Kanye West banned from UK: legal expert explains why
The UK government has prevented Kanye West, legally known as Ye, from entering the UK on the grounds that his presence would not be conducive to the public good. The rapper has become notorious for a sustained range of antisemitic comments, expressing admiration for Hitler and releasing a song titled Heil Hitler. The prospect of […]
Pakistan, Turkey, Egypt and Saudi Arabia emerge as a new regional power bloc amid Iran war
Pakistan’s prime minister, Shehbaz Sharif, announced that a two-week ceasefire had been agreed between the US and Iran in the early hours of April 8. Delegates from both sides are expected to attend further talks in the Pakistani capital of Islamabad on Friday. This comes less than two weeks after Pakistan hosted talks with Saudi […]
Iran ceasefire: trust will be vital but it’s in short supply right now
The US and Iran have agreed a two-week ceasefire in a deal brokered by Pakistan, which will see Iran open the Strait of Hormuz to shipping while negotiations continue for a more permanent settlement. The US president, Donald Trump, announced the agreement on his TruthSocial platform less than two hours before the deadline of 8pm […]
Middle East conflict: this ceasefire may have made Iran stronger
Ceasefires are often presented as moments of relief – pauses in violence that open the door to diplomacy. But sometimes they reveal something more consequential: who has actually gained from the war. The emerging ceasefire between the US, Israel and Iran may be one of those moments. On the surface, all sides are claiming success. […]
Iran ceasefire has brought a sudden fall in oil prices – but this pause underscores the volatility in the market
Who is Danny/Shutterstock Before the temporary ceasefire in the Gulf, the world had been experiencing the biggest oil price shock ever, surpassing even the crises of the 1970s. The scale and speed of movements were comparable to some of the most disruptive episodes in modern energy markets. At the centre of the disruption was the […]
How Artemis II’s Earthset photo compares with the iconic Earthrise image from 1968
Earthset, as captured aboard the Orion spacecraf during the Artemis II mission. Nasa As Nasa’s Artemis II mission completed its lunar flyby, the astronauts sent back a stunning image of the colourful Earth setting behind the Moon. This breathtaking photo, called Earthset, draws inevitable comparisons with the original Earthrise photo from the Apollo 8 flight […]
Why organisations pick the wrong leaders
Pressmaster/Shutterstock Plenty of people have worked under a manager who appears confident, articulate and highly visible – yet they struggle to lead their team effectively. Team members can become disengaged, decision-making slows and performance declines. But despite this, the same people always seem to progress through the hierarchy. Unfortunately, this is not unusual. In many […]
Why AI shouldn’t be used even to decide ‘simple’ court cases
Phonlamai Photo/Shutterstock In just a few years, generative artificial intelligence (gen AI) has brought about significant changes in many industries from healthcare to education, entertainment to finance, and even law. The use of gen AI in court verdicts poses significant risks to justice. Erroneous outcomes generated from “hallucinated” information, discriminatory decisions and lack of transparency […]
Expecting charity shops to recycle your unwanted clothes is creating a rubbish pile – here’s how to help to avoid that
Charity shops receive tonnes of unwanted clothes. Iryna Mylinska/Shutterstock Charity shops are generally seen as a responsible way to get rid of unwanted belongings. In theory, donating items allows them to be reused and raises money for important causes. However, many charity shops struggle to make use of the donations they receive. The UK has […]
Zajal – this form of Arabic poetic duelling has broken onto TikTok
“I am a king of angels, from beginning to end. Arrani you’ll soon be crying out, weeping endless tears,” sings Akram Qawar in Arabic while gesticulating at his opponent. Muhammad al-Arrani sings back: “What are you mumbling about? No one understands your verse, did you just come here to make a fool of yourself in […]