Opinion – cynicism shouldn’t be our default setting
For many, it’s a reasonable response to the world – one that our culture engineers. Unless we address its heightened prevalence in modern society and work to collectively move past it, however, our trust in others, mental health, and desire to engage in impactful activism will continue to deteriorate....
Current in People
Opinion – we need to take self-care from the screen to the streets
Though scrolling on social media gives us the short-term dopamine hits we crave, ceaseless overexposure to tragedy means that many of us have developed a guilt complex. To combat this, we’re increasingly switching off in the name of self-care, but what if we redirected that to bringing about tangible...
Paralympians were finally allowed Olympic ring tattoos
The IOC had previously placed a ban on the symbol in favour of the Paralympic Agitos logo. For the last few decades, one rite of passage has continued to unite the world’s best athletes, and it isn’t medals. The Olympic rings tattoo has become a tell-tale sign of a top-tier sportsperson,...
Nobel Peace Center launches ‘Free Narges Coalition’
The Nobel Peace Center demands the immediate release of Nobel Laureate Narges Mohammadi, who is unjustly imprisoned and has been violated by guards due to her activism. When you hear of someone who has won a prestigious award like the Nobel Peace Prize, you would naturally assume that they are...
Namibia uses elephants and hippos to alleviate food crisis
In a desperate bid to alleviate the hunger crisis plaguing nearly half of its population, the Namibian government has undertaken an extraordinary measure, slaughtering over 700 wild animals - including elephants and hippos - to distribute the meat. More than 1.4 million Namibians, almost half of the nation’s total population,...
Ofsted scraps its one-word grading system
Following the suicide of Caversham Primary School headteacher, Ruth Perry, Ofsted is to scrap its vague one-word rating system. ‘Outstanding’, ‘Good’, ‘Requires Improvement’, or ‘Inadequate’ – have been axed with prompt effect. The case of Ruth Perry, the former headteacher of a primary school in Reading, has deeply troubled regulators...
Strikes begin after huge anti-government protests erupt in Israel
The Israeli government is facing pressure for not doing enough to retrieve hostages held by Hamas in Gaza. Hundreds of thousands of people took to the streets in Tel Aviv to protest on Sunday, while widespread labour strikes are planned for the rest of the week. Hundreds of thousands of Israelis took to the streets of Tel Aviv on Sunday, demanding their government agree to a ceasefire in order...
Opinion – ‘man or bear’ debate reflects misogynistic violence
‘Would you rather be stuck in the forest with a man or a bear?’ is the intriguing theoretical discussion that played out on social media in May. Met with nearly complete unanimity among women, many men tellingly reacted with the kind of gaslighting and deflection that’s painfully familiar to survivors of sexual assault. If you were alone in the forest, would you rather encounter a bear or a man? This...
Black children in England & Wales four times likelier to be strip searched
Following the high-profile case of Child Q, a new report by the children’s commissioner finds a shocking disparity with white counterparts in the year 2023. Child Q, a young 15-year-old black schoolgirl, was unjustifiably and falsely accused of possessing cannabis, then strip searched at school while on her period without an authorised adult present. This led to mass protests in Hackney. Later, the case was deemed racially motivated and indefensible. This...
South Korean activists win climate case against their government
A judge has ruled South Korea’s current climate goals as ‘unconstitutional,’ securing a landmark victory for young environmental activists who launched the case. The first-of-its-kind case in South Asia could set a precedent for other nations in the region. Climate cases are popping up all over the world, but today’s ruling marks the first win of its kind to occur in South East Asia. South Korea’s government has been ordered by...
