Winnie and Nelson: new book paints a deeply human portrait of the Mandela marriage and South Africa’s struggle: Nelson Mandela and Winnie Madikizela-Mandela at home in 1990. Robert Botha/Business Day/Gallo Images via Getty Images A powerful new book on Nelson Mandela and Winnie Madikizela-Mandela has just been published. Winnie and Nelson: Portrait of a Marriage …
Humza Yousaf becomes Scotland’s first minister: a decade of polls suggest he’ll struggle to deliver independence, just like Nicola Sturgeon: Humza Yousaf is to be the first minister of Scotland after narrowly winning the election for leader of the Scottish National Party. In his victory speech, he said he was “determined to deliver” independence for …
Peter Hain: Neil Aggett died fighting apartheid – South Africa’s rulers have betrayed the struggle: Anti-apartheid activist Neil Aggett (29) died in apartheid police detention in 1982. Charcoal on paper by Dr Amitabh Mitra/Wiki Commons Neil Aggett, the trade unionist and anti-apartheid activist who died in detention at the hands of police 41 years ago, …
Turkey-Syria earthquake: Assad blames west as agencies struggle to get aid to his desperate people: It didn’t take long for Syria’s Assad regime to seek political and economic benefit from the devastation of an earthquake. As emergency services were reaching victims of the 7.8-magnitude tremor on February 6, regime-linked organisations demanded governments “immediately end the …
Western Sahara: the six-decade struggle to liberate Africa’s last colony: Sahrawi protesters demand an end to hostilities by Morocco in the occupied territory of Western Sahara at the Square of Nations in Geneva, Switzerland in 2021. Photo by Carlos Gil Andreu/Getty Images Western Sahara is the territory in north-west Africa bordered by Morocco in the …
Who is Jimmy Lai? The Hong Kong newspaper owner’s upcoming show trial is symbolic of the struggle with the mainland and its values: Jimmy Lai. Yung Chi Wai Derek/Shutterstock Amid the widespread anti-zero-COVID protests in mainland China, political and judicial persecution in Hong Kong continues in the criminal court, where key pro-democracy figures and journalists …
Brazil election: victorious Lula faces an uphill struggle – a damaged economy and a deeply divided country: Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva has achieved a remarkable political comeback by regaining the presidency of Brazil. His narrow victory, in the second round run-off, was the closest margin of victory in an election since Brazil reverted to …
South Africa’s struggle songs against apartheid come from a long tradition of resistance: Members of the Congress of South African Trade Unions sing political songs in 1987 in Johannesburg. Walter Dhladhla/AFP via Getty Images Struggle songs, also known as protest music or liberation songs, are defined as “expressions of discontent or dissent” used by politically …
Insects will struggle to keep pace with global temperature rise – which could be bad news for humans: Animals can only endure temperatures within a given range. The upper and lower temperatures of this range are called its critical thermal limits. As these limits are exceeded, an animal must either adjust or migrate to a …
Haacaaluu Hundeesaa: sublime Ethiopian singer who inspired Oromo struggle protesters: Dagi Pictures, Author provided I speak to myself whispering Our situation has defied resolution, our misery isn’t improving We are in despair and idling, that is why I am whispering. So sings Haacaaluu Hundeessaa to his people, the Oromo, in the song Waa’ee Keenya (Our …
Energy crisis: why French households are largely protected from soaring costs while British families struggle: Improvements to the GB power market could help tackle the coming energy crisis. Bohbeh / Shutterstock British households are bracing for a winter of massive energy price increases. The average annual bill is forecast to rise above £4,000, which is …
LGBTI refugees seeking protection in Kenya struggle to survive in a hostile environment: An activist leaves Kenya's high court after a 2019 ruling refused to scrap laws criminalising homosexuality. TONY KARUMBA/AFP via Getty Images Kenya is now the second biggest refugee hosting country in Africa. Of its over half a million refugees, over a thousand …
Why social media firms will struggle to follow new EU rules on illegal content: Social media allowed us to connect with one another like never before. But it came with a price – it handed a megaphone to everyone, including terrorists, child abusers and hate groups. EU institutions recently reached agreement on the Digital Services …
Nigerian workers struggle as cost of living outstrips incomes: Bread sellers display at roadside in Lagos Photo by Adekunle Ajayi/NurPhoto via Getty Images Food inflation in Nigeria increased by 15% during the 11 months from April 2021 to March 2022, adding pressure on the cost of living for salary earners whose incomes have not risen …
The cost of war: how Russia’s economy will struggle to pay the price of invading Ukraine: The invasion of Ukraine has placed Russia on the verge of bankruptcy. Interest rates have doubled, the stock market has closed, and the rouble has fallen to its lowest level ever. The military costs of war have been exacerbated …
Black women in South African academia struggle to get ahead: what needs to change: Institutional management owes it to society to investigate whether their own culture excludes black women and makes them feel like imposters. shutterstock In South Africa, the number of black women who acquire undergraduate degrees has increased more than any other population …
Beijing 2022: why some athletes struggle with their mental health after the Olympics: Many Olympians have reported feeling depressed after the Games. sportpoint/ Shutterstock After the rush of competing at the Olympics and Paralympics, you’d expect an athlete to feel on top of the world as they return home. But for some athletes, the period …
Radio has a rich history as a weapon of the liberation struggle in southern Africa: Wits University Press Radio, known for decades as ‘Africa’s medium’, has many magical qualities. It’s an intimate medium with the ability to transcend borders. It chimes with Africa’s strong oral culture and it is ephemeral – it lives in the …