Beating malaria: what can be done with shrinking funds and rising threats: Healthcare in Africa faces a perfect storm: high rates of infectious diseases like malaria and HIV, a rise in non-communicable diseases, and dwindling foreign aid. In 2021, nearly half of the sub-Saharan African countries relied on external financing for more than a third …
Red Sea crisis: expert unpacks Houthi attacks and other security threats: Recent attacks on commercial vessels by Houthi militia in the Red Sea have put the vital shipping region in the spotlight. The Yemen-based rebels claim to be targeting Israeli-linked vessels, in protest at Israel’s war against Hamas in Gaza. The UN Security Council recently …
Giraffes could go extinct – the 5 biggest threats they face: Giraffes are the world’s tallest mammals and an African icon, but they are also vulnerable to extinction. Giraffe populations have declined by 40% in the last 30 years, and there are now fewer than 70,000 mature individuals left in the wild. What are the …
Threats of failure motivate some students – but it’s not a technique to use on the whole class: Monkey Business Images/Shutterstock It is the start of a new academic year, and a fresh group of students will be beginning study towards their GCSEs. After two years, they will be taking exams with important consequences: the …
Why your perception of climate change threats might depend on where you live – new research: People's perceptions of the threat of climate change vary according to where they live. JaneHYork/Shutterstock Our planet has just seen its hottest month on record, with many places on fire or flooded. Few events can be directly attributed to …
Colombia: former Farc fighters who signed 2016 peace deal now live amid threats and assassinations: Former members of the Farc guerrilla army in Colombia who laid down their arms as part of a peace deal in 2016 are being forced off the land they were allowed to settle after they demobilised. More than 200 families …
I’ve spent 50 years studying one seabird colony fight its way back from near extinction – now it faces new threats: A guillemot nesting on a cliff ledge on Skomer Island, south Wales. Andrew Astbury/Shutterstock Over the past few decades, Skomer Island off the south coast of Wales has witnessed a remarkable resurgence in its …
Vaccine hesitancy is one of the greatest threats to global health – and the pandemic has made it worse: stockpexel/Shutterstock The COVID pandemic has disrupted many areas of routine healthcare including, importantly, childhood vaccination. The pandemic saw levels of essential childhood immunisations decline in more than 100 countries around the world, leading to outbreaks of …
Sudan created a paramilitary force to destroy government threats – but it became a major threat itself: The Rapid Support Forces emerged from the Janjaweed militia known for their violent tactics. Scott Barbour /GettyImages Sudan is in crisis. Fighting continues between Sudan’s military leader, Abdelfattah Al-Burhan, and his deputy on Sudan’s ruling council, General Mohamed …
From advertising blackmail to physical threats, Kenya’s journalists are under attack – but they must also regain public trust: Journalists take cover during March 2023 protests in Kenya. Boniface Muthoni/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images In recent months, Kenyan journalists have been harassed, intimidated and attacked by government officials, politicians and members of the public. George …
How governments are using science fiction to predict potential threats: Tithi Luadthong/Shuttertsock From high-tech fighting machines to supercomputers and killer robots, science fiction has a lot to say about war. You might be surprised to learn that some governments (including the UK and France) are now turning their attention to these fantastical stories as a …
Why the 2024 election cycle could result in more threats to US democracy: Joseph Sohm/Shutterstock “I am your warrior. I am your justice. And for those who have been wronged and betrayed: I am your retribution.” These were the words of former US president Donald Trump during an address to the annual Conservative Political Action …
Why prey animals often see threats where there are none – and how it costs them: For a nervous horror fan, an evening watching HBO’s hit post-apocalyptic television show The Last of Us might be followed by a restless night under the duvet. The silhouette of a coat slung over the back of a chair …
Mountain environments are key to biodiversity – but the threats to them are being ignored: Mountains are home to a diverse range of plant and animal species. JMP_Traveler/Shutterstock Mountains are home to more than 85% of the world’s amphibian, bird and mammal species. Lowland slopes are rich in animal and plant species. And rugged, high-elevation …
Armed conflict and climate change: how these two threats play out in Africa: Eric Lafforgue/Art in All of Us/Corbis via Getty Images The world is falling miserably short of reducing carbon emissions in line with the Paris Agreement, a 2015 treaty to keep global warming well below 2?. The results of this failure are a …
Crime, COVID and climate change – South African tourism faces many threats, but it’s resilient: A family of African elephants walk through the Addo Elephant National Park in South Africa's Eastern Cape Province. EPA-EFE/Jon Hrusa South Africa’s tourism industry has been rocked by the murder of a German visitor during an attempted robbery. The development …
Elephant conservation may be undermined by Twitter users who overlook main threats: Elephants crossing a road in Botswana poco_bw / Getty Images The African forest elephant (Loxodonta cyclotis), the African savanna elephant (Loxodonta africana) and the Asian elephant (Elephas maximus) are all highly threatened species. The International Union for Conservation of Nature has identified poaching, …
The 5 biggest threats to West Africa’s oceans – and what to do about them: Plastic bottles and other waste are some of the contaminants destroying the oceans. Issouf Sanogo/AFP via Getty Images The natural resources that form ocean ecosystems can play a significant role in the socio-economic growth and development of nations. West Africa …