Editor's note

Having realised she had no hope of winning it, Theresa May postponed parliament’s so-called “meaningful” vote on her Brexit deal. The prime minister instead plans to return to Brussels to seek further concessions on the Irish backstop, pledging also to find a way to give parliament more power to ensure that the backstop arrangement is not permanent. It looked like May had no choice, but Simon Usherwood thinks she would have been better to plough ahead. For Andy Price, parliament is the key to breaking the deadlock. Neither of the two main party leaders have produced a workable idea – the elected representatives of the British people must come together to find the solution. And the European Court of Justice ruled that Article 50 can be revoked if the UK decided to cancel Brexit.

It has been nearly three years since the Anglophone crisis began in Cameroon. Recent efforts to break the impasse ended in failure. In the wake of the country being told that it can’t host the 2019 African Nations Cup, Julius A. Amin looks at the impact the conflict between Francophone and Anglophone Cameroonians is having on everyday life as well as the broader economy. And, as Jo Clarke explains, the decision is a setback for the country in a range of other ways too.

Laura Hood

Politics Editor, Assistant Editor

Top Stories

Brexit vote postponed: what parliament must do now to fix Theresa May’s mess

Andy Price, Sheffield Hallam University

We can't agree what the 'will of the people' was in 2016, but these are the representatives they elected in 2017.

Postponing the Brexit vote: an odd decision that makes Theresa May look weak

Simon Usherwood, University of Surrey

It might have looked like her only choice, but postponing the vote was the wrong move for a weak prime minister.

Article 50 can be revoked: here’s what it means for Brexit

Carlo Petrucci, University of Essex

The ruling offers some relief for Remainers – but don't go thinking this is the end of Brexit.

UKIP: how the party is battling to stay relevant

Alex Oaten, University of Birmingham

By recruiting Tommy Robinson, UKIP does indeed appear to be lurching towards the far right.

Politics + Society

Conflict in Cameroon is extracting a heavy toll on ordinary people

Julius A. Amin, University of Dayton

Ordinary people are being deeply affected by the continued violence tearing apart Cameroon.

Why losing the African Cup of Nations is a heavy blow for Cameroon

Jo Clarke, Sheffield Hallam University

Cameroon being stripped off hosting the Africa Cup of Nations affects its international reputation and is likely to impact the economy.

Science + Technology

These ‘useless’ quirks of evolution are actually evidence for the theory

Ben Garrod, Anglia Ruskin University

Why are humans the only animals with chins?

You make decisions quicker and based on less information than you think

Nadav Klein, University of Chicago

New research confirms that people tend to rush to judgment, in spite of believing their own decisions and those of others are carefully based on lots of evidence and data. And that can be good or bad.