By Simon Mabon, Professor of International Relations, Lancaster University
A report in the Washington Post the day after the Iran war began suggested that Saudi Arabia and Israel had both lobbied Donald Trump to attack Iran. The Saudis swiftly denied that they had pushed for war.
In the days since, as Iran lashed out in retaliation, Saudi Arabia came under attack. An Iranian drone hit the US embassy in the Saudi capital, Riyadh, and an oil processing plant at Ras Tanura was targeted. Two people were killed…
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By Wenge Xu, Senior Lecturer in Human-Computer Interaction, School of Computing, Birmingham City University
Self-driving cars are very much a reality and no longer a vision from science fiction. In the UK, automated vehicles (AVs) such as self-driving shuttles are already being tested on public roads.
Self-driving taxi services are expected to launch in 2026, and the Automated Vehicles Act is scheduled for implementation in 2027. This act establishes the legal groundwork for driverless cars to operate on Britain’s roads.
As these vehicles…
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By Sahar Maranlou, Lecturer in Law and Socio-legal Studies, Royal Holloway, University of London
Women Without Men by Shahrnush Parsipur is an innovative feminist story set in Iran. The story follows five women and the circumstances that make them leave their lives to start anew in a garden on the outskirts of Tehran.
Written in the late 1970s, it was immediately banned on publication. Shortly after, Parsipur was arrested and jailed for her frank and defiant portrayal of women’s sexuality. This groundbreaking book is now available for the first time in English, translated by Faridoun Farrokh.
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By Erica Consterdine, Senior Lecturer in Public Policy, Lancaster University
The home secretary, Shabana Mahmood, says that her plans to overhaul the asylum system are rooted in “Labour values”. The proposals include removing government support for some asylum seekers and limiting initial refugee status from five years to 30 months.
In a Guardian op-ed, Mahmood wrote that these values, uniting working-class communities, social reformers and immigrants…
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By Justin Stebbing, Professor of Biomedical Sciences, Anglia Ruskin University
Multi-cancer blood tests promise early detection, but the evidence is thin, the risks real, and they’re no substitute for listening to your body.
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By Freddie Daley, Research Associate, Centre for Global Political Economy, University of Sussex
It began with red paint at the UK Treasury, and ended in one of the most successful international climate initiatives.
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By Sarah Golding, Postgraduate MSK Lecturer, School of Sport, Rehabilitation and Exercise Sciences, University of Essex
Unlike osteoarthritis, inflammatory arthritis can begin at any age and damage joints quickly. Early diagnosis within three months improves outcomes.
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By Sarah Kerr, Lecturer in Archaeology and Radical Humanities, University College Cork
Losing a building that is part of the fabric and history of a place extends beyond economic effects to something more emotional.
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By Jennifer Coates, Professor of Japanese Studies, University of Sheffield
How much do any of us really know about who we are? This question haunts director Kei Ishikawa’s adaptation of Kazuo Ishiguro’s first novel, A Pale View of Hills (1982).
The complex story follows “unreliable narrator” Etsuko from Japan to England. A Pale View of Hills starts in 1982, as Etsuko (Yoh Yoshida) packs up her English country house, preparing to move. Her daughter Niki (Camilla Aiko) arrives,…
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By Colin Davidson, Professor of Neuropharmacology, University of Lancashire
Paraxanthine is the main metabolite of caffeine. Studies suggest it can boost alertness and focus, but the research base is much smaller than for caffeine.
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