insert_link Lifestyle What ‘psychological warfare’ tactics do scammers use, and how can you protect yourself? christinarosepix/Shutterstock By Mike Johnstone, Edith Cowan University and Georgia Psaroulis, Edith Cowan University Not a day goes by without a headline about a victim being scammed and losing money. We are constantly warned about new scams and staying safe from cybercriminals. Scamwatch has no shortage of resources, too. So why are people still getting scammed, and sometimes spectacularly so? Scammers use sophisticated psychological techniques. They exploit our deepest […] todayFebruary 21, 2024 10
insert_link Opinion Pieces Some truths are self-evident: Joe Biden is too old. But who could possibly replace him? By Emma Shortis, RMIT University It is possible, in politics as in life, for several things to be true at once. It is true that Donald Trump and his plans for a second presidential administration represent an existential threat to American democracy. It is true that a media imperative for “balance” in political reporting is further degenerating into a “both sides”, false balance framework that is distorting […] todayFebruary 21, 2024 15
insert_link Health / Medical How long does back pain last? And how can learning about pain increase the chance of recovery? fizkes/Shutterstock By Sarah Wallwork, University of South Australia and Lorimer Moseley, University of South Australia Back pain is common. One in thirteen people have it right now and worldwide a staggering 619 million people will have it this year. Chronic pain, of which back pain is the most common, is the world’s most disabling health problem. Its economic impact dwarfs other health conditions. If you get back pain, […] todayFebruary 20, 2024 15
insert_link Africa South Sudan: some spoilers want peace to fail, putting 2024 elections at risk By Edgar Githua, Strathmore University South Sudan is expected to hold its first general election in December 2024. It became an independent state in 2011. The long overdue election is one of the pillars of a peace agreement signed in 2018. It helped end the 2013-2018 civil war that killed nearly 400,000 people and displaced millions. Since then, the country has progressed in relative peace, with fewer […] todayFebruary 20, 2024 29
insert_link Lifestyle From bridge to chess, why men outperform women at ‘mindsports’ – and what to do about it Elite bridge player Margherita Chavarria from Italy. Francesca Canali from the World Bridge Federation, CC BY-SA Samantha Punch, University of Stirling Why do men strongly outperform women at “mindsports” such as chess and bridge? Mindsports mainly use the brain and require skills such as memory, critical thinking, problem solving, strategic planning, mental discipline and judgment. Without physical differences in strength, how do we explain why the top level of such […] todayFebruary 20, 2024 26
insert_link South Africa Women in South Africa’s armed struggle: new book records history at first hand By Thoko Sipungu, Rhodes University South Africa’s young democracy was a culmination of years of sweat, blood and revolution against the apartheid regime. In the early 1960s, after decades of “non-violence” as a policy of resistance, the African National Congress (ANC) and Pan Africanist Congress (PAC) formed military wings to take the fight to the apartheid regime. Based on the living record and popular discourse, it would […] todayFebruary 20, 2024 18
insert_link Africa Bridging the Data Trust Gap: 2024 RegTech Confab Set to Unlock Africa’s Economic Potential Data-Driven Transparency and Compliance in the Digital Financial Ecosystem in Africa. In an era defined by digital transformation, data has become the cornerstone of innovation and progress, particularly within Africa's burgeoning financial landscape. With Sub-Saharan Africa spearheading the global adoption of Mobile Money, boasting over 218 million active accounts according to GSMA's State of the Industry Report on Mobile Money 2023, the region stands poised to leverage […] todayFebruary 20, 2024 11
insert_link Environment In Cambodia, an official’s cashew factory churns out timber from a protected forest By Gerald Flynn & Phoung Vantha Vegetation lurches over a concrete wall that runs alongside a quiet road in the northern Cambodian province of Preah Vihear. Behind the wall, and the rusty gate that serves as the only entrance point, sits one of Cambodia’s three medium-sized cashew nut processing factories. At 2 p.m. on a Thursday in late November last year, the road is silent under the […] todayFebruary 20, 2024 17
insert_link Africa China’s demand for Africa’s donkeys is rising. Why it’s time to control the trade Women walk with their donkeys in Ethiopia’s Amhara region. Buena Vista Images/GettyImages Lauren Johnston, South African Institute of International Affairs In recent years, there’s been a huge, rising demand for donkey hides in China, where they are used to make an ancient health-related product called ejiao. Ejiao is made from collagen that’s been extracted from donkey hides mixed with herbs and other ingredients to create medicinal and health consumer products. […] todayFebruary 20, 2024 19