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In the latest of a string of insults, a North Korean official recently compared Donald Trump’s bombastic threats to “the sound of a dog barking”. There’s more than meets the eye to this snub, according to historian John DiMoia. He argues that these words will have been carefully chosen, harking back to a history of insults that originated during the Korean War. Daniel Salisbury, meanwhile, suggests that North Korea would be willing to breach sanctions to earn cash, placing a heavy onus on countries trying to prevent illicit nuclear-related trade.
Why should we care about tackiness, cheesiness and clichés? Because, explains Thorsten Botz-Bornstein, kitsch is redefining our perception of truth - and creating one that is devoid of culture or context.
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Top Story
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John P DiMoia, Max Planck Institute for the History of Science
The Korean peninsula has a lengthy history of exchanging insults.
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Daniel Salisbury, Harvard University
Kim Jong Un's regime has already earned millions from the export of arms, missiles, drugs and endangered wildlife products.
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Arts + Culture
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Thorsten Botz-Bornstein, Gulf University for Science and Technology
Kitsch has slowly become the main cultural reference for all that surrounds us, and thrives in propaganda.
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Health + Medicine
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Doyin Ogunyemi, University of Lagos
Many states in Nigeria are reeling from cholera outbreaks. They need better health and sanitation infrastructure to disrupt transmission of the bacteria which cause the disease.
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Business + Economy
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John Colley, Warwick Business School, University of Warwick
How the ride-sharing company responds to a licence refusal in the UK capital will show if its culture has genuinely changed.
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Politics + Society
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Dominic O'Sullivan, Charles Sturt University
While the Maori Party got wiped out in this weekend's New Zealand election, there's still a Maori presence in the country's political system. That's why Canadian First Nations should take note.
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