Indonesia passes legislation outlawing sex outside marriage
Indonesia’s parliament has approved a controversial new criminal code that bans both locals and foreigners from extramarital sex. Critics view the move as a ‘disaster’ for human rights, and a potential blow to the country's booming tourism sector. Following years of parliamentary discussions and heated public debate, Indonesia has just...
Current in People
France officially bans short-haul domestic flights
In a promising turn of events, the European Commission has approved a bill abolishing flights between cities in France. Any journey under 2.5 hours will be scrapped for the next three years, and train travel is being incentivised. It’s taken ages to get here, but finally ink is dry on...
Lab-grown blood cells administered to humans for the first time
In a world-first clinical trial, lab-grown red blood cells have been transfused into humans. If successful, its continuation will bolster supplies for those with rare blood types and improve treatment for people who require regular transfusions. You’ve heard of lab-grown meat, but what about lab-grown human blood? For the very first...
How will nations at COP27 discuss climate change recovery funding?
Funding for loss and damage will take centre stage at COP27, the UN Climate Change Conference. In the past year, catastrophic flooding overwhelmed both Pakistan and Nigeria, wildfires scorched dozens of countries, and extreme heat waves blanketed large parts of the planet. These events killed thousands of people, destroyed essential infrastructure, and destabilized entire economic sectors. In...
New strategy for tackling homelessness trialling in UK
After notable success in the US and Europe, a surprisingly simple model for getting rough sleepers into safe housing is being tested in the UK. The approach was put forward by a psychologist in the 90s but has taken two decades to be implemented. According to Occam’s Razor, the most...
Eleven actions you can take today to impact COP27
You can speak up to urge world leaders at COP27 to take the urgent climate action we need to see. If “big, nebulous, and dry” sum up your thoughts on COP27, you’re not alone. Like a lot of political summits, conferences, and round-tables, the UN Climate Change Conference — taking place...
Tiny village becomes India’s first to run completely on solar power
Home to 6,500 residents, Modhera has become India’s first village to run entirely on solar energy. A government-funded project is raising the area’s living standards and boosting the local workforce. As the time margin for limiting global heating narrows, the race to implement renewable energy sources is intensifying. Not to mention, recent months have shown that depending on imported fossil fuels for power is risky business, as its availability can...
Exclusive – Zandile Ndhlovu on fostering a more inclusive ocean
We spoke to South Africa’s first Black female freediving instructor about her mission to diversify the sea and educate young people of colour on the importance of preserving it. Born in a land-locked South African township, far from any coastline, it wasn’t until adulthood that Zandile Ndhlovu first experienced the ocean. Raised on warnings against the dangers of deep water and being taught that the sea was ‘white people’s space,’ Zandi...
African Gen Zers to benefit from YouthConnekt summit
Last week, Rwanda hosted its annual YouthConnekt Africa summit. The continental initiative looks to empower young people by investing in their ideas, innovations, and initiatives. The YouthConnekt Africa summit was initiated by the Rwandese government in 2012 to focus on improving youth employment, entrepreneurship, and civic engagement through tech innovation. This year’s summit attracted thousands from over thirty African nations, private sectors, and non-governmental organisations such as the UNDP. This year's...
A third of UK employees would quit over lack of climate action
Data collected by Supercritical reveals that one-third of employees based in Britain would be willing to quit their jobs if their employer does not initiate a clear climate crisis mitigation strategy. With the climate crisis undeniably coming to a head, more individuals are becoming concerned with eliminating behaviours that worsen it. While changing our personal habits does make a difference, a huge portion of our carbon footprint can be traced...
