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Why the press is right to be suspicious of the UK government’s new lobby arrangements
Boris Johnson’s government is committed to introducing “a culture of transparency and openness”. At least, that’s what a government spokesperson said on July 3 when announcing that the regular Downing Street press briefings will become a daily fixture. Who could be against “transparency and openness” – which must be doublyContinue Reading
CERN: physicists report the discovery of unique new particle
A tetraquark. CERN, CC BY-SA The LHCb collaboration at CERN has announced the discovery of a new exotic particle: a so-called “tetraquark”. The paper by more than 800 authors is yet to be evaluated by other scientists in a process called “peer review”, but has been presented at a seminar.Continue Reading
Black lives are being lost in the Mediterranean – but the world remains silent
A black baby was born on a boat on the Mediterranean Sea in late June. Its mother was trying to escape from Libya, together with 92 men and women. Help was on the way, with the Italian rescue vessel Mare Jonio nearing the boat in distress, ready to rescue themContinue Reading
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