Tag Archives: Britain

Analysis, Economics, Opinion, Podcasts, Politics, Reviews, Society

Opinion: U.S. & India Draw Closer, UK As An AI Power, Lula Can’t The Amazon

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‘Editor’s Picks’ Podcast (June 12, 2023) – Three essential articles read aloud from the latest issue of The Economist. This week, why India is indispensable to America, how to make Britain an AI superpower (10:35) and Lula’s unsustainable plans to save the Amazon (18:45).

https://open.spotify.com/episode/4WyfDSH6bf1N6K6SFh1Tw8

Joe Biden and Narendra Modi are
drawing their countries closer

India does not love the West, but it is indispensable to America

India’s prime minister has been afforded the honour of a state visit by President Joe Biden. Mr Modi will be one of the few foreign leaders, along with Winston Churchill, Nelson Mandela and Volodymyr Zelensky, to address a joint session of Congress more than once. 

How Britain can become an AI superpower

Rishi Sunak’s enthusiasm is welcome. But his plans for Britain fall short

Britain, says Mr Sunak, will harness ai and thus spur productivity, economic growth and more. As he told an audience in London this week, he sees the “extraordinary potential of ai to improve people’s lives”.

Lula’s ambitious plans to save the Amazon clash with reality

A Kayapo tribe member walks on a highway during a protest in Brazil.

The Brazilian president faces resistance from Congress, the state oil company and agribusiness

 “There should be no contradiction between economic growth and environmental protection,” he said. Yet Lula’s green agenda is suffering setbacks.

Travel, Views, Wilderness

Travel: The Most Popular Hikes In Britain (2023)

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The Guardian (June 12, 2023) – The nation’s 10 favourite walks this year were calculated by OS through data collected from its OS maps app between April 2022 and April 2023.

Walkers descend the path from Whernside.

 1. The Yorkshire Three Peaks, North Yorkshire

A true hiking adventure, test yourself by clambering the peaks of Ingleborough, Pen-y-ghent and Whernside and down again during a day-long challenge. You’ll walk past aqueducts, lakes, rivers and moorlands and witness stunning North Yorkshire scenery throughout. The views from the summit of Whernside during sunset are a sight to behold. 

A view from the Chilterns.

2. Bottom Wood Route, Chilterns, Oxfordshire

The walk starts by taking you through a conservation area surrounded by woodland and a nature reserve. Roam through fields, along wide country tracks and underneath canopies of ancient trees with most of the walking in the countryside and very little along roads.

View on Grasmere to the Langdale Pikes walk

3. Grasmere to the Langdale Pikes, Lake District

The circular route from Grasmere to Pavey Ark, one of the Langdale Pikes, and back offers the perfect combination of relatively easy terrain underfoot and outstanding views throughout. Highlights include the views from near Blea Rigg up Langdale Valley to Bowfell, and down the Great Langdale valley towards Windermere.

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Documentaries, Forestry, Travel, Videos, Views, Wilderness

Wilderness: Time Travel In Britain’s Lost Rainforests

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Aeon Video

Aeon Video (May 2, 2023) – With a deep view of time, a regenerative forester extracts resources to cultivate growth in an ancient English rainforest.

Living and working in the woodlands of the Teign valley in Devon, England, the regenerative forester John Williamson has cultivated a deep connection to and unique understanding of this rare patch of English rainforest. This includes knowing that a healthy ecosystem means an eclectic variety of landscapes rather than perfect tree cover; that no parcel of land in Great Britain has gone untouched by humans; and that, while storms can mean devastation for people, for woodlands they’re simply another phase in an ancient cycle.

In this short documentary, Williamson explains how, through viewing these woodlands in terms of the deep past, present and future, he’s developed a sustainable method of extracting wood and creating charcoal that actually encourages biodiversity.

Director: Hugh Hartford
Producer: Anson Hartford
Executive Producer: Emmanuel Vaughan-Lee
Banyak Films: banyak.co.uk/

International, News, Opinion, Podcasts, Politics, Stories

Opinion: Disunited States Of America, Britain Can’t Build, Pakistan Flooding

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A selection of three essential articles read aloud from the latest issue of The Economist. This week, the disunited states of America, why Britain can’t build (9:15) and Pakistan’s worst floods in recent memory (17:05).

https://open.spotify.com/episode/4wwRiI09Tqf0sgJJpaiAP0
News, Podcasts, Politics, Stories

Morning News: Financial Protests In China, Ukraine HIMARS Rocket Launchers

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Property developers are going belly-up, home-buyers are not paying mortgages, protests after a banking scandal have been quashed. We ask about the instability still to come.

Ukraine’s new HIMARS rocket launchers are proving exceedingly effective against Russian forces. And a look at Britain’s world-leading collection of diseases-in-a-dish.

Landscape, Travel, Videos, Views

Views: The Wild Coastlines Of Britain And Ireland

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The spectacular coastlines of Britain and Ireland get battered by weather in autumn and winter, but on a fine day in spring or summer they’re the equal of anything in the world.

Rosie Paterson, August 20, 2021

The west coast of Ireland bears the brunt of some of the Atlantic Ocean’s most terrific swells. As a result, its beaches are a Mecca for surfers. Lahinch — a mile-long, sandy crescent — is regarded as one of the best. And remember your golf clubs: the links course at Lahinch is a joy, one of the finest in the country.

On a sunny day, Luskentyre beach could easily be mistaken for somewhere in the Caribbean — something that could be said of all the best beaches in Scotland. The sand is a brilliant sugar-white sweep and the sea a vivid shade of blue. Sand dunes to the north provide protection on windier days and there are excellent walking trails for those who don’t fancy a dip. If bad weather sweeps in, you’ll certainly feel ready for a dram afterwards.

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Landscape, Travel, Views

English Countryside: Peak District National Park

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The air in the Peak District feels different. It’s softer; thicker even — one friend compared it to ‘butter’ (a good thing, I think) — and certainly cleaner than any air in London. Maybe it was the feeling of freedom: it was the farthest any of us had travelled in months, following months of respective lockdowns in the capital and in Devon (where the air is lighter, and salty). 

We had few expectations. Several people had said that the Peaks couldn’t compare to the Lake District (spoiler alert, they are wrong and have likely never been), several more couldn’t even point them out on a map. But change is afoot and the Peaks look set to become one of the UK’s most popular destinations with the arrival of several new, exciting hotels. Buxton Crescent Hotel (Buxton of bottled water fame) opened last year; The Tawny — a collection of rooms, tree- and boathouses — and Wildhive Callow Hall join it this summer. 

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News, Podcasts, Politics

Morning News Podcast: EU-Britain Trade, Female Soldiers & China’s Oscar

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Europe’s parliament has overwhelmingly voted to extend a stopgap trade agreement. But the rancour behind the vote, and the deal’s thin measures, say much about future relations.

https://open.spotify.com/episode/1ptuqYh55HEpGGW2nKlp2d

Female soldiers are entering armed forces in big numbers, but they still face barriers both in getting the job and in doing it. And China’s homegrown Oscar-winning director is scrubbed from its internet.

Automobiles, Classics, Reviews, Transportation, Videos, Views

1980’s View: History Of The VW Beetle Wizzard (Video)

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Born in the U.S.A, this 1960s VW Beetle Wizard gained its popularity in the midst of a custom car phenomenon with looks overriding performance, though it didn’t kick off in the UK until the 80s. Eye-catching, noisy and cool was the goal. About Car S.O.S Series 9: The best car restoration series with a big heart is back to bring a warm smile to all!

Master mechanic Fuzz Townshend and parts-blagging petrol head Tim Shaw set off on a mission to save decaying classic cars from their unsuspecting but very much deserving owners. The cars are taken to the Car S.O.S. garage with Tim & Fuzz racing against the clock to carefully restore it to its former glory, leading to the big, surprise reveal.

Health, Investigations, Medicine, Videos

Health: How Britain Is Planning To Roll Out The Covid-19 Vaccine (Video)

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The U.K. became the first Western nation to vaccinate patients against Covid-19. WSJ explains how the country is planning to roll out the BioNTech-Pfizer vaccine at record speed, making it a test case for the rest of the world.

Photo: Jacob King/Bloomberg News