Bites

在 Charles 和 Camilla 按照严格指令出席活动时，国会议员们目睹了公务员们令人极度不安的窘态。我们并不常见到高级公务员在公开场合露面。他们通常避开公众注视，坐在办公桌后，试图说服他们的部长不要对政府部门做出过于具有毁灭性的举动。究竟为什么他们仅仅因为履行职责就能被授予爵士或女爵勋衔，这仍然是人生的谜团之一。我们其余的人只能偶尔收到老板发来的一封邮件。但在过去一周里，两名顶级公务员被迫就 Keir Starmer 任命 Peter Mandelson 为驻美大使的决定，在外交事务委员会面前提供证词，而这一过程也非常具有启发性。尤其是可以看到，他们是多么讨厌任何来自公众的额外关注。看到他们因被接受质询而表现出的明显不安，实在令人感到难受。继续阅读...

• CDC data indicates 71 per 100,000 emergency room visits for tick bites in the most recent week, highest in Northeast followed by Midwest, Southeast, West, and South Central. • Rising tick activity signals increased Lyme disease and other vector-borne risks as warmer weather extends season. • Public health experts warn of prevention needs amid Northeast ER surge.

PM Sanae Takaichi says about 80m barrels of stockpiled oil to be provided to refiners – equivalent to 45 days of domestic demand • Middle East crisis – live updatesJapan will begin the biggest-ever release of oil from its strategic reserves this week, the prime minister, Sanae Takaichi, has said, as the country braces for possible shortages caused by the US-Israel war on Iran.The government last week approved the release of 15 days’ worth of private-sector reserves, amid concern that the conflict in the Middle East will continue to hinder the flow of tanker traffic along the strait of Hormuz. Continue reading...