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...
Current in People
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...
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...
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...
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...
Pledges to loss and damage fund fall short at COP28
The wealthy countries most responsible for the climate crisis have so far contributed a combined total of just over $700m. This is nowhere near enough to help the world’s most vulnerable nations cope with the damage caused by slow onset disasters and extreme weather events. Day one of COP28 saw the first big breakthrough: an agreement on a ‘loss and damage’ fund to compensate poor states for...
A UK museum has reclassified a Roman emperor as a trans woman
The decision highlights a museum’s responsibility to constantly question expected truths. The North Hertfordshire Museum isn’t necessarily a well-known institution. Located in a quaint town hall in the south of England, the galleries fade in the shadow of major British cultural spaces. But this small historical museum has put itself firmly on the map after reclassifying a 3rd-century Roman Emperor as a trans woman. Roman Emperor Elagabalus (Marcus Aurelius Antoninus Augustus) ruled...
