By Matthew Mokhefi-Ashton, Lecturer in Politics and International Relations, Nottingham Trent University
The key difference between Donald Trump’s first and second presidencies can be summed up by his two official portraits. The first after his victory in 2016 shows a smiling Trump, probably delighted to have won against the odds and, at least in theory, willing to work with his opponents.
The second shows a more brooding figure glaring into the camera – a man who recognises that a sizeable chunk of the country is never going to like him and does not care. This second image encapsulates what I see as the twin themes of Trump’s…
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By Dafydd Townley, Teaching Fellow in US politics and international security, University of Portsmouth
The so-called ‘Golden Circle’ was to be an empire of slave-owning states stretching from the Deep South of the US, across Mexico, Central America and the Caribbean.
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By Sarah Trott, Senior Lecturer in American Studies and History, York St John University
The US president Donald Trump’s domestic and foreign policy has surprised much of the world, particularly US allies. It breaks with expectations about how the US has traditionally behaved.
This is mainly due to Trump’s speed and bluntness of decisions, his breaks with longstanding norms and his unpredictable style. But the capture of Venezuelan president, Nicolás Maduro, and the mounting tension over America’s threatened occupation of Greenland are not isolated events. Neither is the government’s…
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By James Brocklesby, Lecturer in History, Sheffield Hallam University
The UK formally agreed to transfer sovereignty over the Chagos Islands to Mauritius in May 2025. With the Trump administration’s explicit support, this move ended one of the longest-running territorial disputes in Britain’s remaining overseas territories.
The decision has been hailed by some as a long-overdue act of decolonisation, condemned by others as a strategic misstep. Unexpectedly, Donald Trump has now reignited…
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By Debra Benita Shaw, Reader in Cultural Theory in the School of Architecture and Visual Arts, University of East London
Born from the misogynistic and racist imaginings of HP Lovecraft, a new Korean monster fuelled by feminine rage counters this legacy.
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By Per Ola Kristensson, Professor of Interactive Systems Engineering, University of Cambridge
Major job cuts at Meta could signal a shift from virtual reality to the broader, less-immersive forms of extended reality.
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By Emma Beckett, Senior Lecturer, Nutrition and Food Science, Australian Catholic University
It’s easy to worry about eating too many trans fats. But you don’t have to turn into a chef overnight to lower your intake.
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By Mark Beeson, Adjunct Professor, Australia-China Relations Institute, University of Technology Sydney
The biggest difference between China and the US today is not ideological, but lies in their respective abilities to get things done.
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By Brenton Griffin, Academic Status in the College of Humanities, Arts, and Social Sciences, Flinders University
The new Netflix documentary Evil Influencer: The Jodi Hildebrandt Story, directed by Skye Borgman, seeks to understand the shocking crimes of both Hildebrandt and business partner Ruby Franke.
In 2023, Hildebrandt and Franke became internationally known when they were arrested and plead guilty for aggravated child abuse. They were accused of the…
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By Angela Jackson, Social Policy Commissioner, Productivity Commission, and Adjunct Associate Professor, University of Tasmania
At the start of the new year, many of us will commit to joining a gym, eating healthier or cutting back on drinking and smoking. We do this knowing that investing in our health today will pay off into to the future – that prevention is better (and cheaper) than the cure.
It’s advice the Productivity Commission thinks federal and state governments should also follow to improve Australia’s finances and productivity.
Late last year, my co-authors and I gave the federal government the final report of our inquiry on delivering…
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