Annual survey of numberplates from more than 25,000 journeys reveals 63% fall in squashed bugs since 2021 The long-term decline in the number of flying insects being splattered on cars after a journey is well recognised by older drivers. But the latest survey has revealed that the number of insects found on vehicle number plates has plummeted by 63% since 2021.An analysis of records from more than 25,000 journeys across Britain since 2021 reveals an alarming apparent drop in flying insect abundance, although the rate of decrease slowed in 2024. <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2025/apr/30/alarming-bug-splat-decline-uk-cars-fears-flying-insect-numbers">Continue reading...</a>

Annual survey of numberplates from more than 25,000 journeys  reveals 63% fall in squashed bugs since 2021 
The long-term decline in the number of flying insects being splattered on cars after a journey is well recognised by older drivers. But the latest survey has revealed that the number of insects found on vehicle number plates has plummeted by 63% since 2021.
An analysis of records from more than 25,000 journeys across Britain since 2021 reveals an alarming apparent drop in flying insect abundance, although the rate of decrease slowed in 2024.
 Continue reading...

A recent survey analyzing insect splats on car number plates from over 25,000 UK journeys shows a concerning 63% decline since 2021, signaling a sharp drop in flying insect populations. Older drivers have long noted this trend, but the latest data highlights an accelerated decrease.  

‘Alarming’ bug splat decline on UK cars raises fears for flying insect numbers

Exchanges of live fire across the contested border between Pakistan and India have raised fears of an all-out war.

Rising tensions between Pakistan and India due to recent exchanges of live fire across their contested border have sparked fears among Islamabad residents of a potential full-scale war.  

Fears of war with India weigh on Islamabad residents

Ukraine’s first deputy PM travels to Washington to sign deal as later reports claim US pushing Ukraine to sign extra documents Kyiv felt were not ready Ukraine and the US said they were ready to sign a minerals deal, amid reports that a last-minute obstacle injected uncertainty into the timing. “Our side is ready to sign. The Ukrainians decided last night to make some last-minute changes,” US treasury secretary Scott Bessent told reporters. “We’re sure that they will reconsider that and we are ready, if they are.”Ukraine’s first deputy prime minister, Yulia Svyrydenko, is on her way to the US to sign the minerals deal, according to a senior source in the Ukrainian presidency. Ukraine’s prime minister, Denis Shmyhal, said on Wednesday that the reworked deal would be signed within the next 24 hours and would have to be ratified by the Ukrainian parliament.But later reports claimed the US was pushing Ukraine to sign additional documents, but that Kyiv felt they were not ready yet. The Trump administration urged Ukraine to sign all three documents connected to the deal, Politico reported. A source told the outlet: “All three documents need to be signed today, but the Ukrainians are trying to reopen terms which have already been agreed upon as part of the package — this will be up to the Ukrainians, as the US is ready to sign. The US told Svyrydenko not to travel to Washington on Wednesday unless the agreements were finalised, according to the outlet.Vladimir Putin said some small groups of Ukrainian soldiers were still holed up in basements and hideouts in Russia’s western Kursk region. Speaking at an event in Moscow on Wednesday, the Russian leader said radio intercepts suggested that the few Ukrainians left behind were asking commanders to urgently evacuate them to safety.The EU is preparing a “plan B” on how to keep economic sanctions against Russia should the US abandon Ukraine peace talks and seek rapprochement with Moscow, according to the bloc’s top diplomat, Kaja Kallas. “We see signs that they are contemplating whether they should leave Ukraine and not try to get a deal with the Russians because it’s hard,” Kallas told the Financial Times.Russia and North Korea have begun construction of a road bridge between the two countries as part of an effort to strengthen their strategic partnership, Russia’s prime minister, Mikhail Mishustin, said. It comes after South Korean lawmakers said about 600 North Korean troops have been killed fighting for Russia against Ukraine.Volodymyr Zelenskyy and Canada’s prime minister, Mark Carney, held a call on Wednesday during which the Ukrainian leader congratulated Carney on his victory in the Canadian federal elections on Monday. Zelenskyy, in a post on X, said he and Carney discussed steps that could “bring us closer to a full, unconditional ceasefire and a dignified peace.”The Kremlin claimed that president Vladimir Putin was open to peace despite its continuing aggression on Ukraine, but stressed that the conflict is so complicated that the rapid progress that Washington wants is difficult to achieve, Reuters reported. Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov insisted that Putin “remains open to political and diplomatic methods of resolving this conflict” started by <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/world/russia">Russia</a>. But news agency TASS quoted Peskov as saying that the root causes of the war were too complex to be resolved in one day. After the Kremlin’s remark, Ukrainian foreign minister Andrii Sybiha said Kyiv was ready for peace talks in any format if Moscow signed up to an unconditional ceasefire, Reuters noted. <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/world/2025/apr/30/ukraine-war-briefing-minerals-deal-obstacles-us-trump-administration">Continue reading...</a>

Ukraine’s first deputy PM travels to Washington to sign deal as later reports claim US pushing Ukraine to sign extra documents Kyiv felt were not ready  
Ukraine and the US said they were ready to sign a minerals deal, amid reports that a last-minute obstacle injected uncertainty into the timing. “Our side is ready to sign. The Ukrainians decided last night to make some last-minute changes,” US treasury secretary Scott Bessent told reporters. “We’re sure that they will reconsider that and we are ready, if they are.”
Ukraine’s first deputy prime minister, Yulia Svyrydenko, is on her way to the US to sign the minerals deal, according to a senior source in the Ukrainian presidency. Ukraine’s prime minister, Denis Shmyhal, said on Wednesday that the reworked deal would be signed within the next 24 hours and would have to be ratified by the Ukrainian parliament.
But later reports claimed the US was pushing Ukraine to sign additional documents, but that Kyiv felt they were not ready yet. The Trump administration urged Ukraine to sign all three documents connected to the deal, Politico reported. A source told the outlet: “All three documents need to be signed today, but the Ukrainians are trying to reopen terms which have already been agreed upon as part of the package — this will be up to the Ukrainians, as the US is ready to sign. The US told Svyrydenko not to travel to Washington on Wednesday unless the agreements were finalised, according to the outlet.
Vladimir Putin said some small groups of Ukrainian soldiers were still holed up in basements and hideouts in Russia’s western Kursk region. Speaking at an event in Moscow on Wednesday, the Russian leader said radio intercepts suggested that the few Ukrainians left behind were asking commanders to urgently evacuate them to safety.
The EU is preparing a “plan B” on how to keep economic sanctions against Russia should the US abandon Ukraine peace talks and seek rapprochement with Moscow, according to the bloc’s top diplomat, Kaja Kallas. “We see signs that they are contemplating whether they should leave Ukraine and not try to get a deal with the Russians because it’s hard,” Kallas told the Financial Times.
Russia and North Korea have begun construction of a road bridge between the two countries as part of an effort to strengthen their strategic partnership, Russia’s prime minister, Mikhail Mishustin, said. It comes after South Korean lawmakers said about 600 North Korean troops have been killed fighting for Russia against Ukraine.
Volodymyr Zelenskyy and Canada’s prime minister, Mark Carney, held a call on Wednesday during which the Ukrainian leader congratulated Carney on his victory in the Canadian federal elections on Monday. Zelenskyy, in a post on X, said he and Carney discussed steps that could “bring us closer to a full, unconditional ceasefire and a dignified peace.”
The Kremlin claimed that president Vladimir Putin was open to peace despite its continuing aggression on Ukraine, but stressed that the conflict is so complicated that the rapid progress that Washington wants is difficult to achieve, Reuters reported. Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov insisted that Putin “remains open to political and diplomatic methods of resolving this conflict” started by Russia. But news agency TASS quoted Peskov as saying that the root causes of the war were too complex to be resolved in one day. After the Kremlin’s remark, Ukrainian foreign minister Andrii Sybiha said Kyiv was ready for peace talks in any format if Moscow signed up to an unconditional ceasefire, Reuters noted.
 Continue reading...

Ukraine and the US are poised to sign a minerals deal, but last-minute changes introduced by Ukraine have caused uncertainty. US officials express confidence that the agreement will proceed despite the delay.  

Ukraine war briefing: US and Kyiv ‘ready to sign’ minerals deal amid uncertainty over last-minute hurdles

From immigration crackdowns to sweeping tariffs, Donald Trump’s second term as US president began at full speed.

In his first 100 days of his second term, President Donald Trump aggressively pursued policies such as immigration crackdowns and sweeping tariffs, signaling a continuation of his hardline approach to governance.  

First 100 days of Trump

Judge says administration must give migrants opportunity to express concerns about safety of deportation destinations.

A US judge has ruled against the Trump administration's attempt to expedite deportations of migrants to Guantanamo Bay, stating that migrants must be given a chance to voice safety concerns about their deportation destinations.  

US judge limits Trump’s push to rapidly deport migrants in Guantanamo Bay

Here's a look at some other high-profile Canadian cases in which there was a not criminally responsible finding.

This article examines several high-profile Canadian cases where individuals were found "not criminally responsible" for their actions, highlighting the legal and ethical complexities surrounding mental health and criminal accountability.  

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‘Alarming’ bug splat decline on UK cars raises fears for flying insect numbers

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