India’s 2024 budget highlights gaps in LGBTQ+ welfare
Despite improvements in some areas, the per capita spending on the transgender community remains alarmingly low. This has raised concerns about the government’s commitment to their rights. In a country with a population of 1.4 billion people and counting – where diversity and inclusion are often celebrated – the 2024...
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What is happening in Bangladesh?
Escalating clashes between police and anti-government protestors have resulted in more than two hundred deaths across the country, as initially peaceful student demonstrations transformed into a nationwide campaign of civil disobedience aimed at unseating autocratic Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina. In 1971, the Bangladesh Liberation War – which saw a guerrilla resistance movement formed...
The rise of solo weddings in Japan
In a striking departure from tradition, single young women across the country are marrying themselves to celebrate personal milestones without a partner. This unconventional trend – which reflects shifting social norms and a pivot to independence – is reshaping the industry and has sparked a cultural debate. During the last...
Temperatures soar to unprecedented heights
Earth just experienced its hottest day in recorded history. This has raised alarm bells among scientists and policymakers worldwide, who argue that it should serve as a wake-up-call. On Sunday July 21, Earth experienced its hottest day in history, with the planet’s average temperature soaring to a staggering 62.76°F...
What is happening in Venezuela?
Following the disputed result of the country’s presidential election – which saw Maduro secure another term in power – fresh protests have broken out in the capital. Home to the largest oil reserves in the world and once the richest nation in South America, recent decades have seen Venezuela ‘collapse...
Typhoon Gaemi devastates several countries in Asia
Worsening the torrential monsoon rains that are currently lashing China, Taiwan, and the Philippines, the tropical cyclone has triggered massive flooding and landslides, killing hundreds, injuring thousands, and even sinking ships. A freak weather event in parts of Asia is devastating China, Taiwan, and the Philippines. Since it initially developed on...
The global crisis of illegal turtle trade
Recent arrests in Malaysia have drawn attention to the illegal turtle trade – a thriving black market industry worth billions that’s decimating vulnerable turtle populations to meet demand. Earlier this month, Malaysian authorities apprehended six members of an international wildlife smuggling syndicate known as the ‘Ninja Turtle Gang.’ During the raid, they rescued approximately 200 turtles and tortoises, their total value exceeding $52,000. This was the second of two...
Severity of Just Stop Oil prison sentences causes a stir
Five supporters of the JSO climate campaign have just been handed the longest jail terms ever meted out in the UK for a non-violent demonstration. This has sent shock waves through the protest community and wider British public, who consider the punishment to be too harsh. In November 2022, forty-five Just Stop Oil protestors climbed gantries on the M25, forcing police to stop traffic. Their aim was to...
India cracks down on foreign journalists
In recent years, a significant number of foreign journalists have been forced to leave the country, raising concerns about press freedom and the quality of international coverage in India. ‘After 13 years working as a correspondent in India, the authorities have denied me a permit to work as a journalist,’ wrote Sébastien Farcis – who reports for various French and European media outlets –
India struggles to bridge its gender gap
As the rest of the world strives for gender parity, India continues to face significant challenges in achieving equality country-wide. Ranking 129 on the Global Gender Gap Index, the multifaceted issues contributing to this are clear, as are its implications for the nation’s socioeconomic progress. Despite the fact that gender equality is now deemed a cornerstone of societal progress, India continues to grapple with persistent disparities. This was made evident...
