insert_link Sport A record number of players at AFCON 2023 were born in a foreign country and their presence in their origin country’s football teams is hailed as a win for the game on the continent. By Joel Omotto via bird story agency Twenty-four nations, divided in six groups, are competing at the delayed 2023 Africa Cup of Nations in the Ivory Coast but the most striking aspect is the large number of players born outside of Africa. The 2023 tournament has a number of global superstars setting it alight and of the 630 selected for the various nations, 200 were not born on the continent. […] todayJanuary 19, 2024 7
insert_link Africa Urban Kenyans mistrust police even more than rural residents do: study sets out why it matters By Kristine Höglund, Uppsala University and Emma Elfversson, Uppsala University Across the African continent – from Nigeria and Ghana to South Africa – widespread protests have taken place to demand police reform in the wake of police misconduct and brutality. A continent-wide survey done in 2022 shows very low trust in the police and a prevailing perception of the police as the most corrupt among key institutions. Low […] todayJanuary 18, 2024 11
insert_link Africa Senegal’s pink lake is on the verge of disappearing – how to protect it By El hadji Sow, Université Cheikh Anta Diop de Dakar Lake Retba, better known as Lac Rose (the Pink Lake), is located around 35km from the city of Dakar, Senegal. It sits in a depression with a shoreline 6.5 metres below sea level. The lake is isolated from the sea by about 1km of sand dunes. Its fresh water comes from the seasonal water table in the dunes, which […] todayJanuary 18, 2024 15
insert_link Africa Rising megacities: A superhighway for Africa’s shared mobility market By Conrad Onyango, bird story agency As Africa's urban centres continue to grow and with an increasing number of cities now expected to surpass 10 million residents, the shared mobility sector is expanding fast too, raising prospects of more income for cab-hailing companies and drivers. Global management firm, Oliver Wyman, has revealed in a new report that ride-hailing, scooter or e-bike rentals, and car-sharing, which together make up […] todayJanuary 18, 2024 10
insert_link World Outside spending on 2024 elections tops $318 million Former President Donald Trump at a watch party during the 2024 Iowa Republican presidential caucuses in Des Moines, Iowa, on Jan. 15, 2024. (Photo by Jim Watson/AFP via Getty Images) By Anna Massoglia and Jimmy Cloutier via OpenSecrets Outside spending on 2024 federal races is outpacing all previous election cycles, according to an OpenSecrets analysis of campaign finance reports. Super PACs and other outside groups that can raise and spend unlimited […] todayJanuary 18, 2024 18
insert_link Science & Technology South African researchers are tracing the vibrational language of elephants – using fossils By Bonface Orucho, bird story agency Researchers in South Africa have unearthed groundbreaking evidence that sheds light on the ancient communication methods of elephants. A research team led by Charles Helm of the African Centre for Coastal Palaescience at Nelson Mandela University in South Africa published the report on ScienceDirect, a scientific research journal, in September 2023. The team discovered 35 fossilized elephant track sites, some of which are the […] todayJanuary 18, 2024 30
insert_link Uncategorized New bill to try to enforce clean drinking water A boy on his way home with a drum filled with water from a private borehole. Behind him are empty reservoirs meant to supply homes in Mazista, Kgetlengrivier Municipality. Archive photo: Steve Kretzmann By By Steve Kretzmann via GroundUp Almost two-thirds of water-supplying municipalities (94 of 144) were failing to provide clean drinking water to residents in 2022. In 61 municipalities water treatment and supply was in “a critical state” according to the […] todayJanuary 18, 2024 8
insert_link Opinion Pieces At Davos Forum, Secretary-General Warns of Global Norms Collapsing, Highlights Need to Rebuild Trust, Reform Governance UN Secretary-General António Guterres’ remarks to the World Economic Forum, in Davos, Switzerland: Thank you very much for your warm welcome. It’s good to be back — to be back and to see Davos highlighting the global crisis in trust. I believe this crisis is the direct result of a paradox facing our world. In the face of the serious, even existential threats posed by runaway climate chaos, and the […] todayJanuary 18, 2024 11
insert_link Namibia Alcohol abuse and unemployment major contributors to malnutrition: Nganate Omaheke Governor Pijoo Nganate has cited alcohol abuse and unemployment as some of the major contributors to the spike in malnutrition in the region. Nganate during a press conference here on Wednesday said cases of malnutrition have increased. He said some of the factors contributing to malnutrition amongst children are parents who exchange food provided to them for alcohol, as well as child negligence by younger parents who leave […] todayJanuary 18, 2024 3
