Category: The Conversation

Source: ForeignAffairs4 Source: The Conversation – UK – By Hiroki Shin, Associate Professor of History, University of Birmingham Bukhta Yurii/Shutterstock The confusion and commotion over cryptocurrency often reminds me of the 19th-century German drama Faust. In Goethe’s masterpiece, the devil Mephistopheles offers an emperor the tantalising vision of limitless wealth through the printing of paper…

Source: ForeignAffairs4 Source: The Conversation – UK – By Justin Stebbing, Professor of Biomedical Sciences, Anglia Ruskin University Roman Samborskyi/Shutterstock.com Why do health stories about food and cancer grab so much attention? Because they offer an enticing promise: that a single item on your plate, or even a sudden change in what you crave, might…

Source: ForeignAffairs4 Source: The Conversation – UK – By Mark Ireland, Senior Lecturer in Energy Geoscience, Newcastle University North Sea oil is in its geological twilight. James Jones Jr / shutterstock “We are going to get all our oil and gas out of the North Sea”, Conservative Party leader Kemi Badenoch said recently. Her promise…

Source: ForeignAffairs4 Source: The Conversation – UK – By Amalendu Misra, Professor of International Politics, Lancaster University Jamaicans voted Andrew Holness, the leader of the centre-right Jamaica Labour party (JLP), into power for a third consecutive term on September 3. Holness beat Mark Golding of the People’s National party (PNP) in a tight election, with…

Source: ForeignAffairs4 Source: The Conversation – UK – By David Comerford, Professor of Economics and Behavioural Science, University of Stirling Back in the 2000s, the American pharmaceutical firm Wyeth was sued by thousands of women who had developed breast cancer after taking its hormone replacement drugs. Court filings revealed the role of “dozens of ghostwritten…

Source: ForeignAffairs4 Source: The Conversation – UK – By Thomas Caygill, Senior Lecturer in Politics, Nottingham Trent University Angela Rayner has resigned as the UK’s deputy prime minister after a report found she had breached the ministerial code by not paying enough stamp duty on her second home. In her resignation letter she said she…

Source: ForeignAffairs4 Source: The Conversation – UK – By Ben Mayfield, Lecturer in Law, Lancaster University The debate over former deputy prime minister Angela Rayner’s tax arrangements demonstrated that there are few topics more complex than the law of trusts. It was politically awkward, to say the least, when a deputy PM and housing secretary…

Source: ForeignAffairs4 Source: The Conversation – UK – By Beth Nichol, Post-Doctoral Researcher in Disease Prevention, Northumbria University, Newcastle Have you ever visited your GP for something specific – perhaps a sprained ankle or a routine check-up – only to find yourself receiving unsolicited advice about your weight, drinking habits or smoking? Sometimes this guidance…

Source: ForeignAffairs4 Source: The Conversation – UK – By Leonie Fleischmann, Senior Lecturer in International Politics, City St George’s, University of London The Israeli prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, has ordered the Israel Defense Forces to step up the offensive on Gaza City, despite internal and international condemnation. Amid accusations by the International Association of Genocide…

Source: ForeignAffairs4 Source: The Conversation – UK – By Paul Whiteley, Professor, Department of Government, University of Essex A recent voting intentions poll from YouGov, completed on August 26, puts Reform on 28%, Labour 20% and the Conservatives on 17%. The poll identifies the remarkable lead that Reform has built up over the other parties.…