Virgin to run trains through the Channel Tunnel – passengers will have a choice
Virgin Trains will start running to Europe from 2030 Alex Daniels Britain’s rail regulator has given Virgin Trains approval to access HS1, the high-speed railway between St Pancras and the Channel Tunnel. This is another step towards Virgin running trains to Paris, Brussels and Amsterdam from 2030. Virgin proposes to start services to Paris initially, […]
What Andy Burnham can learn about devolution from Britain’s Victorian industrial cities
Municipal gas profits helped to pay for Birmingham’s museum and art gallery. trabantos/Shutterstock Andy Burnham’s central vision is for a devolved system of local government that promotes economic growth and fosters local pride. The prime minister’s approach resonates with something known as the “municipal gospel” that swept through Victorian cities in the late 19th century. […]
How climate change affects different modes of transport – from roads to railways
ET Tisomboon/Shutterstock As climate change makes extreme weather more frequent and intense, floods, heatwaves, droughts, wildfires and storms are increasingly disrupting the roads, railways, airports and waterways. Roads have been closed in Germany during this summer’s heatwaves, for example, while travel has been chaotic on railways in the UK. But climate change does not affect […]
We can’t quit smartphones, but we can manage digital junk food better
Amy, a 27-year-old software developer, has struggled with disordered eating since she was a teenager. “But after learning to code, I got much better,” she said in a research interview. “I often code for ten or more hours without stopping.” Her psychiatrist, however, worried that Amy has replaced one compulsive behaviour with another. “Digital addiction” […]
What happens to your body when you eat more pulses? Five effects you need to know
marilyn barbone/Shutterstock Lentils, beans and chickpeas have been feeding people for thousands of years. Lentils are among the world’s earliest cultivated crops, with archaeological evidence tracing them back to the beginnings of agriculture. Yet scientists are still learning what happens inside our bodies when we eat them. A 2026 review of the research examined the […]
Between Land and Tide: giant starfish washes up in Portsmouth in this apocalyptic performance art
Five women slowly process across Portsmouth’s municipal park, covered in hessian-coloured layered fabrics. On their heads they wear what look like strange overgrown dreadlocks, making them a group of connected beings. They move towards a deflated hessian starfish shape on the floor. Circling it, they enact a ritual performance, animating the space and quietly paying […]
How political life in Britain became so dangerous
The life of the average British MP is not luxurious or lavish. It is stressful and strange. And sometimes, it can be dangerous. Former Labour MP Paula Sheriff is the latest to detail the threats she endured in her time at Westminster and call for greater protection for politicians. MPs are expected to be “on […]
How Brick Lane became the latest neighbourhood to battle against a data centre
Protestors have opposed plans to redevelop the former Truman Brewery site in east London. chrisdorney Plans for a new data centre on the site of a historic former brewery in east London prompted significant local protest. But, following planning reports and a public inquiry, the secretary of state overrode these concerns and approved the project. […]
Why poetry is a powerful form of climate communication
Illhamt Kamara Studio/Shutterstock For too long, climate communication has relied on the belief that if we stick with the science and communicate the evidence, action will follow. Scientific knowledge gives us the foundations for understanding possible futures, while speculation allows us to explore them. But poetry can bring that speculation to life, giving us a […]
Britain’s quarter century: crime falls, sea-levels rise and education yet to recover from COVID
In this fifth part in our series on how the UK has changed in the past 25 years, we look at crime, education, transport, energy and the environment. Crime and policing Graham Farrell, professor of crime science, University of Leeds Toby Davies, associate professor in criminal justice data analytics, University of Leeds Contrary to many […]