Social media ‘soft girls’ depend on men for money – but Sweden once used state ‘influencers’ to urge women to get jobs: stokkete/Shutterstock The idea of becoming a “soft girl” – a woman who embrace values that are seen as soft, such as beauty and family life, at the expense of a career – is …
Hit Me Hard And Soft by Billie Eilish review – a flowing queer triumph that celebrates the album as a form: Billie Eilish’s new album Hit Me Hard and Soft is already fast on its way to becoming her third consecutive number one album. This album is reminiscent of her first – where her second …
Millions of young South Africans are jobless: study finds that giving them ‘soft’ skills like networking helps their prospects: Study finds that soft rather than technical skills are more effective in getting rural youth jobs. GettyImages The fact that more than half of the South African population is under 30 years could be beneficial for …
Rusesabagina vs Rwanda: how Kagame wields soft power to get his way with the west: Kagame prefers partnership with successful European football clubs to market Rwanda. Luke Dray/FIFA via Getty Images In politics, soft power is a persuasive approach to international relations. A leader can use soft power by exerting economic, cultural or reputational influence. …
World Cup 2022: who won the prize for ‘soft power’?: After four weeks, 64 games and more than a decade of controversy, Argentina has won the Fifa men’s World Cup in Qatar. And as Lionel Messi and his teammates celebrate victory over France, another competition has also reached its conclusion – the battle for “soft …
BTS take a break: world’s biggest K-pop group is caught between Korea’s soft power ambitions and national security: MediaPunch Inc/Alamy The decision by K-pop sensations, BTS, to take a hiatus is breaking hearts globally. But, unlike the Beatles or One Direction, their decision is tied to Korean peninsula politics and the challenge of balancing national …
Commonwealth in Kigali: another chance for Rwanda’s Kagame to project soft power: A Commonwealth summit in Kigali enables Kagame to position himself at the centre of international diplomatic networks. Dominika Zarzycka/NurPhoto via Getty Images Rwanda is getting its turn to host the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting from 20 June to 25 June 2022. The …
Banning the promotion of soft drinks could be more effective than a sugar tax: Evan Lorne/Shutterstock Obesity is one of the most serious health problems facing the UK, where around 65% of adults are either obese or overweight. This has implications. In 2006/2007, obesity cost the NHS £5.1 billion. That means we are likely to …
South Africa in the news: Soft Magnetic Materials Market size Record Sturdy Growth size 2026: The global soft magnetic materials market was valued at $ 47.3 billion in 2018, and is projected to reach $ 87.2 billion by 2026, growing at a CAGR of 8.8% from 2019 to 2026. Soft magnetic materials …: “South Africa” …
It’s a myth that we’re too ‘soft’ on serious young offenders – our research shows why: shutterstock Gts/Shutterstock The BBC drama, Time, offered a rare and unusually realistic insight into the significant pains of imprisonment in England and Wales. It challenged the assumption that prison is too soft, and that prison sentences ought to be …
Tokyo 2020 – how Japan’s bid for soft power victory has been roundly defeated by the pandemic: Even before it begins, holding the Olympic Games in Tokyo has felt like an energy-sapping endurance event. Originally scheduled for last summer and postponed due to the pandemic, the decision to go ahead has been widely questioned. As …
COVID-19: kids are using soft drinks to fake positive tests – I’ve worked out the science and how to spot it: Can you really fake a covid test with soft drinks? K321/Shutterstock Children are always going to find cunning ways to bunk off school, and the latest trick is to fake a positive COVID-19 lateral …
Fish-inspired soft robot survives a trip to the deepest part of the ocean: The deepest regions of the oceans still remain one of the least explored areas on Earth, despite their considerable scientific interest and the richness of lifeforms inhabiting them. Two reasons for this are the low temperatures and enormous pressures exerted at such …
Vaccine diplomacy: how some countries are using COVID to enhance their soft power: The COVID-19 pandemic has given rise to various new, repurposed or newly popular terms. The newest entry to the pandemic lexicon might be “vaccine diplomacy”, with some countries using their jabs to strengthen regional ties and enhance their own power and global …
Mbeki and Obasanjo: case studies in the use of soft power in Africa’s interests: Former presidents Olusegun Obasanjo and Thabo Mbeki share a light moment at a meeting of the G8 and developing nations in Tokyo in 2000. EFE-EPA/Michel Euler The concept of soft power has been part of the parlance of international relations for …
Ranked: the environmental impact of five different soft drink containers: AndriiKoval/Shutterstock People are increasingly aware of the harm plastic waste causes to wildlife, and many would avoid buying single-use plastics if they could help it. But are the alternatives to plastic much better? Let’s look at one example – fizzy drinks. You might assume that …
The dollar may be soft just now, but it won’t be replaced as global reserve currency: Busted Benjamin. Bruce Rolff Stock markets have been very strange this year. We witnessed the fastest sell-off in history between February and March, with the S&P 500 falling more than 30%, only to enjoy the best recovery ever, reaching …
A cool South African Music image: Oh,Inspiring Wind, Make Thy Sweet Music Out of my Hollowness by your Soft Caressing strokes….. Image by -Reji Shot at Lal Bagh Gardens, Bangalore, India Bamboo plants are one of the world’s most versatile resources. Bamboo, because of its strength and flexibility, has been used for hundreds of years …