By Nicole Beardsworth, Lecturer, University of the Witwatersrand
Zambia’s election, scheduled for 13 August, has shaped up into a battle between two alliances. The ruling United Party for National Development alliance is backed by 15 smaller parties. The Tonse-Pamodzi Alliance is headed by presidential newcomer Brian Mundubile and his running mate, Makebi Zulu.
The Tonse-Pamodzi alliance includes a group of smaller political parties without parliamentary representation, and many of the remaining structures of the
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By Alix Violet Freckelton, Research Fellow - Sun, Stars, and Exoplanets, University of Birmingham
A solar eclipse is a rare, visually striking phenomenon. The Moon passes between Earth and the Sun, temporarily hiding our star – a geometrical alignment spanning millions of miles.
A partial solar eclipse occurs when the Moon doesn’t fully block the Sun, resulting in a gentle dimming of the sky. A total solar eclipse, however, dramatically plunges a daytime sky into blackness.
Everything has to be perfect for this to happen. An astonishing cosmic coincidence means that solar eclipses as viewed from Earth are spectacular – and unlike those anywhere else in the solar system.
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By Boróka Bó, Assistant Professor of Sociology, University College Dublin
Parents are told to treasure every moment: “It goes by in the blink of an eye!” Yet for many, the early months of parenthood do not feel fast so much as relentless: a blur of feedings, worries and appointments in which time seems to belong to everyone but the parents themselves.
How do we find balance when every minute is already spoken for? This is the question at the heart of my research. Over years of fieldwork in Toronto’s wealthiest and most disadvantaged neighbourhoods, I interviewed more than 200 people…
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By Dipa Kamdar, Associate Professor in Pharmacy Practice, Kingston University
Almost 305,000 doses of the morning-after pill were provided free of charge in England’s high street pharmacies in the first five months of the new contraception service, according to new NHS data (October 2025 to March 2026). This figure marks one of the biggest changes in access to emergency contraception in decades, putting a free morning-after pill within easier reach of millions of women.
The change is straightforward:…
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By Adam Behr, Reader in Music, Politics and Society, Newcastle University
It seems hopeful at least that the new prime minister does not have to be persuaded of the value of the arts and culture.
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By Laura MacDiarmid, Assistant Professor, Justice Studies, University of Guelph-Humber
Mavis Morton, Chair, Department of Sociology and Anthropology, University of Guelph
Noah Ramsammy, M.A. Student in Criminal Justice and Public Policy, University of Guelph
Restorative justice isn’t appropriate in every case of intimate partner violence. But it could bring justice to some survivors if it adheres to six important principles.
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By Yerzhan Tokbolat, Lecturer in Finance, Queen's University Belfast
Ukrainian drones are regularly striking warehouses belonging to Wildberries – Russia’s largest online marketplace, often described as its answer to Amazon.
This is the latest front in a campaign that has made the economic costs of the war harder for ordinary Russians to ignore. Earlier this summer, strikes on oil refineries and fuel infrastructure contributed to shortages, rising prices and queues at petrol stations.
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By Matt Tomkins, Lecturer in Geographical Information Science, University of Manchester
Harry McDonald, Research Associate in the Department of Electrical & Electronic Engineering, Manchester University
Joanne Tippett, Senior Lecturer in Spatial Planning, University of Manchester
Canals in Great Britain and Ireland cool city neighbourhoods up to 50 metres from their banks, particularly during heatwaves. That’s the key finding of our new research which modelled the impact of canals on urban temperatures – quantifying their importance for the millions of people who live and work nearby.
While canals are found widely throughout UK and Irish cities, reflecting the legacy of the Industrial Revolution,…
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By Borko Amulic, Associate Professor of Immunology, School of Cellular and Molecular Medicine, University of Bristol
Heat stroke doesn’t just overheat the body. It unleashes an inflammatory chain reaction that can damage organs even after the temperature returns to normal.
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By Robyn Adams, Senior Lecturer, School of Science & Technology, Nottingham Trent University
Jay Silverstein, Senior Lecturer in the Department of Chemistry and Forensics, Nottingham Trent University
Perhaps the most evocative windows into the minds of our ancient ancestors are the images they painted on the walls of caves – renderings known simply as rock art or cave paintings.
Rock art, which is found across the world, offers snapshots of human history, preserving representations of cultural traditions, symbolic communication and social identity. Common subjects include animals, hunting scenes and hand stencils – thought to have been made by blowing pigment over the artist’s hand.
Scientists…
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