Demand for workers remains lower than it was before the COVID-19 pandemic, and more importantly, many have withdrawn from the labour market. — By Divyansh Kumar Prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, the developed world was undergoing an extraordinary period of economic growth. In 2019, despite significant population ageing, a bigger proportion of adults over the age of 15 were in the labour force — that is, employed or searching for work — than…

The IPCC report is the most up-to-date scientifically accurate study on climate change, and its first published part issues a ‘code red for humanity’. — By Anunita Jena Past and ongoing emissions have already ensured that a 1.5° Celsius temperature rise is unavoidable, and the temperature threshold is likely to be breached in less than 20 years even if all countries achieve net zero greenhouse gas emissions.

Simone Biles and Naomi Osaka are leading the mental health movement in the sporting world — By Tarini Srivastava Recent Incidents The most decorated American gymnast of all time, Simone Biles, took the decision not to participate in the Tokyo Olympic team finals to focus on her mental health. This followed a disorienting experience on the vault during the first rotation. On her Instagram story, she described a…

Recent incidents of racial abuse in the game are forcing us to address the much wider societal issue: systemic racism. — By Tarini Srivastava The UEFA European Football Championship finals between England and Italy were held recently, 11 July 2021. Both teams fought to the bitter end, with Italy winning 3–2 in penalties. However, the end turned out to be much too bitter. …

Armed forces across the world have been making use of child soldiers in what the UNICEF calls a violation of children’s human rights. — By Anunita Jena A massacre in the town of Solhan, in north-eastern Burkina Faso, murdered more than 130 people on the evenings of June 4 and 5. The disturbing fact of an already-gruesome tale is that the crimes were largely carried out by children aged 12–14, according to government officials.

China’s overreaching behaviour has forced Hong Kongers to take their pro-democracy movement to the streets. — By Tarini Srivastava Background During the First Opium War in 1839, China ceded Hong Kong to the British. Under the Second Convention of Peking in 1898, China extended Britain’s “lease” on the island by 99 years. Therefore, Hong Kong remained under colonial occupation from 1841 until 1997. After 150 years of…

Could the proposed Three Million African Genomes project bring us closer to the goal of accurate genetic risk prediction for everyone? — By Divyansh Kumar While racism is systemically pervasive, one of the most depressing aspects of it is its superficiality. It is literally a case of black and white in the majority of the world. However, as has been proven scientifically time and time again, the colour of a person’s skin…

Did Biden and Putin seriously bury the hatchet in Geneva Summit, 2021 or is there a catch? — By Anunita Jena US President Joe Biden and Russian President Vladimir Putin wrapped off their Geneva summit on 16 June, 2021. The summit, which was expected to last up to five hours, ended within three hours and established a realistic tone for cooperation between the two rival countries. …

In a recent summit, NATO has taken a strong stance against China’s emerging global presence. — By Tarini Srivastava NATO: The North Atlantic Treaty Organisation, or NATO, consists of 30 member countries across Europe and North America. As a treaty of collective defense, an attack against one member is seen as an attack against all. NATO on China The latest NATO communique, which was released after the Brussels summit…