insert_link Africa Mysterious African manatees inspire a growing chorus of champions By Petro Kotzé, via Mongabay As a young student, Aristide Kamla had “big plans” when he traveled to Lake Ossa in Cameroon to conduct his master’s degree fieldwork with the little-known African manatee. He was hoping for a manatee count and a management plan to come out of the expedition on the roughly 4,000-hectare (10,000-acre) lake. But securing grants was difficult for this budding researcher, so his first funder […] todaySeptember 10, 2024 12
insert_link Health / Medical Is your desk job killing your back? Ancient Egyptian scribes had the same aches and pains, say researchers By Petra Brukner Havelková, National Museum (Národní muzeum) Prague and Veronika Dulíková, Charles University Thousands of years ago, during a period of Egyptian history known as the Old Kingdom (around 2649–2130 BC), it was rare for people to be able to read and write. From an estimated population of between 1 million and 1.5 million, only about 1% were literate and able to write in hieroglyphics. […] todaySeptember 10, 2024 20
insert_link Africa Sexual violence in South Africa: women share their stories about the dangers of commuting on minibus taxis Commuters getting into a minibus taxi in Johannesburg. Rich T Photo By Jarred H Martin, University of Pretoria Millions of people use minibus taxis to get around South Africa every day. These “pillars of public transport” (which are privately owned and run rather than operated by the state) account for 66.5% of all public transport on the country’s roads. The vast majority of minibus taxi commuters come from […] todaySeptember 9, 2024 11
insert_link Africa Rating agencies and Africa: the absence of people on the ground contributes to bias against the continent – analyst By Misheck Mutize, University of Cape Town Rating agency Fitch recently warned that the rapid spread of the mpox virus in sub-Saharan Africa could add to the fiscal pressures many countries in the region are already experiencing. The Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention and the World Health Organization have declared the latest outbreak of mpox in Africa a health emergency. An epidemic in the Democratic […] todaySeptember 9, 2024 11
Lifestyle Elon Musk’s feud with Brazilian judge is much more than a personal spat − it’s about national sovereignty, freedom of speech and the rule of law Brazil’s Supreme Court Justice Alexandre de Moraes faces off against X’s Elon Musk. Ton Molina/NurPhoto via Getty Images / AP Photo/Kirsty Wigglesworth By Yasmin Curzi de Mendonça, University of Virginia It is easy to get distracted by the barbs, swipes and bluster of the ongoing and very public spat between the world’s richest man and a fierce justice on Brazil’s highest court. Elon Musk, the billionaire owner of […] todaySeptember 9, 2024 9
insert_link Africa Technology classes at school can also teach skills for business and life: South African teachers share ideas PeopleImages/Getty Images By Adri Du Toit, North-West University Starting and running your own business takes hard work and a can-do attitude. Typically, entrepreneurs are the kinds of people who can identify and solve problems innovatively, are willing to take risks and learn from mistakes. But many entrepreneurs also have a set of skills that anyone can learn, and use in work and life. Examples include adaptability, problem-solving, collaboration, […] todaySeptember 9, 2024 6
Africa Nigerian households use a range of energy, from wood to solar – green energy planning must account for this By Dennis Gabriel Pepple, University of Leicester and Daminabo Pokubo, Nottingham Trent University Low and middle-income countries generally lack access to renewable energy and rely excessively on traditional fuels like firewood and charcoal. In these countries, 2.6 billion people depend mainly on polluting fossil fuels (for electricity) and traditional biomass fuels (such as wood or charcoal for cooking) to meet their daily energy needs. In sub-Saharan Africa, […] todaySeptember 9, 2024 12
insert_link Africa Kenya’s new social health insurance fund wants to improve care for mothers and babies: but it faces challenges By Boniface Oyugi, University of Kent Kenya has made strides in maternal and child health over the past decade. Preventable complications related to pregnancy still result in about 5,000 maternal deaths annually, however. I am a health economist and health policy specialist and co-author of a study of the Kenyan health system to evaluate the state of maternal care in the country. This is important because the […] todaySeptember 9, 2024 17
insert_link World Chinese and Russian disinformation flourishes in some African countries – anti-US sentiment helps it take hold By Dani Madrid-Morales, University of Sheffield; Herman Wasserman, Stellenbosch University, and Saifuddin Ahmed, Nanyang Technological University The spread of disinformation is one of the biggest risks to societies. Recent examples have been conspiracy narratives about COVID-19 vaccinations and false claims about Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. The trend is linked partly to competition among world powers, which is being played out in Africa too. Across the continent, multiple foreign […] todaySeptember 5, 2024 16
