The Latest Breaking News from The Conversation

Santa Claus is based on the real historical figure of St Nicholas, a Byzantine bishop born in present-day Turkey. Because of the extraordinary legends and miracles attributed to him he became one of the most popular saints in Europe.

Britain’s natural environment is depleted and, despite nascent government schemes to manage the land differently, struggling to recover from centuries of destruction – plus more recent threats like climate change. What if the biggest obstacles to its recovery are the people we have entrusted to look after it?

The lightning-fast collapse of the Assad regime in Syria has sent shock waves across the Middle East. The disposal of the dictator whose family had ruled the country with an iron fist for more than half a century has triggered a potentially seismic shift in the balance of power in…

The UK’s new Online Safety Act, programmed for implementation in the second half of next year, could reshape how social media platforms deal with harmful online content. This legislation aims to protect users by requiring platforms to swiftly remove illegal material such as hate speech and incitement to violence. While…

An unusual and fascinating new book has been written by two anthropologists, called Conspiracy Narratives from Postcolonial Africa: Freemasonry, Homosexuality, and Illicit Enrichment. It explores an ongoing conspiracy theory in Cameroon and neighbouring Gabon that corrupt elites spread homosexuality through their connections to secret orders like the Freemasons. They trace…

A recent ruling by the Johannesburg high court in South Africa has put the definition and control of the “family house” under African customary law under the spotlight. The ruling touches on sensitive issues of cultural heritage, statutory laws of property, and South Africa’s history of racial discrimination.

Lions are a symbol of Africa’s last wild places. It’s a species central to many of the continent’s cultures and religions. But lion populations have reportedly declined over the past 50 years, especially in parts of west and east Africa.

Canada’s Temporary Foreign Worker Program (TFWP) was seemingly set up to fail. Multiple successive governments have long passed the buck to the next and still none are willing to fix it.

It’s that special time of year when family and friends come together to celebrate the holidays, share meals, spread cheer – and, too often, pass along their germs.