Nigerian youths look for a political messiah to end police crimes, but presidential candidates won’t discuss reforms
Two years ago, Nigerian youths were taking to the streets in huge demonstrations against police brutality, triggered by the repeated deaths of young men at the hands of the Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS) – a notoriously brutal and lawless unit. What became known as #EndSARS was groundbreaking, reverberating throughout southern...
Food situation in South Sudan’s worsened by topography and government’s weak capacity to respond
Seasonal flooding is normal in South Sudan as its topography funnels in water from neighbouring countries, but the scale of the issue since 2019 has no recent precedent. Experts say it is linked to climate change and the government’s weak capacity to respond. The flooding has disrupted household production and...
8 million South Sudanese at extreme risk of dying of hunger as half the country of 12 million is fighting itself
It is just over four years since South Sudan’s main warring parties signed a peace agreement that was supposed to end a five-year civil war that killed at least 400,000 people and plunged parts of the country into famine. Yet some humanitarian indicators are now worse than they were even...
If you don’t already live in a ‘sponge city’, you will soon: Dealing with stormwater in mega urban settings
Like anything else, water is great in moderation – urbanites need it to survive, but downpours can flood streets and homes. And as you might have noticed, climate change isn’t good at moderation. A warmer atmosphere holds more moisture, supercharging storms to dump more water quicker, which can overwhelm municipal...
Experts aver they’ve failproof early warning mechanisms to detect imminent Russian nuclear attack in Ukraine
This Week, Nato is conducting its regular, long-planned nuclear strike exercise known as “Steadfast Noon” to practise deploying fighter jets used to carry nuclear weapons. And Russia is expected to conduct its own nuclear drills sometime this month – as it typically does – in reaction to Nato’s exercises. While...
Weaponisation of drones by Islamic militias, rebel groups in Africa sparks global sense of urgency to tame it
Drones have for some time been used by regular armed forces on Africa’s battlefields, such as in Ethiopia and Mali. But now they’re increasingly being deployed by terrorists – sparking a global sense of urgency. At the end of October, the United Nations (UN) Security Council Counter-Terrorism Committee will host...
How UK accidentally met its R&D target, spent $18 billion annually above threshold over the past five years
The UK government has unexpectedly met its research and development spending target – an achievement revealed by changes in how industrial investment is calculated. The adjustments were announced on September 29 in a briefing note from the UK Office for National Statistics (ONS), a non-ministerial government body. They show that...
Despite availability, WFP says most Peruvians can’t afford healthy diet due to high food prices
The United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) has warned that the food situation leaves no alternative for many Peruvians but to consume more ultra-processed foods. These are cheaper but they’re also higher in sugar, salt and saturated fats that are harmful to health, FAO says in its latest report...
UN’s FAO places Peru at the top of countries in South America with acute food insecurity
Rising prices, government mismanagement, dietary habits and an over-reliance on imported food staples and fertiliser have left half of Peruvians struggling to feed themselves, the Food and Agriculture Organization has warned. A recent report by the UN agency put the Andean country in top position in South America in terms...
Human-to-rat brain transplant success has kicked up a storm over rodents with supercharged with human-like brains
Miniature human-brain-like structures transplanted into rats can send signals and respond to environmental cues picked up by the rats’ whiskers, according to a study. This demonstration that neurons grown from human stem cells can interface with nerve cells in live rodents could lead to a way to test therapies for...