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What my 20 years in Afghanistan taught me about the Taliban – and how the west consistently underestimates them
The author has an evening cuppa while searching for a lost convoy of medical supplies – in remote Zibok district (1996). © Sippi Azarbaijani Moghaddam, Author provided It was April 1995, and I was preparing to travel to Afghanistan for my first volunteer post with a UK charity. I hadContinue Reading
Prison numbers set to rise 24% in England and Wales — it will make society less safe, not more
The Ministry of Justice is banking on England and Wales’ prison numbers rising by 23.7% by March 2026, predicting that the prison population will climb from 79,580 to 98,500. Matched by an intention to build space for 20,000 extra prison places, this would take numbers to an all-time high forContinue Reading
Heart disease risk from saturated fats may depend on what foods they come from – new research
Our health is affected by the combination of nutrients foods contain. New Africa/ Shutterstock Heart disease is a major cause of death worldwide – responsible for some 9 million deaths a year. But it is preventable, and health behaviour changes – such as exercising more, quitting smoking and eating healthierContinue Reading
How uncertainty can impair our ability to make rational decisions – new research
When times are uncertain, we can fail to be flexible. jefftakespics2/Shutterstock We make decisions every day, many of which are so straightforward that we hardly notice we are making them. But we tend to struggle when faced with decisions that have uncertain outcomes, such as during the pandemic. Cognitive scientistsContinue Reading
Barbados: after four centuries under the British crown, former slave island looks to bright new republican future
Fifty-five years after gaining independence from Britain in 1966, Barbados has become a republic – and other Commonwealth countries, where support for the monarchy is becoming more volatile than ever, could well follow in its wake. The change to a republic has been a long time coming for the 300,000Continue Reading
Sweden’s flight-free movement: how views about holiday air travel are changing
Train journeys have been embraced as climate-friendly travel. Michael715/Shutterstock Air travel is often presented as desirable, despite its high environmental cost. In Sweden, however, a movement advocating avoiding flying has gained influence since 2016, and has started to change the way travel is portrayed in the Swedish media. Going onContinue Reading
Fans in stitches as ‘Daft Punk reunite’ to deliver Messi’s 7th Ballon d’Or award
FORMULA ONE stars Fernando Alonso and Esteban Ocon had social media joking that Daft Punk had reunited following their appearance at the Ballon d’Or award ceremony. The Alpine drivers delivered the Men’s and Women’s awards on stage wearing their F1 helmets, with users comparing the two to the French electronicContinue Reading
Get into the ‘Zone’ with Graham!
Firstly, before my daily missive on what could happen today, lets’ just hark back to yesterday when yet another sudden ‘bounce’ yielded about THIRTY POINTS PROFIT from 10/1 winner, Spirit Of Aghuru, and ‘safe anchor’ Wonder Elmossman (1/2) which combined to supplement early gains virtue of a 15/1 double; ofContinue Reading
COVID: will the UK vaccinate children under 12?
PattyPhoto/Shutterstock Some countries, such as the US and Israel, are now offering COVID vaccines to all children aged five and over. It’s a sign of how well vaccine rollout has gone in these places, but also that the pandemic is still raging on. Governments are going further and further toContinue Reading
Kasabian star Serge Pizzorno joins Banksy in art show
They are among the names showing work in a street art exhibition on Portobello Road. Pizzorno, who exhibits his work under the name daft-apeth, is not the only artist on show with a background in the music business. Jamie Reid Also involved is Jamie Reid whose best known works includeContinue Reading