After a year of Reform UK in local government, the cracks are starting to show
Reform UK is expected to expand its foothold in local government in England this week. More than 5,000 seats across 136 councils are being contested, making this one of the largest electoral tests in recent years. It builds on Reform’s breakthrough in 2025, when the party took control of ten local authorities – its first […]
Wales is looking at a huge shake-up in the Senedd – so why are voters so disenchanted?
Wales is going to the polls on May 7 to elect members to the Senedd (Welsh parliament). And the results could bring big change to the country. The polls are suggesting that this election will result in the biggest shake-up to the political landscape since the creation of the National Assembly for Wales in 1999. […]
The ocean system that shapes Europe’s climate
Nigma Photography/Shutterstock For generations, the mild and temperate climate of north-western Europe has been credited to one legendary force: the Gulf Stream. This idea is so deeply entrenched in our cultural identity that in James Joyce’s Ulysses, the protagonist Stephen Dedalus refuses to take a bath, arguing that “all Ireland is washed by the Gulf […]
TikTok’s ‘nonnamaxxing’ trend explained: here’s how living like an Italian grandma can benefit health and wellbeing
Here are some good reasons to try ‘nonnamaxxing’ for life. Inna Postnikova/ Shutterstock The key to better wellbeing is acting like an Italian grandmother, according to social media’s “nonnamaxxing” trend. Proponents of the trend say that adopting the lifestyle habits of an Italian nonna will help improve your health and mental wellbeing. The core principles […]
Where Iranians are going under fire – a real-time picture of displacement
Since US and Israeli strikes began on the last day of February, millions of Iranians have been living under attack, an internet blackout and tight restrictions on journalists and humanitarian agencies. But many people are on the move, trying to get away from dangerous places or to be reunited with family at a time of […]
Hantavirus, COVID, norovirus, legionnaires’: why are cruise ships so prone to disease outbreaks?
lara-sh/Shutterstock.com Cruises are sold as floating holidays, but they are also useful for understanding public health. Cruise ships are carefully designed places where many people live, eat, relax and move through the same shared spaces for days at a time. They show how easily illness can spread when people are packed into a single interconnected […]
Shutting Iran’s oil wells may be straightforward – but the consequences are not
The Strait of Hormuz – the narrow waterway through which between 20% and 25% of the world’s seaborne oil normally passes – has been been effectively closed for just over two months. As tensions have escalated, Iran has restricted passage through the Strait, while the US has imposed a naval blockade on Iranian shipping, sharply […]
Welsh broadcasters target voters with digital election coverage
Mareks Perkons/Shutterstock Voters in Wales will soon go to the polls to elect members of an expanded Senedd (Welsh parliament) under a new proportional voting system. As the campaign has developed, public service broadcasters have sought not only to report events but to educate, inform and engage audiences with an unfamiliar electoral process. Our analysis […]
Thinking of joining a co-working space? Here are four ways to make the most of it
bbernard/Shutterstock Co-working spaces have become a familiar part of the working landscape. A convenient alternative to working from home or an employer’s office, they have become the favoured option of millions of the world’s freelancers, entrepreneurs and remote workers. In the UK, there are over 4,000 co-working venues to choose from. Prices vary, depending on […]
UK terror threat is raised – counter-terror expert explains how official prevention strategies work
William Barton/Shutterstock The UK has raised its terror threat level from “substantial” to “severe”, meaning an attack within the next six months is considered highly likely. The change means the threat level is at severe for the first time in four years. It came with a warning from the Home Office of an increased threat […]