A world map showing the extent of the British Empire in 1886. Norman B. Leventhal Map & Education Center, Boston Public Library/Wikimedia Commons, CC BYThis is the first in a two-part series.
Sanae Takaichi, a hardline conservative with nationalist views, was elected as Japan’s first ever female prime minister on October 21. Known as a protege of the assassinated former Japanese prime minister, Shinzo Abe, she is assertive on defence, hawkish on China and is keen to bolster Japan’s regional role.
Zhuravlev Andrey/ShutterstockThe Renters’ Rights Act has become law. This new legislation is intended to improve the experience of private renting in England by providing tenants with increased security and stability.
Inside Creative House/ShutterstockWhen you think about your environmental footprint, what comes to mind first? Maybe the flights you take, the car you drive or whether you choose the train instead. Perhaps it is the plastic you try to avoid, the clothes you buy or the food on your plate. But what about your money – how often do you think about where it is kept and what it supports?
Geobor/ShutterstockBeyond cutting back on meat or making the jump to an electric vehicle, another way consumers can reduce their environmental impact is to switch to a green bank. It’s a lifestyle change that could deliver powerful effects – removing money from the fossil fuels pipeline – for little effort or inconvenience.
Rawpixel.com/ShutterstockThe UK’s rental market has changed dramatically over recent decades, with the proportion of renters doubling to 30% since 2000. Over the same period, housing costs have increased far faster than wages.
Power station in north Wales. edhphotography/ShutterstockThe UK government is reportedly considering abandoning its goal of removing fossil fuels from the country’s electricity supply by 2030 in an attempt to keep energy bills down.
Donald Trump has finally decided to hit Russia with sanctions – the first package he has imposed since he came back to the White House in January.
steved_np3/ShutterstockThe River Wye used to be full of wild salmon. Today it is full of algae.
And the meandering waterway which has long attracted anglers, hikers and poets is now the subject of a major pollution lawsuit.
Electric cars made by the Chinese car firm BYD are now a familiar sight on British roads. In September 2025, the company sold 11,271 vehicles in the UK – ten times as many as in the same month last year.
This level of growth means the UK is now BYD’s largest market outside of China. In an industry once dominated by long established brands, the company has become the biggest manufacturer of electric vehicles in the world. So how have they done it?
