ISSUE 13
Myanmar, formerly named Burma, is a country in South-East Asia which recently experienced a coup d’état, which is defined as “an illegal, unconstitutional seizure of power by a political faction, the military, or a dictator”. It occurred on the 1st of February 2021, one day before the members of the National League for Democracy party (NLD), led by Suu Kyi, were to be sworn into the Parliament due to their success at the 8th of November 2020 Myanmar general election...
By Charlotte Fox
SHOULD ‘CANCEL CULTURE’ BE CANCELLED?
Ever since 2016, the concept of cancel culture has grown wildly out of control, being normalised as part of our everyday online reality. The concept of cancel culture rests on the core principle that people should be held accountable for their actions, and alongside this comes a plethora of public humiliation…
By Neha Saini
THE TREATMENT OF UYGHUR MUSLIMS IN CHINA AND WHY WE ARE ONLY REACTING TO IT NOW
Over recent months, the world is becoming increasingly aware of the treatment of Uyghurs in China; however, the Chinese persecution of Uyghurs has been going on since 2014. So why are the many people just hearing about it now…
By Tanya Giridharan
BHUTAN, HAPPINESS AND THE ENVIRONMENT
With a population of just 770,000, it is easy to forget about the existence of Bhutan. But this hidden gem of a country is one which deserves international recognition for its innovation in development and environmentalism…
By Alexandre Lee
ISSUE 12
Do you fundamentally stand against racism, sexism, and classism? Do you speak up if you see something unjust? If so, be prepared for older generations to call you a snowflake. The snowflake, once a symbol of happy winter days, now a derogatory term used against younger generations…
By Omika Sharma
COVID-19 AND THE FEMALE ECONOMY
The way intersectionalities reveal themselves in societal transactions has resulted in COVID-19 incurring deep, albeit not unexpected losses to women…
By Karel Ohana
issue 11
The past weeks have seen a global effort by frustrated civilians to protest against systemic and institutionalised racism in their communities. Kick-started by the murder of George Floyd in Minneapolis, the black community and its allies…
By Eeshan Banerjee
Some may wonder why civilisations and cultures that existed well over 2000 years ago bear any significance to us at all. We have (and we certainly like to think we have) made considerable advancement since the classical era. However, the truth…
By Eesha Patel
Felt like lockdown ruined your workflow? Think the I-need-more-hours-in-the-day existence was better than this there-are-too-many-hours-in-the-day liminal state? This might be because, until the COVID-19 pandemic, hustle culture was riding…
By Reva Croft
IS THE MONARCHY WORTH MAINTAINING?
The British Monarchy has been the subject of intense debate in the last few decades. As democracy evolved and equality and freedom increased, many question whether maintaining a monarchy is befitting for a forward-thinking democracy…
By Mukund Soni
Issue 10
Since the beginning of summer, there have been a series of pro-democracy protests throughout Hong Kong, totalling to 21 weeks of unrest. The protests have led to the Legislative Building being stormed, the airport suspending flights…
By Alistair Law
Despite being a part of the UK, abortion is illegal in Northern Ireland in almost every circumstance, including when the pregnancy is a result of rape or of incest, or when the foetus has a fatal abnormality that would not allow it to survive…
By Issy Viviano
Following the much called for temporary ban on fracking operations taking place in the UK at the start of November 2019, now is a better time than ever to evaluate the benefits and costs of this process. In order to achieve this, we must consider regions in…
By Sathujan Manmatharajah
IS THIS THE END OF GLOBALISATION AS WE KNOW IT?
Globalisation refers to a deep-rooted historical trend describing the increased integration and interaction between various nations states. Globalisation can generally be characterised under: Archaic…
By Neel Shah
issue 9
BUY AN ARMY FOR JUST $285 BILLION
Private Military Contractors (PMCs), are businesses, just like Tesco’s, but instead of selling groceries, they sell highly-trained personnel to fight in various campaigns and missions. In 2014, the US dedicated $285 billion towards hiring and contracting these…
By Alistair Law
The government has lost its jurisdiction, parties are splitting into factions, factions are forming left-right alliances. Backbenchers are grabbing the limelight while frontbenchers are hiding from embarrassment and new parties are emerging…
By Maanav Patel
HOW SHOULD CENTRAL BANKS TAKE THE QUANTITY OF MONEY INTO ACCOUNT WHEN DETERMINING POLICY CHANGES?
Monetary Policy is a vital tool used by central banks as a form of liquidity management in order to meet output and/ or inflation targets, through the availability of money and the cost of credit. It was instrumental in the financial crisis, or more aptly the global liquidity crisis of 2008, to stimulate economic growth…
By Rishi Shah
issue 8
Africa. The very name is synonymous with a plethora of ideas, ranging from slavery and corruption to potential emergence and rich culture. Yet, the rest of the world have only began to understand the threat, or potential, created by the continent…
By Neel Shah
THE TEACHER WHO MADE A DIFFERENCE
On 23rd March 2019, the Global Teacher Prize, presented by Hugh Jackman, was awarded to Peter Tabichi. Peter Tabichi is a science teacher, as well as a ‘Franciscan Brother’, more commonly known as a monk. Annually, he gives 80% of his salary…
By Isabel Viviano
BOMBING NORTH KOREA…WITH MONEY?
The general consensus since the 1950s, after the tragic Korean War, was to take down the Kim family by imposing sanctions on the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea. With the US starting in 1950, and ramping up sanctions during the early…
By Alistair Law
IS A CASH-LESS SOCIETY VIABLE?
Many can understand the struggle of taking your wallet or purse out when paying for something, only to be met with a cascade of coins spilling to the floor, forced to pathetically scramble about to make sure your prized 2p is retrieved…
By Ryan Ratnam
issue 7
CRISIS OF THE EUROPEAN CENTRE-LEFT
Until very recently, the European political landscape was dominated by parties of the centre-right – those that were broadly pro-European and pro-business yet socially conservative – and of the social democratic centre-left, albeit with a few exceptions…
By Alex Beard
ARE WE BECOMING MORE ISOLATED AS A SOCIETY? - GATED COMMUNITIES
As the world goes on, we become more interconnected - it’s a fact. Over the past centuries, humans have striven to become more connected with each other; faster ships, which became trains, which became…
By Alistair Law
The idea of money is a very ancient one and it’s one which can be dated back to approximately 5000 B.C. where humans used metal objects in exchange for goods and services: a concept that doesn’t seem too unfamiliar to us today. However, money…
By Ronit Gandhi
A country in a state of emergency, stuck in a two decade conflict with its neighbour, with serious human rights abuses, stifling of expression and imprisonment of protesters - this is how people would have described Ethiopia back in April 2018. Then a big event…
By Isabel Viviano
In Hebei, a province in the far north of China, a new scheme has been tested out as a response to the slowing rate of economic growth. The scheme represents a change in the Chinese economy, and is a signal of what is to come for China in the…
By Kobika Mohan
Behavioural Economics has been an increasing popular form of economics, that studies the interaction between humans and decision making. It explores why humans do no always make the most rational decision to maximise their “utility”. This field has…
By Rishi Shah
ICELANDIC ANTI-DEPRESSANT CONSUMPTION
For a long time, Iceland has the highest average antidepressant consumption in the world. Paradoxically, in 2018, Iceland was also the fourth happiest country in the world, according…
By Emma Wei
WHY ARE ECONOMISTS INCAPABLE OF FORECASTING ACCURATELY?
An economist, as defined by the Cambridge English dictionary, is a person studying the scientific system by which a country’s wealth is made and used. Therefore, the essential role of an economist is to…
By Neel Shah
Ever since Donald Trump entered office, the whole world has felt his iron fist when it comes to trade. Tariff after tariff has been fired at countries around the world, justified as countervailing and antidumping duties. The former affects industries with poor and unfair subsidies from the government, whilst the latter regards foreign industries entering US markets with their products…
By Viraj Mehta
issue 6
By Asha Bakhai, Ananya Basu, Alex Beard, Vithusan Kuganathan, Mia Lane and Ryan Ratnam
In early November, Paul Makonda, who is the governor of Tanzania’s largest city, Dar Es Salaam, vowed to carry out mass arrests of “homosexuals in our city”. Homosexuality is a crime in Tanzania, and can be punished with over 30 years of imprisonment…
By Isabel Viviano
Fortnite, the insanely popular online shooter game produced by Epic games, has reached new heights in terms of popularity in the gaming industry, and key factors contributing to this include that it is (mostly) free to play, the fact that it is in…
By Sathujan Manmatharajah
Former Trump lawyer Michael Cohen has had a whirl of a month. Earlier in November he appeared in front of Congress to testify about the Russia investigation. Now, Cohen has admitted to lying in front of Congress and now faces 3 years in prison starting…
By Viraj Mehta
SELFISHNESS - NIGERIA’S GREATEST ENEMY
Nigeria is Africa’s largest economy, contributing to over 17% of the continent’s gross domestic product (GDP). This oil-abundant country is not only a sizeable force, but one with huge potential – aside from copious amounts of petroleum…
By Odera Umeugoji
WHY IS THE IRISH BACKSTOP AN ISSUE?
A key part of the Brexit negotiations was about the border that separates Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland. After Brexit, the 310-mile long border between the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland will become the border between…
By Denis O’Sullivan
The economic centre of gravity refers to the geographical centre of all economic trade, taking into account the value of all trade across the world. This article will study how the economic centre of gravity has shifted from East to West, and…
By Neel Shah
TRANSGENDER LAWS IN THE MIDDLE EAST
Most of western society has the picture painted in their head of the Middle East as a backwards society filled with outdated laws such as only men being able to drive, a place of conflict and generally far behind…
By Serena Hart
POPULISM AND ECONOMIC POLICYMAKING
Economic policy making has changed significantly over the last few years, reflecting political shockwaves which have stunned the world in their sheer significance, the most wide-reaching being Brexit and the elections of populist leaders…
By Viraj Mehta
CHINA BRIDGING THE GAP TO HONG KONG - A WASTE OF MONEY?
On 23rd October 2018, China officially opened the Hong-Kong-Zhuhai-Macau Bridge, which linked mainland China, and the two administrative regions, Hong Kong and Macau. Spanning 55km, the largest sea bridge to ever be constructed, and costing a grand total of $20bn, the link is said to bring greater…
By Alistair Law
issue 5
Brexit is the term used to describe the United Kingdom leaving the European Union, with a deal currently being negotiated between the two parties. Brexit is a complicated issue and from it several controversies have arisen due to…
By Neel Shah
GREEK LIFE - FRATERNITIES AND SORORITIES
9 million students are currently engaged in Greek life across America, and those numbers show no signs of decreasing. But what does it mean to be in a fraternity or a sorority? Fraternities and sororities are…
By Mia Lane
EDUCATION - SOUTH KOREA & THE UK
Education – many take it for granted, yet its power is truly astonishing. Throughout your lives, I’m sure you may have questioned at any given point what you’re studying for - why is it necessary? However, the pay off to a good education is…
By Vithusan Kuganathan
CHEQUERS DEAL - SUCCESS OR FAILURE?
As the negotiation period end date looms closer, the likelihood of a ‘no-deal Brexit’ was seeming to be ever more increasing. And so, in July, Theresa May declared her new vision for Brexit that was to be presented to the EU. It was a 3-page…
By Alistair Law
Venezuelan inflation is expected to be at 1,000,000% by the end of this year and this article will look into the causes and consequences as well as possible solutions to fix their crisis. Venezuela has the largest oil reserves in the world, therefore…
By Ronit Gandhi
THE UNIQUE JAPANESE HOUSING MARKET
An idiosyncratic problem has arrived in Japan with the limited lifespan of houses; the average lifespan of a Japanese home is around 20-22 years. After this timespan the majority of houses are knocked down and then replaced. According to…
By Aryan Jain
BOBI WINE - INSPIRING UGANDA’S YOUTH
Uganda has the world’s youngest population, with over 78% of its population below the age of 30. Ruled by the same President since 1986, most people in the country have never experienced life under any other leader. Sadly, elections are consistently flawed and…
By Isabel Viviano
Universal basic income is an economic idea based on the premise that all resident citizens of a country receive a fixed amount of money on a regular basis. This is regardless of the previous wealth that a person has and it isn’t based on any condition whatsoever…
By Rishi Shah
Fast Fashion is a term used to describe the way in which new and inexpensive clothing is being introduced to retail shops in more rapid intervals than the usual four seasons of fashion. It is as regular as once a week or more, in order to…
By Kobika Mohan
The last few weeks haven’t been the best for Tesla and its founder Elon Musk, who faced a lawsuit from the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) regarding his unpopular contrarian tweets in…
By Viraj Mehta
issue 4
China is expanding fast and is looking for allies, close allies. It is seeking allies in Europe to try and firstly; improve relations, and get a grip on the west, which is currently dominated by America. It is doing so with a political power called ‘soft power’. This is by influencing countries to...
By Alistair Law
Corruption; it’s an issue that plagues parts of sub-Saharan Africa. South Sudan has been the centre of controversy and worry as people wonder whether it will be a repeat of Rwanda in 1984, where 800,000 people lost their lives, as a result of war mongers exploiting and abusing...
By Vithusan Kuganathan
Over the past few months, tensions between the West and the “Beast from the East” have grown, meteorologically and politically. It started a few years with the murder of Alexander Litvinenko and has progressed at a rapid speed. Arguably it reached its peak as events unfold now, with...
By Viraj Mehta
IS THE EU TRYING TO STOP BRITAIN FROM LEAVING THE EU?
First and foremost, I would like to state that I am pro-Brexit and that I dislike the EU. So, before you come at me with your accusations that I am biased, take this warning so you know how I consider the situation in Brussels. Hence, especially with political articles, please read this with an open mind. On the 23rd June 2016, Britain voted with a 51.9% majority to leave the European Union....
By Alistair Law
ISSUE 3
Before you read the this article, I want to make sure that the following is put forward. This is an incredibly sensitive issue and for that reason the proceeding article is an attempt...
By Neel Shah & Vithusan Kuganathan
THE REPEATING NATURE OF DISCRIMINATION
Throughout the history of humanity, there has been discrimination. Despite the nature of prejudice it is seemingly borderless and is seen in all culture...
By Edward Hu
Elon Musk is an inspiring entrepreneur with three major businesses and pushes the envelope on the frontier of automotive technology, space exploration and currency transaction. Musk and his companies have...
By Viraj Mehta
The new digital currency is taking the financial world by storm. With an unprecedented exponential rise in value since is conception, from a meagre $0.07 in 2009 to $20,000 in 2017, Bitcoin has...
By Rishi Shah
What is perhaps the greatest institution, the greatest idea even, ever to be established in Britain - the National Health Service - is under existential threat greater than any it has ever faced after...
By Alex Beard
ISSUE 2
The Forgotten, the Lost, the Scapegoats. These words, as negative as they may sound, have become synonymous with the Rohingya. The Rohingya are an ethnic minority that live on the Western border of Myanmar in the Rakhine state and they have been persecuted based on their religion and culture and the UN has dubbed such acts as ethnical...
By Vithusan Kuganathan
SEXUAL HARASSMENT IN THE MEDIA
Across the many news and social media outlets, stories of sex scandals have spread like forest fires: burning down the careers and reputation of many renowned individuals. Not only does sexual harassment have long lasting effects on individuals directly affected but it also affects attitudes and ideologies in the work environment.
The intended consequences of reporting sex...
By Edward Hu
NHS- the world’s largest publicly funded health service, free at the point of use for more than 65 million citizens, dealing with more than 1 million citizens per 36 hours, employing 1.5 million people (one of the world’s largest workforces), funded at £115 billion a year. The plethora of facts is endless, however in light of all these benefits, the NHS...
By Rishi Shah
With mounting tensions between the Democratic West and Rebellious East, war could be inevitable. A volatile leadership from Donald Trump could spark a great intercontinental war between many strong and powerful nations. What scenarios could cause such a war and who would side with who? And what would the outcome be? One possible cause could be the unpredictable dictatorship state that...
By Alistair Law
This year, the Nobel Prize in Economics went to Richard Thaler, a professor of economics and behavioural sciences at the University of Chicago. His work on behavioural economics has led to him getting the esteemed prize.
Behavioural economics combines psychology with decision making behind an economic outcome...
By Viraj Mehta
On the 15th November 2017, Robert Mugabe, leader of the ZANU-PF (Zimbabwe African National Union – Patriotic Front) was put under house arrest. Four days later, he was ousted by his party and forced to resign or suffer impeachment. With Mugabe’s removal from power all but certain, Zimbabwe is finally able to witness the end....
By Teg Singh
The electoral system of this country determines how our elections work and ultimately, the nature and tone of decision making; changing it – through what is known as ‘Electoral Reform’ (ER) – could change Britain’s political landscape profoundly and lead to a more diverse compromise driven society. Opponents, meanwhile...
By Alex Beard
ISSUE 1
DACA is the ‘Deferred Actions for Childhood Arrivals program’. In June 2012, Obama launched this controversial program to offer reprieve from children who came to the US as children. This entailed several benefits including avoiding deportation to the countries they came from. For instance...
Vithusan Kuganathan
HOW SHOULD CITIES REBUILD AFTER HURRICANE HARVEY AND IRMA
Governments and many of Hurricane Harvey and Irma victims will be keen to rebuild their cities in their original image so that their lives can return to the way they used to be. However, this is far from being the best plan...
Edward Hu
NORTH KOREA AND CHINA: THE FUTURE OF TRADING RELATIONS
With tensions high and North Korea dominating the headlines, it is important to know what the foremost trading relationship North Korea has is. China is the sole reason for the survival of North Korea, with the majority of food, energy and other...
Rishi Shah
After its election on November 24th, Germany will retain Angela Merkel – the pragmatic conservative who has already been in office for 12 years as its Chancellor, in spite of historic losses for her party in part thanks to the rose of the far-right ‘Alternative für Deutschland’ (AfD), who will enter the Bundestag (the German parliament); for the first time since their founding...
Alex Beard
JEREMY CORBYN - FROM ZERO TO HERO?
His parents were peace campaigners, who supported the socialist Republic during the Spanish Civil War against Franco. Now, Jeremy Corbyn leads Britain’s strongest voice of the left-wing.
From the historic market town of Chippenham on the banks of the River Avon, Jeremy Corbyn has been representing the...
Teg Singh
In the United States of America, after the great civil war of 1865, the one everyone remembers as the landmark of the abolition of slavery and all of its filthy quirks, there was a period known as The Reconstruction. In this period, from 1865-1877, the civil rights of the black man were heightened in comparison to previous stature,inequality of opportunity between the white man and the coloured man began to...
Aly Sayani
Theresa May has unveiled her plan to change the benefits system of the UK. She feels that it has become easy to take advantage of and more money should be spent on the NHS. Therefore, she has replaced the system with Universal Credit, which is, in simple terms, a circumstantial benefits system where all types are clumped together. However, short trials have shown that this system has some disadvantages...
Viraj Mehta