insert_link Environment South Africa’s 70,000kg rhino horn stockpile must be burnt to prevent illegal trading By Jason Gilchrist, Edinburgh Napier University Despite a global ban on international buying and selling of rhino horn since 1977, the South African government and owners of private rhino reserves continue to stockpile it. A new report by the EMS Foundation, a South African social justice and conservation organisation, advocates strongly against this practice. Ecologist and mammal conservation researcher Jason Gilchrist discusses what the […] todayJuly 3, 2024 18
insert_link South Africa How democracy can work at community level: 3 lessons from a South African protest movement By Luke Sinwell, University of Johannesburg Popular protests have surged around the world over the last decade. But do they work? And what lessons can be learnt from communities who have a history of militant protests? When the African National Congress (ANC) was elected to power in South Africa’s first democratic elections in 1994, many believed that popular protests, which were the […] todayJuly 2, 2024 24
Lifestyle Corporate sponsors of Pride events also contribute to politicians with anti-LGBTQ leanings Delta Airlines employees walk in the 2022 New York City Pride march on June 26, 2022 in New York City. (Photo by Astrida Valigorsky/Getty Images) By Albert Serna Jr, via Open Secrets Throughout Pride Month, it has become increasingly common for corporations to adorn their websites in rainbow flags, espouse their support for LGBTQ+ rights and try to win over a community that has historically been stereotyped as having a […] todayJuly 2, 2024 20
insert_link World Knowing when to call it quits takes courage and confidence – 3 case studies A man reads the Chicago Tribune announcing President Lyndon B. Johnson’s decision not to run for reelection in 1968. Corbis/Getty Images By Kevin J. McMahon, Trinity College and Michael Paris, College of Staten Island, CUNY After President Joe Biden’s disastrous performance at the June 27, 2024, debate, many Democrats have raced to ring the alarm bell, proclaiming that it’s time for him to step aside, time to […] todayJuly 2, 2024 26
insert_link Health / Medical Africa races to increase vaccine manufacturing capacity, concerns rise over Europe’s control By Conrad Onyango, bird story agency As Africa races to be more independent in vaccine production, Europe is seeking greater control in building and scaling of local manufacturing hubs. In June, France hosted the launch of African Vaccine Manufacturing Accelerator (AVMA) an approximately US$1 billion project geared towards making vaccines more available in Africa - away from African soil. Only 2% of vaccines […] todayJuly 2, 2024 47
insert_link Africa Boko Haram and western education: the surprising views of some Nigerians who left the insurgency group By Hannah Hoechner, University of East Anglia and Yagana Bukar, University of Maiduguri The world has come to associate the insurgency in north-east Nigeria with the slogan “western education is forbidden”. This is how “Boko Haram” – the name given to the insurgents – is commonly translated from the Hausa language into English. But “Boko Haram” is not what the insurgents call themselves or would […] todayJuly 2, 2024 17
insert_link Local Eliud Kipchoge’s quest for a third Olympic gold is achievable – running experts explain By Stephen Granger, bird story agency The 2024 Paris Games are fast approaching and Kenyan marathoners are poised to shine, given the rich pool of talent in the country's Olympic team. Could this be 39-year-old Eliud Kipchoge's moment to make history as the first athlete to win three Olympic Marathon titles? The questions for Kenya's famed runners don't stop there, however. Another question is […] todayJuly 2, 2024 71
insert_link Africa Study: A third of Africa’s great apes at risk from mining of transition metals Rising demand for the metals needed to power the global renewable energy transition potentially threatens more than a third of Africa’s great apes. Nearly 180,000 gorillas, chimpanzees and bonobos face potential fallout from current and future mining projects for these transition metals, particularly in West Africa. Direct and indirect potential impacts from mining on apes include habitat destruction, health threats from light pollution and disease transmission, […] todayJuly 1, 2024 31
insert_link 3 Science & Technology ‘Gun control is dead and we killed it’: unmasking the ‘lonely incel’ who designed the world’s most popular 3D-printed firearm This anonymised image of FGC-9 creator ‘JStark1809’ was posted online with the gun’s designs in 2020. JStark1809/Deterrence Dispensed via Wikimedia, CC BY-NC By Rajan Basra, King's College London Every year, on Easter Sunday, Irish republicans commemorate their martyrs, remembering lives lost during the 1916 Easter Rising and in the years since. Such events have a pattern: a street parade, speeches and flowers at the cemetery. The […] todayJuly 1, 2024 34 3