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Editor's note
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Ireland is voting in a referendum on repealing the 8th amendment of its constitution today, potentially ending some of the most restrictive abortion laws in the world.
This vote has been years in the making, the debate emotional and fraught. Some of our authors have been out on the campaign trail, reporting back on what they’ve been hearing. Legal experts have also looked more closely at the amendment, revealing that it is in fact a breach of Ireland’s international human rights commitments.
After months of talks, Italy finally has a new government – an uneasy coalition between the upstart Five Star Movement and the far-right League. But the man chosen to be prime minister has no political experience whatsoever. Daniele Albertazzi explains the clever manoeuvring that lies behind this apparently bizarre decision.
It’s another exciting week for Star Wars fans, with the prequel film, Solo: A Star Wars Story, just out in cinemas. The movie follows the adventures of the young Han Solo, who is known for carrying around a mysterious blaster gun. Martin Archer assesses how realistic this weapon is and how it would fare against the other iconic Star Wars weapon, the lightsaber.
Some weasels evolved a white winter coat to disguise themselves in the snow and hide from predators. But, with climate change meaning fewer snowy days each year, foxes, wolves and buzzards are finding white weasels easy to spot. Jan Hoole says global warming has left the species with mismatched camouflage.
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Laura Hood
Politics Editor, Assistant Editor
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Top stories
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PA/Niall Carson
Claire Pierson, University of Liverpool
What is Ireland voting on and why?
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Prime minister designate Giuseppe Conte addresses the media.
EPA/Ettore Ferrari
Daniele Albertazzi, University of Birmingham
Law professor Giuseppe Conte has no experience in politics – which makes him the perfect candidate for the uncomfortable partnership now in government.
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Harrison Ford as Han Solo with his blaster in the old Star Wars triology.
BagoGamesFlickr
Martin Archer, Queen Mary University of London
Plasma physics suggests Star Wars blaster guns would be extremely deadly.
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Karol Zub
Jan Hoole, Keele University
With less snow on the ground, weasels that turn white for winter are easier prey for foxes and wolves.
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Ireland's abortion referendum
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Ivana Bacik, Trinity College Dublin
A lawyer reports from Ireland days ahead of this vital vote.
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Bríd Ní Ghráinne, University of Sheffield; Aisling McMahon, Durham University
The UN has repeatedly criticised Ireland's laws. It's time to change the Constitution.
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Fiona de Londras, University of Birmingham
The almost total ban on abortion in Ireland does not work to protect women's health.
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Politics + Society
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Pieter Vanhuysse, University of Southern Denmark
New research shows childhood in Europe lasts on average until age 25, while old age starts at 60.
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Amanda Cahill-Ripley, Lancaster University
Those tasked with sustaining peace must address economic, social and cultural rights to stand any chance of succeeding.
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Nic Cheeseman, University of Birmingham; Fernando Casal Bértoa, University of Nottingham; Lise Storm, University of Exeter; Susan Dodsworth, University of Birmingham
Populism gets a bad rap for fuelling the rise of authoritarianism. But it can also be a shot in the arm for liberal democracy.
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Adam McCann, University of Exeter
In the UK, euthanasia is ignored by parliamentarians in favour of political survival.
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Robert Canton, De Montfort University
Remorse is a vital, but often overlooked and underused aspect of justice, for both the victim and the offender.
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James Hamill, University of Leicester
Apartheid has been removed from the statute books for almost three decades. But a de facto apartheid endures both economically and socially.
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Science + Technology
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Rebecca Redfern, Durham University
New research has rubbished perceptions of Roman Britain as a region inhabited solely by white Europeans.
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Daniel J. Field, University of Bath
New research shows that ground-dwelling birds were more likely to survive the mass extinction at the end of the Cretaceous period.
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Martin Kretschmer, University of Glasgow; Thomas Margoni, University of Glasgow
Information extracted from copyrighted material should not be seen as an infringement. Such analytical use is good for society.
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Health + Medicine
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Matthew Campbell, Leeds Beckett University
Nutrition expert – sugar does not cause type 2 diabetes on its own.
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David Robert Grimes, Queen's University Belfast
Expert fact checks claim that cannabis cures cancer.
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Environment + Energy
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Edoardo Borgomeo, University of Oxford
Climate change plus population growth means the city has to act soon.
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Arts + Culture
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Philip Seargeant, The Open University
A Rose by any other name might not choose to become a gardener, and other odd quirks in how names affect us.
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Business + Economy
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William Brown, University of Cambridge; Chris F. Wright, University of Sydney
Brexit could erode workers’ wages and conditions, particularly if the British government deregulates employment laws and undercuts EU standards.
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Featured events
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