What happened
The UK is now facing a nationally significant online assault more than every other day, according to new data from the National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC). The agency said “highly significant” cyber attacks had risen by 50% in the past year, with 18 major incidents causing serious disruption to government, essential services and the economy. Most involved ransomware, including the hacking of Marks & Spencer and the Co-op Group.

Who said what
GCHQ Director Anne Keast-Butler urged leaders to “prioritise cyber risk management ... embed it into your governance and lead from the top”. 

In the past year the UK and its allies have exposed Russian, Chinese and Iranian cyber operations, according to the NCSC. But “the threat is also homegrown”, said The Guardian. Last week two 17-year-olds were arrested in Hertfordshire over a ransomware attack on the Kido nursery chain.

What next?
Government ministers have written to the UK’s largest companies urging them to make cyber resilience a board-level priority as experts warn that the growing use of artificial intelligence could make future attacks even harder to defend against.

What happened
The latest Global Tipping Points Report has concluded that the warming of the planet is approaching “dangerous” and “irreversible” thresholds earlier than expected. The work by 160 researchers reveals that if the temperature rises by more than 1.5C we risk significant melting of polar ice sheets, bleached coral systems, damage to ocean currents and the collapse of the Amazon rainforest.

Who said what
“We are rapidly approaching multiple Earth system tipping points that could transform our world, with devastating consequences for people and nature,” said Professor Tim Lenton, director of the University of Exeter’s Global Systems Institute.

Dr Mike Barrett, co-author of the report, called the findings “incredibly alarming”, adding: “Unless we act decisively now, we will also lose the Amazon rainforest, the ice sheets and vital ocean currents.” It is important to “trigger positive tipping points that can propel societies towards low-carbon, resilient development and inclusive prosperity” said COP30 President-Designate André Aranha Correa do Lago.

What next?
World leaders are due to meet at COP30 in Brazil next month, where all 198 countries associated with the initiative are expected to participate.

Climate change has been wreaking havoc on our largest organ: the skin. Extreme heat, pollution and changing rainfall can worsen skin conditions. As a result, skin products have had to evolve to keep up with changing demands.

Skin is “exquisitely sensitive” to climate and ecological changes, Louise Andersen, the co-chair of the International Society of Dermatology Committee on Climate Change and a dermatologist at Aleris-Hamlet Hospitals in Denmark, told the magazine Harvard Medicine.

Many different aspects of climate change can have a negative effect on the skin, but rising temperatures and extreme heat are one of the biggest risks. Heat can “get trapped in our skin, triggering several inflammatory issues”, according to Women’s Health. Acne can worsen, too, as “increased sweat can lead to more clogged pores”. Heat can also “increase rashes, particularly those in friction-prone areas like under the breasts, the groin and inner thighs, as well as yeast and bacterial conditions that can occur with perspiration build-up on the skin”.

Driven by newfound demand, skincare “brands are launching hyper-targeted solutions designed to shield, adapt and defend against the elements in real time, addressing immediate concerns while enhancing long-term resilience”, said the website BeautyMatter.

But not everyone can afford new skin solutions, and inflammatory conditions are “common in marginalised populations who may not have access to air conditioning, or who work outside all day, and extreme heat creates a favourable environment for bacterial growth, compromising the skin’s natural defences”, said National Geographic. “Monitoring air quality and preventing damage during those poor air days is key to protecting your skin.”