By Michael R. Griffiths, Senior Lecturer in English Literatures, University of Wollongong
Roland Barthes’ notion that the author is dead has been incredibly influential, though it was not as original or revolutionary as it seemed.
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By Amnesty International
Responding to the arrest and detention of Faith Zaba, editor of the weekly Zimbabwe Independent, on allegations of undermining the authority of or insulting the country’s President Emmerson Mnangagwa, Khanyo Farisè, Amnesty International’s Senior Researcher in East and Southern Africa, said: “Amnesty International strongly condemns the arrest and detention of Faith Zaba for exercising her […] The post Zimbabwe: Arbitrary detention of journalist an assault on freedom of expression appeared first on Amnesty International. ]]>
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By Human Rights Watch
Click to expand Image Family members of victims of enforced disappearance allegedly committed by government agencies during the rule of the Awami League hold portraits of their relatives while asking for their return in front of the Shaheed Minar, Bangladesh, August 11, 2024. © 2024 Sazzad Hossain/SOPA Images/Sipa USA via AP Photo Bangladesh’s interim government has taken some positive steps to address the terrible legacy of enforced disappearances, but some of the hardest and most important steps remain to be taken, according to new advice last week from UN rights experts. Almost a year…
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By Roger Fagge, Associate Professor in the Department of History, University of Warwick
When Carlos Alcaraz beat Jannik Sinner at the Roland Garros men’s final on June 8 2025, in what is already seen as a classic match, there was some comment on the sartorial choices of the two players.
They both wore Nike tops. Alcaraz’s was collarless, with horizontal blue bordered green and black stripes, and black shorts. Meanwhile Sinner wore a green polo-style shirt…
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By Daphne Rena Idiz, Postdoctoral fellow, Department of Arts, Culture and Media, University of Toronto
MaryElizabeth Luka, Associate Professor, Arts & Media Management, University of Toronto
What qualifies as CanCon is tied in with who profits. Current debates are centred on how intellectual property and AI will be handled, and how big streamers will be forced to pay into it.
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By Peter M Macharia, Senior postdoctoral research fellow, Institute of Tropical Medicine Antwerp
Emelda Okiro, Head of Population Health Unit, KEMRI Wellcome Trust Research Programme
The lack of reliable information about health facilities across sub-Saharan Africa became very clear during the COVID-19 pandemic. Amid a surge in emergency care needs, information was lacking about the location of facilities, bed capacity and oxygen availability, and even where to find medical specialists. This data could have enabled precise assessments of hospital surge capacity and geographic access to critical care.
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By Joyce Kimutai, Climate Scientist and Research Associate in the Centre for Environmental Policy - Faculty of Natural Sciences, Imperial College London
African countries had 14 of the world’s 67 heat extreme events last year, and several had at least three months of hotter temperatures than the preceding 30 years.
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By Rich Mallett, Research Associate and Independent Researcher, ODI Global
Motorcycle ride-hailing taxis have been hailed as a major boon for African cities. But they also present new risks of their own making.
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By Pius Siakwah, Senior Research Fellow, Institute of African Studies, University of Ghana
Narendra Modi’s trip to Ghana in July 2025, part of a five-nation visit, is the first by an Indian prime minister in over 30 years. The two countries’ relationship goes back more than half a century to when India helped the newly independent Ghana set up its intelligence agencies. Ghana is also home to several large Indian-owned manufacturing and trading companies. International relations scholar Pius…
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By Dipa Kamdar, Senior Lecturer in Pharmacy Practice, Kingston University
Scopolamine, more chillingly known as “devil’s breath,” is a drug with a dual identity. In medicine, it’s used to prevent motion sickness and nausea. But in the criminal underworld, particularly in parts of South America, it has gained a dark reputation as a substance that can erase memory, strip away free will and facilitate serious crimes. Now, its presence may be sparking fresh concerns in the UK.
While most reports of devil’s breath come from countries like Colombia, concerns about its use…
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