News

News. 23^rd October
It seems there is a fraud going on where some businesses put people on furlough then ask them to carry out work for the company.  When people are on furlough they are not allowed to work for the company.  If the company claims the money, it is a fraud.  The estimates say that nearly £4 billion  has been claimed – this is a cost to the people who pay their taxes.
Another worry over Brexit.  UK research in universities and centres works closely with partners in the EU.  There is a huge programme called Horizon Europe.  There are big grants for working with partners in different countries.  At the moment the UK Government has not agreed to take part.  The deal offered by the EU is for the UK to pay £15 billion over 7 years but that it can have grants back from the fund up to the same amount.  They cannot go over that as the UK would have to pay more and if they go under they would not get the money back.  Researchers are really worried that the UK Government will just refuse and there will be a huge loss of research funds in the UK.
Another worry – Arctic sea ice  – well the lack of it.  By this time of the year, the Arctic Ocean should have frozen over in Siberia.  But there has been freak warm weather and there is no ice.  Part of the problem is caused by the gas emissions from factories in Russia.  The temperatures in the air and the water are way too high.   But this is another big effect of global warming and the changes in the world climate.