By Patrick Diamond, Professor of Public Policy, Queen Mary University of London
In walking the political tightrope of her own budget this week, Rachel Reeves had to broadly satisfy three critical audiences. There were her own MPs in the parliamentary Labour party, business and financial markets and, of course, voters who ultimately determine whether the Labour government is re-elected three or four years from now.
Pleasing all three simultaneously is hardly straightforward given the UK’s precarious fiscal predicament. Reeves could have attempted to appease the markets and voters with fiscal discipline that avoided significant tax rises. But if she antagonised…
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By Benedict Carpenter van Barthold, Lecturer, School of Art & Design, Nottingham Trent University
Frida Kahlo’s 1940 self-portrait, El Sueño (La Cama), or The Dream (The Bed), has sold for US$54.7 million (£41.4m) at Sotheby’s New York. It is now the most expensive Latin American artwork in history, and has set the auction record for a female artist.
Kahlo’s canvas was the standout lot in a collection titled Surrealist Treasures. The painting appears to be a quintessential surrealist…
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By Naomi Joseph, Arts + Culture Editor, The Conversation
A sexually charged film, animated animal hijinks, an ode to the 80s come to an end, stories of collapse and paintings of Paris old and new.
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By Jane Parry, Associate Professor of Work and Employment, University of Southampton
The COVID pandemic accelerated remote and hybrid working practices across the world. It also provided evidence that these approaches could work for a wide variety of jobs.
The UK has been at the forefront of the shift to hybrid working and its sustainability as a work practice in future. This year, the Global Survey of Working Arrangements calculated that the typical UK worker averaged 1.8 days of remote working per week,…
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By Amnesty International
In response to the Tunis Court of Appeal upholding the convictions and prison sentences against 34 defendants to sentences from five to forty-five years in the politically motivated ‘conspiracy case’ on 27 November, Sara Hashash, Deputy Regional Director for the Middle East and North Africa at Amnesty International, said: “The decision by the Tunis Court of […] The post Tunisia: Quash unjust heavy convictions in ‘conspiracy case’ appeared first on Amnesty International. ]]>
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By Human Rights Watch
Click to expand Image Central African Republic President Faustin Archange Touadéra gestures to supporters as he attends The United Hearts Movement (MCU) conference in Bangui on July 26, 2025, where he announced his candidacy for the presidential election scheduled for December 2025, seeking a third consecutive term. © 2025 ANNELA NIAMOLO/AFP via Getty Images (Nairobi) – Concerns about irregularities, political interference, and security pressures risk putting the credibility and inclusiveness of key elections in the Central African Republic into question, Human Rights Watch said today.…
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By Sumit Kumar Singh
The Karnataka Devadasi Bill, 2025 aims to “conscientize” the public on the issue of getting girls and women dedicated as devadasis by subjecting to liberation from all hues of exploitation.
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By Alex Lo, Professor, Environmental Social Scientist, York St John University
Ahead of the UN’s Cop30 summit, China appeared keen to take on the mantle of new global leader on climate change, stepping into the gap left by the US’s withdrawal from the top spot under Donald Trump.
In trying to understand what China wants from this role, it’s worth examining three areas motivating Beijing to take over leadership, and two others which it is trying to avoid.
First, China is attempting to reshape…
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By Michelle Grattan, Professorial Fellow, University of Canberra
The ongoing litigation resulting from one fateful night at Parliament House has inconvenient truths for all involved – including members of the government.
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By Amnesty International
In response to today’s Tokyo High Court decision that endorsed the Japanese government ban on same-sex marriage, Amnesty International’s East Asia Researcher Boram Jang said: “The court’s decision today marks a significant step backwards for marriage equality in Japan. The ruling in Tokyo – the final high court ruling of six lawsuits filed across the […] The post Japan: Last high court ruling a damaging step backwards on same-sex marriage appeared first on Amnesty International. ]]>
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