Barclays staff, represented by the Unite union, are challenging the bank's revised hybrid working model, which will reduce permitted work-from-home days. The union is calling for a one-off payment to mitigate increased travel and childcare expenses for its 36,000 members.
Researchers at the University of California, Santa Barbara, have developed a novel molecular solar thermal (MOST) energy storage system with an energy density surpassing lithium-ion batteries. The breakthrough, inspired by DNA photochemistry in human skin, offers a potentially emissions-free method for long-term heat storage, though challenges remain in light activation and chemical triggers.
Oil prices have increased following an exchange of fire between US and Iranian forces in the Strait of Hormuz. The US military reported intercepting Iranian attacks and conducting retaliatory strikes as its vessels traversed the vital waterway. This incident further jeopardises the existing US-Iran ceasefire.
