Sudanese president Omar al-Bashir has stood firm against weeks of street protests over inflation and rampant corruption. Although the Sudanese have a long history of overthrowing unpopular regimes, Martin Plaut explains why the prospects of a repeat are narrow this time around. Not only has al-Bashir set up parallel security organisations to police Khartoum, he also enjoys a wide range of foreign backing.
When its bloody civil war ended in 2002, Sierra Leone introduced a number of laws designed to protect women and girls against violence. But, as Luisa T Schneider sets out why, these laws haven’t made women feel much safer - and that’s particularly true for married women trying to navigate relationships where the lines between violence and love are often blurred.
South Africa has earned itself praise for being a stable democracy. But a critical flaw is that the people don’t get to vote for their president and MPs directly. Roger Southall writes that critics of the country’s electoral system might be tempted to see referenda as a solution to this shortcoming. He warns, however, that this is only likely to increase polarisation - as shown by the growing controversy in the UK over Brexit.
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Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir at the 2015 AU Summit in Johannesburg, South Africa.
EPA/Kim Ludbrook
Martin Plaut, School of Advanced Study
Given the range of support for President Omar al-Bashir it isn't surprising that he's managed to resist pressure to step down.
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Politics + Society
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Luisa T. Schneider, Max Planck Institute for Social Anthropology
Very few women, especially those married, feel protected by the domestic violence laws in Sierra Leone.
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Roger Southall, University of the Witwatersrand
Referenda have their place in democracy, but can also be misused.
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Environment + Energy
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Dr Melanie Bateman, University of Neuchâtel
Farmers should use biopesticides - naturally occurring substances that kill pests such as the fall armyworm - instead of using pesticides, which are often highly toxic.
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Tlou Masehela, South African National Biodiversity Institute
Research shows that managed honey bees may pose a threat to free roaming honey bee populations.
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From our international editions
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Tamara Wood, UNSW
The refugee convention wasn't designed with women in mind. Women fleeing domestic violence and asking for asylum face many barriers to qualifying for protection under international law.
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David Smilde, Tulane University
Maduro, who starts his second term on Jan. 10, has rigged elections, jailed rivals and plunged Venezuela into crisis. But most people there still reject Trump's proposed 'military option' to oust him.
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Clement Seeballuck, University of Dundee; Nicola Innes, University of Dundee
You may think you know everything about keeping your teeth healthy, but what you don't know might surprise you...
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Madeleine Bussemaker, University of Surrey
New research suggests ultrasound could make henna-based hair dyes more effective.
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