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Why is there a tax on tampons - and why is it so hard to make sanitary protection tax free?
Society, Politics & Law

Why is there a tax on tampons - and why is it so hard to make sanitary protection tax free?

...free in order to mitigate the financial impact of VAT to consumers. Committing to this approach may benefit in the long run, attracting new customers who may purchase other products for profit. Still, this would be a voluntary agreement and would fail to address the underlying issue of the symbolic existence of VAT and the tax paid would still be collected by the central...
Hands-free phone tech is dangerous - so why do car firms still promote it?
Digital & Computing

Hands-free phone tech is dangerous - so why do car firms still promote it?

...free phone while driving is as dangerous as holding a phone - and yet they're marketed as a desirable extra. Dr Gemma Briggs wonders why...[Car crash depicted using toy models] Get caught using your smartphone while driving in the UK and you’ll be in serious trouble. Authorities recently doubled the penalties for using a handset behind the wheel to six points on your...
A school reaches for the stars with an online astronomy course
Science, Maths & Technology

A school reaches for the stars with an online astronomy course

...courses and qualifications. [Observatorio del Teide in Tenerife] Denny High School in Scotland has been helping to develop and test an ambitious and innovative new course - Astronomy with an online telescope. The eight-week badged course allows participants the unique opportunity to use one of The Open University’s two telescopes located at the Observatorio del Teide in...
What makes it hard for migrants to learn the language of their new home?
Languages

What makes it hard for migrants to learn the language of their new home?

...Language courses and qualifications. Germany has discovered a new social type that is causing grief in modern diverse societies: the “Integrationsverweigerer;” literally someone who refuses to integrate, a “Verweigerer” is a “conscientious objector” or a “refusenik.” The principal characteristic of a “Integrationsverweigerer” is that they are not...
The interplay of language and culture in times of crisis: COVID-19 and beyond
Languages

The interplay of language and culture in times of crisis: COVID-19 and beyond

...Language courses and qualifications. [Cumbre Vieja, La Palma, Spain, erupting in 2021]Cumbre Vieja erupting in 2021During the eruption of Cumbre Vieja (a volcano on the Spanish Island of La Palma) in 2021 and its aftermath, the public were given a crash course on scientific terminology. However, a more colloquial word from the Canary Islands proved to be the favourite:...
How Brexit Is Giving Rise To A New Wave Of Language Wars
History & The Arts

How Brexit Is Giving Rise To A New Wave Of Language Wars

Language is political, as Brexit and Trump demonstrate...[Cartoon of EU Parliament, with speech bubbles reading 'Brexit?!', 'Kaip?..Spexit?', 'Portugexit?' and 'Kur Isejimas Exit'?] Around the same time as The Sun was first agitating for the return of the ‘true blue’ British passport, another symbolic change was being suggested which would have removed ‘all French...
Can talking two languages keep your brain healthy?
Languages

Can talking two languages keep your brain healthy?

...languages is common - and possibly innate. Gaia Vance asks if monoglots are missing out on something important...[Translating Prohibited sign] In the Czech Republic, signs prohibit the translation of sightseeing tours are an attempt to prevent foreign tourists being fleeced by a huge mark-up In a café in south London, two construction workers are engaged in cheerful...
Language variety all but disappears from the Eurovision song contest
Languages

Language variety all but disappears from the Eurovision song contest

...language dominated the Eurovision Song Contest once more? Fernando Rosell-Aguilar explores what the competition holds this year...Last year we discussed the shrinking number of languages featured in the Eurovision song contest. This year only two countries have entered songs solely in a language other than English. Singing in English used to be considered an advantage at...