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Topic of the Week is Gaza: Chaos erupted in the House of Commons after Speaker Lindsay Hoyle introduced a vote on Labour’s amendment to the SNP’s call for an ‘immediate ceasefire’ in Gaza, recognising Israel’s right to ‘keep fighting if Hamas continues with violence.’ Also, this week, Prince William uncharacteristically made a statement, saying: I, like so many others, want to see an end to the fighting as soon as possible.
Are Simple Joys the Key to Happiness? A recent study of life satisfaction looked at 3,000 poor, small-scale societies, discovering that certain groups of people are equally or more satisfied with their lives than those in the richest countries. The Melanesians of Roviana, for instance, express higher life satisfaction than the residents of Finland and Denmark. The takeaway is that more money isn’t necessarily a determiner of happiness. As long as basic needs are met, simple joys such as walking, being with friends or amongst nature, often contribute to a heightened feeling of life satisfaction.
Student Debt into Your Sixties? According to research, 79 per cent of new borrowers will have to repay the full value of their student loans, compared to 49 per cent of those who took out a loan before August 2023. Government reforms to the student loan system are putting poorer students into extended and higher debt because of the reduced income threshold for repayments (from £30,000 to £25,000) and a longer repayment timeframe (from 30 to 40 years).
A Stone’s Throw Away: A High Court judge ruled in favour of building a two-mile tunnel running ‘perilously’ close to Stonehenge. Since 1986, the ancient stone circle has been a UNESCO World Heritage site. As of last year, it has been added to UNESCO’s list of endangered sites.
How to Catch the ‘Snow Moon’: On Saturday the 24th, you can catch the full moon at its smallest as it sits farthest from the Earth. The Snow Moon also marks the beginning of the Chinese Lantern Festival, Shang Yuan. The best time to catch the rare, copper-tinted, Snow Moon is just after sunset on Saturday. Look to the East and find a high spot. Use this to determine the best viewing time for your location.