The typical annual energy bill for households in England, Wales, and Scotland has risen to £1,928 for the first quarter of 2024, marking a £94 increase from the end of 2023. Actual costs will vary based on individual usage, location, and payment methods, with energy users in north Wales, Cheshire, and parts of Merseyside paying above the British average, while those in North East England pay less.

Eastern European beer, traditionally overshadowed by wine and vodka, is gaining recognition, particularly for its stouts and sours. Czechia leads in beer exports, but Estonia's craft beers, like As Good As It Gets, are highly rated on Untappd. Imperial Stouts dominate the top-rated beers, while lagers are less favored. The analysis also reveals regional preferences for beer strength and bitterness, with Romanians preferring stronger beers and Slovaks and Poles favoring more bitterness.

Russia's invasion of Ukraine in February 2022 was partly justified by the need to protect ethnic Russians, a recurrent pretext for its aggressive policies. The article examines the distribution of Russian populations in Eastern Europe and Central Asia, revealing that Russians are mostly within Russia's borders, with significant populations in Crimea, North-Eastern Kazakhstan, and the Baltics. Data challenges are acknowledged, including outdated statistics and difficulties obtaining reliable figures from separatist regions. The piece also touches on the cultural and linguistic dynamics within Russia and its federal subjects, noting the diverse ethnic composition and the varying degrees of Russian identity. The author suggests creating an interactive tool to explore the data on ethnicities in the region.

Over the past two decades, the number of people owning multiple homes has more than doubled, while home ownership among 16-34 year-olds has significantly decreased. The Joseph Rowntree Foundation attributes this trend to mortgage market regulations favoring buy-to-let landlords over first-time buyers. The foundation recommends focusing on the existing 25 million homes to address housing costs and exploring policies to shift ownership towards first-time buyers and social renters.

Google Maps and other navigation apps like Waze have been identified as contributing to increased traffic on minor roads, a phenomenon known as rat-running. This has led to higher levels of congestion, pollution, and accidents on residential streets. Despite traffic on major UK roads remaining relatively flat, minor road traffic surged from 2009 to 2019. Residents have experienced negative impacts, such as increased noise and safety concerns, prompting some to move away. Various traffic-calming measures and low-traffic neighborhoods have been implemented to combat the issue. Google has not responded to requests for comment, while Waze acknowledged the request but did not provide a response.

The Kremlin has threatened former Soviet states under the pretext of protecting ethnic Russians, with recent threats directed at Moldova. The New Statesman maps areas with significant Russian-speaking populations in countries bordering Russia, including Kazakhstan, Moldova, Kyrgyzstan, Estonia, and Latvia, highlighting potential targets for Putin's 'protection'. The article discusses the ethnic Russian presence in these regions and the implications of Russian military action, considering the countries' relationships with the EU and NATO.

The UK government, under consideration by Boris Johnson, may revive the Thatcher-era Right to Buy scheme, allowing tenants to buy their rented housing association properties at a discount. Since its 1980 inception, nearly two million council homes have been sold, but only 1.2 million new social housing units have been built, exacerbating the housing crisis. A New Statesman analysis indicates a sharp decline in new social housing coinciding with the scheme's launch. Shelter's CEO Polly Neate criticizes the scheme for the significant loss of affordable social homes, noting less than 5% replacement of sold homes. Many sold homes have entered the private rental market, with some being resold at a profit shortly after purchase, contributing to a £6.4bn collective profit from resales between 2000 and 2018.

European officials are concerned that a Russian invasion of Ukraine could trigger a significant displacement of civilians, potentially leading to a new migrant crisis. The Czech defence minister and a former Estonian president have expressed concerns about the influx of refugees. Precedents from the 2014 invasion of eastern Ukraine by Russia show increased migration to OECD countries and Russia. The extent of displacement will depend on the scale and duration of any Russian occupation. Many Ukrainians have already settled in Eastern European countries, with a visa-free regime allowing easy access to the EU. The potential for 'hybrid measures' against the EU, such as those used by Belarusian dictator Alexander Lukashenko, adds to the concern.

Europe's reliance on Russian natural gas remains high amidst rising tensions and the threat of a Russian invasion of Ukraine. The EU imported about 35% of its foreign natural gas from Russia in 2019, with Germany, Italy, and France being significant consumers. Eastern and central European countries like Slovakia, Latvia, and Finland are almost entirely dependent on Russian gas. Despite geopolitical conflicts, such as the annexation of Crimea in 2014, EU's gas imports from Russia have increased. The completion of the Nord Stream 2 pipeline could further increase Germany's gas imports from Russia, although Chancellor Olaf Scholz has suggested potential sanctions against the project in case of a Russian military intervention in Ukraine. The EU's move towards decarbonization and phasing out coal and nuclear power has partly contributed to the continued dependence on natural gas, which is seen as a lower-carbon 'bridge fuel'.

The article highlights the critical role of both fossil fuels and renewables in the energy transition, emphasizing the political and economic challenges of achieving net-zero greenhouse gas emissions. It reviews the ten most-read articles on Energy Monitor, covering topics such as LNG exports, flaring intensity, the EU Taxonomy for green investments, electric vehicles, and carbon markets at COP26. The piece underscores the importance of various energy sources, including hydrogen, nuclear, and hydropower, and discusses the impact of recent events on the reliability of fossil fuels versus renewables.

The Covid-19 pandemic has intensified the popularity of Christmas songs, with Mariah Carey's 'All I Want for Christmas Is You' reaching the number one spot in the British charts for the first time in 2020, 26 years after its release. The phenomenon of 'Christmas creep,' where the festive season starts earlier each year, has been observed for decades and has been exacerbated by the pandemic as people sought joy during lockdowns. The early celebration of Christmas and the rise in holiday consumerism have been linked to a desire for gratification and distraction from a frightening world. Music, with its ability to evoke memories, plays a significant role in this trend.