World Pro-Putin movement expands across the former Soviet bloc – here’s why By Stefan Wolff, University of Birmingham As Russia keeps pounding Ukrainian cities with airstrikes and advances along the frontline in Donbas, regional elections in two states in eastern Germany have seen a surge of support for parties on the extreme right and extreme left. What is particularly concerning is that both parties oppose support for Ukraine and back a more Kremlin-aligned view of the Russian aggression against […] todaySeptember 5, 2024 12
Africa South African heritage tourism could uplift rural communities, with a little help: the case of Sekhukhune By Madiseng Phori, Tshwane University of Technology Imagine visiting a remote valley surrounded by mountains, hundreds of kilometres away from the nearest city, listening to local people explaining hundreds of years of history to you. The Tšate Valley, in South Africa’s Limpopo province, is one such place. Housing the Tšate heritage site and home to the Bapedi nation, the area has a rich natural and cultural history. […] todaySeptember 5, 2024 6
insert_link Africa Kenyan artists reflect Gen Z hopes and frustrations in new exhibition By Anne Mwiti, Kenyatta University As young protesters in Kenya took to the streets in June to demand the government account for its spending of taxpayers’ money, the Wajukuu Art Project was opening a new exhibition in Nairobi. Visitors to In the Absence at The African Arts Trust Gallery are greeted by large installations. Draped materials hang from a pillowy sky, razor sharp knives are welded to […] todaySeptember 5, 2024 10
insert_link Africa Looting of African heritage: a powerful new book explores the damage done by colonial theft By Françoise Vergès, UCL European colonisation of Africa was not only about armed conquest, massacres and the exploitation of resources. It was also about the appropriation of spiritual and political symbols. It led to the erasure of a social, cultural, symbolic world. A 2024 book, Fifteen Colonial Thefts: A Guide to Looted African Heritage in Museums, adds to the growing literature on the history of […] todaySeptember 5, 2024 7
insert_link Africa DRC is the world’s largest producer of cobalt – how control by local elites can shape the global battery industry By Raphael Deberdt, Colorado School of Mines and Jessica DiCarlo, University of Utah The mineral-rich Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) is often portrayed as a victim of exploitation by China, the US and Europe in their competition for its minerals, which are critical for the energy transition. But our research has found that the DRC can influence the shape of the cobalt market, in which it is […] todaySeptember 5, 2024 7
insert_link Local Pupkewitz GWM pioneers Namibia’s first full hybrid bakkie GWM has introduced the P-SERIES P500, bringing 255kW of self-charging hybrid electric power to the Namibian bakkie market. The all-new GWM P500 HEV aims to revolutionize the segment with its substantial size and high specification levels, setting a new benchmark with innovative features such as the 40:60 tailgate. In a Namibian first, GWM has launched a petrol-electric hybrid bakkie. The P500 Double-Cab bakkie is the first to […] todaySeptember 5, 2024 10
Africa China’s investments in Africa aren’t working as well as they as they should for cities: this needs to change By Astrid R.N. Haas, University of Toronto Over the past two decades African leaders have become increasingly drawn to Chinese financing and investment. These investments are made rapidly and with reportedly less stringent conditions than traditional financing sources. Some also suggest that China’s approach aligns more closely with African priorities. This sentiment was summarised by the former president of Senegal, Abdoulaye Wade, in 2008: China’s approach to […] todaySeptember 4, 2024 11
insert_link Africa A motorbike-sized meteorite shows how African collaboration can uniquely contribute to space science By Bonface Orucho, bird story agency On Sunday, August 25, A meteorite lit the skies of South Africa’s Eastern Cape, peppering the region with rock fragments. Some were found as far as Kirkwood, over 100 km from St Francis where others were spotted. Initially mistaken for space debris, the motorcycle-sized object streaked across the sky on Sunday morning around 9 am, emitting a bright light as it […] todaySeptember 4, 2024 5
insert_link Health / Medical It’s almost impossible to keep teens off their phones in bed – but new research shows it really does affect their sleep By Rachael Taylor, University of Otago Parents of children and teenagers have long been warned about the dangers of screen time and digital devices before bed – the worry being that screens could harm the sleep patterns of young people. But do screens really hurt the length and quality of sleep? Our new research found that using screens in bed was worse for sleep than using […] todaySeptember 4, 2024 7
