Kenya’s Supreme Court recently annulled the country’s presidential vote on the basis that it failed to meet electoral laws. But by erring on the side of election credibility the court opened the door to potential political instability, argues Faith Kiboro. Candidates are now engaged in a do-or-die contest to clinch the presidency. If it’s to avoid a future crisis, Kenya must re-examine how its elections are run with a view to cleaning up its systems and institutions.
People with posttraumatic stress disorder (PSTD) can suffer repeated anxiety attacks and flashbacks triggered by a traumatic event. But why do some people develop PSTD in the wake of trauma while others don’t? Stefanie Malan explains that the answer may lie in the bacteria that sits in our gut.
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President Uhuru Kenyatta and contender Raila Odinga in happier times. The two are now embroiled in a bitter political contest.
Reuters/Thomas Mukoya
Faith Kiboro, SMC University
Democracy doesn't seem to work within societies governed by politics of ethnicity. Instead, elections continue to offer up the hard choice between electoral credibility and political stability.
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Politics + Society
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Susan Booysen, University of the Witwatersrand
For the first time since its unbanning the ANC needs to find a new direction. Its supporters and South African voters are no longer content with resolutions that promise to end to corruption.
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Health + Medicine
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Stefanie Malan-Muller, Stellenbosch University
Researchers are getting closer to understanding how some people are more susceptible to posttraumatic stress disorder.
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Environment + Energy
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Stephanie Plön, Nelson Mandela University
Marine mammals are often referred to as sentinels of the ocean and research on whales and dolphins in particular contributes important knowledge about the health of our seas.
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Arts + Culture
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Rosabelle Boswell, Nelson Mandela University
Island philosophies can be used to decolonise university courses and teaching. They can also advance sustainable development models and, ultimately, achieve responsible tourism.
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From our international editions
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Marcia Tiburi, Federal University of the State of Rio de Janeiro (UNIRIO)
Artists, free speech advocates and gay rights activists in Brazil are dismayed after an LGBTQ-centric exhibit was closed because the subject matter offended evangelical Christians.
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Meg Argyriou, ClimateWorks Australia
What do China, India, South Africa and Mexico have in common? They all reduced the carbon intensity of their economies without sacrificing economic growth. Other developing nations can do the same.
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Engy Abdelkader, Rutgers University
The persecution of the Rohingya goes back to 1948, the year when Myanmar achieved independence from the British.
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