News – Page 2 of 34 – The Orbital

‘An Obituary for Counterculture: A plea for its rebirth, and the subsequent reformation of societal truth.’

18Nov

By Alex RobsonNo Comments

News

‘An Obituary for Counterculture: A plea for its rebirth, and the subsequent reformation of societal truth.’

By Alex Robson, Senior News Editor Prior to the Labour Party’s success in the latest UK General Election, recent political agendas strived to diminish the arts and creatives alike. Through the medium of culture wars and a lack of funding, Conservative Cabinets of late have managed to destabilise and disestablish the society of the arts. Both creativity and counterculture have been rendered unattainable. But what effect does this have on our society? How can societal truth be found within the arts and, more crucially, counterculture? At the steps of the Albertina Museum in Vienna, I stood, with this exact question, with the hope that, perhaps, I could find a suitable answer. Neo Rauch was, at the time, an unfamiliar name to me, however, his paintings quickly became revolutionary...

‘Unveiling P Diddy: Sean Combs charged and incarcerated’

17Nov

By Sakeenah ButtNo Comments

News

‘Unveiling P Diddy: Sean Combs charged and incarcerated’

Sakeenah Waqas Butt, Associate News Editor On September 16th 2024, Sean Combs, known as P Diddy, was arrested at a hotel in New York, following racketeering conspiracy, sexual assault and sexual trafficking charges. Combs, who is described as “one of the most influential hip-hop producers of the past three decades” by Sky News, founded the globally known music media company, Bad Boy Records. The “music mogul”, a label used for Combs by many media outlets, was widely known in the industry for hosting grand parties with famous artists in attendance including Justin Bieber, Mariah Carey, Jay-Z and Beyonce. Although Combs was celebrated vastly within the music industry, with celebrities eager for his sought-after party invitations, he has a turbulent history with lawsuits an...

The Psychological Effects of Witnessing Cruelty to Animals on Social Media: An Interview with Dr Kieschnick and Dr Lawlor

17Feb

By Felix PoréeNo Comments

Lifestyle, News, Opinion

The Psychological Effects of Witnessing Cruelty to Animals on Social Media: An Interview with Dr Kieschnick and Dr Lawlor

By Felix Porée Royal Holloway graduate Felix Porée, who is studying for his MA in War Studies at Kings College London, recently collaborated with the Oxford Centre for Animal Ethics to interview Dr Dustin Kieschnick and Dr Katie Lawlor. Dr Kieschnick holds a Doctorate of Psychology as a graduate of the PGSP-Stanford PsyD Consortium as well as being a licensed clinical psychologist, and Dr Lawlor holds a Doctorate in Clinical Psychology from Stanford and specialises in the human-animal bond, grief, and pet loss. Felix specialises in the studies of 19th-century German philosophy, ethics, and terrorism. More information can be found via his LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/felixporee/ In a discussion centred around animal cruelty and its links with social media, Felix, Dus...

Luton Town Football Club Face £120,000 Fine for Homophobic Chants

9Jan

By Beth McCowenNo Comments

News, Sports & Socs

Luton Town Football Club Face £120,000 Fine for Homophobic Chants

Image by Sky Sports By Beth McCowen Luton Town Football Club has been hit with a £120,000 fine and a two year action plan by the FA. The club has accepted the charge, which is a consequence of an incident that took place during the Town’s first game of the 2023/24 season on August 12th in Brighton, where a portion of the away side’s fans took part homophobic chanting. The action taken by the FA in this instance sends a strong message to both clubs and their supporters regarding the importance of stamping out all forms of discrimination. Luton were promoted to the Premier League, the top tier of football in England, after the 2022/23 season came to an end. Prior to this breakthrough, they had not been a part of the country’s top flight in footbal...

16Nov

By Madelaine GrayNo Comments

News

Prime Minister in Waiting?

Keir Starmer may be the presumptive PM, but where’s the vision? By Madelaine Gray The polls show it, the pundits are promising it, and everyone with an interest in politics across the country is holding their breath in anticipation (whether joyful or despairing) for the next general election. It is pretty much undeniable that Labour will win at the next nationwide polling day. Trust in politics across the spectrum is crumbling, but the Conservative Party has internal schisms so large it seems unfathomable that they could cross the post to win another majority. After thirteen years in power, and five prime ministers to boot, an inevitable Labour generation (or era, perhaps, depending on the party’s longevity in power) is coming. I’m a member of the Labour Party, and I look forwar...

Healing Wounds and Fostering Hope in the City Of Joy: The Battle of Dr. Denis Mukwege

15Nov

By Olivia TaylorNo Comments

News

Healing Wounds and Fostering Hope in the City Of Joy: The Battle of Dr. Denis Mukwege

By Olivia Taylor Trigger Warning: Discussions of rape and violence. Rape is the cheapest weapon in war. It has the power to destroy families, empty villages and rid victims of any sense of dignity. Finding a solution for a crime against humanity like this feels almost hopeless. Still, there is one man who has dedicated his life to changing the world’s perspective by saving the lives of thousands of Congolese women who have endured the harrowing weaponisation of rape in times of war. Dr. Denis Mukwege decided to study medicine after witnessing the complications that women in the Congo experience during childbirth due to their lack of specialist medical attention. As a result, Dr. Mukwege established Panzi Hospital to address his country’s alarming maternal mortality rates. It was ...

Turkey and Syria Earthquake: “if one of us can’t breathe, none of us can breathe.”

1Mar

By Ilayda KaplankiranNo Comments

News

Turkey and Syria Earthquake: “if one of us can’t breathe, none of us can breathe.”

Turkey and Syria woke up to a 7.8 magnitude quake in the early hours of Monday (6th February) morning, killing more than 40,000 people in Turkey and a death toll of 5,800 in Syria. With numbers expecting to rise, and the situation becoming seriously unprecedented, it is important to demonstrate compassion for those suffering such a great loss. As the region awaits help, the emotional outburst from grieving survivors saddens nations already crippled by economic and political uncertainties. Enduring traumatic injuries and having to sleep outside in blistering conditions has become the norm for those living in the affected areas. Silence… After hours of hearing ominous cranes and smashed rubble, the rescue teams pause for the faintest noise. Anguished and fe...

30Nov

By Ilayda KaplankiranNo Comments

News, Opinion

Westernisation of the Media

What is the value of human life? What is a “dominant western ideology”? It is best described as the propagation of a rigid geopolitical identity that prioritises western values, while concealing and alienating third world countries. As you can imagine, this is a deeply embedded narrative determining the discussions and outcomes in any political or academic space . Nearly all types of media coverage perpetuate western models of journalism, navigating desirable political views, and consequently overlooking the baseless claims that they might be making or insinuating. Historically, the tendency to privilege and perpetuate narrow-minded western thought traces back to the Imperial age. During a time when minority groups were glorified, and the elitist perspective involved “saving ...

“I don’t recognise my country”: Orbital Reacts to Roe v Wade

27Jun

By Hannah ArmourNo Comments

Features, News, Opinion

“I don’t recognise my country”: Orbital Reacts to Roe v Wade

“We are better than this”, my mother says. “I don’t recognise my country.” I can’t help but agree. Because this isn’t what the United States of America should be. This is not what it was founded on. This is not a reflection of its population’s views. This is an act of ostracisation in the pursuit of control. This is not democracy. There have been many times in recent years that I’ve been embarrassed by my country, by my accent and by my passport. Friday’s overturn of the Roe v Wade ruling topped everything else (a high boundary to break after the election of our last president). Equality, that often-distant dream, felt obtainable. We could see it off in the distance, and if we could just get a bit closer, keep moving forward, then maybe we could reach it, touch it, smell it, lick...

Searching for a Home: Connection through Crises

21Jun

By Accalia SmithNo Comments

News, Opinion

Searching for a Home: Connection through Crises

As I sat down to write this article, it suddenly struck me just how wide and complex the word ‘connection' is. At its core, connection has these profound connotations of a bond, of intimacy, of emotion. Yet we apply ‘connection’ to acquaintances and social media friends. On LinkedIn we ask a stranger to ‘connect’ in the name of professional development. We connect the dots, and play Connect 4. Most recently, connection has been used to talk about current crises from the Russian war on Ukraine to climate change. Now with Ukrainians being forced to find refuge in countless countries across Europe, we might wonder how this changes our viewpoint on connection. Yuliya, who recently fled Ukraine, told me her story. Below is her account of what happened. “I was born an...