insert_link Namibia Not all children read at the same pace – Namibia study shows how teachers can help those falling behind Not all children read at the same pace and level. Martin Harvey Tsitsi Mavambe, Stellenbosch University and Nhlanhla Mpofu, Stellenbosch University Reading is a powerful tool. It introduces children to new ideas. It shapes their academic journey and progress. It also equips them with skills to navigate the world, both at school and beyond. Sadly, it’s estimated that more than 202 million children and young […] todayJuly 25, 2024 7
insert_link Africa Human rights in Niger ‘in free fall’ since coup: NGOs Human rights in Niger are "in free fall" on the eve of the one-year anniversary of a coup that saw the military seize power, three international NGOs said Thursday. General Abdourahamane Tiani, heading the military regime, seized power on July 26 last year, after deposing elected president Mohamed Bazoum over allegations of failing to protect the West African nation from jihadist attacks. "The military authorities in […] todayJuly 25, 2024 4
insert_link Africa How the Kenyan Gen Z protests ushered in a new way of demanding accountability and transparency By Esther Musembi, via bird story agency A pink-coloured water canon is aimed at the protestors who are shouting ‘haki yetu, haki yetu’ (our right! our right!). Quickly dispersed by the high-pressure water and teargas, one group starts to sing the Kenya National anthem waving small Kenyan flags. The images are soon trending across most social media platforms and before the day is out, make headlines […] todayJuly 25, 2024 6
insert_link Environment New fish found off Madagascar: remarkable long-nosed skate discovered in the deep ocean By Simon Weigmann, Leibniz Institute for the Analysis of Biodiversity Change The Madagascar Ridge, in the southwestern Indian Ocean, is a remote, elevated area of seabed south of Madagascar. In 2016, my colleagues and I discovered a new cartilaginous fish species in its deep waters; a catshark that we named Bach’s catshark (Bythaelurus bachi) after German composer Johann Sebastian Bach. (In 2017 we discovered another new […] todayJuly 25, 2024 9
insert_link Africa 11 million Nigerian children are going hungry: how this hurts their health and what needs to be done By Blessing Akombi-Inyang, UNSW Sydney Unicef, the UN agency for children, reported in June 2024 that around 11 million Nigerian children were experiencing severe child food poverty. The report says this translates to one in every three Nigerian children under five years old. Nigeria has about 31 million children under five. Unicef defines severe child food poverty as consuming no more than two out of […] todayJuly 24, 2024 9
insert_link World Sure, 2024 has had lots of news – but compared with 1940, 1968 or 1973, it’s nothing exceptional Images from prominent events of 2024 in the US. Rebecca Droke/AFP; Qian Weizhong/VCG; Justin Sullivan; Erin Schaff/POOL/AFP, all via Getty Images By Philip Klinkner, Hamilton College History usually happens at a leisurely pace, with major events months or even years apart. But this year, it seems like someone has pushed fast-forward, with significant events coming on a weekly or even daily basis. One company is now selling […] todayJuly 24, 2024 12
insert_link Africa Scattered anti-government protests in Kenya By Hillary Orinde Hundreds of protesters took to the streets across Kenyan towns on Tuesday in defiance of a police ban, the latest in a series of demonstrations that have rocked the East African nation. Activists led by young Gen-Z Kenyans launched peaceful rallies last month over steep tax increases but they spiralled into deadly violence, before morphing into wider anger against President William Ruto's government. […] todayJuly 23, 2024 2
insert_link World With Biden gone, Trump will need a new attack plan for the younger Kamala Harris By Christopher Featherstone, University of York When Joe Biden withdrew from the presidential election race he changed the nature of the campaign. In the three weeks following the notorious presidential debate, Biden’s withdrawal came to be seen as a matter of when, not if. Now the Democratic party’s ticket is in flux and its campaign will look very different to the one Biden would have […] todayJuly 23, 2024 11
insert_link South Africa Cyril Ramaphosa’s speech to parliament listed South Africa’s old problems – but no new solutions By Vinothan Naidoo, University of Cape Town South African President Cyril Ramaphosa’s opening of parliament speech successfully captured the spirit of a diverse and cohesive multi-party government ready to get down to work. But it failed to tell South Africans how the new dispensation will do things differently, and better. In the May 2024 national and provincial elections, Ramaphosa’s African National Congress party received just […] todayJuly 22, 2024 6
Paying it forward: Kenyan coastal doctor Bashrahil Mohammed Mafudh has made it his life’s work to care for the most vulnerable in his community, at no cost.
