Scientists angry for failing to deliver Biden landslide win
As the possibility of a landslide victory for US presidential candidate Joe Biden vanished in the wee hours of November 4, some scientists saw the deadlocked election as a sign of their own failure to communicate the importance of science, evidence and truth to the general population.“This election is not...
Fifa Secretary General installed into world Women’s Forum Hall of Fame
Fifa Secretary General Fatma Samoura has been inducted into the International Women’s Forum (IWF) Hall of Fame in recognition of her transformative contributions to society.Fatma Samoura, who worked on United Nations projects for 21 years before becoming the first-ever African and woman to hold the role of Secretary General at...
New report shows rugby interest grew fastest in 2019
In a game-changing year for the sport, there was a significant increase in the perceived attractiveness of the sport resulting in a sharp increase in interest, inspired by the rise of women in rugby and a trail-blazing Rugby World Cup 2019 in Japan.Conducted by global measurement and data analytics industry...
Racism is baked into patent systems
In July 1999, representatives of Amazonian Indigenous groups arrived at the headquarters of the US Patent and Trademark Office in Alexandria, Virginia, to challenge a patent on the ayahuasca vine.Indigenous peoples had cultivated ayahuasca for its medicinal and other properties for generations. How could someone in the United States have...
Trump order spreads fear among government scientists
An executive order issued by US President Donald Trump has sown confusion and fear among government scientists in the country.Announced by the White House on October 21, the order creates a job category for government workers — such as scientists — that makes it easier to fire people shifted into...
ADB donates $440,000 to South Sudan and Sudan flood victims
The African Development Bank Group has approved an emergency assistance relief package of $440,000 to fund ongoing humanitarian and emergency relief efforts in areas recently hit by floods in South Sudan and Sudan.The package, from the bank’s special relief fund, will be split nearly equally between the two countries and...
Criminal gangs thirst for control of avocado trade in Kenya, southern Africa
As Kenyan fruit farmers get ready to take advantage of the expanding avocado market in China and other Far East countries, the Global Initiative Against Organised Crime warns about the emergence of the crop as a target of the criminal underworld in eastern and southern Africa. In the past six-month...
Ancient dog DNA reveals 11,000 years of canine evolution
Human history is for the dogs. The largest-ever study of ancient genomes from the animals suggests that where people went, so did their four-legged friends — to a point. The research also identified major regional shifts in human ancestry that left little mark on dog populations, as well as times...
How the next-generation bots is interfering with the US election
Social-media platforms such as Twitter were used to sow discord in the United States in the run up to the 2016 presidential election, according to a report finalised this year by the US Senate. Russian operatives used tools such as bots — automated accounts that share content — in an...
Why schools are unlikely coronavirus hotspots
Data gathered worldwide are increasingly suggesting that schools are not hotspots for coronavirus infections. Despite fears, Covid-19 infections did not surge when schools and day-care centres reopened after pandemic lockdowns eased. And when outbreaks do occur, they mostly result in only a small number of people becoming ill. However, research...
