The Conversation

From industrial powerhouse to uncertain future: lessons from Britain’s chemical industry

11/03/2026 The Conversation UK

In 1989 a young Janet Godsell, one of the authors of this article, spent a week on night shifts in the powerhouse at ICI’s Huddersfield works in west Yorkshire. She was starting her career at the biggest chemicals company in the UK, but it would be broken up and sold off a few years later as part of Britain’s drive to focus on only making the most lucrative products. This is the story of what happened to ICI and why its break-up looks less inspired now than it did at the time.

If Norfolk Island is an Australian territory, why is doing business there so complicated?

11/02/2026 The Conversation News & Comments

Kerry Kissane/Getty ImagesNorfolk Island is, legally speaking, part of Australia. But running a business in this remote Pacific territory, home to around 2,100 residents, can be very different from on the mainland.

Getting a big head start on holiday shopping can benefit retailers and consumers alike

11/02/2026 The Conversation USA

Does it make sense to wait until late December to wrap up, like these California shoppers did in 2023? Mel Melcon/Los Angeles Times via Getty ImagesAmazon, Costco, Target, Walmart and other retailers begin their holiday sales as early as October.

Constantly on edge at work? It could be anticipatory stress

11/02/2026 The Conversation UK

Prostock-studio/ShutterstockIn Nosferatu (1922), one of cinema’s most haunting images arrives before the vampire himself: his shadow. Something is approaching, but we don’t know exactly what it is, or what will happen when it arrives. The fear lies in the anticipation.

The government has delayed the toughest spending decisions – but here’s what we do know after the budget

10/30/2026 The Conversation UK

Prime Minister Andy Burnham congratulates Chancellor John Healey after his first budget. © House of Commons, CC BY-NC-NDJohn Healey’s steady-as-she-goes budget was a picture of a government doing its best to offer “what help we can afford”, while weathering the economic storms. But despite its 98 policy measures, decisions on some of the biggest issues appear to have been kicked down the road.

Massive sinkholes open up across Turkey as it struggles with drought and climate change

10/30/2026 The Conversation UK

Sinkholes are opening up across Turkey as farmers look for new sources of water. Yalcin Sonat/ShutterstockTurkey’s central Anatolian plateau is one of the country’s most important agricultural regions, producing wheat, maize, sugar beet and other crops. Yet beneath its cultivated fields, the ground is becoming increasingly unstable.

Allegheny County is reassessing every property – here’s how your tax bill is calculated now

10/30/2026 The Conversation USA

A court-ordered reassessment will set new values for every property in Allegheny County. Robert D. Strovers/Moments Collection via Getty ImagesAllegheny County will undergo a countywide reassessment of every property it taxes for the first time since 2012.

Are American voters actually gloomy about the economy, or is something else going on?

10/30/2026 The Conversation USA

Economic pessimism among Americans in both political parties is deepening ahead of the November midterm elections, amid factors such as high energy prices and cost-of-living pressures. AP Photo/Jeff Chiu Polling is looking grim for Republicans ahead of the U.S. midterm elections on Nov.

How different election results affect bank stability – global study

10/30/2026 The Conversation UK

Recent elections in Brazil and Israel have yielded different political outcomes. In Brazil, Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva’s narrow and ultimately surprise victory in a presidential runoff vote has kept him in office.

In Israel, meanwhile, an inconclusive election result has left uncertainty over the formation of the next government. These outcomes are likely to have an effect on the stability of the financial systems in both countries.

70 years ago the Suez crisis exposed British relative decline. Today, the Iran conflict could be doing the same for the US

10/29/2026 The Conversation UK

Like the Strait of Hormuz, the Suez Canal is a vital waterway for global trade. Viktor Hladchenko/ShutterstockMonths after the US and Israel launched Operation Epic Fury against Iran, the Strait of Hormuz remains largely closed. The UK chose not to get directly involved in the conflict. Nonetheless, it has been exposed to the crisis through record-high diesel prices as well as a spike in inflation.

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