Terror attacks and kidnappings spread in Nigeria: why Lagos could be a target: Crimes that were previously associated with Nigeria’s northern region – like kidnapping for ransom and terrorism – appear to be spreading to the south-west region, including Lagos. Adewumi Badiora, an urban and community safety researcher, outlines urgent steps that must be taken …
Nigerian bandits strategically target school children for kidnappings – here’s why: It is every parent’s worst nightmare: armed criminals attacking their child’s school, kidnapping students and teachers. In some parts of Nigeria, this scenario is not just the stuff of nightmares – it has become all too common in the past 10 years. The most …
Black Friday: parody adverts target unbridled consumerism with an environmental message: A subverted advert in Reading in the UK during the 2023 ZAP Games. Brandalism This article is based on an interview for The Conversation Weekly podcast on the subvertising movement. In the lead up to Black Friday, we have been bombarded with adverts from …
Green fuels in shipping face major challenges for 2050 net zero target: GreenOak/Shutterstock Ships carry around 90% of traded goods and emit about 3% of global CO?. The International Maritime Organization (IMO), the UN agency responsible for regulating shipping, recently set out plans for this industry to reach net zero emissions by 2050. Like their …
Asian hornets make UK their latest target – here’s why they’re such a threat to European bees: The Asian hornet is a species of hornet indigenous to south-east Asia. ThomasLENNE/Shutterstock A staggering increase in the number of Asian hornet sightings in the UK has beekeepers and wildlife lovers there reeling. But the invasive species poses …
International ransomware gangs are evolving their techniques. The next generation of hackers will target weaknesses in cryptocurrencies: Shutterstock/JLStock In May 2023, the Dallas City Government was hugely disrupted by a ransomware attack. Ransomware attacks are so-called because the hackers behind them encrypt vital data and demand a ransom in order to get the information decrypted. …
Niger’s resource paradox: what should make the country rich has made it a target for predators: A month after the coup in Niger that toppled the democratically elected civilian government of Mohamed Bazoum, the country’s neighbours are still debating the possibility of military intervention. The Economic Community of West African States (Ecowas) – a coalition …
Four ways criminals could use AI to target more victims: Building a profile of someone can make it easier for criminals to gain access to their personal accounts. Metamorworks / Shutterstock Warnings about artificial intelligence (AI) are ubiquitous right now. They have included fearful messages about AI’s potential to cause the extinction of humans, invoking …
Net migration: how an unreachable target came to shape Britain: 1000 Words/Shutterstock New data shows that the UK has hit a record high net migration number of 606,000. Through it has been central to 13 years of policy and rhetoric, net migration is, in fact, a pretty odd metric that tells us very little about …
Ghana’s e-levy is unfair to the poor and misses its revenue target: a lesson in mobile money tax design: Ghana's e-levy has hit traders in the country's informal sector the hardest. Christophe Gateau/picture alliance via Getty Images In May 2022, the government in Ghana introduced a deeply unpopular tax on mobile money transactions, known as …
The Banyamulenge: how a minority ethnic group in the DRC became the target of rebels – and its own government: Banyamulenge community members at the funeral of one of their own in eastern DRC. Alexis Huguet/AFP via Getty Images The Banyamulenge are a minority ethnic group in South Kivu, eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). …
Spot reduction: why exercise probably can’t help you target fatty areas of the body: Many people wish to target fat loss in their stomach. Prostock-studio/ Shutterstock Many people who want to lose weight have a particular area of their body that they wish they could lose fat from most – whether that’s their stomach, arms …
Teacher recruitment target missed in England – why people don’t want to enter or stay in the profession: Phovoir/Shutterstock The Department for Education has managed to recruit less than 60% of the new secondary school teachers expected this year in England, recent figures show. This is unsurprising for those of us working in education. Since …
1.5°C: where the target came from – and why we’re losing sight of its importance: Javier Ballester/Shutterstock The US economist William Nordhaus claimed as early as the 1970s, when scientific understanding of climate change was still taking shape, that warming of more than 2°C would “push global conditions past any point that any human civilisation …
Three arguments why Just Stop Oil was right to target Van Gogh’s Sunflowers: ZUMA Press, Inc./Alamy Waves of controversy were sparked recently when the Just Stop Oil activists threw tomato soup over Van Gogh’s Sunflowers at the National Gallery in London. Although the painting was behind glass so not damaged, politicians were quick to condemn …
Net zero: Copenhagen’s failure to meet its 2025 target casts doubt on other major climate plans: Michele Ursi/Shutterstock The city of Copenhagen, often celebrated as one of the world’s greenest for its cycling culture and other initiatives, recently defaulted on its pledge to become carbon-neutral by 2025. This early failure in the global race to …
Could Liz Truss allow new drilling for oil and gas and still strengthen the UK’s net zero target?: Donvictorio/Shutterstock The UK’s new prime minister, Liz Truss, has pledged to suspend green levies on energy bills and look for “better ways to deliver our net zero targets”. Despite a record-breaking heatwave plus wildfires, droughts and floods …
COVID vaccine: how the new ‘bivalent’ booster will target Omicron: Prostock-studio/Shutterstock The UK’s Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) has approved a bivalent COVID booster vaccine, making it the first country in the world to do so. Developed by Moderna, this vaccine has been approved for use in adults, and is set to form …