By Human Rights Watch
Click to expand Image A man walks inside an office of the human rights group Memorial in Moscow, Russia, December 29, 2021. © REUTERS/Evgenia Novozhenina (Berlin) – The Russian Supreme Court on April 9, 2026, designated “International Public Movement Memorial” as an “extremist” organization in a dramatic escalation of the Kremlin’s efforts to suppress human rights work, Human Rights Watch said today. The sweeping “extremist” designation entails a ban on engaging in any of Memorial organizations’ activities under the threat of lengthy prison sentences. Memorial is one of Russia’s…
(Full Story)
|
By Human Rights Watch
Click to expand Image Demonstrators against the FIFA 2026 World Cup draw take part in a protest called "No ICE in my Cup!", in Washington, December 5, 2025. © Francis Chung/POLITICO via AP Images (New York) – World Cup city host committees and FIFA have fallen short on the steps needed to protect players and fans, Human Rights Watch said today, with the tournament two months away.All but one of the host city committees have either failed to present action plans required by the Fédération Internationale de Football Association (FIFA) or produced plans that ignore or fail to adequately…
(Full Story)
|
By Valerie van Mulukom, Visiting Lecturer in Psychology, Coventry University
We live in what has been called the “distraction economy”: an environment full of triggers that are engineered to demand our attention at every turn. The result is often fragmented attention, loss of focus and sometimes even increased rumination and anxiety.
Becoming fully absorbed in an activity is rare. Think of a time a film was so engrossing that you didn’t reach for your phone – the film-watching experience was…
(Full Story)
|
By Mokgadi Miranda Hlongwane, Lecturer, Department of Chemistry, Tshwane University of Technology
The growing use of toxic agricultural chemicals including fertilisers is also driving a scaling up of sustainable agrochemical alternatives.
In South Africa, I’ve been exploring why small-scale farmers resist switching to these more cost-effective and environmentally friendly solutions, such as “biological fertilisers”. Rural small-scale farmers are hesitant about these non-toxic bacterial alternatives because they aren’t readily available or widely understood.
One…
(Full Story)
|
By Elva Arulchelvan, Lecturer in Psychology and PhD Researcher in Psychology and Neuroscience, Trinity College Dublin
From putting your phone away to getting better at ‘chunking’, a neuroscience researcher explains how to make your memory better.
(Full Story)
|
By Narcisse Martial Yèdji, Sociologue politiste et enseignant-chercheur, University d'Abomey-Calavi de Bénin
While voter turnout may not decide who wins the election, it will reflect how credible the electoral process is perceived.
(Full Story)
|
By Amalendu Misra, Professor of International Politics, Lancaster University
Since the early days of Cuba’s 1950s revolution – which overthrew the US-backed dictatorship of Fulgencio Batista and replaced it with a socialist government led by Fidel Castro – the Cuban diaspora have played a large role in determining the island nation’s economic and political landscape.
The first wave of predominantly wealthy, white Cuban emigrants have for decades campaigned for a watertight embargo against their homeland. Many…
(Full Story)
|
By Ed Macaulay, Lecturer in Physics and Data Science, Queen Mary University of London
The Artemis II mission to the Moon is a voyage unlike any other in more than half a century. As the first crewed lunar flight since 1972, Artemis II marks the beginning of a new chapter in our relationship with the Moon.
Nasa’s goal is to establish a sustained human presence on the Moon. As the Artemis II ten-day journey concludes, it will be remembered as a profound moment in the history of human spaceflight. Stunning photos and video downlinked to Earth have provided a human perspective on this…
(Full Story)
|
By Matilde Rosina, Assistant Professor in Global Challenges, Brunel University of London
The UK government is planning to make it significantly harder for migrants to obtain permanent residence. If the proposals go ahead, the UK would become more restrictive than most other high-income democracies. In the case of refugees it would create a situation that is arguably without precedent among peer countries.
The UK’s home secretary, Shabana Mahmood, intends to double…
(Full Story)
|
By Sarah Golding, Postgraduate MSK Lecturer, School of Sport, Rehabilitation and Exercise Sciences, University of Essex
While corticosteroid injections can be very effective at alleviating the pain and inflammation of osteoarthritis, they might not be for everyone.
(Full Story)
|