As war continues to devastate Gaza and its people, we learnt last week that a variant of poliovirus has been detected in the region. The virus was isolated in six sewage samples collected in late June from Khan Younis and Deir al Balah. Most infections with poliovirus don’t cause symptoms, but
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Social media algorithms are shrouded in secrecy
Over the past 20 years, social media has transformed how we communicate, share information and form social connections. A federal parliamentary committee is currently trying to come to grips with these changes, and work out what to do about them. The social media platforms where we spend so much time are
Should there be a dedicated credit rating agency for Asia & the Pacific?
Following persistent and determined efforts, Africa has achieved a breakthrough in advancing the establishment of an African credit rating agency (ACRA), with the proposed launch scheduled for December 2024. More recently, the African Peer Review Mechanism (APRM) and the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (ECA) gathered together for a two-day
Netanyahu shows willingness to risk regional war for political survival
Israel’s apparent assassinations of Fuad Shukr, Hezbollah’s top military leader, in Beirut, and Hamas political leader Ismail Haniyeh, in Tehran, have raised again the specter of a regional war involving regional adversaries – one that could potentially drag the United States into the fray. By targeting these two leaders, the Israeli
Indigenous peoples: An antidote in a world of crisis
This year’s Equator Prize winners are the antidote we need in a world of crisis. Earlier this year, the World Economic Forum released its annual Risk Report. The key findings highlighted the inescapable trend over the past decade that we are facing a global polycrisis, in which problems of biodiversity
Will the new cybercrime treaty be used as a tool for govt repression?
Modi greets Prof Yunus on becoming Chief Adviser
-Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi today conveyed his best wishes to Professor Muhammad Yunus on the assumption of his new responsibilities as chief adviser of Bangladesh's interim government. "India remains committed to working with Bangladesh to fulfill the shared aspirations of both our peoples for peace, security and development," he posted
G20 leaders must listen to their people and agree to tax the ultra-rich
We are living in a world of multiple crises of inequality, climate breakdown and conflict. Billions of people globally are facing huge hardship. Whole governments, too, are virtually bankrupt, with extremely high debt levels forcing them to implement brutal and deeply unpopular cuts and tax rises for ordinary people. 3.3
Could the recent military defeat of Myanmar’s junta be a turning point in the war?
Researchers respond in the wake of Bangladesh’s deadliest dengue outbreak
In Bangladesh, regular cycles of heat and rain have long cultivated dense populations of insects, and, by extension, the diseases they carry. Dengue fever was first confirmed in Bangladesh 60 years ago, but the disease, carried by Aedes aegypti mosquitoes, caused unforeseen devastation in 2023. By the end of the