Pedestrians in Ghana are risking their lives – we studied what’s distracting them while walking: Walking is a popular mode of transportation in Ghana Wikimedia Commons/Linda Fletcher Dabo Walking has health and environmental benefits – but it’s not always a person’s choice for getting around. And it does come with hazards. One fifth of the …
eNaira: Nigeria’s digital currency has had a slow start – what’s holding it back: Adoption of eNaira has been slow. Shutterstock Nigeria was the first country in Africa to roll out a central bank digital currency. The eNaira was launched in October 2021. The main reasons were to promote financial inclusion, increase cross-border transactions, facilitate …
European heatwave: what’s causing it and is climate change to blame?: Blistering temperatures are spreading across southern and eastern Europe. Massimo Todaro/Shutterstock Europe is currently in the midst of a heatwave. Italy, in particular, is expected to face blistering heat, with temperatures projected to reach 40? to 45?. There’s even a chance that the current …
Military interventions have failed to end DRC’s conflict – what’s gone wrong: Soldiers on patrol in Goma, eastern Democratic Republic of Congo, in November 2022. Guerchom Ndebo/AFP via Getty Images For 30 years, the Democratic Republic of Congo has suffered from communal violence, armed conflict and insecurity. Diverse actors have tried to stop it but …
An ‘extreme’ heatwave has hit the seas around the UK and Ireland – here’s what’s going on: Sea surface temperature anomaly around the UK and Ireland, June 18 2023. Areas in dark red are 5°C warmer than usual. NOAA / Google Maps, CC BY-SA One of the most severe marine heatwaves on the planet is …
60 years of African unity: what’s failed and what’s succeeded: Ethiopian Emperor Haile Selassie, centre, and Ghana's founder and first President Kwame Nkrumah, left, during the launch of the OAU in Addis Ababa. STR/AFP via Getty Images Africa Day this year marks 60 years since the founding of the Organisation of African Unity (OAU). The …
Home ownership is shrinking, private renting isn’t working – what’s next?: William Barton/Shutterstock Not long after the global financial crisis, soaring house prices through the 2010s turned residential property into the largest capital asset and best long-term investment in the world. In the same period, rates of owner-occupation fell across the UK, US and Australia. …
Paul Kagame could be president of Rwanda until 2035 – what’s behind his staying power: Rwandan President Paul Kagame. Photo by Shaul Schwarz/Getty Images Rwanda’s ruling party, the Rwanda Patriotic Front (RPF), recently concluded its 16th congress. This also marked 35 years of its existence. The centre piece, however, was the election as chairman, yet …
Child labour on farms in Africa: it’s important to make a distinction between what’s harmful, and what isn’t: Many children help out on family farms in Africa Nana Kofi Acquah/Flickr Children across the vast expanse of rural Africa hoe, dig, plant, carry, tend livestock, cook, scrub, care for their siblings, and undertake many other farm …
What’s new in GNOME 44?: What’s new in GNOME 44? Jim Hall Tue, 04/25/2023 – 03:00 I use GNOME as my primary desktop environment on my Linux PC at home. GNOME gives me an easy-to-use graphical desktop that provides the flexibility I need yet doesn’t get in my way when I focus on my work. …
Chad picks a fight with Germany – what’s behind it and what the consequences are: French President Emmanuel Macron welcomes President of Chad's Transitional Military Council Mahamat Idriss Deby Itno, in Paris, in 2021. Gao Jing/Xinhua via Getty Images Chad recently ordered the German ambassador to the country, Dr Gordon Kricke, to leave within 48 …
Ghetto Kids: what’s behind the moves of the Ugandan dance troupe that stormed the world: The performance by Ghetto Kids on Britain's Got Talent won them new fans across the world. Screengrab/Britain's Got Talent/YouTube A group of young dancers from Uganda, Triplets Ghetto Kids, went viral across the world when they earned the “golden buzzer” …
What’s the most sustainable way of dealing with Japanese knotweed? Here’s what we found: More than £150 million is spent trying to control Japanese knotweed in the UK annually. Tomas Vynikal/Shutterstock When it was introduced to Europe in the mid-19th century as an ornamental plant, Japanese knotweed, known as Reynoutria japonica var japonica, quickly went …
Budget explainer: here are some ways to read between the lines on what’s being reported: Understanding economic news. Rawpixel.com/Shutterstock UK budget announcements inevitably lead to a deluge of reporting on how the chancellor’s latest plans for the economy will affect our wallets, pensions and investments, as well as the bottom lines of businesses, charities and …
Islamist terrorism is rising in the Sahel, but not in Chad – what’s different?: Local residents gather around the biggest mosque in the region for the evening prayer in Bahai, Chad. Photo by Marco Di Lauro/Getty Images Since the rise of Boko Haram in Nigeria and the emergence of Islamist-Salafist groups in northern Mali in …
After Nicola Sturgeon, what’s next for Scottish independence?: In the wake of Nicola Sturgeon’s surprise resignation, it cannot be overlooked that she became leader of the Scottish National Party (SNP) after it had suffered a double blow. The party had failed to achieve its cherished goal of independence in 2014, and lost its (then) best …
Global supply chains are devouring what’s left of Earth’s unspoilt forests: Dawid K Photography/Shutterstock While farming continues to drive deforestation around the world, 60% of the destruction of Earth’s large, intact forests is caused by other forces. In particular, our research shows that more than one-third of this destruction can be blamed on the production …
What’s your community thinking pattern?: What's your community thinking pattern? Ron McFarland Wed, 02/01/2023 – 03:00 This article is the second and final part of a discussion of the research by Dave Logan, Bob King, and Halee Fischer-Wright. If you haven’t read the first part yet, you can do so here. These researchers defined five …