Why are women paid less than men? New research in South Africa shows the company you work for makes the biggest difference: Why do women earn less than men? The usual suspects – occupation, hours, experience – explain some of it. But a powerful, often overlooked reason is simply this: where women work. The companies …
Coloured South Africans are all but erased from history textbooks – I asked learners how that makes them feel: South African Grammy winner Tyla is proud of her Coloured identity. Emma McIntyre/Getty Images for The Recording Academy South African singer-songwriter Tyla made history in February 2024 when she won the inaugural Grammy for Best African …
What makes a person seem wise? Global study finds that cultures do differ – but not as much as you’d think: We all admire wise people, don’t we? Whether it’s a thoughtful teacher, a compassionate doctor, or an elder in the community, we recognise wisdom when we see it. But have you ever thought about …
What actually makes avocados bad for the environment?: sirirak kaewgorn/Shutterstock The soaring demand for avocados in Europe and North America has led to a trebling of global production in just over 20 years. However, this popular fruit is increasingly controversial because of the environmental impacts of farming and distributing them around the world. These issues …
What makes a good bird name?: Erkki Alvenmod/Shutterstock I remember my first close encounter with birds. I must have been about three years old and had discovered a blackbird nest unusually accessible in our garden hedge. Still naked and blind, the chicks had not long hatched and I discovered that if I poked the nest, …
Gaza war: Hamas’s web of allies in the October 7 attacks makes ending the conflict much harder for Israel: There have been reports that Hamas cooperated with a number of other armed groups to stage the October 7 attacks. If correct, this indicates substantial challenges for Israel – especially when it comes to ending the …
AI makes Silicon Valley’s philosophy of ‘move fast and break things’ untenable: yhelfman / Shutterstock The unofficial motto of Silicon Valley has long been “move fast and break things”. It relies on the assumption that in order to create cutting edge technology and to be ahead of the competition, companies need to accept that things …
What makes a film score frightening? Expert explains the techniques that build tension and make us jump: Think of the scariest film you’ve ever seen. Beyond any blood-curdling screams or pounding heartbeats, there’s sure to be another sound that sticks in your memory – the score. Perhaps that’s the shrieking strings of Psycho (1960), or …
Far-right AfD makes unprecedented election gains in west Germany, worrying national government: Germany’s governing three-party coalition under Olaf Scholz has already had a difficult time this year. But things just got significantly worse with recent state elections in Hesse and Bavaria, two of the country’s most prosperous states. These elections really do matter. State governments …
Airlines are being hit by anti-greenwashing litigation – here’s what makes them perfect targets: Frank Wagner / shutterstock A wave of anti-“greenwashing” litigation is seeking to hold major players in the aviation industry to account for sensational claims of being sustainable, low-carbon or contributing to net zero. While the industry has faced legal backlash in …
Cosmetic surgery boosts some people’s mental health – but for others it makes problems worse: Many hope having cosmetic surgery will bring real mental health improvements. Oleksandr Berezko/ Shutterstock Demand for cosmetic procedures are higher than ever. From breast augmentations to “tweakments” such as lip fillers and Botox, more and more people around the world …
King Charles makes state visit to France – a year into his reign, here’s what’s changed under the new British monarch: King Charles’s three-day state visit to France, a year into his reign, has marked the return of the British monarchy’s international dimension. The trip, along with is his first state visit earlier in the …
China makes developers pay compensation for their ecological impacts – here’s how this unique scheme works: Hanyu Qiu / shutterstock In 2017, the Chinese environmental NGO, Friends of Nature, sued the developer of a dam in Yunnan province in the country’s south west. The NGO alleged that the project’s environmental impact assessment had failed to …
Lucy Letby: it is not being ‘beige’, ‘average’ or ‘normal’ that makes her crimes so hard to understand: In seeking to understand the crimes of Lucy Letby, the neonatal nurse who murdered seven babies in her care, a fixation about how “ordinary” she appears to be has emerged. At times like this, we seek answers, …
No Hard Feelings: a sex comedy that makes the case for friendship over romance: This article contains spoilers. Jennifer Lawrence’s new film No Hard Feelings is a modern-day feminist sex comedy, enlivened by ribald humour and occasional gross-out moments. But it’s also a crucible for working through a range of cultural anxieties dogging both romantic …
Germany’s far-right AfD makes key political gains as Olaf Scholz’s governing coalition wobbles: Opinion polls and local election results currently make unhappy reading for Germany’s government. In fact, the consistently strong performance of the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) in Europe’s largest member state (and arguably the member state with the best reasons to ward …
Why a Banksy exhibition in Glasgow makes perfect sense: A new solo exhibition by Banksy, the UK’s most famous anonymous artist, has opened at the Gallery of Modern Art (GoMA) in Glasgow – his first in 14 years. The graffiti artist was drawn to exhibit in Glasgow ostensibly because of his interest in the symbolism …
Ukraine recap: counteroffensive makes slow progress while diplomacy fails to make any ground at all: So the Ukrainian counteroffensive is well and truly underway, even if progress is measured in metres rather than the rapid advances that characterised Ukraine’s highly successful push last autumn. Volodymyr Zelensky himself has confirmed this, saying progress has been “slower …