What the failed next generation fighter jet deal means for European defence

A few hours before the inauguration of the Berlin ILA airshow, the German Chancellor unsurprisingly announced the end of the Future Combat Air System (FCAS). Launched by Emmanuel Macron and Angela Merkel in 2017, the program initially intended to prepare a Next Generation Fighter (NGF) aircraft, remote effectors, loyal unmanned wingmen (drones, as in unmanned […]

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£22.9m to support ambitious, transformational projects – UKRI

Further information Ofgem SIF: Cycle five beta, summary of projects approved Round five, challenge five: Enhanced system visibility and control Fractal Flow Fractal Flow is a near-real-time digital twin that will improve visibility and coordination across NESO and Distribution System Operators, to improve control room decision making, coordination and situational awareness. SIF funding award: £7,947,286 […]

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Marjane Satrapi, the woman who helped the world understand Iran

The news of Iranian-French artist Marjane Satrapi’s death, on June 4 2026, at the age of just 56, has stirred emotions that extend far beyond the world of comics and the film industry. Tributes have been paid to an outspoken, strong-willed, freedom-loving artist, and a tireless critic of the Islamic Republic of Iran. None of […]

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Office of Public Affairs | Guatemalan Human Smugglers Admit to Roles in 2021 Mass Casualty Event in Chiapas, Mexico

Two foreign nationals have pleaded guilty to human smuggling charges related to the crash of a tractor-trailer packed with at least 160 illegal aliens which resulted in the deaths of more than 50 people, including unaccompanied children, and injured over 100 more. “This tragic event shows that human smugglers do not care about the illegal […]

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Belfast unrest shows the power of social media as far‑right views on immigration enter the mainstream

Footage of a horrific knife attack in Belfast began to circulate on social media on Monday evening. A Sudanese asylum-seeker in his 30s, who entered the UK in 2023, has been charged with attempted murder. Meanwhile, the far-right was quick to exploit the situation to further an anti-immigration agenda. Violent unrest followed on the streets […]

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The hidden biodiversity battle to save Europe’s forests

In the village of Suonenjoki, the Natural Resources Institute Finland (Luke) stands surrounded by a forest of pine trees. The local soils are not fertile and pine is pretty much the only species that can grow there. But in a nursery on campus, where young trees are grown from seed before being planted, there are […]

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what we can learn from reading Marjane Satrapi’s Persepolis during the Iran War

Comic book author Marjane Satrapi passed away last week in Paris at age 56, just before conflict between Israel and her native Iran re-erupted. While her work has enjoyed enduring fame, the present conflict has made it more relevant than ever before. Satrapi’s work is unique for how it weaves her own personal story with […]

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Joint Statement from UK and Australia on the Australia-UK Ministerial Consultations: 10 June 2026

On 10 June 2026, the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, the Rt Hon Yvette Cooper MP, and the Secretary of State for Defence, the Rt Hon John Healey MP, hosted the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Defence, the Hon Richard Marles MP, and the Minister for Foreign Affairs, Senator the […]

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an uncomfortable reminder of the innocent people ‘burnt out’ during the Troubles

The images coming out of Belfast overnight on Tuesday were shocking. Violent unrest erupted in the north of the city after a man was seriously injured in a knife attack and a Sudanese migrant was arrested on suspicion of attempted murder. British far-right agitators including Stephen Yaxley-Lennon (also known as Tommy Robinson) wasted no time […]

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Chornobyl 40 years later: Learning from the past

  In the early hours of 26 April 1986, what should have been a routine test at Chornobyl nuclear power plant, quickly escalated into the world’s biggest nuclear accident. A combination of fatal flaws in the reactor’s design and human error, led to a catastrophic explosion, releasing massive amounts of radiation. The true number of […]

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