Wednesday briefing: Why was the UK so poorly prepared for extreme flooding?

27/11/2024 06:42 The Guardian

In today’s newsletter: Our environment reporter on what went wrong following Storm Bert and whether widespread flooding might make the government to face up to the country’s leaky defences• Sign up here for our daily newsletter, First EditionGood morning.Storm Bert brought heavy rain, gale-force winds and snow across the country last weekend, overwhelming flood defences already described as being in disrepair. Parts of south Wales and south-west England, where a month of rain pummelled sodden towns and villages, fared particularly badly.Middle East | A highly anticipated ceasefire aimed at ending the 14-month-old war between Israel and Hezbollah officially came into effect early on Wednesday morning, hours after Joe Biden hailed the “historic” agreement. The ceasefire officially began at 4am in Lebanon after the heaviest day of raids on Beirut by Israel including a series of strikes in the city centre.Health | Plans to end the deepening crisis in access to NHS dental care are failing, leaving patients unable to get treatment, according to a warning from the National Audit Office. A pledge to provide an extra 1.5m treatments in England this year is in disarray amid falls in both the number of dentists doing NHS work and people receiving help from them.Russia | Russia said it was expelling a British diplomat for alleged spying as tensions between London and Moscow rose after Ukraine starting using British weapons to strike deeper into Russia. The Kremlin has also banned cabinet ministers including Angela Rayner, Yvette Cooper and Rachel Reeves from entering the country under sanctions announced by Moscow’s foreign affairs ministry.World | Keir Starmer’s national security adviser is to travel to Washington as the UK government tries to persuade Donald Trump not to rip up the Chagos Islands agreement.Business | The owner of Vauxhall has plans to close its van factory at Luton, in a decision that will put 1,100 jobs at risk of cuts or moving location. Stellantis will shift van production to another factory at Ellesmere Port, Cheshire, blaming the UK’s economic conditions and the government’s zero-emission vehicle mandate. Continue reading...

Continua a leggere su "The Guardian"
Altre notizie da "The Guardian"
BREAKING NEWS
08/06 16:17 - ‘A special sense of closeness’: China’s Xi vows stronger ties with North Korea in rare visit 08/06 16:01 - Lebanon’s children face physical, psychological trauma amid Israel’s war 08/06 16:01 - Lebanon’s children face physical, psychological trauma amid Israel’s war 08/06 15:51 - Are U.S. and Israel on the Same Page in Mideast Wars? 08/06 15:40 - China's Xi arrives in North Korea for rare visit 08/06 15:35 - 'Once Trump accepted Iranian 14-point proposal as basis of talks, he gave Iran political initiative' 08/06 14:54 - Iran war: who is fighting and why? 08/06 14:46 - Israel shuts down following war flare-up with Iran 08/06 14:43 - 'Extraordinary and poorly understood': The Mediterranean's great white sharks 08/06 14:25 - Bangladesh FM praises Russia-built nuclear plant as ‘monument of cooperation’ 08/06 14:19 - Dunkley dropped & Jones opens in England T20 warm-up 08/06 14:15 - News24 | Iran halts Israel operation after first post-truce clash 08/06 14:10 - Armenian election largely seen as 'national referendum on country's direction' 08/06 14:07 - European drivers cutting down on fuel amid Iran war 08/06 14:05 - French NATO jet shoots down drone over Latvia as another explodes in Moldova 08/06 14:04 - Despite tension over war flare-up, fallout between Trump and Netanyahu unlikely 08/06 13:58 - Europe Watches Its Economic Recovery Fade Into the Distance 08/06 13:38 - How extreme weather and heat could affect players at World Cup 2026 08/06 13:38 - How extreme weather and heat could affect players at World Cup 2026 08/06 13:26 - The Iran War is Forcing Energy-Importing Countries to Turn Inward 08/06 12:54 - Pope uses Spain speech to warn of global ‘spiritual and cultural crisis’ 08/06 12:36 - Badenoch dismisses Starmer’s warning to tech firms and says social media ban for under-16s would be ‘much simpler’ - UK politics live 08/06 12:11 - Christian Eriksen back home and 'doing well' after collapsing during match 08/06 12:10 - 'Democratic backsliding': Armenia's 'extreme polarisation, hate speech, stigmatization' mar election 08/06 12:05 - Trump repeats claim that California election was rigged – US politics live 08/06 11:38 - Middle East war live: Iran's military announces 'cessation' of attacks on Israel 08/06 11:33 - Bowen: The Middle East is in turmoil - and there's no sign of it easing 08/06 11:28 - Netanyahu orders Iran strikes despite Trump claiming ‘I call all the shots’ | First Thing 08/06 11:22 - Israel, Iran trade fire in first clash since truce 08/06 11:20 - Resuming War Is a Short-Term Political Boon for Netanyahu, but Grim Choices Await 08/06 10:46 - Could ex-ISIL fighters be used against Iran, as a Russian official claimed? 08/06 10:46 - Could ex-ISIL fighters be used against Iran, as a Russian official claimed? 08/06 10:46 - Xi Jinping arrives in Pyongyang on trip to revitalise China-North Korea ties 08/06 10:42 - The Costs of War 08/06 10:38 - Armenia confirms turn towards West in election 08/06 10:32 - Pro-Western PM Pashinyan sees off Russian pressure to win Armenia election 08/06 10:32 - Pro-Western PM Pashinyan sees off Russian pressure to win Armenia election 08/06 10:23 - Israeli paper: Trump is 'desperate for a deal with the devilish Tehran regime' 08/06 09:58 - Airstrikes intensify as Israel-Iran clashes leave ceasefire on brink 08/06 09:46 - In Lebanon, temporary cemeteries house the dead exiled by the war 08/06 09:29 - Armenia's PM secures win in election 'with highest turnout in a decade' 08/06 09:22 - Israel and Iran exchange strikes as Middle East crisis threatens to escalate 08/06 09:00 - News24 | Earthquake kills 15 in Philippines, people urged to evacuate coastal areas 08/06 08:48 - Ukraine, Russia trade fire as Zelenskyy allies back call for direct talks 08/06 08:48 - Ukraine, Russia trade fire as Zelenskyy allies back call for direct talks 08/06 08:46 - Christian Eriksen 'in good spirits' after collapsing in Denmark game, team's doctor says 08/06 08:44 - Powerful earthquake in southern Philippines leaves at least 19 dead 08/06 07:42 - ‘Homes turned into ovens’: Millions of Yemenis swelter amid heat, blackouts 08/06 07:42 - ‘Homes turned into ovens’: Millions of Yemenis swelter amid heat, blackouts 08/06 07:26 - How Lebanon and Iran’s war of words became backdrop for latest Israel clash 08/06 07:26 - How Lebanon and Iran’s war of words became backdrop for latest Israel clash 08/06 07:20 - Andrew Hastie accuses Pauline Hanson of being ‘Maga first’ – as it happened 08/06 07:20 - Armenia’s pro-Europe party wins election and cements shift away from Russia 08/06 07:16 - Iran war day 101: Tensions escalate as Iran and Israel trade air attacks 08/06 07:16 - Iran war day 101: Tensions escalate as Iran and Israel trade air attacks 08/06 07:00 - Push to regulate UK bailiffs too slow, warns supervisory body 08/06 07:00 - Octopus surge spreads up UK coast as far as Scotland, study finds 08/06 06:49 - Middle East crisis live: Israel and Iran exchange fresh round of strikes as attacks intensify 08/06 06:32 - ‘Sexist’: Gillard and Albanese condemn ‘ditch the witch’ campaign against Victorian premier 08/06 06:04 - Putin Restricted the Internet. It Has Not Gone to Plan. 08/06 05:54 - Trump reportedly tells Netanyahu not to retaliate against Iran - as it happened 08/06 05:16 - 10 Mind-Blowing History Facts I Just Discovered That Would've Made School So Much More Interesting 08/06 04:47 - Satellite images show destruction of the US-Israel war on Iran 08/06 04:47 - Satellite images show destruction of the US-Israel war on Iran 08/06 04:41 - What To Know as China’s Xi Jinping Heads to North Korea 08/06 04:01 - A ‘Miraculous Transformation’: How Kim Jong-un Fortified North Korea 08/06 02:21 - Israel launches strikes on Iran after Tehran fires barrage of missiles 08/06 02:03 - Major quake off Philippines kills three, triggers tsunami warnings 08/06 02:03 - Major quake off Philippines kills at least 31, triggers tsunami warnings 08/06 00:59 - Buildings collapse after powerful quake and tsunami warning in Philippines (VIDEOS) 08/06 00:58 - Tsunami alert after 7.8-magnitude quake hits the Philippines 08/06 00:23 - Powerful earthquake hits Philippines, killing at least 15 08/06 00:23 - Powerful earthquake hits Philippines, killing at least 15 08/06 00:00 - Iran war live: Missiles fired at Israel after attacks as new war fears rise 08/06 00:00 - Iran war live: Missiles fired at Israel after attacks as new war fears rise 07/06 23:01 - European leaders back Zelensky's call for direct Russia talks 07/06 22:42 - Nuclear powers increasing deployment of warheads, SIPRI warns 07/06 21:50 - Zelenskyy discusses ‘urgent need to scale up’ air defences with key allies in London 07/06 21:49 - Iran launches missiles at Israel in response to strikes on Beirut 07/06 21:39 - Zelensky's close European allies set out five conditions for peace talks 07/06 21:33 - Iran’s attack on Israel aims to restore deterrence but avoid return to war 07/06 21:33 - Iran’s attack on Israel aims to restore deterrence but avoid return to war 07/06 21:15 - Iran launches missiles at Israel in first bombardment since fragile ceasefire 07/06 21:08 - Iran fires missiles at Israel after Beirut attack ‘crossed all red lines’ 07/06 21:08 - Iran fires missiles at Israel after Beirut attack ‘crossed all red lines’ 07/06 21:04 - Iranians Sink Into Despair Facing War Deaths and Skyrocketing Inflation 07/06 20:19 - Trump Defends Compensation Fund and Iran War in ‘Meet the Press’ Interview 07/06 20:01 - Israel bombs Tehran despite Trump’s warning 07/06 19:43 - Iranian World Cup excitement dulled by war and economic crisis 07/06 19:43 - Iranian World Cup excitement dulled by war and economic crisis 07/06 19:16 - Christian Eriksen collapses on pitch 07/06 19:01 - Russian drone hits building storing spent nuclear fuel near Chornobyl 07/06 18:31 - Christian Eriksen 'doing well' after collapsing in Denmark game, team's doctor says 07/06 18:29 - Denmark’s Christian Eriksen collapses during match with Ukraine 07/06 18:29 - Denmark’s Christian Eriksen collapses during match with Ukraine 07/06 18:20 - Trump Administration Live Updates: President Denies He Pledged Not to Start New Wars 07/06 18:07 - Everyone Warned Me About The Side Effects Of GLP-1s. Nobody Warned Me About The Judgment. 07/06 18:01 - 29 Swimsuits That Actually Provide Support, According To Reviewers 07/06 17:31 - Kosovo: Former president warns of cost of political deadlock 07/06 16:49 - Trump says will not unfreeze Iranian assets before ceasefire deal reached