By Emily Hay, PhD Candidate in Scottish Literature, University of Glasgow
The last letter of Mary, Queen of Scots goes on display in 2026 for the first time in almost a decade. Deposed from her Scottish throne in 1567, Mary spent 20 years in captivity across Scotland and England before she was executed for plotting against her cousin and captor, Elizabeth I of England. Writing that final letter was one of the last things Mary did before mounting the scaffold on February 8, 1587.
As I explore in my PhD thesis, writing was a key concern for Mary throughout her captivity.…
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By Larry Savage, Professor, Labour Studies, Brock University
Adam D.K. King, Assistant Professor, Labour Studies Program, University of Manitoba
Canada does a poor job of gathering labour relations information. In a period of rising inequality and renewed workplace conflict, stakeholders need better data.
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By SoRelle Wyckoff Gaynor, Assistant Professor of Public Policy and Politics, University of Virginia
Why does health care reform keep failing despite decades of attention and expanding costs? A scholar of Congress has some answers.
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By Jacob Blanc, Professeur agrégé d'histoire et des études du développement international, McGill University
The American operation in Venezuela was completely unprecedented. The outcome promises to be risky for Donald Trump, a Latin American expert explains.
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Wednesday, January 7, 2026
A sweeping UN human rights report released on Wednesday concludes that in the occupied West Bank, Israel is violating international law prohibiting racial segregation and apartheid, warning that the discriminatory practices have accelerated dramatically since late 2022 amid growing violence, repression and impunity.
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By Human Rights Watch
Smoke rises at La Carlota airport in Caracas, Venezuela on January 3, 2026 following US airstrikes. © 2026 AP Photo/Matias Delacroix (New York) – The Trump administration’s brazen military assault risks causing a new human rights disaster for Venezuelans, Human Rights Watch said today. In the early morning hours of January 3, 2026 the US military conducted strikes on Venezuela and took into custody the country’s president, Nicolás Maduro, and his wife, Cilia Flores. They have since been arraigned before a US federal court on drug trafficking and other criminal charges. “Venezuelans…
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By Thomas Allen, Senior Lecturer, Department of Engineering, Manchester Metropolitan University
Metamaterials – artificially made materials with properties that aren’t found in the natural world – are poised to transform daily life. Their unique properties are enhancing products from sporting goods to consumer electronics and beyond.
As a sports engineer and the person leading on health applications within the UKRI-funded UK Metamaterials Network,…
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By Dipa Kamdar, Senior Lecturer in Pharmacy Practice, Kingston University
Menopause is universal, but experiences are not. Ethnicity, culture and access to care shape symptoms, silence and support, leaving many women overlooked.
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By Stuart Salmon, Tutor in History, University of Stirling; University of Edinburgh
Any discussion of films and TV series about the American revolution has to start with a caveat. There have been historical movies for as long as there have been movies, but films and TV series about the great founding event of the US have been thin on the ground, certainly until the 21st century.
In 1917, an American director was even prosecuted for making Spirit of 76, a film about the revolution that criticised America’s new ally Great Britain. It…
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By Adi Imsirovic, Lecturer in Energy Systems, University of Oxford
The capture of former Venezuelan president Nicolás Maduro by the US intelligence services and armed forces has resulted in a frenzy of speculation about its consequences. But there is no doubt that the events were closely linked to the oil riches of the country. While the political situation in Venezuela remains fluid, there is far more certainty about its position as an oil producer.
For a start, Venezuela has one of the highest proven oil…
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