By Ricardo Jorge Moreira Goulão Santos, Research Fellow, World Institute for Development Economics Research (UNU-WIDER), United Nations University
Elina Penttinen, Partnerships and Programme Officer, United Nations University
When floods submerged parts of Mozambique after heavy rains in 2000, a baby girl was born in a tree, where her mother clung as the Limpopo river waters rose. The baby was nicknamed Rosita in the press. Her survival became a symbol of the country’s grit.
But her story, once a symbol of hope, now frames a harder truth.
Sadly, Rosita’s life was cut short on 12 January 2026.…
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By Oluwafemi E. Adeyeri, Research Fellow in Climate Science, Australian National University
By the end of this century, parts of Africa could face heatwaves for 250-300 days a year, which will make it difficult for people to survive.
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By David Richard Walwyn, Professor of Technology Management, University of Pretoria
South African homes need two-way meters so that they can feed extra solar power from home systems and electric vehicles back to the grid.
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By Wycliffe W. Njororai Simiyu, Professor and Chair of Allied Health Studies, Stephen F. Austin State University
East Africa loves football. From the streets of Nairobi and the markets of Kampala to the beaches of Dar es Salaam, the passion for soccer is an undeniable current running through the region. Yet, despite fan support, Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania haven’t translated this enthusiasm into sustained international success.
A new book that draws on the career-long…
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Saturday, February 7, 2026
While new digital technologies are transforming how the Holocaust is remembered and taught, experts warn that sustainability, ethics and collaboration are now as important as creativity to keep a global memory alive of Nazi Germany’s genocide that killed six million Jewish people and millions of others during the Second World War.
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By Human Rights Watch
Click to expand Image Greek emergency personnel wait to transfer bodies of dead migrants, following migrant's boat collision with coast guard off the island of Chios, in the port of Chios, Greece, February 3, 2026. © 2026 Konstantinos Anagnostou/Reuters On February 3, a devastating collision between a Greek Coast Guard vessel and a migrant boat occurred off the Greek island of Chios. The collision, which resulted in 15 deaths and 24 people injured, including 11 children, raises serious questions about the actions of the Greek Coast Guard at sea.Although officials were quick to…
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Friday, February 6, 2026
The UN reiterated concerns on Friday over reports that Israeli forces sprayed a highly toxic herbicide over areas north of the Blue Line separating Lebanon from Israel on 1 February.
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By Cara Ocobock, Assistant Professor of Anthropology, University of Notre Dame
Gabriel R. Burks, Assistant Professor of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, University of Notre Dame
The Winter Olympics and Paralympics are upon us once again. This year the games come to Milan and Cortina d’Ampezzo, Italy, where weather forecasts are predicting temperatures in the upper 30s to mid-40s Fahrenheit (1 to 10 degrees Celsius).
These temperatures are a good deal warmer than one might expect for winter, particularly in a mountainous area. They’re warm enough that athletes will need to adjust how they…
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By Amnesty International
Responding to the European Commission’s preliminary findings that TikTok’s design is addictive and in breach of the Digital Services Act (DSA), a landmark EU law meant to create a safer digital space, Lisa Dittmer, Amnesty International Researcher on Children and Young People’s Digital Rights said: “For years now, TikTok has been the forefront of Big Tech’s race to capture children’s time and attention at all costs. This announcement is an overdue but welcome acknowledgement of TikTok’s addictive design. “The European Commission […] The post EU: European Commission must urgently enforce…
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By Human Rights Watch
Click to expand Image A US Border Patrol Tactical Unit agent sprays pepper spray into the face of a protestor near the scene where a woman was shot and killed by a federal agent, in Minneapolis, Minnesota, January 7, 2026. © 2026 Alex Kormann/The Minnesota Star Tribune via Getty Images Congress approved five of six federal funding bills this week, delaying funding for the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) over concerns regarding recent immigration crackdowns, including killings and other abuses. Congress is now negotiating possible reforms for DHS and two of its agencies, Immigration…
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