December 20
Cameroon: Museum of the Bamoun Kings - Ancient Treasures From Cameroon Find a Spectacular New Home
One of the most significant African museum openings of 2024 was the Musée des Rois Bamoun, or Museum of the Bamoun Kings, in Foumban, Cameroon. Read more »
December 19
Zimbabwe: Death Penalty - How Zimbabwe Reached the Point of Abolition - Podcast
Zimbabwe is on the cusp of abolishing the death penalty after its Death Penalty Abolition Bill was approved by the Senate on December 12. The bill is now sitting on the desk of… Read more »
Africa: 6 Best African Sci-Fi and Fantasy Books to Read This Holiday
Science fiction, fantasy, horror and other forms of speculative fiction are breathing new life into African writing. International awards, TV deals, new publishing imprints, a… Read more »
December 18
South Africa: Bad Gift Ideas - Ferrets and Other Exotic Wild Mammals As Pets
As the festive season approaches, the demand for pets as holiday gifts tends to spike. People can be drawn to exotic or unique animals, hoping to surprise their loved ones with… Read more »
December 17
Africa: Bottlenose Dolphins Smile At Each Other When They Play - New Study Reveals How and Why
Dolphins have an irresistible charm for people. They are extremely playful at all ages and often play alone, surfing the waves, leaping into the air, performing flips and striking… Read more »
December 16
Mali: Learning from the Withdrawals of UN Peacekeeping Missions in Mali and the DRC
The host countries of two of the United Nations' flagship peacekeeping missions recently demanded their withdrawal. This development raises questions about whether such missions… Read more »
Africa: Black Adults With Long Covid Report Higher Levels of Hopelessness and Suicidal Thoughts - New Research
Black adults living with long COVID pointed to challenges with their physical health - rather than their mental health - when asked to describe their long-COVID symptoms. That is… Read more »
Africa: Planning a Holiday? 3 Ways to Reduce Your Carbon Footprint
These holidays, planet Earth looks likely to be hotter than ever before. Research found that in 2024, global temperatures temporarily rose 1.5°C higher than the average from… Read more »
December 13
South Africa: South Africa Wants to Make Alcohol More Expensive. Why It's a Good Idea - Health Economist
The harmful use of alcohol causes approximately 3 million deaths every year. Read more »
South Africa: South Africa's Low-Cost Housing Model Is Broken - Study Suggests How to Fix It
The backlog of subsidised public housing in South Africa is estimated at 2.4 million. In this interview, Hlengiwe Maila, a research fellow at the School of Public Management and… Read more »
Africa: Brain Inflammation May Be the Reason Behind Muscle Fatigue After Infection and Injury
Infectious or chronic diseases such as long COVID, Alzheimer's disease and traumatic brain injury can cause inflammation in the brain, or neuroinflammation, that weakens muscles.… Read more »
Africa: Ebola - How a Vaccine Turned a Terrifying Virus Into a Preventable Disease
The Ebola virus devastated west Africa in 2014, claiming over 11,000 lives in Sierra Leone, Liberia and Guinea. Read more »
Botswana: Women in Botswana Make Up 54% of Voters, but Less Than 10% of Parliament - Political Parties Can Change That
There's a question that has consistently gripped Botswana's politics: bomme ba kae? (where are the women?). It became even more urgent with the country's 2024 general elections. Read more »
December 12
Africa: Vaccines and Values - When You're Having a Tough Conversation About Medicine, Don't Just Pile On Evidence - Listen to Someone's 'Moral Foundations'
It's that special time of year when family and friends come together to celebrate the holidays, share meals, spread cheer - and, too often, pass along their germs. Read more »
Africa: How to Catch a Supernova Explosion Before It Happens - and What We Can Learn From It
Stars are born, live and die in spectacular ways, with their deaths marked by one of the biggest known explosions in the Universe. Like a campfire needs wood to keep burning, a… Read more »
Africa: Rising Desertification Shows We Can't Keep Farming With Fossil Fuels
Three-quarters of Earth's land has become drier since 1990. Read more »
Africa: Hippos Have Been Neglected By Scientists - That's Why We're Building Africa's First Hippo Database
Compared with Africa's other big animals, hippos have been relatively neglected in scientific research. Partly, this is because they're hard to study and dangerous to encounter. Read more »
Cameroon: Freemasons, Homosexuals and Corrupt Elites in Cameroon - Inside an African Conspiracy Theory
An unusual and fascinating new book has been written by two anthropologists, called Conspiracy Narratives from Postcolonial Africa: Freemasonry, Homosexuality, and Illicit… Read more »
South Africa: Who Owns the Traditional 'Family Home' in South Africa? Court Sets a New Precedent, but the Law Remains Murky
A recent ruling by the Johannesburg high court in South Africa has put the definition and control of the "family house" under African customary law under the spotlight. The ruling… Read more »
Uganda: Counting Uganda's Lions - We Found That Wildlife Rangers Do a Better Job Than Machines
Lions are a symbol of Africa's last wild places. It's a species central to many of the continent's cultures and religions. But lion populations have reportedly declined over the… Read more »
Africa: Historic Climate Change Advisory - What the Case Before the International Court of Justice Might Mean
The International Court of Justice, the world's highest court, held hearings in mid-December 2024 on the legal obligations that governments have under international law to protect… Read more »
Africa: The African Union Has a Poor Record of Protecting Democracy. 2024 Was No Different
The chairperson of the African Union Commission, Moussa Faki Mahamat, has congratulated the military-led government of Gabon on a successful constitutional referendum. General… Read more »
Africa: Climate Projects Take 'Invisible' Care Work for Granted - Why This Needs to Change
Care work forms the often invisible infrastructure of all life. It is largely carried out by women and other marginalised groups, and it holds up communities and societies. It can… Read more »
South Africa: Sugarcane Trash Can Produce Energy - What South Africa's Small Farmers Need to Make This Happen
Bioenergy - the renewable energy derived from plant and animal waste products - is largely ignored in South Africa. Solar energy, wind power, and green hydrogen attract most… Read more »
December 11
Africa: Cat Videos and Wild Caracals - How the Internet's Viral Trends Can Help Conservation
Have you recently opened YouTube or TikTok and immediately gone looking for cat videos? If your answer is "yes", then you're not alone: the global consumption of cat-related media… Read more »
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