By David Armstrong McKay, Stockholm University | – (The Conversation) – The UN World Meteorological Organisation (WMO) has confirmed it: El Niño conditions have arrived and are expected to become moderate to strong as they develop over the coming year. El Niño is the hot phase of a natural fluctuation in the Earth’s climate system […]
Turkey’s Erdogan abruptly lifts veto on Sweden in NATO: What it means for the Alliance and Ukraine War
Simon J Smith, Staffordshire University and Jordan Becker, United States Military Academy West Point | – In a surprise move, Turkey has ended its veto on Sweden joining Nato, thereby removing all the barriers to its membership of the military alliance. Hungary quickly followed suit and, as a result of the two countries’ support, a […]
Is Saudi Arabia using “Sportswashing” to Simply Hide its Human Rights Abuses — Or is there a Bigger Strategy at Play?
By Ben Rich, Curtin University and Leena Adel, Curtin University | – As Saudi Arabia continues to open up internationally, it is yet again in hot water over its human rights record. The current controversy revolves around the kingdom’s increasing presence in the sporting world and accusations of “sportswashing”. In recent years, the Saudis have […]
The Stabbing attack against women at the U. of Waterloo underscores the Dangers of Polarizing Rhetoric about Gender
By Shana MacDonald, University of Waterloo and Alysia Kolentsis, University of Waterloo | – In the wake of the recent stabbing attack on a University of Waterloo professor and two students in a philosophy of gender course, we need to talk about the profound power words have to shape our world. We are both professors […]
Why are so Many Climate Records breaking all at Once?
By Kimberley Reid, Monash University | – (The Conversation) – In the past few weeks, climate records have shattered across the globe. July 4 was the hottest global average day on record, breaking the new record set the previous day. Average sea surface temperatures have been the highest ever recorded and Antarctic sea ice extent […]
Israel’s attack on Jenin Created 4,000 New Refugees; Palestinians have been endlessly Displaced since 1948
By Anne Irfan, UCL | – (The Conversation) – The Israeli army’s recent attack on Jenin refugee camp resulted in 13 deaths (12 Palestinians, including four children, and one Israeli soldier killed by suspected friendly fire). An additional 143 Palestinians were injured, with 20 in critical condition, and up to 4,000 displaced. While this mass […]
Rising Sexual Violence in Sudan Conflict Reflects Entrenched Patriarchy – But Women and Girls are Fighting Back
By Tamsin Bradley, University of Portsmouth | – Watching and hearing the horrifying reports of violence and savagery in Sudan, those of us working to end violence against women and girls immediately become concerned about how it will inevitably spill over into sexual violence. As recently as July 5, a report from the UN highlighted […]
Jenin has Long been seen as the Capital of Palestinian Resistance and Militancy – The Latest Israeli Raid will do little to Shake that Reputation
By Maha Nassar, University of Arizona | – Israeli troops withdrew from Jenin on July 4, 2023 after two days of heavy aerial bombardment and ground invasion. According to reports, 12 Palestinians were killed and over 100 wounded in what the Israeli military described as a “counter-terrorism operation”. One Israeli soldier was also reportedly killed. […]
How Climate Change is causing a Communication Breakdown in the Animal World
By Mahasweta Saha, Plymouth Marine Laboratory | – What do the following changes have in common? Some ant species are struggling to follow trails, as warming temperatures cause a certain pheromone they use to communicate to decay. The water fleas Daphnia are finding it harder to evade predators as CO₂ levels rise in the water. […]