Strangers twice as kind as we think, study suggests
John F. Helliwell, an economist at the University of British Columbia and a founding editor of the report, said the wallet experiment data showed "people are much happier living where they think people care about each other".He added the study showed people were "everywhere too pessimistic", with wallets much more likely to be returned than predicted.The 13th annual World Happiness Report, released to mark the UN's International Day of Happiness, ranks the world's happiest countries by asking people to evaluate their lives.Finland again took top spot with an average score of 7.736 out of 10, while Costa Rica and Mexico have entered the top 10 for the first time.Both the UK and the US slipped down the list to 23rd and 24th respectively - the lowest-ever position for the latter.The study, published by the University of Oxford's Wellbeing Research Centre, asked people to rate their own lives on a scale of 0-10 - zero being the worst possible life and 10 being the best possible life.Country rankings are based on a three-year average of those scores.
The 2025 World Happiness Report also found:declining happiness and social trust in the US and parts of Europe combined to explain the rise and direction of political polarisation;sharing meals with others was strongly linked with wellbeing across the globe;household size was closely linked to happiness, with four to five people living together enjoying the highest levels of happiness in Mexico and Europe
Jeffrey D. Sachs, president of the UN Sustainable Development Solutions Network, said the findings reconfirmed "happiness is rooted in trust, kindness, and social connection". "It is up to us as virtuous individuals and citizens to translate this vital truth into positive action, thereby fostering peace, civility, and wellbeing in communities worldwide," he said.Jan-Emmanuel De Neve, director of Oxford's Wellbeing Research Centre, added: "In this era of social isolation and political polarisation we need to find ways to bring people around the table again - doing so is critical for our individual and collective wellbeing."
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Time Out Dubai
4 days ago
- Time Out Dubai
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6 days ago
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They have worse economic and health outcomes than their unmarried peers, and their children often suffer too. It is hardly surprising then that there has been a steady decline in child marriage across the world, as governments realise that it is a human rights violation. READ MORE: Scottish Government consults on raising legal marriage age over grooming fears Young girls in Lebanon dress as brides during a protest against child marriage (Picture: Anwar Amro) | AFP via Getty Images 'Sexual exploitation of children' In recent years, many low and middle-income countries with a tradition of early marriage have introduced legislation to protect their young people. For example, the Marriage Act of Malawi in 2017 makes it illegal for any girl under the age of 18 to marry and holds parents and other family members accountable and liable to prosecution. Last year, Colombia agreed legislation to eradicate child marriage. 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Glasgow Times
01-07-2025
- Glasgow Times
Report warns Glasgow's Barlinnie prison breaches this UN rule
Prison inspectors found that overcrowding and its impacts were the' primary concerns' and warned it breaches UN rules. Ever after the early release of short-term prisoners, the average prison population at Barlinnie was 1370, which was still almost 40% above the design capacity of the Victorian era - built jail. Under the Scottish Government scheme, hundreds of prisoners were released early from jails across Scotland. Emergency legislation was passed to allow eligible prisoners, who were sentenced to less than four years in jail, to be released after 40% of their sentence, instead of 50%. Up to 390 were considered eligible under the programme. Despite releases, Barlinnie was still over capacity. (Image: newsquest) The Independent Prison Monitoring report showed the jail's population peaked at 1,468 in May 2024 and was at its lowest, 1,310 (coinciding with the final tranche of the emergency early release programme) on July 17 and 18, 2024 The inspectors said: 'Overcrowding is a national concern, though a particular issue at HMP Barlinnie.' Overcrowding led to breaches of the United Nations rules on prisoners. The report states: 'As a result of overcrowding, there was evidence of untried and convicted populations being held together in the same residential area, including occasional instances of cell sharing. 'The prison did their best to adhere to the rules, as set out by Prison Rule 16, though this was an increasing challenge due to sustained overcrowding. Housing different prisoner categories together was a breach of Mandela rules 112 & 113.' The UN Rules on minimum standards for prisons state: 'Untried prisoners shall be kept separate from convicted prisoners'. And 'Untried prisoners shall sleep singly in separate rooms, with the reservation of different local custom in respect of the climate.' (Image: newsquest) The report raised concerns about the 'antiquated infrastructure' with cells not meeting the minimum standard size of 4m² per individual. They found it was not possible for every prisoner to have a daily shower. Despite the ageing infrastructure, the inspectors found the jail was well-maintained. It said: 'Communal areas were clean and bright and there were effective means to report any issues. "The grounds were well-maintained and with hanging baskets and a landscape projects which included a raised flower bed, bird feeders, and sculpture which had been designed and crafted in the metalwork shed.' Drugs and violence also feature in the report. It stated: 'Challenges around substance use, in line with much of the Scottish prison estate, was highlighted as a concern. 'During the year, staff mentioned that there had been five violent incidents over a short period, which was unusual for their hall.' The prison monitors reported that this was 'indicative of the risks associated with sustained overcrowding'.
