Explainer: The impact of floods on Ukrainian farmlands after the destruction of the Kakhovka dam June 9, 2023 On Tuesday, the Kakhovka hydroelectric power plant and dam in Ukraine was destroyed, causing floods of disastrous proportions. The dam was the largest reservoir in the country in terms of volume. Ukraine blamed it on Russia, saying it destroyed the dam to block Ukrainian troops in their counter-offensive. Russia, of course, blamed Ukraine, without providing [...]
Artificial intelligence is bringing about a revolution that the UK shouldn’t try to resist June 9, 2023 Artificial intelligence is creating a divide between life as it was and life as it will be. UK businesses and leaders shouldn't make the common mistake of refraining from it; they should embrace it, writes Chris Hirst
Explainer: The Woking case, and what happens when councils go bust June 8, 2023 This week, Woking Council declared effective bankruptcy with a deficit of £1.2bn. It is only the latest in a string of councils going bust, a result of the chronic local government underfunding that took place over the past decade. The Woking case is one of misguided investments. The council, which was controlled by the Conservatives [...]
Explainer: What if Ben Wallace becomes NATO chief? June 7, 2023 Rishi Sunak is in the United States to meet with President Joe Biden for the fourth time this year. His agenda is packed, and the main topic of discussion with Biden is expected to be artificial intelligence. Indeed, Sunak hopes to drum enthusiasm up for the UK as a global leader in AI regulation. Although [...]
Explainer: How does Apple’s new virtual reality headset work? June 6, 2023 Yesterday, Apple did something that could revolutionise the way we interact with tech and with our surroundings: it launched Apple Vision Pro, its $3,499 virtual reality headset. Apple CEO Tim Cook described it as “the first Apple product you look through, not at”. The idea might feel a little daunting at first – but once [...]
Explainer: What’s behind a potential price cap on essential food June 5, 2023 Now, it’s been so long it’s almost hard to remember when it started, but the price of pretty much everything has been going up in the UK for months on end. Food was always the most painful item area to go up in price – with the “eat or heat” tragic dichotomy predominating last winter. [...]
Explainer: The British circus around Europe to strike migration deals June 2, 2023 Not many people would expect to spend their Friday morning scrolling through Robert Jenrick’s Instagram account. For those who don’t know him, he’s the Minister for Immigration, Suella Braverman’s right-hand man. Jenrick doesn’t like migration very much – and has made that clear through various statements of various tastelessness. He claimed that “uncontrolled migration threatens [...]
Explainer: Who is to blame for the decline of British universities? June 1, 2023 It’s not a great time to be a university in the UK. First came Brexit, with its impact on European students who now prefer destinations like the Netherlands, which are much cheaper and still provide top-notch education. Then came the pandemic, with remote lectures and enraged students asking for their money back. Now, the government [...]
Explainer: Why Erdoğan refuses to let Sweden join NATO May 31, 2023 This is a big week in foreign policy. Rishi Sunak is preparing for his trip to Moldova tomorrow, to attend the European Political Community Summit, where he hopes to talk about migration and support for Ukraine. Yet with the newly re-elected Recep Tayyip Erdoğan also invited, there’s another issue that might overshadow the Summit, something [...]
Politicians don’t understand housing and asylum seekers will pay the price May 31, 2023 The government wants to temporarily scrap HMO licensing for asylum seekers' accommodation. It risks creating a set of dangerous sub-standard homes unfit for the future, writes Elena Siniscalco
