COVID-19
— A new COVID variant, XBB.1.16, is causing a surge in pediatric COVID cases in India, with doctors noting an increase in conjunctivitis among children, and reports suggesting already an increase in the US, Singapore, and Australia.
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Dark Money
— The Good Law Project has uncovered that the Conservative Party has continued to accept large donations from individuals and companies associated with Russia since the outbreak of the war in Ukraine in February 2022.
Geopolitics
— President Macron’s remarks on Taiwan have attracted criticism as he urged the EU to achieve strategic autonomy by reducing its reliance on the U.S., and called for Europe to be a third power in the world order.
Colonialism
— The UN Special Rapporteur on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples commended the Vatican for its rejection of the Doctrine of Discovery, which remains a source of pain for many Indigenous Peoples.
Brexit
— Tourism leaders are concerned that French and German tourists are starting to avoid the UK due to post-Brexit restrictions on travel with identity cards.
EU Citizens
— The3million has prevailed in a court case against the UK government, with the High Court ruling that data protection rights for EU citizens and other migrants must be upheld by law.
Brexit
— The UK government has admitted that the new Brexit processes contributed to the chaotic travel queues at Dover, despite Home Secretary Suella Braverman denying that Brexit played a role in the delays.
Voter Suppression
— The UK government is facing criticism for proposing mandatory photo ID for voting despite no proven cases of in-person voter impersonation in 2022, alienating 2 million people who just want to cast a ballot.
War in Ukraine
— The head of UNICEF has reported that child casualties in Ukraine have reached a tragic milestone, coinciding with a recent report by the UN human rights office highlighting the increasing numbers of deaths and injuries since the Russian invasion in February 2022.
Dark Money
— A company controlled by a wealthy donor, believed to be a major funder of the far right in Germany, has donated another £50,000 to the Carlton Club – which has, in turn, given £1.3m to the Conservative Party.
UK Politics
— Senior MPs agreed to work for a fictitious South Korean firm for £10,000 a day. Despite their actions being within proper conduct, receiving payment from a foreign entity could result in significant ethical and legal concerns for them.
PartyGate
— The Privileges Committee will rule on whether former PM Boris Johnson misled Parliament in May. If guilty, it can impose punishments from written apologies to salary deduction and suspension, triggering a recall petition and a by-election.
France
— France raised the minimum retirement age from 62 to 64, causing protests and strikes. The reform is to prevent a pension deficit. Other countries are also raising their retirement ages.
Public Health
— Good Law Project investigation reveals £246.6m wasted on 126 million unusable COVID tests procured by the Department of Health and Social Care from six companies, four via VIP Lane.
War in Ukraine
— The UN announced the Black Sea Grain Initiative to facilitate safe exports of grain and related products from Ukrainian seaports. It has helped stabilise global food prices.
UK Politics
— The incident has been widely reported and discussed in the media recently, yet for clarity, here is an overview of the dispute that has captivated the BBC for days and started when Gary Lineker tweeted his views on the government's new immigration legislation.
