By Roula Inglesi-Lotz, Professor of Economics, University of Pretoria
South Africa’s state-owned electricity provider, Eskom, announced in early March 2026 that it would cut off the power to 14 municipalities that collectively owe it more than R110 billion (US$6.5 billion).…
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By Kwasi Konadu, Professor in Africana & Latin American Studies, Colgate University
The resolution passed by United Nations General Assembly on 25 May 2026 seeking recognition of the transatlantic slave trade as the “gravest crime against humanity” potentially creates a broader definition of crimes against humanity in international law and allows for restitution claims against perpetrators. The resolution could elevate the legal and moral standard for what counts as the worst crimes against humanity, and compel more people to legally pursue reparations or compensation cases and thus deter such crimes.
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By Daniel Cook, Professor of English Literature, University of Dundee
Wolf Worm by T. Kingfisher begins innocently enough: Sonia Wilson, an anxious young scientific illustrator, has been hired to draw the vast insect collection of the reclusive entomologist (insect expert) Dr Halder at his North Carolina manor house.
Something’s not quite right from the off. No one meets her on her arrival and she wonders whether her new employer really expects her to walk ten miles from the train station to his house? Old Halder is not one for practical details, the tight-lipped locals warn her. Harmlessly eccentric or maddeningly distracted? Intrigue surrounds the…
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By Jialin Wei, PhD Candidate in Biological Science, University of Bristol
The transition from water to land is a question that still intrigues scientists. Those ancient organisms would have needed to adapt to several new challenges to life out of water. So, how did they do it?
In a 2025 study, my colleagues and I tried to understand the genetic basis of adapting to life on land by comparing the genetic material of 150 living animals. We discovered that some adaptations to land are universal, while…
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By Arushan Arulnamby, Policy Analyst, National Institute on Ageing, Toronto Metropolitan University
Samir Kumar Sinha, Adjunct Professor, Toronto Metropolitan University
Shingles can cause severe and long-lasting complications, yet vaccination rates in Canada remain low despite the availability of a highly effective vaccine.
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By Adi Imsirovic, Lecturer in Energy Systems, University of Oxford
Despite reports of negotiations between the US and the Iranian regime, the Strait of Hormuz remains effectively closed to most oil tankers, with only a small number of vessels being allowed to pass. The result is a loss of roughly 11 million barrels per day (mbd) of oil and petroleum liquids to the global market. This represents just over 10% of global supply.
At first glance, a 10% disruption may not sound catastrophic. But in oil markets, even a 10%…
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By Caroline Flanagan, Head of School, Agriculture, Anglia Ruskin University
Henry Matthews, Senior Lecturer in Agriculture, Anglia Ruskin University
UK farmers are struggling with rising prices, as the war in Iran and the closure of the strait of Hormuz starts to affect supply.
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By Jacob A Tennessen, Research Scientist in Immunology and Infectious Diseases, Harvard University
Once-lethal insecticides now require concerningly high concentrations to effectively kill mosquitoes. Some mosquitoes are already immune to all classes of insecticides used to control malaria.
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By Mark Melatos, Associate Professor of Economics, University of Sydney
A central element of Australia’s superannuation system is the superannuation guarantee (SG). This is the compulsory 12% of an employee’s earnings that an employer must pay into the employee’s nominated superannuation fund.
The compulsory contribution rate has risen steadily from 3% when it was introduced in 1992 to 12% since…
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By Alison Fogarty, Psychologist and Research Fellow in the Centre for Social and Early Emotional Development, Deakin University
Grace McMahon, Clinical Psychologist and Research Officer in the Intergenerational Health Group, Murdoch Children's Research Institute
Monique Seymour, Clinical Psychologist, Research Fellow in the School of Psychology, Deakin University
New research on a group of Australian preschoolers suggests more than 40% are dealing with an anxiety disorder.
The study, led by Monash University and published in the journal of Clinical Child Psychology and Psychiatry, was based on interviews with the mothers…
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