Category: The Conversation – UK

Source: The Conversation – UK – By Francesca Jackson, PhD candidate, Lancaster Law School, Lancaster University

King Charles’s four-day state visit to the US is going ahead as planned, after a shooting at the White House correspondents’ dinner raised doubts about security. The royal trip, which coincides with the 250th anniversary of American independence, is the first since 2007, when the late Queen Elizabeth II was hosted by President George W. Bush.

State visits are formal, international visits made by the heads of state, which in the UK is the king. In September 2025, the king hosted an inbound state visit for US President Donald Trump. Now, he and Queen Camilla will head to Washington DC, New York and Virginia.

The visit, which runs from April 27 to 30, has been controversial amid tensions between the White House and Downing Street. Trump has repeatedly criticised Keir Starmer over a lack of support for the US military operation in Iran. Trump’s threats to buy Greenland, and capture of Venezuela’s president Nicolás Maduro, have also received varying levels of criticism from the UK government.

Trump has also called the UK’s plan to cede sovereignty of the Chagos Islands to Mauritius an “act of great stupidity”, and reports suggest the US is reviewing its position on Britain’s claim to sovereignty of the Falkland Islands.

Diplomacy between the two countries is currently at an “all time low”, according to former Labour defence minister and Nato secretary general Lord Robertson. Lib Dem leader Ed Davey has called for the visit to be cancelled, and Emily Thornberry, chair of the foreign affairs select committee, has said it should be delayed while the war in Iran is ongoing.

In addition, the visit is difficult for the king personally. Charles’ brother, Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor, was a close associate of the convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. The king has been urged to meet with Epstein’s victims. No such meeting is currently scheduled, although the queen is due to meet representatives of campaigns against violence against women.

The final decision over whether to cancel or proceed with a state visit lies with the government, not the king. It is constitutional convention that the monarch must ultimately accept the advice of the prime minister.

Indeed, the Buckingham Palace press release announcing the visit stated that it would take place “on advice of His Majesty’s Government”. This specific wording is rare – usually, there is no explicit mention of state visits being made on the advice of the government. Given Trump’s respect for the royal family, Starmer’s government likely sees this visit as a necessary opportunity to ease UK-US tensions.

How are state visits arranged?

Both inbound and outbound state visits are coordinated by the UK Royal Visits Committee (RVC), which is comprised of Cabinet Office officials. They pass the RVC’s recommendations to the prime minister, who offers formal advice to the monarch. The king’s representatives attend RVC meetings.

According to the 19th-century constitutional historian Walter Bagehot, the monarch has “the right to be consulted, the right to advise, and the right to warn”. This seems to at least give the monarch a bit of discretion over details of their state visits.

George VI – the first reigning British monarch to make a state visit to the US, in 1939 – made some changes to the itinerary originally presented to him, including requesting not to address Congress due to his stammer.

Following talks with the White House, Buckingham Palace have reportedly made some “modest operational adjustments” to a few engagements during this visit due to security concerns sparked by the shooting at the correspondents’ dinner.

Tricky political climate

It is not unusual for political events to cast a shadow over state visits. Queen Elizabeth II’s first US state visit took place amid the Suez crisis. Her presence helped to “preserve the special relationship” at a time when it was being tested like never before.

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Read more:
What to expect next from the ‘special relationship’ as Trump again lashes out at Keir Starmer

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Ahead of the US bicentennial celebrations in 1976, the British ambassador in Washington even warned against sending the queen to Washington due to political events. Amid the Watergate scandal, there was “a very real chance not only of embarrassment to Her Majesty, but of impairment to the dignity of the monarchy”. The RVC suggested that Charles, then Prince of Wales, should go instead.

The British government has long referred to state visits as their “big gun” thanks to the popularity of the monarchy and the symbolic power of a state visit.

Trump is known to admire the British royal family, describing the king as a “fantastic man”. Recent history suggests the king may even be one of the few people to whom Trump is willing to listen.

Just a week after visiting Windsor Castle in September 2025, the president went from urging Kyiv to make territorial concessions to insisting, at the UN General Assembly of Nations, that it could win back all of the territory captured by Russia since 2022. According to Volodymyr Zelensky’s chief of staff, King Charles was a “key influence” on this shift.

Most recently, private comments made by the king to the president were said to have encouraged Trump to backtrack from his comments about British soldiers “staying back” from the front lines in Iraq.

The king will address both houses of Congress and deliver a speech at the state banquet. These diplomatically chosen words, which are likely to have been carefully written for him by the government with the involvement of royal aides, will provide opportunities for him to quell the tensions of recent months. The government will hope that – just as Trump has claimed it can – the king’s visit will “absolutely repair” UK-US relations.

Francesca Jackson does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.

– ref. King Charles embarks on state visit to the US – can he repair the special relationship? – https://theconversation.com/king-charles-embarks-on-state-visit-to-the-us-can-he-repair-the-special-relationship-281454

Source: The Conversation – UK – By Justin Morey, Senior Lecturer in Music Production, Leeds Beckett University

International Dawn Chorus Day (May 3 for 2026) is a great time to hear the UK’s birds at their most vocal. While we can enjoy the variety and beauty of birdsong, for the birds themselves it serves more practical purposes – to attract a mate and establish and defend a breeding territory.

Birds can produce complex vocal sounds, which we refer to as “song” because they have a vocal organ called the syrinx – which, unlike the larynx possessed by mammals like the human, can make two distinct notes simultaneously. This ability to generate notes in rapid succession is helpful because birds hear their song and the songs of other birds differently to humans.

Research suggests that they are able to perceive small and rapid changes in sound much more clearly than we can, meaning what we may hear as a single or buzzy note will be distinguished by them as multiple notes. Birdsong to a bird is something of much greater complexity than we can apprehend.

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International Dawn Chorus Day brings casual bird appreciators, ornithological experts and dedicated twitchers together in a celebration of birdsong. In our series, experts give their insights on nature’s chorus.

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While I understand that I hear bird song very differently to the creatures that make it, my background as a music producer, field recordist, sound artist – and keen amateur birdwatcher (and listener) – has made me think about which notable musicians and pieces of music might have something in common stylistically with the songs of certain birds. The following is both speculative and entirely subjective and I would welcome other ideas and opinions.

Blackbird

Whether delivered from rooftop or treetop, their sweet, tender and calming song, which has been likened to human whistling, can often be heard book-ending our daylight hours. Bobby McFerrin’s whistled introduction to Don’t Worry Be Happy captures something both of the blackbird’s performance and sense of ease it can create in the listener.

Though joined by visitors from colder climes in autumn and winter, our breeding population of blackbirds are common year-round residents in UK gardens and woodlands.

Nightingale

There are few wildlife experiences in the UK that can match hearing a nightingale singing at close range, and this summer visitor – a scarcer cousin of the blackbird and song thrush – should be in full voice by International Dawn Chorus Day. The dynamics, dexterity and variation in its song are extraordinary, and it is no surprise that it has inspired poets such as Keats, Milton and Rossetti, and composers including Stravinsky, Beethoven and Rimsky-Korsakov.

When thinking about a musician who can get some way to matching the expressiveness of the nightingale, Italian American operatic soprano Amelita Galli-Curci’s 1927 recording of the Russian popular song The Nightingale (Solovey) by Alyabyev
captures something of the bird’s style with her nimble and vivid flourishes.

However, the nightingale is known for never performing the same song twice, and as
one of nature’s great musical improvisers, a better match might be the solos of jazz saxophonist John Coltrane.

In Bye Bye Blackbird Coltrane combines fast-paced bursts of melody with more thoughtful and lyrical sections, evoking something of the nightingale’s song. Coltrane is also quite a loud player and nightingales, as anyone who has heard one in the flesh will know, are loud – you can’t miss them.

Reed warbler

A wetland reedbed bird that arrives in the UK in mid-April, the reed warbler
couldn’t be further from the melodic and rhythmic variation of the nightingale. It prefers an almost monotonic song.

The hypnotic main riff on New York DJ and producer Joey Beltram’s Energy Flash comes to mind for its rhythmic solidity, while its subtle filter adjustments evoke the bird’s buzzy modulation.

Sedge warbler

The reed warbler, or at least its sound, might not be out of place in a subterranean Berlin techno club at 4am, but its reedbed neighbour the sedge warbler is much more of a bebop hep cat. Its fast and complex patterns combining staccato sections with more melodic phrases could recall the sharp accents and raid trills of “the Bird” himself – legendary saxophonist Charlie Parker.

But for me, the sedge warbler is too buzzy and raspy for the smooth tones of a tenor sax, and the rapid-fire delivery of trumpeter Fats Navarro on cuts like Wail or The Chase is a better fit.

Blackcap

One of our more common migrant warblers in the UK, the blackcap’s loud and
frequent song can be heard in wooded areas across the country. To my ears, its
volume and power is matched only by its tunelessness, with every note sounding just
a little flat or sharp in relation to what proceeds and follows.

It is reminiscent of an enthusiastic singing talent show auditionee belting out Anastasia’s I’m Outta Love. Nine out of ten for effort, but a much lower score for the precision of its pitching.

Bittern

The elusive bittern is usually a bird to be heard but not seen. Another denizen of the reedbed, its booming song can be likened to someone blowing across the top of a very large bottle or beginning to play a giant didgeridoo and then thinking better of it. Like the reed warbler, it prefers to stay hidden among the reeds where it provides some serious sub bass accompaniment to that other bird’s techno riffing. Think of a bleep-and-bass classic like LFO by LFO.

I hope you enjoy the variety and virtuosity of song on offer in your own garden, local park or woodland on International Dawn Chorus Day. Or like me, you can head for the rave going on at your nearest wetland nature reserve.

Justin Morey does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.

– ref. Dawn Chorus Day: a composer on the musical styles of birdsong – https://theconversation.com/dawn-chorus-day-a-composer-on-the-musical-styles-of-birdsong-279870

Source: The Conversation – UK – By Nicolas Bellouin, Professor of Climate Processes, University of Reading

Contrails, short for condensation trails, are the white streaks often seen in the sky behind aircraft. The international cloud atlas, which classifies clouds, has a category just for them: cirrus homogenitus, an example of man-made clouds.

Contrails contribute to climate change, adding to the warming by the carbon dioxide emitted by aviation. Although the exact amount of warming caused by these wispy-looking clouds is uncertain, what is understood now suggests that reducing the number of contrails has the potential to reduce the climate impact of flights.

Contrails are made of ice crystals. These reflect sunlight, causing the Earth’s surface to receive less energy, but at the same time trapping some of Earth’s outgoing infrared radiation. Depending on the balance between those two opposite effects, a net loss of energy or a gain of energy, individual contrails can be either warming or cooling over their lifetime, but warming dominates once averaged over the global, annual contrail population.

How are they made?

Contrails form behind aircraft at around an altitude of 10-11km. They only form in sufficiently cold and humid regions of the atmosphere, where water vapour condenses on to the soot particles emitted by aircraft engines to form liquid droplets, which freeze into ice crystals. The regions with the most contrails are over Europe, the North Atlantic, and eastern North America. They are rarer in Asia.

Soot particles are needed to form contrails, yet even engines that emit very few soot particles still generate contrails. Other particles, often formed in the engine plume, take over and lead to contrail formation. But some combinations of fuel and engine technology may yet provide a way to form fewer contrails, or at least contrails with a smaller climate impact.

The characteristics of a contrail depend initially on the size, shape and engine position of the aircraft that created it, but atmospheric conditions are ultimately more important.

In a dry atmosphere, contrails only last a few minutes and cover a tiny surface area: their climate impact is negligible. But if the atmosphere remains cold and moist enough, many contrails form, grow, and come together to form fields of ice clouds, called contrail cirrus.

Contrail cirrus impact the climate because they last for several hours and can cover large areas, sometimes spanning entire countries, as has been observed over the UK and France, for example.

Some contrail cirrus clouds can exert the same climate impact as tens, even hundreds, of tons of carbon dioxide.

Two effects make contrails particularly potent. Although they initially form from the few hundred kilograms of water vapour and the
dozens of grams of soot released every minute of flight, contrails then gain mass from the humidity of the atmosphere. Also, ice crystals absorb infrared radiation at virtually all wavelengths, while carbon dioxide only absorbs in narrow wavelength ranges.

However, contrail cirrus strongly affect the flow of energy in and out of the Earth for a few hours. This is in contrast to the comparatively weaker changes caused by carbon dioxide, which last for centuries. So the warming caused by a flight will initially be dominated by contrails, but carbon dioxide will dominate a few years after the flight.

Routing aircraft to avoid flying in the regions where contrails form may slow down the climate warming caused by a growing aviation sector. But there are still many things scientists need to understand about how to predict which flights would see their climate impact reduced the most using this kind of planning.

Weather forecasts of humidity at flight altitude need to improve, and one way to do so is to have more accurate and more frequent measurements of humidity. This is the aim of the Mist research project, where I work with Honeywell Aerospace UK and Boeing UK to develop a humidity sensor to detect contrail formation, see how the sensor can be integrated on commercial aircraft, and evaluate how better humidity measurements affect the predicted climate impact of contrails.

Many research projects are seeking to better quantify the climate impact of contrails and find ways to form fewer warming contrails. Changing fuel or engine technology is slow. But optimising flight trajectories with weather forecasts to avoid the cold, moist regions of the atmosphere where contrails form might be achievable more quickly.

Nicolas Bellouin has received and receives funding for aviation non-CO2 climate research, which includes contrail research, from the UK National Environment Research Council, Innovate UK and the Aerospace Technology Institute, the European Union’s Horizon programme, the SESAR Joint Undertaking, and the French Civil Aviation Authority. He is a member of the Aviation Non-CO2 Expert Network (ANCEN) of the European Aviation Safety Agency.

– ref. Here’s what we know about the climate cost of white trails aircraft leave in the sky – https://theconversation.com/heres-what-we-know-about-the-climate-cost-of-white-trails-aircraft-leave-in-the-sky-279505

Source: The Conversation – UK – By Farooq Sher, Senior Lecturer in Sustainable Energy Engineering, Nottingham Trent University

The Iran crisis is reshaping how the world produces, uses and secures energy. This is no temporary shock. It has become a structural stress test of energy systems, industrial production and government strategy.

We’ve seen this in the recent past: household energy bills in 2024 were still about 4% higher than in 2019,
even after the 2022 global energy crisis had eased (annual bills were up 16% at the peak). That crisis was driven by a combination of post-pandemic demand recovery, tight energy supplies and wider geopolitical disruption, including the Ukraine war, which pushed energy prices sharply higher.

Affordability remains fragile because many lower-income households still spend a disproportionately large share of their income on energy. It’s also a problem for business. Sustained energy costs continue to burden European manufacturing, for instance, affecting industrial competitiveness and long-term economic resilience.

At the same time, the International Energy Agency (IEA) projects global electricity demand will have grown 3.3% in 2025 and then 3.7% in 2026. The pressure from the 2022 crisis therefore shifted rather than disappeared.

International fuel markets remain highly sensitive to geopolitical shocks, especially when households and industry depend on imported gas and oil. Around 20% of the world’s oil passes through the Strait of Hormuz. This highlights how concentrated supply routes can transmit instability rapidly across global markets, causing not just rising energy prices but knock-on effects like increased fertiliser costs.

It’s also no longer just a question of fuel supply. Unpredictable, extreme weather conditions are compounding the problem of volatile prices of fossil fuels. Heatwaves raise electricity demand for cooling; drought weakens hydropower; storms disrupt transmission and distribution infrastructure; and low-wind periods test whether the system has enough backup power, storage and flexibility to maintain supply.

The IEA’s work on climate resilience in power systems makes clear that climate-related extremes are becoming more important across electricity generation, networks and demand. Price risk and weather risk are increasingly overlapping drivers of modern energy insecurity (the risk of energy becoming unaffordable, unreliable or unavailable).

The strain is emerging from a mismatch between how energy systems were built and the conditions under which they now operate. Electricity systems are being asked to integrate larger amounts of low-carbon power, but the supporting infrastructure has not developed at the same speed. This means there is still not enough grid capacity, energy storage, system interconnection or ability to match electricity demand with changing supply to move electricity efficiently, store surplus power or reduce pressure at times of peak demand.

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Read more:
The oil price surge is just one symptom of a supply chain network that is not fit for this age of global tensions

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At least 1,650GW of renewable electricity capacity worldwide is waiting in grid connection queues. That is equivalent to more than 40 times Britain’s recent peak electricity demand of about 38GW, which shows how large the backlog has become.

An estimated US$400 billion (£296 billion) is spent annually on grid infrastructure, including transmission lines, substations and distribution networks that carry electricity from where it is generated to where it is used.

This compares with roughly US$1 trillion spent on forms of energy generation, such as solar farms, wind farms, hydropower plants and gas-fired power stations. This shows how electricity-generating capacity has expanded faster than the systems needed to connect it, balance supply and demand, and keep the system secure.
When electricity demand is rising rapidly, there’s less of a buffer if the supporting infrastructure needed to manage it (such as grids or storage) is not expanding at the same pace.

Missed warning signs

Well before the Iran energy crisis, it was clear that we are overly dependent on internationally traded fossil fuels. The same goes for the slow pace of grid expansion relative to new generation capacity, and our failure to treat weather variability as a core energy-security issue rather than a secondary climate concern.

Recent European electricity data underlines this. Wind and solar generated 30% of EU electricity in 2025, slightly above the 29% from fossil fuels. Nevertheless, less windy and less rainy conditions contributed to a 12% fall in EU hydro output in 2025.

Cleaner systems do not automatically become more resilient. Network strength, flexibility and climate preparedness all need to advance at the same pace.

The strongest evidence points towards a more integrated response in which energy security and decarbonisation are treated as part of the same agenda. Lowering dependence on volatile fossil fuels, using energy more efficiently in homes, transport and industry, and strengthening system flexibility are increasingly central to long-term security. Yet many electricity systems remain too slow to adapt when supply drops, demand surges, or electricity must be shifted across regions or time periods.

You can see the implications with households. Heat pumps are typically three to four times more efficient than gas boilers in the sense that they can deliver three to four units of heat for each unit of electricity used, because they move heat rather than generate it directly.

However, the Climate Change Committee also notes that lower running costs depend on electricity prices and policy support, so greater efficiency does not always mean lower bills in the short term. Solar panels can help here. The UK government’s solar roadmap says a typical household installing rooftop solar could save around £500 per year on bills. Meanwhile, the IEA also estimates that electric vehicles displaced more than 1.3 million barrels of oil demand per day in 2024.

These are not only indicators of decarbonisation; they also show how cleaner technologies can reduce direct exposure to fossil-fuel price volatility.

At the policy level, the choice is between deeper structural resilience and repeated cycles of short-term crisis management. The European Commission’s REPowerEU plan is to make Europe’s energy system more secure, affordable and sustainable by reducing dependence on imported fossil fuels, accelerating clean energy and improving energy efficiency. It is intended to strengthen long-term energy resilience across the EU by diversifying energy supplies and speeding up the transition to domestically produced low-carbon energy.

What remains uncertain is the timing and scale of future shocks. What is certain is that the greatest vulnerabilities still lie in fossil-fuel dependence, weak infrastructure and delayed policy adjustment. The most credible route to a more secure energy future lies in efficiency, electrification, renewables, stronger grids, storage and policy that takes a longer-term approach.

Farooq Sher does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.

– ref. How freak weather and an old-fashioned grid exacerbate energy insecurity – https://theconversation.com/how-freak-weather-and-an-old-fashioned-grid-exacerbate-energy-insecurity-280502

Source: The Conversation – UK – By Ezenwa E. Olumba, Leverhulme Early Career Research Fellow, Aston University

For the first time, Ukraine has captured a Russian position using only ground robots and aerial drones, reports suggest. In a message posted on social media on April 14, Ukraine’s president Volodymyr Zelensky said: “The occupiers surrendered, and the operation was carried out without infantry and without losses on our side.”

Zelenskyy offered no further details about the operation, but this points to a serious shift in how such robots are used. They are increasingly being deployed in direct combat in war zones. What was once imagined as the future is now a reality.

Until recently, these ground robots were used mainly by the Ukrainian army in support roles, including resupplying frontline positions, evacuating wounded soldiers, and carrying out mining or demining operations in targeted areas.

However, there have been other reported uses of these robots (also known as an unmanned ground vehicles) in combat roles in the war between Russia and Ukraine. In January 2026, Ukrainian forces were reported to have captured three Russian soldiers in Zaporizhzhia using a single ground robot. Footage of the incident, which circulated online, showed the impact of facing a robotic system in combat written on the faces of the captured soldiers.

This has been going on for some time. In March 2025, The Wall Street Journal reported that Ukrainian forces engaged Russian forces near Kharkiv using several ground robots equipped with machine guns. These were deployed from different positions and supported by first-person-view (FPV) attack drones.

Improving with experience

Not much is known about the type of unmanned ground vehicles used by Ukraine. But reports suggest that among the weapons used in most of these attacks is the Droid TW 12.7, developed by Devdroid, a private tech company in Ukraine involved in the manufacture of military robotics.

This robot is armed with a 12.7 mm M2 Browning machine gun, has a firing range of up to roughly one kilometre, and is equipped with night-vision capability. It is remotely operated, rather than fully autonomous, although it can carry out preprogrammed combat tasks.

Devdroid, like most military tech start-ups in Ukraine, appears to hold an advantage in manufacturing these systems and in testing them in active combat conditions on a timely basis. This creates rapid feedback, allowing for quick adjustments and improvements based on battlefield experience.

A coordinated attack, like the ones conducted by Ukraine, involving a group of ground vehicles and swarms of drones, is not just a low-cost way to defend or seize positions but also points to a change in how force is applied on the battlefield.

Such a coordinated “multi-swarm” of killer robots on the ground and in the air would reduce the exposure of human soldiers for the attacking side, while increasing the pressure on those defending both in terms of casualties and the loss of expensive equipment. Such robots are produced locally and are far cheaper to lose than trained soldiers or expensive military hardware, such as tanks.

There are early indications of this effect. In December 2025, near Kostyantynivka, a Ukrainian Droid TW 12.7 is reported to have detected and disrupted a Russian night assault, destroying an MT-LB armoured vehicle in the process. Incidents like this suggest an opportunity to learn with each deployment and to feed that information back in to subsequent operations.

At present, these robots are not fully autonomous. They are remotely operated, with limited automated functions depending on their programmes. Nonetheless, the direction is clear. As production expands, as these robots are tested, and their designs are refined, these weapon systems are likely to become more capable. They are likely to feature increased levels of coordination and a likely increase in autonomy.

Like any battlefield technology, they have limits. Rough terrain can restrict their movement, and they may be vulnerable to jamming. However, the recent history of drone warfare suggests that such weaknesses are unlikely to remain without resolution for long. Design changes, battlefield testing and production cycles are likely to lead to the manufacture of robots that are more capable over time.

No one wants to face a coordinated attack involving swarms of drones and unmanned ground vehicles on the battlefield. Whatever the view anyone may hold, the advantage is shifting towards systems such as the Droid TW 12.7, both now and in future conflicts.

The future is now

The use of these robots raise ethical and legal concerns, including questions of accountability when multiple weapons systems are deployed at once, and issues related to reduced restraint in their use.

In our recent study, we found that existing international laws are insufficient to regulate the development and use of killer robots that may target and kill autonomously. We argue that such weapons pose serious ethical, legal and security risks in the places where they are deployed, often in the global south. For instance, the first recorded use of an autonomous killer robot occurred in Libya in 2020, when an armed group reportedly deployed a Turkish-made Kargu-2 drone that “hunted down” members of the Libyan National Army.

We recommend that humans must remain in control of these weapons, and that clearer human-centred rules are needed to govern the design, testing and deployment of autonomous weapons systems, which include robots.

The unprecedented use of robots to capture an enemy position in Ukraine marks a clear shift in how robots are used on the battlefield. It might already be possible for one or two soldiers to deploy groups of coordinated robots that, together with swarms of drones, attack or defend front lines in the battlefield.

Killer robots are no longer something that exists only in science fiction movies. They are real and here to stay. This shift in the use of robots on the battlefield increases the need for international regulation on the production, testing and use of AI-enabled weapons.

Ezenwa E. Olumba does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.

– ref. Ukraine’s killer robots show how war is changing – https://theconversation.com/ukraines-killer-robots-show-how-war-is-changing-280936

Source: The Conversation – UK – By Gokcay Balci, Lecturer in Sustainable Freight Transport and Logistics, University of Leeds

While recent global attention has focused on the Strait of Hormuz, which Iran has effectively held closed since late February in a move that has disrupted world energy supplies, a quieter but also important development has been taking shape in south-east Asia.

On April 14, the US and Indonesia announced a “major defence cooperation partnership”, strengthening their military ties. According to reports, the US is also seeking to gain wider access to Indonesian airspace. Several media outlets say Indonesia’s president, Prabowo Subianto, has approved the proposal.

These developments matter because Indonesia’s vast archipelago sits astride some of the most critical sea routes in the world. These include the Strait of Malacca, an important chokepoint for global shipping and trade. The region surrounding Malacca has seen growing military attention from outside powers in recent years.

Both the US and China have been steadily expanding their military presence around the strait and its approaches. The US has largely done so through base access and naval deployments, and China through its port network and naval buildup. The Andaman and Nicobar Islands, located near the strait’s western approaches, also provide India with a strategic presence in the region.

South-east Asia is becoming more explicitly tied into great-power competition, with the new US-Indonesia defence partnership adding the latest layer. Should this competition intensify – whether through a crisis in Taiwan, a spillover from Hormuz or a shift in alliances – the Strait of Malacca would be at the centre of it.

The strait is the shortest sea route connecting the Indian Ocean to the South China Sea and Pacific Ocean, making it the default corridor for trade between east Asia and the west. It stretches roughly 900km from the Malay Peninsula to the Indonesian island of Sumatra. At its narrowest point, the Phillips Channel near Singapore, it is barely 2.8km wide.

Almost 24% of global seaborne trade by volume flows through the strait. It carries 45% of the world’s seaborne oil, over 25% of all cars traded internationally and 23% of dry bulk cargo including key agricultural commodities like grains and soybeans. A large portion of European imports of electronics, consumer products like footwear and toys, machinery and industrial goods pass through the strait in sea containers as well.

The strait is also home to some of the world’s most critical port infrastructure. Singapore, located at the strait’s southern entrance, is the second-busiest container port and the busiest container transshipment hub on the planet. It handles over 40 million containers a year and is the world’s largest ship refuelling hub. Port Klang in Malaysia ranks among the world’s top ten container ports too, handling 14 million containers annually.

Why Malacca is irreplaceable

The most commonly cited detours around the Strait of Malacca, the Sunda and Lombok Straits, both lie within Indonesian territory and neither is a straightforward substitute. Rerouting through either adds roughly 1,000 to 1,500 nautical miles to the journey – three to five extra days at sea – along with higher fuel costs and the loss of Singapore’s refueling infrastructure.

Beyond Indonesia, the Torres Strait near Papua New Guinea is too shallow for large commercial vessels with a draft of over 12 metres. Ships avoiding all these routes would face a detour around the entire Australian continent, adding another ten to 15 days of transit time. These geographical features are the reason why the Strait of Malacca is so difficult to bypass.

China understands the risk of relying on Malacca perhaps better than anyone. In 2003, the then-president of China, Hu Jintao, coined the phrase “Malacca dilemma” to describe a strategic exposure that has continued since. Between 75% and 80% of China’s imported oil still passes through the strait.

Beijing has invested heavily in alternatives, but none come close to matching the scale of what transits Malacca. Pipelines running from Kyaukpyu on the Bay of Bengal in Myanmar into Yunnan province in China bypass Malacca entirely. However, their capacity is only around 440,000 barrels per day, a small fraction of China’s roughly 11 million barrels of daily oil imports.

The China-Pakistan Economic Corridor plans to link Gwadar Port on the Arabian Sea to Xinjiang in north-west China through road, rail and energy infrastructure. But it remains only partially developed, with its completion affected by difficult terrain and security challenges in parts of Pakistan. China has also diversified through Central Asian oil and gas pipelines, which provide about 10% of its total imported oil.

There are rail freight corridors connecting China to Europe, which avoid maritime chokepoints entirely and are faster than shipping. However, they are far more expensive and very limited in capacity. Arctic shipping routes along Russia’s northern coast offer a longer-term hedge, cutting the distance between Asia and Europe, but remain seasonal and marginal in global trade terms.

For now, there is no clear indication that the growing military presence around the Strait of Malacca will have any impact on commercial shipping. But if a conflict does arise in the future, it will be trade-dependent economies like China that will suffer.

Gokcay Balci receives funding from UK National Clean Maritime Research Hub

Ebru Surucu-Balci does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.

– ref. Could the Strait of Malacca be the next global flashpoint? – https://theconversation.com/could-the-strait-of-malacca-be-the-next-global-flashpoint-281190

Source: The Conversation – UK – By Chloe Casey, Lecturer in Nutrition and Behaviour, Bournemouth University

Beer could come with a “surprising health benefit”, according to a new report from the BBC. This must be pleasing news for beer drinkers everywhere. But what did the new study the BBC report was based on actually say? And does it stand up to scrutiny?

The study, published in the Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry, set out to assess the vitamin B6 content of alcohol-free and full-strength beers. Vitamin B6 is an essential nutrient with important roles in the body, but there are problems with how these findings are framed.

The numbers are technically true but misleading in context. Saying that a beer provides 15% of your daily vitamin B6 sounds impressive, but it ignores the wider dietary picture.

Most people in the UK are not deficient in vitamin B6. And the same amount, or more, can easily be obtained from a standard healthy diet. A number of foods, such as potatoes, chickpeas, fortified cereals, grains, meat and vegetables, provide vitamin B6 without the need for alcohol.

The paper also links vitamin B6 to important neurological functions, but does not provide evidence that beer consumption meaningfully improves brain health. It correctly states that vitamin B6 is involved in making the brain chemicals serotonin and dopamine, and confirms that beer contains measurable amounts of B6. However, the interpretation that beer is therefore “brain boosting” is problematic.

The study does not measure brain health outcomes of any kind (not cognition, mood or neurological effects), so such conclusions are not supported by the data. The B6 intake from beer is modest, and this narrative overlooks the well established harms associated with alcohol consumption.

The serving size framing is also concerning. The study refers to “a serving” and, in some cases, volumes of up to a litre. Drinking at those levels on a regular basis would clearly conflict with NHS guidance on alcohol consumption. A typical half-litre serving was reported to provide around 13–16% of daily vitamin B6 requirements. A beer would need to provide about one whole day’s worth of vitamin B6 in a standard pint to qualify for a health claim. None of the beers in the study came close to that.

The study also does not adequately emphasise alcohol’s downsides, including risks to the liver, brain and increased cancer incidence. In recognition of these harms, the World Health Organization states that there is no safe level of alcohol consumption. Although this is acknowledged in the paper, highlighting a small vitamin content without properly weighing it against these risks is misleading.

When drinks brands latch on to studies like this to make their products seem good for you, they’re putting marketing ahead of public health. At worst, they’re nudging people to drink more.

A familiar story: the red wine myth

This is not the first time narratives about the health benefits of alcohol have found their way into the media. The idea that a glass of red wine a day is good for your heart is one of the most enduring examples. While this claim has some scientific roots, it is now heavily debated.

The belief largely traces back to the so-called “French paradox”, coined following observations that people in France appeared to have relatively low rates of heart disease despite diets rich in saturated fat and regular alcohol consumption. Red wine, in particular, has been suggested to offer some health benefits because it contains natural compounds called polyphenols – especially one called resveratrol – which can act as antioxidants and help protect the body’s cells.

Later studies, however, have raised serious concerns about these claims. Researchers pointed out that other factors – like people’s diet, how active they are and their access to healthcare – may have influenced the results. There has also been a wider rethink of alcohol’s effects, with growing evidence that it can increase the risk of harm, especially from certain types of cancer.

Taken together, these issues help explain a pattern known as the “healthy user effect”. At first glance, observational data suggest that moderate alcohol consumption may be protective. Some studies report lower rates of heart disease among moderate drinkers compared with non-drinkers. But observational data can only show correlations, not cause and effect.

In reality, moderate wine drinkers often differ from non-drinkers in important ways. They are, on average, more likely to eat healthier diets, be more physically active, be wealthier, have more friends, and see their doctor more often.

Each of these factors independently reduces the risk of heart disease and stroke. When they are not fully accounted for, alcohol itself can mistakenly appear to be the protective factor.

When the wider body of evidence is considered, particularly research linking alcohol to cancer, liver disease and mental health problems, most reviews conclude that any potential benefits are small and probably outweighed by the risks. The nutritional contributions of beer and wine do exist, but they are minor and unlikely to translate into meaningful health improvements.

Polyphenols, antioxidants, vitamins and minerals can all be obtained more safely and reliably from fruits, vegetables, whole grains, legumes, olive oil and other whole foods, without the risks associated with alcohol.

Chloe Casey does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.

– ref. Claim check: does your pint of beer really come with a ‘surprising health benefit’? – https://theconversation.com/claim-check-does-your-pint-of-beer-really-come-with-a-surprising-health-benefit-281399

Source: The Conversation – UK – By Simona Palladino, Senior Lecturer in Social Sciences, Liverpool Hope University

Just days before the Battle of Britain began in July 1940, more than 800 civilians were killed off the coast of Ireland when a German U-Boat sank a converted five-star cruise ship.

The people on board were German, Austrian and Italian internees – deemed enemy aliens by the UK government – who were being deported to Canada.

Why the Nazis sank a civilian ship has never been fully explained.

But the sinking of the Arandora Star remains one of the lesser known war crimes of the second world war.

My research has examined the oral histories of some of the Italian families, based in the UK, who remember the second world war. My latest project has looked into the long-term effects of Arandora Star sinking as it was experienced and transmitted across generations.

The attack

The Arandora Star was a first class cruise liner built in 1927 by the Cammell Laird Company Ltd, in Birkenhead, near Liverpool. It was one of the best-known ships in the world at the time.

When the war broke out, the Arandora, like many commercial ships, was placed at the disposal of the British government. Under the command of Captain E.W. Moulton, the Arandora was ordered to carry German, Austrian and Italian internees from Liverpool to Canada.

More than 1,600 men were forced onto the ship which was actually designed to carry 500. Internees were crammed below decks and the exits were guarded by barbed wire.

On July 2 1940 – the morning after it embarked on its voyage – the Arandora was torpedoed by a German U-boat, 100 miles northwest of Ireland.

Around 805 men, over 50 percent of the total number drowned, were Italian. About 100 British soldiers and crew members also lost their life, including the ship’s captain.

One British sailor told the press in 1940 that the Arandora Star turned half over on her side and sank, carrying down the occupants of several life rafts. “When the ship disappeared,” the sailor said, “there were hundreds of men on her decks … A cloud of steam rose a hundred feet in the air, and the suction dragged rafts and men underneath with her”.

But the ship’s traumatic final moments were just the start of the story for the families of those involved.

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Read more:
From World War II ‘enemy’ internment to Windrush: Britain quickly forgets its gratitude to economic migrants

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Part of my study involved making a 15-minute documentary, entitled The Arandora Star Sinking, to raise awareness about the xenophobia and discrimination faced by the people and communities who were left behind.

The film captures memories of the incident from the perspective of one of the descendants.

Vincenzo Margiotta

Vincenzo Margiotta is a third generation Italian based in Liverpool, whose grandfather was interned and died on the Arandora Star.

Margiotta’s family migrated to Scotland at the beginning of the 20th century, from Picinisco, Lazio, and established businesses in catering.

“Things were great. Life was good,” he said – until the outbreak of the second world war. Following Benito Mussolini’s declaration of war, on June 10 1940, anti-Italian feeling erupted among British citizens.

Around 4,500 Italian men between the ages of 16 and 70 with less than 20 years’ residence in Britain were ordered to be interned, including Margiotta’s grandfather.

Research has shown how Italian internees were regarded as the most “dangerous characters”. They were deported even though their degree of loyalty to the fascists had not been assessed.

Public opinion in the UK was initially in favour of the internment of “enemy aliens”. However, after the tragedy of the Arandora Star – and as a result of campaigns by various members of parliament – opinion changed and supported the release of “loyal” internees. Eventually internees were able to apply for release and many of them served in the armed forces.

Information vacuum

Over the years, Margiotta heard many stories about what happened to his grandfather.

One reason for this is because the official history was unclear. Why, for example, were none of the deportation transport ships marked as carrying prisoners of war? Instead, they set sail unaccompanied, equipped with anti-submarine guns, and employing a zigzag pattern in their movements – making the ships obvious targets for German U-boats.

Research has also shown that next of kin of internees were not informed about the Arandora disaster for weeks and only some families received a notification of “missing presumed drowned”, in April 1941, when the Home Office missing list was finalised.

Consequently, memories transmitted via word of mouth among family and community members were the main sources this group had available to them.

Margiotta said: “My knowledge of the incident was hearing stories around the table from other families”, adding:

Somebody pushed my grandfather off the ship, and told him to jump into the water … he was frightened, as he couldn’t swim – screaming in disbelief at what was happening around him … and then was never seen again.

This spoken mode of transmission of memories might have contributed to speculation and intrigue. The sinking has been subject to divergent tales and invention.

Gold bullion?

Margiotta said conspiracy theories included, “stories of it carrying gold bullion to take to Canada to fund the war chest for the UK … it was carrying soldiers; lots of stories. All have been unfounded. But I guess there is a story somewhere that needs to come out”.

It is evident how the lack of official information and records caused a sense of injustice for the loss of civilians. As Margiotta told me at the end of our interview:

…Why would the enemy wish to torpedo a ship like that? Why was a converted five-star cruise ship … torpedoed? There’s a lot of unanswered questions.

Margiotta represents just one of the many victims’ relatives who expressed the need to find answers to these basic questions.

In my previous research I spoke to Anglo-Italian families in the north-east of England who all shared the same pain and frustration. It’s time these questions were answered.

Simona Palladino does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.

– ref. Arandora Star sinking: a lesser known Nazi war crime that spawned generations of conspiracy theories – https://theconversation.com/arandora-star-sinking-a-lesser-known-nazi-war-crime-that-spawned-generations-of-conspiracy-theories-281069

Source: The Conversation – UK – By Kristina Shea, PhD Candidate, RCSI University of Medicine and Health Sciences

You will probably recognise toxic leaders when you encounter them. They are the ones whose presence shifts the atmosphere, whose emails create unease, or whose behaviour limits the thinking of others. They often interrupt, frequently overlook contributions and hamper other people’s growth. While this behaviour is often seen as unfortunate but acceptable, the impact on employee wellbeing is corrosive.

Leadership shapes not only what people do, but how they experience their work and how they see themselves. In other words, leaders are responsible for the psychological environments they create. Research has highlighted leadership as a central influence on employee wellbeing.

Unfortunately, most employees report having experienced at least one toxic manager at some point. Even well-intentioned leaders may, at times, engage in toxic behaviour that diminishes others.

Our new research shows consistent declines across all dimensions of the wellbeing of employees who report to toxic leaders. Results from 273 employees highlighted negative impacts on emotions, engagement, relationships, meaning and accomplishment. The most pronounced effects showed up in their mindset and physical health, and affected employees said they experienced less enjoyment in their work and less sense of purpose.

From a psychological perspective, our findings are concerning. Positive emotions, engagement, healthy relationships, meaning and accomplishment are central to humans’ ability to thrive. Without these, work becomes something to endure rather than a context for growth.

These experiences rarely remain confined to the workplace; they tend to influence broader aspects of life. The happiness of employees has been found to have an impact on an employer’s bottom line – employees who experienced joy at work achieved 25% higher sales per hour, according to one analysis.

In fact, research has found that having emotional needs met, feeling valued and doing meaningful work could even be stronger predictors of performance than pay.

How toxic energy spreads

Leaders contribute to the energy of a workplace through their everyday interactions in what is known as “emotional contagion”. This is the process by which emotions and moods transfer between people through everyday interaction. When that energy is toxic, it can spread through teams and organisations, shaping how people feel and relate to one another.

The good news is that emotional contagion works both ways. Our research also looked at something known as “positively energising leadership” (PEL). This offers a way of understanding leadership as a force that enhances the capacity of others. Positively energising leaders are capable of producing extraordinary results and can drive positive outcomes in the workplace.

These leaders can be defined by two dimensions. The first is relational energy – the kind of energy that arises through interaction. For example, a manager who greets team members by asking about their weekend, listens to the answers and remembers them the next week can generate more relational energy in three minutes than a leader who sends dozens of emails over the course of a day.

Unlike physical energy, relational energy can be created and shared through attention, connection and presence.

The second is virtuous behaviour. This includes expressing gratitude, demonstrating integrity, offering support and treating others with respect. Taking time to listen to colleagues is a powerful way of building connection and strengthening relationships.

For leaders, there are three key practical implications. The first is to approach interactions thinking about how you might help the other person feel capable and valued. The second is to attend to your own wellbeing. The third is to invite feedback on your impact, asking employees how you can be a better leader and enhance their wellbeing. This information allows you to refine and enhance your leadership skills.

For employees working under a toxic leader, the situation is more difficult. However, there are a few things that you can do. Where possible, seek out positive relational energy from other sources: supportive peers or colleagues in other teams. This can buffer the negative effects of a toxic leader.

It is also helpful to allocate time for recovery and small wellbeing practices outside the work context. Finally, consider raising your concerns through trusted people like coaches, mentors or HR colleagues. It is important to reflect honestly on whether you will be able to sustain your performance and wellbeing under a toxic leader.

Leadership is expressed through everyday moments. In every interaction, leaders contribute to an environment in which people can thrive or one in which they feel diminished. These moments shape whether workplaces become spaces where people realise their potential or just places they must endure.

The authors do not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and have disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.

– ref. The cost of toxic leadership in the workplace – and how to avoid it – https://theconversation.com/the-cost-of-toxic-leadership-in-the-workplace-and-how-to-avoid-it-280761

Source: The Conversation – UK – By Richard Jones, Director of Journalism, Politics and Contemporary History, University of Salford

The BBC has announced the end of one of its longest-running programmes, Football Focus.

It’s been a fixture of Saturday lunchtimes since 1974. But the final whistle will blow when this season finishes. The BBC has blamed a decline in audience for the BBC One broadcast as fans now get their pre-match news and views from a wider range of sources.

This isn’t a sign that the BBC is moving away from football. Research in my forthcoming book Sports Journalism in the UK, shows that 60% of the content on the BBC Sport X account is now about football, compared to 39% in its traditional sports bulletins on Radio 5 Live.

The BBC is also transforming its previously cautious approach to YouTube, with new video-first sports podcasts and channels, as it seeks to meet younger audiences on their favourite platforms. The old Football Focus slot will be going to Kelly Somers’ The Football Interview, a more in-depth weekly conversation on iPlayer that you’re already as likely to watch on your phone as the TV.

Another venerable BBC football programme, Match of the Day, suffered a similar drop in ratings in its traditional Saturday night slot. The BBC responded by making its valuable clips of Premier League highlights available online earlier. But one effect of the expansion of the Match of the Day brand has been to make Football Focus a less visible part of the BBC’s extensive football coverage.

Some online commentary has blamed declining ratings on a so-called “woke” takeover of Football Focus, pointing to the appointment in 2021 of its first regular female host Alex Scott and the introduction of more items about women’s football. Some male critics have argued the BBC is part of a conspiracy to give the women’s game a prominence it doesn’t deserve.

Yet the BBC and others have argued that women’s football drives audiences and engagement. The public broadcaster’s coverage of women’s football has been rewarded with rising viewing figures of England’s success at major tournaments. In the year to 2024, the government’s participation survey found women’s football was the second most watched sport on British television, behind only men’s football.

In the era of pay TV networks, which outbid terrestrial broadcasters for the rights to many of the major sports leagues, tournaments and events, sport tended to be pushed to the margins of free-to-air television, relegated to weekend afternoons and nighttime highlights. But this is not to say it is not still an important part of the free-to-air offer: by 2024, the BBC, ITV, Channel 4 and Channel 5, spent £700 million between them on sport, more than any other genre of new, original programming. Yet it is live sport, not related shows such as Football Focus, which we’re mainly tuning in for.

The BBC faces a difficult broader context. It is under pressure to limit spending and BBC Sport is no exception. The BBC is not showing this summer’s Commonwealth Games live from Glasgow on television, a decision that would have been unthinkable in the past. All broadcasters now regularly have their commentators sitting in studios or at home describing the action from television pictures, to cut production costs.

The legacy of Football Focus

While it may now look like a holdover from a bygone age, Football Focus will go down as an important programme in British sports media history. An earlier version, Football Preview, began in September 1967 as part of the BBC’s old multi-sport magazine show, Grandstand. It was an innovative development, bringing regular football discussion and analysis from the pages of newspapers onto the screen.

Extended and relaunched seven years later with host Bob Wilson, Football Focus was often directly up against ITV rivals On The Ball (1965-1985, then 1998-2004) and Saint & Greavsie (1985-1992). These shows helped pioneer the now familiar diet of football previews, interviews and punditry. Each enjoyed the sort of pre-match access to players and managers now often restricted by clubs and leagues keen to keep their best material for themselves.

When the BBC briefly lost the rights to Premier League highlights in 2001, both Football Focus and results show Final Score were spun out as separate programmes to help maintain the prominence of football on the BBC. It worked: Football Focus lasted almost two decades after its mothership Grandstand finally came off the air in 2007. The falling number of top flight 3pm kick offs certainly didn’t help though, and that trend might in time make it harder for even Final Score to endure, too.

Intense competition in a sport environment saturated by media, meant Football Focus struggled to remain distinctive. Fans can now get everything from detailed tactical analysis to outrageous hot takes from content creators large and small. These offer the sort of depth and partisan approach the BBC, constrained by limitations of time, resources and objectivity, cannot.

Ghosts of the past have come back to haunt the BBC. That Peter Crouch Podcast, launched by the BBC, is the UK’s most popular football podcast, according to Edison Research. The only problem is that it’s been on commercial platform Acast since 2022. Meanwhile, ex-Football Focus host Gary Lineker’s Goalhanger stable includes three of the UK’s top six podcasts overall, including his own The Rest is Football, coming soon to Netflix.

Then there’s the sometime Dragon’s Den star, Gary Neville. The footballer turned entrepreneur recently signed Mark Goldbridge to his expanding media network, The Overlap. As the face of YouTube channel The United Stand, Goldbridge has become arguably the most successful exponent yet of fan media, delivering unfiltered opinions on Manchester United from his home studio rather than the stadium. In true football transfer style, the deal was for an “undisclosed” fee.

All this adds up to a much busier football media market than the one Football Focus first entered. BBC Sport’s focus remains on football, perhaps increasingly so. But on Saturday lunchtimes at least, it’s going to be taking a different form.

Richard Jones does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.

– ref. The BBC is axing Football Focus – here’s what it means for sports broadcasting – https://theconversation.com/the-bbc-is-axing-football-focus-heres-what-it-means-for-sports-broadcasting-281472