Uganda describes as ‘unfair and wrong’ ICJ ruling compelling Kampala to pay DRC $325 in reparations
Uganda said on Thursday it considered as “unfair and wrong” an International Court of Justice ruling asking it to pay $325 million in reparations to the Democratic Republic of Congo for its role in conflicts in Congo’s resource-rich Ituri province. In Wednesday’s ruling, the court said Uganda must pay the...
South Africa records drop in crime incidence in years, Covid lockdown may in part explain the reason
The annual crime statistics for 2020-21, released by Police Minister Bheki Cele in December, shows drops in virtually all types of violent crime in south Africa. Crimes related to property ownership have also decreased. For reasons probably related to the Covid-19 lockdown, murders recorded by the South African Police Service...
A $25-million African radio telescope to be built in Namibia is Africa’s first millimetre-range radio facility
Astronomers across Africa and Europe have reacted with delight to news that Africa’s first millimetre-range radio telescope is to be built. The Africa Millimetre Telescope will fill a gap in the coverage of the Event Horizon Telescope (EHT), a global network of telescopes that can receive and analyse radio waves...
Did DRC President Tshisekedi hatch own ‘aborted coup’ before flying out to African Union meeting in Ethiopia?
There are conflicting reports that a second coup attempt in as many months to oust the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) President Felix Tshisekedi was on Sunday foiled after a senior military officer tipped off the president before he flew out to Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, to chair the African Union...
Age should not be a barrier to pursuing a PhD: Nutritionist in Kenya shares advice for prospective students
Rose Okoyo Opiyo is a Kenyan nutritionist at the University of Nairobi and was a panellist at a webinar held last month titled Pursuing a PhD in Africa: Bridging the gender gap. The webinar was organised by the Consortium for Advanced Research Training in Africa (CARTA), a group of research...
Senegal and Chelsea’s Edouard Mendy wins ‘keeper of tournament as he powers Lions of Teranga to African glory
An emotional Edouard Mendy said all of Senegal’s hard work had paid off after he helped his nation beat Egypt 4-2 on penalties to seal their first ever Africa Cup of Nations crown. Sadio Mane had a spot-kick saved by Egypt goalkeeper Gabaski in only the seventh minute in Yaounde,...
Banning books undermines young people’s ability to engage in meaningful and complex discussions about history and literature
Maya Mackey, an 18-year-old college freshman in Texas, said reading Toni Morrison’s “Beloved” last semester was transformative. “You can learn about the plantation system, the horrors of slavery, the generational trauma, but you’re not going to get the full impact until you actually see it on an individual level, which...
Banning books in US school libraries: ‘Education is about teaching the facts, teaching science, teaching what’s right’
Growing up in the Baltimore area, Zach Koung didn’t have many opportunities to learn about the gay-rights movement, or to read books featuring queer characters and love stories. Such topics and learning materials weren’t a part of his schools’ curricula. Koung became depressed as a teen – and, in retrospect,...
Patience ‘wearing thin’ among UK scientists as funding barriers erected by Brexit cause delays one year on
It has been just over a year since UK scientists celebrated a long-awaited trade deal between their government and the European Commission that defines their relationship after Brexit. After years of uncertainty, researchers welcomed the pact, which had wide ranging effects on science, including on data regulation, nuclear and space...
In ever-widening tempest of climate change, Haiti cries out for support to end hunger-related human strife
Yet even before the 2010 earthquake, farmers in Haiti had “no financial back-up, no technology, no education”, says Fritz Alphonse Jean, president of the Haitian Public Policy Institute (INHOPP) and a former governor of the Haitian Central Bank (BRH). “If you look at the credit allocated to the agricultural sector...
