Antonio Voce

Exclusive More in Common modelling for The Guardian shows that proportional representation would produce a far more balanced UK parliament than first past the post. Based on current polling, Reform UK could win 46% of seats with 28% of the vote under first past the post, but between 27% and 33% under three proportional systems. Reform's projected dominance in regions such as north-east England would also be substantially reduced, while Labour, the Greens and other smaller parties would gain representation. The models suggest that either a progressive coalition or a Reform-Conservative coalition would be needed to form a government. Support for reform has grown among some politicians and voters, but any change would likely face demands for a referendum and the difficulty of replacing a familiar voting system.

Extreme heat is driving India’s informal workers further into poverty by reducing productivity, forcing work absences and worsening heat-related illness. IIED research found that highly physical workers lost an average of 6.6% of their salaries in 2024, while outdoor workers lost nearly 9%, with Rajasthan among the hardest-hit regions. India loses an estimated 21.1 working days per person annually to extreme heat, potentially costing the economy at least £58bn, while repeated dehydration could cause chronic kidney disease in more than 26 million informal workers. Interviews with construction and daily-wage laborers in Gurugram illustrate how inadequate shade, water, rest and medical support compel workers to continue working while sick, with women also carrying additional childcare responsibilities.

Data from ACLED and the Global Terrorism Index indicates that insecurity in Nigeria has worsened after several years of improvement, with attacks spread across multiple regions. The article attributes the crisis largely to governance vacuums, under-governed areas, economic and political marginalisation, and an overstretched military and police force. Nigerian and US counterterrorism operations, including the killing of Islamic State commander Abu-Bilal al-Minuki and the deployment of US military advisers, have not halted the rise in violence. The deteriorating security situation is receiving increased scrutiny ahead of Nigeria’s general elections.

The 2026 UK elections produced major shifts in local government across England, with Labour losing 1,229 councillors and control of 37 councils. Reform UK gained 1,372 councillors and took control of 14 councils, while the Greens gained 393 councillors and five councils, including Hackney and Lambeth; the Liberal Democrats also made modest gains. Labour retained control of some major councils, including Manchester and Wigan, despite heavy losses in contested seats. In the mayoral contests, the Greens won Hackney and Lewisham, Conservatives held Croydon, Labour held Newham, Aspire held Tower Hamlets and the Liberal Democrats held Watford. Plaid Cymru led the new Welsh Senedd with 43 of 96 seats, ahead of Reform UK with 34, while in Scotland the SNP remained the largest party with 58 of 129 seats despite losses; Labour and the Conservatives also lost ground, while Reform and the Greens advanced.

Thailand and Cambodia’s renewed border conflict is rooted in early-20th-century Franco-Siamese treaties and conflicting interpretations of colonial maps. The 1904 and 1907 agreements shifted the frontier and placed ancient Khmer temples near or within the disputed border zone, including Preah Vihear, Ta Moan Thom and Ta Khwai. The 1907 Annex I map placed Preah Vihear in Cambodia, while Thailand argues that the treaties require the border to follow the Dangrek watershed. The International Court of Justice awarded the temple to Cambodia in 1962 but did not settle ownership of the surrounding territory, leaving the temples as continuing flashpoints amid broader nationalism and rivalry between the two countries.

Nour AbuShammala recounts six forced displacements across Gaza during the war that began after the 7 October 2023 Hamas attacks. Her family moved from Gaza City to Khan Younis, al-Mawasi and Nuseirat before returning repeatedly to their badly damaged Gaza City apartment. The family endured destroyed homes, shortages of food, water, gas and electricity, and Muhammad’s severe injuries in an Israeli airstrike that killed 24 Palestinians. Despite renewed evacuation orders and continuing insecurity after a ceasefire, AbuShammala regards Gaza City as home and helps rebuild her community while hoping to resume her international-law studies in Jordan. Satellite imagery, geolocated footage and other sources were used to verify the family’s movements and the destruction documented in the project.

GPS tracking reveals how Desertas petrels, nightingales and Bewick’s swans navigate changing conditions across their migration routes. Desertas petrels pursue tropical storms to find prey, but warming oceans may disrupt the marine food webs they depend on. Nightingales face drought, wildfires, habitat degradation and hunting along routes between Britain and West Africa, contributing to a 91% decline in Britain over 50 years. Bewick’s swans are adapting to warmer European winters by stopping farther north, although their population is also threatened by illegal hunting, lead ammunition, competition and Arctic predation. More precise tracking is helping conservationists identify the habitats and stopover sites most in need of protection.

The UK government faces pressure to raise taxes to address a projected £40bn hole in the public finances, prompting Labour figures to consider a wealth tax. Drawing on the Wealth Tax Commission’s research, the guide explains how such a levy could operate and potentially raise substantial revenue, while critics warn that it would be costly to administer and could encourage wealthy people to move assets or leave the country. The Institute for Fiscal Studies and tax economist Andy Summers favour reforming Capital Gains Tax and closing exemptions instead. International examples show mixed results, with Spain and Switzerland maintaining wealth taxes while Austria, Denmark and Germany abandoned them.

Gaza City’s Omar al-Mukhtar street, once a lively commercial and cultural artery, has been reduced to rubble by the war, while displaced residents try to preserve memories of ordinary life and rebuild what they can. The destruction of Capital Mall, the Islamic University of Gaza, bakeries, restaurants, the Omari mosque and the port has devastated education, food access, religious life and livelihoods. Residents describe studying under bombardment, queuing for scarce and unaffordable bread, living in tents and fishing amid lethal risks, yet continuing to pursue education, reopen businesses, pray and maintain connections to their city.

Russia’s reported peace demands would require Ukraine to recognise, formally or practically, Russian control over Crimea and occupied parts of several eastern and southern oblasts, affecting territories that were home to about 11 million people before the war. The conflict has also displaced roughly 9 million Ukrainians, creating major complications for any future elections. Experts warn that an ambiguous or coerced settlement could encourage further Russian aggression, undermine democratic legitimacy, delay reconstruction and deter foreign investment. Effective European or US security guarantees, continued progress toward EU accession and carefully prepared elections are presented as essential to Ukraine’s stability and recovery.

Reform UK made sweeping gains in England’s 2025 local elections, taking control of numerous councils and winning the new Greater Lincolnshire and Hull & East Yorkshire mayoralties. The Conservatives suffered major losses, including losing control of Buckinghamshire, Devon, Leicestershire, Lincolnshire, Nottinghamshire and Staffordshire. The Liberal Democrats also advanced significantly, gaining control of Cambridgeshire and making strong gains in areas such as Oxfordshire and Gloucestershire. Labour retained the mayoralties of Doncaster, North Tyneside and the West of England but recorded notable council-seat losses. The results highlighted substantial voter dissatisfaction with the established major parties and produced several councils with no overall control.

US recession fears have increased as business and consumer confidence weaken amid Donald Trump’s tariff threats and uncertainty over economic policy. Several indicators point to cooling conditions, including a potentially contracting first-quarter GDP, declining consumer spending, market volatility and rising manufacturing input costs. However, the Atlanta Fed’s negative GDPNow estimate may be overstated by a temporary surge in imports, particularly gold. Inflation remains above target, employment is historically strong, and wage growth exceeds inflation, but further tariffs could raise prices and limit the Federal Reserve’s ability to cut interest rates. The outlook is therefore deteriorating, though most economists still believe a recession can be avoided.

Germany will elect a new Bundestag on 23 February 2025 after the collapse of Olaf Scholz’s SPD-Green-FDP coalition. Polling places the CDU/CSU in the lead, with the far-right AfD in second, while the SPD, Greens, FDP, BSW and Die Linke compete for representation and coalition relevance. Friedrich Merz, Olaf Scholz, Robert Habeck and Alice Weidel are among the principal figures profiled. Because no party is expected to win a majority, the next government will depend on coalition negotiations, with seat projections affected by the 5% electoral threshold and constituency-seat exceptions.

An interactive tracker records 595 completed transfers worth approximately £1.1bn across Europe’s Premier League, La Liga, Bundesliga, Serie A and Ligue 1 during the January 2025 window. It lists deals by date, club, league, fee and loan status, including late moves such as João Félix to Milan, Mathis Amougou to Chelsea and Axel Disasi to Aston Villa. The accompanying analysis examines likely recruitment priorities and financial constraints at major clubs, Liverpool’s unresolved contracts for Mohamed Salah, Virgil van Dijk and Trent Alexander-Arnold, Barcelona’s registration problem involving Dani Olmo, and title races in England, Spain, Germany, Italy and France.

A continually updated guide records completed January 2025 transfers across the Women’s Super League, Liga F, Frauen-Bundesliga, Première Ligue and Serie A Femminile. The visible update lists 196 completed deals worth £2.1m in total, including Tarciane’s reported £770,000 move from Houston Dash to Lyon, Maren Mjelde’s free transfer to Everton, Alejandra Bernabe’s loan from Chelsea to Liverpool and several moves involving Levante, Como and Juventus.

The House of Commons approved the second reading of a private member’s bill that would allow some terminally ill people in England and Wales to end their lives with medical assistance. Because the vote was free, MPs from all parties were able to vote according to their own views. The interactive feature enables users to search how individual MPs voted.

Republicans secured control of the White House and both chambers of Congress, creating a Washington trifecta. Republicans won 220 House seats to Democrats’ 215, while Republicans took 53 Senate seats to Democrats’ 47, including independents who caucus with them. Republicans and Democrats remained at 27 and 23 governorships respectively after all 11 gubernatorial races were called. The interactive guide provides results for every state and explains how House, Senate and gubernatorial elections work, including terms, powers, runoff rules and ranked-choice voting. Results were reported and called by the Associated Press.

The 2024 European Parliament election produced a 720-seat legislature in which the centre-right EPP remained the largest group with 188 seats, while the Socialists and Democrats, Greens, Renew Europe and the Left lost ground. Rightwing and far-right forces made gains, including the ECR, Patriots for Europe and the newly formed Europe of Sovereign Nations, but no single group is close to the 361 seats needed for a majority. The interactive breakdown shows results by bloc and member state, explains the EU’s proportional and degressively proportional voting system, and notes that group affiliations can remain provisional after national counts are completed.

Labour won 412 of the 650 UK parliamentary seats, securing a large majority under Keir Starmer, who became prime minister. The Conservatives fell to 121 seats, while the Liberal Democrats rose to 72; the SNP suffered major losses, and Reform UK won five seats. The interactive presentation provides constituency-level results, national seat and vote totals, maps and explanations of the first-past-the-post system. Comparisons with 2019 are adjusted for new constituency boundaries using modelled data for most seats.

GCSE history teaching in England gives limited attention to Black British history and the British Empire. Guardian analysis of exam-board data finds that up to 11% of GCSE students study modules referencing Black contributions to Britain, while fewer than 10% study modules significantly addressing the empire. Educators and campaigners argue that this omission obscures Britain’s multicultural past, reinforces narratives of Black people as victims, and contributes to feelings of exclusion. Although some teachers are already broadening traditional subjects such as the Tudors and Nazi Germany, they face shortages of time, money and specialist knowledge. The Department for Education says the curriculum is diverse but has rejected calls from the Black Curriculum to make Black history mandatory.