Behind the Times

Vladimir Putin has decried the ‘decadent West’ as destined to fail as a result of its degeneracy. Fears of decadence are not new.

Geoffrey Chaucer may have been accused of rape 600 years ago. Do newly discovered documents exonerate him?

Speech, rather than hearing, has been at the heart of the long history of deaf exclusion.

The exchange of wanted persons between the UK and the US is a contentious issue and has been for more than 200 years. 

Sri Lanka’s historic ethnic divisions were forged during British colonisation and a bloody civil war. Could the current crisis help unify a divided country? 

Puerto Rico’s future might be statehood, independence or more of the status quo, but change is unlikely to be won through voting alone. 

Hong Kong’s ‘one country, two systems’ policy was boldly pragmatic, but it was not the first time such an idea had been tried – nor the first time that it failed.

The term ‘Viking’ as it is commonly used is misleading, warping our perception of the Middle Ages. It should be retired.

Class interest and ostentatious generosity are the hallmarks of elite charity. So, too, is a fixation with posterity. 

The UK Parliament was not designed for women with children and this continues to present challenges for new parents. How far have things changed?