COVID-19
— AstraZeneca withdrawing its COVID vaccine from the market has nothing to do with blood clots.
COVID-19
— AstraZeneca withdrawing its COVID vaccine from the market has nothing to do with blood clots.
Student Protests
— Universities have a difficult balance to strike between protecting student speech rights and ensuring campus safety.
Long-Read
— The Brexit process caused significant shifts. Two recent announcements — one about a delayed Brexit-related import control, another on a potential EU-UK Youth Mobility Scheme — highlight the ongoing complexities and political strategies surrounding Brexit negotiations and their impacts.
Public Health
— Welfare reforms targeted at the sick and disabled won’t boost government coffers. In fact, spending on those who need support and investing in less conditional systems has a real financial return.
Rwanda Deportations
— After the House of Lords relented, the UK’s controversial Rwanda asylum bill will become law, despite doubts about its effectiveness, morality, and legality, and challenges to its practical application under Fuller’s legal principles.
Long-Read
— UK and EU leaders, including Gibraltar and Spain, report nearing a post-Brexit agreement for Gibraltar, dubbed the last major Brexit issue. Gibraltar’s complex status and its 96% EU support contrast starkly with broader UK sentiment.
UK Politics
— Labour’s Deputy Leader Angela Rayner faces a police probe over potential electoral law breaches linked to her address from a decade ago. The issue also underscores Labour’s ethical scrutiny amid political risks highlighted by Keir Starmer’s governance strategy.
Venezuela
— In Venezuela, a joke in a travel video led to terrorism charges against its author, underscoring President Maduro’s escalating repression of dissent as elections approach amid severe human rights and economic crises.
European Union
— The European Parliament has passed the Pact on Migration and Asylum after almost ten years of impasse since the 2015 crisis. It aims to distribute responsibilities across EU states, offering nations options to host migrants or pay, amidst ongoing debates about refugees’ rights.
Social Media
— Election disinformation is a critical issue, often exacerbated by AI-powered bots that mimic real users to spread misleading information. These bots can influence public opinion and voter behaviour by amplifying false narratives at a massive scale.
Aviation
— The resignation of Boeing’s CEO and chair after yet another safety failure shows something fundamental needs to change.
Environment
— ExxonMobil is accused of greenwashing over claims that its ‘carbon capture’ project is reducing emissions.
Georgia
— The Georgian government’s embrace of Russian-style social conservatism sparks fears of Russification, with controversial laws and cultural purges targeting dissent, impacting cultural heritage and international partnerships.
2024 General Election
— Recent polls suggest the Tories could face a historic loss in the next general election, with projections showing a potential loss of 250 MPs, leaving them under 100 seats, and both the Prime Minister and Chancellor losing their constituencies.
US-China Relationship
— Biden and Xi discussed stabilising US-China relations, covering Taiwan, TikTok, tariffs, and support for Russia in a 105-minute call, indicating a thaw in relations amid deep-seated mistrust.
NHS
— The COVID-19 pandemic exposed deep-seated racial inequalities within the NHS, with ethnically minoritised staff facing discrimination and barriers to healthcare provision.
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