Office of Public Affairs | Texas Couple Sentenced for Operating Website Selling Smuggled Pesticides and Veterinary Drugs

Thao Duong and Lam Mai, a wife and husband from Garland, Texas, were sentenced today in federal court to charges stemming from their operation of a website selling veterinary drugs and pesticides smuggled into the United State from Mexico. Duong was sentenced to three months in prison, two years of supervised release, and a forfeiture […]

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Noise exposure is linked to chronic stress and heart disease. It’s time to make peace and quiet a public health right

Has your phone ever died very quickly, despite you barely using it? Sometimes, the explanation is simple: dozens of apps running in the background constantly drain the battery. Something similar happens within our bodies, as almost all of us live with an app installed by default that never closes: noise. This invisible aggressor is not […]

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UK to bring forward new powers to respond to moral emergency in Palestine, and target illegal settlement activity in the West Bank to protect the viability of a two-state solution

UK concludes ongoing Israel occupation of  Palestinian  territory  unlawful  and  announces  tough new powers against illegal settlement activity, violence, and extremism to protect two-state solution. New measures will ban imports of goods from illegal settlements and go after individuals and companies that support, facilitate or profit from illegal settlement activity Comes as Foreign Secretary takes action against Iran, and reaffirms government’s commitment to tackling antisemitism. Today the UK has set out […]

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How ‘egalitarian’ Sweden became more comfortable with wealth

Sweden is imagined as the land of equality, modesty and Jantelagen – the unwritten rule that no one should think they are better than anyone else. But there has also been a fascination within Sweden with its billionaires, especially those who abide by these dominant cultural norms. In the case of Ingvar Kamprad, the founder […]

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Ensuring fairness and safety: €3 customs duty for low-value parcels

  From 1 July 2026, the EU will introduce a temporary €3 customs duty on low-value parcels imported from outside the EU, mainly through e-commerce. This includes a wide range of products commonly bought online, such as clothing, toys, electronics, and other consumer goods worth up to €150. Every day, millions of low-value parcels enter the […]

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Office of Public Affairs | Ohio Missionary Enters Guilty Plea for Child Exploitation Crimes in Haiti

Today, Jeriah Mast, 45, of Millersburg, Ohio, entered a guilty plea today to two counts of engaging in illicit sexual conduct with minors in Haiti.  According to court documents, Mast traveled from the United States to Haiti on multiple occasions between 2002 and 2019, including with the organization Christian Aid Ministries (CAM), where he sexually […]

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Written Ministerial Statement: Iran Sanctions, 8 September 2026

Today we are laying legislation which will tackle Iranian nuclear activity and other hostile Iranian activity. The lack of transparency around Iran’s nuclear programme has long posed a serious threat to international peace and security. We have repeatedly seen Iran not act in good faith to address these concerns. For over two decades, the international […]

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International Plastic Bag Free Day – from single use to reuse

  Plastic bags are among the top 10 littered items in Europe. Often used only once, they take centuries to fully degrade in the natural environment. To raise awareness about eliminating the use of plastic bags worldwide and promote eco-friendly reusable alternatives, we observe International Plastic Bag Free Day every 3 July. The day is […]

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Advice for women travelling abroad

Before you go Research your destination All travellers face risks abroad. In some countries or cultures, women travelling alone or in female-only groups can face extra risks and obstacles. When planning travel, consider researching: the local culture of a country whether women travelling there have received unwanted attention or difficulties because of their gender You […]

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Fire and floods are usually treated as separate hazards. Portugal’s Pinhal Interior shows why they are part of the same cycle

Across southern Europe, increasingly extreme heat, wildfire and intense rainfall are forcing planners to consider how one event can alter the risk of the next. Portugal’s exceptionally wet winter and another summer of wildfire risk are an example of this. As a professor of architecture and climate change adaptation who has been following the cyclical […]

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