insert_link Africa Genetically modified mosquitoes and malaria in Africa: top scientist shares latest advances By Abdoulaye Diabaté Every year, mosquitoes kill more people than any other animal. According to the World Malaria Report (2023), the African continent bears the brunt of the most deadly mosquito-borne disease, malaria. Africa has 94% of the cases and 95% of the deaths. One tool that’s being considered in the fight against malaria is genetic modification. Several research projects around the world are looking to use […] today19 August, 2024
insert_link Africa Sex and alcohol in Nigeria: marketing tactics send dangerous messages to young drinkers By Emeka Dumbili, University College Dublin Nigeria has a high rate of heavy drinking among young people. One study found that 55.8% of teenagers between 15 and 19 years old had engaged in binge drinking in the past month. The World Health Organization has shown that strictly limiting alcohol advertising and reducing alcohol availability are among the most effective measures to prevent heavy alcohol consumption. But Nigeria has […] today19 August, 2024
Opinion Pieces Raising the retirement age won’t defuse China’s demographic time bomb – but mass immigration might Not boxing clever? Is there a better solution to China’s aging population? Peter Parks/AFP via Getty Images) By Dudley L. Poston Jr., Texas A&M University Chinese workers may soon have to work just a little bit longer. In late July 2024, China’s ruling Communist Party adopted a resolution that would see the country’s statutory retirement age gradually rise over the next five years. The final retirement age has not […] today15 August, 2024
insert_link Opinion Pieces Catholics are debating whether to remove paintings by a priest accused of abusing women − but let’s not confuse the artist and the art, writes an art historian Logo of the Catholic Church’s Holy Year of Mercy, 2015-2016, which was created by Marko Rupnik, atop a monument in Poland. Aw5 via Wikimedia CommonsMarko Rupnik/ Pontifical Council for Promoting New Evangelization, CC BY-NC-SA By Virginia Raguin, College of the Holy Cross Marko Rupnik, a Catholic priest, was expelled from the Jesuit order because he’d allegedly abused women. He was later accepted into the diocese in his native Slovenia. […] today15 August, 2024
insert_link Health / Medical What is mpox? A microbiologist explains what’s known about this smallpox cousin Mpox causes lesions that resemble pus-filled blisters, which eventually scab over. CDC/Getty Images By Rodney E. Rohde, Texas State University On Aug. 14, 2024, the World Health Organization declared mpox a public health emergency of international concern. There have been over 15,600 cases and over 530 deaths reported in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and neighboring countries in Africa. The disease had previously caused a global outbreak […] today15 August, 2024
insert_link Opinion Pieces US election: does it matter who is the vice-presidential pick? In Tim Walz’s case, yes By David Hastings Dunn, University of Birmingham The fanfare and publicity surrounding Tim Walz for his first fortnight as Kamala Harris’s vice-presidential pick has sparked renewed interest as to whether the second person on the ticket makes any difference when it comes to the result of the election. The conventional wisdom on the role and significance of the US vice-presidential office – in the words of Franklin […] today14 August, 2024
insert_link Health / Medical Black hairy, strawberry and geographic – what the state of your tongue can say about your health sruilk/Shutterstock By Dan Baumgardt, University of Bristol One of my grandmother’s favourite things to cook was cold pressed ox tongue, though it’s a tradition that I don’t really feel the need to continue. Have you ever seen one? Not only is it colossal, but requires a lot of faff in scrubbing, cooking and pressing, as well as removing a thick layer of skin on top before you eat […] today14 August, 2024
insert_link Opinion Pieces Olympics: 4 things South African sport tourism can learn from what went right in Paris By Brendon Knott, Cape Peninsula University of Technology If you followed the Paris 2024 Olympics broadcast, you’ll have noticed the breathtaking city backdrop to events, the festive atmosphere and active support of spectators. Touted as marking a new era, the games introduced several innovations in its planning and delivery – starting with an opening ceremony outside a stadium for the first time ever. I was fortunate to […] today13 August, 2024
insert_link Africa Stepping up youth employability for jobs and better life chances By Vera Ng’oma, Country Director, Malawi, British Council These are the kinds of success stories young Africans aspire to achieve, African governments aim to facilitate through their policies, and educational institutions strive to prepare students for them. However, as the world celebrates International Youth Day the challenges are substantial: poor educational outcomes, a shortage of relevant skills, and low job creation. Each year, at least 10 million youth […] today12 August, 2024
