insert_link Africa Nigeria’s first space traveller will be chosen by the public: how this will boost the country’s progress By Anne Uruegi Agi, University of Calabar The Blue Origin space craft owned by Amazon founder Jeff Bezos is to take six individuals to space from nations historically underrepresented in space exploration. Nigeria is one of the selected countries. Though a date is yet to be fixed for this particular trip, the Blue Origin space flight usually lasts about 11 minutes, during which participants are expected to undertake […] todayAugust 6, 2024 16
insert_link Africa Astronomy ‘Olympics’ is being hosted in Africa for the first time: 4 big talking points The South African Astronomical Observatory in Sutherland, in the country’s Northern Cape province. IAU General Assembly 2024 By James Okwe Chibueze, University of South Africa Cutting-edge telescopes, gravitational waves, black holes and our solar system’s central star, the Sun, are just a few of the topics that will be on the table in Cape Town, South Africa, for an event that’s a scientific version of the Olympic Games – […] todayAugust 6, 2024 37
Opinion Pieces Young people brought down Bangladesh’s repressive leader. Will they now be empowered to lead real change? By Intifar Chowdhury, Flinders University “Inni, we are independent!” my 26-year-old cousin chanted from Shahbagh, a neighbourhood in Bangladesh’s capital Dhaka, as millions joined a major protest march on Monday to the country’s Parliament House. Soon after, social media was flooded with news of “a new independence” – a free Bangladesh reborn after the autocratic leader of over 15 years, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, fled the country in the […] todayAugust 6, 2024 8
insert_link Africa Teenage girls in Africa face shocking rates of physical and sexual abuse in intimate relationships – new global report By nthony Idowu Ajayi, African Population and Health Research Center Nearly a quarter of adolescent girls between the ages of 15 and 19 who have been in a relationship will have suffered intimate partner violence by the time they turn 20. This is one of the findings of the World Health Organization’s first detailed analysis of intimate partner violence among girls. Nadine Dreyer, from The Conversation […] todayAugust 6, 2024 10
insert_link Sport Despair after four years of pressure: how do Olympians deal with disappointment? By Christopher Mesagno, Victoria University and Courtney C Walton, The University of Melbourne Australia’s soccer team entered Paris with high hopes of notching their first Olympic medal but those aspirations came crashing down with defeat to the United States. Even without star striker Sam Kerr, the Matildas – who enjoyed a famous run to finish fourth at the 2023 FIFA World Cup – were […] todayAugust 1, 2024 15
insert_link Sport How to win on your own terms: Simone Biles claims her eighth Olympic gold on her Paris 2024 ‘redemption tour’ By Vaughan Cruickshank, University of Tasmania; Brendon Hyndman, Charles Sturt University, and Carla Valerio, Southern Cross University Simone Biles is the most decorated gymnast, male or female, in history. She won her first world championship all-around gold medal in 2013 and has not lost an all-around competition since. She arrived in Paris with 37 medals from World Championships and Olympics, including 27 golds. She has […] todayAugust 1, 2024 26
insert_link Africa Bacteria and plants could help clean up toxic waste from gold mines – South African study By Alseno Kagiso Mosai, University of Pretoria and Hlanganani Tutu, University of the Witwatersrand Highly toxic metals are leaking out of nine abandoned mines in Krugersdorp, 32km west of Johannesburg, South Africa. The metals include uranium, arsenic, cadmium, chromium and mercury. This acid mine drainage – when water mixes with heavy metals in mines and then flows out into the environment – poses grave […] todayAugust 1, 2024 17
insert_link Sport Is the shallow pool in Paris really slowing Olympic swimmers down? Here’s what the science says By Shane Keating, UNSW Sydney There has been plenty of rain, sweat and tears shed at the Paris Olympics this week. But the pool at the heart of La Defénce Arena has suffered a drought of world records that has athletes and officials scratching their heads. After five days, Paris 2024 has seen only a single world record fall in a swimming event. That […] todayAugust 1, 2024 21
insert_link Africa Nigeria under cost of living pressure: 8 essential reads on rising tensions By Adejuwon Soyinka, The Conversation In recent times, Nigeria, Africa’s largest democracy, has been under intense pressure. Assailed by rising inflation, food insecurity and the rising cost of fuel and energy, Nigerians have had to endure diminished purchasing power, hunger and youth unrest. These factors have led to agitations by various segments of society, including demands for higher wages by government workers. At The […] todayAugust 1, 2024 17