shutterstock Individualistic western societies are built on the idea that no one knows our thoughts, desires or joys better than we do. And so we put ourselves, rather than the government, in charge of our lives. We tend to agree with the philosopher Immanuel Kant’s claim that no one hasContinue Reading
Activists (from left to right) Valentina, Hilda, Jelena and Željka in Srebrenica, Bosnia and Herzegovina (May, 2020). Photo by Ahmedin Đozić/Balkan Diskurs, used with permission. This story by Ahmedin Đozić was originally published on Balkan Diskurs, a project of the Post-Conflict Research Center (PCRC). An edited version is republished by Global Voices as part of aContinue Reading
The finger of blame for the Beirut explosion is pointing at Lebanon’s corrupt and criminally negligent political leadership. Amid continuing protests, the government of prime minister Hassan Diab resigned on August 10, though ministers will stay on in a caretaker role until a new cabinet is formed. The international communityContinue Reading
Tool made out of horse bone. UCL Institute of Archaeology, Author provided Boxgrove in Sussex, England, is an iconic, old stone age site. This is where the oldest human remains in Britain have been discovered – fossils of Homo heidelbergensis. Part of an exceptionally preserved 26km-wide ancient landscape of stone,Continue Reading
Grzegorz Placzek/Shutterstock An article in Science recently generated a lot of interest by providing a possible explanation of why COVID-19 can be deadly to some yet go virtually unnoticed in others. Scientists at La Jolla Institute for Immunology in California showed that infection with common cold coronaviruses can generate anContinue Reading
Communities all over the world are trying to manage the coronavirus crisis, with varying amounts of support from governments. We contacted people who used to fight in the guerrilla movement The Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC-EP), to see how they were coping. These men and women often live communallyContinue Reading
Fizkes/Shutterstock Public health responses to the pandemic have focused on preventing the spread of the virus, limiting the number of deaths and easing the burden on healthcare systems. But there’s also potentially another, less visible epidemic we should be focusing on: mental illness. Our recent study found that people’s mentalContinue Reading
Coronavirus is causing a spike in unemployment. Shutterstock.com Unemployment is rising sharply in the UK. Large sections of the workforce also face redundancy as the furlough scheme is phased out. It is clear that, without a radical shift in policy, many millions of workers will confront real hardship. We knowContinue Reading
Alexander Lukashenka has secured a sixth consecutive term as president Screenshots of attempts to access Apple’s App Store, YouTube, and the Golos website during presidential elections in Belarus on August 9, 2020. Photo (c): Franak Viačorka. Used with permission. A loudspeaker on a stage in Minsk plays Viktor Tsoi‘s “Change,”Continue Reading
