Karin April

„Take online courses from the world’s top universities for free ... 1,500 online courses from universities like Stanford, Yale, MIT, Harvard, Oxford & more.“ Subjects include history, psychology, biology, physics, philosophy & others. openculture.com/freeonlinecour… via @openculture

Pope Leo XIV in his first encyclical citing Hannah Arendt's Origins of Totalitarianism to warn AI risks producing the exact condition Arendt identified as the prerequisite for totalitarian domination by destroying people's ability to discern between fact and fiction.

The Dakar Conference, 1987. The conference was held in Dakar, Senegal, between 55 predominantly white Afrikaner South Africans and a 16-member delegation of the exiled African National Congress (ANC). Organized amidst a heightened state of emergency in South Africa, this landmark gathering bypassed the rigid strictures of the apartheid government to explore potential paths toward a negotiated political settlement. Footage: Apartheid docuseries

Pope Leo XIV’s top advisers told me his goal in releasing his encyclical was to speak directly to the builders of Silicon Valley. The founder of Twitter just posted his text in full. That suggests the mission was accomplished.

Mpumalanga sits at the centre of SA’s coal economy, but it is also at the centre of SA's mine closure crisis. Across the province, abandoned and inadequately rehabilitated mines continue to leave communities exposed. #MustRead report by @CentreEnvRights cer.org.za/reports/no-mor…

WHO chief says fast-moving Ebola epidemic is outpacing response efforts reut.rs/4e1CpLA reut.rs/4e1CpLA

BREAKING: Pope Leo XIV makes historic apology for Holy See's own role in legitimizing slavery and for failing to condemn it for centuries. apnews.com/article/pope-a…

The gift of reading - over 75,000 books available. All you need is data. gutenberg.org/files/456/456-…

Trump gutted USAID. Hunger and violence followed. grist.org/food-and-agric… Researchers are just beginning to understand the human cost of America's retreat from international aid.

Pieter du Toit | Max du Preez, white power, and the right-wing resurgence news24.com/opinions/colum… via @news24

Many thanks to @alexstubb for the meeting and conversation on human rights and the meaning and implications of “value-based realism” in 2026.

Deals and dialogue: steering South Africa’s future Informative, thoughtful & encouraging session at Kingsmead Book Fair in Johannesburg with Mandy Wiener, Tara Roos & Joy Watson - discussing parties, powers and possibilities … and how people can make a difference #KBF26 📚☀️🇿🇦

This is an official government account in a democracy. This is what Orbanism looks like. The president bragging, via AI video, that he forced a comedian who mocked him off the air and ‘into the trash’.

Launched WEIMAR in Weimar yesterday. Full house, lots of curious present-day Weimarers, including the mayor. Descendants of people in the book were in the audience...What an experience! I was nervous about this. Turns out I needn't have been. Wonderful conversations.

I'm in Weimar where there are traces of the people I wrote about everywhere. This was Hedwig Hetemann's shop where she repaired toys for children. It was destroyed by the SA in the pogrom of 1938 because she was Jewish. Nobody helped her. She became withdrawn and isolated. 1/2

This birthday month I’m asking you to back healing ❤️ I’m raising R50k for the Healing Justice Tournament supporting mental health, healing and safer communities through sport, dialogue and collective care. backabuddy.co.za/campaign/heali… #BackABuddy #HealingJustice

JHB Regional Convening: Youth Voices, Strong Communities. Young people in Lenasia are invited to join an important conversation on democracy, civic participation, local government, accountability, and the role of youth ahead of the 2026 Local Government Elections. 📍 Venue: Lenasia Model Primary School 📅 Date: Saturday, 23 May 2026 ⏰ Time: 08h00 The convening will bring together youth leaders, community organisations, civic movements, and democratic institutions to engage on issues affecting communities and explore collective solutions for stronger civic participation. #YouthParticipation #LocalGovernmentElections #KathyLegacy

"Kipchoge is not only a double Olympic marathon champion and former world record holder... And now, after years of dominating races across the globe, he will officially run his first marathon on African soil right here in Cape Town." goodthingsguy.com/eliud-kipchoge…

Three prominent anti-apartheid activists Mohammed Valli Moosa (L), Murphy Morobe (C) and Vusi Khanyile (R) leave the US consulate where they have been holed up for five weeks, on October 19, 1988 in Johannesburg. - The three had escaped from police custody whilst being detained without trial under the state of emergency laws. Credit: Trevor Samson / AFP

I’ve read a lot of reporting on Ebola. But this by @jwgale is excellent and essential reading. Very few pieces pull together so many threads all at once, while giving clarity on what’s happening, and what comes next. Read and share this @business gift link below: bloomberg.com/news/features/…

For the @nytimes, I wrote about how cruel and horrific Ebola is, as both a provider, and as a patient. I tried to reflect the science, and the profound sadness. Very grateful to my editor, who pushed me to make this more personal. I usually avoid doing so. For reasons that become clear at the end of this piece. Gift link: nytimes.com/2026/05/21/opi…