is the most common species in the UK. Aleksey Matrenin/ Shutterstock Earlier this year, the UK Health Security Agency confirmed a case of tick-borne encephalitis – a potentially deadly virus carried by ticks that causes brain inflammation. A …
A billion people in Africa are at a climate risk blind spot: Cyclone Idai heading towards Mozambique and Zimbabwe in 2019. lavizzara/Shutterstock Disasters related to the weather or climate are becoming more common. Since 1970, there has been a five-fold increase in the number of weather-related disasters, causing economic damages that have surged a staggering …