UK's defence thinking is stuck in a timewarp and unable to deal with a rapidly changing world, says Paul Rodgers It is still skewed towards projects reminiscent of the Empire: a hugely expensive nuclear weapons and big carriers

25 young Colombians are suing their government for failing to curb deforestation. Its part of a global trend of activists using the law to force action on climate change. Great work! ✊

This is a lovely read.: Our survival in the universe seems to be a very rare freak accident. More freakish than we realise. Similarly, the fact we've survived so long without blowing ourselves up is also remarkable

California used to be at the forefront of the war on drugs. Now its helping people who were hurt by prohibition, mostly minorities, to reap the rewards of legalisation 🌿

We all know by now that social media’s impact on our lives can be pervasive and all-encompassing. And it’s not just our lifestyles, careers and relationships that are influenced by it.

On Monday, for the first time ever, we got to see who donated to political parties in Northern Ireland. Its interesting info, but the Brexit donations still remain secret!

Vince Cable’s swipe at Leave voters - "nostalgic for a world where faces were white and the map was coloured imperial pink" - sound like proof most Remainers would rather abuse their opponents than engage with them. And he misses the point, says John Denham

In Britain, Russian oligarchs and their money have been welcomed with almost unquestioning open arms. And some of the people helping them include a former Tory minister now in the House of Lords 🤔

While most attention on South Africa focuses on tensions between whites and blacks, another story has gone unnoticed. In rural South Africa, traditional leaders became more corrupt and authoritarian, keeping their own people poorer.

"The failure of privatisation is more apparent in the UK energy sector than perhaps any other." "A small group of companies are profiteering from an essential public service, failing to meet the most pressing challenge of our times: climate change."

"Hundreds of UK Labour Party members are currently either suspended or under investigation for what seem to be largely concocted misdemeanours." "What happened to the fair and transparent process promised earlier?"

Before the end of patriarchy, it was said that governments needed 30% female representatives for our issues to be taken seriously. Now that the standard is 50% or more, women’s concerns are no longer seen as a side issue or niche interest. Women’s rights are accepted as human rights. That’s why safe abortion is now available on demand in every country in the world. Safe and legal clinics are open in every town, so that no woman has to travel too far to access the reproductive care she needs. Contraception is free and provided as needed. Environmentally-friendly tampons, towels, moon cups and other period products were made freely available to the world’s poorest. There are plans to expand this to every woman in the future.... ----- An excerpt from writer Sian Norris imagining a global feminist revolution, in a recent piece for openDemocracy https://www.opendemocracy.net/5050/sian-norris/dispatch-from-feminist-future Are we closer to that goal? Is there revolution in the air? How hopeful is she? JOIN THE DEBATE, BELOW ---- Sian Norris is a writer and founder of Bristol Women's Literature Festival https://twitter.com/sianushka