Latest Stories from Flo
More than half of England is officially in a drought
Put down the hose. England’s Environmental Agency has declared over half of the nation is in a drought as ongoing heatwaves drain water supplies. When I saw the news alert for a hose pipe ban I was suddenly transported back to primary school, when I mistakenly took the government legislation as an embargo on owning hose pipes. Alas, here we are decades later, not smuggling garden equipment but being forced to...
Can we stop dressing celebrities in looted ancient artefacts?
Zendaya is the latest star facing backlash for her red-carpet fashion choices – this time sporting a pair of ancient Iranian artefacts to promote Christopher Nolan’s latest film The Odyssey. Only a handful of stars have the fashion world under their thumb quite like Zendaya (and her trusty stylist Law Roach). But the actor has faced a rare wave of backlash for her latest outfit choice. While promoting Christopher Nolan’s...
Wildfires in France and Spain could take months to extinguish
Firefighters have been left to battle the effects of the climate crisis as wildfires see thousands evacuated and heatwaves continue to stifle southern Europe. Every year it feels as though the impacts of climate change grow more tangible and more devastating. Reports of life-threatening wildfires are no longer the headlines of southern California but also southern Europe. Stifling heatwaves stretch on for weeks rather than days, even in perpetually grey...
Berlin Pride attacks prove Europe’s safest spaces are being stamped out
One person has died and at least 16 others have been injured in a van attack at Berlin’s Pride event. The queer community has been left reeling as one of Europe’s most inclusive cities is reminded of a growing contempt toward LGBTQIA+ people. Berlin is often lauded as Europe’s most progressive city. The streets are lined with subversive clubs, bars and art spaces. Many of the continent’s young people have...
Is vocational training the future of education?
On World Youth Skills Day, the UN has argued a changing job market calls for a new educational approach. The world looks very different from a decade ago, when I was taking my A-Levels. Now young people are leaving school to a largely thankless job market, ill-equipped to accommodate the skills learnt through traditional education. Technological development, the rise of AI, and a professional landscape transformed by remote working have...
Will a maternity commissioner tackle Britain’s cultural problems on motherhood?
The role has yet to be finalised or filled, but the government is already facing criticism over its decision to appoint a maternity commissioner. The UK government has announced plans to appoint a maternity commissioner following ‘shocking’ failings in maternity care across England. Whoever takes on the new role will be responsible for spearheading an overhaul of the maternity healthcare system after a major review and sustained pressure from...
Does V.A.R suggest the future of super technology isn’t so black-and-white?
The intense backlash against digital interventions in sport proves we’re still slow to trust the tech designed to help us. For all the promises made about Video Assistant Referee (V.A.R) technology, if this World Cup has proved one thing it’s that people don't want perfect decisions. They’d rather have decisions they truly believe in. V.A.R has, over the course of this summer, become football’s most controversial player. Recent flashpoints involving Argentina...
Why several African nations are rejecting US aid
After pulling foreign assistance to African countries last year, Trump's government is again offering hundreds of millions in financial aid. But the support comes at a cost, and many nations aren't willing to pay it.
Ghana is the latest African country to turn down a new funding deal from the Trump administration, after the US president dismantled the governing body that oversaw foreign assistance during his second term.
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Is loneliness the latest Gen Z status symbol?
A pivot on singledom, the rise of ‘lonely influencers’, and a crackdown on self-optimisation have more and more of us romanticising the lonely life. I’ve grown up feeling that loneliness is something to hide, or at least feel negative about. My earliest visualisation of adult loneliness was probably Bridget Jones singing ‘All By Myself’ in her pyjamas, and as I evolved through school, university, and my first jobs, I came to...
Parenthood is costing women their academic careers
Studies show a direct correlation between motherhood and a decline in academic tenure, with one in three women leaving academia after becoming mothers. When I was a student, I remember being struck by how many women were on my Art History course. Out of our 50-or-so cohort, I could count the men on one hand. But it was a very different picture when you looked at the staff. We had several...
