Editor's note

Violent protests forced Zimbabwean President Emmerson Mnangagwa to cancel extending his overseas trip from Russia to the World Economic Forum summit in Davos. David Moore writes that the brutal response by Zimbabwe’s government to those protesting massive fuel hikes has dashed any hopes people may have had about Mnangagwa’s leadership.

Thabo Leshilo

Politics + Society Editor

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Zimbabwe President Emmerson Mnangagwa with Russian President Vladimir Putin. EPA-EFE/Sergei Chirikov

Fantasy that Mnangagwa would fix Zimbabwe now fully exposed

David B. Moore, University of Johannesburg

The Zimbabwean government's brutal response to protests has dashed hopes for democracy under President Mnangagwa.

Science + Technology

“Weather” and “climate” are used interchangeably. They shouldn’t be

Jennifer Fitchett, University of the Witwatersrand

At a very simple level, "weather" refers to day-to-day conditions. "Climate" describes the average over many years.

Curious Kids: how is water made?

Emma Kathryn White, University of Melbourne

While making small volumes of pure water in a lab is possible, it’s not practical. The reaction is expensive, releases lots of energy, and can cause really massive explosions.

Politics + Society

Javanese millennials in Indonesia embrace local language varieties their way

Celya Intan Kharisma Putri, Universitas Airlangga

Young Javanese speakers in Indonesia are nervous about speaking High Javanese, for fear of making mistakes. But they are still eager to learn.

Sign language needs policy protection in Ghana

Mama Adobea Nii Owoo, University of Toronto

Ghana urgently needs an official Ghanaian Sign Language (GSL) policy. Such a move has the potential to humanize education for people who are Deaf and alleviate the linguistic discrimination they face.

Sabarimala: How the Indian media fell into the trap of caste and gender stereotypes

Carmel Christy K J, University of Delhi

The recent controversy, sloganeering and protests about Sabarimala temple in the Indian state of Kerala obscure the way that the media have used stereotypes of women and caste again and again.

Either Jokowi or Prabowo, Indonesia’s future in human rights enforcement remains bleak

Asmin Fransiska, Universitas Katolik Indonesia Atma Jaya

Joko "Jokowi" Widodo may claim that he is not a human rights offender like his rival, Prabowo Subianto, but his track record during his tenure may indicate otherwise.