insert_link Lifestyle Talking to teens about sex: advice for parents on when, how, what to say and why it’s so important Talking with your teen about sex and sexuality is a way to empower them. Paperkites Ayobami Precious Adekola, University of South Africa The “birds and the bees”. The “facts of life”. Whatever you call it, many parents dread discussing sex and sexuality with their teenagers. They may be embarrassed, or worried that they don’t understand some concepts. In some countries, cultural norms may mean it’s considered inappropriate for adults and […] todayApril 29, 2024 27
insert_link South Africa South Africa’s young education researchers need networks to share experience more than pressure to produce outputs Researchers in the education sphere benefit from collaboration and idea-sharing. cgstock/Shutterstock By Mpho-Entle Puleng Modise, University of South Africa and Maureen Robinson, Stellenbosch University South Africa has for many years been a strong player in several areas of world-class research. Some of the country’s researchers have made major contributions in areas like the biomedical sciences, palaeontology and astronomy Good research matters. It can have broad, positive consequences. On paper South […] todayApril 26, 2024 14
insert_link World Friday essay: Project 2025, the policy substance behind Trump’s showmanship, reveals a radical plan to reshape the world By Emma Shortis, RMIT University In April 2022, conservative American think tank the Heritage Foundation, working with a broad coalition of 50 conservative organisations, launched Project 2025: a plan for the next conservative president of the United States. The Project’s flagship publication, Mandate for Leadership: The Conservative Promise, outlines in plain language and in granular detail, over 900-plus pages, what a second Trump administration (if it occurs) […] todayApril 26, 2024 17
insert_link Africa Nigeria is pioneering a new vaccine to fight meningitis – why this matters By Idris Mohammed, Gombe State University Nigeria recently became the first country to roll out a new vaccine (called Men5CV) recommended by the World Health Organization (WHO), which protects people against five strains of meningococcus bacteria. The Conversation Africa asked Idris Mohammed, a professor of infectious diseases and immunology and former board chair of Nigeria’s National Programme on Immunisation, to explain the new vaccine and its likely impact. […] todayApril 26, 2024 20
insert_link World Why the potential for another Donald Trump presidency is making Iran very nervous By Amin Naeni, Deakin University There’s been much talk in recent months about what a possible second Donald Trump presidency in the United States could mean for Europe, Russia’s war in Ukraine, the Israel-Palestinian conflict and China. But there’s one more country closely watching the race: Iran. Another Trump presidency could pose immense risks for the Iranian leadership, especially given the recent tit-for-tat strikes with Israel, the […] todayApril 26, 2024 31
insert_link Africa Nigerians throw naira notes around to show love: but it could land you in jail By Abiodun Odusote, University of Lagos The legal implication of physically damaging the naira, Nigeria’s currency, came into focus recently with the prosecution of at least two celebrities by the country’s Economic and Financial Crimes Commission. Nigeria has a law that prohibits what it terms abuse, which also includes writing on the notes or crumpling them. It also covers naira coins. The law was introduced in 2007 […] todayApril 26, 2024 26
insert_link Science & Technology Elon Musk vs Australia: global content take-down orders can harm the internet if adopted widely By Dan Jerker B. Svantesson, Bond University Do Australian courts have the right to decide what foreign citizens, located overseas, view online on a foreign-owned platform? Anyone inclined to answer “yes” to this question should perhaps also ask themselves whether they are equally happy for courts in China, Russia and Iran to determine what Australians can see and post online in Australia. This is the problem with […] todayApril 25, 2024 32
insert_link Africa R21 anti-malaria vaccine is a game changer: scientist who helped design it reflects on 30 years of research, and what it promises By Adrian Hill, University of Oxford Until three years ago nobody had developed a vaccine against any parasitic disease. Now there are two against malaria: the RTS,S and the R21 vaccines. Adrian Hill, director of the Jenner Institute at the University of Oxford and chief investigator for the R21 vaccine, tells Nadine Dreyer why he thinks this is a great era for malaria control. What makes malaria […] todayApril 25, 2024 13
insert_link Africa Rwanda’s post-genocide model prioritises security over freedom and equality – a risk to future stability By Omar Shahabudin McDoom, London School of Economics and Political Science Rwanda, a small and landlocked central African country, has made remarkable socio-economic progress since the 1994 genocide in which an estimated 500,000 people died. But the country, as well as the rest of the world, remains divided over the achievements made and the direction taken over the past 30 years. Supporters of Rwanda’s trajectory believe in […] todayApril 25, 2024 9