Lying in Politics

All politicians must lie from time to time, so why is there so much outrage about George Santos?

— Constituents’ willingness to overlook deception may depend, in part, on whether politicians lie well and with a good purpose.

Women in Politics

Jacinda Ardern’s resignation shows that women still face an uphill battle in politics

— Female leaders tend to open people’s perceptions of what is possible for other women in politics – but the job is also still fraught with double standards and unique risks.

Medicine Shortages

How the ‘tripledemic’ is restricting cold and flu medicine supplies – and what to do if you’re affected

— A combination of high demand and poor stock planning may explain current problems with medicine shortages.

Language Matters

How those who want to divide us use language to stoke violence

— Language can provoke violence between groups, especially when people paint others as threats.

NHS Crisis

NHS crisis: Underlying problems are starting to be addressed

— Even if many challenges remain, there is some light at the end of the tunnel for the NHS crisis.

Housing

Decade of progress on making England’s homes safer threatened by austerity and the pandemic

— The number of homes with serious hazards has been nearly halved, but improvements have slowed and may now be in reverse.

Right to Strike

Rishi Sunak’s new law could force workers to break strikes

— The strikes bill making its way through parliament potentially means employers will be able to block workers from taking industrial action. Despite his efforts to portray trade unions as out-of-control, is Rishi Sunak misreading the voters’ opinion?

Royal Family

How the soap opera around Prince Harry’s memoir will affect the royal brand

— The drama around the revelations in Harry’s book are just the latest episode in the royal soap. But he is unlikely to emerge from his biography as a heroic figure – particularly if people read coverage of the book instead of the memoir itself.

8 January Attack

Brazil: Swift and robust response to the insurrection highlights the strength of democracy

— Hundreds of Bolsonaro supporters have been arrested and state governors read the riot act for disloyalty to the elected government. January 8 has, if nothing else, highlighted the anti-democratic nature of Bolsonarismo.

8 January Attack

Democracy under attack in Brazil: 5 questions about the storming of Congress and the role of the military

— The sacking of key democratic institutions in Brasilia has parallels with the January 6 assault on the U.S. Capitol but was different in one key way: the position of the military.

COVID-19

Six common COVID myths busted by a virologist and a public health expert

— Almost three years into the pandemic, myths and misinformation about COVID-19 remain widespread. Let’s debunk some common misconceptions about COVID.

Politics

Politicians are getting older – shutting young people out of decision-making around the world

— Ageing politicians tend to dominate around the world. But young people will live the longest with the laws they are adopting now.

COVID-19

Where is the next COVID variant, pi?

— After a year of omicron variants, will we ever see a new variant of concern? A virologist explains why omicron is continuing to dominate.

Conspiracy Theories

January 6 US Capitol attack: Deep state conspiracies haven’t gone away

— Why deep state conspiracies keep on spinning out of control.

US Politics

Kevin McCarthy: Why Republicans are preventing their own leader from becoming US speaker

— Why breakaway Republicans are blocking the election of a new speaker of the US House of Representatives.

War in Ukraine

Putin’s plan to stop Ukraine turning to the west has failed – Support for Nato is at an all-time high

— Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has been a military fiasco for Russia. Moscow’s fears that Ukraine was turning towards the west prompted the invasion. This has backfired dramatically.