Prime minister Rishi Sunak has announced a crackdown on sickness and disability benefits in order to end a “sicknote culture” and “over-medicalising the everyday challenges and worries of life”, in part because he claims that “good work” can actually improve mental and physical health. He instead wants to focus on “what people can do with […]
How the demise of gay nightlife has prompted a new underground queer scene – new book
Around the world and across the UK, gay nightlife is dying. Evidence of this demise and the ongoing threat of bar and club closures can be seen everywhere. In late 2023 the renowned London club G-A-Y closed its doors, as did many other bars and clubs, victims of an array of economic difficulties. These include […]
Why Israel’s economy is resilient in spite of the war
Israel’s war in Gaza and more limited conflict with Hezbollah on its northern border with Lebanon is taking a toll on the Israeli economy. In the final quarter of 2023, Israel’s gross domestic product (GDP) – a measure of a country’s economic health – shrank by almost 20%. Consumption dropped by 27% and investment by […]
War in the Middle East has put Lebanon on the brink of economic disaster
The recent return of violence to Lebanon derails hope that the worst of the crises that have plagued the country over the past four years have been left behind. After a spiral of hyperinflation, debt default and crumbling public services, modest signs of economic recovery from one of the “most severe crisis episodes [seen] globally […]