Comments and analysis

Ice floating around in the arctic sea

Growing Trump-Putin detente could spell trouble for the Arctic

During a wide-ranging 90-minute speech to the US congress of March 4, Donald Trump revisited his determination to “get” Greenland “one way or the other”. Trump said his country needed Greenland “for national security”. While he said he and his government “strongly support your right to determine your own future” he added that “if you choose, we welcome you into the United States of America”.
Macron shakes Trump's hand

Emmanuel Macron used every diplomatic trick in the book at the White House – but Trump writes his own rules

If there was a book of diplomacy, then French president Emmanuel Macron threw it at US president Donald Trump in their joint press conference in Washington DC. Macron delivered quite the masterclass in the diplomatic arts. Unthreatening body language and public displays of affection? Check.
A pile of used clothes

The world needs a circular economy. But workers in developing countries shouldn’t pay the price

The circular economy offers a fresh approach to how we produce and consume, focusing on reducing, reusing, recycling and recovering. It moves us away from the traditional “make, use, discard” model, creating a more sustainable system to balance the needs of the economy, society and nature.

A couple arguing

How to argue without falling out – an expert guide

To disagree is an inescapable part of being human. We simply are not all the same. But whereas a small disagreement may remain amiable, particularly over text or online where we can edit our responses, a face-to-face row over a sensitive topic can develop into a more antagonistic form of argument.
steak cooking on a grill

Processed red meat isn’t just bad for your heart, it’s also associated with dementia

Less red meat is good for the planet and a growing number of people have started the new year resolving to pursue a meat-free diet.
The Capitol building in the US

The Trump revolution: where it came from and where it’s going

As Donald Trump prepares for his inauguration, the world is preparing for the beginning of the second Trump Revolution. Trump’s second term will be very different from his first, when his powers were more limited and restrained. In 2016 he did not win a majority of the popular vote.
a digital circuit board with a tree growing from it symbolising technology and its impact on the environment

How the UK’s plans for AI could derail net zero – the numbers explained

The UK government’s goal to increase public-controlled artificial intelligence computing power twentyfold by 2030 would significantly raise electricity demand. Can renewable energy supply meet it – and still have enough left over to electrify sectors like heating and transport, which must be fully decarbonised by 2050?
A cancer cell being targeted with crosshairs

Cancer: microscopic beams of radiation could be a better way to treat tumours, according to studies in animals

Radiotherapy has been a cornerstone of cancer treatment for decades, offering a targeted approach to treat tumours. Yet, as effective as it is, it often causes unwanted damage to neighbouring healthy tissues – which can lead to many side-effects.
Image: Two wrestlers are fighting in a boxing ring wearing head masks, with a referee knelt beside them.

Wrestlers’ welfare has improved since the 1990s – but they still have a fight on their hands

In the recent Netflix docuseries Mr. McMahon (2024), former wrestler and bodybuilder Tony Atlas claimed: “We would have been looked upon, in today’s society, as some of the worst human beings walking the face of the Earth.”
A photo of a Jaguar Land Rover building.

Jaguar Type 00: the controversial pink car is more in step with the brand’s history than detractors think

At first glance, Jaguar’s new electric Type 00 concept car is surprising, shocking or perhaps even jarring to some. This is largely due to its bright pink colour (it also comes in blue).
A screenshot of the title Joy

Joy: the story of IVF shows how women’s health and scientific contributions haven’t be taken seriously

Watching the Netflix film Joy has been a hugely emotional experience for me. The film is the story of the scientific endeavour to figure out in-vitro fertilisation (IVF) and the first baby to be born this way, Louise Joy Brown on 25 July 1978 at Oldham General Hospital in Manchester.
Tradesman shaking hands with customer

How much for cash? Why the informal economy is bad for business, consumers and society

Who hasn’t heard someone ask, “How much for cash?” While it may seem harmless, research reveals such demands contribute to a growing culture of informality in business.
Trailor screenshot for TV show Bad Sisters

Bad Sisters season two is a darker, more serious look at sisterhood

The second series of Bad Sisters starts in the dark of the night. Four women sit in a car at the edge of some cliffs, panicking, arguing, shouting at each other. We are back with the Garvey sisters, two years on from where the first season had ended.
A skull is sat on top of an open book.

From a scream to a whisper – ‘quiet horror’ novels are making a comeback

Ever since its inception with Horace Walpole’s novel The Castle of Otranto (1764), a delirious mixture of violent death and familial conspiracy, gothic literature has been a restless cultural form, constantly mutating and assuming new guises but always exploring the darker side of life. Sometimes, its fashions are those of the historical moment. Sometimes they are initiated by a book enjoying unprecedented commercial success.
Salem's Lot screen grab

Salem’s Lot: a faithful but shallow adaptation of Stephen King’s classic vampire novel

The vampire story dwells among the undead of literary and cinematic genres, ever available for reanimation. This year alone has seen the publication of more than 30 vampire novels in the US (from Rachel Harrison’s So Thirsty to K. M. Enright’s Mistress of Lies), alongside the release of several vampire movies, including Abigail (with Nosferatu, rebooting the silent German classic, due at Christmas).
A busy London street with Big Ben in the distance

New rights for UK workers are unlikely to put enough money in the pockets of those who need it

Sarah was in a comfortable job, working for an archaeology business before being diagnosed with cancer. Much of her 20-year career had left her with reliable employment rights in the civil service.
A close up of an arm lifting dumbbells from a rack

Scientists recently studied the body of one of the world’s strongest men. This is what they found

The development of “superhuman” strength and power has long been admired in many cultures across the world.

Exploding pagers and walkie-talkies are a reminder of how easily your devices can be hacked – here’s how to make sure they are safe

The recent attacks on walkie-talkies and pagers in Lebanon have highlighted the hidden vulnerabilities in everyday technology. These incidents underscore the need for individuals to understand the potential risks associated with their devices and to take proactive steps to protect themselves in an increasingly digital world where safety can be compromised.

Five films and TV shows about Operation Market Garden, recommended by a war historian

Operation Market Garden – the 80th anniversary of which takes place over September 17-25 – has gone down in history as a strategic failure. The brainchild of Field Marshal Bernard Law Montgomery, this military operation was intended to hasten the end of the second world war.
a child jumping over a plastic hoops

Too many disabled young people are missing out on PE – here’s how that could change

The UK government has called on schools to do more to enhance opportunities in PE and sport for disabled young people.
Screenshot from the Netflix show The Perfect Couple

The Perfect Couple: a cocktail of Succession, The White Lotus and Agatha Christie that ultimately fails to deliver

“Nantucket!” exclaims Ishmael, the narrator of Herman Melville’s Moby-Dick (1851). “Look at it – a mere hillock, and elbow of sand; all beach, without a background.”
Katseye K-pop band

The harsh process of becoming a K-pop star is opening to western performers

Made in Korea: The K-Pop Experience is a six-part reality show following five British trainees over 100 days as they debut as a Korean-pop (K-pop) idol boy group called Dear Alice. In collaboration with SM Entertainment, a K-pop powerhouse, the show will introduce the behind-the-scenes of making a K-pop idol through an immersive training system.
silhouette of a woman writing with a quill

The Amorous Prince by Aphra Behn was the #MeToo play of the 17th century

Seventeenth-century writer Aphra Behn (1640-89) made her name in London’s theatre world as the playwright who provided the Duke’s Theatre Company (the theatre company chartered by King Charles II at the start of the Restoration era) with some of its biggest hits.

a line of police stand in debris thrown during a riot

The trouble with England – why rioting in the UK has not spread to Scotland and Wales

The violent unrest that has caused so much damage in the UK has not in fact happened across the UK. It has almost been exclusively confined to England.
someone typing an online review

The good, the bad and the awful – how business reacts to online reviews

Every day travellers across the globe are flocking to popular destinations, eager to relax and create memories.