Explore news for you
Carols, ration books and bomb shelters: how Britain celebrated Christmas in 1940
Still image from the 1940 propaganda film 'Christmas Under Fire' produced by the Crown Film Unit. BFI Archive At Christmas 1939, Britons had been able to maintain a semblance of normality. The blackout prevented displays of lighted Christmas trees in front windows, but there was no rationing and Britain’s keyContinue Reading
Are your Christmas spices fake? We developed a technique that can find out
Are your spices fake? Kolpakova Svetlana/ Shutterstock There are many flavours associated with Christmas: cinnamon, mint, nutmeg, and, of course, sage. But before you head to your local supermarket or pop online to grab these all-important herbs and spices, how sure are you that they’re genuine? As researchers of foodContinue Reading
Will the government’s online safety laws for social media come at the cost of free speech?
robzs/Shutterstock The government is planning to change the law so that social media companies like Facebook and Twitter will have no choice but to take responsibility for the safety of their users. Plans to impose a duty of care on online services mean companies will have to determine if contentContinue Reading
How to manage family expectations and avoid breaking rules this Christmas
Now that restrictions are tighter in a number of areas, avoiding paying the price in 2021 may be more achievable Shyntartanya/Shutterstock The festive period heightens the sort of inner conflicts that have characterised 2020. On one hand, it is socially responsible to keep our distance. On the other, it feelsContinue Reading
Brexit and Covid: can British citizens travel in Europe after January 1?
British tourists hoping to travel to Europe in the new year will need to cancel or postpone their trips until the restrictions are lifted Andy Rain/EPA The combined forces of COVID-19 and Brexit have created massive uncertainty over where British people can and cannot travel. A number of countries rapidlyContinue Reading
Why the courts and police should be held responsible for failing victims of crime
In order to honour the rights of victims of crime, chronic under-funding in the criminal justice system needs to be addressed. Andy Rain/EPA Nearly a quarter of a million victims and witnesses of crime in London are waiting to have their cases heard in court, according to the city’s mayor.Continue Reading
New coronavirus variant: what is the spike protein and why are mutations on it important?
Say hello to Spike. National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, CC BY-SA The emergence of a new variant of coronavirus has sparked renewed interest in the part of the virus known as the spike protein. The new variant carries several peculiar changes to the spike protein when compared toContinue Reading
Tigres stage dramatic, late two-goal rally, claim CONCACAF Champions League title over LAFC
LAFC led Tigres 1-0 into the 72nd minute thanks to a Diego Rossi goal, but Hugo Ayala struck for the equalizer and Andre Pierre Gignac put away the go-ahead goal in the 84th-minute as his team claimed the CONCACAF Champions League title in dramatic fashion. 8 HOURS AGO・soccer・3:50Continue Reading
Brexit countdown: is it even possible to ratify a deal before the deadline?
Yet another deadline in the negotiations for a post-Brexit trade deal has been missed. This one had been set by the European Parliament, which claimed that if its members didn’t have eyes on a deal by December 20, they would not have time to scrutinise and ratify it before theContinue Reading
Even though mass testing for COVID isn’t always accurate, it could still be useful – here’s why
The mass testing of asymptomatic people for COVID-19 in the UK was thrown into question by a recent study. In a pilot in Liverpool, over half the cases weren’t picked up, leading some to question whether using tests that perform poorly is the best use of resources. The tests involvedContinue Reading