India deploys arsenal against farmers’ protests
Outside the barricaded checkpoints in Delhi, tensions between farmers and authorities have reached fever pitch. The level of response to the grievances has been unwarranted and cruel. Seventy-one-year-old Jaspal Singh, who lives near the India-Pakistan border in Punjab's Tarn Taran district, sustained a leg injury during farmers' protests at the...
Current in People
Understanding implications of the US & China’s science pact
In an age marked by rapid technological change and geopolitical uncertainty, the US-China S&T Agreement has been a beacon of collaboration, yet, its future lies in the balance. The United States and China have witnessed a complex relationship characterized by various different elements. One of the cornerstones of their...
Greece becomes first Orthodox Christian nation to legalise gay marriage
Same-sex marriage was legalized in Greece this week after a lengthy parliamentary debate. Though the vast majority of Greek citizens are celebrating the move, pushback from the church highlights tensions between longstanding religious tradition and modern views in the country. Yesterday, Greece legalised same-sex civil marriage. Although it is the...
US professors raise concerns about college students’ reading ability
College professors in the United States are noticing a considerable drop in the number of students willing to do reading for their course. Is an uptick in short-form digital content to blame, or is it something else? In an age where our attention spans are getting shorter and shorter...
Misinformation threatens the ‘super election year’ of 2024
In its risk report, the World Economic Forum warns how Indian elections in 2024 could be swayed by the rampant spread of misinformation and disinformation. Close to 3 billion voters - approximately a quarter of the world's population - are expected to be heading to electoral polls this year and...
Children’s Mental Health week highlights shortcomings in system
Mental health struggles aren’t exclusive to adults. Many children around the world are at odds with how to deal with their mental and emotional wellbeing – and in the UK, children’s’ crisis organizations are sounding the alarm. It was established by the children's mental health charity Place2Be, with the intention...
Why are French farmers blocking routes into Paris?
Thousands of tractors have blocked routes in the capital as farmers demand better pay and fewer environmental regulations. Tensions between France’s farmers and government reached boiling point this week, after thousands of tractors threatened to blockade Paris for an indefinite period. The protest is the culmination of a months-long demand for better pay among French farmers, who feel threatened by environmental regulations and competition from cheap imports. ‘This is the final...
Is the BJP weaponising Hindu sentiment for electoral gain?
Allegations of the BJP weaponizing Hindu sentiment for electoral gain continue to grow stronger. Is the supposed ‘reclamation’ of temples the latest boon for Narendra Modi? As Prime Minister Narendra Modi ceremoniously unveiled the new Ram Mandir in Ayodhya earlier this month, the visual was striking - the country's most powerful political leader inaugurating a religious temple for the majority community. The contradiction, nonetheless, made me uneasy even as chants of...
Why is Saudi Arabia softening its alcohol ban?
The Arab state had strict no-alcohol rules since 1952, but the introduction of its first alcohol shop in 72 years has people questioning Saudi Arabia’s stance on booze. Both foreigners and locals were left somewhat bemused when news broke of Saudi Arabia’s first alcohol shop. Well, first since 1952 at least. For the past 72 years, Saudi – which has some of the strictest Muslim policy in the Middle East – has...
New report uncovers a dramatic rise in FGM cases worldwide
According to recent data released by UNICEF, the number of women and girls who have undergone female genital mutilation has increased by 15 per cent in the past eight years, showing that the pace of progress remains woefully off track to meet the SDG of ending the practice by 2030. More than 230 million women and girls around the world have now undergone female genital mutilation (FGM), according to a...
