Welcome to Essex Girl's weekly Current Events Explainers

Stay up to date with the latest news and political developments with quick explainers and insights from a Politics and International Relations student. Each week there will be new sections on the biggest stories that week.

Key Events this Week

Pope Francis passes away on Easter Monday

On the 21st of April, the day after one of the most important days in the Christian calendar, Pope Francis passed away at age 88. He had previously spent 38 days in the hospital, admitted on the 18th of February for respiratory illness. It was thought that the worst was over for the Pope but unfortunately, he succumbed to a stroke, just over a month after his release. Pope Francis had been Pope since 2013, taking over from Pope Benedict XVI after his resignation. Francis’ approach to the Papacy was known to be humble and progressive. He emphasised care for the vulnerable and championed the cause of the poor and refugees. He was widely respected by many world leaders, as well as Catholics and non-Catholics across the world due to his emphasis on compassion and empathy. However, he was criticised for not addressing the child abuse scandals in the Church with enough pace or ferocity. Nonetheless, his funeral, held on Saturday the 26th drew an estimated 400,000 mourners. The next Conclave, the secretive election process whereby cardinals from across the world decide together who will be the next Pope. The outcome is unpredictable, with progressives such as Archbishop of Manila, Cardinal Tagle and conservatives such as Cardinal Raymond Leo Burke both seen as favourites in the battle for the papacy. Conclave is expected to take place sometime between the 6th and 11th May. The outcome will reveal whether the next Pope will continue Francis’ progressive legacy or the whether the next Pope will lead the Catholic church down an entirely different path.

Pakistan- India tensions rise after shooting in Kashmir

On the 22nd of April, 26 people were shot dead in a tourist spot near the resort town of Pahalgam located in the Indian-controlled part of Kashmir. The Indian government has labelled this a ‘terrorist attack’ and have accused Pakistan of facilitating cross-border rebels committing the atrocity. A splinter group of the Pakistan-based Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) called Kashmir Resistance has claimed responsibility for the attack, with the Pakistani government denying any ties to the organisation, or the shootings. Pakistan has consistently denied supporting or funding militants in Kashmir, asserting that it provides only moral and diplomatic backing. President Modi of India has pledged to, "identify, track and punish every terrorist and their backers". The Indian government has since announced many retaliative measures against Pakistan such as revoking visas granted to Pakistani nationals, expelling military advisers, shutting down a border crossing, and suspending the vital Indus Water Treaty. Pakistan has responded by cancelling visas, closing Pakistani airspace to all Indian-owned or Indian-operated airlines, and halting all trade with India, including trade routed through third countries. This has significantly escalated existing tensions surrounding the disputed territory, with the Pakistani Defence Minister revealing that this could lead to ‘all out war’. This marks a significant point of a conflict which has existed since the partition of India in 1947 with both India and Pakistan arguing they have right to full control of Kashmir, with the territory being under split control ever since. Western leaders have urged both countries to act with restraint. However, this attack has serious potential to bring this 78-year conflict to a head, with the lives of 3.9 million people in Kashmir hanging in the balance, as well as the stability of the entire region

UK Supreme Court rules that the legal definition of ‘woman’ excludes trans women.

On 16 April 2025, the UK Supreme Court issued a ruling that has deeply impacted transgender communities across Britain. In the case of For Women Scotland Ltd v The Scottish Ministers, the court unanimously held that, under the Equality Act 2010, the definitions of 'woman' and 'sex' pertain solely to biological sex at birth. Trans advocacy groups warn that this decision will have disastrous consequences for transgender people across the country. The ruling introduces uncertainty over which spaces and services transgender women can access, despite earlier protections many thought were guaranteed by the Gender Recognition Act 2004. One of the most concerning potential outcomes of this decision relates to healthcare for trans people and their access to gender affirming treatments. Initially Kier Starmer seemed to support the decision, stating that it provided ‘much needed clarity’. However, he has publicly reversed this claim, stating ‘trans women are women.’ There seems to be general confusion on what Labour’s stance on this actually is, with Equalities Minister Bridget Phillipson announcing her intention to end the practice of mixed-sex hospital wards "once and for all," criticizing the Conservatives for promising to abolish the practice but failing to do so over the years. When asked whether this meant trans women would be required to use men’s health and care facilities, she clarified that "NHS provisions and single-sex services of all kinds will be based on biological sex”. The Equality and Human Rights Commission is currently preparing guidance for businesses and public organizations on the consequences of the ruling which will perhaps offer the trans community some clarity. However, many trans individuals fear this ruling will further turn the tide of hostility against them, as the fate of their identity hangs in the balance.  

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About Me

Hi there! My name is Lois Blackmore. I decided to create 'In The Loop with An Essex Girl' as an outlet for practicing my journalistic skills. I am very passionate about politics and have been since I was about 12 or 13. I am currently studying Politics and International Relations at the University of Bath. With this blog, I hope to cultivate a portfolio of opinion pieces, analysis and commentary that will help me in my future search for work in the industry of journalism and news media. In the process, I hope to help others to make some sense of the chaotic world of politics and global events.  

Email lois.blackmore@outlook.com

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