All posts by admin

08Aug/22

Kenya election: four ways to better safeguard and defend democracy

Nic Cheeseman, University of Birmingham and Petra Alderman, University of Birmingham

More elections are being held than ever – but the number of questionable polls being held around the world is fuelling fears of a “global democratic recession”, whereby the will of the people is not reflected in the results being announced. Two countries with elections coming up in the next few days and months, where opposition parties or international bodies are worried the process will not be fair, are Kenya, which goes to the polls on August 8, and Brazil, which votes on October 2.

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07Aug/22

Monkeypox: an expert explains what gay and bisexual men need to know

Chloe Orkin, Queen Mary University of London

Since early May, more than 23,000 cases of monkeypox have been reported worldwide. This is the largest ever global outbreak of the disease.

Cases have now been reported in 78 countries including the UK, Spain, Germany, France, the US and Brazil. Given the scale of the outbreak, the World Health Organization (WHO) has now declared the current monkeypox epidemic a global health emergency.

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05Aug/22

Beyoncé has helped usher in a renaissance for African artists

James Chikomborero Paradza, University of Pretoria

Beyoncé has released her seventh solo studio album, titled Renaissance (2022). The album, an event in global popular culture, is the first of a three-part project by the US artist. Her previous outing, the visual album Black is King (2020), collaborated with a host of African artists. Renaissance pays tribute to black dance music and again features African artists, including Nigerian singer-songwriter Tems, who is having a global moment of her own.

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05Aug/22

Beyoncé is cutting a sample of Milkshake out of her new song – but not because she ‘stole’ it

Hayleigh Bosher, Brunel University London

There was lot of excitement leading up to Beyoncé’s album Rennaissance, which was leaked two days before it release. Maybe it could have done with a bit more time, as two songs are set to be rerecorded and released. The song Heated will have ableist language removed from it, while the song Energy will be rerecorded without one of the samples on which it is built.

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05Aug/22

Opera ships its new VPN Pro service to Windows and Mac to give you an extra level of security as you travel

Opera (NASDAQ: OPRA), the company behind the eponymous web browser, recently announced the expansion of its security features with the new VPN Pro subscription service, a premium device-wide VPN that can be used without the installation of a separate app. The VPN Pro service, previously available on Android, is now coming to Opera users on Windows and Mac. Continue reading

05Aug/22

AXS LAW wins multimillion-dollar trademark infringement trial for the creator and owner of the BAOLI brand of restaurants and “My Boyfriend is Out of Town” theme party

On Friday, July 29, 2022, a federal jury in Miami returned a verdict of more than $8.5 million in favor of Peace United Ltd. and against 1906 Collins, LLC and Mathieu Massa, resulting in the return of the trademarks for the “Baoli” brand of restaurants and nightclubs and the “My Boyfriend Is Out of Town” theme party to their creator and rightful owner, Mr. Christophe Caucino. Continue read

05Aug/22

ViewSonic’s Visual Solutions Ignite Love and Hope in 2022 World Women’s Art Festival

ViewSonic Corp., a leading global provider of visual solutions, partners with the Taiwan Women’s Art Association (TWAA) to create immersive art experiences at the “Love and Hope – 2022 World Women’s Art Festival”. With continuous efforts to encourage creativity, ViewSonic provides cutting-edge projectors, touch displays, and large format interactive displays to enhance the exhibiting experience. Visitors can immerse and interact with a total of 98 artworks by 70 female artists that demonstrate the strength and resilience of women. Continue reading

05Aug/22

UK interest rate rise: what the Bank of England’s historic hike means for your money

Jonquil Lowe, The Open University

The Bank of England has raised its base rate by 0.5 percentage points, the largest single upward jump in 27 years. It takes the base rate to 1.75%, its highest level since 2008. This latest interest rate hike will affect personal finances and reflects the Bank’s efforts to control rampant inflation amid the cost of living crisis in the UK.

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04Aug/22

As online hate speech hits Africa, social media firms told to act

  • Online hate speech targets Zimbabweans in South Africa
  • Widespread digital abuse also seen in Ghana, Kenya
  • Culturally sensitive content moderation key, say activists

By Kim Harrisberg and Nita Bhalla

JOHANNESBURG/NAIROBI, Aug 3 (Thomson Reuters Foundation) – Social media used to be a source of light entertainment for Nora, a 47-year-old Zimbabwean domestic worker living in South Africa. But lately, it has become a source of fear.
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