insert_link Africa Kenya has tightened its laws to stop money laundering: why banks are the focus By Constance Gikonyo, University of Nairobi Kenya’s banking industry has in recent years been in the crosshairs of national, regional and international watchdogs, given the country’s role as a financial hub in eastern Africa. In 2023 Kenya enacted laws to curb money laundering and combat terrorism financing. While the laws have led to tougher sanctions on some banks, the risk of money laundering remains, and the country was […] todayMarch 28, 2024 18
insert_link Environment Hazardous mould contaminates many food staples – what you should know about mycotoxins By Oluwadara Pelumi Omotayo, North-West University Mycotoxins are substances produced by mould that poison food. They are harmful to humans and animals when consumed. According to the Food and Agricultural Organisation (FAO), about 25% of the world’s agricultural harvests are contaminated by mycotoxins. Though reliable data is lacking, mycotoxin contamination is widespread in Africa. It often takes the form of aflatoxin in cereal crops and has led to health […] todayMarch 28, 2024 36
insert_link Lifestyle Helping children eat healthier foods may begin with getting parents to do the same, research suggests Everyone agrees kids should eat healthy foods. But parents are often left out of that message. skynesher/E+ via Getty Images By Kelley Gullo Wight, Indiana University and Peggy Liu, University of Pittsburgh Most parents, educators and policymakers agree that children should eat healthy foods. However, our peer-reviewed paper suggests the strategy adults often use to achieve that can sometimes backfire. Fortunately, there’s an easy fix. We, along with […] todayMarch 27, 2024 14
insert_link World Gangs, kidnappings, murders: why thousands of Rohingya are desperately trying to escape refugee camps by boats By Ruth Wells, UNSW Sydney and Max William Loomes, UNSW Sydney Late last week, a boat crammed with Rohingya refugees fleeing a squalid camp in Bangladesh capsized off the coast of Indonesia. Around 75 people were rescued, including nine children, but more than 70 are missing and presumed dead. This tragedy isn’t an isolated incident. The number of Rohingya people trying to escape refugee camps by boat has […] todayMarch 27, 2024 19
insert_link Opinion Pieces I’ve captained ships into tight ports like Baltimore, and this is how captains like me work with harbor pilots to avoid deadly collisions Piloting large container ships under bridges is very difficult. AP Photo/Matt Rourke By Allan Post, Texas A&M University Details are still emerging about the disaster that happened in the early morning of March 26, 2024, when the Dali, a large cargo ship on its way out of the port of Baltimore, hit a major bridge and caused it to collapse. The Conversation’s senior politics and democracy editor, […] todayMarch 27, 2024 14
insert_link Local Pupkewitz motors celebrates Etienne Steenkamp’s Prestigious Toyota chairmanship award Pupkewitz Motors proudly announces the recognition of Etienne Steenkamp, Franchise Director of Pupkewitz Toyota in Namibia, with the prestigious Toyota Chairmanship Award. The award ceremony took place on the 15th of March 2024, at the Toyota Dealer Awards in Sandton, Johannesburg, a hallmark event for Toyota dealers across southern Africa, including South Africa, Botswana, Lesotho, Namibia, and Eswatini. Etienne Steenkamp's remarkable leadership and dedication to the Toyota brand have […] todayMarch 27, 2024 31
insert_link Environment Baltimore bridge collapse: a bridge engineer explains what happened, and what needs to change By Colin Caprani, Monash University When the container ship MV Dali, 300 metres long and massing around 100,000 tonnes, lost power and slammed into one of the support piers of the Francis Scott Key Bridge in Baltimore, the bridge collapsed in moments. Six people are presumed dead, several others injured, and the city and region are expecting a months-long logistical nightmare in the absence of a crucial […] todayMarch 27, 2024 19
insert_link Africa We built an AI tool to help set priorities for conservation in Madagascar: what we found By Daniele Silvestro, University of Fribourg Artificial Intelligence (AI) – models that process large and diverse datasets and make predictions from them – can have many uses in nature conservation, such as remote monitoring (like the use of camera traps to study animals or plants) or data analysis. Some of these are controversial because AI can be trained to be biased, but others are valuable research tools. […] todayMarch 27, 2024 15
insert_link Lifestyle Zulu culture and sexual orientation: South African study reveals the health costs of stigma By Ikekhwa Albert Ikhile, University of South Africa Same-sex relationships are legal in South Africa and protected by the constitution. Unfair discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation is against the law. But in practice many cultures don’t necessarily see this as a right. Traditional Zulu culture, for example, perceives same-sex relationships and sexual intercourse as taboo and unAfrican. Statements like “real men are not gay” […] todayMarch 27, 2024 33