Power drives global affairs today, not rules – what Africa’s strategies should be: A new world order is emerging. The United States is no longer the sole force shaping global events; countries like China, Russia, India and the Gulf states are growing in influence. This shift has intensified global competition and made international cooperation more …
Kirsty Coventry and whiteness in Zimbabwe: how sport can rewrite the political rules: Kirsty Coventry’s story is one of apparent contradictions. She’s a white woman celebrated as a national hero in a Black-majority Zimbabwe and an Olympic swimmer turned politician. She’s also now one of the most powerful figures in global sports as president of …
South Africa’s debt has skyrocketed – new rules are needed to manage it: South Africa’s fiscal trajectory paints a concerning picture. Public expenditure exceeds revenue. As a result sovereign debt is building up and interest on this debt is increasing. This raises concerns over the South African government’s financial sustainability. The debt-to-GDP ratio has skyrocketed …
Tulip Siddiq resigns: there’s no evidence she broke any rules, but here’s why she had to go anyway: Tulip Siddiq has resigned as anti-corruption minister after getting embroiled in a corruption scandal. A number of questions had been raised about her following an investigation by Bangladesh’s Anti-Corruption Commission into the country’s former prime minister Sheikh …
South Africa is changing its retirement rules to help boost country savings: how it will work: A study of 160 countries, spanning 60 years of economic history, establishes that there is no country that has been able to transition from “poor to prosperous” without a high savings rate. And that households – in other words …
AI can make African elections more efficient – but trust must be built and proper rules put in place: Election officials confirm a voter's biometric details during Kenya's 2022 elections. James Wakibia/SOPA Images/LightRocket Time magazine has dubbed 2024 a “super election year”. An astonishing 4 billion people are eligible to vote in countries across the …
What’s the job of a company chair? South Africa’s rules aren’t clear and need fixing: Historically, the chair of the board of directors filled a procedural and ceremonial role. This was a low bar focusing on the chair’s role in meetings. But in recent years their role in companies has evolved to become much more …
UK ban on boilers in new homes rules out hydrogen as a heating source: Stock-Asso/Shutterstock Boilers will be banned in new-build homes in the UK from 2025, according to a long-awaited government consultation on energy efficiency standards in the housebuilding industry. The report said that there is “no practical way” that installing boilers of any …
UK supreme court rules Guantánamo ‘forever prisoner’ can sue the government under English law – here’s why it matters: Stephanie Swartz/Shutterstock The UK supreme court has ruled that a detainee in Guantánamo Bay can sue the UK government under English law over its alleged involvement in his detention and torture. This is the first case …
Trade rules and climate change: Africa stands to lose from proposed WTO policy tools: The World Trade Organisation launched its Trade Policy Tools for Climate Action during the COP28 conference. International economic law expert Olabisi D. Akinkugbe discusses whether the new Trade Policy Tools benefit Africa. What are the WTO’s new Trade Policy Tools? The …
As another lobbying scandal erupts in the Conservative party, are tougher rules finally on the horizon?: Conservative MP Scott Benton has become the latest British politician to face suspension for breaking lobbying rules in what is becoming a regular cycle of scandals. Parliament’s committee on standards has recommended a 35-day suspension for Benton after he …
Reports of ‘honour-based’ abuse increased following lockdowns and change to police recording rules: Alexey_M/Shutterstock Cases of so-called honour-based abuse (HBA) are on the rise in England and Wales. Home Office figures show 2,905 HBA offences in 2022-23 – an increase of 1% in the year ending March 2023 from the year before. This is a …
Everton FC lost ten valuable points for breaking financial rules – but football fans may eventually consider it a win: On November 16 2023, fans of Everton FC may have been reasonably satisfied about how the football season was shaping up. They were 14th in the English Premier League, and had recently recorded wins against …
Supreme court rules Rwanda plan unlawful: a legal expert explains the judgment, and what happens next: The UK supreme court has unanimously ruled that the government’s plan to send asylum seekers to Rwanda is unlawful. Upholding an earlier decision by the court of appeal, the supreme court found that asylum seekers sent to Rwanda may …
Ecowas rules to protect pastoralists discourage investments in modern livestock farming: A common sight around west Africa is to see cattle grazing freely, even in major cities, on highways and in airports. Every year, about 300 million head of livestock (mostly cattle) move across west Africa. Based on seasonal factors, they leave their usual grazing …
Three rules for adding weight to your backpack that will boost the benefits of exercise: The benefits of 'rucking' can be boosted further by heading outdoors. dodotone/ Shutterstock Walking is a great exercise for keeping your physical and mental health in check. But if you’re looking to give your daily walks a boost, you might …
Five golden rules for effective science communication – perspectives from a documentary maker: Over the past three years, people from all walks of life have learned a great deal about different branches of science. The COVID-19 pandemic introduced many of us to information about virology and vaccine production. Environmental disasters in every part of the …
1973: a golden year for film that rewrote the rules of cinema: Martin Scorsese’s Mean Streets burst on to cinema screens 50 years ago, a cacophony of soundtrack, film styles, religion and violence which firmly established the young filmmaker as cut from a different kind of cloth. Like every screen pioneer before him – from …