How the Red Sea crisis is threatening global economic stability
In the Red Sea, a growing crisis fueled by Houthi attacks on commercial vessels is shocking the global economy, disrupting trade routes, and raising concerns about the broader stability of the region. Since mid-November, there has been a growing trend of Houthi militants targeting commercial vessels entering the Suez Canal...
Current in People
The Uttar Pradesh state is threatening women’s safety and freedoms
Having recently revoked its own scheme of banning late evening coaching classes for girls, the Uttar Pradesh state of India continues to show worrying signs of patriarchal moral policing. When the Uttar Pradesh government recently prohibited girls from attending coaching classes after 8pm in the name of security, it...
Pope grants priests permission to bless same-sex couples
The Vatican has announced that Pope Francis has granted priests in the Roman Catholic Church the green light to bless same-sex marriages. On Monday, the Vatican announced that Pope Francis had formally approved the blessing of same-sex couples, marking a significant stride towards fostering a more inclusive environment for LGBTQ...
How the Qatargate scandal shook European politics
A year after Qatargate erupted through Europe, the integrity of the region's politics has come under intense scrutiny without a conclusion to the scandal. In December 2022, a bombshell was dropped amidst the stately grandeur of the European Parliament. Dubbed ‘Qatargate’, the scandal sent shockwaves across the continent and beyond, exposing...
How a Japanese restaurant is leading the way in elderly care
The country is finding heartwarming ways to integrate its large elderly population within wider society. Japan has one of the oldest populations worldwide. As a result, age related ailments are a growing issue across the country. And diseases like dementia pose a problem for a government increasing efforts to keep...
KCLSU officers suspended for advocating against Gaza genocide
On November 27th, three officers of the King’s College London Students’ Union released a statement condemning the silence on Israeli military actions and advocating for solidarity with Gaza's victims. The officers were subsequently suspended, raising concerns about dissent suppression. ‘This temporary reprieve from Israeli military actions has led us to...
2023 exposed a ‘global postcode lottery stacked against the poor’
An analysis of this year’s top 20 costliest extreme natural disasters has revealed that countries less able to rebuild or which have contributed least to the climate crisis suffer the worst. According to Christian Aid, there exists a ‘global postcode lottery stacked against the poor.’ This refers to the price that people pay for climate change-induced natural disasters, which varies dramatically across countries. By looking at 20 extreme weather events from the...
Why are so many popular cities enforcing anti-tourism policies?
Some of the planet’s most popular vacation destinations are taking measures to reduce the number of tourists they accept each year. Let’s face it, humans need to slow down – and fast. While growth and prosperity are two defining measures of a successful society, the rate at which the global population has been moving and consuming is what has left us with two of the most pressing issues of our time:...
Opinion – UK government holds migrants to an unfairly high standard
The UK’s home secretary has announced government plans to raise the income requirements of future migrants to £38,700 per year – an annual salary higher than what most of the British public earn. It’s no secret that the UK Conservative Party has made cracking down on immigration one of its key focuses during the last year. Along with its ‘Stop The Boats’ campaign, attempts to make Britain unattractive to asylum...
What are nanoplastics and why have scientists sounded the alarm?
A potentially much more nefarious and less understood threat than microplastics has health experts concerned after scientists uncovered a link between tiny particles of polyester and changes in brain proteins associated with Parkinson’s disease and certain types of dementia. Just when you thought our plastic pollution problem couldn’t get any worse, scientists have uncovered evidence that nanoplastics – which are tiny but ubiquitous particles of polyester – may potentially be...
