By Pedro DiNezio, Associate Research Professor in Climate Modeling, University of Colorado Boulder
Twin cyclones helped trigger massive ocean warming in the Pacific. But whether that leads to a strong El Niño is still uncertain. Here’s what you need to know.
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By Wafula Yenjela, Research associate, University of the Free State
At the dawn of Kenya’s colonial era in 1902, consumption of home-made alcohol was deeply embedded in society. For instance, among the Mijikenda of coastal Kenya, palm wine was integral (p.290) to traditional ceremonies, such as marriage and initiations, and in ritual offerings.
This partly explains why the colonial authorities did…
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By Ongama Mtimka, Lecturer, Nelson Mandela University
Julius Malema’s skills at building a party and running a tight ship have been bolstered by his charisma and speech-making capability.
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By Gbenga Akinlolu Shadare, Senior lecturer, Buckinghamshire New University
Floods regularly devastate Lagos’s informal workers, but traders and residents have built their own systems to adapt where the state has failed.
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By David Comas, Full Professor, Universitat Pompeu Fabra; Instituto de Biología Evolutiva (IBE - CSIC - UPF)
Laura Vilà Valls, Researcher, Universitat Pompeu Fabra; Instituto de Biología Evolutiva (IBE - CSIC - UPF)
Sudan lies at the crossroads of Africa and the Middle East. It has played a key role in human demographic movements, reflected in the diversity of its cultures and languages. Although much of the country is arid, the Nile River has long acted as a corridor for trade, facilitating…
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By Human Rights Watch
Click to expand Image Immigration activists are calling on Governor Kathy Hochul to sign the NY For All Act, which expands protection for immigrants living in New York reguardless of immigration status. New York City, March 22, 2026. © 2026 Steve Sanchez/Sipa via AP Photo New York Governor Kathy Hochul has announced a proposed budget deal that includes reforms aimed at blunting the abusive impact of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) operations in the state. The White House “border czar” Tom Homan has threatened to retaliate against such reforms, stating that ICE would “flood the…
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By Michelle Grattan, Professorial Fellow, University of Canberra
Opposition Leader Angus Taylor has committed a Coalition government to phase in income tax indexation under a “tax back guarantee” that he says “will fully protect all taxpayers from inflation”.
In his budget reply on Thursday night, Taylor described the plan, which would cost $22.5 billion over the forward estimates, as “generational tax reform”.
“It’s fair, simple, and honest. It will back Australians to work hard, take risks, and invest in their future. It will force government to respect your money.
"Any government that wants to tax Australians more should…
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By Michelle Grattan, Professorial Fellow, University of Canberra
Angus Taylor might have reckoned he and the opposition are in such deep doo-doo that he might as well throw everything at Thursday night’s budget reply.
The result was a mixed bag. The promise to index tax brackets is a bold reform that can’t be faulted in principle, although it would come with a big eventual cost and put a financial constraint on a future Coalition government that it might come to regret.
The pledge to restrict access to 17 welfare benefits and payments (and the National Disability Insurance Scheme) to Australian citizens falls into a very different category.…
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By Jasper Verschuur, Assistant Professor in Engineering Systems and Climate, Delft University of Technology
Paul Behrens, British Academy Global Professor, Future of Food, Oxford Martin School, University of Oxford
Millions more people will face hunger in the coming months if the conflict in the Middle East is not resolved soon, the UN has warned. The price of energy, which instantly affects the cost of producing and transporting food, has risen sharply due to the closure of the Strait of Hormuz.
The price of fertiliser, much of it made in the Gulf states and exported via the
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By Pat Collins, Associate Professor in Geography, University of Galway
In the early 2000s, Ireland was a newly rich country that wanted to be more international looking. Westlife created un-Irish pop for an international market.
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