As ‘Jihadi John’ is unmasked, counter-terrorism tactics must also be unpicked
True or not, Mohammed Emwazi's harassment claims are a lesson in unintended consequences.
UK
United Kingdom
Academic rigour, journalistic flair
Analysis and Comment
Ancient Britons had wheat 2000 years before they had farms
New discovery is evidence of trade with continental Europe.
Evo Morales champions indigenous rights abroad, but in Bolivia it’s a different story
The president of Bolivia styles himself as a champion of his indigenous peoples. In reality, he has turned his back on them and aligned himself with the colonial elites.
Congo warlord awaits ICC judgment as assault on Hutu militia begins
As the Democratic Republic of Congo seeks justice for one of its most notorious massacres, it's also preparing to engage Rwandan fighters once again.
The best ways to work with teaching assistants
The army of teaching assistants working in English schools still have an unclear role in the classroom.
UK has little to be proud of as survey reveals sorry state of European cybersecurity
European survey shows escalating cybercrime and serious problems across the continent - not least for the UK, which tops several of the tables it would much rather not.
Molecular ‘GPS’ helps stem cells navigate inside the body
A novel molecule has been used to target stem cells to damaged tissues within the body.
Bethnal Green girls need to know there is a way out of Islamic State cult
We can’t expect young people to come home if we treat them like criminals when they get here.
‘Missing plastic’ in the oceans can be found below the surface
We dump more plastic into the ocean each year than we've been able to find. New research says much of it is lurking just below the waves.
Target missed as immigration spikes, but we’re all losing out in this numbers game
In the rush to reduce headline figures, ethics and common sense went out the window.
Do Russia’s flying Bears really pose a risk to civilian air traffic?
When military aircraft fly invisible to civilian flights it could represent a disaster waiting to happen.
Before Jimmy Savile, there was ‘Mr G’ – the 1920s philanthropist who abused children in hospitals
The report on Jimmy Savile's abuses in the NHS is eerily reminiscent of a 90-year-old case.
Napoleon: why escape from Elba anniversary is a bigger deal than Waterloo
On February 26, 200 years ago, Napoleon escaped from exile on the island of Elba. In some ways, this moment was more important than his eventual fall.
After Bitcoin, are you ready for the next generation of cryptocurrencies?
With the Bank of England mooting the idea it might get involved with digital currencies, you might think it was good news for Bitcoin.
Bland Brit Awards 2015 reflect how boring life is for most people today
The most interesting thing to come out of the awards was Madonna's tumble – and this says a lot.
Why we never learn: abuse, complaints and inquiries in the NHS
The health service has a long history both of abuse and the failure to do anything about it.
Can a zen-like state of mind power super cyclist to one of sport’s great world records?
As Olympic cyclist Sarah Storey faces the greatest challenge of her career, she can draw on recent findings that the mental state for coping with extreme fatigue is more achievable than we thought.
We don’t need no legislation: wildlife protection depends on enforcement
Labour has pledged a new series of animal protection and welfare reforms, but needs to commit on resources.
Baby sea turtles starved of oxygen by beach microbes
Turtle development is affected by low oxygen in the nest, new research carried out in Costa Rica shows. And there are lessons for conservation globally.
GM regulation ‘not fit for purpose’, says Commons committee – and it’s right
MPs call for a revamp of GM regulations, after finding "no greater inherent risk" with GM crops compared to conventional ones.
Unregulated expansion of higher education costing millions
Future of BBC should not be left to this committee of MPs
China farming boom has left ecosystems in danger of total collapse
How Israel’s military stopped Netanyahu attacking Iran
Cancer charter shows patients can demand their rights – and be heard
What’s gone wrong at HSBC?
Green Party should make GDP alternatives an election issue
Teachers show bias to pupils who share their personality
UKIP’s manifesto pledges for the NHS don’t add up
Research and News
Only one in ten education reforms analysed for their impact, finds OECD report
Education policies are rarely scrutinised by the governments that implement them.
Smaller is smarter at the 2015 Consumer Electronics Show
An app that can unlock your front door with a digital key and the latest wearable sex tech OhMiBod.
It’s just not cricket! Only two neutral umpires can eliminate bias in favour of home team
When it comes to LBW decisions, it makes a difference where the umpires come from.
Hard Evidence
Hard Evidence: will climate change affect the spread of tropical diseases?
Climate change could help spread tropical diseases but other factors are involved too.
Hard Evidence: is Facebook a good use of election campaign budgets?
The Tories have been spending £100,000 a month on the social network, mainly to produce silly videos.
Straw Rifkind sting
Straw and Rifkind brought down by sting journalism, but what it revealed still stinks
It may not have been the best investigative journalism, but just because they are easy targets doesn't mean it's a pointless exercise.
The big question about Malcolm Rifkind is where he finds the time to moonlight
In his spare time, the former foreign secretary enjoys reading, taking walks and doing odd jobs.
HSBC files
What Peter Oborne’s resignation forces us to confront about journalism
The boundaries between advertising and editorial are even fuzzier online.
HSBC scandal: the UK’s strict rules on bank customers were abandoned at the border
UK banks follow tight rules about customer vetting at home. Not that this made any difference to HSBC in the end.
Columnists
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It won’t be long until patients like me can ward off pain using virtual reality
Sue Thomas -
Attitudes to complaining are changing – more are doing it and it’s getting easier
Isabelle Szmigin -
Lauren Rosewarne — “About the likability of a person who can tell their story well…”
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Simon Chadwick — “A winter World Cup in Qatar is no one-off inconvenience, it’s football’s new normal”
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John Jewell — “It’s unclear whether negative advertising is more effective than positive advertising”
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John Keane — “Hong Kong’s Chief Executive C.Y. Leung calls on citizens to behave like sheep”
Editors’ Picks
Birdman and the intoxicating alchemy of cinema
Birdman is awash with in-jokes, but laugh and then forget about them. And forget about the fact that Birdman is a backstage comedy set in a crappy 800-seat theatre in New York. Because this is really a…
Humanity is in the existential danger zone, study confirms
The Earth’s climate has always changed. All species eventually become extinct. But a new study has brought into sharp relief the fact that humans have, in the context of geological timescales, produced…
Fifty Shades of Grey is just an old-fashioned romance – that’s the problem
It’s not the bondage that’s the problem with the upcoming blockbuster, but something more mundane
European unity is at stake if a Greek debt deal isn’t reached
Rejecting Greece’s appeals for a new debt deal would be a big mistake for Europe.
Mars is the next step for humanity – we must take it
Not only is a crewed mission to Mars possible, humanity stands to gain much from it.
Food fight: is business trying to game the five-a-day system?
The pressure is on to bring more processed products under the UK’s flagship healthy eating programme. It would be a grave error.
Why do women in West turn to Islamic State? For the same reasons as men
A sedentary life and marriage from the age of nine: the life Western women are moving to IS territories to lead.
What education policy would look like under UKIP
UKIP are advocating for the return of grammar schools and the scrapping of the target for 50% of young people to attend university.
Hey Uber, expect a bumpy ride when Google drives into your market
Poor Uber – carving out a new market, only for Google to drive onto their lawn.
Why I oppose a ban on sex-selection abortion
A campaign is underway in the UK to make it illegal to abort a child based on its gender. Proponents say they are worried about women being coerced into terminating female foetuses and that action needs…
Events
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1st International Conference on Cyber Security for Sustainable Society 2015 — Coventry University
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Seminar: The Anglo-American ‘Special Relationship’ in Jeopardy: US-UK relations since 1945 — UCL
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Authors and the World - Ulrike Sandig — Lancaster University
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Random Phenomena in the Theory of Numbers — University of York
How we are different
10 reasons
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- Throwing science at anti-vaxxers just makes them more hardline
- Upgrade to core HTTP protocol promises speedier, easier web
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