Cash-strapped conservationists in South Africa are struggling to collect biodiversity data – how to change that: South Africa’s government conservation organisations have experienced substantial budget cuts. Even after steps to cut costs, South African National Parks reported a big shortfall (R223 million or about US$ 11.92 million) for 2021/22. So did the provincial body KZN …
Three-day week, 50 years on: lessons from a previous Conservative government struggling with a cost of living crisis: Midwinter. War in the Middle East. Energy crisis. Rising prices borne disproportionately by low-wage workers, particularly in a public sector squeezed by a “Tories in turmoil” UK government. Not December 2023, in fact, but December 1973, as …
Blackpool: why seaside towns in England are struggling – and what they’re doing about it: Blackpool's seafront. jremes84|Shutterstock Life expectancy in Blackpool, in the north-west of England, is the lowest in the country: 5.3 years lower than the national average for men and 4.2 years lower than the national average for women. Commenting on these …
Why Royal Mail is struggling to deliver: Deatonphotos/Shutterstock Royal Mail, the UK’s oldest postal service, has received plenty of bad news in recent weeks. It has been fined for failing to achieve its delivery targets, lost an exclusive deal with the Post Office and recorded operating losses of £319 million – £100 million higher than …
Why NHS England is struggling – despite more staff and money: Overall public satisfaction with the NHS in England is currently at a 40-year low of 29%, a recent survey by the King’s Fund thinktank has found. People are not happy with waiting times for GP and hospital appointments. Over half of those surveyed think …
Jurassic Park: why we’re still struggling to realise it 30 years on: Rattana/Shutterstock Jurassic Park is arguably the ultimate Hollywood blockbuster. Aside from the appeal of human-chomping dinosaurs, tense action sequences and ground-breaking cinematography, its release in 1993 was a movies-meet-science milestone. As global audiences were soaking up the gory action, the premise of the …
Playgroups are are struggling to survive – here’s why we need them: Rawpixel.com/Shutterstock Playgroups can be a lifeline for new parents. Run by volunteers, they give young children a space to explore and interact with others, and parents a chance to have a cup of tea and a chat. This was certainly the case for …
Nobel peace prize: Narges Mohammadi wins on behalf of thousands of Iranian women struggling for human rights: Prominent Iranian women’s rights advocate Narges Mohammadi has won the 2023 Nobel peace prize for her long fight against the oppression of women in Iran. Mohammadi is serving multiple prison sentences in Evin prison in Tehran on charges …
Bankruptcy is spiking among UK borrowers – but there are debt relief options if you are struggling financially: SB Arts Media/Shutterstock UK households have one of the highest debt levels in the world. Steadily increasing in the last two decades, the average total debt per household (including mortgages) is £65,619 as of August 2023. This …
Why the pound has shot up while UK economy is struggling – expert Q&A: The pound is up about 30% against the US dollar since autumn 2022. Stock_Shot/Shutterstock When Liz Truss and Kwasi Kwarteng’s tax-cutting mini-budget triggered a UK debt crisis in autumn 2022, the pound plummeted to almost parity with the US dollar. In 2023 …
‘Dehumanising policies’ leave autistic people struggling to access health, education and housing – new review: Autistic people often don't receive the correct healthcare to meet their needs. toodtuphoto/Shutterstock Around 3% of people are estimated to be autistic and it is a lifelong disability. Most autistic people experience the sensory world differently, such as places being …
South Africa’s 10 year-olds are struggling to read — it can be fixed: While there's no single solution to the crisis, a range of approaches can help to bolster children's literacy. Kobus Louw/Getty Images More than 80% of South Africa’s grade 4 pupils – who are on average nine or 10 years old – cannot …
African vaccines: local manufacturers are struggling to access the market – what must change: Afrigen, a biotechnology company based in Cape Town, South Africa was recently visited by WHO DG Dr Tedros. Kristin Palitza/picture alliance via Getty Images Two recent developments in South Africa have underscored the opportunities – and challenges – facing vaccine production …
Iran: poisoning of thousands of schoolgirls piles more pressure on Islamic Republic struggling for survival: The Iranian government has announced several arrests in connection with the reported poisoning of more than 7,000 schoolgirls in more than 100 schools around the country. Iran’s supreme leader, Ali Khamenei, has condemned the poisonings, saying perpetrators should be “severely …
Afghanistan: single women and widows are struggling to find their next meal under Taliban restrictions: Jamila*, a widow living in Herat, lost her husband in a suicide attack about eight years ago. She has an 18-year-old daughter who is blind and a 20-year-old son who lost both legs in a mine blast. Jamila used to …
COVID heroes left behind: the ‘invisible’ women struggling to make ends meet: Iryna Shek/Shutterstock Kesrewan* holds herself upright and speaks confidently, even though English is her second language. But she admits that her “heart is beating faster”. Talking to us is reminding her of her most recent failed job interview – one of many since …
Earwax removal no longer available at GP surgeries – leaving many struggling to hear: Anatoliy Karlyuk/Shutterstock Each year, more than 2 million people in the UK have troublesome earwax that needs to be removed. However, more people are finding that this service is no longer being provided at their GP surgery. In fact, 66% of …
Eskom CEO quits: why finding a new head for South Africa’s struggling power utility won’t end the blackouts: An employee makes fermentation notes by torchlight during a power outage period at a brewery in Cape Town, South Africa. Photographer: Dwayne Senior/Bloomberg via Getty Images For a multitude of reasons, Eskom CEO Andre de Ruyter’s resignation …