The Southern African Development Community has come in for flak for being overly cautious and sluggish in its response to a brutal Islamist terrorist insurgency in northern Mozambique. But the regional body seems to be getting its act together with a plan on the table to send 3,000 troops to aid a member state that’s under attack, and provide a “robust” response to the insurgents. Not everyone, however, thinks this is a wise move. Gilbert Khadiagala points out that the regional body has a poor track record of intervening in civil conflicts. And he warns that interventions hastily prepared by military leaders without deep contextual knowledge of the drivers of a conflict invariably end badly.

Hedge funds aren’t exactly known for being champions of climate change, but Engine No. 1’s historic battle against Exxon may be a harbinger of a major shift. The small activist hedge fund – founded in December with the goal of using its investments to benefit society – chose to wage its first battle against one of the largest oil companies in the world. It argued Exxon wasn’t doing enough to transition away from fossil fuels, bad both for the environment and the oil company’s bottom line. On Wednesday it won its fight by persuading other shareholders to support at least two of its nominees to Exxon’s board.

The results mark a turning point as more investors and even hedge funds begin to view companies that snub sustainability as bad for business, write Penn State’s Mark DesJardine and Western University’s Tima Bansal.

Thabo Leshilo

Politics + Society

Displaced people arrive in Pemba, Mozambique, after fleeing Palma following a brutal attack by Islamist insurgents in March. John Wessels/AFF via Getty Images

Regional military intervention in Mozambique is a bad idea. Here’s why

Gilbert M. Khadiagala, University of the Witwatersrand

The Southern African Development Community does not have a remarkable record of military interventions in civil conflicts in the region.

Engine No. 1 wants Exxon to focus less on fossil fuels. AP Photo/Matthew Brown

Engine No. 1’s big win over Exxon shows activist hedge funds joining fight against climate change

Mark DesJardine, Penn State; Tima Bansal, Western University

Engine No. 1 convinced other shareholders to support at least two of its nominees to join the company's board as part of its push for a stronger sustainability strategy at Exxon.

Politics + Society

Colombian city beset by crime declares ‘Black Lives Matter’

Shauna N Gillooly, University of California, Irvine

A lethal turf war between drug traffickers has terrorized Buenaventura, Colombia for months. Now protesters are demanding the government's help to protect people in this mostly Black city.

Inside Mali’s coup within a coup

Boubacar Haidara, Université Bordeaux Montaigne

Mali’s president and prime minister have just been arrested and dismissed by the military junta which brought them to power in the first place a few months ago. How did this happen?

Health + Medicine

HIV/AIDS vaccine: Why don’t we have one after 37 years, when we have several for COVID-19 after a few months?

Ronald C. Desrosiers, University of Miami

Scientists developed vaccines for COVID-19 in a matter of months. Why after 37 years do we still not have one for HIV/AIDS? On HIV Vaccine Awareness Day, it's an important question to ask.

Ebola survivors: their health struggles and how best to support them

Peter B James, Southern Cross University; Abdulai Jawo Bah, University of Sierra Leone; Amie Steel, University of Technology Sydney; Jon Adams, University of Technology Sydney; Jon Wardle, Southern Cross University

Ebola survivors use multiple avenues to address their health needs, which presents a management challenge.