Timeless review: Nigerian star Davido’s new album is mostly form over substance: Davido has gone back to work after the death of his young son. Jean Catuffe/Getty Images Nigerian Afrobeats star Davido (David Adeleke) has demonstrated himself to be a master of showboating. He is able to milk every situation to the maximum. And he …
Israel protests: Netanyahu delays judicial reforms over fears of ‘civil war’ – but deep fault-lines threaten future of democracy: Despite Benjamin Netanyahu’s decision to delay the planned judicial reforms that have so destabilised Israeli society, the country’s crisis of democracy is far from over. Protests at Netanyahu’s plan, which have rocked Israel for weeks, redoubled …
How UK broadcasting’s key principle of impartiality has been eroded over the years: A word that was bandied about freely in the wake of the Gary Lineker-BBC affair was “impartiality”. Apparently the gold standard of UK broadcasting, it was something that certain critics judged the BBC sports presenter to have breached in his personal social …
Pupils protest over toilet rules: why school responses should consider children’s rights: Rawpixel.com/Shutterstock Many people across the UK have been protesting in 2023. Teachers on strike over pay and working conditions marched through London with placards and listened to speeches on March 15. Protests against the government’s illegal migration bill took place in Glasgow, London …
Succession planning: not all family businesses feud – here’s how they help younger generations take over: When the world’s richest and most powerful families deal with the tricky task of succession planning, it can attract a lot of interest. Think of news reports from the Murdoch’s media empire or, more recently, luxury goods company LVMH. …
How world sport got into a mess over trans athletes – and how it can get out of it: World sport has been convulsed over the past few months – indeed years – by questions about trans athletes, especially trans women, competing in their acquired gender. Most recently, World Athletics announced its “preferred option” of …
Antisemitism on Twitter has more than doubled since Elon Musk took over the platform – new research: What goes on in the Twitter shadows. In the days after Elon Musk took over Twitter in October 2022, the social media platform saw a “surge in hateful conduct,” which its then safety chief put down to a …
An international battle over cheese has left European producers feeling bitter: ventdusud/Shutterstock For most cheese lovers, taste is the thing. Whether it’s a tangy blue stilton or a creamy oozing camembert, the most important element is the eating. But cheese has profound political and economic properties too, with implications for international trade deals and commerce. …
Ukraine recap: fears of escalation after US drone downed over the Black Sea: There was another of those moments when the world held its breath this week when news broke on March 14 of an incident between a US drone and two Russian jets. The unmanned US Reaper MQ-9 drone, reportedly on routine surveillance duties …
Boris Johnson to face MPs over partygate – but what is ‘misleading parliament’ and why is it so serious?: The House of Commons Committee of Privileges has released new images of parties in Downing Street during lockdowns. The House of Commons Committee of Privileges In the UK, misleading parliament is a serious offence. The clearest …
The marketing tricks that have kept Barbie’s brand alive for over 60 years: TY Lim/Shutterstock Rejected by the toy industry at first, Barbie is now one of America’s most trusted brands. “She” – the 11.5 inch blonde doll, but also her brand persona – generated worldwide sales of around US$ 1.5 billion (£1.3 billion) in …
After 70 years, Stalin’s shadow still looms over Russia and Ukraine – but Putin is a tyrant in his own right: Joseph Stalin took his last breath 70 years ago. He died of a cerebral haemorrhage on March 5 1953, aged 74, at his dacha – or country house – west of the Kremlin in …
Misogyny in policing: how some male officers abuse their power over female victims and colleagues: John Gomez/Shutterstock The case of David Carrick, a serial rapist and a serving officer in the Metropolitan Police Service, is the latest shocking example of violence against women committed by the police. For years, I have studied misogyny in policing …
Over 90% of Rwandans have health insurance – the health minister tells an expert what went right: Xinhua/Cyril Ndegeya via Getty Images In 2015 the United Nations General Assembly adopted universal health coverage as one of the sustainable development goals. The aim of universal health coverage is to ensure that every person and community, irrespective …
Northern Ireland protocol: why Tory backbenchers are rebelling over Rishi Sunak’s revised Brexit deal: Long-running talks between the UK government and the EU over Northern Ireland may be coming to an end. Prime Minister Rishi Sunak recently travelled to Belfast in hope of reaching a deal to ensure smoother trade between Northern Ireland and its …
UK shoppers are choosing bricks over clicks right now, but here’s why it isn’t the end for online retail: Shoppers have been returning to physical stores in recent months. SergeBertasiusPhotography/Shutterstock British retail sales figures showed an unexpected bump in activity over the Christmas shopping period that exceeded expectations – particularly given the current UK cost …
I bonded with COVID vaccine sceptics over saunas and Mother Earth rituals – this is what they taught me: I was standing in a forest at night, by a dark lake taking part in a Mother Earth ritual. Shaman drums echoed between the cliffs. The witch leading the ritual suddenly encouraged us to sound like …
South Africa’s ruling party has favoured loyalty over competence – now cadre deployment has come back to bite it: Supra Mahumapelo, former premier of North West Province, former president Jacob Zuma and current president Cyril Ramaphosa at an ANC celebration in 2016. Thulani Mbele/Sowetan/Gallo Images/Getty Images Cadre deployment is one of the best-known policies of …