insert_link Environment Diving with penguins: tech gives ocean scientists a bird’s-eye view of foraging in Antarctic waters By Chris Oosthuizen, University of Cape Town; Emmanuel Dufourq, African Institute for Mathematical Sciences; Lorène Jeantet, African Institute for Mathematical Sciences; Pierre Pistorius, Nelson Mandela University, and Stefan Schoombie, University of Cape Town Chinstrap penguins are members of Antarctica’s brush-tailed group of penguins. They’re easily identified by the feature that gives them their name – a black strap that runs from ear to ear below […] todayJuly 16, 2024 15
insert_link Africa Gender apartheid: oppression of women should be made a crime against humanity – feminist academic explains why By Penelope Andrews, New York Law School Crimes against humanity are occurring with impunity around the globe; from Myanmar to Sudan, Ukraine and elsewhere. And yet, unlike international treaties for the crimes of genocide, torture, apartheid and forced disappearances, there isn’t a treaty specific to crimes against humanity. That lack is now being remedied. The International Law Commission, a UN expert body, has submitted […] todayJuly 16, 2024 10
insert_link World ‘One inch from a potential civil war’ – near miss in Trump shooting is also a close call for American democracy U.S. Secret Service agents help former President Donald Trump offstage during a rally on July 13, 2024, in Butler, Pa. Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images By Arie Perliger, UMass Lowell With an assassination attempt on Donald Trump at a rally in Pennsylvania on July 13, 2024, the U.S. experienced another violent episode in its increasingly polarized politics. Former President Trump, who’s about to formally become the GOP nominee for […] todayJuly 15, 2024 23
insert_link Environment Extreme weather in South Africa is disrupting tourism – research tracks the impact on coastal areas By Kaitano Dube, Vaal University of Technology South Africa has experienced some extreme weather events in recent months. These have included floods and an uncommon tornado in South Africa’s KwaZulu-Natal province, floods in the Eastern Cape and mid-latitude cyclones in the Western Cape. Kaitano Dube, a human geographer who has researched tourism, extreme weather and resilience to climatic threats, says these severe storms are […] todayJuly 15, 2024 31
insert_link Africa Tanzania’s election laws make it hard to build political opposition – what needs to change By Aikande Clement Kwayu, Tumaini University Makumira Tanzanians go to the polls this year in local elections to vote for street and village chairpersons. This will be followed by a general election next year for councillors, members of parliament and the president. Both sets of elections are being watched closely. They’re the first to be held following a raft of changes over the past eight […] todayJuly 15, 2024 8
insert_link Africa How old are South African fossils like the Taung Child? New study offers an answer By Francis Thackeray, University of the Witwatersrand One hundred years ago the discovery of a skull in South Africa’s North West province altered our understanding of human evolution. The juvenile skull was dubbed the Taung Child by Raymond Dart, an anatomist at the University of the Witwatersrand, who first described it. In 1924 Dart could not say exactly how old it was, but he […] todayJuly 15, 2024 12
insert_link Environment Lions in a Uganda park make a perilous journey across a 1.5km stretch of water: study suggests the drive is to find mates By Alexander Richard Braczkowski, Griffith University; Christopher J. O'Bryan, Maastricht University; Duan Biggs, Northern Arizona University, and Robynne Kotze, University of Oxford Domestic cats will do almost anything to avoid contact with water. Not so for their wild cousins, though. Lions, tigers and jaguars have had to adapt to water and sometimes take the plunge for survival. And this is what we observed on […] todayJuly 12, 2024 37
insert_link 1 Namibia Importation of livestock not ceased: MAWLR The Ministry of Agriculture, Water and Land Reform has clarified that the exportation of live cattle (weaners/young cattle) to South Africa (SA) has not ceased as per recent rumours in the public arena. In a media statement issued on Friday by the ministry, it said anyone wishing to export live cattle to SA should apply for the South African Veterinary Import Permit. The statement indicated that all […] todayJuly 12, 2024 17 1
insert_link Africa Paul Kagame has had an iron grip on Rwanda for decades – 6 essential reads on what keeps him in power By Julius Maina, The Conversation and Kagure Gacheche, The Conversation There is little doubt that Paul Kagame will win the votes necessary to extend his 24-year rule in Rwanda’s general election on 15 July 2024. The ruling party, the Rwanda Patriotic Front, nominated Kagame as its presidential candidate during a congress in March. He got 99.1% of the vote. Kagame faces Frank Habineza, who […] todayJuly 12, 2024 28