A sign of Europe’s troubled times? Lithuania brings in tax reforms to boost defence spending
Karl Matikonis, University College Dublin Lithuania is entering 2026 with a tax shift that brings its system closer to countries like Ireland and the UK. From January 1, the long-standing…
US action against Greenland would undermine Nato, but now is not the time to panic
David Hastings Dunn MBE, University of Birmingham; Mark Webber, University of Birmingham, and Stefan Wolff, University of Birmingham Shortly after the US military operation to capture Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro…
There’s a huge loophole in the new UK ban on daytime junk food ads
Beverley O’Hara, Leeds Beckett University New advertising restrictions on unhealthy food and drink have come into force in the UK, targeting products deemed to be high in fat, salt or…
Reading the sky: how Irish weather lore preserved a deep understanding of the natural world
Karol Mullaney Dignam, University of Limerick Long before meteorology and climate science, Irish people looked to the natural world to forecast the weather and make sense of their surroundings. They…
Humans could have as many as 33 senses
Barry Smith, School of Advanced Study, University of London Stuck in front of our screens all day, we often ignore our senses beyond sound and vision. And yet they are…
Biophobia: why some people hate nature – and what you can do about it
Johan Kjellberg Jensen, Lund University We’re constantly told that spending time in nature is good for the body and the mind alike. A large body of research shows multiple health…
China’s five green economy challenges in 2026
Chee Meng Tan, University of Nottingham As China heads into the new year it will start rolling out its 15th five‑year plan, this one is for 2026-2030. Beijing is doubling…
Trump’s new world order is taking shape in Venezuela. Five keys to understanding the US military attacks
Juan Luis Manfredi, Universidad de Castilla-La Mancha On the back of every dollar bill, the phrase Novus Ordo Seclorum (“New order of the ages”) hints at the principle guiding the…
What do trees remember?
Estrella Luna-Diez, University of Birmingham; Anne-Marie Culhane, University of Exeter, and Bruno Barcante Ladvocat Cintra, University of Birmingham The Feanedock Oak stands out so clearly in Derbyshire’s section of the…
ADHD: girls’ symptoms are often missed in school because they don’t fit stereotypes – new research
Vlad Glăveanu, Dublin City University Many girls with ADHD aren’t diagnosed until their late teens or adulthood. My recent research points to a possible explanation for this. The study, published…