Therese Raphael

Brexit’s Unavoidable Gravity Squeezes UK Scientists

One of the most contentious parts of the torturous post-Brexit trade negotiations between the UK and Europe was the dispute-resolution process. Now it’s being tested. The UK triggered the measure last week, complaining that the European Union has blocked its access to billions of science funding in…

England Brought Football Home. How Much Is That Worth?

Days after the England women’s football team clinched a 2-1 victory over Germany in the UEFA Women’s Euro 2022 final, the country is still coming to terms with what it means to bring the game home. Alex Scott, a former England player and highly regarded commentator, likened it to when the US women…

Why Is It So Hard to Get Wimbledon Tickets?

Tickets for marquee sporting events don’t come cheap. A top Premier League match, where a stadium can pack 40,000 to 60,000 football fans, easily runs £100 ($121) for club members, with prices far higher on the secondary market. A weekend at the just completed Silverstone Grand Prix starts at a…

Why You'll Probably Get Covid (Again) Soon

The question used to be: “Have you had Covid?” Now it’s: “How many times have you had it?” Both of us have had a Covid (re)infection in recent months. Many of us know people currently sick with Covid or recently recovered. In the week ending June 24, an estimated 1 in 30 people in the UK (some…

Decisive People Aren’t Better Decision-Makers

Some people are naturally more decisive. These charge-ahead types make choices assuredly, from the trivial to the life-changing, stick to them and don’t look back. But do they make better decisions? It turns out that indecisive people don’t make worse decisions. In fact, the art of making good…

Boris Johnson’s Confidence Vote Win Means Tory Civil War

How can the Tories dump a leader who has been as successful at winning elections and riding out controversy as Boris Johnson? And yet how can they stick with one whose character has become a liability, whom the public distrusts and whom many see as a threat to the integrity of governing…

Boris Johnson Is Focused on the Wrong Problem in Northern Ireland

Just as Britain and the European Union had found unity in helping Ukraine repel Vladimir Putin’s invasion, the UK government decided to pick a fight with Brussels over Northern Ireland. In theory, the messy politics of Northern Ireland can be kept separate from the broader mission of “Global…

Boris Johnson Has Partied His Way to a Midterm Thrashing

Britain’s Tories have been in power for a long time and incumbents generally get a midterm beating. So, of course, Boris Johnson is expecting a slapdown in local government elections on Thursday. There are plenty of reasons for voters to deliver one. Historically, there is a pretty strong…

Our Fear of Escalation in Ukraine Has Only Made It More Likely

The democracies opposed to Vladimir Putin’s war in Ukraine have been clear that, in Boris Johnson’s words, “Putin must fail.” But they haven’t defined failure. British Foreign Secretary Liz Truss took a stab at it on Wednesday night, and it’s worth a closer look at what she said. Her 2022…

Is Wimbledon’s Ban on Russians a Double Fault?

Deploying sanctions against Russian oligarchs and banks was a no-brainer. Now comes the far thornier question about how far to go in canceling Vladimir Putin’s Russia — not just politically connected elites but the athletes, artists and other symbolic ambassadors of the regime. The All England…