Cancer incidence in South Africa expected to double; it’s still viewed as disease for the elderly and whites
The Cancer Alliance, made up of civil society and NGO partners and advocates, has released its Cost of Cancer report looking at the challenges for this decade, reports The Maverick Citizen, an online investigative publication. The newspaper reports that it is the first time that such comprehensive data sets have...
Low Covid morbidity in children: They seem to have an innate response that’s ‘revved up and ready to go’
Early last year, children’s hospitals across New York City had to pivot to deal with a catastrophic Covid-19 outbreak. “We all had to quickly learn – or semi-learn – how to take care of adults,” says Betsy Herold, a paediatric infectious-disease physician who heads a virology laboratory at the Albert...
Nigeria’s Zamfara state endures telephone blackout as military battles armed gangs
Mobile telephone networks were shut down in the north-western Nigerian state of Zamfara, residents have reported after authorities ordered a telecoms blackout to help armed forces tackle armed gangs of kidnappers terrorising the area. Two residents of Zamfara, reached by phone after they travelled to neighbouring Sokoto State, said their...
Ousted Guinea president Alpha Konde was victim of democracy eating its defenders and abusers
Guinea President Alpha Condé’s already tarnished democratic credentials took a further hit last year when he tweaked the country’s constitution to extend his decade in power. Now he has become the latest casualty of a wave of military takeovers sweeping a region that looked to have shed its “coup-belt” moniker....
Rejected ammunition request may have jettisoned Guinea president out of power
In 2016, Mamady Doumbouya, a commander in the Guinean army, asked his superiors if he could have ammunition to train his troops in marksmanship. He never received it, he said, because they feared he would use the rounds to launch a coup. Five years on, Doumbouya did just that. On...
Nairobi’s $45 billion new Athi River Smart Green City to house two million people upon completion
Nairobi’s dispersion to the outlying areas took another turn towards the decongestion and modernisation last month following the approval of development of a smart city project in Athi River, some 30 kilometres southeast of the Kenyan capital’s central business district. The project will cost a total of Ksh5 trillion ($45...
Job references: They’re mostly ghost-written, always glowing but often meaningless
Five years into my research career, I have a folder on my computer that will be familiar to many scientists: a place where I store 30 or so letters of recommendation I have written. These aren’t recommendation letters for others, but for myself – requested by academics and colleagues whom...
South Africa Airways ready to resume domestic, continental flights on September 23
South African Airways (SAA) interim CEO Thomas Kgokolo says the airline is moving into a new era. Kgokolo made the comments when he was addressing Parliament’s Portfolio Committee on Public Enterprises on the expected restart of the airline and on other matters concerning its subsidiaries. SAA is expected to resume...
Ronaldo won’t earn Man United EPL title, it’s Lukaku and Chelsea’s to lose, maybe to Man City
Cristiano Ronaldo is undoubtedly the signing of the summer in the Premier League. Obviously, I was happy for my friend Jack Grealish getting his record-breaking move to Manchester City, but it’s Ronaldo. Nothing tops his move back to Manchester United. He is 36, but make no mistake. He is still...
Fight for gloves on at Arsenal as new goalkeeper attempts to push aside regular for starting berth
Arsenal summer signing Aaron Ramsdale has told friends he expects to start the club’s next Premier League match ahead of Bernd Leno, according to reports. The Gunners will be desperate to secure their first win of the season on September 11 when newly-promoted Norwich City visit the Emirates. Arsenal have...
