By Amnesty International
Following the Portuguese Parliament’s approval of a law banning face coverings in public spaces, the Executive Director of Amnesty International – Portugal, João Godinho Martins, said: “This new law is discriminatory and is a threat to human rights. Despite having removed direct references to Islam, which were a part of previous versions of the text, this […] The post Portugal: Blanket ban on face coverings threatens several human rights appeared first on Amnesty International. ]]>
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Friday, July 17, 2026
UN humanitarians working in war-torn Sudan on Friday highlighted rapidly growing needs among the more than 100,000 displaced people now sheltering in camps in the city of El Obeid.
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By Eric Shaw, Honorary Research Fellow in Politics, University of Stirling
Andy Burnham has won on his third attempt to be Labour’s leader. In a wide-ranging speech to Labour MPs at a special conference in London, a jubilant Burnham pledged to “bring back hope” and promised to be a leader for all nations of the UK. But it has taken him well over a decade to get here. In 2010, as a rising star associated with the Blairite wing, he made his first bid for the leadership.
In truth, back then he had little prospect of success: he was merely placing a marker. Five years later, he stood again but could do little to derail the Jeremy Corbyn bandwagon. Yet fast-forward…
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By Pablo Uchoa, Researcher and Postgraduate Teaching Assistant in the Institute of the Americas, UCL
The armed forces are at the heart of the disaster response on Venezuela’s coast, just like they were in 1999.
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By Jules B. Kajtar, Senior Research Scientist - Physical Oceanography, National Oceanography Centre
Zoe Jacobs, Biogeochemical Modeller, National Oceanography Centre, University of Southampton
A dip in the sea can provide welcome relief after long stretches of hot weather – especially when the water is an inviting 20°C or more, as it has been recently across southern parts of the UK. But such sea temperatures are unusually warm, with UK waters being hit by the third major marine heatwave in four years.
Aside from obvious negative consequences for people, such as more drownings in open water, marine…
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By Risa Cromer, Associate Professor of Anthropology, Purdue University
In vitro fertilization has become a bigger part of reproductive rights debates as a once-fringe movement to recognize embryos as people grows louder.
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By Jay L. Zagorsky, Associate Professor of Business, Boston University
If you or someone you know has a baby or a child under 18, you’re likely wondering if they should get a “Trump Account.”
The U.S. government started giving babies born during President Donald Trump’s second term a US$1,000 gift on July 4, 2026. This money goes into the accounts, which are named after the president.…
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By Patrick Parenteau, Professor of Law Emeritus, Vermont Law & Graduate School
If Congress didn’t believe habitat destruction and degradation constitute ‘harm’ under the statute, why would it require permits and plans to offset habitat loss?
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By Laura Russo, Assistant Professor of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Tennessee
Researchers were surprised to find how widespread this magnetic property was, not only across families of bees but also beetles, wasps and flies.
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By José Kaire, Prrofessor of Political Science, Arizona State University
The current state of democracy in the world is fragile. According to the V-Dem Project, which measures global democracy, 41% of the world’s population live in autocratizing countries — that is, those becoming more authoritarian.
In fact, a “third wave of autocratization” has seen democracy pushed back to levels not seen since 1978, the authors of the 2026 V-Dem report conclude. Worse, many of the 92 autocracies around the world are becoming more repressive.
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