By Nick Scroxton, Research Fellow, Palaeoclimate, National University of Ireland Maynooth
Gerrit (Gert) van den Bergh, Researcher in Palaeontology, University of Wollongong
Michael Gagan, Honorary Professor, Palaeoclimate, University of Wollongong; The University of Queensland
Mika Rizki Puspaningrum, Researcher in Palaeontology, Bandung Institute of Technology, Institut Teknologi Bandung
About 50,000 years ago, humanity lost one of its last surviving hominin cousins, Homo floresiensis (also known as “the hobbit” thanks to its small stature). The cause of its disappearance, after more than a million years living on the isolated volcanic island of Flores, Indonesia, has been a longstanding mystery.
Now, new evidence suggests a period of extreme drought starting about 61,000 years ago may have contributed to the hobbits’ disappearance.
Our new study, published today in Communications…
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By Nikhil Venkatesh, Leverhulme Early Career Fellow, University of Sheffield
As OpenAI marks its tenth birthday in December 2025, it can celebrate becoming one of the world’s leading companies, worth perhaps as much as US$1 trillion (£750 billion). But it started as a non-profit with a serious moral mission – and its story demonstrates the difficulty of combining morality with capitalism.
The firm recently became a “public…
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By Samantha Brooks, Associate Professor of Cognitive Neuroscience, Liverpool John Moores University
We often throw caution to the cold, dark wind of December when it comes to spending. The cost-of-living crisis may slip our minds amid the razzle-dazzle of Christmas. We just want a moment to enjoy ourselves, to forget about the winter gloom. It’s natural for us to behave this way. Our brains are wired for it.
People in the UK spend on average an extra £700 at Christmas. The UK Office…
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By Siobhan Mclernon, Senior Nurse Lecturer , London South Bank University
Raafiah Mussa, PhD Candidate, UCL Queen Square Institute of Neurology, UCL
Surviving a stroke is only the beginning. Many people face years of hidden disabilities, limited rehabilitation and financial strain without enough help.
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By Human Rights Watch
Click to expand Image The flag of the United Republic of Tanzania. © 2010 TONY KARUMBA/AFP via Getty Images (Nairobi) – Tanzanian authorities have wrongfully arrested alleged protest organizers and opposition supporters ahead of nationwide protests called for December 9, 2025, Human Rights Watch said today. The government should end its crackdown and immediately release all those arbitrarily detained.Activists have urged people to demonstrate peacefully on Tanzania’s Independence Day, known as D9, against the police use of lethal force around the October 29 general elections.…
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By Human Rights Watch
Click to expand Image A picture of former Syrian President Bashar Assad lies on the ground as a Syrian opposition fighter stands nearby, inside the Presidential Palace in Damascus, December 8, 2024. © 2024 Omar Sanadiki/AP Photo (Beirut) – Syrian transitional authorities have taken positive steps on justice, transparency, and rights but failed to prevent continued violence and atrocities, Human Rights Watch said today on the anniversary of the former government’s fall. As Syrian authorities move the country forward, they should, with international support, credibly address outstanding…
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By Thulani Ningi, Research associate, University of Fort Hare
Alois Mugadza, Research Fellow, The University of the West Indies
Saul Ngarava, Postdoctoral research associate, University of Lincoln
South Africa’s water, energy and food crises are interconnected. Coordinated funding across all three, including community-led and blended finance, is needed.
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By Michelle Grattan, Professorial Fellow, University of Canberra
The Greens’ senator says she’s worried kids will end up ‘in other online spaces that are even darker and more dangerous’ – and Australia should act on other options.
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By Amnesty International
By Boram Jang, East Asia Researcher at Amnesty International Like every schoolchild in South Korea, I was taught about the days in May 1980 when our country’s soldiers killed civilians in the Gwangju Democratic Uprising. At least 166 protesters — mostly students — were shot dead, and at the time there were no consequences for […] The post A 6-hour lesson from Korea appeared first on Amnesty International. ]]>
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By Human Rights Watch
Click to expand Image A photo taken on November 12, 2024, shows an episode of heavy pollution at the Maritsa 3 power plant in Dimitrovgrad, Bulgaria. © 2024 Megchy Ioakimova Bulgaria’s delayed decommissioning of coal-fired power plants contributes to dangerous air pollution, risks breaching new air quality standards, and is slowing down the country’s transition away from fossil fuels.Data shows that Maritsa 3, a coal plant near the town of Dimitrovgrad, contributes to the dangerous air pollution around the town, which harms the health of local residents, particularly children.The…
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