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In: COVID-19, Health, Science

A NEW coronavirus found in British bats could mutate to infect humans, a study claims. The Covid-like virus could adapt to spill over into people, researchers said, although it is not clear if it has any potential to cause harm. Getty A new coronavirus in British bats could infect humans, a study claims[/caption] Scientists screened 48 droppings from from 16 of the 17 bat species breeding in the UK for coronaviruses. They found nine types of the virus, one of which “lies only one mutation away” from having a similar structure to what makes Covid so infectious. Professor Francois Balloux, of University College London, said the virus might have some “zoonotic potential”, but insisted the current threat remains low. WritingContinue Reading

The Conversation

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The illegal migration bill is the government’s latest proposal to tackle the rise in small boat Channel crossings, by detaining and removing anyone who arrives in the UK without valid permission to enter. The government hopes the bill, currently in committee stage in the House of Commons, will deter migrants from relying on smugglers to reach the UK. Anyone arriving by small boat won’t be able to claim asylum, will be swiftly removed to Rwanda (or another third country), and barred from ever entering the UK again. If this is what you are faced with, why would you pay a smuggler for such a dangerous trip? This isn’t the government’s first go at this deterrence approach. In June 2022, theContinue Reading

Air pollution can increase the risk of COVID infection and severe disease – a roundup of what we know

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In: Health

Tatiana Grozetskaya/Shutterstock The early part of the COVID pandemic led to a significant reduction in air pollution in many parts of the world. With lockdowns, travel restrictions and decreased economic activity, there was a noticeable drop in the emission of air pollutants, such as nitrogen dioxide (NO₂) and particulate matter (PM) that is fine enough to be inhaled. Changes in air pollution varied depending on the location and the type of pollutant, but reductions were particularly noticeable in cities and industrial areas, where emissions from transport and industrial activities are typically high. In many areas though, air pollution levels quickly increased again as restrictions eased and activity resumed. Along with having harmful effects on the environment, it’s well established thatContinue Reading

Interactive cinema: how films could alter plotlines in real time by responding to viewers' emotions

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A sentinel droid features in the film Before We Disappear. AlbinoMosquito Productions Ltd, Author provided Most films offer exactly the same viewing experience. You sit down, the film starts, the plot unfolds and you are follow what’s happening on screen until the story concludes. It’s a linear experience. My new film, Before We Disappear – about a pair of climate activists who seek revenge on corporate perpetrators of global warming – seeks to alter that viewing experience. What makes my film different is that it adapts the story to fit the viewer’s emotional response. Through the use of a computer camera and software, the film effectively watches the audience as they view footage of climate disasters. Viewers are implicitly askedContinue Reading

The Conversation

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Marking the ninth anniversary of his illegal annexation of Crimea, Russian president Vladimir Putin visited the occupied Ukrainian peninsula on March 18. His visit came a day after the International Criminal Court (ICC) in The Hague issued an arrest warrant against him. Putin and his children’s commissioner, Maria Alekseyevna Lvova-Belova, face charges concerning the alleged illegal deportation of Ukrainian children to Russia. Symbolic as it might be for now, the warrant signals a determination against impunity. It points to the enormous scale of the abuses committed by Russian forces and their proxies for which Putin bears ultimate responsibility. The deportation of Ukrainian children from Russian-occupied territories of Ukraine to Russia is in clear contravention of the fourth Geneva convention. ThisContinue Reading

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In: Culture

F rom Wireless to British Summer Time, London’s festivals cater to a broad spectrum of tastes. So, we’ve compiled a list of some of the most unmissable music festivals coming up this summer – so you don’t miss any! Here’s a run-down of the best music festivals in the capital: Brick Lane Jazz Festival A three-day showcase of all things jazz, the Brick Lane Jazz Festival returns to east London with some of the most exciting names in the genre, spread across multiple venues. Where? Various venues, London When? April 14-16 Who’s on the line-up? Tenderlonious, Ashley Henry, Reuben James, Seed., Bel Cobain, Camilla George, Goya Gumbani, Steam Down Presents, Nu Civilisation Orchestra Tickets: weekend tickets from £125, bricklanejazzfestival.com Brixton Disco Festival LukeContinue Reading

The SNP lost tens of thousands of members under Nicola Sturgeon – here's why that should worry her successor

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Alamy/Xinhua All that is solid melts into air, all that is holy is profaned, and man is at last compelled to face with sober senses his real condition of life and his relations with his kind. So wrote Marx and Engels in the Communist Manifesto. They were talking about how what had previously been taken for granted could be swept away by capitalism. But they might as well have been talking about the way the contest for the leadership of the Scottish National Party has upended all our assumptions about that party – not least, that it was exceptionally united and had an impressively large and loyal rank-and-file membership. That’s because, following Nicola Sturgeon’s shock resignation, the party has rapidlyContinue Reading

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S am Neill said he has “never felt better” after revealing he has been in remission from blood cancer for several months. The 75-year-old New Zealand actor, who was born in County Tyrone, Northern Ireland, is best known for his role as palaeontologist Alan Grant in the science-fiction film series Jurassic Park. In an interview about his book, Did I Ever Tell You This?, he reported he first experienced swollen glands during publicity for Jurassic World Dominion in March last year. This is the third film in the series, about dinosaur cloning, in which he has starred after the first film Jurassic Park in 1993 and Jurassic Park III in 2001. Neill took a break from acting following his diagnosisContinue Reading

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In: Sport

FORMER Newcastle player Jetro Willems was punched by one of his OWN FANS as an Eredivisie game boiled over and was temporarily suspended. Willems, 28, who spent the 2019/20 campaign on loan in the North East, saw his struggling Groningen side fall 2-0 behind at home to Heerenveen on Sunday. 2 Jetro Willems was punched by one of his own fansCredit: Twitter 2 Willems joined struggling Eredivisie side Groningen in FebruaryCredit: Getty And the toxic atmosphere came to a head in the 80th minute when fans invaded the pitch, furiously protesting their team’s performances. Stewards attempted to restrain the raging supporters as the game was halted. Netherlands international Willems was one of several Groningen players that went over to tryContinue Reading

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Green Party TD Neasa Hourigan has said she will vote against the Government and back a Sinn Féin motion to retain the eviction ban. The Dublin Central TD has been critical of the ending of the ban, and will support the opposition’s motion in the Dáil. Writing in the Sunday Independent, Deputy Hourigan said there are “hundreds of children” in her constituency who are homeless. The Government has come under pressure and criticism after revealing the eviction moratorium will not be extended beyond March 31st. “To achieve stable government all coalitions require compromise. As someone who has had to vote in many ways I have often thought were not sensible, or not in the best interests of my constituents, I’mContinue Reading