How does Marburg virus spread between species? Young Ugandan scientist’s photos give important clues: In the shadows of Python Cave, Uganda, a leopard leaps from a guano mound – formed by bat excrement – and sinks its teeth into a bat. But this is no ordinary bat colony. The thousands of Egyptian fruit bats (Rousettus …
Starmer says migrants should speak English – but all of the UK’s languages are important for integration: William Perugini/Shutterstock When Keir Starmer said: “If you want to live in the UK, you should speak English”, it laid bare an assumption – that English is the only language that counts in the UK. This view not …
The bacteria in your mouth play an important role in your health – here are four diseases linked to your oral microbiome: Another good reason to take care of your smile. evgenii mitroshin/ Shutterstock Your mouth is one of the most diverse habitats in the human body. It contains over 700 known species of bacteria, …
Weight loss: why listening to your circadian rhythm may be important: Evidence from the field of chrono-nutrition shows that eating more in line with your circadian rhythm may be good for health. Chinnapong/ Shutterstock When it comes to losing weight, many people want to know what the best diet is. But increasing research shows that …
Most expectant mothers miss out on vitamins important for their health and their baby’s, study finds: Certain micronutrients are important for the health of the mother and baby during pregnancy. Dragana Gordic/ Shutterstock Our bodies require many important vitamins and minerals in order to function well. B vitamins, for example, are particularly important for many …
Doctors rank patients’ own assessment of their illness as least important in diagnosis – new study: Ground Picture/Shutterstock Medical paternalism, where “doctors know best” and patient views and opinions are considered to be of lower importance, is viewed as increasingly unacceptable. We are in an age where patient-centred care and shared-decision making is encouraged between …
Ukraine: opening EU accession talks is an important boost for Zelensky despite Orbán’s obstruction: Hungarian prime minister, Victor Orban, threw a major tantrum at the European Council meeting in Brussels on December 14 2023. Essentially doing the Russian president Vladimir Putin’s bidding, he prevented agreement on a major €50 billion (£25.7 billion) financial package for …
Eisenhower’s Atoms for Peace speech on nuclear dangers has important lessons even after 70 years: Seventy years ago, on December 8 1953, US president Dwight D. Eisenhower delivered a speech to the United Nations general assembly, setting out his concerns about “atomic warfare”. In the speech, later known as Atoms for Peace, he outlined a …
Why iconic trees are so important to us – and how replacing those that fall is often complicated: The Sycamore Gap tree on Hadrian's Wall, UK. Mark Godden/Shutterstock An ancient kola tree has been cut down in southern Ghana. Local tradition held that the tree had grown on the spot where spiritual leader Komfo Anokye …
Lloyds of London archives show how important the City was to the transatlantic slave trade: The Slave Ship, by William Turner (1840): slavers throw overboard the dead and dying as a typhoon approaches. Wikimedia In 1783, the City of London was gripped by a court case which symbolised the brutal economics of slavery. Two years …
Having a single parent doesn’t determine your life chances – the data shows poverty is far more important: Valery Zotev/Shutterstock Numerous research studies have suggested that children from a single-parent family are worse off than those who have two parents at home. These findings chime with decades of stigma that have painted coming from a …
Why a doctor’s empathy is important for keeping patients safe: fizkes/Shutterstock Avoiding fatal patient safety failures requires “a more empathetic and collaborative approach from doctors”, the UK’s parliamentary and health service ombudsman, Rob Behrens, recently argued in The Times. Reporters from the Times Health Commission, which aims to highlight health sector problems and suggest solutions, …
Israel-Hamas war: there is an important difference between a humanitarian pause and a ceasefire: The Labour Party leader, Keir Starmer, has come under fire from members of his own party for refusing to call for a ceasefire in the Hamas-Israel war, instead pushing for a humanitarian pause in the conflict. As a result, 50 Labour …
Ukraine’s IT army is a world first: here’s why it is an important part of the war: Ukraine’s recently formed “IT army” is playing a crucial role in the war with Russia, launching disruptive cyber-attacks and data thefts against the Russian government and other high-profile targets such as energy giant Gazprom. The IT army has …
Breakthroughs in medicine: top virologist on the two most important developments for Africa: There have been several important breakthroughs in medical science recently. Crispr, mRNA, next-generation cancer treatments and game-changing vaccines are some of them. Oyewale Tomori, a virologist with decades-long involvement in managing diseases in Nigeria, gives his verdict on the most significant discoveries …
New malaria vaccine: no silver bullet but an important step towards eradication: In what was very big news for global health, this week the World Health Organisation (WHO) recommended a new vaccine for the prevention of malaria in children, called R21/Matrix-M. Malaria, caused by infection with Plasmodium parasites and transmitted via mosquitoes, still causes many …
Bones play an important role in our health – here’s how to keep them strong: Weight lifting helps keep the bones strong. Liderina/ Shutterstock Just as our muscles lose strength as we get older, so do our bones. This can have a serious effect on our lifestyle, and boosts risk of fractures – which are linked …
After months of negotiations Ukraine will be getting the F-16 warplanes it has been begging for – here’s why that’s important: After months of diplomatic pressure to supply Ukrainian forces with advanced fighter jets, European governments have agreed to supply F-16 aircraft to the Ukrainian air force. The deal, under which Denmark and the Netherlands …