Rating agencies don’t treat the Global South fairly: changes South Africa should champion in G20 hot seat: Credit rating agencies like S&P Global and Fitch have an outsized influence on the economic fortunes of developing countries. Their assessments shape investor perceptions, influence borrowing costs, and ultimately shape a country’s development path. With many African countries …
The UK must make big changes to its diets, farming and land use to hit net zero – official climate advisers: William Edge / shutterstock If the UK is to achieve net zero emissions by 2050, over one-third of its sheep and cows will have to go, with their fields being replaced by huge new …
Most of Britain’s peat bogs could stop forming new peat as the climate changes – new study: Joe Dunckley / shutterstock By the 2080s, climate change will mean most of Britain’s peatlands could be too dry to form new peat. That’s the stark warning from a new academic study my colleagues and I just published in …
Climate ‘tipping points’ can be positive too – our report sets out how to engineer a domino effect of rapid changes: fran_kie / shutterstock A young boy is forced to sit at a dinner table with grown-ups talking endlessly about grown-up stuff. He’s bored. He finds it hard at first, to push with his feet …
Autumn statement: what national insurance cuts and other changes mean for young people: Natee Meepian/Shutterstock At first glance, Chancellor Jeremy Hunt’s autumn statement appears to reduce the tax burden, increase pay and make our lives a bit easier. But given the cost of living and other pressures, the big picture is not as pretty. If …
British prime ministers reshuffle more than other leaders – what the latest changes tell us about Rishi Sunak’s government: Suella Braverman’s firing kicked off a major reshuffle of Rishi Sunak’s cabinet – probably his last attempt at a substantial rearrangement before a general election. It’s not an insignificant reshuffle: the foreign secretary, James Cleverly, has replaced Braverman. …
How loneliness changes the way our brains process the world: rangizzz/Shutterstock If there’s one thing we as humans seem to have in common, it’s that most of us have felt lonely at one time or another. But is the pain that comes with feeling socially isolated simply a part of being human? Why does the …
Women’s football review proposes hard-hitting changes to address ongoing inequalities: The England women's team huddle before playing Wales in a World Cup qualifier. Shutterstock/Influential Photography Women’s football and its players have been marginalised, ostracised, discredited and silenced for decades. More recently however, the momentum, performance quality and actions of players, fans and activists has given …
If someone posts your private photos online, there has been little you can do about it – how changes in the law will finally help victims: Gorodenkoff/Shutterstock In 2015, Keeley Richards-Shaw found her name and personal life splashed all over the media. Her photo, her job and links to her Facebook page were all published. …
How a 400 million year old fossil changes our understanding of mathematical patterns in nature: The spiky branches of a monkey puzzle tree. Joshua Bruce Allen/Shutterstock If your eyes have ever been drawn to the arrangement of leaves on a plant stem, the texture of a pineapple or the scales of a pinecone, then you …
Eurovision 2023: voting changes show the contest has always been political: Ukraine were the winners of Eurovision 2022. Review News/Shutterstock Expert judges have been a mainstay of the Eurovision Song Contest since its inception in 1956. These experts are usually industry professionals with experience in popular music distribution. But with the announcement last November that …
How COVID lockdowns triggered changes in peregrine falcon diets – and what this means for urban pest control: Pigeons are a key source of food for the peregrine falcon. Sriram Bird Photographer/Shutterstock Many people saw their eating habits change during the COVID-19 lockdowns. Some ate more frequently or experimented with healthier recipes. Others ordered more …
Dungeons & Dragons licence changes threaten the fan community the game relies upon – legal expert explains: Dungeons & Dragons has a longstanding appeal as a role-playing game – or as some players prefer to call it, a storytelling medium. But retaining users in the face of competition is far from easy, despite a recent …
Environment plan for England asks farmers to restore nature – but changes are likely to be superficial: Julie Yates/Shutterstock The UK government’s environment improvement plan pledges to restore 500,000 hectares (1.2 million acres) of wildlife-rich habitat, create or expand 25 national parks, invest in the recovery of hedgehogs and red squirrels, tackle rising sewage pollution …
Watching your weight? You may only need to make small changes to your daily routine: An extra 10-20 minutes of walking each day can really make a difference. Ground Picture/ Shutterstock Losing weight is one of the most popular new year’s resolutions, yet it is one which most of us struggle to achieve. By the …
The real Paleo diet: new archaeological evidence changes what we thought about how ancient humans prepared food: Kit8.net/Shutterstock We humans can’t stop playing with our food. Just think of all the different ways of serving potatoes – entire books have been written about potato recipes alone. The restaurant industry was born from our love of …
Climate change’s impact on mental health is overlooked and misunderstood – here’s what can be done: Zurijeta / shutterstock Heatwaves, droughts, wildfires, floods and hurricanes increasingly feature in people’s lives and are predicted to become more frequent and intense in the coming decades. These events are having a significant yet often overlooked psychological impact not …
Iran: protesters call for move to a non-religious state. What changes would that bring?: My friend was in Tehran during protests after the death of Mahsa Amini while in the custody of the morality police (Gasht-e Ershad). My friend went into a grocery shop intending to buy milk. The seller refused to sell anything to …