Newsletter Feb 7, 2023

Workers stage largest strike in history of Britain's health service

Tens of thousands of nurses and ambulance service staff walked off the job on Monday in a pay dispute, putting further strain on Britain's state-run National Health Service with their largest ever strike.

UK property investors include Kremlin allies: study

More than 18,000 offshore companies together hold almost 52,000 properties in England and Wales.

Zelenskiy vows changes will bolster Ukraine amid defence minister uncertainty

President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said personnel changes on the border and front line will bolster Ukraine's military efforts amid uncertainty over the future of his defence minister, just as Russia advances for the first time in six months in the east.

Why was the Turkey-Syria earthquake so deadly?

More than 2,300 people have been killed by the 7.8-magnitude quake near Turkey's Syrian border, with the toll expected to grow.

In Turkey, night fills with screams and crying as earthquake rescues go on

The screams of people still trapped in the rubble filled the night early on Tuesday and relatives wept for their loved ones as the death toll in Turkey and in neighbouring northwest Syria rose to more than 3,700.

At least 20 escape Syria prison holding IS inmates after quake

The prison also holds fighters from Kurdish-led forces.

Bank of England's Mann doubles down on backing for rate hikes

Bank of England rate-setter Catherine Mann on Monday backed further increases in interest rates and warned that pausing, as some of her colleagues advocate, risked a confusing "policy boogie" if it turned out rates would need to rise again.

What is Bank of England watching as it considers peak in rates?

The Bank of England has signalled the tide is turning in its battle against high inflation after a series of interest rate hikes - but it has also said it is too soon declare victory.

EU, UK face difficulties on N. Ireland despite progress - Sefcovic

The European Union has made progress in its talks with the UK on the trading arrangements of Northern Ireland but difficulties remain, European Commission Vice-President Maros Sefcovic said on Monday.

Oil rises on supply concerns, China demand outlook brightens

Oil prices rose for a second day on Tuesday on supply concerns after an earthquake shuttered a major export terminal in Turkey and a field in the North Sea shut unexpectedly, while demand in China, the world's biggest importer, looks set to increase.

Nigerian senator and family on trial in UK over organ harvesting plot

A wealthy Nigerian politician and his family plotted to bring a street trader from Nigeria to Britain and pay him a few thousand pounds to donate his kidney for a transplant for his ill daughter, a British prosecutor told a London court on Monday.

France moves to block access to pornography sites for minors

France will present this week a digital-certification mechanism to oblige pornography websites to effectively control the age of viewers on their sites from September, French digital minister Jean-Noel Barrot said on Monday.

Google to release ChatGPT rival named Bard

Google's announcement came on the eve of an AI-related launch event by Microsoft.

What the world's longest happiness study says about money

For generations, society has grappled with the question of whether money brings happiness. Now a new book has some answers - with the data to back it up.