By Andrew Dowdy, Principal Research Scientist in Extreme Weather, The University of Melbourne
Jennifer Catto, Associate Professor of Mathematics and Statistics, University of Exeter
Robyn Schofield, Associate Professor and Associate Dean (Environment and Sustainability), The University of Melbourne
Lightning has captured people’s fascination for millennia. It’s embedded in mythology, religion and popular culture. Think of Thor in Norse mythology or Indra in Hinduism.
In Australia, lightning is also associated with important creation ancestors such as shown in First Nations rock art.
There are many different types of lightning – and many ways in which it influences our society and environment.
What exactly is lightning?
Lightning occurs due to a buildup of electric charge…
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By Mahmood Mamdani, Herbert Lehman Professor of Government, Department of Anthropology, Columbia University
In his latest book, Slow Poison: Idi Amin, Yoweri Museveni, and the Making of the Ugandan State, anthropologist Mahmood Mamdani explains the factors and characters – Idi Amin and Yoweri Museveni – that shaped post-independence Uganda.
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By Sally Sharif, Lecturer in Political Science, University of British Columbia
The Colombia-Venezuela border has long fuelled cycles of violence in Colombia. It’s now the main sticking point in any Venezuelan efforts to transition to democracy and the rule of law.
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By Tarah Williams, Assistant Professor of Political Science, Allegheny College
Andrew Bloeser, Associate Professor of Political Science; Director, Center for Political Participation, Allegheny College
The policy of providing guaranteed cash incomes has gained momentum in recent years. This tool to tackle inequality has the potential to address racial resentment.
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By Nicole Rosen, Professor and Canada Research Chair in Language Interactions, University of Manitoba
The expression “6-7” spread like wildfire last year, making its way outside the realm of usual adolescent slang and into the collective discourse, popping up at public sports events, in Halloween costumes and even in teachers’ lesson plans.
A couple of things are clear about the 6-7 phenomenon: kids love saying it and adults love…
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By Tanya White, Associate professor, Fashion, Toronto Metropolitan University
Textile work in a global learning program is a vehicle for exploring new forms and esthetics, and building collaborative creative practices.
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Tuesday, January 13, 2026
Amid ongoing and intensifying Russian attacks across Ukraine, the UN on Tuesday launched a $2.3 billion humanitarian appeal for 2026 to support 4.1 million of the country’s most vulnerable people.
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By Amnesty International
Responding to prosecutors seeking the death penalty for former South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol over his imposition of martial law in December 2024, Amnesty International’s Chiara Sangiorgio said: “No one is above the law, including a former president, but seeking the death penalty is a step backward. The death penalty is an inherently cruel, […] The post South Korea: Death penalty call for ex-President Yoon a step backward for human rights appeared first on Amnesty International. ]]>
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By Human Rights Watch
Click to expand Image Demonstrators hold a banner during a protest against the Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts (PCSC) bill on January 15, 2022 in London, UK. © 2022 Rasid Necati Aslim/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images UK lawmakers are set to vote on January 14 on a proposed amendment to the Public Order Act 2023 (POA) that would classify “life sciences” facilities as “key national infrastructure.” If adopted, the change, which is drafted in vague and broad language, would expose people who organize or participate in protests near a wide range of sites to criminal penalties of…
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By Bamo Nouri, Honorary Research Fellow, Department of International Politics, City St George's, University of London
Donald Trump is weighing military action in Iran over the state’s crackdown on protesters. Reports suggest that more than 600 people have been killed since the protests began in late December, with the US president saying the US military is now “looking at some very strong options”.
Trump has not yet elaborated on what these options are and has said that Iranian officials, keen to avoid a war with the US, had called him “to negotiate”. But he added that…
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