Medieval plague survivors left us graffiti, court records and a lesson for COVID
Graffiti inscription about the Black Death at St Mary’s church, Ashwell Jack1956/Wikipedia, CC BY Memories of pandemics are often contentious. They can be disputed, uncomfortable and politically charged. As the COVID-19 pandemic begins to feel more distant, governments, communities and families have started asking how it should be remembered. Efforts range from personal memorials for […]
This is what Andy Burnham’s devolution plans need to consider – expert panel
The clearest of Andy Burnham’s proposed policies is introducing greater levels of devolution – the handing over of more power from Westminster to regional and local authorities. Our experts explain the upcoming challenges, and potential solutions, if Burnham presses ahead with this policy. What will Burnham’s key challenge be? Michael Kenny, Professor of Public Policy, […]
Brazil’s highland forest has been shaped by climate change and Indigenous people for 6,000 years
Araucaria forest and _campos_ grasslands on the highlands of southern Brazil. Diego Murta/Shutterstock When you think of a South American rainforest, you probably don’t imagine biting winds, heavy frosts and freezing temperatures. But in the mountains of southern Brazil, that’s exactly what you can find. On this highland plateau, far from Amazonia in the country’s […]
Why an EU ruling about a traffic app could have major implications for big tech companies
Alexandros Michailidis/Shutterstock Many of the biggest online platforms have long argued they aren’t publishers of the content their users upload, merely hosts. The likes of Google, YouTube, Meta and TikTok claim they simply store and display information created by others, so should not be seen as legally responsible for it. But a recent ruling by […]
Can we map The Odyssey? How ancient geographers and modern researchers have traced Odysseus’s travels
Homer’s Odyssey is a quest, following King Odysseus’s ten-year journey back home to Ithaca after the Trojan war. It is a tale with distinct geographic, spatial and temporal dimensions. It is no wonder that for centuries, people have been intrigued by the places mentioned in the Odyssey, wondering how many of them were real. A […]
Why Iran broke the ceasefire in the Strait of Hormuz and what might happen next – expert Q&A
The 60-day ceasefire signed by the US and Iran three weeks ago fell apart on July 8. Iran targeted vessels transiting the Strait of Hormuz without its say-so, prompting the US to respond with strikes against a range of military targets in the Islamic Republic. President Donald Trump declared the ceasefire “over”, saying further talks […]
The US can’t win with force in the Strait of Hormuz – Iran must be offered a realistic incentive to settle
Iranian attacks on Gulf vessels trying to transit via Omani sovereign waters have once again pulled the region into a tit-for-tat spiral of escalation. The US responded by cancelling the waiver permitting Iranian oil exports. Two nights of punitive airstrikes by the US air force against targets across southern Iran followed. Iran answered with ballistic […]
UK politicians don’t want to talk about sportswashing
There are plenty of British politicians who love talking about sport. It makes them appear normal, grounded and relatable to voters. But it seems that not many enjoy talking about the political side of it – especially the concept of “sportswashing”, when sport is allegedly used by a country to deflect attention away from concerns […]
David Blunkett: police leadership needs radical reform to give people the protection they deserve
Kevin George/Shutterstock Two contradictory things can be true at the same time. It is true that the findings of the independent Police Leadership Commission, which I co-chaired, are devastating in relation to the recruitment, training and development, promotion, monitoring and appraisal of the police service. Yet there is excellent policing taking place on our streets […]
Long COVID patients are told symptoms are in their head – here’s how to change the narrative
Daisy Daisy/Shutterstock Between us, we bring two perspectives to persistent illness: personal experience of long COVID, and clinical and research experience in chronic illness rehabilitation. Both have taught us the same thing: when symptoms are real, disabling and difficult to explain, patients need more than reassurance that tests are normal. They need to be believed, […]