South Sudan shuts schools as extreme heat overwhelms students
In South Sudan, a relentless heatwave is forcing the government to shut down schools for the second year in a row, with a temperature as high as 42 degree Celsius posing a real threat. The South Sudanese government has closed all schools for a period of two weeks after...
Current in Change
Hunter Schafer’s passport and the futility of erasing Trans people
A government document won’t change reality. But it has the capacity to endanger lives. Hunter Schafer, a hugely successful actor whose showreel includes Euphoria, a leading turn in the latest Hunger Games movie, and a stint in the upcoming Blade Runner TV adaption, woke up last week to find...
Study reveals explicit deepfakes are rife among US teens
One in eight US teenagers under 18 personally know someone who has been targeted with pornographic deepfakes. What is being done about this privacy crisis? We all know what deepfakes are at this point. Generative AI is adept at accurately capturing a person’s likeness and superimposing it over existing photos...
Psychiatric diagnoses used to silence Russian ‘dissenters’
The revival of punitive psychiatry in Russia signals a disturbing return to a Soviet-era practice, wherein psychiatric diagnoses are once again being used as a tool to suppress voices of opposition. Punitive psychology has seemingly made its way back to Russia and is being used against those who are going...
Gen Z seemingly fuelling recent boost in running events
TCS London Marathon says it has seen a 105% increase in Gen Z entries this year, which seems to reflect a growing boom in running with young people. Running is all the rage with Gen Z, it seems. Big events like the TCS London Marathon have experienced a massive spike in...
The significance of Autumn Lockwood’s historic Super Bowl win
The first Black woman to a coach a team to victory in the NFL’s biggest game, Lockwood’s win is a triumph worth celebrating – and a reminder of the barriers still left to break. Autumn Lockwood, the Philadelphia Eagles’ associate performance coach, is the first Black woman coach to lead...
Japan’s White Day reflects complicated global perceptions of love
The history behind Japan’s post-Valentine’s holiday is one of miscommunication, hierarchy, and obligation. Worldwide, Valentine’s day takes on the familiar form of commercialised love. Red roses and heart shaped chocolates abound. But in Japan, the holiday follows rituals of its own – each with their own labyrinthine of social obligations. On the 14th of February, Japanese women are traditionally the gift-givers, still opting for the humble chocolate to display their affections. Only...
UK’s first climate justice degree launched in Sussex
Sussex University has announced it will be bringing the first climate justice BA to the UK. Could this take the study of climate change nationwide? Breaking news: young people care a fair bit about the climate. That revelation, which is perhaps the least surprising you’ll hear this month, has finally culminated in the UK prepping its first climate justice course for undergraduates. The BA, which will be obtainable at the University of...
Emma Raducanu pauses game after being targeted by fixated man
The 22-year-old tennis champion said she is proud of her response after spotting a man who had previously ‘exhibited fixated behaviour’ during a match at the Dubai Tennis Championships. Emma Raducanu has said she will be OK after a ‘difficult experience’ at the Dubai Tennis Championships. After two games had passed during her second-round match against Karolina Muchova, Emma noticed a man in the crowd she had interacted with previously off...
European leaders to re-evaluate the US-Europe relationship
Trump’s rapport with Putin has sent waves of panic across Europe, as they grapple with being sidelined while holding the fate of Ukraine in their hands. It’s another week with President Donald Trump’s perversity; this time, his antics have concerned many European leaders about the future of the transatlantic alliance due to his take on the Russia-Ukraine war. Before getting into the European side of this story, how has Trump...
