By Adriana Marin, Lecturer in International Relations, Coventry University
A massive anti-drug raid in Rio de Janeiro left 132 people dead in the early hours of October 28 as Brazil’s security forces confronted one of the country’s biggest crime gangs. It was one of the deadliest security operations in modern Brazilian history.
Around 2,500 officers descended on the favelas…
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By Paul Whiteley, Professor, Department of Government, University of Essex
The results of the Caerphilly Senedd byelection held on October 23 were certainly a shock to Labour and to the Conservatives, but they also cast doubt on the reliability of polling as well. It had for some time appeared that Reform was in the running to win the seat but it ended up trailing some way behind Plaid Cymru.
A Survation telephone poll published on October 16 suggested Plaid Cymru would come second with 38%, and the election…
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By Chee Meng Tan, Assistant Professor of Business Economics, University of Nottingham
China’s president, Xi Jinping, has met with his American counterpart, Donald Trump, for their first face-to-face talks in six years. Trump emerged from the meeting in South Korea in a buoyant mood, describing it as a 12 on a scale of one to ten. He is now saying the US will lower tariffs on Chinese imports, with Beijing giving the US better access to rare earths in return.
The Chinese government’s response was, in comparison, relatively muted. In a statement, the foreign ministry declared…
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By Alex Dittrich, Senior Lecturer in Zoology, Nottingham Trent University
If you’re scared of spiders, Halloween certainly doesn’t help. People decorate their homes with monstrous-looking fake cobwebs and horror movies depict giant spiders hunting humans or creeping around spooky abandoned houses. Spiders’ long association with witches can also make their presence seem a little ominous.
In reality though, spiders are much more likely to be minding…
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By Catherine Bannister, Visiting Researcher at The University of Sheffield, Social research of children’s play and cultural worlds / archives of cultural tradition and childhood, University of Sheffield
All About Ghosts by Christopher Maynard is a non-fiction book for children curious about spectral beings. First published in 1977, this book grabbed many children with the vice-like grip of a reanimated hand from a mouldering grave.
The book is one of several 1970s spooky releases that left many British children of the time with an abiding curiosity about all…
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By Jamie Woodward, Professor of Physical Geography, University of Manchester
Jeff Warburton, Professor in the Department of Geography, Durham University
Stephen Tooth, Professor of Physical Geography, Aberystwyth University
One hundred years ago, a catastrophic flood carrying enormous boulders swept through part of Dolgarrog village, north Wales, destroying several homes, a bridge and the local chapel. Ten adults and six children lost their lives. The tragedy was widely reported and King George V sent a message of condolence.
This was not a natural flood. It was caused by the failure of two dams impounding the Eigiau and Coedty reservoirs on the Carneddau plateau,…
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By Jan Machielsen, Senior Lecturer in Early Modern History, History, Archaeology and Religion, Cardiff University
Paul Webster, Lecturer in Medieval History and Co-Ordinator, Exploring the Past Pathway, Cardiff University
As long as we live in a world where people are persecuted for perceived differences, memorialising accused witches will reveal the deadly consequences of ‘othering’.
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By Tom Harper, Lecturer in International Relations, University of East London
It was 12 out of ten, said US president Donald Trump when reporting back on his meeting with his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping. The two men met in the South Korean city of Busan on October 30, the first time they have come together face to face since 2019.
That, in itself, must be seen as progress after months of rising tensions. Since Trump returned to the White House in January, the world’s two biggest powers have squared off in what has threatened to become an increasingly damaging trade war.
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By Amnesty International
Ahead of the trial of prominent lawyer and human rights defender Ahmed Souab starting on 31October in Tunis, Heba Morayef, Regional Director for the Middle East and North Africa at Amnesty International, said: “Ahmed Souab is facing unfounded charges that carry heavy prison sentences, including ‘forming a terrorist organization’ and ‘spreading fake news,’ solely for […] The post Tunisia: Authorities must immediately release detained lawyer Ahmed Souab appeared first on Amnesty International. ]]>
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By Joshua Anbar, Clinical Assistant Professor in Healthcare Administration and Policy, Arizona State University
I can say from personal experience that being diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder can feel very isolating. Increasingly, however, it’s not unusual.
In the U.S., 1 in 31 children are diagnosed with autism each year by age 8, according to the latest data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. That number, released in April 2025, is up from 1 in 36 in 2023.
These statistics have been widely…
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