Africa More African women are accessing the internet – report Bonface Orucho, bird story agency A surge in mobile phone ownership has increased internet usage among women in Africa, leading to a drop in the mobile internet adoption gender gap to 32%, the lowest level it has reached since 2017. This is according to a new report, ‘Mobile Gender Gap Report 2024’ by GSMA released on May 15. It examines women’s mobile access and use across 12 […] today20 May, 2024
insert_link World Iran crash: President Raisi reported dead – what that might mean for the country and region Iran’s president, Ebrahim Raisi, is reported by state media to have died following a helicopter crash. Iranian Presidency Office via AP By Eric Lob, Florida International University Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi, who has been reported dead after the helicopter he was in crashed on May 19, 2024, is a consummate loyalist whose passing will be a severe blow to the country’s conservative leadership. While search and rescue teams […] today20 May, 2024
insert_link Africa Al Ahly and Esperance highlight the dominance of North Africa in club football. Lessons for other African teams By Mahfoud Amara, Qatar University Al Ahly, based in Cairo, and Esperance, in Tunis, are among the most successful clubs in the history of the main club cup competition in Africa, the CAF Champions League. Al Ahly has reached the finals multiple times and boasts 11 titles, making it the most successful club in the competition’s history. Similarly, Esperance has secured the title multiple times. These […] today20 May, 2024
insert_link Africa Mapping malaria in Africa: climate change study predicts where mosquitoes will breed in future Water bodies such as the Nile River, pictured here running through Juba in South Sudan, are included in the new model. Frontpage By Mark Smith, University of Leeds and Chris Thomas, University of Lincoln The relationship between climate and malaria transmission is complex and has been the subject of intense study for some three decades. Mosquito vector populations sufficient to maintain malaria transmission occur within a […] today20 May, 2024
insert_link Africa Belief in democracy is on the decline in Africa. Traditional institutions can help restore its importance By Vladimir Chlouba, University of Richmond Democracy in Africa has not had a good year. Military juntas from Mali to Niger appear to have cemented their grip on power. Sudan’s democratic dreams were dashed when the country’s two most powerful strongmen opted for war. And there’s now evidence that ordinary Africans may be losing faith in democracy as the best form of government. Afrobarometer, an organisation […] today17 May, 2024
insert_link Africa Gabon: post-coup dialogue has mapped out path to democracy – now military leaders must act By Douglas Yates, American Graduate School in Paris (AGS) At the end of April 2024, a long and peaceful process of national dialogue in Gabon between the military junta, presided over by coup leader General Brice Oligui Nguema, and civil society, represented by 580 civilians, came to an end. The national dialogue followed an August 2023 coup that removed Ali Bongo Ondimba from office and ended […] today17 May, 2024
insert_link South Africa Minimum wage for South African farm workers: study shows 2013 hike helped reduce poverty even though compliance was poor By Ihsaan Bassier, London School of Economics and Political Science and Vimal Ranchhod, University of Cape Town Minimum wage policies are typically aimed at reducing poverty. Yet there is little direct evidence of this effect, especially in developing countries. And none for South Africa. In a recent paper, we consider the income, employment and poverty effects of the largest minimum wage increase South Africa has […] today17 May, 2024
insert_link Environment Leopard DNA study in South Africa traces ancestry to ice age – and will guide conservation By Laura Tensen, University of Copenhagen An ice age almost one million years ago led to a meeting between leopards from central and southern Africa that were searching for grassland. New research into the leopards’ genetics – their mitogenome – has revealed that the descendants of these two groups are the leopards found today in South Africa’s Mpumalanga province. One of the researchers, molecular ecologist Laura […] today17 May, 2024
insert_link South Africa South Africa’s public service is dysfunctional – the 5 main reasons why By Marcel Nagar, University of Johannesburg A public policy works well if it’s a good policy and if it’s carried out well. Politicians make policy and specialist bureaucrats in the public service carry it out. These appointed officials are supposed to follow a strict professional and ethical code of conduct. Over the past 30 years, South Africa has not had this kind of public service. Public […] today17 May, 2024