4+ day, 10+ hour ago   (1100+ words) Ten years ago, I had the honour of meeting Gloria Steinem. It was International Women’s Day 2016: Donald Trump was a joke that would supposedly never happen and #MeToo was still two years away. Yet, the clouds were gathering. Being in…...

5+ day, 12+ hour ago   (711+ words) Is someone in poverty if they can afford food, housing and the things they really need, but not other things most people take for granted? Answering this question requires a judgment about where an acceptable standard of living ends and…...

1+ week, 3+ day ago   (699+ words) In recent years, archaeologists from around the world have marked the centenaries of some of Iraq’s most influential archaeological discoveries. The excavation of the ancient city of Ur, for example, transformed understanding of early urban life, long-distance trade, royal tombs…...

1+ week, 4+ day ago   (501+ words) The Pantone colour of the year for 2026 is white. It’s called Cloud Dancer, which is described as a “lofty white”. This choice reflects a growing trend away from colour in our visual world. There is a similar increasing sense of…...

1+ week, 4+ day ago   (829+ words) Around a million young people in the UK are not in education, employment or training (Neet). The consequences for their health and income can be significant and long lasting, with costs to the economy too. There’s pressure on the government…...

1+ week, 5+ day ago   (876+ words) John Iliffe, the distinguished scholar renowned for his life’s work in African history, died on 20 August 2026 at the age of 87. The young Iliffe did his PhD at Peterhouse College, Cambridge. He wrote about the early 20th century governor of German East…...

2+ week, 3+ day ago   (556+ words) Andy Burnham has placed housing inequality, council house building and eradicating rough sleeping at the top of his priority list as prime minister. He has now announced plans to get rough sleepers in England into accommodation by Christmas. While this…...

2+ week, 4+ day ago   (774+ words) For the past three years, as a researcher of legal consciousness in Asian and Canadian societies, I have interviewed Chinese immigrants and the lawyers who represent them, trying to understand why predatory practices — deceptive rental agreements and exploitative work arrangements…...

2+ week, 5+ day ago   (857+ words) Prime Minister Andy Burnham has pledged to bring people who are sleeping rough in England into temporary accommodation for Christmas. While this is a good move, and should be happening across the rest of the UK, more needs to be…...

2+ week, 5+ day ago   (735+ words) I recently returned from leading an educational program in Thailand focusing on how Buddhists practice the religion in their day-to-day lives. The participants – Buddhist practitioners from North America and Europe – wanted to deepen their understanding and practice of the religion....