Gen Z don’t know how to feel about perfume in public
Is spraying in shared spaces a cardinal sin? I love perfume. Personal fragrance, scent, whatever you want to call it; giving myself a spritz of luxurious notes is what keeps my heart beating. No more so than during winter when, let’s face it, there’s little else to brighten up a...
Current in People
Reaction to Claudia Sheinbaum’s assault highlights normalisation of gender violence
If they can grope the president, what hope do the rest of us have? The groping of Mexico’s Claudia Sheinbaum by a drunken man has sparked outrage among women, many of whom saw their own fears and experiences reflected in her plight. But a tepid and partisan domestic reaction to...
Trump wants to continue nuclear testing after 30-year moratorium
After three decades of nuclear non-proliferation efforts, Donald Trump wants to continue testing and advancing the US’s nuclear weapons on a larger scale. This comes after his claims that other nations are doing so and the need for the US to maintain an equal footing. Decades ago, nobody would...
Would stop and search have prevented the rail attacks?
The tragic incident has ignited debates around the effectiveness of stop and search tactics. A stabbing on board a LNER rail service between Peterborough and Huntingdon left 11 people in hospital last week, with several in a critical condition. It’s since thrown UK transport officials into heated debates around...
Why is there a Gen Z activism stan war going on?
Stan culture isn’t limited purely to the world of music, but this might just be the most peculiar beef fictionalised by the internet to date. Pick a side and get to tweeting your non-sensical argument immediately. The latest internet beef based on precisely nothing, and with absolutely no influence from either...
US Aid cuts are undermining Senegal’s fight against HIV
Lack of access to vital medication, as well as dwindling contraception supplies, are threatening to undo years of progress within Senegal’s medical industry. Senegal is discovering the hard way that with abrupt cuts in US funding, medical advances that took years to build can unravel faster than they were assembled. The...
Malawi to implement free primary and secondary education from 2026
In what may redefine the future of education in southern Africa, Malawi's President has announced that starting January 2026, education from primary to secondary school levels will be free. According to the President’s spokesperson Shadric Namalomba, the new policy covers examination fees, identity cards, and school development funds at both primary and secondary level. At present, UNICEF says Malawi has less than 50% of children completing secondary school, and...
Opinion – Trump’s East Wing demolition symbolic of US politics
The President’s plans for an ostentatious White House ballroom may seem relatively inoffensive given his track record of aggressive leadership. But they reflect a country divided and a political system on the brink. Whether or not you’re clued into US politics, you’ve probably heard mutterings of Trump’s ballroom in the past few weeks. The President has undertaken an ‘aggressive’ construction project involving the destruction of the White House East...
Eight countries added to a UK warning list over methanol poisoning
Tourists are being urged to travel with caution after eight popular tourist destinations were listed as potential hot spots for lethal methanol poisoning. The UK foreign office has added eight countries – all tourist hot spots – to its warning list over methanol poisoning. Ecuador, Japan, Kenya, Mexico, Nigeria, Peru, Russia and Uganda are included in updated travel guidance that is urging travellers to heed extreme caution following incidents...
A petition for women-only tube carriages has 12,000 signatures
The petition, started by a student, follows TfL’s ‘Act Like a Friend’ anti-harassment campaign. Almost 12,000 people have signed a petition calling for women-only carriages across the London Underground network. It comes shortly after TfL’s anti-harassment efforts and reflects a growing sense of unease on board public transport services. UCL student Camille Brown set up the petition after she had ‘had enough of women being unsafe’ on the tube. It...
