By Krisztina Ilko, Junior Research Fellow, Queens' College and Affiliated Lecturer at the Faculty of History, University of Cambridge
My research shows that chess created a space in which players – regardless of their skin colour – could engage as equals.
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By Danny Coles, Senior Research Associate, Department of Engineering Science, University of Oxford; University of Plymouth
Recent disruptions to oil supply in the Middle East have sent energy prices soaring, reminding countries how vulnerable they remain to imported fossil fuels. At the same time, global electricity demand is expected to almost triple by 2050.
Wind turbines and solar panels will undoubtedly play the central role. But both depend on the weather: wind turbines stand still on calm days, while solar panels generate less in overcast conditions, and nothing at night. That variability is driving interest in more…
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By Amnesty International
The decision by the President of India, Droupadi Murmu, to give assent to the Transgender Persons (Protection of Rights) Amendment Bill, 2026, which denies transgender and gender diverse people the right to self-identify, is a serious setback for human rights in India,” said Amnesty International. The amendment means that transgender people in India will now have to go through a series of official checks for their identity […] The post India: Presidential approval of regressive Transgender Bill a major step backward for human rights appeared first on Amnesty International. ]]>
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By Human Rights Watch
Click to expand Image A person uses their smartphone as they walk on the Moskvoretsky bridge in Moscow, Russia, March 17, 2026. © 2026 Igor Ivanko/AFP via Getty Images (Berlin, March 31, 2026) – Russian authorities increasingly impose broad mobile internet shutdowns under the pretext of public safety, Human Rights Watch said today. Over the past month, they blocked mobile internet and cellular access in areas of Moscow and Saint Petersburg for almost three weeks.On March 29, 2026, police detained at least 14 people at a peaceful protest against internet restrictions in Moscow, and 5 more…
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By Human Rights Watch
Click to expand Image Iranian ballistic cluster munitions are launched toward Tel Aviv, Israel on March 27, 2026. © 2026 Alexi Rosenfeld/Getty Images Admiral Brad Cooper, head of US Central Command, condemned on March 17 Iran’s “reckless” use of cluster munitions, calling it an “inherently indiscriminate type of munition.” Human Rights Watch has also confirmed Iran’s use of these weapons in March in populated civilian areas in Israel, which may amount to war crimes.While Admiral Cooper’s condemnation contradicts current US policy, it could reflect a shift in how the military…
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Tuesday, March 31, 2026
More than a month since war erupted in the Middle East, UN agencies confirmed on Tuesday that huge numbers of people have returned to Syria from Lebanon "exhausted, traumatized and with very, very few belongings". Meanwhile, the UN International Maritime Organization said that another vessel has been attacked in the Strait of Hormuz, increasing concerns of further delays in getting lifesaving aid to desperately vulnerable people in conflict settings including Sudan. Stay with us for live updates on this and UN agencies. App users can follow coverage here
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By Konstantinos Kolokythas, Postdoctoral research fellow, Rhodes University
South Africa is using homegrown technology to answer questions about where our universe came from and where it is going.
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By Wim Vandekerckhove, Professeur en éthique des affaires, EDHEC Business School
Are whistleblowing frameworks at the root of employee silence on legal, ethical or financial misconduct? A free tool for integrity professionals seeks to improve channels for encouraging employees to speak up.
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By Domenico Vicinanza, Associate Professor of Intelligent Systems and Data Science, Anglia Ruskin University
At 13:24:59 Central Standard Time on December 19 1972, the Apollo 17 command module splashed down in the Pacific Ocean, about 350 nautical miles south-east of Samoa, concluding the last mission to the Moon.
During his career, Apollo 17’s commander, Eugene A. Cernan, logged 566 hours and 15 minutes in space, of which more than 73 hours were spent on the surface of the Moon. Cernan was the second American to have walked in space, and the last person to leave…
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By John Rennie Short, Professor Emeritus of Public Policy, University of Maryland, Baltimore County
Government-shaking protests in Bangladesh, Iran, Nepal and Sri Lanka – to name a few – have all in recent years been linked to what demographers call a “
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