Latest Stories from Jessica
SafeUP app makes solo travelling safer for women
As a woman, travelling involves regularly assessing where is safe to go and what is safe to do. The SafeUP app is helping women stay connected to one another in case they need to ask for help - wherever they are. Women change their personal behaviours in the interest of safety every day. We opt for the long way home rather than shortcuts through parks at night, carry keys between our...
Shellβs explosive undersea oil search threatens whale mating season
The worldβs most lucrative fossil fuel company plans to seek out new undersea energy reserves during peak whale mating season off the coast of South Africa. As if Shellβs practices couldnβt get any worse, the company has just begun a new oil-seeking venture off the coast of South Africa - despite being aware that whales circulate in nearby waters. To find these potential reserves of energy, Shell will be creating countless...
Twitter plans to ban photos and videos taken of strangers in public
The social media platform says it will ban unsolicited videos in public settings. Unwitting strangers cannot give consent, creating a problematic grey area for social media content. Sceptics, however, are already asking a lot of questions. Weβve all seen them. The photos or videos of people in public doing strange or offensive things, followed by a seemingly endless thread of users expressing their opinion or amusement. Take hidden gym recordings, for...
Barbados cuts ties with its colonial past to become a republic
After an effort lasting two decades, Barbados has removed the British monarch as its head of state. It is a symbolic moment which will leave colonial ruling behind for good. Yesterday evening, Barbados replaced the Queen as its head of state and became a republic, cutting its last remaining colonial ties nearly 400 years after English ships first arrived on its shores. The people of Barbados have long expressed their desire...
Scorpions hospitalise over 500 people during major storm in Egypt
Humans arenβt alone in trying to escape extreme weather caused by climate change β even the worldβs most dangerous animals must look for refuge. We all know by now that climate change is causing strange and powerful weather events around the globe. Humanity must come up with novel ways to deal with them as they continue to become more rampant and routine. But just as these unpredictable storms force us inside...
Extinction Rebellion sabotages Amazonβs Black Friday shipments
Protestors blocked fifteen Amazon warehouses across the UK, Germany, and The Netherlands ahead of Black Friday. In recent months, the activist group Extinction Rebellion has ramped up their efforts significantly. Theyβve regularly taken to city streets, made appearances at COP26, and now, are blockading streets around Amazon warehouses ahead of the busiest shopping weekend of the year β and with good reason. Although snagging a deal on Black Friday feels like a...
Marcus Rashford links with Burberry for his next youth-focused project
The National Literacy Trust has reported that over 400,000 children in the UK do not have access to books. Marcus Rashford, a 23-year-old footballer for Manchester United, has teamed up with the nationβs most iconic fashion brand to change that. Giving back to the community is part of Marcus Rashfordβs modus operandi. Just when you thought he might enjoy a hiatus after successfully securing free school meals for 1.3 million children,...
NASA launches its first asteroid-deflecting spaceship
Named DART, the spacecraft has no other purpose but to slam into and redirect an asteroid 6.8 million miles out in space. Itβs the first planetary defence mission of its kind. Considering that we exist on a floating rock in the endless, chaotic abyss of the universe, NASAβs plan to practice deterring an asteroid from hitting our planet is warranted. Though DARTβs target isnβt a threat to Earth at present, there...
Does listening to sad music actually make us happier?
Good news: our love for breakup ballads is not just rooted in feeling sorry for ourselves. Science says that along with giving us something to relate to, sad music can trick our brain into making us happier. Β The quick succession of album releases from artists who are notorious for putting us in our feelings are sure to have listeners pressing repeat and sliding down walls all winter long. Summer Walker...
What’s causing the recent ‘Great Resignation’ phenomena?
If the old way of working no longer appeals to the youth of today, what will it take for Gen-Z and Millennials to return to abandoned job roles? Over the last year, the service industry has lost workers at record speed. Restaurants have been forced to close due to staff shortages, employees are digitally exposing bosses who ask workers to come in on their only day off and, in droves, people...
