Africa: Chimpanzees Ingest More Than the Equivalent of One Alcoholic Drink a Day - New Research

Drinking more than you intended may be something that many humans do, but now research is showing that a taste for alcohol is surprisingly common among animals. In fact a new study… Read more »

South Africa: South African Men May Now Take Their Wife's Surname - Why Traditional Leaders Are Upset

A unanimous Constitutional Court ruling has sparked fierce controversy by affirming the right of South African men to adopt their wives' surnames if they wish to. Read more »

South Africa: Pneumonia Vaccines for Adults Are Now Recommended Starting At Age 50 - a Geriatrician Explains the Change

Autumn brings a chill in the air - and the start of another season of respiratory illnesses, which can be especially hard for older adults. Read more »

Africa: Travel As Activism - 6 Stories of Black Women Who Refused to 'Stay Put' in Apartheid South Africa

For black people living in South Africa during apartheid, simply moving around the country was a fraught activity, let alone crossing its borders. This was especially the case for… Read more »

Nigeria: Nigeria's Plastic Waste Could Enrich the Fashion Industry - Here's How

On any street in Lagos, Abuja or Port Harcourt, you'll find abandoned plastic bottles lying around. Each year, about 2.5 million tonnes of plastic waste are produced in Nigeria and… Read more »

Uganda: Uganda Has Signed a Deal With the U.S. to Take Asylum Seekers - What's Behind It and What's At Stake

A new deal to deport asylum seekers from the US to Uganda was announced in August 2025. The full agreement, already signed by the ambassadors of the two countries at the end of… Read more »

Zimbabwe: Zimbabwean Artist Portia Zvavahera Turns Her Prayers Into Paintings

At the Boston waterfront sits the Institute of Contemporary Art, an architectural marvel that gleams against the harbour in a wealthy neighbourhood. My Uber driver, an African… Read more »

Congo-Kinshasa: Soil Erosion Is Tearing DR Congo Cities Apart - What's Causing Urban Gullies, and How to Prevent Them

In fast-growing cities like some in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), heavy rains are carving huge scars into the land. Known as urban gullies, these deep erosion channels… Read more »

Africa: Is It Ok to Sit On Public Toilet Seats?

If you're a parent or have a chronic health condition that needs quick or frequent trips to the bathroom, you've probably mapped out the half-decent public toilets in your area. Read more »

Cameroon: Paul Biya At 92 - Will Defections Weaken His Grip On Absolute Power in Cameroon?

Cameroonians go to the polls in October 2025 in what some people hoped might be a break from the country's troubled recent past. They thought that President Paul Biya (92) might… Read more »

South Africa: One in Three South Africans Have Never Heard of AI - What This Means for Policy

Artificial intelligence or AI uses computers to perform tasks that would normally have needed human intelligence. Today AI is being put to use in many aspects of everyday life,… Read more »

South Africa: Reviving South Africa's Grasslands - Eastern Cape Villagers Explain the Challenges They Face

South Africa's Eastern Cape province has several million hectares of open land in rural areas, not privately owned but held in trust by the state on behalf of communities. The… Read more »

Africa: Who's Got the Power? Studies of Male and Female Primates Show It's Not Simple

Our understanding of female-male power relationships in animals has changed over time. Evolutionary biologists once thought that male mammals held clear-cut power over females.… Read more »

Egypt: Refugee Protection in Egypt - What's Behind the Return Train to Sudan

A special train left the Egyptian capital of Cairo for Aswan, a town close to the border with southern neighbour Sudan, in July 2025. The train, publicised by the Egyptian… Read more »

Cameroon: Cameroon Could Be Turning Waste to Energy - Study Uncovers Why It's Not, and Sets Out Solutions

Many African cities still struggle with litter and garbage that is not properly disposed of. This poses serious public health risks. It attracts vectors of disease like mosquitoes… Read more »

South Africa: African Cities Aren't Doing Enough to Adapt to Climate Change - Lessons From Durban and Harare

When record-breaking rains swept through the coastal city of Durban in South Africa in April 2022, the resulting floods destroyed roads, bridges and homes. Durban's low-lying, poor… Read more »

Africa: Inequality in Africa - What Drives It, How to End It and What Some Countries Are Getting Right

The relationship between inequality and economic growth is a complex one, especially in Africa. Inequality is the result of a host of factors, including policy choices,… Read more »

Africa: Climate Change Is Fast Shrinking the World's Largest Inland Sea

Once a haven for flamingos, sturgeon and thousands of seals, fast-receding waters are turning the northern coast of the Caspian Sea into barren stretches of dry sand. In some… Read more »

Nigeria: Ansaru Terror Leaders' Arrest Is a Strategic Change for Nigeria - What Could Happen Next

Attacks by non-state armed groups are a security challenge in the Sahel, including Nigeria. Read more »

Kenya: Muslim Ritual Meets Swahili Culture At Kenya's Unique Annual Maulidi Festival

Lamu is a historic Swahili port town on an island off the northern coast of Kenya. Each year it hosts the famous Lamu Maulidi Festival, a sacred Muslim celebration, planned this… Read more »

Africa: There's a New Outbreak of Ebola in Africa. Here's What You Need to Know

The Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) has declared a new Ebola outbreak in Kasai Province. It's caused by the most severe strain: Zaire Ebola virus. Read more »

Malawi: Malawi Can End Hunger After the 2025 Elections If Bold Steps Are Taken to Transform Food Systems

Malawi has a history of peaceful democratic transitions. Since the advent of multiparty politics in 1994, power has regularly shifted between rival parties. Citizens and… Read more »

South Africa: Hunger Among South African Students - Study Shows Those Studying Remotely Need Financial Aid for Food

The spectre of food insecurity unfortunately haunts many households in South Africa. Read more »

Kenya: We Created a Support Programme for Schools in Nairobi's Informal Settlements - What We Learned

Access to school is considered to be better for children who live in urban areas than in rural areas in countries such as Kenya. But research shows that this access doesn't… Read more »

Angola: Angolans Are Fed Up With Broken Promises - Why the Ruling MPLA Keeps Stalling Local Elections

Weeks of protests in July 2025 in Angola left 30 dead and hundreds imprisoned. Sparked by a hike in fuel prices, the outcome of a governmental effort to reduce subsidies, the… Read more »