Thu 20 August 2026: Portugal has banned face coverings in public spaces after President Antonio Jose Seguro signed a law originally proposed by the right-wing Chega party. Seguro approved the measure Tuesday, saying it addressed an issue of “great social and cultural sensitivity,” according to a note by the Belem Palace, the presidential seat in […]

Thu 20 August 2026: The Research Brief is a short take about interesting academic work. The big idea Social media can be mentally draining. And when mentally drained, you are more likely to be influenced by a high number of likes on posts – even to the point of clicking on ads for products you don’t need […]

Wed 19 August 2026: Israeli authorities are preparing a prison wing – replete with an execution chamber – designated specifically for Palestinian prisoners convicted of murder, Israel’s i24NEWS channel reported Tuesday. The move comes after the Knesset (Israel’s parliament) approved legislation in March that calls for the execution of Palestinian prisoners convicted – by military […]

Thu 20 August 2026: China on Thursday called on the United States to immediately repeal tariffs on drones and drone components, saying the measures harm Chinese companies and disrupt global supply chains, state-run Xinhua News Agency reported. Commerce Ministry spokesperson He Yadong said the tariffs amount to unilateralism and protectionism carried out under the guise […]

Thu 20 August 2026: The Democratic Republic of Congo has been allocated 70,000 Ervebo vaccines from the global Ebola virus disease vaccine stockpile for use in the current fast spreading Bundibugyo virus disease outbreak, the World Health Organization said on Thursday. The government requested a release of Ervebo vaccines last week from the International Coordinating […]

Thu 20 August 2026: President Emmanuel Macron found himself in hot water Friday after he was pictured riding a jet ski on the Riviera, fuelling opposition claims that he is disconnected from ordinary people grappling with heatwaves and wildfires. The 48-year-old president drew criticism after Paris Match magazine splashed a photo of Macron speeding across the Riviera […]

Thu 10 October 2024: One in eight girls, women raped or sexually assaulted before age 18, UNICEF says More than 370 million girls and women alive today, or one in every eight worldwide, experienced rape or sexual assault before the age of 18, the United Nations children’s agency said yesterday, Reuters reported. The number rises to 650 […]

Thu 20 August 2026: President Emmanuel Macron found himself in hot water Friday after he was pictured riding a jet ski on the Riviera, fuelling opposition claims that he is disconnected from ordinary people grappling with heatwaves and wildfires. The 48-year-old president drew criticism after Paris Match magazine splashed a photo of Macron speeding across the Riviera […]

Thu 14 May 2026: Amid an oil blockade against the island, the US blames Cuba’s communist leadership for ‘standing in the way’ of aid. The United States has offered $100m in humanitarian assistance to Cuba on the condition that the island’s communist government agrees to “meaningful reforms”. The sum was made public in a statement from […]

Fri 12 June 2026: My mother loves butter. It is the primary fat I ate growing up. She smeared it on any kind of bread, potatoes, nut rolls or coffeecake. She baked with it exclusively. When I was studying nutrition in college, I had a teaching assistant who recommended margarine over butter. I was shocked […]

Fri 12 April 2024: JALEBIS INGREDIENTS 140 g cake flour 2 T cornflour 1/2 t baking powder 2 T clarified butter 1/4 t saffron threads 190 ml thick plain yoghurt Water (optional) Canola oil, for deep-frying Gold leaf, to garnish For the sugar syrup: 140 g sugar 250 ml water 1/4 t saffron threads, toasted […]