Africa: Nobel Prize in Medicine Awarded to mRNA Researchers

[ad_1] The 2024 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine was jointly awarded to two American scientists Victor Ambros and Gary Ruvkun their work on microRNA. The two scientists were awarded for "their discovery of a fundamental principle governing how gene activity is regulated," the Nobel Foundation said in statement on Monday, October 7. Their work helped explain how genes work inside the human body and how that gives rise to the different tissues of the human body. The winners share […]

October 7, 2024

Entertainment

South Africa: Ancient Human DNA From a South African Rock Shelter Sheds Light On 10,000 Years of History

[ad_1] Oakhurst rock shelter is an archaeological site near the town of George on the southern coast of South Africa. It is set into a sandstone cliff above a stream in a valley forested by towering old yellowwood trees. Archaeologists first started excavating Oakhurst in the 1930s. What makes the site special is the record of human occupation there, which spans 12,000 years. Not only have rock art, stone tools and ceramic fragments been found there, but also the remains […]

October 3, 2024

Africa

Africa: COP10 – The Apparent Link Between Taxation And Illicit Trade

[ad_1] The 10th Conference of the Parties (COP10) to the World Health Organization’s (WHO) Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC) is currently taking place in Panama, until February 10, 2024. COP10 discussions hold the key to shaping the future of reduced-risk tobacco and nicotine products encompassing a range of alternatives such as nicotine vapes, snus, nicotine pouches, and heated tobacco products. Within this context, taxation emerges as a pivotal issue with the WHO advocating for a unified tax approach on […]

February 9, 2024

Africa

Africa: War of Influence at COP 10 – The Intricate Dance Between WHO, Bloomberg Philanthropies, and Harm Reduction Advocates

[ad_1] The 10th Conference of the Parties (COP10) to the World Health Organization's (WHO) Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC) is currently held in Panama until February 10th, 2024, and amidst the discussions on tobacco control, a complex debate unfolds regarding the influence of Bloomberg Philanthropies in the policymaking. Founded by Michael Bloomberg, Bloomberg Philanthropies has since 2005, "invested $1.58 billion to fight tobacco use, working with a global network of partners to prevent tobacco-related illnesses and save lives ", […]

February 9, 2024

Africa

African Great Lakes Annual Meeting Shows Why Intercontinental Collaboration Is Essential

[ad_1] Kisumu — As the snow and frost and ice and seemingly inhumane levels of cold continue to plague North America in the midst of their ‘arctic’ winter, here in Kenya we decided to cut some of our American and Canadian cousins some slack. We invited many of them to head to Kisumu, on the shores of beautiful Lake Victoria, to take part in an important meeting of minds. Over 200 scientists converged from 3-6 February for the Annual Meeting of the African Great Lakes Stakeholder Network. This unprecedented collaboration brings together freshwater experts, managers […]

February 9, 2024

Africa

Africa: COP10 – Debate on Novel tobacco and Nicotine Products; It is High time to Listen to Each Other

[ad_1] Delegates from around the world are gathering in Panama City since Feb 5th for the 10th Conference of the Parties (COP10) to the World Health Organization’s (WHO) Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC). At COP10, delegates from 183 countries discuss various points including implementation of FCTC Articles 9 and 10 (regulation of contents and disclosure of tobacco products), tobacco advertising, promotion and sponsorship among others and one the most controversial subject in the current debate, the novel and emerging tobacco […]

February 9, 2024

Africa

Africa: COP 10 – Health And Politics: Is There A Lack Of Transparency ?

[ad_1] The tenth Conference of Parties (COP 10) of the World Health Organization’s (WHO) meeting on the Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC) is currently underway in Panama until February 10th, 2024. At the heart of the discussions are the tobacco policies that significantly influence national regulations, particularly in Low and Middle-Income countries where WHO regulations hold sway. Amidst these deliberations, advocates for non-combustible products, including vapes, nicotine pouches, and heat-not-burn products, find themselves grappling to be included in the […]

February 8, 2024

Africa

Africa: COP 10 – Tobacco Growers’ Share Concerns Over WHO Decisions

[ad_1] A large group of premium tobacco producers and workers from a few tobacco growers’ countries, Colombia, Panama, Honduras and Nicaragua, have protested on February 5th in front of the Panama Convention Centre where the tenth Conference of the Parties (COP) of the World Health Organization's (WHO) Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC), is currently taking place. The FCTC aims at protecting present and future generations from the impact of tobacco consumption and exposure to tobacco smoke by reducing both demand […]

February 7, 2024

Africa

Africa: The Surprising Reason Why Insects Circle Lights At Night – They Lose Track of the Sky

[ad_1] It's an observation as old as humans gathering around campfires: Light at night can draw an erratically circling crowd of insects. In art, music and literature, this spectacle is an enduring metaphor for dangerous but irresistible attractions. And watching their frenetic movements really gives the sense that something is wrong - that instead of finding food and evading predators, these nocturnal pilots are trapped by a light. Sadly, centuries of witnessing what happens have produced little certainty about why […]

February 2, 2024

Science and Biotechnology