UK Local Elections
Polling for the local elections took place on the 5th of May, with results pending. There are more than 4 000 counsellors in England, in 146 councils, and in cities including London, Birmingham, and Manchester. This also took place in Scotland (32 councils) and Wales (22 councils), however, in Northern Ireland, a new government will be decided. These determine who oversees local councils – from bin collections, to planning applications, to managing climate change reduction schemes. Voters will also have a say on issues such as the cost of living crisis.
UK and EU increase sanctions on Russia
The UK has banned services exports to Russia including management consulting, accounting, and public relations. The UK has currently sanctioned over 1600 individuals and entities and has now cut Russia from doing business with UK sectors which can be vital for the Russian economy. UK accountancy, consultancy, and PR services account for 10% of Russian imports in these sectors. The EU have also made harsher sanctions by having a total ban on Russian oil imports as well as sanctions on war crime suspects. They are planning on phasing out Russian crude oil over six months and refined products by the end of 2022.
US Supreme Court draft leaked possible abortion law
If the US Supreme Court doesn’t vote against the leaked draft, abortion could be banned in 26 states almost immediately. The court is seeking to overturn Roe v Wade – a case after which abortion was legalised in 1973, allowing pregnant people to terminate a pregnancy up to the point when the foetus could survive outside the womb (around 24 weeks). Planned Parenthood, the largest provider of reproductive services in the US found 36 million women could lose abortion access if Roe v Wade is overturned.
UK Crossrail Opening Date Finalised
The Elizabethan line is finally due to open on 24th May, originally planning to open in December 2018. Reading to Essex will be connected via Central London. Journey times across London, from Abbey Wood in the South East to Paddington, will decrease by almost half, now taking 29 minutes. Moreover, Central London rail capacity will be increased by 10%. The project has cost £18.8 billion. The opening date is still subject to final safety approvals being granted, and passengers who want to cross the entire line will still need to change at Paddington or Liverpool Station for their final destination.
