Open democracy or people’s convention: World must start thinking about options
In the run up to the 2020 elections in the US, ProCon.org reminded the electorate of the role of politic parties in deciding who should lead them. The organisation reminded voters that “political parties are groups of individuals organised for the purpose of electing candidates to public office.” Notably, the...
Choices and consequences: Has democracy lost allure, replaced by jungle law?
Voter apathy to political parties – and be extension elections – is approaching universal status with quite a number of countries that were once regarded as bastions of democracy hardly able to hold out a candle to those still in the formative stages of competitive politics. In Kenya, political organisations...
First billion Covid jabs reached, but Blacks account for only a small fraction
The world has reached the milestone of administering one billion doses of COVID-19 vaccines, just four months after the World Health Organization (WHO) approved the first vaccine for emergency use, and roll-outs began in countries such as the United States and the United Kingdom. The speed at which they have...
Fully vaccinated Americans can venture outdoors minus masks – Biden’s adviser
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has unveiled updated guidelines detailing activities that vaccinated people can safely resume, including attending small outdoor gatherings without the need to wear a mask. The new “interim public health recommendations” released early in the week detail a variety of situations in which...
Malaria vaccines raise hopes as they reach critical trial phase of trumping the disease
A vaccine against malaria has shown promise in early clinical trials, raising hopes that it might one day prove to be an effective weapon against one of the world’s biggest killers of children. In a trial in 450 children aged 5-17 months, the vaccine, called R21, was up to 77...
Hard Covid lessons lead to historic funding boom for US National Science Foundation
US officials are discussing whether the National Science Foundation (NSF), which funds about 25 per cent of all basic academic research in the country, should get a historic budget boost, potentially changing the US science landscape. During congressional hearings last week, legislators evaluated proposals that would increase the agency’s funding...
Can your general lifestyle really affect your success in work or business?
Entrepreneurs change the world and create the future. They focus their energies on solving problems, improving things around them and making a positive impact on peoples’ lives everywhere. To do this, most genuine entrepreneurs embody several characteristics that help them align their lives around this pursuit – to be in...
Predominantly White institutions are reluctant to hire Blacks and Hispanics
Members of minority ethnic groups have made only modest inroads into US science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) positions in recent years, according to an analysis of nearly 20 million people. The analysis was conducted by the Pew Research Center, a non-profit organisation in Washington DC, and used data collected...
World polluters recommit to Climate Change with revised carbon targets
Leading carbon-di-oxide emitters in the world have announced ambitious climate change targets to address the escalating global emergency. The United States, Japan, Canada and France are some of the countries that have made their targets public as the world marked Earth Day on Thursday last week. President Joe Biden has...
Covid vaccine: It’s difficult to use available data to analyse clotting syndrome
It is clear that the risk of developing the HIT-like clotting syndrome is very low, with 86 potential cases reported in Europe out of 25 million people vaccinated as of March 22. But the exact number of cases is in flux. Researchers are relying on reports of adverse events after...
