Why Javier Milei’s inflation ‘miracle’ in Argentina is more of a mirage
When Javier Milei took over as president of Argentina in December 2023, monthly inflation was 25.5%. The annual rate for that year was 211%. Now it has plummeted. Milei, a rightwing populist famous for wielding a chainsaw on stage to make a point about fiscal conservatism, made cutting inflation a central part of his campaign. […]
Can engaging in the arts slow ageing, as a recent study suggested?
becauz gao/Shutterstock.com Can spending more time engaging with the arts, such as visiting galleries, museums, singing or painting, really lead to a longer and healthier life? It’s certainly an appealing idea. And it’s not implausible. Stress is bad for your health, and spending your free time doing something engaging, like visiting an art gallery, seems […]
Putin and Xi: Russian president’s China trip shows for the second time in a week how rapidly the world order is changing
Hot on the heels of his summit with US president Donald Trump, China’s Xi Jinping hosted his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin in Beijing on May 19 and 20. Headlines spoke of multiple trade agreements, warnings against a return to the law of the jungle in international relations, and a joint declaration on building a multipolar […]
Five questions over Nigel Farage’s £5 million donation
Questions about a £5 million gift to the leader of Reform UK Nigel Farage from a crypto billionaire simply won’t go away. As someone who spends their life thinking, writing and talking about money in politics, I’ve been left with at least five questions that remain unanswered. These centre not just on the donation and […]
Why a 1,500-year-old monastic rulebook still challenges what it means to live a meaningful life
Saint Benedict delivering his rule to the monks of his order, Monastery of St. Gilles (from a manuscript made in 1129). WikiCommons What might a sixth-century monastic rulebook have to say about how we live today? Living by the Rule: Contemporary Meets Medieval, the centrepiece of this summer’s exhibitions at the Sainsbury Centre in Norwich, […]
Decarbonising everything is impossible – here’s why
MOLPIX/Shutterstock, CC BY-NC-ND Walk into any supermarket and you are surrounded by carbon. Not the kind measured in parts per million in climate reports, but carbon in its most tangible form: the polymer shell of a shampoo bottle, the insulation behind the ceiling tiles, the synthetic fibres in the bag hanging from your wrist. These […]
Teen self-harm: responses should focus on social context, not just mental health
Halfpoint/Shutterstock Around one in six adolescents worldwide report having self-harmed at some point in their lives. In England, an NHS mental health survey of 2,370 children and young people found that more than one in three young adults aged 17 to 24 had self-harmed. Typically, responses to self-harm focus on the individual – diagnosis, treatment […]
Prescriptions for ivermectin soar after Mel Gibson claims it cured friends of cancer
Manuela Durson/Shutterstock.com Prescriptions for two antiparasitic drugs, ivermectin and fenbendazole, have recently surged in the US, according to a new study. Originally developed to treat parasitic worms, the drugs are now being discussed online as possible cancer treatments. In January 2025, Mel Gibson appeared on the Joe Rogan Experience podcast claiming that ivermectin and fenbendazole […]
Why talking like Yoda can help you to master British Sign Language
I’m not surprised that Talk Like Yoda Day exists. Over 40 years since his Star Wars debut (puppeteered and voiced by Frank Oz), Yoda remains a recognisable figure in pop culture. This is in part due to his distinctive and frequently imitated version of English. What stands out about Yoda’s speech is his unusual word […]
Xi and Putin tout ‘new type’ of world order in Beijing – but is their alliance really that strong?
Less than a week after hosting Donald Trump, China’s leader Xi Jinping welcomed his Russian counterpart, Vladimir Putin, to Beijing. Unlike Trump’s visit, this was a routine meeting. The Chinese and Russian presidents have met more than 40 times since 2013, with the latest meeting marking Putin’s 25th visit to China. The frequency of talks […]