Protests that started as a student movement driven by longstanding dissatisfaction over a quota system to allocate government jobs in Bangladesh have precipitated a change in the country’s political leadership. These jobs, of which 30% were reserved for independence war veterans and their relatives, are highly sought after. The rate of youth unemployment in Bangladesh… Continue reading Unrest in Bangladesh reflects young people’s struggle to find work in the poorest nations
Thousands of students in Bangladesh have taken to the streets over the past few weeks to demand an overhaul of how public sector jobs are distributed. The government had sought to reintroduce quotas that reserve 30% of these jobs for descendants of veterans from Bangladesh’s war of independence with Pakistan in 1971. The quotas, which had initially… Continue reading Bangladeshi students rise up in revolt, but a wider movement against the government looks unlikely
High in the barren mountains of the Himalayas, Indian soldiers overlook a broad swathe of icy terrain. Gazing back at them are thousands of Chinese soldiers, each protecting what the other claims. The object of desire is an unmarked landscape spanning thousands of kilometres, stretching from India’s border with Pakistan in the west to its… Continue reading Indo-American relations grow over threat of Chinese incursions in the Himalayas
Every year, as the countdown to summer intensifies, Cornwall basks in the limelight, its charm captivating the imagination of holidaymakers. In 2022, it ranked in the top ten most searched-for holiday destinations on Google and expects over five million tourists annually. The region’s allure seems unstoppable, fuelled by the resounding popularity of cultural sensations like… Continue reading Potemkin towns — Cornwall’s hidden housing crisis
University campuses around the world have become the site of tiny tent cities in recent weeks, with student activists protesting the ongoing conflict in Gaza. Though the protests on Australian campuses have been largely peaceful, tensions are starting to rise. There have been allegations of hate speech and clashes between student groups in recent days.… Continue reading What is it about Gaza? Wars are raging around the world, so why are young people so passionate about this one?
A Saudi court’s decision to sentence fitness influencer Manahel al-Otaibi to 11 years in prison highlights what activists describe as a fierce crackdown on even vaguely critical online speech. In the past two years the Saudi judiciary has “convicted and handed down lengthy prison terms on dozens of individuals for their expression on social media”,… Continue reading Tweets or “terrorism”? — Saudi Arabia’s jailed online activists
US President Joe Biden’s administration is set to reclassify marijuana as a less dangerous drug, an official said Tuesday — a historic shift that would bring federal policy more in line with public opinion. The US attorney general sent a proposal to the White House on Tuesday to “reclassify marijuana,” Justice Department spokesperson Xochitl Hinojosa… Continue reading US to reclassify cannabis as low-risk drug
The London neighbourhoods of Belgravia, Knightsbridge, Mayfair, Chelsea and Kensington have become so exclusive that owners have become visitors London is known to be one of the wealthiest cities in the world, however, amidst its wealth and abundance, there is a curious phenomenon – the abundance of empty houses in wealthy places. Over the last… Continue reading The empty houses of SW1
“It is possible that a part of Eastern England would have become a desert” In early 2022, mysterious upgrades began at Lakenheath Air Base in Suffolk, United Kingdom. Military analysts, after pouring over satellite photography of the construction work being done, came to one conclusion. Lakenheath, ever so silently, was preparing to welcome nuclear weapons… Continue reading The return of nuclear weapons to the uk
‘The longest period for which anyone has gone without solid food is 382 days in the case of Angus Barbieri of Tayport, Fife, who lived on tea, coffee, water, soda water and vitamins from June 1965 to July 1966’ Angus Barbieri consumed no food for 382 days to no ill-effect. In 1965 the 27-year-old from… Continue reading The successful therapeutic fast that lasted 382 days
