Briefings
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What is FGM?
This month, a woman was found guilty of female genital mutilation for the first time ever in the UK. She now faces a “lengthy” jail sentence. But what is FGM? And where does it come from?
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Fact-checking Donald Trump
Donald Trump has given the annual State of the Union address, in which he boasted of a soaring economy and urged citizens to unite behind him. But how many of his key claims were true?
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An antibiotic apocalypse
How much should we worry about antibiotic resistance? Last week, the UK’s health secretary, Matt Hancock, warned that superbugs were as big a threat to humans as climate change or war. Why?
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The Irish border
Almost a century on from the creation of Northern Ireland, the Irish border could decide the future of the UK and Europe. What were the Troubles, and are they over for good?
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Should I be scared of flying?
It has been 10 years since the “Miracle on the Hudson”, when a pilot successfully landed his plane on New York’s famous river after it lost power. The fear of flying is very common, but is it...
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The secrets of the Moon
China has become the first nation to land a probe on the mysterious “dark side” of the Moon. The experiment could pave the way for future astronaut landings, and even human lunar settlements.
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St Nicholas
Scientists believe they may have found a bone belonging to St Nicholas, the inspiration for Father Christmas. How did this fourth-century bishop become such a cultural icon across the West?
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Refugees around the world
In his latest restriction on refugee admissions to the US, President Donald Trump is considering introducing a fee for asylum seekers. Who are the world’s refugees? And where do they flee to?
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The lost tribes
Last week, missionary John Allen Chau was killed by a tribe on a remote Indian island. He was trying to contact the North Sentinelese — one of many uncontacted tribes from around the world.
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The hyperloop
Want to be whisked down a tube at near-supersonic speeds — for the price of a train ticket? Enter the hyperloop. Elon Musk says his test track will be completed next month. But can it work?
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What happens now?
What is going on with Brexit? And what will happen next? After a year and a half of intense negotiations, the UK is getting closer to a divorce deal with the EU. That was the easy part.
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The end of World War One
We know that the war began with a single pistol shot. It then degenerated into slaughter and stalemate. But how did history’s second deadliest conflict end? And was it ever truly resolved?
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The forgotten wars
America has urged Saudi Arabia to impose a ceasefire in war-torn Yemen. Thousands have died in the conflict, but it seldom makes headline news. It is not the only war to slip under the radar.
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The fracking debate
What is fracking? And why is it controversial? This week, after years of environmental protests and legal battles, the energy company Cuadrilla began drilling for shale gas in Lancashire.
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How global warming will change your diet
Studies suggest that our most vital crops are in danger of extinction, and climate change is partly to blame. The answer could lie in eating different types of food — including insects.