Explore news for you
New census reveals extent of lack of ethnic minority representatives in local councils
A new census, the first of its kind, of all local councils in the UK reveals significant under-representation of ethnic minorities, with some councils having fewer ethnic minority councillors than would be expected given their highly diverse local populations. An institutional disadvantage in local government can perpetuate wider ethnic disadvantagesContinue Reading
How parasitic worms could lead to new treatments for asthma
Vector Mine/Shutterstock The UK has one of the highest rates of asthma in the world – around 9% of the population – with 60,000 emergency hospital admissions every year. This translates on average to three people dying from asthma in Britain every day. Asthma is a condition characterised by difficultyContinue Reading
Summer statement: Rishi Sunak goes all out for jobs, leaving public finances for another day
Chancellor Rishi Sunak’s summer statement on July 8 was intended to show how the government can quickly end its emergency bankrolling of the economy, and let a re-energised private sector take the strain again. Since the lockdown was imposed in March, a furlough scheme has allowed shuttered firms to retainContinue Reading
Brazil’s Jair Bolsonaro has coronavirus – what it could mean for him politically
The most surprising thing about Jair Bolsonaro’s positive test for coronavirus, announced on July 7, was how long it took to happen. The Brazilian president was first suspected of having the virus in March, when several members of his entourage came down with it after visiting the US president, DonaldContinue Reading
Antibiotics could be repurposed as a treatment for depression
People with depression have higher levels of inflammation in their brains – which antibiotics might be able to treat. tadamichi/ Shutterstock Depression is common, affecting an estimated 264 million people of all ages worldwide. While the causes of depression are varied and complex, genetics, changes in brain chemistry, and environmentalContinue Reading
Coronavirus anti-vaxxers: one in six British people would refuse a vaccine – here’s how to change their minds
It didn’t take long after the first cases of COVID-19 were reported for conspiracy theories to begin circulating that the virus was a secret ploy by pharmaceutical companies to sell a vaccine. Other false theories quickly emerged, including one suggesting Bill Gates is creating a tracking device to be implantedContinue Reading
Is being European a white identity? Brussels needs deep reflection in the wake of the Black Lives Matter movement
Like so many organisations, the European Parliament recently declared “Black Lives Matter” in a statement that condemned racism. And, like in so many other parts of the world, people in European countries have been taking part in Black Lives Matter protests. Many have been condemning Europe’s colonial past, not leastContinue Reading
Care homes have long been neglected – the pandemic has shown us how bad things are
Before COVID-19, there were around 10,000 deaths in care homes in England and Wales every month. Then, between March 27 and April 24 2020, the number more than doubled to 23,113. The Office for National Statistics (ONS) later reported 17,422 deaths of care home residents from COVID-19 between the endContinue Reading
Bats are hosts to a range of viruses but don’t get sick – why?
Fruit bats. nutsiam/Shutterstock Bats harbour many diverse viruses, including coronaviruses. Indeed, Sars, Mers and COVID-19 – which are all caused by coronaviruses – are thought to have emerged from bats. These diseases can be deadly to humans, yet bats seem to be unaffected by them. Like all animal species, batsContinue Reading
From floating guts to ‘sticky’ blood – here’s how to do surgery in space
It has been estimated that there will be one surgical emergency every 2.4 years on a mission to Mars. T. Trapp/BJS Surgery, CC BY-SA Earlier this year, it was reported that an astronaut in space had developed a potentially life-threatening blood clot in the neck. This was successfully treated withContinue Reading