Zanzibar’s baobab trees used to be a valued part of society – drone images help prove it: Baobab trees may be a proxy for measuring long-term use of land by humans. They live long, have economic benefits, and are used as shrines and markers on landscapes. Archaeologists have long suspected an association between baobabs and …
Louis Moholo-Moholo, a lion of South African jazz who used his drums to find freedom: Louis Moholo-Moholo's influence on international free jazz is immense. Ramon Moratalla/Flickr, CC BY-NC-SA Louis Tebugo Moholo-Moholo was born in St Monica’s Hospital, Cape Town, South Africa on 10 March 1940. He’d not have appreciated that introduction, once chastising an interviewer: …
Sudan war: ethnic divisions are being used to cover up army failures – peace scholar: Sudan’s civil war has devastated the country and strained relations with neighbouring South Sudan. Events in January 2025 have stirred up xenophobic feelings in Sudan and outrage in its southern neighbour, heightening the risk of regional instability. Early in the …
Social media ‘soft girls’ depend on men for money – but Sweden once used state ‘influencers’ to urge women to get jobs: stokkete/Shutterstock The idea of becoming a “soft girl” – a woman who embrace values that are seen as soft, such as beauty and family life, at the expense of a career – is …
Moles, birthmarks and red hair: the anatomical features used to accuse women of witchcraft in the 17th century: Women's bodies were inspected by witch-finders to uncover unusual growths of blemishes. T. H. Matteson/ Wikimedia Commons Throughout accounts of 17th-century witch trials in Europe and North America, physical features alone were considered undeniable proof of witchcraft. …
Kamala Harris and her fellow Democrats used ancient Greek rhetorical tricks to keep their audiences spellbound: The Democratic Party has had a good week. I’ll start that again – the Democratic Party has had an amazingly good week. Not so long ago, the Democrats seemed down, if not actually out. Now, they’re not merely pulling …
Over 26 million South Africans get a social grant. Fear of losing the payment used to be a reason to vote for the ANC, but no longer – study: Social grants to reduce poverty feature prominently in the campaign promises of political parties in South Africa’s 2024 national and provincial general elections, set for 29 …
How maps are used and abused in times of conflict: kirill_makarov/Shutterstock Maps, although seemingly objective representations of the world, hold immense power. They shape our understanding of space, navigate our journeys and define political boundaries. But beneath the veneer of neutrality lies a potential for manipulation. The history of warfare is littered with examples of …
How second world war bomb rubble was used to make 135 football pitches in east London: Hackney Marshes football pitches with the city of London on the horizon. Alan Denney|Flickr, CC BY-NC-ND During the second world war, German forces dropped 28,000 bombs and almost 3,000 V1 flying bombs and V2 rockets on London. Nearly 30,000 …
Young people took up smoking during the pandemic – how tobacco has been used for stress relief for more than a century: Lomb/Shutterstock In the UK and much of the west, smoking rates have consistently declined since the turn of the millennium. But during some of the most anxiety-ridden months of the COVID pandemic in …
The Sahara Desert used to be a green savannah – new research explains why: Algeria’s Tassili N’Ajjer plateau is Africa’s largest national park. Among its vast sandstone formations is perhaps the world’s largest art museum. Over 15,000 etchings and paintings are exhibited there, some as much as 11,000 years old according to scientific dating techniques, …
South Africa’s foreign policy under Ramaphosa has seen diplomatic tools being used to provide leadership as global power relations shift: Leadership plays a critical role in diplomacy. What quality of leadership does South Africa need if it’s to secure its international interests? This is a question my colleagues and I have had the opportunity to …
Kenya at 60: the patriotic choral music used to present one version of history – podcast: Kenya is marking 60 years since its independence from British colonial rule on December 12, 1963. Each year, the country celebrates the occasion with a national holiday, Jamhuri Day. And for much of the past 60 years, patriotic choral …
Gaza war: how Qatar used its business connections to become a leading mediator in the Middle East: During the temporary ceasefire negotiated between Israel and Hamas with the mediation of the Qatar government, 81 hostages have been released in return for the freeing of 180 Palestinians held in Israeli custody. Hundreds of lorry loads of …
Can ketchup really be used as a sports supplement, as a new advert suggests?: Yau Ming Low/Shutterstock In the world of endurance sports, how athletes fuel themselves can be the difference between success and struggle. Traditionally, athletes have relied on specialised energy gels for a quick and easily digestible source of carbohydrates during extended workouts. …
Storm Babet caused dangerous floods as the ‘dry side’ of Scotland isn’t used to such torrential rain: Storm Babet has caused havoc across the UK, with strong winds and rough seas along the east coast, record breaking rainfall and river levels in Scotland, overtopped flood defences, closed roads and railways and sadly at least two …
Lagos building collapses: we used machine learning to show where and why they happen: Building collapses have become a major menace in Lagos, Nigeria. Lagos is the business hub of the country and has its largest seaport and airport. With an estimated population of 15.4 million, it is the largest city in sub-Saharan Africa and …
World’s biggest bat colony gathers in Zambia every year: we used artificial intelligence to count them: Straw-coloured fruit bats at Kasanka National Park, Zambia. Fabian von Poser/Getty Images Everybody who visits Kasanka National Park in Zambia during “bat season” agrees that the evening emergence of African straw-coloured fruit bats from their roost site is one …