The African Union at 20: some reason to cheer, but lots of work ahead: Sudanese people march in Khartoum during one of many protests against the 2020 coup. More than 100 have been killed. EFE-EPAS/Stringer The European Union (EU) has lived up to the primary reason it was created – ensuring that member states will …
COVID reinfections could be more severe for some – but overall evidence doesn’t give us cause for concern: Photoroyalty/Shutterstock The COVID pandemic has been going on for well over two years now. During this time, SARS-CoV-2 (the virus that causes COVID-19) has slowly mutated, allowing it to evade the immune system enough to infect people …
Nigeria’s latest lithium find: some key questions answered: A truck carries lithium carbonate at a lithium mine in the Atacama Desert, Chile. Photographer: Cristobal Olivares/Bloomberg via Getty Images High-grade lithium has been discovered in Nigeria. In 2019 the total production volume of lithium, not high grade, in Nigeria reached 50 metric tons This is small …
Why the ‘social democratic’ SNP needs some fresh thinking after 15 years in power: Terry Murden/Shutterstock Despite growing evidence of disquiet and even discontent with the current Scottish government, the ruling Scottish Nationalist Party retains what many believe is an unassailable position of dominance after the local elections of May 2022. There is no doubt …
Online dating fatigue – why some people are turning to face-to-face apps first: Prostock-studio / Shutterstock For the last two-plus years, people hoping to meet their soulmate in person have had a rough time. Lockdowns and uncertainty about social gatherings have led many people to turn to dating apps. People who feel they have lost …
Why Commonwealth summit in Kigali won’t be the relaunch some were hoping for: A past CHOGM meeting. The summit struggles to balance the diverse national interests of member states. Jack Taylor/ Getty Images Leaders of some 54 countries – from Africa, Europe, Asia and Southern America – are set to converge on Kigali between 20 …
Whistleblowers in South Africa have some protection but gaps need fixing: Anti-corruption protests are a regular feature in South Africa. EFE-EPA/Kim Ludbrook Every person in South Africa has the right to a functioning local government that can provide basic services such as clean water, electricity and sanitation. But corruption has left much of this sphere …
South Africa’s economy has taken some heavy body blows: can it recover?: Heavy rains in April 2022 killed dozens of people and destroyed thousands of homes in Durban, South Africa. Darren Stewart/Gallo Images via Getty Images Economists are growing increasingly concerned about South Africa’s economy. This is because the country’s three major macroeconomic problems – …
Disparities in global empathy: why some refugees are more welcome than others: A pop-up memorial in The Hague for those lives lost crossing into Europe. Photo by Romy Arroyo Fernandez/NurPhoto via GettyImages The world is accustomed to the stereotypical face of the refugee. The well-worn tropes of the Black or Brown face from post-genocide Rwanda, …
Africa’s urban planners face huge corruption pressures: some answers: East Park Mall in Lusaka, Zambia, was built for University of Zambia students. Shutterstock Corruption is commonly defined as the abuse of entrusted power for personal gain. Understanding and tackling corruption at the city-scale is crucial because cities are increasingly becoming home to much of the …
Monkeypox: some countries are protecting contacts with the smallpox vaccine, which uses humanity’s only domesticated virus: The good news about monkeypox is that it doesn’t spread that well between humans. Because of this, the current monkeypox outbreak will probably be kept under control by isolating infected people and their contacts, coupled with selected vaccination. Fortunately, …
A cool Strand Beach image: Empty beach, some clouds Image by der_dennis Took this after running about 4 km in the morning… Image automatically curated and published by www.free-mail.co.za – CLICK HERE to learn more about WP Robot for WordPress. Have you tried: Visiting Port Elizabeth?
A cool South African City image: British Library digitised image from page 62 of “Some South African Recollections … With 36 illustrations” Image by The British Library Image taken from: Title: "Some South African Recollections … With 36 illustrations" Author(s): Phillips, Florence, Lady [person] British Library shelfmark: "Digital Store 010095.ee.4" Page: 62 (scanned page number …
COVID: why the current surge in cases is a problem for some countries but not others: Just when it looked like COVID cases were starting to fall after the high peaks of January, infections are rising once again around the world. The main driver of this latest surge is the more infectious BA.2 sub-lineage of …
Check out this Paternoster image: Some members of Peak Signal 2 Noise – L to R Stephen Chase, Cathy Soreny, Fiona Marshall, Jon Marshall and Luke Poot. Image by jamie-v Members of Peak Signal 2 Noise on the roof terrace at Sheffield Live, The Workstation, Paternoster Row, Sheffield in a brief break within editing their …
P&O Ferries: how some companies can afford to break the law: reppans/Alamy Stock Photo A week after 800 P&O Ferries workers lost their jobs without notice, the CEO of the company is now facing calls to lose his. Peter Hebblethwaite is under pressure from the UK government to resign after he admitted the company had …
What is it like to be destitute in Britain? ‘It makes you feel like some kind of underclass’: The increased cost of living, from food prices to energy costs, is expected to drive many more households into poverty or destitution. Charities define destitution as being unable to afford basic necessities like food, clothing and heating. …
We’ve discovered why some whales stop feeding in response to the sound of sonar: In September 2002, a number of beaked whales were stranded and killed in the Canary Islands during a NATO naval exercise. It was the first time we started to get a real understanding of the negative effects of sonar sounds on …