Harry Potter and animal justice has for a long time been one of those niche but fascinating discussions, with author JK Rowling teasing nonhuman rights issues at various moments throughout the series. From the freeing of Buckbeak to subservient owls, Nina Copleston asks how Potter’s treatment of nonhumans reflects on all of us.

BLOG: Chris Hemsworth gave up meat for ONE morning ahead of his kiss scene with vegan co-star Natalie Portman for the upcoming Thor movie. That’s nice, but why would the media gush about it? Claire Hamlett ponders.

Too few farmers are transitioning to agricultural practices that are better for biodiversity, soil health and the climate, and “cognitive lock-ins” are to blame, says a new study. But there are ways to overcome these lock-ins, and they could also help farmers transition from livestock to plant agriculture, writes Claire Hamlett.

OPINION: Following a terrifying bout of ill-health for Leela the dog, Claire Hamlett tells us how she can now relate to the struggles faced by people caught in the grip of a cost-of-living crisis and looking for ways to avoid expensive vet bills.

DEEP DIVE: Two types of characters epitomise Disney like no other: princesses, and animals. But while Disney’s portrayal of female characters has left much to be desired with change only happening relatively recently, the studio giant’s treatment of animals is still sorely lacking, as Nina Copleston so deftly explains.

NEWS: The commercial, created by advocacy organisation Vegan Friendly UK sought to highlight the disconnect between people saying they care about animals but still eat them - but many did not want to see it.

VOICES: As a European Citizens’ Initiative to ban all fur farms and farmed fur products across the continent gains momentum, we’re exploring the progress away from fur Europe has seen so far, and why it’s so important.

You might be aware of the fact that human cosmetics have certain criteria and regulations they need to follow. But did you know that the same strict regulations aren’t applied to your dogs’ grooming products despite the fact that canine skin is actually more sensitive than human baby skin and up to 5 times thinner? Crazy, we know.

NEWS: American actor James Cromwell has made headlines after glueing himself to a countertop in a New York City Starbucks on Tuesday to protest the company’s extra charge for vegan milk alternatives.

Will Boris’s betrayals never end? Sadly not as today’s Queen’s Speech, delivered by Prince Charles, left out many measures designed to better protect animals such as a ban on foie gras and fur imports. Claire Hamlett reports.

ANTI-VEGANS: It’s a question we frequently ask ourselves but has former Top Gear presenter-turned-professional-speciesist, Jeremy Clarkson, finally gone off the deep end in his latest column for the Times? Claire Hamlett ponders the bizarre logic of a conflicted mind.

SPECIAL REPORT: The five-month-long bird flu ‘flockdown’, a set of quarantine measures affecting the UK’s domestic poultry population, has finally come to an end. Claire Hamlett reports on the struggles faced by chickens and more yet to come as chicken-keepers return to work following Covid-19.