This past weekend marked the 30th anniversary of the collapse of the Berlin Wall, symbolising the end of the bitter Cold War between two superpowers, the communist Soviet Union and the United States. John J Stremlau reflects on how the epochal political events of three decades ago have resonated across Africa.
In order for the United Nations (UN) to create effective policies aimed at reducing poverty and hunger, they need an accurate picture of the scale of the crisis. But Marco Pomati and Shailen Nandy have found that measures used in two UN reports don’t provide an accurate picture of the scale of malnutrition in West and Central Africa. Their results show that current indicators actually overlook at least 6 million children suffering from
malnutrition in the region.
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The Berlin Wall symbolised the Cold War divide between the capitalist West and communist Soviet Union.
EPA-EFE/Omer Messinger
John J Stremlau, University of the Witwatersrand
Marking the end of the Cold War offers the chance to reflect on the changes and continuities in African politics and international relations since 1989.
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Children who experience multiple forms of malnutrition are at the greatest risk of early death.
JLwarehouse/Shutterstock
Marco Pomati, Cardiff University; Shailen Nandy, Cardiff University
We found that current indicators underestimate nearly 6 million children suffering from malnutrition.
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Politics + Society
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Mark Shackleton, Lancaster University
The Saudi government's oil firm is set to become the world's biggest public company, but investors are already betting against its long-term prospects.
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Rebecca Janzen, University of South Carolina
Who are the LeBarons, the Mexican-American Mormons who lost nine family members in a massacre on Nov. 4.?
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Environment + Energy
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Stephanie Jenouvrier, Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution
Emperor Penguins thrive in harsh conditions, but a new study shows that their fate depends on human action to slow global warming and associated loss of sea ice.
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Evan Thomas, University of Colorado Boulder
Drought-driven humanitarian emergencies can be prevented if groundwater is reliably made available at strategic locations.
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Science + Technology
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Michael Ford, Carnegie Mellon University
Engineers predict a time when people and robots physically interact all day long. For that to happen safely will require new soft materials that can do things like sense touch and change shape.
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Samuel Langton, Manchester Metropolitan University
When mapping deprivation, using traditional boundaries can distort the data and distract readers from important information.
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