In Switzerland, the share of women with a higher education degree has tripled since 1999. A new study conducted at the University of Zurich now shows how this trend is changing the marriage market. The majority of highly educated women still find partners, while men increasingly adjust to the new educational landscape. However, traditional income disparities within couples remain remarkably persistent.

Companies selling products through digital platforms often set different prices for the same product across countries to reflect local purchasing power and market conditions. In this study, researchers at the University of Tsukuba analyzed pricing data from Steam, one of the world's largest PC game distribution platforms, and identified four distinct approaches that publishers use to set prices across international markets.

A simple activity familiar to young children—counting from 1 to 5—offers a new way to study inner speech, the silent use of language in the mind. Researchers at the University of Tsukuba found that children's silent counting became increasingly consistent with age. Around age 5, children were also more likely to count entirely in their minds, without speaking aloud or moving their fingers or lips.

Canada’s proposed Safe Social Media Act, which aims to protect children, should be passed, according to an Analysis article in CMAJ (Canadian Medical Association Journal) https://www.cmaj.ca/lookup/doi/10.1503/cmaj.261104. The article also identifies several factors the country should consider.

ADHD seems to be in the news everywhere, but is this due to a rise in cases or to changing awareness and diagnosis?  Pulling together the evidence for a presentation to Europe’s main clinical neuroscience conference, Professor Anita Thapar will say “The rise in cases of ADHD across Europe appears mainly due to a change in awareness and diagnosis. Indeed, there is growing evidence that ADHD is still under-diagnosed in some countries”.

Elections across the world faced a wide range of pressures on electoral integrity in 2025, from violence and mis- and disinformation to electoral management malfunctions, cyber attacks and natural hazards, according to a new report.

The report, Review of the 2025 Year of Elections: Inclusivity, Transparency and Trust, from the International Institute for Democracy and Electoral Assistance (International IDEA), was written in collaboration with the Electoral Integrity Project and co-authored by Toby James, Professor of Politics & Public Policy at the University of East Anglia (UEA).

It examines 39 countries that held national elections in 2025 and looks at both the risks facing elections and how electoral institutions are responding, with a particular focus on inclusivity, transparency and trust.

“The report shows that all countries, large or small, are facing challenges in ensuring that elections truly empower people. But they also show the value of drawing lessons across borders,” said Prof James, who also co-edited the report.

“Challenges such as the role of money in elections, election disinformation and political polarisation are not confined to single countries. Efforts to improve elections should therefore be global as well.”

Electoral campaigns remain a particularly vulnerable part of the electoral cycle. The report also points to growing pressure on media integrity and campaign finance, as declining press freedom and increasingly digital financial flows create new challenges for electoral processes.