December 22, 2023
Africa: Hollywood's First Major Black Female Superhero - How Wakanda Forever Broke the Mould
Black Panther: Wakanda Forever rewrote Hollywood's script for superhero movies. English professor Diana Adesola Mafe was recently involved in an academic roundtable that offers a… Read more »
December 21, 2023
Africa: I Have Covid. How Likely Am I to Get Long Covid?
EG.5 or the Eris COVID variant is dominant in parts of Australia. Eris, along with other circulating strains, are descendants of Omicron. Read more »
Nigeria: Nigeria's Plantain Wine - a Traditional Drink With Huge Economic Potential
Agadagidi, a wine made from plantain, is a popular drink at festive occasions in Nigeria. But it's not always of a high quality. Read more »
December 20, 2023
Africa: The Pandemic Limited Children's Ability to Socialise - Here's How to Encourage Your Child's Friendships
As many parents and teachers know, friendships can be the most important thing in the world to children and young people. And this is for good reason. Friendships are integral to… Read more »
Africa: For Many Who Are Suffering With Prolonged Grief, the Holidays Can Be a Time to Reflect and Find Meaning in Loss
The holiday season is meant to be filled with joy, connection and celebration of rituals. Many people, however, are starkly reminded of their grief this time of year and of whom -… Read more »
December 19, 2023
Africa: How Govt Payments to the Vulnerable Can Multiply to Create Economic Growth for Everyone
The economic fallout of COVID-19 left people around the world facing a significant threat to their livelihood. As governments scrambled to mitigate the pandemic's impact on their… Read more »
Nigeria: Nollywood Set New Highs in 2023 - Here Are Four of My Favourite Films of the Year
The Nigerian film industry, popularly known as Nollywood, was once seen as a mass producer of poor quality "home videos". It's now become known for increasingly slick films that… Read more »
Morocco: Morocco's Fabulous Football Year - What's Behind Their Success On and Off the Field
In 2022 Morocco became the first African and Arab national football team to reach a Fifa World Cup men's semi-final; and Wydad AC won the Africa Champions League. The good news… Read more »
December 18, 2023
Africa: mRNA Covid Vaccines Make 'Unintended Proteins' - We've Discovered How to Fix This Problem
mRNA, a type of genetic material that provides the instructions your cells need in order to make proteins, used to be a term mainly used by scientists. But since COVID arrived many… Read more »
Africa: How Technology Can Help Victims of Intimate Partner Violence
Intimate partner violence is a major public health concern. According to Statistics Canada, in 2018, 44 per cent of women experienced some form of intimate partner violence in… Read more »
Africa: Loneliness Is a Major Public Health Problem - and Young People Are Bearing the Brunt of It
Writing in the Week, journalist Theara Coleman has declared 2023 "the year of the loneliness epidemic". In May, the US surgeon general, Vivek Murthy, said loneliness posed a public… Read more »
December 17, 2023
Africa: Dermatologist Speaks Sunscreen, Even If You're Rich in Melanin
Sunburn is a sign that skin has experienced significant levels of damage. Ultraviolet light can change a person's DNA structure, which can lead to cancer. At the same time,… Read more »
Africa: Trade Rules and Climate Change - Africa Stands to Lose From Proposed WTO Policy Tools
The World Trade Organisation launched its Trade Policy Tools for Climate Action during the COP28 conference. International economic law expert Olabisi D. Akinkugbe discusses… Read more »
December 15, 2023
North Africa: The Sahara Desert Used to Be a Green Savannah - New Research Explains Why
Algeria's Tassili N'Ajjer plateau is Africa's largest national park. Among its vast sandstone formations is perhaps the world's largest art museum. Over 15,000 etchings and… Read more »
December 14, 2023
Nigeria: Nigeria's Flamboyant Aso Ebi Dressing Style Is Popular - but It's Become a Financial Burden
Aso ebi - "family uniform" - is the Yoruba custom of people dressing alike for social events. The custom is rooted in kinship (ebi), an important aspect of Yoruba social life since… Read more »
South Africa: Creative Writing Can Help Improve One's Health - a South African Study Shows How
From the beginning of recorded history, people in diverse cultures have embraced the idea that creative expression, including visual art, stories, dance and music, contributes to… Read more »
Nigeria: Black Ghosts - Noo Saro-Wiwa's New Book Is a Powerful Reflection On Africans in China
Noo Saro-Wiwa is a celebrated Nigerian-born travel writer. Her latest book is Black Ghosts. It explores, with candour and compassion, the lives of several African economic migrants… Read more »
December 13, 2023
Africa: Climate Change Risks Triggering a Spike in Infectious Disease Outbreaks - Three Reasons Why
Climate change is our planet's most immediate existential threat, and will likely only worsen for the foreseeable future. Read more »
Africa: The COP28 Climate Agreement Is a Step Backwards On Fossil Fuels
The COP28 climate summit in Dubai has adjourned. The result is "The UAE consensus" on fossil fuels. Read more »
Africa: We Followed 14 'Long Haulers' for 3 Months. Here's What They Told Us About Living With Long Covid
At least 65 million people around the world are estimated to have long COVID, which describes the continuation or development of symptoms at least three months after an initial… Read more »
Africa: African Countries At COP28 - Several Big Wins and a United Voice
African countries entered the recent COP28 negotiations on climate change in high spirits. Before this conference, in September, African government leaders, policymakers, activists… Read more »
Africa: COP28's Commitment to Transforming Farming and Food Systems Is an Insult to Africans
Globally, food systems are unsustainable: 80% of the production of food is powered by fossil fuels. The food system is responsible for over one-third of global greenhouse gas… Read more »
December 12, 2023
Somalia: Somali Pirates Are Back in Action - but a Full Scale Return Isn't Likely. Here's Why
An Iranian fishing vessel, Almeraj 1, was reportedly hijacked by Somali pirates in November 2023. According to media reports, the pirates demanded US$400,000 in ransom and… Read more »
Africa: China-Africa Relations in 2023 - Key Moments and Events to Remember
In a year when headlines have been dominated by conflict in Europe and the Middle East, and geo-economic tensions between China and the West, China-Africa relations were, in… Read more »
Madagascar: Madagascar Cave Art Hints At Ancient Connections Between Africa and Asia
Unique, prehistoric rock art drawings have been discovered in the Andriamamelo Cave in western Madagascar. Read more »