By Malcolm Cook, Associate Professor in Film Studies, University of Southampton
French animation has a rich history. But it has yet to achieve the same widespread recognition as American, British or Japanese animation. Arco could change that. The film’s accessible Studio Ghibli-esque story, unique visual imagination and surreal tone marks it out from run of the mill family fare.
Arco is a 2D hand-drawn time travel fantasy film set in 2075 and 2932. The eponymous hero is ten-year-old boy who steals a cape and gemstone that enable him to travel back in time. Arriving in 2075, Arco meets…
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By Alejandra Perotti, Associate Professor in Invertebrate Biology, University of Reading
Almost everyone carries microscopic mites on their skin. They live inside pores and hair follicles, feeding on skin oils and dead cells.
When people first hear this, the reaction is often disgust or alarm. It is easy to imagine infestation, poor hygiene or something going wrong.
In reality, these tiny organisms are a normal, lifelong part of being human and part of the natural balance of the skin.
Nearly all mammals host follicular…
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By Luca Trenta, Associate Professor in International Relations, Swansea University
Arturo Jimenez-Bacardi, Associate Professor of Instruction, University of South Florida
The US and Israel assassinated Iran’s supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, in a joint operation in late February. In a post on social media, Donald Trump boasted that Khamenei was “unable to avoid our Intelligence and Highly Sophisticated Tracking Systems”. Trump added that “there was not a thing he, or the other leaders that have been killed along with him, could do”.
The US helped plan the operation, provided key intelligence to identify Khamenei’s location and destroyed…
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By Amnesty International
Israeli air strikes on locations linked to al-Qard al-Hassan, a non-profit financial institution associated with Hezbollah, must be investigated as war crimes as they do not constitute legitimate military targets under international humanitarian law, Amnesty International said today. Since 2 March, the Israeli military has announced that it would target all branches of al-Qard al-Hassan […] The post Lebanon: Israeli air strikes on al-Qard al-Hassan financial institution must be investigated as war crimes appeared first on Amnesty International. ]]>
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By Human Rights Watch
Click to expand Image Can Thi Theu (left) and Le Huu Minh Tuan. © Private (Tokyo) – The Vietnamese authorities should give priority to releasing political prisoners with urgent health problems, Human Rights Watch said today.Le Huu Minh Tuan, Can Thi Theu, and other unjustly imprisoned political activists should be urgently freed to obtain appropriate medical care in Vietnam or abroad. Le Huu Minh Tuan, a 37-year-old journalist who has been in prison since 2020, suffers from internal bleeding and other health issues, and has repeatedly been denied medical care. Can…
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By Lauren Johnston, Associate Professor, China Studies Centre, University of Sydney
China’s President Xi Jinping announced in February 2026 that from 1 May China would be granting zero-tariff treatment to 53 African countries. (That is all of them bar Eswatini, which supports Taiwan.)
China-Africa trade reached US$348 billion in 2025, up 17.7% from 2024. Chinese exports to Africa dominate trade flows, and amounted to US$225 billion, an increase of 25.8%. This…
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By Michelle Grattan, Professorial Fellow, University of Canberra
By personality and at his stage in life, Dennis Richardson is a man who, on occasion, stands on his dignity.
Richardson, 78, has a stellar public service career behind him. As a former head of ASIO, and former secretary of the defence and foreign affairs departments, who also served as ambassador to Washington, Richardson has plenty of experience in handling complicated assignments and relationships. But he’s also willing to say when enough is enough.
This week he reached that point, quitting the inquiry into the security issues around the Bondi massacre that he was conducting…
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By Franck Courchamp, Directeur de recherche CNRS, Université Paris-Saclay
Laís Carneiro, Postdoc, Université Paris-Saclay
Invasive alien species don’t only drive out other native species, they also dramatically transform soils, water and ecosystems. A new assessment tool aims to pinpoint the negative environmental impacts.
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By Trish Reid, Professor of Theatre and Performance, University of Reading
This vital documentary tells the story of a protest over the arrest of two immigrants on the southside of Glasgow in 2021.
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By Andy Phippen, Professor of IT Ethics and Digital Rights, Bournemouth University
At first glance, the House of Commons vote on March 9 seemed to send a clear political message. MPs have decided against an amendment from the House of Lords to the Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Bill that would have introduced an outright ban on social media use for under-16s.
The reality is more complicated. Rather than rejecting the idea, MPs have effectively postponed the decision. They’ve also proposed powers that could allow a ban to be introduced later.
The vote was less about…
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