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 20
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 21
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 9
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 19
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 13
insert_link Africa Who were the first Africans at the Olympics? The disturbing story of two 1904 marathon runners 1904 Olympic marathon participants Len Tau (left) and Jan Mashiani of South Africa. Missouri History Museum By Francois Cleophas, Stellenbosch University Who were the first Africans to compete in the modern Olympic Games? The answer to that question reveals the surprising story of a 1904 marathon – and exposes the history of racism and white supremacy that characterised the Olympics in its early days. The first modern […] todayJuly 22, 2024 12
insert_link Africa Africa’s 5G rollout gains speed By Bonface Orucho, via bird story agency Months after Egypt awarded its first 5G license to Telecom Egypt in a 15-year deal, the operator has partnered with Nokia to accelerate the rollout and deployment of 5G technology across the country. A statement from Telecom Egypt on July 15 described the partnership as one that would “revolutionize the country’s telecom landscape by introducing the transformative power of […] todayJuly 18, 2024 26
Africa East Africa grows its Space opportunity By Conrad Onyango, bird story agency A futuristic solar-powered plane designed to fly between 60,000 and 80,000 feet above the earth, beyond regulated airspace, is set to take off in Kenya, adding to a growing number of high-altitude and space projects in East Africa. Aalto, a startup spun out by passenger aircraft giant Airbus in 2023, manufactures the solar-electric Zephyr HAPS aircraft and has indicated it will soon […] todayJuly 18, 2024 16