insert_link Africa Even many critics of the Rwanda deportation policy are missing the point of why it’s wrong By Ẹniọlá Ànúolúwapọ́ Ṣóyẹmí, University of Oxford The UK government’s proposals to send asylum seekers arriving to the UK onto Rwanda continue to spark intense opposition. This includes opposition from right-wing Conservative MPs who don’t think the plan goes far enough. Several recently attempted a rebellion against the latest bill, arguing that it failed to conclusively stop refugees from legally challenging their own deportation to Rwanda. The government’s […] todayFebruary 5, 2024 16
insert_link Lifestyle There are benefits to sharing a bed with your pet – as long as you’re scrupulously clean Should your dog share your bed? Some owners have better quality sleep alongside their furry friends. Keystone View/FPG/Getty Images Jacqueline Boyd, Nottingham Trent University When heading off for a night’s slumber, does your pet follow? Perhaps the cat curls up at the end of your bed. Maybe the dog dives under the duvet or pops their head on your pillow. Alternatively, your pet might have their own devoted sleeping space. […] todayFebruary 5, 2024 14
insert_link World US raids in Iraq and Syria: How retaliatory airstrikes affect network of Iran-backed militias The headquarters of an Iranian-linked group in Anbar, Iraq was among the sites targeted by U.S. bombers. Hashd al-Shaabi Media Office/Handout/Anadolu via Getty Images Sara Harmouch, American University and Nakissa Jahanbani, United States Military Academy West Point U.S. bombers struck dozens of sites across Iraq and Syria on Feb. 2, 2024, to avenge a drone attack that killed three American service members just days earlier. The retaliatory strikes were the […] todayFebruary 5, 2024 4
insert_link South Africa South African marriage ruling is a win for divorcees and surviving spouses: it guides the sharing of their assets By Waheeda Amien, University of Cape Town South Africa’s Constitutional Court has fundamentally changed the country’s marriage law, making it fairer to people who are married “out of community of property” when their marriages end. In these marriages, the estates of spouses are kept separate. They do not combine what they own into a joint estate. The change applies to people who got married after 1 November […] todayFebruary 5, 2024 8
insert_link South Africa South Africa needs to manage migrants better. That requires cleaning up the Department of Home Affairs By Alan Hirsch, University of Cape Town Legal grievances against the South African Department of Home Affairs, including contempt of court cases, are depressingly common. Too frequently the minister has to apologise to a court, or to ask for more time, on behalf of the department. Most of the court cases involve the operations of the department regarding visas and permits for foreign visitors, immigrants and prospective refugees. […] todayFebruary 5, 2024 15
insert_link Africa Madagascar: giant tortoises have returned 600 years after they were wiped out By Grant Joseph, University of Cape Town A six-year-old project to return giant tortoises to the wild in Madagascar could result in thousands of the 350kg megaherbivores re-populating the island for the first time in 600 years. The first group of Aldabra giant tortoises (Aldabrachelys gigantea) were brought in from the Seychelles in 2018, and have been reproducing on their own since. Ecologist Grant Joseph explains how reintroducing […] todayFebruary 5, 2024 15
insert_link Africa Google and Oracle ramp up cloud in Africa to tap fast-growing e-Conomy By Seth Onyango, via bird story agency Google Cloud announced on Friday (February 2) that it had opened its first cloud region for Africa, located in Johannesburg, South Africa. The new region will offer its core cloud services, such as computing, storage, networking, and security, to customers across the continent. The move comes as research from McKinsey showed that while cloud-native startups in Africa are luring tech […] todayFebruary 5, 2024 26
insert_link South Africa South Africa’s military is expected to do more than ever with tighter budgets: how the force has declined over 30 years Theo Neethling, University of the Free State The South African National Defence Force marks 30 years this year, having been established on 27 April 1994. It’s as old as the country’s constitutional democracy, the result of a negotiated political settlement that ended apartheid. The defence force consists of the army, air force, navy, and military health service. It’s an amalgamation of the former apartheid era South African Defence Force, […] todayFebruary 5, 2024 35
insert_link Africa Chad: promises of a new chapter fade as junta strengthens its hold ahead of elections By Helga Dickow, University of Freiburg It’s been three years since Chad’s former president Idriss Déby Itno died. A transitional authority took over after his death. Yet the transition to democracy that was on the cards following his 31 years in power has failed to materialise. What Chadians hoped for was: a referendum on whether they wanted to be a unitary or federal state a return to constitutional […] todayFebruary 5, 2024 3
