Scientists have decided it’s official – people do not necessarily have to believe in a “god” to have a moral compass. A group of four University of Illinois surveys found that while there were subtle differences in behaviour between groups of atheists and religious people – or “theists” – they live by the same moral codes. Tomas Ståhl of the University of Illinois said: “The most general take-home message from these studies is that people who do not believe in God do have a moral compass. "In fact, they share many of the same moral concerns that religious believers have, such as concerns about fairness, and about protecting vulnerable individuals from harm.” The first two surveys crowdsourced responses from hundreds of American residents, and found that religion was unrelated to amoral tendencies, whether people would endorse liberty or oppression or whether people cared about being fair to others. The second two surveys compared thousands of people across the US and Sweden, which is a much more secular country. The data came up with the same results. Mainstream religions are on a downward trend worldwide. In the UK, for example, just 46 percent of people identified as Christian in the 2021 census, compared to 59 percent in 2011. The US has seen similar declines. Ståhl added: “However, disbelievers are less inclined than believers to endorse moral values that serve group cohesion, such as having respect for authorities, ingroup loyalty, and sanctity… “It is possible that the negative stereotype of atheists as immoral may stem in part from the fact that they are less inclined than religious people to view respect for authority, ingroup loyalty, and sanctity as relevant for morality, and they are more likely to make moral judgments about harm on a consequentialist, case by case basis.” It’s news that will come as little surprise to the estimated 750 million atheists across the globe, of course. But for people who still think religion is the key to morality, it could be food for thought. How to join the indy100's free WhatsApp channel Sign up to our free indy100 weekly newsletter Have your say in our news democracy. Click the upvote icon at the top of the page to help raise this article through the indy100 rankings.

CONCACAF meted out suspensions to Weston McKennie and Sergino Dest of the United States and Mexico’s Cesar Montes and Gerardo Arteaga on Friday in the wake of the stormy Champions...

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Luton boss Rob Edwards hailed “magic” super-sub Elijah Adebayo after the striker’s stoppage-time equaliser clinched a 2-2 draw at Nottingham Forest. Forest led 2-0 in the 83rd minute through Chris Wood’s second-half double, but Chiedozie Ogbene gave the Hatters a late lifeline and Adebayo’s superb effort snatched them a point. The 25-year-old took Tom Lockyer’s long ball into the box on his chest and buried a low shot in the second minute of added time as Luton, promoted via the play-offs in May, registered just their fifth point from nine matches. Edwards said: “It was a great goal. He’s got those moments. He came on against Burnley and got his goal and he’s done it again today. “He’s got these little moments of magic in him. The assist he got at Sheffield United, the assist at Wembley. He’s had big moments for us Eli since we’ve been here. “He was frustrated not to start the game as I would expect, but that’s what you’ve got to do when you come on. That’s what I want. He gives me a difficult decision to make next week.” Forest were worthy of their 2-0 lead after Wood struck in the 48th and 76th minute, but Luton refused to surrender. Ogbene lashed home in the 83rd minute after Forest had failed to clear a free-kick and Adebayo, a second-half replacement for Pelly Ruddock Mpanzu, had the final word. Edwards added: “I’m really proud of the players. The spirit, the fight and determination. “We finish the game strongly. We will never give up, we will always keep fighting. “We’re where we expected to be. Nobody expects us to be top four. We’re where we expected to be, in the fight we expected to be in. We’re comfortable with it.” Nottingham Forest boss Steve Cooper could not hide his frustration after his side’s winless run was extended to five matches. “It’s disappointment in the end,” Cooper said. “We dominated the game and we’re disappointed we weren’t leading by one or two goals at half-time. “We obviously got the early goal in the second half and then made it 2-0 and it all changes on a set-piece, which we defended terribly really. “Of all Luton’s threats off set-plays, it was the worst delivery of the day and ends up in the back of our net and that’s where the momentum changes. “It’s a real pity because of the way we had played for however long it was before their first goal went in because it was a comfortable game for us.”

Barbie fever has officially hit the UK with its London premiere on Wednesday (12 July) to celebrate the upcoming arrival of Greta Gerwig's movie. Margot Robbie took to the pink carpet in a custom Vivienne Westwood gown, inspired by the Enchanted Evening Barbie from 1960. The pale pink gown had a corseted strapless top, floral detailing at the hip, a train and white opera gloves. She walked onto the red carpet with a ruffle around her neck – like the doll – which she later removed. Ryan Gosling, who plays Ken in the film, sported a 70s-inspired spearmint suit with a lighter-coloured shirt underneath. The event saw a host of stars, including Dua Lipa, Doctor Who star Ncuti Gatwa, Sam Smith, Leomie Anderson, Molly Mae, Andrew Wyatt, Rob Brydon and many more. With the film release just around the corner and the marketing team still putting in overtime to paint the world pink, some people's attention has wandered elsewhere with the very random, yet thought-provoking, question of how old the fictional doll is supposed to be. Now, on paper, the Barbie doll (formerly known as Barbara Millicent Roberts) has existed for over 60 years. The doll was first released in 1959, which would make her 64. Ken arrived two years later. Sign up for our free Indy100 weekly newsletter However, in the past, Mattel has said Barbie is frozen at 19 years old. Given her impressive CV as a dentist, vet, chef, dancer, designer, and photojournalist, among many more, we'd argue she's not doing too bad. Not to mention her DreamHouse and car ownership, "My whole philosophy of Barbie was that through the doll, the little girl could be anything she wanted to be," Barbie creator Ruth Handler wrote in her 1994 autobiography. "Barbie always represented the fact that a woman has choices." Barbie is produced by Robbie’s company LuckyChap and will be released in cinemas on July 21. Have your say in our news democracy. Click the upvote icon at the top of the page to help raise this article through the indy100 rankings.

In a coffee-growing region of Colombia, the world's third-largest producer, a group of farmers have declared a truce with an indigenous inhabitant they once hunted but now hail -- the...