A motorbike-sized meteorite shows how African collaboration can uniquely contribute to space science

A motorbike-sized meteorite shows how African collaboration can uniquely contribute to space science

By Bonface Orucho, bird story agency On Sunday, August 25, A meteorite lit the skies of South Africa’s Eastern Cape, peppering the region with rock fragments. Some were found as far as Kirkwood, over 100 km from St Francis where others were spotted. Initially mistaken for space debris, the motorcycle-sized object streaked across the sky on Sunday morning around 9 am, emitting a bright light as it […]

September 4, 2024 15

Namibia

Two-thirds of the world now online

Global screen time has reached an all-time high this year, with over two-thirds of the world's population (5.44 billion people) online. Most internet users, according to a report by the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, mainly search for information (60.3%) and connect with family and friends (56.8%), while streaming services like Netflix and Amazon Prime are also widely used (77.1%). South Africa leads with the highest daily screen […]

September 2, 2024 11

Africa

TikTok Announces Industry-First Sub-Saharan Africa Safety Advisory Council

TikTok is taking major steps to boost safety on its platform across Sub-Saharan Africa with the launch of its inaugural Safety Advisory Council and the expansion of its #SaferTogether community education campaign. By partnering with key stakeholders, including policymakers, members from academia, NGOs, and community leaders, TikTok aims to foster a collaborative approach to ensuring a secure and positive platform environment. This announcement was made at TikTok's Safety Summit […]

August 22, 2024 61

Opinion Pieces

Social media: Disinformation expert offers 3 safety tips in a time of fake news and dodgy influencers

Boniface Muthoni/SOPA Images/LightRocke By Fabrice Lollia, Université Gustave Eiffel Social networks have revolutionised the way we communicate, stay informed and share moments of our daily lives. We use platforms like Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and TikTok to keep in touch with our friends and family, share our experiences, keep informed, and express our opinions. But beyond these personal and often superficial uses, social networks play a much more complex […]

August 9, 2024 16

Science & Technology

Starliner astronauts may be stuck in space until 2025

Two NASA astronauts who piloted Boeing's Starliner spacecraft into orbit may not be able to return to earth until 2025. They have already been in space for seven weeks longer than planned. Nick Harper reports.

August 8, 2024 26

Africa

Data protection is poor for African farmers who use digital services: Kenya and Ghana cases highlight gaps

By Heike Baumüller, University of Bonn and Bezawit Beyene Chichaibelu, University of Bonn Across Africa, agricultural producers are turning to digital solutions to get information about farming methods, market access or financial services. By 2022, there were 666 of these solutions operating on the continent, the highest number among all low- and medium-income regions. Advances in digital devices, such as smartphones, sensors and satellites, connected through the internet […]

August 7, 2024 47

Health / Medical

W.H.O Alert Says COVID-19 making worrying comeback

Covid-19 infections are on the rise worldwide and the World Health Organisation says it is unlikely to decline anytime soon. The UN health agency has sounded the alarm bells following several reported cases at the Olympics. More than 40 athletes at the 2024 Paris Olympics have tested positive for Covid-19. Jody Jacobs reports from the United Nations in New York.

August 7, 2024 33

Local

West African talent is ready to embrace reskilling amid GenAI advances.

Three-quarters of workers around the world believe GenAI will bring some level of disruption to the workplace. Despite uncertain times, they remain confident about their place in the labour market with 75% of Nigerians and Ghanaians willing to be retrained in any case and 23% if necessary to stay ahead in their careers. Seventy-four percent of Nigerians and 73% of Ghanaians feel they hold the upper hand when negotiating […]

August 6, 2024 16

Namibia

Telecom Namibia operationalises Equiano sub-sea cable

Telecom Namibia has activated the Equiano sub-sea cable to strengthen Internet connectivity with higher bandwidth and lower latency. Boasting 12 fiber pairs and a design capacity of 144 Tbps, the cable offers 20 times the capacity of existing connections between Europe and Southern Africa. An economic impact assessment predicts a 7.5% increase in internet penetration in Namibia by 2025. The telecommunications service provider, marked 32 years of national service, by […]

July 31, 2024 45