Just back from my run after a Night Shift to clear my head so all good here. No long weekend for me as back on day shifts on Monday.
Ah, shame. Never mind, two more bank hols coming up in quick succession ("succession" being apt for the Coronation)
Russian Oil Still Powering Europe’s Cars With Help of India India is importing record amounts of Russian crude oil Nation has simultaneously become Europe’s top fuel supplier By Prejula Prem and Sharon Cho 28 April 2023 at 6:16 pm NZSTUpdated on28 April 2023 at 11:20 pm NZST Russian oil is still powering Europe — just with the help of India. Back in December, the European Union barred almost any seaborne crude oil imports from Russia. It extended the prohibition to refined fuels two months later. However, the rules didn’t prevent countries like India from snapping up cheap Russian crude, turning it into fuels like diesel, and shipping it back to Europe at a markup. The Asian country is on track to become Europe’s largest supplier of refined fuels this month while simultaneously buying record amounts of Russian crude, according to data compiled by Bloomberg from analytics firm Kpler. “Russian oil is finding its way back into Europe despite all the sanctioning and India ramping up fuel exports to the west is a good example of it,” said Viktor Katona, lead crude analyst at the firm. “With India taking in so much Russian barrels, it’s inevitable.” India Becomes Europe's Top Fuel Supplier Europe's reliance on Indian oil products have grown since Russian ban Source: Kpler data, compiled by Bloomberg April volumes include vessels in transit The development is double-edged for the EU. On the one hand, the bloc needs alternative sources of diesel now that it has cut off direct flows from Russia, previously its top supplier. However, it ultimately boosts demand for Moscow’s barrels, and means extra freight costs. It also means more competition for Europe’s oil refiners who can’t access cheap Russian crude, and comes amid wider market scrutiny about where the region’s diesel imports are coming from. Repsol SA’s Chief Executive Officer Josu Jon Imaz said on Thursday that Russian diesel is entering Europe illegally and called on authorities to clamp down on the activity. He wasn’t talking about the trade via India but flows of diesel that originated in Russia. A preliminary inquiry into the matter by Spanish authorities didn’t find evidence that Russian diesel was entering the country, a government official said Friday, adding that a probe is ongoing. Europe’s refined fuel imports from India are set to surge above 360,000 barrels a day, edging just ahead of those of Saudi Arabia, Kpler’s data show. Russian crude oil arrivals to India are expected to surpass 2 million barrels a day in April, representing almost 44% of the nation’s overall oil imports, according to Kpler data. More than half of Russia’s seaborne oil shipments were to the European Union and Group of Seven nations before the bloc began to cut purchases in response to the nation’s invasion of Ukraine in early 2022.
Uber's right, it was nothing like destroy. She kept making her arguments, he kept knocking them down, and she moved on to another...
Biden returns home from Ireland. Some children ask him where he had travelled to recently. He couldn't remember, and eventually was prompted by his staff. Frightening
2000 rapes 80 charges not very good numbers Thousands of sex assaults at U.K. hospitals reported since 2019, data shows please log in to view this image By Frances Vinall Updated April 26, 2023 at 10:06 a.m. EDT|Published April 26, 2023 at 4:24 a.m. EDT A nurse cares for a premature baby at a National Health Service neonatal unit. The police have received thousands of reports of alleged sexual assault that took place at British hospitals. (Hannah McKay/Bloomberg) Listen 3 min Comment62 Gift Article Share There have been more than 6,500 reports of sexual assault and rape that allegedly took place within hospitals in England and Wales since 2019, data obtained through Freedom of Information requests from a women’s rights organization showed, in the latest challenge facing the United Kingdom’s National Health Service. Are you on Telegram? Subscribe to our channel for the latest updates on Russia’s war in Ukraine. The Women’s Rights Network released their report last week, with founder Heather Binning calling the statistics “jaw-dropping.” “We began this investigation because a number of members raised concerns about the safety of women and children on NHS wards, but we are horrified at what we have uncovered,” she said. Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said in Parliament he was “deeply shocked and appalled” at the numbers. “NHS organizations are responsible for protecting their staff and patients,” he said, adding they have “recently established a domestic abuse and sexual violence program to build more robust safeguarding.” There were 2,088 reports of rape and 4,451 reports of sexual assaults made to 35 police forces, according to the WRN, which sent requests to 43 forces in England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. Eight forces, including those in Scotland and Northern Ireland, did not supply data. Only 4 percent of the reports are known to have resulted in charges, the WRN said. The Department of Health is expected to run body cameras trials in coordination with the NHS to prevent violence against staff, including through body camera trials.
“No Bricks, No Glass, No Cement” – What Net Zero 2050 Demands According to Government-Funded Report BY CHRIS MORRISON 28 APRIL 2023 7:00 AM please log in to view this image No bricks, the walls and foundations made of compacted earth, cement made from clay and glass scavenged from demolition skips are just some of the construction changes needed to comply with Net Zero by 2050. The latest paper from Government-funded U.K. FIRES looks to “minimise new construction”, and notes the shape of the urban environment will change, allowing for “denser living and reduced transport needs”. The latest U.K. FIRES paper seems to have slipped out quietly at the end of last year and has to date attracted little publicity. But the group, which comprises a number of academics led by Cambridge engineering professor Julian Allwood, made headlines around the world recently with previous work noting that all flying and shipping must stop by 2050, beef and lamb must be banned, and only 60% of energy will be available to cook food and heat homes. The group, which receives £5 million from Government sources, is interesting because it bases its recommendations on the brutal, and many would argue honest, reality of absolute Net Zero. It does not assume that technological processes still to be perfected or even invented will somehow lead to minimal disturbance in comfortable industrialised lifestyles. It could be further argued that its continued existence and pronouncements are important, since they highlight the dishonesty and deceit that surrounds many other Net Zero promoters. U.K. FIRES sees the future of construction based on stone, earth and timber, along with components “reused and repurposed” from demolition. Recycled steel, cement and bricks can be used, although this will be “constrained” – rationed might be a better word – by a supply of “non-emitting electricity under high demand”. Transformational construction changes will take longer to achieve, state the authors, but the U.K.’s ambitious target of a 45% reduction in emissions by 2030, “can only be achieved through reduced material demand”. Building without bricks is an interesting suggestion and over two billion are currently produced each year. But bricks require high firing temperatures, and the enormous cost of Net Zero energy makes them uneconomic to produce. Cement also requires energy to make but it can be mixed with calcined clay. Nevertheless, calcined clay is also energy intensive and can only supplement 50% of Portland cement. “As a result, the mass low-cost consumption of concrete will no longer exist,” the authors note. Together, bricks and cement generate annual turnover of over £10 billion. Rammed earth, which can be used for foundation screeds and walls, is said to be a proven and potentially zero emission alternative, “which can utilise abundant local materials”. Glass looks to be a complete no-no, with production requiring temperatures of 1,700°C and producing additional process emissions which cannot be avoided by electrification. Only recycled glass seems to be acceptable for the absolutist authors, so the need for complete circularity, “will somewhat constrain the supply of glass”. However, add the authors helpfully, this will “encourage direct re-use and reconditioning of glass panels from demolition sites”. Steel is widely used in modern construction due to its large load-bearing properties. Around the world, recycled steel accounts for about a third of current production. To have zero emissions from producing steel relies on energy-intensive carbon capture and storage technology, which the authors observe, with their customary honesty, “is unlikely to be economical by 2050”. In the U.K., 85% of steel is already recycled, and it is explained that the Net Zero transition will heavily restrict its supply. Recycling of aluminium is said to be the “preferred zero emission compatible pathway”, and this will lead to “higher prices due to a restricted supply of the material”. Timber is also constrained by carbon emission production processes, and sustainable supply is limited by forests unable to rapidly match increased demand. The construction industry accounts for a seventh of all plastics used in the U.K., but needless to say, there are problems. Although plastics play a vital part in insulating buildings – plastic doors and windows can be sealed much more effectively than wood – the authors note that they will become “increasingly constrained and expensive to produce”. At times, your correspondent might be accused of exaggerating the effects of Net Zero, a collectivist political agenda increasingly divorced from the reality of modern living. But phrases such as “economic and societal breakdown”, and “mediaeval mud huts within 30 years”, would appear to be increasingly justified. Look at what is actually being said and done. In the Brecon Beacons, a new college called Black Mountains (BMC) is promoting its new climate breakdown university degree. One short course offered by this seat of learning is ‘Composting Toilets‘. This will serve as a “high quality exemplar” that will inform the design and building of some of the “potential future facilities on the BMC campus”. As well as learning, this new college is obviously a seat of great easement as it moves effortlessly to a Net Zero future. The World Economic Forum says you will eat bugs and own nothing – to this might be added that you will crap into a hole in the ground, and, of course, be happy.
How much money does the monarchy bring to the UK? Some £1.7bn a year… Criticism and praise for the monarchy has heightened following the death of Queen Elizabeth II. Her funeral cost UK taxpayers millions, but the royal institution brings in far greater sums each year. By Sebastian Shehadi please log in to view this image please log in to view this image please log in to view this image please log in to view this image please log in to view this image The monarchy is criticised by many in the UK for the money it takes out of the country, but analysts claim the institution makes a net gain. (Photo by Paul Edwards/WPA Pool/Getty Images) For those living in the UK who would rather see the monarchy abolished, Queen Elizabeth II’s funeral may have been difficult to endure. Beyond the pomp and ceremony surrounding the death of a nonagenarian from natural causes, the Queen’s lavish, week-long mourning period and funeral sat awkwardly amid the country’s cost of living crisis. Free Whitepaper UniMap – HERE Unified Map: UniMap revolutionizes how maps are created, updated and used. UniMap is HERE Technologies’ new highly automated mapping system which combines big data processing, machine learning and deep location expertise to produce a comprehensive, accurate and up-to-date... Read more By HERE Technologies For some employees on casual contracts, the closing of shops and businesses for the monarch’s Monday funeral date meant they could not afford to eat. A few days later, King Charles III was heckled over the cost of living crisis as he greeted cheering crowds in Cardiff. “Charles, while we struggle to heat our homes, we have to pay for your parade,” a man could be heard shouting. “The taxpayers pay £100m for you, but what for?” The Accounts for the Sovereign Grant, which funds the Queen and her household’s official expenses, released a report in the summer of 2022, showing that the monarchy cost the taxpayer £102.4m ($114.6m) during the 2021–22 financial year – an increase of 17% from the previous 12 months. While there is some consensus around how much the monarchy takes from public coffers, there is much less surrounding the more complex and nebulous calculation: how much does it bring in? A moneymaking monarchy Measuring the wealth-generation of a brand is no easy task, especially when it comes to the Royal Family, whose influence on the UK economy, and therefore its tax income, spans the likes of trade, tourism, media, real estate and heritage sites, foreign investment and much more. A simple Google search reveals that there are many competing figures in the realm of “How much does the monarchy make for the UK?” Some put it in the millions, others in the billions. There is one consultancy, however, that specialises in such calculations: London-based Brand Finance. According to Brand Finance, the UK monarchy’s capital value as a business sits at £67.5bn, while its annual contribution to the UK economy was £1.76bn in 2017 alone. Meanwhile, for the taxpayer, the annual cost per head is roughly 1p a day. “The [monarchy’s] contribution includes the Crown Estate’s surplus as well as [its] indirect effect on various industries,” said Brand Finance in a press release. “The respect for the institution boosts the price and volume premium of brands boasting a Royal Warrant or a Coat of Arms; the appeal of pomp and circumstance set in living royal residences draws millions of tourists; the mystique surrounding the Monarchy adds to the popularity of shows like The Crown and Victoria that offer a glimpse of the private lives of the Royal Family.” The monarchy’s near £2bn uplift for the UK economy has not decreased since 2017, according to Konrad Jagodzinski of Brand Finance. “Royal endorsements for products and the royal coat of arms are extremely important as a seal of quality, from biscuits to luxury items,” he says. “We found that US consumers are significantly more likely to buy a certain brand if it was seen to be endorsed by royals.” There is also the impact of royals, in particular Elizabeth II, on the UK’s international image, something that drives investment, trade deals and, more generally, soft power. Beyond her birthright, Queen Elizabeth II was a diplomat, a standard-bearer, an icon, a beacon of stability, a unifying presence, an international ambassador that no other country could hope to match – as recently described by Investment Monitor. “Most other countries can’t boast that,” says Jagodzinski. “They just have constantly changing heads of state or government, and all the turmoil that comes with that. Is anyone talking about the Spanish monarchy right now? No. We also have the monarchy to thank for the Commonwealth, which represents almost one-third of the global population. So it is a huge exposure that Britain is getting through that in terms of soft power.” That said, Barbados’s decision last year to remove Queen Elizabeth II as its head of state shows how the monarchy’s legacy cuts both ways, and that it cannot be taken for granted. Economically, it has been, and is, a huge boon for the UK economy, as exemplified under Queen Elizabeth II. On the other hand, its legacy is one borne out of classism and colonisation, two of the ugliest words in the English language. King Charles III has enormous shoes to fill, and must fill them while simultaneously distancing the monarchy from its dark past in more obvious ways than ever before. The UK’s younger generation is demanding it, as are an ever-growing number of Commonwealth countries. In this, the UK economy needs him, and the monarchy, to succeed
The Scottish Parish Council makes an offering to their new King ahead of his coronation next week. As tradition dictates it will be transported to London by motorhome driven by the husband of the former leader of the council. please log in to view this image 8
This is the man who was responsible for identifying Brexit benefits and after several years he came up with something about signs in tunnels - which turned out to be bullshit anyway. GBeebies viewers will think he's clever because of the way he talks, but the substance is gossamer thin - £140,000 for ****'s sake! Purkiss was spot on in that the Tories want to fight a culture wars election (30p Lee has said as much) because they can't afford to fight on their record in government. Make people angry enough about which toilet people use and they might forget about how the Tories have raped the country.
