Burkina Faso’s new anti-LGBTQ+ law is a dangerous step backwards
Intimately caught up in the constant tussle for domination, Burkina Faso seems to be moving backward in time. Earlier this month, the West African nation enthroned a law criminalising promotion of homosexuality, for which people may be imprisoned for two-to-five years. Burkina Faso has long been considered comparatively safe for...
Current in Change
Inside August’s Kashmir-Gaza solidarity protests
On 5th August, hundreds of protestors marched from 10 Downing Street to the Indian High Commission against India and Israel’s occupation of Kashmir and Palestine respectively. Here’s my experience and thoughts on reflection. Under the blazing London sun, the crowd moved as a single unit with placards held high, visuals...
Why the Irish Presidential Election is more important than you might think
A major event is to be held in Ireland later this year, the Irish Presidential Elections. Its implications spread beyond the nation, and the way future campaigns may play out. Here's why. How does the Irish presidency work? An election that doesn’t perhaps grab as much traction as some of its...
Is social media demonising female contraception?
The wellness narrative on apps like TikTok is driving a distrust of the contraceptive pill. Is this a regression of modern feminism, or a valid stance against medical intervention into women' s bodies? Speaking about her role as a school sex educator, Maya Walsh-Little told Polyester readers that the...
Global Sumud Flotilla to Gaza attacked by drone for a second time
The flotilla, aimed at breaking Israel’s siege on Gaza, was targeted twice by drones carrying flammable projectiles. On both occasions the boats were moored in Tunisia. Boats making up the Global Sumud Flotilla have been targeted twice in two days by drones dropping flammable objects as they docked overnight in...
World Athletics mandates gene test for athletes in women’s categories
The athletics governing body has mandated that female athletes undergo testing to detect the presence of the Y chromosome, which is linked to male sex characteristics. Those who test positive are barred from competition on the grounds of having an unfair advantage over athletes without the gene. The sex-determining region...
What Rylan Clark tells us about the failure of government communication
The presenter’s stance on immigration has caused widespread backlash. But is the response a sign that the immigration debate is shifting? When Rylan Clark first appeared on the X Factor in 2012, sporting a set of blinding white veneers and a wotsit shade of spray tan, it was hard to imagine he’d one day be at the center of a national argument about immigration policy. But on a recent episode of...
Should the world map be changed to reflect Africa’s true size?
The African Union – made up of Africa’s 55 countries – has joined a campaign called Correct the Map to urge national governments and international organizations to use a more accurate world map. You’ve probably heard that the world map we’re used to seeing is skewed, with the proportions of global countries inaccurately portrayed. Russia, the USA, and the UK, for example, are always depicted as larger landmasses than they...
Lush shuts UK shops, factories, and website in solidarity with Gaza
The high street cosmetics retailer has shut down its website, UK shops, and factories to protest Israel’s ongoing starvation of people in Gaza. On September 3rd, beauty retailer Lush announced it would be closing its website, shops, and factories across the UK to protest Israel’s forced starvation of Gaza’s 2.4 million population, of which half are children. All Lush facilities are currently shuttered for the day, displaying posters in the...
What’s up with A-level and GCSE grades in 2025?
Results season recently rolled around again, and with it came the usual mix of tears, relief, and a flurry of memes. But this year’s A-level and GCSE grades in the UK paint a particularly complicated picture - one that Gen Z students can’t afford to ignore. Why are grades shifting post-Covid? When Covid-19 shut down schools, traditional exams were replaced with teacher-assessed grades. That meant results in 2020 and 2021 were...
