Новости за 20.06.2017

Inna Sokolovska/Shutterstock

The UK chancellor of the exchequer’s speech at the Mansion House tends to be a good political barometer of the state of the British economy and its prospects, and the extent to which there is agreement or not between members of the government on economic policy.

Tina Reynolds/Flickr, CC BY

Bad behaviour doesn’t usually have good consequences but our fossil fuel and fertiliser habits may have had some “good” environmental side-effects. Our new research suggests that the last 200 years of pollution have increased the carbon stored in soils across natural ecosystems in Britain. And this locking in of carbon in soils provides an offset for some of our carbon emissions. But the catch-22 is if we kick our polluting habits, this carbon is at risk of returning to our atmosphere... Читать дальше...

Shutterstock

The dinosaurs may have volcanoes to thank for their domination of the planet, at least according to one theory. Most scientists think that a severe bout of volcanic activity 200m years ago may have led to the mass extinction that cleared the way for the dinosaurs’ rise. Now we – with a team of colleagues – have discovered new evidence that strengthens this idea: a global geological “fingerprint” indicating volcanic gases were affecting the whole world at the time of the extinction.

© Harriet Ibbett, Author provided

Gentle groans of cattle gradually woke me from my slumber. It had been another hot, humid night spent shuffling to sleep on wooden slats – my three research assistants had adopted hammocks, but I simply couldn’t stand being surrounded by polyester in 35°C. Even at 4am, it was just too hot. Above me, the deep fiery hue of dawn spanned the sky as far as the eye could see. Swifts swept in among the palms, clearing the skies in a feeding frenzy.

shutterstock

From the UK to Canada, China to India, around the world, yoga is big business. In 2016, Americans alone spent US$16 billion on yoga classes and products. To put that figure into perspective – this is the same amount allocated by the World Bank to help the entire continent of Africa tackle urgent climate change challenges.

The tragedy at Grenfell Tower has brought the inequalities that exist in British society into sharp relief. The number of dead or missing and presumed dead has risen to 79 people in one of the Britain’s wealthiest areas, due to what London Mayor Sadiq Khan called a “preventable accident” caused by years of “mistakes and neglect” by government officials. Meanwhile, there have been accusations that the local council and building management organisation failed to listen to residents’ warnings about the risk of fire. Читать дальше...

Lost Mountain Studio via Shutterstock

Our excavations at Shanidar Cave in north-eastern Iraq have produced a tiny shell plaque which was made by the first modern people in the region. This little object seems to have been made to ornament something showy, suggesting a very modern enjoyment of a bit of bling – but it also shows unexpected complexity.

Lost Mountain Studio via Shutterstock

Our excavations at Shanidar Cave in north-eastern Iraq have produced a tiny shell plaque which was made by the first modern people in the region. This little object seems to have been made to ornament something showy, suggesting a very modern enjoyment of a bit of bling – but it also shows unexpected complexity.

Finsbury Park is a bustling, diverse and vibrant area in north London. It is a neighbourhood which typifies the multicultural metropolis that has emerged in cities across the world as a result of globalisation. Over a hundred languages are spoken in the area and foodstuffs are on sale from every corner of the world.

chombosan/Shutterstock

Virtual reality is much more than just a new form of entertainment, it is increasingly being used in a wide range of medical applications, from treatments to training. Here are a few of them.

After gaining ground in a general election, a leader does not usually step aside. But Liberal Democrat Tim Farron did. He chose to leave because he found himself “torn between living as a faithful Christian and serving as a political leader”.

Drop by drop. Shutterstock

In 1900, just 15% of the world’s population lived in cities. Now that proportion is over 50%, which is a lot of people. In fact, it means around 4 billion human beings rely on urban infrastructure to keep them warm, mobile and clean.

Still wracked by conflict six years after the fall of Muammar Gaddafi, Libya is split between two rival governments. In the west is Fayez al-Sarraj’s Government of National Accord, based in Tripoli, and in the east a regional government under the control of General Khalifa Haftar, based in Tobruk. Sarraj enjoys the backing of the UN, while Haftar is supported by the Libyan National Army, Egypt, and the United Arab Emirates. Russia, too, is generally regarded as an unconditional Haftar ally – but it’s not quite that simple. Читать дальше...

When Theresa May called her disastrous snap election, she justified it by saying she needed a longer and stronger mandate to negotiate a Brexit deal. Her campaign was based on the claim that she embodies strength and stability, and is therefore a better negotiator than her Labour rival, Jeremy Corbyn.

To govern effectively in the UK, the prime minister needs to command a majority in the House of Commons. Convention dictates that following a general election, the leader of the largest party is “invited” by the monarch to form a government. To demonstrate that the new government is legitimate, the Queen presents its programme to parliament in the Queen’s speech, which must be put to a vote in the commons and which the government must win.

Statue of Oliver Cromwell outside the Palace of Westminster, London, UK Shutterstock

The battle of Worcester was Oliver Cromwell’s greatest triumph. It was the culmination of a campaign which ran like clockwork and finally ended the long and bloody English Civil War (1642-1651).

Statue of Oliver Cromwell outside the Palace of Westminster, London, UK Shutterstock

The battle of Worcester was Oliver Cromwell’s greatest triumph. It was the culmination of a campaign which ran like clockwork and finally ended the long and bloody English Civil War (1642-1651).