insert_link Africa Tanzania’s political parties have few women in leadership and candidate lists: some solutions By Victoria Melkisedeck Lihiru, The Open University of Tanzania Tanzania, in keeping with global political trends, reserves 30% of seats in parliament for women. These so-called special seats were introduced with multiparty politics in 1992, in response to the low numbers of women elected to positions of power. There were only eight elected female parliamentarians after the first multiparty elections in 1995. Ten years later, 17 […] todayMay 14, 2024 8
insert_link Africa Wildlife traffickers carried on their illegal trade during COVID lockdown – what legal traders can learn from their resilience By Annette Hübschle, University of Cape Town and Meredith Gore, University of Maryland The world literally stopped during the COVID-19 pandemic. But while countries locked down to keep coronavirus at bay, wildlife traffickers carried on their illegal activities. Global risk governance and criminology academics Annette Hübschle and Meredith Gore studied the traffickers’ methods and share lessons from their resilience. How did wildlife traffickers continue their […] todayMay 14, 2024 8
Africa From eco-friendly roofing and waste collection to AI-powered healthcare and farming, 2024 Africa Prize for Engineering Innovation finalists revealed Four innovators from Kenya, Côte d'Ivoire and Uganda have been selected from a shortlist of 16 to compete for the £50,000 Africa Prize in its tenth anniversary year · Their innovations address recycling in construction, AI tools for healthcare and farming, and reengineered waste collection · The three runners up will each receive £15,000, and a £5,000 prize – titled ‘One to Watch’ – will be awarded to […] todayMay 14, 2024 10
insert_link Africa Subsea cable cut causes Internet slowdown in East Africa Several countries in East Africa including Kenya are experiencing slow internet connections after at least one sub-sea cable serving the region was cut. Ben Roberts, group chief technology and innovation officer at Liquid Intelligent Technologies told Bloomberg Africa, “One of the subsea cables seems cut 45 kilometers north of Durban, is causing the internet to be sluggish.” todayMay 13, 2024 7
insert_link Africa Africa Tech Summit London Announces 15 Ventures for the 2024 Investment Showcase at London Stock Exchange on June 7th Africa Tech Summit (ATS) London will celebrate the eighth edition at the London Stock Exchange on June 7th, 2024, and is thrilled to announce the 15 tech ventures that will join the ATS Investment Showcase 2024. The ATS London Investment Showcase provides ventures with the opportunity to present their businesses to leading African tech investors, corporates, and industry stakeholders in attendance from Europe, USA and Africa. The […] todayMay 13, 2024 7
Africa How BAL’S Sahara conference action is unfolding in Dakar via bird story agency As BAL’s Sahara Conference gets underway at the Dakar Arena in Senegal, the first round saw professional basketball clubs from Senegal, Rwanda, Nigeria, and Tunisia vying for direct playoff berths. Nigeria’s Rivers Hoopers are topping conference standings with a commanding third consecutive victory in the group stage. Their latest triumph, an 84-63 win over Tunisia’s US Monastir, follows a hard-fought 86-82 triumph […] todayMay 13, 2024 6
insert_link Africa Malawi’s school kids are using tablets to improve their reading and maths skills By Nicola Pitchford, University of Nottingham Malawi introduced free primary education in 1994. This has significantly improved access to schooling. However, the country – which is one of the poorest in the world – still faces a high learning poverty rate of 87%. Learning poverty is a measure of a child’s inability to meet minimum proficiency in reading, numeracy and other skills at the primary school level. […] todayMay 13, 2024 4
insert_link Africa Madagascar’s ancient baobab forests are being restored by communities – with a little help from AI By Seheno Andriantsaralaza, Université d’Antananarivo Six of the world’s eight baobab species are indigenous to Madagascar, where the distinctive trees with giant trunks have historically grown in huge forests. But these forests are threatened by slash-and-burn agriculture – 4,000 hectares of baobab forest in Madagascar are destroyed every year. Baobab trees can live for 1,000 years and one hectare of land can support eight […] todayMay 13, 2024 15
insert_link Africa Female genital mutilation is on the rise in Africa: disturbing new trends are driving up the numbers By Tamsin Bradley, University of Portsmouth Thirteen-year-old Salamatu Jalloh had her whole future to look forward to. But in January 2023, her lifeless body was found wrapped in a pink and blue shroud on an earthen floor in a village in north-west Sierra Leone. Salamatu and two other girls bled to death after participating in a secret Bondo society initiation into womanhood. The ceremony, which […] todayMay 13, 2024 10
Paying it forward: Kenyan coastal doctor Bashrahil Mohammed Mafudh has made it his life’s work to care for the most vulnerable in his community, at no cost.
