Cost of Living
— A reduction in your energy bills may not provide immediate relief from your financial difficulties, as inflation and interest rates remain high and exert pressure.
Cost of Living
— A reduction in your energy bills may not provide immediate relief from your financial difficulties, as inflation and interest rates remain high and exert pressure.
Investigation
— Prime Minister Rishi Sunak’s use of pens with erasable ink has sparked concerns over government transparency. Critics suggest these pens could enable the removal of important notes from official documents, challenging historical accountability.
Russia
— Yevgeny Prigozhin’s coup attempt exposed the weakness and fragility of Vladimir Putin’s regime and the war in Ukraine. The crisis also raised doubts about Russia’s reliability as a partner for its allies. The failed rebellion may have lasting repercussions for Russia and the region.
Geopolitics
— In a French TV interview, US climate envoy John Kerry defended the US stance on Ukraine and denied that the Iraq war was a war of aggression or a crime based on a lie.
Greece
— The centre-right New Democracy party, led by Greek PM Kyriakos Mitsotakis, has won a decisive victory in the Greek election, granting him a second four-year term and a strong majority in parliament.
COVID-19
— A new book exposes the tensions between the Treasury and health officials over the COVID-19 vaccine programme, and alleges that Steve Barclay delayed the approval of the programme due to value-for-money concerns, angering the vaccine taskforce.
Climate Change
— Using computer models to simulate how different stresses and events can trigger tipping points in forests, lakes, lagoons and islands, scientists warn that more than 20% of the world’s ecosystems are at risk of collapsing due to human pressures and climate extremes.
COVID-19
— FU.1, a new COVID strain that is more contagious and faster spreading than the previous ones, has been detected in many countries and poses a serious risk of another wave of infections.
European Union
— On the seventh anniversary of the Brexit referendum, London’s City Hall and the Mayor of London’s office have been banned from flying the EU flag outside City Hall.
OPINION
— Keir Starmer pledges to end new UK oil and gas exploration – an expert’s take on why this is the right move.
COVID-19 Inquiry
— The COVID Inquiry has revealed the UK’s pandemic prep failures, including a lack of lockdown planning, PPE stockpiling, slow testing, and isolation response. Bereaved families demand justice and accountability for their loved ones.
Long COVID Kids
— Widespread vaccination of children would likely avert thousands of cases of long COVID in the UK.
Analysis
— Those who seek power for the sake of power are less attracted to high office when more people get a say.
Long-Read
— Professor Chris Grey on the UK’s ambition to lead global AI regulation after Brexit, and the challenges and opportunities it faces, with the competition from other countries and regions, especially the EU.
Brazil
— The World Health Organization (WHO) has reported a fatal case of swine flu in Brazil, marking the first human infection from the H1N1 virus in the country in 2023.
Analysis
— The privileges process is a vital part of the British constitution, so what the committee investigating Boris Johnson decides matters for future precedent, even if he is gone.
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