Home ownership: Mushroom farm in Kenya grows fungi on industrial scale to make affordable building materials
Building a one-bedroom unit in Nairobi using materials such as brick, timber and tin sheets typically costs up to 150,000 Kenyan shillings (about $1,000), for a simple structure, and the figure can double depending on the quality of finishes, according to estimates from builders.
Madagascar military takeover offers peek into how soldiers who lead military coups become state leaders
Former Ghanaian President Jerry Rawlings speaks at the final campaign rally for opposition presidential candidate John Atta Mills in Tema, Ghana, on December 5, 2008. credit: AP
Findings of hand and foot fossils in Turkana reinforce past discoveries that make Kenya cradle of mankind
Some of these species crossed paths, literally. A study published last year showed that Paranthropus boisei and Homo erectus left intersecting trackways of footprints in what had been a muddy lakeshore at Koobi Fora. The discovery raised intriguing questions about the relationship between the two species and any competition for resources.
Big profits, big pollution: study finds top-earning companies release the most toxic waste
A 1986 federal law requires companies that are in certain industries employ more than 10 people, and make, use or process significant amounts of certain toxic or dangerous chemicals to tell the government where those chemicals go after the company is done with them.
Evidence from refugee camps in Kenya and UK qualify ‘black markets’ symbolise resistance to oppression and subjugation
I witnessed the same thing in my research on how economies emerge and grow in refugee camps, conducted in Kakuma in Kenya. People in search of safety – from war, persecution, disaster or hunger – end up in camps with inadequate services and poor opportunities.
Scientists link catastrophic decline of honey to pesticide politics that’s driving bees to extinction
Current US pesticide risk assessment protocols fail to adequately capture the complexity of real-world exposures. Regulators primarily rely on laboratory studies of short-term, single-chemical exposures, often conducted or funded by industry. These studies typically ignore how pesticides accumulate in the environment, interact with each other, and combine with other stressors – such as climate change, disease, and habitat loss – that bees face in the field.
Madagascar revolution: A look at invincible leaders forced to flee their countries to avoid incarceration after ouster
Rebel forces overthrew Gadaffi after capturing the capital city of Tripoli forcing him to flee with a handful of loyalists. He hid for weeks amid a bloody siege by rebel forces in his hometown of Sirte, one of the last strongholds of loyalist resistance.
‘Madagascar Gen Z’ bypassed as military takes advantage of their protests to stage a coup that ousted President Rajoelina
The latest military takeover capped weeks of protests against Rajoelina and his government led by youth groups calling themselves “Gen Z Madagascar.” The protesters, who also included labour unions and civic groups, have demanded better government and job opportunities, echoing youth-led protests elsewhere in the world.
South African whistle-blowers are an endangered species that faces retaliation and murder
he murder of Babita Deokaran, Acting Chief Financial Officer of the Gauteng Department of Health at the time of her death, attracted nationwide attention. She had uncovered extensive corruption in the department and submitted evidence of this to the relevant authorities. She would later investigate corruption related to the procurement of personal protective equipment during the Covid pandemic.
Men sperm count crisis: Scientists find 50 per cent drop in sperm quality linked to maternal smoking during pregnancy, obesity and poor diet
What’s driving this downward spiral? Scientists may not agree on a single cause, but the evidence consistently points to a cluster of culprits: maternal smoking during pregnancy; obesity and poor diet; heavy metal exposure; and the relentless rise of environmental toxins and endocrine disruptors.
