insert_link Africa DRC protests: expert explains why Congolese anger against the west is justified – and useful to the government By Kristof Titeca, University of Antwerp Since early February, the Democratic Republic of Congo’s capital, Kinshasa, has been rocked by protests directed against western embassies. Protests took place in front of the British and French embassies, and in front of United Nations buildings. Throughout the city, American and Belgian flags were burned. The protesters are denouncing what they believed to be western complicity in the war in […] today19 February, 2024
insert_link World Navalny dies in prison − but his blueprint for anti-Putin activism will live on The legacy of Alexei Navalny lives on. Ian Langsdon/AFP via Getty Images Regina Smyth, Indiana University Long lines of Russians endured subzero temperatures in January 2024 to demand that anti-Ukraine war candidate Boris Nadezhdin be allowed to run in the forthcoming presidential election. It was protest by petition – a tactic that reflects the legacy of Alexei Navalny, the longtime Russian pro-democracy campaigner. Authorities say Navalny, a persistent thorn in […] today19 February, 2024
Africa Tech-savvy Africans are hedging against inflation by going digital By Conrad Onyango, bird story agency The recent announcement by Opera MiniPay that it had signed up over one million users in Kenya, Nigeria, and Ghana just five months after its launch is the clearest indication yet of the rising popularity of decentralised finance, or DeFi tools, across the continent. “MiniPay makes it easier and more affordable for individuals across Africa to acquire, send and receive Mento […] today19 February, 2024
insert_link World Alexei Navalny: reported death of Putin’s most prominent opponent spells the end of politics in Russia By Alexander Titov, Queen's University Belfast Reports of the death of Russia’s most famous opposition leader, Alexei Navalny, in an Arctic prison camp are shocking, but not entirely unexpected. It draws a line under Russia’s political development over the past two decades by highlighting that a challenge from within is no longer possible. Navalny was the last public politician to pose a real challenge to the Kremlin, but […] today19 February, 2024
insert_link Uncategorized Donald Trump faces half a billion dollars of debt and several court cases. But that may not stop him from becoming president again By Emma Shortis, RMIT University The verdicts keep coming. On Friday US time, the three-month hearing focused on Donald Trump’s business dealings in New York came to an end. Trump was ordered to pay back more than $US350 million (A$537 million), plus interest. He and two of his associates are banned from directing any business in New York for three years. His two sons, Donald Jr and Eric […] today19 February, 2024
insert_link Health / Medical Bacteria in your gut can improve your mood − new research in mice tries to zero in on the crucial strains The difference between one mouse’s fear and another mouse’s calm might be in their gut bacteria. Katriel Cho, CC BY-NC-ND By Andrea Merchak, University of Florida Probiotics have been getting a lot of attention recently. These bacteria, which you can consume from fermented foods, yogurt or even pills, are linked to a number of health and wellness benefits, including reducing gastrointestinal distress, urinary tract infections and eczema. But […] today19 February, 2024
insert_link South Africa Corruption and clean energy in South Africa: economic model shows trust in government is linked to takeup of renewables By Roula Inglesi-Lotz, University of Pretoria South Africa relies heavily on energy from coal-fired power stations, which emit large quantities of carbon. But making the transition to greater use of renewable energies, such as solar, is being hampered by a number of factors. Chief among them is corruption, which is affecting the quality of institutions. In a recent paper I set out how perceptions of corruption in […] today19 February, 2024
insert_link Africa Slums and guns in Bamako: what’s driving the illegal weapon trade in Mali’s capital city By Oluwole Ojewale, Institute for Security Studies As west Africa urbanises, many cities have become interconnected through trade, travel and technology, and crime has increased in complexity and scope. The proliferation of arms in west African cities, especially in the aftermath of conflicts in Libya (2011) and Mali (2012), has added to these challenges in Bamako, Mali’s capital. In 2018, the Small Arms Survey estimated that roughly […] today19 February, 2024
insert_link Health / Medical HIV among older South Africans in rural areas: big study shows there’s a problem that’s being neglected By Jen Manne-Goehler, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health; Francesc Xavier Gomez-Olive Casas, University of the Witwatersrand; Julia Rohr, Harvard University; Kathleen Kahn, University of the Witwatersrand; Nomsa Mahlalela, University of the Witwatersrand, and Till Bärnighausen, University of Heidelberg South Africa continues to have a high prevalence of HIV among all age groups. About 8.2 million people or 13.7% of the population live with HIV, one […] today19 February, 2024