insert_link Africa Looting of the Sudan National Museum – more is at stake than priceless ancient treasures By Mohamed Albdri Sliman Bashir, University of Khartoum Reports continue to emerge of the alleged looting of tens of thousands of artefacts from the Sudan National Museum in Khartoum. The museum, near the confluence of the White and the Blue Niles, holds a history of the region, home to ancient civilisations, temples and pyramids. But it has been caught in the crossfire in a war between the […] today10 September, 2024
insert_link Africa Mysterious African manatees inspire a growing chorus of champions By Petro Kotzé, via Mongabay As a young student, Aristide Kamla had “big plans” when he traveled to Lake Ossa in Cameroon to conduct his master’s degree fieldwork with the little-known African manatee. He was hoping for a manatee count and a management plan to come out of the expedition on the roughly 4,000-hectare (10,000-acre) lake. But securing grants was difficult for this budding researcher, so his first funder […] today10 September, 2024
insert_link Africa Tanzania investigates kidnappings of opposition figures ahead of elections Tanzania’s President Samia Suluhu Hassan has ordered an investigation into the abductions of political figures and government critics ahead of upcoming elections in the East African nation. According to Bloomberg Africa, the investigation follows the kidnapping and murder of a senior member of the main opposition Chadema party, Ally Mohamed Kibao. today9 September, 2024
insert_link Africa Sexual violence in South Africa: women share their stories about the dangers of commuting on minibus taxis Commuters getting into a minibus taxi in Johannesburg. Rich T Photo By Jarred H Martin, University of Pretoria Millions of people use minibus taxis to get around South Africa every day. These “pillars of public transport” (which are privately owned and run rather than operated by the state) account for 66.5% of all public transport on the country’s roads. The vast majority of minibus taxi commuters come from […] today9 September, 2024
insert_link Africa Rating agencies and Africa: the absence of people on the ground contributes to bias against the continent – analyst By Misheck Mutize, University of Cape Town Rating agency Fitch recently warned that the rapid spread of the mpox virus in sub-Saharan Africa could add to the fiscal pressures many countries in the region are already experiencing. The Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention and the World Health Organization have declared the latest outbreak of mpox in Africa a health emergency. An epidemic in the Democratic […] today9 September, 2024
insert_link Africa Technology classes at school can also teach skills for business and life: South African teachers share ideas PeopleImages/Getty Images By Adri Du Toit, North-West University Starting and running your own business takes hard work and a can-do attitude. Typically, entrepreneurs are the kinds of people who can identify and solve problems innovatively, are willing to take risks and learn from mistakes. But many entrepreneurs also have a set of skills that anyone can learn, and use in work and life. Examples include adaptability, problem-solving, collaboration, […] today9 September, 2024
Africa Nigerian households use a range of energy, from wood to solar – green energy planning must account for this By Dennis Gabriel Pepple, University of Leicester and Daminabo Pokubo, Nottingham Trent University Low and middle-income countries generally lack access to renewable energy and rely excessively on traditional fuels like firewood and charcoal. In these countries, 2.6 billion people depend mainly on polluting fossil fuels (for electricity) and traditional biomass fuels (such as wood or charcoal for cooking) to meet their daily energy needs. In sub-Saharan Africa, […] today9 September, 2024
insert_link Africa Kenya’s new social health insurance fund wants to improve care for mothers and babies: but it faces challenges By Boniface Oyugi, University of Kent Kenya has made strides in maternal and child health over the past decade. Preventable complications related to pregnancy still result in about 5,000 maternal deaths annually, however. I am a health economist and health policy specialist and co-author of a study of the Kenyan health system to evaluate the state of maternal care in the country. This is important because the […] today9 September, 2024
Africa Cameroon: UNESCO raises $44.5m for education During an official visit to Yaoundé, Audrey Azoulay, Director-General of UNESCO, announced the mobilisation of $44.5 million for education in Cameroon. The funds will be used to modernise school curricula and train more than 28,000 education professionals. "Cameroon has made education a priority and it was essential for UNESCO to support these efforts. Thanks to the Global Partnership for Education, today we’re mobilising $44.5 million to boost the improvements […] today9 September, 2024
