Editor's note

It’s been 30 years since troops rolled into Beijing’s Tiananmen Square killing hundreds, perhaps thousands, of peaceful protesters. Back then it was Chinese workers who joined students in their pro-democracy protests. Today, writes Leïla Choukroune, students have been protesting in solidarity with striking workers. Their goals are similar to 1989 – equality and justice.

Scientists are adding a genetically engineered toxic fungus to the arsenal of weapons that’s wielded to wipe out mosquitoes which carry the malaria parasite. Antonis Rokas says this is a particularly attractive strategy because fungi can infect mosquitoes simply by coming into contact with them and don’t have to be ingested.

Gemma Ware

Society Editor

Top Stories

Pro-democracy activists march in Hong Kong in May 2019 to commemorate the 1989 Tiananmen Square protests. Jerome Favre/EPA

Chinese students and workers are uniting again, 30 years after Tiananmen Square crackdown

Leïla Choukroune, University of Portsmouth

Back in 1989, workers joined students in pro-democracy protests. Now students are joining workers agitating for better conditions.

Spraying insecticide to kill mosquitoes: Mosquitoes are vectors of many devastating diseases such as malaria. Sukjanya/Shutterstock.com

Fighting malaria with fungi: biologists engineer a fungus to be deadlier to mosquitoes

Antonis Rokas, Vanderbilt University

In the ongoing arms race to kill off mosquitoes that spread malaria, researchers have modified a naturally occurring fungus that kills mosquitoes with a deadly toxin to wipe out these insects faster.

Environment + Energy

How our floating homes will help people in flood-prone countries

Nandan Mukherjee, University of Dundee

An award-winning house design could be an affordable solution for vulnerable coastal communities adapting to climate change.

Scientists race to save the Sumatran rhino as last male in Malaysia dies

Jason Gilchrist, Edinburgh Napier University

The world mourns the loss of Malaysia's last male Sumatran rhino. Can anything stop the slide of the species towards extinction?

Politics + Society

To tackle climate change, immigration and threats to democracy, Europe’s fractious new Parliament will have to work together

Garret Martin, American University School of International Service

Populists didn't do well enough in the EU's recent elections to destroy Europe from within. But with far-right and far-left parties winning new seats, consensus on key issues looks ever less likely.

Ghana’s president has donned the mantle of football mediator – will it work?

Chuka Onwumechili, Howard University

Akufo-Addo's intervention marks a continuing move by African political leaders to use football to advance or affirm political situations.

En français

Cricket sud-asiatique, foot féminin : quand le sport bouleverse les codes

Nathalie Belhoste, Grenoble École de Management (GEM)

Les coupes du monde de cricket et de foot féminin permettent de montrer les évolutions importantes qu’apportent ces deux sports à leurs sphères d’influence sociale respectives.

Nos ancêtres autistes ont joué un rôle clé dans l’évolution

Penny Spikins, University of York

Voici pourquoi les gènes de l'autisme ont été conservés au cours de l'évolution. Un autre regard sur la préhistoire, à l'occasion de la journée mondiale de sensibilisation à l'autisme, le 2 avril.

En español

Cómo convertir las minas de carbón abandonadas en fuentes de energía limpia

Amin Al-Habaibeh, Nottingham Trent University

El agua bombeada desde minas y pozos puede ser utilizada para calentar o refrigerar edificios. Así se hace ya en Asturias.

¿Viaja a zonas con riesgo de malaria? Cuatro claves para mantenerse a salvo

John Frean, University of the Witwatersrand

Evitar el paludismo podría ser sencillo si se interiorizan los comportamientos adecuados.