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A series of photographs showing two Islamic clerics on a winter visit to London is causing controversy in Nigeria. The pair are Salafi clerics known for being uncompromising in defining for their followers what is moral and what is sacrilegious. As African History professor Moses E. Ochonu explains, this leaves them open to charges of hypocrisy when they appear to contradict their own teachings – and this is what happened in London.
Earlier this week, the Trump administration decided to end a special protected status for some 200,000 Salvadorans in the United States. Critics say the decision may subject these migrants to grave danger when they return home. With more than 5,200 murders in 2016, El Salvador is the deadliest place in the world that’s not a war zone.
And, what happens when China gets out of the business of importing the world’s recyclable plastic?
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Muslims pray at the Kofar Mata Central Mosque in Kano, Northern Nigeria. Liberal and fundamentalist Islam are in a contest of legitimacy in the region.
Reuters/Akintunde Akinleye
Moses E. Ochonu, Vanderbilt University
The debate around photos of two Nigerian Salafi clerics taken in London wasn't a trivial conversation about dress and recreational choices. It was loaded with symbolism.
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Politics + Society
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Catesby Holmes, The Conversation
The U.S. government has ended the protective status of 200,000 Salvadoran migrants. If deported, they would go back to one of the world's deadliest places. How did violence in El Salvador get so bad?
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Tom Harper, University of Surrey
China's attitude towards Myanmar reflects a bigger strategy: to bolster its presence in Asia at the expense of the established American-led order.
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Barry Godfrey, University of Liverpool; Lucy Williams, University of Liverpool
A century and a half after the last convict ship docked in Australia, new research is uncovering what happened to those who were transported.
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Environment + Energy
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Christine Cole, Nottingham Trent University
China is no longer importing the world's recyclable plastic – so what should we do instead?
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Science + Technology
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Bernard Slippers, University of Pretoria; Smeetha Singh
Not much attention has been given to how mothers who want to attend workshops and conferences are supported. This simple intervention can boost the presence of women in science.
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Emily Birch, Nottingham Trent University
Capuchin monkeys understand fairness, sheep recognise their friends, rats make sacrifices for buddies. Yes, animals are sentient. Here's the science.
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Arts + Culture
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Anthony Bonato, Ryerson University
An online collective, the Great Internet Mersenne Prime Search, crunched numbers for days on end to discover a new prime number in December 2017. Here's why it's so important.
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