By Scott Lucas, Professor of International Politics, Clinton Institute, University College Dublin
The US president, Donald Trump, unveiled a 20-point proposal to end the war in Gaza on September 29. The plan proposes an immediate end to the fighting and the release of all Israeli hostages held by Hamas in exchange for hundreds of detained Gazans. It also includes the promise of humanitarian aid for Palestinians and reconstruction in Gaza.
Whether Israel and Hamas ultimately reach a deal remains to be seen. Trump’s
(Full Story)
|
By Nando Sigona, Professor of International Migration and Forced Displacement and Director of the Institute for Research into International Migration and Superdiversity, University of Birmingham
In her address to the Labour party conference, the new home secretary, Shabana Mahmood, confirmed plans to overhaul the rules for indefinite leave to remain (ILR). These include increasing the time someone must live in the UK to be eligible for ILR from five years to ten.
ILR is the immigration status that grants non-citizens the right to live and work in the UK without time restrictions. For many, it is the final step before naturalisation as a British citizen.
Mahmood said that the government will soon consult on changes to ILR eligibility: “I will be proposing a series…
(Full Story)
|
By Daniel Kelly, Senior Lecturer in Biochemistry, Sheffield Hallam University
The UK government has announced plans to expand its trial of using drugs to reduce the libido of male sex offenders. The approach, often described as “chemical castration”, is controversial. But how does it work – and what are the risks?
Castration traditionally meant removing or disabling the testes, a man’s main source of testosterone, to blunt the hormone’s masculinising effects. Historically, this was done to create castrati – singers castrated before puberty to preserve their high voices – or eunuchs, often…
(Full Story)
|
By Alex Prior, Lecturer in Politics with International Relations, London South Bank University
The prime minister mentioned Nigel Farage by name multiple times – a highly unusual approach to a party conference speech.
(Full Story)
|
By Jamie Hinch, PhD Candidate in Geography and the Environment, University of Oxford
The woman’s eyes blazed as I scanned the feedback form she was showing me. “UN-BELIEVE-ABLE”, read her last word in the form’s final section. It was underlined. An incensed crescendo stabbed and dragged across the page. “Flatty and Pointy are part of us. How could they think about destroying them?” she said, shaking her head in disbelief.
She, like me, had received the form at Cornish Lithium’s recent community consultation. This consultation provided updated details of the mineral exploration company’s plans to reopen Trelavour…
(Full Story)
|
By Jessica Douthwaite, Historian and curator, University of Oxford
To what do we owe our conscience? John le Carré once stated that all his fictional characters were, one way or another, navigating a world where duty to self is not necessarily duty to society.
A new exhibition at the Bodleian Library in Oxford explores John le Carré’s conscience – his personal, political and professional visions. Taking a global angle, the exhibition draws on an abundance of archival material bequeathed to the Bodleian Library special…
(Full Story)
|
By Dipa Kamdar, Senior Lecturer in Pharmacy Practice, Kingston University
In a world that rarely slows down, a new wave of “functional beverages” is promising to help us do exactly that. So-called “chill-out drinks”, marketed as natural stress relievers, are appearing in supermarkets and online stores as a calming alternative to caffeinated energy drinks or alcohol. But do they work and are they safe?
These drinks typically combine herbal extracts, amino acids and adaptogens – compounds believed to help the body cope with stress. Popular ingredients include L-theanine, a naturally occurring amino acid in green tea, ashwagandha, lion’s mane mushroom and
(Full Story)
|
By Alex Hardy, Postdoctoral research associate, University of Liverpool
Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer has announced that all UK citizens and legal residents are to have a mandatory digital ID to prove their right to live and work in the country.
Starmer and Liberal Democrat leader Sir Ed Davey have cited Estonia as an example of where digital IDs have proven successful. Davey noted that “times have changed” since the unsuccessful…
(Full Story)
|
By Djavlonbek Kadirov, Senior Lecturer in Marketing, Te Herenga Waka — Victoria University of Wellington
A state-owned, ‘no frills’ competitor would have one goal: to move commodities efficiently from producers to consumers as cheaply as possible.
(Full Story)
|
By Adrian Lee, Associate Professor in Property and Real Estate, Deakin University
The expanded scheme will make it easier for many to save a deposit. But it may mean higher monthly loan repayments.
(Full Story)
|