Has the World Cup been a soft power failure for the US?
Hosting the Men’s Fifa World Cup is supposed to be one of the biggest soft power wins a country can score. When Germany hosted the tournament in 2006, it did so under the official slogan “a time to make friends”. It sought to transform its global reputation for being serious and reserved, presenting itself as […]
Melatonin may help ease chronic muscle and joint pain, new study suggests
Skorzewiak/Shutterstock.com Melatonin is best known for helping us sleep. But a new study suggests it might have another surprising use: easing muscle and joint pain. Produced naturally by the pineal gland in the brain at night, melatonin helps regulate the body’s sleep-wake cycle. That’s why this hormone is widely used as a treatment for insomnia […]
England defeat: maybe football’s never ‘coming home’
Another tournament, another agonising chapter in English football’s long catalogue of glorious disappointments. England were dumped out of the World Cup by Argentina following a capitulation that will echo through the annals of English footballing folklore. Having taken the lead just shy of the hour mark, this one really stung. But the irony is that […]
Young people are among the most at risk of stalking – but many don’t recognise it
DimaBerlin/Shutterstock In everyday life, people often joke about “stalking” someone on social media, or describe someone’s behaviour as a bit “stalky”. But these casual uses of the word can blur the reality of stalking as a serious crime. According to the Crime Survey for England and Wales, around 1.4 million people aged 16 and over […]
Who owns an AI generated song? What we can learn from the phonograph and the evolution of copyright laws
shutterstock New Africa/Shutterstock Copyright is built on the idea that human creativity deserves protection. Legally, this is known as “originality”. The principle is simple: people create valuable cultural works and the law protects that effort. But artificial intelligence (AI) is challenging one of copyright law’s most basic assumptions. In doing so, it may force us […]
The 2026 World Cup has been a tournament where alcohol brands hoped to win influence through sponsorship
Freer/Shutterstock The 2026 men’s football World Cup has provided great goals, shock results and plenty of entertainment. It has also been extremely lucrative, earning Fifa billions of dollars in broadcasting rights, ticket sales and commercial sponsorship. Those commercial partnerships include alcohol producers, whose brands have appeared across television broadcasts, digital platforms, social media and stadiums. […]
Why some primates have even tougher births than humans
Having a baby is no joke for tamarins. Martin Leber/Shutterstock Scientists have long thought humans have a uniquely difficult birth compared to other primates. And it’s true that from an evolutionary perspective, we face an obstetrical dilemma. As we evolved to walk on two feet, our pelvis changed shape and size and our birth canal […]
Can speaking multiple languages really lower dementia risk? It’s not that simple
Song about summer/Shutterstock.com The risk of dementia rises as the brain ages. One reason is that connections between brain cells weaken over time. Diseases of the brain, such as Alzheimer’s and stroke, can speed this up, eventually leading to dementia, a loss of mental abilities and a loss of independence. Scientists can now estimate a […]
England out of the World Cup, but this team may have helped redefine a nation
The football World Cup is often seen as an opportunity to bring different groups within a nation together as they celebrate their team’s achievements. And while the performance of the England side’s young and dynamic squad may not have taken them to the final, there remains something to celebrate. Thomas Tuchel’s squad has offered a […]
Ann Widdecombe killing: why police have told the public – including Nigel Farage – not to speculate
The death of 78-year-old Ann Widdecombe would have been surprising no matter the circumstances. The former Conservative minister and ex-Reform UK spokeswoman appeared to be in good health, giving an interview just minutes before her suspected killing. Yet, it is the nature of her death – now being investigated by counter-terrorism police – that is […]