By Jessica Lloyd May, PhD Candidate in History, University of Nottingham
Matthew Jones, PhD Candidate in Conservation and Biodiversity, Nottingham Trent University
As the seasons turn and the nights draw in, the countryside of the British Isles seems alive with omens: an owl’s screech, or a bat above the hedgerows.
For centuries, such creatures were cast as messengers of fate, straddling the boundary between the natural and the supernatural. Yet today, the omens these animals bring are no longer warnings of ghosts or witchcraft, but of something far more tangible: their own survival.
The very species that once haunted our imagination and foretold ill-fated futures are now haunted by habitat loss, climate change and pressure from…
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By April Hayes, Microbiologist, Public Health and Sport Sciences, University of Exeter
Every flush sends traces of our medicines into rivers. When antibiotics mix with common drugs like painkillers or hormones, bacteria can evolve to resist treatment.
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By Chris Millward, Professor of Practice in Education Policy, University of Birmingham
The merger of Kent and Greenwich universities is set to produce the UK’s first “super-university”. This structure will help the universities manage financial risks, while sustaining their distinctive identities. And the merger could also provide a model for the prime minister’s vision for post-compulsory education, outlined recently at the Labour party conference.
Keir Starmer wants two-thirds of young people to enter higher or technical education…
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By William Perry, Postdoctoral Research Associate at the School of Biosciences, Cardiff University
When Storm Amy battered the Scottish Highlands in early October, it tore through a salmon farm’s sea pens, releasing around 75,000 fish into open water in Loch Linnhe. The scale of the escape is alarming. It comes at a time when wild Atlantic salmon – already classified as “endangered” in Great Britain – are in decline.
For an animal so central to the UK’s ecology, culture and economy, the incident has serious implications.
At first glance, it might sound like a rare bit of good news:…
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By Sanwal Hussain, PhD Candidate in the Department of Politics and Society, Aston University
The spate of public demonstrations against unemployment, corruption and low quality of life around the world is striking because of who is leading them. Young people have used social media platforms such as Facebook, TikTok, Instagram and YouTube to spread information and arrange their demonstrations.
While some of these protests have remained peaceful, others – such as the youth-led demonstrations in Indonesia and Nepal – have become…
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By Supriya Thapa
Will the protests launched in 2025 mark the beginning of a journey towards reform or simply be the latest chapter in Nepal’s long narrative of hope and disappointment?
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By Christo Atanasov Kostov, International Relations, Cold War, nationalism, Russian propaganda, IE University
The scenes have become grimly familiar: Russian tanks rolling into Georgia in 2008, the seizure of Crimea in 2014, the invasion of Ukraine in 2022, Russian military jets violating European airspace, and now mysterious drone sightings closing airports across Europe.
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By Amnesty International
Amnesty International and 34 other organizations released a joint letter welcoming the publication of the agreement between the Brazilian government and the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) on hosting the COP30 climate conference in Belem, Brazil, between 10-21 November 2025. “Civil society’s efforts to achieve transparency in host country agreements that are signed before […] The post Publishing the COP30 host country agreement with Brazil is a positive step for transparency appeared first on Amnesty International. ]]>
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By Rafiqa Qurrata A'yun, Assistant Professor, Universitas Indonesia - Associate, CILIS, Melbourne Law School, The University of Melbourne
Tim Lindsey, Malcolm Smith Professor of Asian Law and Director of the Centre for Indonesian Law, Islam and Society, The University of Melbourne
Nearly 1,000 suspects have been named in the riots, including high school students. Police have seized books they claim are subversive to justify the arrests.
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By Jean Sovon
The protection of citizens' privacy online is often intertwined with issues of national security in Africa. One solution that can help circumvent digital threats is encryption.
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