Category: international
HIV: Can We ‘Cure’ the Social Stigma Yet?
| March 26, 2013 | Posted by Ruby Steer under international |
The recent phenomena in America which saw a baby girl “functionally cured” of HIV prompts the question: Will we ever dispose of the atrocious stigma attached to AIDS? A two year old girl from Mississippi who was infected with HIV from birth has been cured of the disease after presenting with no signs of the infection following early treatment. The child was taken to the University of Mississippi Medical Centre just 30 hours post-birth and given a generic concoction of HIV-fighting drugs. She received regular treatment for approximately 18 months; however this treatment was stalled by the mother’s concerns about the treatment. When treatment was resumed, blood tests quickly revealed that the baby girl seemed to have been cured of… more
What will happen after Chavez?
| March 7, 2013 | Posted by Sarah Aston under international |
Vice President Nicolas Maduro, announced on Tuesday 5th of March that the controversial figure and President of Venezuela, Hugo Chavez, had died. Having battled with cancer since 2011, news of the death of the 58-year-old will not have surprised many, yet Chavez’s sudden departure has led to questions of what will happen next. Elections for a new President are due to take place within the next 30 days and will see Chavez’s chosen successor, Maduro, most likely compete against Centrist opposition leader and vocal critic of the policies of Chavez, Henrique Capriles. Just who will take the political reins of the country in the next 30 days, however, is perhaps of secondary importance for the time being. Indeed, having radically… more
Geneva: a casual guide
| October 7, 2012 | Posted by James Harle under international |
Geneva is probably one of the loveliest cities on Earth, especially by night when its 140-foot fountain (the Jet d’Eau) is illuminated. Of course, when you’ve been there a few times like I have, you find out some of its dirtier secrets – like the fact that that huge fountain sucks up all kinds of things from the bottom of the lake. All kinds of things. But I still love it, and that’s why I keep going back. Everyone knows Geneva as the home of diplomacy, fine chocolate and very accurate clocks; and it’s true, these things are all abundant. But there’s much more to this city than that, and for me Geneva is most importantly home to one of… more
Why would anyone go to Gdansk?
| September 24, 2012 | Posted by Rosie Watterson under international |
Why would you want to go to Gdansk? Well it’s a long story, but a week after checking our flights were not refundable we turned up, suitcases in hand, ready to make the best of things. With a mental image of a semi-communist Germany-meets-Russia-in-the-snow kind of place, we were pleasantly surprised to find the weather was perfectly habitable – no, not even that, the weather was beautiful. And, much to my personal delight, seemingly capitalist. Gdansk I mean, not the weather. We arrived at Dwor Oliwski around midday, a beautiful five-star spa hotel situated 10km from the airport; admittedly, we weren’t ‘slumming it’. Though owing to the exchange rate (Pounds to Zloty), it cost about £40 a night, which added… more
Will Mitt Romney’s Mormonism matter in the US election? Should it matter?
| September 21, 2012 | Posted by Jeremy Dobson under features, international |
Mitt Romney’s religious convictions don’t end at ticking the box marked ‘Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints’ on his census form. He’s a serious Mormon: a ‘bishop’ (although the LDS do tend to throw the title around liberally). In his convention speech, Romney played down the importance of his religious beliefs in his childhood: “We were Mormons, and growing up in Michigan, that might have seemed unusual or out of place, but I do not remember it that way. My friends cared more about what sports we followed than what church we went to.” I’m sure his folksy sincerity appealed to some of his fellow baby boomers at the RNC, many of whom may have had an initial queasiness… more
New York City Health Board approves banning the sale of large sugary drinks in latest effort to curb obesity
| September 17, 2012 | Posted by Linda Ge under international |
On Thursday, New York City as Americans knew it was changed forever: the New York City Health Board decided that restaurants, movie theaters, and street vendors could no longer sell most sweetened drinks larger than half a litre (16 ounces) to civilians. This topic was brought in by Mayor Michael Bloomberg, who has devoted much of his time and energy into regulating public health. (Bloomberg’s 2003 cause, banning smoking in restaurants and bars, was highly successful and resulted in many states passing similar laws. Last year, it became illegal to smoke at beaches and public parks as well.) Bloomberg says that this ban ”will help save lives.” This new law – the first of its kind – will help curb obesity, an epidemic that kills about 5,000 people in New York… more
Michel de Montaigne and his essays about thumbs
| September 14, 2012 | Posted by Jade Cuttle under culture, international |
If you were to hand Montaigne a quill, a wax tablet and an order to intellectually inspire, this philosophical French writer from the 1500s would craft you a convincing explanation for why you don’t need shoes, compare a king to a deformed “child monster” or write you an essay about thumbs. His ability to assign intellectual appreciation to absolutely anything influenced the work of many, from Descartes to Shakespeare, while forming the foundations of the essay genre and setting its prestige in stone. He’s one of the most influential writers history has seen, and yet most people have never heard his name. So, thumbs. I couldn’t help but grin as I turned to the page, expecting nothing more than a… more
The price of oil
| September 12, 2012 | Posted by Lawrence Cook under international |
Economics is the study of using finite resources to satisfy an infinite number of “wants.” Oil is involved with many of these human desires, a pivotal resource used in plastics, synthetic fibres and, most importantly, petrol. The price of petrol is frequently in the news, and almost never for a decrease. From 2005 to 2011 the petrol price in the UK rose from 82p to 132.9p per litre, an increase of 62 %: way above inflation. As a comparison, the current average price per litre in Saudi Arabia is $0.12, about 9 pence. In the UK, the price will continue to rise and there are many reasons for this. Firstly, the OPEC (Oil Producing & Exporting Countries) members have a… more
DNC: The Democrats should have stuck by their Party Platform on God and Jerusalem
| September 8, 2012 | Posted by Jeremy Dobson under international |
In linear-narrative terms, the Democratic Party U-turned when ex-Governor Ted Strickland proposed to include “god” and “Jerusalem” to the Democratic Party Platform. These subjects had occupied space on most party platforms in post-war electoral history. This was heavily prompted by the criticisms from Paul Ryan, the Mitt Romney campaign and much of the press, as well as some discontent from within the party. The subject went to a vocal vote, administered by LA Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa, requiring a two-thirds majority. The results were inconclusive; especially after Villaraigosa took two more votes for “clarity.” But the party instated mentions of “god” and “Jerusalem” anyway, therefore defeating the purpose of a vote in the first instance. Although the Democratic Platform did not mention god until its recent pitiful… more
RNC: the Republican Party Platform shows just how extreme the GOP has become
| September 6, 2012 | Posted by Jeremy Dobson under international |
The Daily Beast’s Andrew Sullivan rationalises his conservatism by wanting to preserve what is good about the present – not regressing into a fictionalised past. Although I do not subscribe to any form of conservatism, this is the honourable face of the American right-wing. The Republican Party, however, has abandoned this conservatism in favour of reactionary social policy, fiscal hypocrisy, and generally doing anything to get into the White House. They mainly do this by evoking pity at the current state of America and then proceeding to outline a utopia where the US can do away with necessary resorts such as abortion, welfare and foreign aid. The modern Republican Party offers nothing to the vulnerable; not even the rugged individualism it… more
