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Liquefied natural gas (LNG) took an even harder hit. Oil prices surged more than 50% but LNG soared as much as 143%—a three-year high. Photo warrenski

The impact of the US/Israel–Iran crisis on Asia

The LNG shock was underestimated. The foreign exchange and inflation feedback loop has proved more challenging than anticipated

President Cyril Ramaphosa with twenty new Heads of Mission-designate. Photo: Marion Smith

A moment of diplomacy and global connection

The presentation of credentials is a cornerstone of diplomatic protocol, symbolising mutual recognition and the formal commencement of an ambassador’s duties

Imbalance: The call for the United Nations Security Council reform is not just as an adjustment of seats and vetoes.  Photo: United Nations

The case for the reform of the UN

The two proposals reveal that reform debates are marked by a deeper theoretical divergence over whether global legitimacy hinges on balancing power or modernising institutions.

Exports: South Africa is a leading supplier of citrus to the United Arab Emirates. Photo: Citrus Growers Association of
Southern Africa

South Africa’s agricultural exports boom

The latest data for the third quarter shows that South Africa’s agricultural exports totalled US$4.7 billion, up from 13% from the same period a year ago

Young people understand social media dynamics, peer-to-peer communication and community mobilisation in ways that can be used improve health services. Photo: Bulungula Incubator

In the time of aid cuts, decentralise women’s health funding

Women and young people don’t need foreign experts to tell them what their communities need; they need resources and support to implement locally developed and relevant solutions

Picture Shows: A traditional fishing boat, Muncar, Java. Giant mobula rays are frequently caught as bycatch in drift nets. The Mobula Project Indonesia aims to explore solutions to support conservation of these endangered animals.

 Asia: A new frontier in wildlife documentary filmmaking series producer Matthew Wright reveals the unique challenges and discoveries behind the landmark series

South African wildlife enthusiasts have long enjoyed front-row access to the wonders of nature. With rich biodiversity and awe-inspiring landscapes, it’s no surprise that the…

Four Years, 21 Countries and groundbreaking firsts: BBC Earth’s Landmark New Series, Asia, Narrated by Sir David Attenborough, starts this February

Asia, BBC Earth’s latest natural history landmark series, is set to premiere on DStv Channel 184 on Monday, 24 February at 20:00. This spectacular 8-part series, narrated by Sir…

Developing countries that are the most vulnerable to climate change are angry about a new text released at COP29 on Friday, which says developed countries must pay $250 billion a year until 2035 for climate action.(Waldo Swiegers/Bloomberg via Getty Images)

SA companies should focus on meeting the requirements for a ‘green economy’

The public and civil society taking action to ensure compliance with environmental sustainability local and international laws and treaties is likely to gather momentum

DA leader John Steenhuisen. Photo: Getty Images

Democratic Alliance scores own goal over Gaza

It should be the day of ANC’s reckoning, but opposition parties such as the Democratic Alliance should polish up their messaging on Israel’s war in Gaza This content is…

The world is changing and alliances shifting which presents opportunities for the continent if the citizenry is engaged

Africa’s better future

The world is changing and alliances shifting which presents opportunities for the continent if the citizenry is engaged

Carlos Lopes, the former executive secretary of the United Nations Economic Commission on Africa. ( (Photo by Minasse Wondimu Hailu/Anadolu Agency/Getty Images)

Why Africa should look East

Carlos Lopes, the former executive secretary of the United Nations Economic Commission on Africa, makes his case in this interview with Sakiko Fukuda-Parr as to why Africa should…

The West is experiencing a contraction of its power, not necessarily its decline

The war in Ukraine is accelerating its contraction and history shows that irreversible decline often follows

Members of the South African Russian association together with Ukrainian and Lithuanian nationals  demonstrate in Mandela Square in Sandton, Johannesburg, on February 27, 2022 against the Russian invasion of Ukraine. (Photo by LUCA SOLA / AFP) (Photo by LUCA SOLA/AFP via Getty Images)

Ukraine: A conflict soaked in contradictions

There are wars in Africa and Asia and some are rarely commented on in the media, so why is Ukraine different?

Pale males: Michael Bloomberg and other leaders attend the Climate Action Summit at the UN in 2019. (Ludovic Marin/AFP)

Most climate science is written by white men

In deciding how the world responds to the climate crisis, policymakers rely on research that tends to be written predominantly by men in the Global North

Graduates are being left in the lurch by a higher education department that is simply unable to deliver the crucial certificates proving their qualifications – in some cases dating back to 1992

Where do Africans study abroad?

China is becoming the preferred destination for countries such as Ghana and Nigeria

Balance: Elephants are found in 37 African countries, including Kenya. But the herds and their habitats are threatened and people remain divided over how to protect them. (Goran Tomasevic/Reuters)

Elephants in the room

Science should lead the way in society’s efforts to protect habitats, wildlife and people’s livelihoods

Sexually and gender-diverse people in rural South Africa are excluded from the systems intended to support their mental health. Photo: Reuters/Brendan McDermid

Decriminalising same-sex sex is good for all of us

The entire history of penal codes that outlaw same-sex desire and sex is a history of oppression that can never be justified

A vendor fries chicken pieces in Delhi. (Nasir Kachroo/NurPhoto)

Trawling the streets of Asia for food

A docu-series highlights the importance of nutritious and delicious meals provided by pavement vendors

US President Donald Trump. (Reuters)

Asian markets plunge as Trump threatens to hike China tariffs

The warning will throw a shadow over the next round of talks, with a delegation from Beijing due in Washington this week

Agriculture also faces a future in which the climate that it relies on is changing. More extremes, from floods to droughts, are already happening. (Sean Gallup/Getty)

Bigger farms needed to feed nine billion

That’s not the research findings the proponents of small-scale, organic agriculture want to hear