Latest Stories from Flo
Europe is the world’s fastest-warming continent
The recent heatwaves across the UK and Europe were only possible due to climate change. Yet, despite the alarming conditions, adaptation to this new normal is happening far too slowly. You might’ve noticed things are a little warmer across Europe this week. Whether you’re escaping to the office just for AC, or battling a sweaty commute on public transport, cities across the continent have been grappling with temperatures of 37...
Olivia Wilde’s experience reflects the misogyny framing age gaps
The actor Olivia Wilde spoke out about the response to her relationship with singer Harry Styles, which involved years of public shaming and criticism. Olivia Wilde has enjoyed a highly successful career as both an actor and filmmaker. But, as is often the case for high-profile women, it is a celebrity relationship that many will know her for. From 2021 to 2022, after working together on Wilde’s second directorial project...
Gen Z’s fear of being cringe is holding them back
Young people are sacrificing professional and personal opportunities for fear of being perceived. It reflects a culture that celebrates emotional repression and thrives on isolation. Embarrassment is a part of teen angst. In the halcyon days of youth, we all felt that bottomless pit of despair at the slightest inconvenience. Making a fool of yourself at a party or being turned down by a crush is crucial to the harsh...
Why Elon Musk’s trillionaire status is unsettling
His exorbitant wealth reflects a broken economic system both funded and relied on by everyday people. There are milestones that tell us something profound about society. Like the first person to walk on the moon, or the invention of the internet. And then there’s the world’s first trillionaire – a title won by tech entrepreneur and far-right commentator Elon Musk. A trillion dollars is a figure so obscenely large that it defies...
Do we really need all these brand trips?
Influencers and celebrities are being shipped off on elaborate holidays, ostensibly to promote products. But are these lavish stunts a marketing tool or a wasteful display of wealth? Markers of extreme wealth become more normalised as the 1% grow exorbitantly richer. Take private jets, once revered as an exclusive mode of transport for royals and political leaders, now a daily staple for celebrities and influencers. The more we’re exposed to these...
A Gen Z love letter to the tiny ‘tini
A diminishing appetite for booze has ushered in a new, downsized, era for the cocktail. It’s been reported for some time now that young people are drinking less. Our parent’s generation were privy to the 80s cocktail goldrush, whetted with Piña Coladas and Blue Lagoons. And millennials have held up national drinking standards having come of age in the alcopop era. But for many people my age (I sit on the...
New study finds arts engagement to slow biological ageing
Research from UCL suggests engaging with arts and culture improves overall health outcomes. These days, the fountain of youth is marketed as some kind of AI-backed, biohacked offshoot of the billionaire class. Health and wellness has crept further into a digital landscape – one often shaped by far-right thinking – and traditional concepts of longevity have been replaced with elitist alternatives. So you’d be surprised to learn that arts and culture (yes,...
Hundreds were arrested following the Champions League final
French authorities arrested over 400 people due to clashes between football fans following the Champions League final. More than 400 arrests were made across France following Paris Saint-Germain (PSG)'s victory over Arsenal on Saturday evening, with clashes erupting between fans and police in Paris and other cities. Vehicles were damaged and businesses vandalised, officers injured and tear gas deployed. As is often the case after major league games, by...
Opinion – The Odyssey casting meltdown misses the whole point
Actor Lupita Nyong’o has faced backlash over her role as Helen of Troy in the upcoming film. But fury surrounding her casting says more about our narrow understanding of identity than our interest in historical accuracy. When Christopher Nolan, purveyor of the epic thriller and sprawling cinematic project, announced he would be working on an adaptation of Homer’s famous poem The Odyssey, lovers of antiquity knew they were in for...
What the rise of UK shoplifting says about the nation’s economy
New reports show rural areas and independent businesses across the country are being targeted. Britain’s shoplifting crisis is no longer limited to city-centre supermarkets or high street convenience stores. Increasingly, it has spread into rural areas, affecting farm shops, independent retailers and small family-run businesses. New research from commercial insurer NFU Mutual suggests that the kind of crime once associated with urban decline is no longer confined to these areas. Nine...
