Ghana is planning its first nuclear energy plant: what’s behind the decision

Ghana is planning its first nuclear energy plant: what’s behind the decision

By Seth Kofi Debrah, University of Ghana Ghana is considering bids from five companies for the construction of what would be its first nuclear power plant. The companies are: France’s EDF, US-based NuScale Power and Regnum Technology Group; China National Nuclear Corporation; South Korea’s Kepco and its subsidiary Korea Hydro Nuclear Power Corporation; and Russia’s Rosatom. The Conversation Africa’s Godfred Akoto Boafo interviewed […]

July 10, 2024 21

Environment

Allegations widen against Indonesian palm oil giant Astra Agro Lestari

By Hans Nicholas Jong ,via Mongabay Subsidiaries of Indonesia’s second-biggest palm oil company, PT Astra Agro Lestari (AAL), are running illegal plantations, grabbing community land, and intimidating critics, according to a new report by NGOs. The report is a follow-up to a 2022 report by Friends of the Earth, and identifies at least 1,100 hectares (2,718 acres) of the subsidiaries’ concessions that lie inside forest areas that should be […]

July 9, 2024 39

Environment

We used 1,000 historical photos to reconstruct Antarctic glaciers before a dramatic collapse

Looking up Crane Glacier, December 21 1968. PGC, UMN, CC BY By Ryan North, University of Wollongong and Tim Barrows, UNSW Sydney In March 2002, the Larsen B Ice Shelf collapsed catastrophically, breaking up an area about one-sixth the size of Tasmania. In a paper published today in Scientific Reports, we used nearly 1,000 film photographs of Antarctica from the 1960s to reconstruct exactly […]

July 9, 2024 12

World

4 things to watch for as NATO leaders meet in US capital for high-stakes summit

Two military personnel walk by NATO banners before a wreath-laying ceremony at NATO’s headquarters in Brussels on April 4, 2024. Virginia Mayo/AP Photo By Garret Martin, American University School of International Service When Washington, D.C., last hosted a NATO summit in 1999, the alliance was celebrating a milestone. It was also facing a war in Europe and welcoming new members to the alliance. So there will […]

July 9, 2024 14

South Africa

Southern Africa is seen as a leader in wildlife conservation, but its market-driven approach is deeply flawed

Luxury nature tourism is an example of market-based conservation. Edwin Remsberg /VWPics/Universal Images Group By Stasja Koot, Wageningen University; Bram Büscher, Wageningen University, and Lerato Thakholi, Wageningen University Southern Africa’s wildlife economy is often hailed as a successful model. The idea behind this model is that biodiversity and wildlife are used as the basis of sustainable economic growth, through an increase in wildlife numbers and in […]

July 9, 2024 21

Health / Medical

Surviving breast cancer: Nigerian women share their stories

By Candi Nwakasi, University of Connecticut “I believe I will still beat it again.” These are the words of a Nigerian woman, Didi, who feared a recurrence of her cancer – but saw herself as a survivor. Her attitude is becoming more common everywhere as more people are living after a cancer diagnosis. Though populations are growing and ageing, and cancer incidence […]

July 9, 2024 13

Entertainment

Why musicians die in poverty – South African study reveals battle to make ends meet

By Gwen Ansell, University of Pretoria Benefits and appeals were recently launched to support the medical costs of veteran South African guitarist Madala Kunene. It’s not the first time such initiatives have been necessary, nor the first time that media and politicians have expressed astonishment that a renowned musician “died in poverty”. Musicians’ dire financial circumstances are sometimes wrongly blamed on irresponsible spending; a […]

July 9, 2024 19

Opinion Pieces

Namibia Needs a Different Approach to Change the Structural Economy

Opinion Piece By Josef sheehama To attain V2030, Namibia will need to adopt structural reforms that will increase economic growth, facilitate more labor-intensive growth by opening up the labor market, and address an expensive and generally ineffective system of education, training, and skills. The government should support businesses in the manufacturing, construction, and agriculture sectors among others, paying attention to both the educated and the uneducated. As a […]

July 9, 2024 18

Lifestyle

Nghipondoka calls for revival of reading culture

By: Adolf Kaure, via News on One The Minister of Education, Arts, and Culture, Anna Nghipondoka, says there is an urgent need to revive the reading culture in the country. Nghipondoka said this during Logos Hope's official launch on Friday at Walvis Bay. Logos Hope is the world's biggest floating book fair, with over 5000 books. The ship was last in Namibia in 2016.Nghipondoka […]

July 9, 2024 17