One of the world’s greatest female footballers faces transphobic abuse
Barbra Banda’s mistreatment highlights the insidious misogyny and transphobia launched at women in sport. Barbra Banda, a Zambian footballer, was awarded the BBC’s Women’s Footballer of the Year last month. The prestigious award marked a milestone in Banda’s illustrious sporting career and should have been an opportunity to spotlight women’s...
Current in Change
EU climate commissioner pushes green taxes for aviation industry
With emissions from the aviation industry increasing globally, the Wopke Hoekstra proposes a cutthroat plan to mitigate the issue in the European Union. The aviation industry is no stranger to the burdens of carbon emissions. Post-COVID, emissions from the sector reached 80% of pre-pandemic levels with an approximate value of...
Should UK CEOs earn the same as Premier League footballers?
Lord Michael Spencer, founder of ICAP, has suggested that British CEOs should be paid like professional footballers. It’s a claim that’s ignited a fiery debate. If society accepts footballers raking in up to £20 million annually, why does it balk at CEOs of major companies, like BP or HSBC, earning...
UK prisons hosting a record number of activists this Christmas
As many as forty people between the ages of 22 and 58 will be spending Christmas in UK prisons. This record-breaking figure is attributed to the high number of arrests at climate change protests and demonstrations related to Israel’s actions in Gaza. This year, a record-breaking number of UK protestors...
How Trump could exacerbate challenges of US health insurance
The tragic death of the UnitedHealthcare CEO has renewed attention to the downfalls of American health insurance. As Trump prepares to take on his second presidential term, concerns are raised over how his policies could affect the affordability and accessibility of health coverage. On 4th December, Brian Thompson, CEO of...
Tropical cyclone Chido wreaks havoc in Mozambique
The tropical cyclone Chido wreaked havoc in northern Mozambique affecting more than 180,000 people, and once again showed how climate change decimates the continent. According to the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (UN, OCHA) report, the organization confirms that the cyclone has killed at least...
Gisèle Pelicot’s powerful statement following landmark rape case
On Thursday, at a courthouse in Avignon, France, Dominique Pelicot was handed 20 years in prison for aggravated rape following over a decade of drugging and abusing his ex-wife, Gisèle Pelicot, and inviting over 50 men to rape her. Among the 50 co-defendants, 46 were convicted of rape, two of attempted rape, and two of sexual assault. The judge handed down sentences ranging from three and 15 years, with a...
Iran delays mandatory hijab law following global outrage
The strictest law in Iran's history concerning the compulsory veil was supposed to be enacted on December 13. In a hopeful turn of events, global outrage has forced the administration to hold off on the bill's implementation. Participating in digital activism in all possible ways - only to rarely witness positive outcomes - may make you wonder, ‘What's the point?’ Recent events in Iran, however, have given us renewed hope...
The richness of Congo Basin biodiversity revealed in new report
In this astonishing report of the World Wildlife Fund (WWF), the Congo Basin, often known as the 'Lungs of Africa', yet again is hailed for its ecological importance. In the last decade, scientists have revealed over 700 more species of animals and plants that were previously unknown to the rest of humanity, in this rainforest of the African continent. This can be seen as proof of the extraordinary biodiversity of the...
What’s sun blocking and why are scientists warning against it?
The controversial technology, which is intended to limit the effects of climate change by reflecting sunlight back into space, might not be such a great idea after all. As we know, hundreds of the world’s leading climate scientists expect our planet to breach the internationally agreed 1.5C threshold by 2027 and temperatures to rise to at least 2.5C above pre-industrial levels this century. This is due to emissions...
