February 22, 2023
Africa: Rock Art As African History - What Religious Images Say About Identity, Survival and Change
To "read" the history of times before writing, scholars have traditionally used excavated evidence. Remains like dwellings, burials and pots can reveal a lot about how people lived… Read more »
Rwanda: Over 90% of Rwandans Have Health Insurance - the Health Minister Tells an Expert What Went Right
In 2015 the United Nations General Assembly adopted universal health coverage as one of the sustainable development goals. The aim of universal health coverage is to ensure that… Read more »
Nigeria: Bola Tinubu - Nigeria's Kingmaker Who Wants to Be King
Bola Ahmed Tinubu, presidential candidate of the ruling All Progressives Congress in Nigeria, holds two traditional titles: Asiwaju of Lagos and Jagaban of the Borgu kingdom in… Read more »
Nigeria: Bola Tinubu - the Kingmaker Is Now Nigeria's President-Elect
Bola Ahmed Tinubu, of the ruling All Progressives Congress in Nigeria, has been declared winner of the country's keenly contested presidential election. Read more »
Africa: We Can Learn a Lot About Long Covid From Years of Diagnosing and Treating Chronic Fatigue Syndrome
Long COVID reportedly affects about 10% of post-COVID patients, and describes a range of ongoing or new symptoms three months post-infection. Read more »
Nigeria: Presidential Elections - Alarm Over Violence and Security Likely to Drive Vote
With Nigeria's presidential elections slated for Saturday 25 February, the country's independent electoral commission's offices have suffered several attacks in recent weeks.… Read more »
Africa: ChatGPT Has Many Uses. Experts Explore What This Means for Healthcare and Medical Research
The sanctity of the doctor-patient relationship is the cornerstone of the healthcare profession. This protected space is steeped in tradition - the Hippocratic oath, medical… Read more »
Nigeria: Nigeria Heads to the Polls - 5 Essential Reads About the Elections
Nigerians go to the polls on 25 February to elect a new president, vice-president, 109 members of the Senate and 360 members of the Federal House of Representatives. Eighteen… Read more »
Nigeria: Nigerian Elections Are Crowded With Candidates - Use This New Tool to Decide Who to Vote for in Your Area
Eighteen political parties are contesting for Nigeria's presidential elections scheduled for 25 February. Yes, 18 parties. But that's not the highest number of parties in Nigeria's… Read more »
February 21, 2023
Southern Africa: Cyclones in Southern Africa - Five Essential Reads
Tropical cyclone Freddy was, on 21 February 2023, bearing down on Mauritius and Madagascar. Mauritius grounded flights and, news agency Reuters reported, emergency teams in four… Read more »
Africa: Four Habits of Happy People - As Recommended By a Psychologist
What makes you happy? Maybe it's getting up early to see the sunrise, hanging out with family and friends on a weekend, or going for a dip in the sea. But what does science say… Read more »
Nigeria: Nigeria's Natural Resources Are Under Threat - Urgent Steps a New President Must Take
By the end of May 2023 Nigeria will have a new president following February's elections. Read more »
Africa: Three in Five Long Covid Patients Have Organ Damage a Year After Infection
The latest data from the Office for National Statistics suggests that more than 1.2 million people in the UK report living with long COVID for 12 months or more. Read more »
South Africa: South Africa and Israel - New Memorial Park in the Jewish State Highlights Complex History
Israeli officials and Jewish South African activists inaugurated a memorial park in Tel Mond, a city north of Tel Aviv, in November 2022. Gan Siyabonga (We Thank You Garden)… Read more »
South Africa: Is Psychological Grit Over-Rated As the Key to Retention in Distance Education?
Psychological grit has garnered a lot of interest in the last decade, particularly in the higher education arena. It's typically defined as passion and perseverance for long-term… Read more »
February 20, 2023
Africa: We Got Some Key Things Wrong About Long Covid. Here Are 5 Things We've Learnt
In late 2020 as we hid from COVID, we started to hear that in some people, COVID symptoms persisted for months. They were called "long haulers" or had "long COVID". Read more »
West Africa: Violent Extremism Is Rising in the Sahel, but Not in Chad - What's Different?
Since the rise of Boko Haram in Nigeria and the emergence of Islamist-Salafist groups in northern Mali in 2013, the Sahel has increasingly been caught in the maelstrom of Islamist… Read more »
Ghana: Ghana Wants Fewer Polluting Old Cars On the Road. but It's Going About It the Wrong Way
Used vehicles contribute greatly to transport emissions, undermining public health and the environment. In the US, Europe and parts of Asia, clunkers programmes - exchanging older,… Read more »
February 19, 2023
South Africa: Paul Mashatile Is Set to Become South Africa's Deputy President - What He Brings to the Table
South Africa is set to have a new deputy president in Paul Shipokosa Mashatile, the deputy president of the governing African National Congress (ANC). He'll replace the incumbent,… Read more »
South Africa: South Africa Has a New Deputy President in Paul Mashatile - What He Brings to the Table
South Africa has a new deputy president in Paul Shipokosa Mashatile, the deputy president of the governing African National Congress (ANC). He'll replace the incumbent, David… Read more »
Africa: We Pitted ChatGPT Against Tools for Detecting AI-Written Text, and the Results Are Troubling
As the "chatbot wars" rage in Silicon Valley, the growing proliferation of artificial intelligence (AI) tools specifically designed to generate human-like text has left many… Read more »
Nigeria: Gender Equality in Nigeria - Three Reasons Why Women Aren't Represented in Politics
In March 2022, Nigerian women suffered backlash in their pursuit of gender equity. Five gender bills presented to the National Assembly were thrown out. Read more »
February 17, 2023
Africa: I Bonded With Covid Vaccine Sceptics Over Saunas and Mother Earth Rituals - This Is What They Taught Me
I was standing in a forest at night, by a dark lake taking part in a Mother Earth ritual. Shaman drums echoed between the cliffs. The witch leading the ritual suddenly encouraged… Read more »
Africa: Africa's Agribusiness Sector Should Drive the Continent's Economic Development - Five Reasons Why
Africa's agriculture sector accounts for about 35% of the continent's gross domestic product, and provides the livelihood of more than 50% of the continent's population. These… Read more »
Africa: Installing a Backup Power Supply - Electrical Engineers Answer Your Questions
South Africa's electricity utility Eskom has made it clear that "loadshedding" - rolling scheduled power cuts - isn't going to end any time soon. This reality, and President Cyril… Read more »