March 04
Africa: Iran War Fallout for the Red Sea and the Horn of Africa - Political Analyst Weighs Up the Risks
The death of Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, Iran's supreme leader, in March 2026 marks the end of a political era in the Middle Eastern country. Khamenei was killed in US and Israeli… Read more »
March 03
Africa: What Is Happiness? a Philosopher Looks for Answers
When we seek happiness, what exactly are we searching for? And when we wish happiness on someone else, what is it that we truly desire for them? Read more »
Africa: Obesity Is On the Rise in Africa - 5 Essential Reads On What to Do
Obesity - which the World Health Organization classifies as a disease - is not just an individual issue; it is shaped by the systems people live in. Research shows that… Read more »
March 02
Africa: Biometric IDs Are Being Rolled Out in Africa. Study Reveals the Risks and Pitfalls
Across Africa, governments are introducing digital systems that use individuals' unique physical measurements to identify them. These systems collect citizens' biometric and… Read more »
February 28
Africa: When Floods Hit, the Risk of Malaria Follows - How Disaster Systems Can Prepare Better
When floods sweep through southern Africa, the most visible damage is immediate: homes washed away, crops destroyed, clinics disrupted, families displaced. These images dominate… Read more »
Africa: Trump's Tariffs Have Gutted AGOA's Duty-Free Promise - Our Model Shows How
The African Growth and Opportunity Act (Agoa) was introduced in 2000 as the cornerstone of US development-oriented trade policy towards sub-Saharan Africa. It was designed to grant… Read more »
February 19
Africa: Fish Use More Energy to Stay Still Than Previously Thought
Many fish appear to hang effortlessly in the water while they wait for prey, defend a nest or pause between bursts of activity. But our research shows that this quiet stillness is… Read more »
February 27
Africa: A Virus Hiding Inside Bacteria May Help Explain Colorectal Cancer
The gut bacterium Bacteroides fragilis has long presented researchers with a paradox. It has been associated with colorectal cancer, yet it also lives quite happily in most healthy… Read more »
February 23
Africa: Scrapping Business Class Could Halve Aviation Emissions - New Study
Air travel is famously one of the hardest sectors to decarbonise, and the number of air passengers keeps increasing. Electric planes and "sustainable" aviation fuels are still a… Read more »
February 26
Africa: Dance Scenes in South African Rock Art - a Closer Look At Ritual, Music and Movement
Rock art is widespread across southern Africa and includes a wide range of depictions such as human figures, animals, dots, handprints, and other painted or engraved imagery on… Read more »
February 25
Africa: Disability and Access to Justice in Four African Countries - Strong Laws, Weak in Practice
South Africa has a reputation as one of the most progressive countries on the African continent when it comes to disability rights. Read more »
February 24
Africa: Ivermectin Was Touted As a Cure for Covid, Now It's Being Tested for Cancer. but What Can It Actually Treat?
Ivermectin was originally celebrated as a revolutionary treatment for parasitic disease in humans and animals. It has since evolved into a focal point of misinformation and heated… Read more »
Africa: Africa's Militaries Have Always Relied On Imported Weapons - Why a Shift to Homegrown Defence Is Now Under Way
Africa's militaries are built on imported power. Foreign countries such as China, Russia, the United States, Turkey and France dominate Africa's weapons market. Between them they… Read more »
February 23
Africa: Can African Penguins Be Brought Back From the Brink? Better Designed No-Fishing Zones Could Help
South Africa is home to 88% of the world's colonies of African penguins (Spheniscus demersus). The species is classified as Critically Endangered by the International Union for… Read more »
February 22
Africa: Africa's Public Finances Are in a Mess - a New Book Explains Why and What to Do
Public finance, or how governments at all levels raise and allocate money, is in evidence everywhere you look. That pothole destroying your car. The health clinic without medicine.… Read more »
Africa: Killer Beetles in the Baobabs - Researcher Warns of Risk to African Trees
Baobabs aren't supposed to fall. They can live for up to 2,500 years. Famous for their resilience, these huge trees have stood tall across Africa, weathering droughts and winds… Read more »
February 20
Africa: From the Editor - How to Make the Conversation a Preferred Source On Google
There's a lot of dodgy and divisive content online. But now there's a way to choose something better. Google recently launched a new feature that allows you to nominate which… Read more »
February 19
Africa: Should South Africa Use the Army to Fight Gangs? the Short Answer Is No
When President Cyril Ramaphosa announced the deployment of the South African National Defence Force to the provinces of Gauteng and the Western Cape in his 2026 State of the Nation… Read more »
Africa: African Union - How Does It Make a Difference in Everyday Life and What Would Happen If It Didn't Exist?
The African Union held its 39th Assembly of Heads of State and Government in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, in February 2026. The two-day assembly produced the usual number of decisions… Read more »
February 16
Africa: Economists and Environmental Scientists See the World Differently - Here's Why That Matters
Imagine someone has chronic pain. One doctor focuses on the body part that hurts and keeps trying to fix that single symptom. Another uses a more comprehensive brain-body approach… Read more »
February 17
Africa: Too Little, Too Concentrated - Why AI Start-up Funding in Africa Needs Rethinking
One year after the AI Summit in Paris, the international community will meet again this week in New Delhi for the Global Summit on Artificial Intelligence, whose objective will… Read more »
Africa: Coffee Crops Are Dying From a Fungus With Species-Jumping Genes - Researchers Are 'Resurrecting' Their Genomes to Understand How and Why
For anyone who relies on coffee to start their day, coffee wilt disease may be the most important disease you've never heard of. This fungal disease has repeatedly reshaped the… Read more »
Africa: Snakebites - How to Avoid Them and What to Do If You're Bitten
Imagine walking into tall grass or working barefoot in a field ... and suddenly feeling sharp pain on your foot. You've just been bitten by a snake. This is more than a moment of… Read more »
February 16
Africa: How Vaccines Give Our Immune Systems a Home Advantage
We are now approaching six years since COVID-19 was declared a pandemic by the World Health Organization, yet talk of vaccines and our immune systems persists in our cultural… Read more »
February 15
Africa: Climate Change Could Expose 1.1 Billion People to Hunger By 2100 (But There's Good News Too) - AI Modelling Study
More than 295 million people globally experienced hunger and starvation in 2025 because of conflict, displacement, climate change and economic disasters. Read more »
