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Note from Pauline
The UK’s cost of living crisis has been driven by rapid price inflation in recent years. In some areas – energy but not food prices – inflation is easing as costs stabilise. But it’s also clear that inflation is not such a sticky problem in other countries like the US or in parts of Europe.
The Bank of England has already used its main tool — interest rate hikes — 12 times in a row to try to manage rising prices, so what else can be done to tackle the UK’s persistent inflation problem? As two academics from Bangor University explain, re-thinking the outsize role of the UK financial services sector could be a great place to start.
A complete overhaul is needed to address the racial disparity in medical care that puts black women at greater risk of maternal death in the UK. Find out more about what philosophers call epistemic injustice.
We also discuss the recent drone strikes on Moscow, which look set to boost Ukrainian morale ahead of another “painful military push”.
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Pauline McCallion
Senior Business Editor
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Price rises are slowing but inflation remains persistent.
Ink Drop/Shutterstock
Edward Thomas Jones, Bangor University; Yener Altunbas, Bangor University
UK inflation has been stubbornly high and interest rate hikes have not yet brought it in line with other advanced economies.
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Politics + Society
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David Hastings Dunn, University of Birmingham; Stefan Wolff, University of Birmingham
Drone strikes in Moscow are just one sign of an intensifying air war ahead of Ukraine’s offensive.
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Charlie Walker, University of Southampton
The Kremlin’s appeals to Russian masculinity will miss the mark. Russian men have changed over the past two decades.
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Paul Whiteley, University of Essex
The relationship between net migration and support for the governing party is positive.
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Jasmine Fledderjohann, Lancaster University; Maureen Owino, York University, Canada; Sophie Patterson, Lancaster University
Everyone should have the right to have, or not have, a child and to parent with dignity in a safe environment – but food insecurity makes this difficult.
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Matt Harris, Park University
The news media spent a lot of time reporting on how much progressive Democrats and conservative Republicans didn’t like the debt ceiling deal. But centrists had enough votes to pass it in the House.
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Ricardo Villegas, University of South Australia; Rick Sarre, University of South Australia
In his judgment, the judge said he was satisfied the most serious imputations were proven on the balance of probabilities, which is the test in such civil cases.
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Arts + Culture
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Daniel Brookes, University of Bristol
Though we desire the Succession ending we want, we long for something that violently prevents us from getting it at the exact same time.
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Joshua Gulam, Liverpool Hope University; Dr Sarah Feinstein, University of Leeds; Fraser Elliott, The University of Edinburgh
The seemingly chaotic nature of the Fast Saga’s development is central to the Furious-verse’s appeal.
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Education
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Ian Williams, University of Southampton
Rubbish can be reused or recycled – or it may end up in a dumpsite.
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Environment
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Osmar J. Luiz, Charles Darwin University
One of the most damaging invasive species in the oceans has breached a major barrier – the Amazon-Orinoco river plume – and is spreading along Brazil’s coast. Scientists are trying to catch up.
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Richard Gregory, UCL
Insect-eating birds such as swifts and yellow wagtails are particularly vulnerable.
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Health
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Ian James Kidd, University of Nottingham
A recent report found that black women are four times more likely to die while pregnant or just after childbirth, compared with white women.
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Michael Head, University of Southampton; Ramsey Cutress, University of Southampton; Stuart McIntosh, Queen's University Belfast
Lung and thyroid cancers are the least well-funded cancers compared to their global burdens.
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Science + Technology
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Giovanni Sala, University of Liverpool; Fernand Gobet, London School of Economics and Political Science
Education, contacts and luck can play a considerable role when it comes to building up wealth.
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Podcasts
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Daniel Merino, The Conversation; Nehal El-Hadi, The Conversation
Governments and activist groups are bringing environmental issues to international courts. They argue that the impact of climate change and environmental issues affect human rights.
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15 - 16 June 2023
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Birmingham
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22 - 23 June 2023
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Birmingham
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28 June 2023
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Birmingham
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