By Chee Meng Tan, Assistant Professor of Business Economics, University of Nottingham
Japan said goodbye to its last two giant pandas on January 27, as twins Xiao Xiao and Lei Lei were returned from their host country to China. Their departure has left Japan without any pandas for the first time since 1972, when Tokyo and Beijing normalised diplomatic ties.
The Chinese government has long pursued a strategy of giving or loaning giant pandas, which are found exclusively in China, to other countries to strengthen international…
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By Bobby Smith, Associate Professor of Theatre and Performance, University of Warwick
Young people are often overlooked in discussions about climate crisis. And yet they stand to be most profoundly affected by it.
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By Joanna Syrda, Assistant Professor in Business Economics, University of Bath
The idea of a “trophy” wife or husband may not sound like a very romantic basis for marriage. It implies one half of a couple brings physical attractiveness to a relationship, while the other half brings status and money.
But the lack of romance in this idea does not mean that attractiveness and wealth don’t both play a part in many real relationships. Sociologists call it “beauty-status exchange”, and it has traditionally reflected the…
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By Jeff Da Costa, PhD Researcher in Hydrometeorology, University of Reading
Scientists can warn of a risk of floods days in advance. But forecasts often aren’t definitive enough to trigger action.
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By Jenny Hall, Associate Professor in Tourism and Events, York St John University
The starry skies we can see from the UK are being limited all the time by the glare of light pollution.
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By Sarah Trott, Senior Lecturer in American Studies and History, York St John University
The first lady of the US, a title typically held by the wife of the president, has never been a fixed cultural figure. Instead, she has functioned as a screen on to which the nation projects its ideals, anxieties and evolving ideas about womanhood and power.
With the release of Amazon’s new Melania documentary, which details Melania Trump in the 20 days before…
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By Michelle Spear, Professor of Anatomy, University of Bristol
Your 40s can feel more exhausting than your 60s. The reason isn’t inevitable decline, but a clash between biology and peak life demand.
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Friday, February 6, 2026
The UN reiterated concerns on Friday over reports that Israeli forces sprayed a highly toxic herbicide over areas north of the Blue Line separating Lebanon from Israel on 1 February.
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By Amnesty International
Responding to the European Commission’s preliminary findings that TikTok’s design is addictive and in breach of the Digital Services Act (DSA), a landmark EU law meant to create a safer digital space, Lisa Dittmer, Amnesty International Researcher on Children and Young People’s Digital Rights said: “For years now, TikTok has been the forefront of Big Tech’s race to capture children’s time and attention at all costs. This announcement is an overdue but welcome acknowledgement of TikTok’s addictive design. “The European Commission […] The post Europe: European Commission must urgently enforce landmark…
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By Hannah Cloke, Professor of Hydrology, University of Reading
Expertise can come from generations of farmers building up understanding of local weather patterns or Indigenous knowledge about forests and rivers.
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