Why Pope Leo’s visit to Lampedusa matters for migrants, the church and global politics
As the US celebrated its 250th anniversary, Pope Leo XIV decided instead to visit the Sicilian island of Lampedusa. Closer to Africa geographically than to Italy, the island is known as a place of sbarchi (sea landings) for thousands immigrants and asylum seekers journeying from Africa to Europe, and a place where thousands of others […]
Climate law expert: Europe’s deadly heatwaves belong in court
Maksim Safaniuk/Shutterstock Europe is in the middle of something that no longer feels exceptional. Temperature records have broken across the continent, hitting 40°C and above in Germany, France, Hungary and Spain – and costing hundreds of lives. Where I live in Scandinavia, this kind of temperature is more unusual. Yet Denmark also recently joined the […]
How to create the blackest black ever known – from nature to nanotechnology
Achieving the blackest of blacks has been one of humanity’s enduring challenges. It is a frontier that unites modern nanotechnologists with nature’s ancient colour palette. Black emerged as one of humanity’s first engineered colours, stemming from charcoal and soot used in the prehistoric cave art of Lascaux in southwestern France. For centuries, darkness has been […]
The Vikings were more than bearded marauders but Scandinavia’s national museums continue to project that image
If you visit Scandinavia you are likely to find yourself at an exhibition about Vikings. There are many to choose from. The National History Museum in Denmark’s capital, Copenhagen, houses a major permanent exhibition on Viking. The Swedish History Museum in Stockholm boasts the largest Viking Age exhibition in the world. And the new Norwegian […]
Nato summit will reveal how alliance plans to manage European security as US cuts back its support
Two massive Russian attacks on Kyiv in less than a week, renewed Iranian threats in the Strait of Hormuz, and a security crackdown in Turkey are just three of the immediate issues shaping the context of the Nato summit in Ankara on July 7-8. While Ukraine and Iran will be on Nato’s agenda, the authoritarian […]
UK ‘only’ contributes 1% global emissions – but alongside many other countries, that all adds up
Scharfsinn/Shutterstock The UK represented just 0.81% of global CO₂ emissions from fossil fuels and industry in 2024. That’s a small proportion of the global total, so perhaps it’s easy to suggest that the responsibility to cut emissions should instead lie with bigger emitters like China, the US and India. But with many countries contributing the […]
In our deep oceans, evolution is supercharged – this diversity of life could help unlock humanity’s greatest challenges
Deep-sea hydrothermal vents like these in the mid-Atlantic Ocean are natural laboratories for studying life in extreme conditions. Gallwis/Shutterstock Far beneath the surface of the ocean lies the largest and least explored habitat on Earth. The deep sea is cold, dark, highly pressurised – and home to a huge amount of undiscovered life. The first […]
World Cup’s credibility in question after Fifa volte face following call from Donald Trump
After four weeks of dazzling action on the pitch, it may be an off-field scandal that comes to define this summer’s World Cup. Fifa’s decision to allow America’s star striker, Folarin Balogun, to play in a last-16 match against Belgium, despite having been sent off in the previous game against Bosnia and Herzegovina, is in […]
Community refugee sponsorship: how the Home Office can get its new safe-and-legal route right
Residents of Truro holding a vigil for Ukraine after Russia’s full-scale invasion in February 2022. Jory Mundy/Shutterstock As part of a package of reforms to the UK’s asylum system, Shabana Mahmood has laid out the details of a new community sponsorship route for refugees to come to the UK. The home secretary’s announcement draws on […]
Heatwaves: expert tips on redesigning UK homes to cope with hotter temperatures
As the UK prepares for the third heatwave of 2026, most people will be hoping to try and keep cool at home. Building regulations to protect homes from overheating were introduced in 2022. These require all new homes to be checked at the design stage to see if they might be at risk of overheating. […]