An incident at a UAE oil depot, attributed to Iran, escalates Gulf tensions and raises risks to shipping and energy supply. In response, there are calls for a Royal Navy presence in the Strait of Hormuz to safeguard routes.

Prospective parents used polygenic screening to select an embryo predicted to have higher cognitive potential. Though selecting for intelligence is illegal in the UK, clinics abroad offer it and demand is rising, intensifying ethical and regulatory debate over genetic selection.

A senior religious leader was killed in Tehran amid a series of incidents. Officials blamed a foreign state, triggering retaliatory military action. The US urged people to challenge the leadership, while the UK and EU withheld backing for a US‑led response.

Mountbatten-Windsor faces intensifying scrutiny, igniting debate over the Crown’s future. Questions centre on public funding, accountability and the social contract. Some argue transparency and reform are essential to restore trust; others say the institution may no longer align with modern British values.