Syria faces renewed sectarian violence as government fails to deliver inclusivity

| Insights & Views

A recent surge in violence against Syrias Druze religious community has reportedly seen over 100 people killed since the start of May. This is a grim extension of sectarian targeting that began with the massacre of Alawite...

How the weather got ‘stuck’ over the UK – and produced an unusually dry and warm spring

| Insights & Views

Wildfires have ignited in forests and on moorland across the UK in recent months. LSP EM/Shutterstock A blocking weather system lingering high above the UK has produced one of the driest, warmest and brightest starts to...

AI can guess racial categories from heart scans – they’re detecting bias not biological differences

| Insights & Views

Radiological imaging/Shutterstock Imagine an AI model that can use a heart scan to guess what racial category youre likely to be put in even when it hasnt been told what race is, or what to look for. It sounds like...

Is matcha a healthier alternative to coffee? Here’s what you need to know

| Insights & Views

Ekateryna Zubal/Shutterstock Matcha, with its vibrant green hue and centuries-old tradition, is often celebrated as a health boosting superfood. But what exactly sets it apart from regular green tea, or even your morning...

The Moomins drift through time like a myth – that’s why they resist meaning and endure

| Insights & Views

The Moomins may look like hippos in aprons and top hats, but theyre more than just adorable characters from childrens books. Over the decades, these gentle creatures have become part of a living mythology one that drifts...

Nineteen Eighty-Four and Brave New World should be read in tandem to understand today’s troubled times

| Insights & Views

Is there any past work of fiction that can help us make sense of todays troubling trends? Taking into account the proliferation of references to obfuscating Newspeak, Big Brother-style leaders and impossible-to-circumvent...

UK’s India trade deal offers wider access to a surging economy – and could make food imports cheaper

| Insights & Views

Indias economy is growing rapidly. Radiokafka/Shutterstock After more than three years and 14 rounds of negotiations, the UK and India have finally announced a free trade agreement (FTA). UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer...