From robotic trucks to smart bins: how technology is helping cities sort their waste problem: Since early January 2025, residents of Birmingham in the UK have been caught in the dispute between the city council and the Unite union over pay, terms and conditions for waste and recycling collectors. The latest attempt at talks broke …
Comics and graphic novels can empower refugees to tell their stories on their own terms: There are more refugees in the world today than at any other point in history. The United Nations estimates that there are now more than 120 million people forcibly displaced from their homes. That is one in every 69 people …
Cash for sharks: the unintended consequences of paying fishermen to release sharks caught in their nets – podcast: As Jaws marks its 50th anniversary this year, sharks continue to get a bad rap. Film after film portrays them as terrifying hunters, the bane of surfers and swimmers. But in Indonesia, sharks are the hunted. It’s …
Kenya’s ride-hailing drivers say their jobs offer dignity despite the challenges: Many argue that gig work involves exploitation, as research and media coverage have highlighted. But that doesn’t seem to deter ride hailing drivers on platforms like Uber and Bolt. In Kenya, in fact, many new drivers continued to join platforms even as fares were …
Young men on South Africa’s urban margins: new book follows their lives over 10 years: South Africa’s young people, aged 15 to 34, who make up more than 50% of the country’s working age population, bear a disproportionate burden of unemployment. They have done so for more than a decade. Of this group, those aged …
Horrific, bizarre, lonely: how women going through the menopause describe their experiences: New Africa/Shutterstock Oestrogen and progesterone are the primary sex hormones in females, playing powerful roles throughout life – from puberty and periods to pregnancy and eventually menopause. During adolescence, these hormones surge, kick-starting the menstrual cycle. In adulthood, they fluctuate month to month, …
Three strategies to help European carmakers regain their edge: sylv1rob1/Shutterstock Even before US president Donald Trump announced a 25% tariff on all imported cars, European automakers had been facing a multitude of challenges. Sales have slumped and manufacturers face rising costs, while Chinese rivals have rapidly been gaining market share. The day before the tariffs …
Why aren’t South Africans growing more indigenous crops? How farmers can be nudged to change their ways: Western diets make up most of South Africa’s food systems. This displaces indigenous crops and edible forest plants. The problems created by westernised diets include environmental damage caused by commercial farms. These diets also threaten African food systems. …
Birkin vs Wirkin: the backlash against the global elite and their luxury bags – podcast: Tony Neil Thompson/Shutterstock The Birkin bag made by French luxury retailer Hermès has become a status symbol for the global elite. Notoriously difficult to obtain, the world’s rich obsess over how to get their hands on one. But when US …
Nigerians having babies abroad: women explain their reasons: Nigerian women make up a significant proportion of foreign women giving birth in several countries. A study done in Calgary in Canada found 24.5% of foreign women identified as having travelled abroad to give birth were from Nigeria. Research in Chicago in the US found the majority …
Middle Eastern monarchies in Sudan’s war: what’s driving their interests: The civil war in Sudan that began in April 2023 involves several external actors. The conflict pits the Sudanese Armed Forces against the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces in a quest for political and economic power. The situation has created one of the world’s worst humanitarian …
Let juries judge disruptive protesters like Just Stop Oil on their integrity – expert view: The UK Court of Appeal recently ruled on an appeal brought by 16 environmental activists serving prison sentences for planning or participating in a series of disruptive non-violent protests. The cases include the five-year term being served by Roger Hallam, co-founder …
Ancient DNA reveals Maghreb communities preserved their culture and genes, even in a time of human migration: Doukanet el Khoutifa, Tunisia, where some of the remains were found. Giulio Lucarini, CC BY-NC-ND The Neolithic period began in southwest Asia around 12,000 years ago. It marked a major shift in human history as societies transitioned from …
Madagascar’s lemurs live with the threat of cyclones – has this shaped their behaviour?: Madagascar is an island that’s no stranger to natural disasters, in particular cyclones. This is because it’s located in the south-west Indian Ocean cyclone basin, a region of the Indian Ocean where tropical cyclones typically form and develop. Madagascar has experienced …
German party leaders are united against immigration – but there is little evidence for a key part of their argument: As Germany elects its next Bundestag, migration remains one of the most important issues to voters. But politicians are not debating how to attract the 288,000 migrants the country needs every year to maintain its …
Tanzania’s Maasai are being forced off their ancestral land – the tactics the government uses: Tanzania has a long and troubling history of evicting communities from their lands. This has happened under the guise of expanding protected conservation areas, which make up over 40% of its territory. In recent years, the Maasai of the Ngorongoro …
‘Don’t touch my pocket!’ South African passengers say airlines must pay for reducing their carbon footprint, not them: Airline travel is a major contributor to anthropogenic climate change, amounting to about 4% of all global greenhouse gas emissions every year. Airlines must take specific measures to reduce, and ideally neutralise, their greenhouse gas emissions and …
Sediment is a time capsule that shows how past climate change altered our landscapes – and hints at their future: Sediments are more than just layers of mud on the ground. They can reveal a wealth of information about landscapes from millions of years ago right up to the present day. To delve into those …