9/11 transformed our relationship with news – and laid the groundwork for today’s crisis of trust
Walter Cicchetti/Shutterstock Twenty-five years on, the legacy of the September 11 attacks continues beyond the initial physical and economic effects. The events of 9/11 and the subsequent “war on terror” severely undermined trust in mainstream news media in the US and around the world, laying the groundwork for today’s fractured, hyperpartisan information environment. In the […]
‘Blood olives’: the hurdles in enforcing UK’s ban on trade with illegal Israeli settlements
The key question about the UK’s decision to ban trade in goods and services from illegal Israeli settlements in the Occupied Palestinian Territories is whether – and how – such a ban can be enforced. To answer this question, it’s worth looking at how such sanctions are already enforced in similar situations. Blood diamonds, the […]
Sweden’s prison population has doubled in a decade, and is set to spike even further – here’s why
Savvapanf Photo/Shutterstock Sweden’s criminal justice system was once held up as an example of moderation – focusing on rehabilitation and minimising the use of imprisonment. But the Scandinavian nation could soon join countries such as Russia, Belarus and Nicaragua as a world leader in punitiveness. Throughout 1990s and up to the mid-2010s, Sweden had a […]
Strait of Hormuz crisis: how danger and uncertainty can affect the mental health of seafarers
Mariusz Bugno/Shutterstock As instability in the Strait of Hormuz disrupts shipping, public discussion tends to focus on fuel prices and supplies. Less attention is paid to the people working on the ships. The International Maritime Organization (IMO) says more than 20,000 seafarers in the region have been affected, including people stranded on vessels unable to […]
Pressure: Andrew Scott excels in D-day drama that gets caught between history and Hollywood
Secretary of state for the treasury, Scott Bessent, recently declared that the US is readying a comprehensive package of sanctions targeting Iran that in size and scale amounted to an “economic D-day”. Although a problematic analogy that does disservice to the memory of those Allied soldiers who landed in Normandy, Bessent’s choice of words does […]
E1: the illegal settlement at the heart of the UK’s West Bank trade ban
Israel has been building settlements in the occupied West Bank for decades. But Britain’s new ban on the import of settlement goods comes in a response to a major escalation in construction over the past four years, which an International Court of Justice advisory opinion in 2024 concluded is illegal and must stop. Most striking […]
Fatigue in teenage girls linked to heavy periods and lifestyle – not iron deficiency
Teenage girls are particularly prone to iron deficiency. MAYA LAB/ Shutterstock Fatigue is common among teenage girls and can have a substantial impact on their everyday life, including school attendance and social functioning. Iron deficiency and anaemia are often considered the most probable explanations for the symptoms of fatigue that teenage girls experience. But our […]
How cash-in-hand businesses can get stuck in the informal economy
Around 10% of the UK economy operates off the books. That means billions of pounds worth of cash-in-hand payments that never get taxed. But all of that cash isn’t necessarily being handled by career criminals. Much of it is being earned by the hard work of painters and decorators, hairdressers or landscape gardeners. Many of […]
Call My Agent! The Movie: why this much-loved French TV series fails as a film
Full disclosure: I have been a fan of Call My Agent! since 2015, when I saw the first two episodes at a small festival in Brides-les-bains, a spa town in the French Alps. The event was organised by agent-turned-producer Dominique Besnehard, who was showing the episodes ahead of their first airing on French TV. Having […]
Virtually trying on clothes using AI can help cut fast-fashion waste, study reveals
New Africa/Shutterstock Renting clothing used to be restricted to a wedding suit or prom dress, but the options are growing and becoming more popular. Today, you can rent clothes directly from other people through apps like By Rotation and Hurr, or go straight to high street brands such as John Lewis and Selfridges. Most clothing […]