#EUROTUNNEL PROJECT

[brookstonalmanac]

Events 7.29 (after 1920)

1920 – Construction of the Link River Dam begins as part of the Klamath Reclamation Project. 1921 – Adolf Hitler becomes leader of the National Socialist German Workers' Party. 1932 – Great Depression: In Washington, D.C., troops disperse the last of the "Bonus Army" of World War I veterans. 1937 – Tongzhou mutiny: In Tongzhou, China, the East Hebei Army attacks Japanese troops and civilians. 1945 – The BBC Light Programme radio station is launched for mainstream light entertainment and music. 1948 – Olympic Games: The Games of the XIV Olympiad: After a hiatus of 12 years caused by World War II, the first Summer Olympics to be held since the 1936 Summer Olympics in Berlin, open in London. 1950 – Korean War: After four days, the No Gun Ri Massacre ends when the US Army 7th Cavalry Regiment is withdrawn. 1957 – The International Atomic Energy Agency is established. 1957 – Tonight Starring Jack Paar premieres on NBC with Jack Paar beginning the modern day talk show. 1958 – U.S. President Dwight D. Eisenhower signs into law the National Aeronautics and Space Act, which creates the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA). 1959 – First United States Congress elections in Hawaii as a state of the Union. 1965 – Vietnam War: The first 4,000 101st Airborne Division paratroopers arrive in Vietnam, landing at Cam Ranh Bay. 1967 – Vietnam War: Off the coast of North Vietnam the USS Forrestal catches on fire in the worst U.S. naval disaster since World War II, killing 134. 1967 – During the fourth day of celebrating its 400th anniversary, the city of Caracas, Venezuela is shaken by an earthquake, leaving approximately 500 dead. 1973 – Greeks vote to abolish the monarchy, beginning the first period of the Metapolitefsi. 1973 – Driver Roger Williamson is killed during the Dutch Grand Prix, after a suspected tire failure causes his car to pitch into the barriers at high speed. 1976 – In New York City, David Berkowitz (a.k.a. the "Son of Sam") kills one person and seriously wounds another in the first of a series of attacks. 1980 – Iran adopts a new "holy" flag after the Islamic Revolution. 1981 – A worldwide television audience of around 750 million people watch the wedding of Charles, Prince of Wales, and Lady Diana Spencer at St Paul's Cathedral in London. 1981 – After impeachment on June 21, Abolhassan Banisadr flees with Massoud Rajavi to Paris, in an Iranian Air Force Boeing 707, piloted by Colonel Behzad Moezzi, to form the National Council of Resistance of Iran. 1987 – British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher and President of France François Mitterrand sign the agreement to build a tunnel under the English Channel (Eurotunnel). 1987 – Prime Minister of India Rajiv Gandhi and President of Sri Lanka J. R. Jayewardene sign the Indo-Sri Lanka Accord on ethnic issues. 1993 – The Supreme Court of Israel acquits alleged Nazi death camp guard John Demjanjuk of all charges and he is set free. 1996 – The child protection portion of the Communications Decency Act is struck down by a U.S. federal court as too broad. 2005 – Astronomers announce their discovery of the dwarf planet Eris. 2010 – An overloaded passenger ferry capsizes on the Kasai River in Bandundu Province, Democratic Republic of the Congo, resulting in at least 80 deaths. 2013 – Two passenger trains collide in the Swiss municipality of Granges-près-Marnand near Lausanne injuring 25 people. 2015 – The first piece of suspected debris from Malaysia Airlines Flight 370 is discovered on Réunion Island. 2019 – The 2019 Altamira prison riot between rival Brazilian drug gangs leaves 62 dead. 2021 – The International Space Station temporarily spins out of control, moving the ISS 45 degrees out of attitude, following an engine malfunction of Russian module Nauka.

[bongreviewbd]

How Underwater Tunnels Are Built: The Amazing Technology, Process, and Science Behind the Channel Tunnel

With the advancement of modern engineering and technology, today we are able to accomplish remarkable projects under the sea. One of the most famous and astounding examples is the Channel Tunnel, also known as the "Eurotunnel," which connects the United Kingdom and France. Many people wonder, how are tunnels constructed underwater? How is water prevented from entering these tunnels? In this article, we’ll dive into the construction process of the Channel Tunnel, the technology used, and the scientific principles behind this massive project.

The Process of Constructing Underwater Tunnels:

Building tunnels underwater is a complex process. First, digging begins about 45 meters beneath the seabed. Engineers use a "water-resistant tunnel boring machine" that weighs over 1,000 tons. This machine can withstand the pressure of water and the challenges of the underground environment. As it digs, the machine reinforces the tunnel walls with steel and concrete, ensuring the walls are strong enough to withstand pressure and keep water from entering the tunnel.

Technology and Machinery Used in Channel Tunnel Construction:

Channel Tunnel construction required state-of-the-art machinery, especially the water-resistant boring machines. Since water pressure is a primary challenge in underwater tunnel construction, heavy and powerful machinery is essential to complete the excavation. Additionally, the walls of the tunnel are lined with steel and concrete, strengthening them to resist water seepage.

Digging from Opposite Directions and Fossil Observation:

Another fascinating aspect of the Channel Tunnel is that the tunnel was dug from two opposite directions. The British and French teams started from different ends and had to align their excavation precisely. Engineers observed various fossils during the digging process to confirm they were at the correct depth. This process required immense technical skill and coordination.

Time and Effort by Workers:

The Channel Tunnel took around six years to complete, with numerous engineers and workers dedicated to the project. Without their effort, such a massive project could not have been accomplished. Working underground with high water pressure was dangerous for the workers, so special safety measures were implemented to protect them.

The Future of Underwater Tunnel Construction:

Massive underwater tunnel projects like the Channel Tunnel are inspirational examples for the future. With the advancement of modern science and technology, it will be possible to build even more sustainable and long-lasting underwater tunnels. Building tunnels under the sea promotes human connectivity, reduces distances, and strengthens economic ties.

Conclusion:

Building tunnels underwater is a modern marvel. The construction process of the Channel Tunnel shows how advanced engineering and technology have become. This method and scientific approach behind the Channel Tunnel will support the realization of larger projects in the future. Subscribe to our blog to learn more about scientific and innovative topics.

Watch More: Johnny Kim: A Real-Life Superman Who Made History as a Navy SEAL, Harvard Doctor, and NASA Astronaut

Tags: #facts #fyp #reels #viral #highlights #underwatertunnel, #tunnelconstructionprocess, #channeltunnel, #underseatunnel, #tunneltechnology, #eurotunnel, #waterpressure, #tunnelproject, #boringmachine, #tunnelsafety, #sustainabletunnel, #modernengineering, #subsurfaceexcavation, #scienceandtechnology #পানিরনিচেটানেল, #টানেলনির্মাণপ্রক্রিয়া, #চ্যানেলটানেল, #আন্ডারসিটানেল, #টানেলনির্মাণপ্রযুক্তি, #ইউরোটানেল, #পানিরচাপ, #টানেলপ্রকল্প, #খননযন্ত্র, #টানেলসুরক্ষা, #টেকসইটানেল, #আধুনিকপ্রকৌশল, #ভূগর্ভস্থখনন, #বিজ্ঞানওপ্রযুক্তি পানিরনিচেটানেল, টানেলনির্মাণপ্রক্রিয়া, চ্যানেলটানেল, আন্ডারসিটানেল, টানেলনির্মাণপ্রযুক্তি, ইউরোটানেল, পানিরচাপ, টানেলপ্রকল্প, খননযন্ত্র, টানেলসুরক্ষা, টেকসইটানেল, আধুনিকপ্রকৌশল, ভূগর্ভস্থখনন, বিজ্ঞানওপ্রযুক্তি, underwatertunnel, tunnelconstructionprocess, channeltunnel, underseatunnel, tunneltechnology, eurotunnel, waterpressure, tunnelproject, boringmachine, tunnelsafety, sustainabletunnel, modernengineering, subsurfaceexcavation, scienceandtechnologyalLife, Family, SpaceExploration

[railsistem]

The Channel Tunnel Celebrates Its 30th Anniversary

Getlink and its subsidiary Eurotunnel are celebrating 30 years since the opening of the Channel Tunnel in 1994. In doing so, the company is acknowledging those who have contributed to the success of the project, as well as those who are continuing to shape the future of passenger, freight and energy transport between the UK, France and continental Europe. This comes at a time when the need to…

[plushiesarepeople-humansarent]

In the 2000s (back when we thought that dismantling the USSR would make everyone best friends forever) there was a proposed train line that would do just this: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bering_Strait_crossing A eurotunnel style crossing from Chuotka in Russia to the Seward Peninsula in Alaska. This tunnel would presumably then link up to the trans-siberian in Vladivostok, getting you all the way from the United States to Moscow. A few more billions in rail expendature (and a fancy gauge changing train) could probably get you from Miami to Paris; just don't expect to make it for lunch.

EDIT: Forgive my geography, but it would definitely not connect at Vladivostok. Map projections are wild.

Sometimes when I think I have a handle on writing I remember my first full-length novel. It was a dark humor contemporary fiction about a charming serial killer getting a job at a small-town bakery in Maine, really no fantastical elements other than some contrived, edgelord murders.

A few years after I finished it I read through the ending. It's a parallel to Casablanca, the main character's favorite movie, and in it he leaves the love of his life to get on a train to join his estranged mother in Paris.

He took a train.

To Paris.

From the United States.

I did not...fuck. This was like over a decade ago and I still get knots in my stomach when I think about it.

Lauren Bacall got on a fucking plane in the movie a PLANE is how most people in other countries tend to get to fucking France.

Oh God. RIP. L in the chat. Moment of silence for all the mistakes we have to diligently ignore to keep on keeping on.

[paulrennie]

Folkestone Seafront + Harbour Development • 2023

The latest proposals for the development of the Folkestone seafront and harbour have been announced - and have been met with much local hostility...It's not possible for nothing to happen; and it's not possible for whatever happens to be uneconomic, that would be unsustainable.

It's worth baring in mind that the development is a private scheme strategically directed by Roger de Haan.

The proposals for development are based on the heights, masses and densities approved in planning negotiations with the local council. The maximums are defined by what already exists locally; the Grand Burstin Hotel, that faces the harbour. Nothing proposed is bigger than the Hotel.

Historically, the seafront and harbour parts of the town provided the working and popular leisure facilities to serve those passing through and visiting. When we first arrived in Folkestone, the harbour was an industrial zone with a lorry park and railway station. On the seafront was a night club and fun fair and crazy golf. The boating lake and swimming pool were long gone. Later, the outer-harbour was closed and the industrial units allowed to become derelict. This killed the town by consolidating and displacing traffic to Eurotunnel and Dover.

The site is brown-field and has never not been in a process of redevelopment. In my lifetime, the development proposals have been for a supermarket and multi-storey carpark; for a super-casino, flats and multi-storey carpark; and for mixed-use masterplans by Norman Foster and Terry Farrell.

These various proposals have mostly been held in check by external economic and other circumstances - the financial crisis of 2007, Brexit and Covid 19 etc etc. The new proposals are likely to be re-drawn as AI, climate change and working-from-home each change the development landscape.

Based on the progress so far, I would guess that the development will take maybe 25 years to complete. It will certainly not arrive fully-formed overnight. Accordingly there is plenty of opportunity and time to reconfigure and recalibrate the proposals as circumstances demand.

The first phases of re-development have focussed on the harbour arm and the first of several blocks of flats. These are top-quality and high-spec projects that are, by local standards, of the very best quality. There is no reason to believe that anything built now won't be at least as good.

The regeneration of Folkestone is being directed across a number of distinct but related stream of developments in education, sports, culture and property. This multi-faceted development plan is aligned with Folkestone's position on HS1 (one hour from KX/StP) and the expansion of the town along the M20 corridor.

Having observed, at close quarters, the redevelopment of the Greenwich Peninsula and of the KX/StP area, I am very encouraged by the quality of strategic and design-thinking evident in the newly announced proposals.

Hurrah for Folkestone.

NB the original supermarket and carpark development was eventually built in the town centre as a multi-storey carpark with a supermarket attached and with a row of oversized retail units beneath.

Supplemental 30/08

We are several iterations into the scheme now and what has been proposed, so far, are big boxes (Foster), small boxes (Farrell) and, now, a bit of variety. Everything will be OK...

Supplemental 06/09

[safereturndoubtful]

Day 93 - to PAARC Rives de l'Aa, Gravelines

It was a good stopover at Bertrix, but not far down the road, as I discovered this morning, was Han-sur-Lesse which looked better.. for next time. It has a really good aire by the river, hiking and biking tracks around dumpling-type hills, lots of forest, a scenic river, and a cave system that attracts enthusiasts from far around.

That was where I went this morning, having put together an 8 kilometre circuit last night. The humid weather blew away with the wind during the night, and the day was fine, fresh and clear, at just 4C this morning.

Three hours driving got me to the Channel, and the aire that I usually use before the Tunnel, at Gravelines. I stocked up with Belgian beer for the next few weeks, and fuel, and settled for a lazy evening. We are on the 4 am train.

This is the The PAARC Rives de l'Aa, constructed only 10 years ago as a water sports centre. It features a purpose built rowing pool more than two kilometres Longlist as well as other associated pools for canoeing and kayaking. I was last here at the end of November on a wet and windy night when only a brief time outdoors was attractive, but tonight we were out for an hour or so.

There are quite a few other vans and motorhomes here, but there’s plenty of space, and it’s away from big roads, so relatively quiet.

So another course approaches its conclusion. I’ve a 4 am Eurotunnel crossing that gives me a chance of beating the rush-hour traffic around London, and almost around Birmingham as well.

Each time I’m away in the van I feel more rushed than the last, and need more time. I find the 90 day restriction due to entering a Schengen area, now that Britain is no longer a part of it, increasingly difficult to deal with.

A change in life is due. Looking back the chapters in my mocked-up memoir break into 5-7 year chunks; the Wirral years, the Gap years, the London years, the Lytham years, the New Zealand years, the Chile years, and most recently, the Lake District years.

Now it’s time for the next chapter.

I’ve given my month’s notice on the cottage in Bampton. It’s well situated, but I’ve seen plenty of those hills for now. The problem with the party house rental nextdoor is one me and the neighbours have battled with for 18 months now, and we are not winning. It is not one I want to go back to. Though this is only a very small part of my decision, it has given me the kick in the pants I needed to get moving.

On 22nd June Roja and I will head north, about as far north as is possible in Britain, to serve the rest of my 90 days, and to spend summer in the Shetland Islands. We will head back to Europe as soon as we can. I await a date for the bionic hip, that could be anytime from late this year, to way into next.

I’ve various cunning plans to overcome the Schengen restrictions.

The van will be home for the length of this project, or chapter, which I guess could be anytime from 2 to 5 years.

I will take my writing more seriously. The dog and I will be on a mission to find Europe’s wild places, especially in mountainous regions. We want to experience the climate, the culture, the environment, the history. In the cases where these areas are losing population we want to understand why.

I’m not sure what I’ll do with the blog yet, but it will continue, maybe not if the same form. More on that in the next few weeks, in the meantime I’ve a few tweaks to make to the van, some boxes to fill, and a few bits of administration to get to get through.

[theactualizar1122]

EU's Entry and Exit System May Bring Logistical Concerns, Several UK Firms Warn

A few United Kingdom-based travel firms are worried that the new European Union Entry and Exit System (EES), which is set to become viable beginning from late September, could bring calculated issues.

The EES framework is another boundary security framework that will enlist information on the section and exit of residents coming from nations outside the European Union and European Economic Area, Theactualizar reports.

Despite the fact that such a program is wanted to begin carrying out before the current month's over, its functionalization might be additionally postponed.

In such a manner, administrators, for example, Eurostar and Getlink, which is the organization that oversees Eurotunnel, concur that the requirement for biometric checks will bring extra hardships for organizations, which as indicated by them, don't have the space for the machines expected for facial acknowledgment and finger impression booths.

As indicated by Eurostar, it can't see any viable arrangement, while the Port of Dover has focused on that "it wouldn't be protected assuming individuals are expected to escape their vehicles to go through checks. Eurotunnel administrator Getlink has called it an incomprehensible errand".

The new EEU framework additionally will gather data about travelers entering the Schengen Zone while it is likewise projected to eliminate the requirement for identification stamps.

Read More..

[uk-news-talking-politics]

It's official: We've run out of time to prepare for no-deal

By Ian Dunt

Today's National Audit Office (NAO) report on no-deal preparation reads like a horror story. It shows that we are now past the point of no-return on no-deal preparations. No matter what we do now, it's too late. We can't get the border systems online in time. That puts us completely at the mercy of our negotiating partner.

Reading the report is like watching the 18-rated version of a movie which the government had tried to bring out as a 12A with its impact statements over the summer. The delays in negotiations, and the ongoing uncertainty about whether we'd be able to agree on a deal at all, have meant that government departments - including Border Force, HMRC, Defra and the Department for Transport - have been unable to plan, because they don't know what they're planning for or when it'll happen.

The Border Delivery Group, set up by the Cabinet Office to coordinate the work, has understandably focused on what needs to be in place on day one of no-deal but quickly found itself swamped by the speed of events. Startlingly, it has only just started preparing for what would happen on the Irish border.

Eleven out of the 12 major projects to replace or adapt existing border systems to be ready for day one are now at risk of not being delivered on time. The cascade of failure is because so many of the systems are reliant on other ones. At its heart is the new customs declaration system, a massive nationwide IT project which has had its goal and timetable adapted, two conditions which should sound the alarm to anyone familiar with this kind of government programme. It currently has an amber warning in Whitehall.

When one problem emerges it quickly spreads, like a pandemic. For instance, the uncertainty in negotiating outcomes means departments have been unable to provide detailed information on the compliance regime they are expected to enforce, which means Border Force is uncertain of how many staff it needs, which leads to failures in recruitment and training. It is currently planning to recruit an additional 581 members of staff but thinks the eventual number could be as high as 2,000. They won't be available to deploy by March next year, so a 'readiness task force' of 300 is being set up instead as some kind of emergency triage.

As for infrastructure, it is simply too late. HMRC will not be able to track goods and Border Force will not have the space or facilities to examine them. Ports are not going to start pouring millions into building this infrastructure anyway, because they've no idea if it'll ever be needed.

Other businesses will need to be ready too if disaster is to be averted, but the time has passed for that too. HMRC estimates that between 145,000 and 250,000 traders who've never done so before would need to fill out customs declarations and they'll inevitably make mistakes, or simply not do it. That'll create bottlenecks immediately. But the government's own papers from this summer confirmed that it was already too late to train traders to do this.

There are no plans on what to do at the Irish border. There is no design or implementation programme for roll-on-roll-off ferry ports or Eurotunnel.

All we really know is that the government will claim on day one of no-deal that the risk assessment of goods coming in from Europe has not changed and that full agricultural and security checks are therefore not necessary. But this is a short-term fix, if indeed it's a fix at all. "Organised criminals and others are likely to be quick to exploit any perceived weaknesses or gaps in the enforcement regime," the NAO warns. "This, combined with the UK's potential loss of access to EU security, law enforcement and criminal justice tools, could create security weaknesses which the government would need to address urgently."

This is where things start to go dangerously wrong. There'd be a blockage of trade with Europe due to no-deal, and instant tailbacks at the border. We'd then throw open our borders in an act of desperation. And then other non-EU countries would close their borders to us because they'd know we were open to any kind of terrorist, or black market activity, or contaminated product. We'd be turning ourselves into a pariah state. "Government departments have begun civil contingency planning," the report says, blandly. "Plans are progressing to cope with issues such as queues of traffic in Kent, and to enable the continued supplies of essential goods and medicines."

The idea that a successful country would put itself in this kind of position is incomprehensible, even at this late stage. But what's truly shocking, whatever else you might think of the rights or wrongs of Brexit, is that Article 50 was triggered without having come up with a formal and deliverable plan for what would happen when it reached its default outcome, which is no-deal.

We knew at the start how this mechanism operated. The pitiless two years play out and then they eject you, no matter what has or hasn't been agreed. To activate it, in a drunken haze of reactionary self-congratulation, without even knowing what you would do, is an unconscionable act of national irresponsibility. And to have then wasted time on a general election and internal party squabbling instead of doing something about it is even worse. It's simply unforgivable.

[badar120885]

Date: 29 November 2020

ID: 120885 - 118821

Course: MASS3101

Data stories: new ways of telling information

In this assignment, we analyzed the use of statistics in two different Data stories from countries around the world, through the statistics in each story, and what are the drawings and colors used in these stories.

Data Story 1: French election results: Macron’s victory in charts.

https://www.ft.com/content/62d782d6-31a7-11e7-9555-23ef563ecf9a

Organization name: Financial Times

This story talks about the French elections in which French President Macron is running, where a wonderful example of how politics and elections are covered using data and analytical statistics was used, as this news was nominated in the list of data journalism awards for 2018.

Election topics are among the topics in which the public is most used to seeing data along with maps, graphics, and analysis. These graphics help present key findings simply. They focus on adding insight by identifying and explaining voting patterns and highlighting important connections between characteristics of people and places, and the political causes they support.

Analysis: Different colors and different lines were used in this story. In the beginning, drawings were used that show the competition between Macron and Le Pen in French regions such as Paris, Lyon, and Marseille, where the results show that Macron was 100% superior in the second round. In the second drawing, the contrast of the colors between the French candidate regions of Macron and Le Pen was used, with the identification of its connotations.

In the chart that follows, it is explained how loyalty has shifted from the first round to the second round in the elections, as shown by the colors red and blue.

A graph was used showing counting areas grouped into deciles of voters, arranged from least to most "educated" across France. The main relationship is between Macron's voting share (vertical axis) and educational attainment level (horizontal axis). The opposite is true for Le Pen, who garnered the most votes in regions where the level of education was relatively low.

After education, use a graph showing the percentage of working-class voters in an area that is the largest single indicator of Le Pen's vote. This category brings together manual workers and low-skilled employees in the service sector.

Then a chart was drawn up showing the polls of voters in the second round showing that Le Pen's supporters tend to be more pessimistic about the future. They are taking a darker view of the prospects for the next generation than those casting their votes for Macron.

In addition to many charts that show results in relation to age and voter preferences. Where many sources were used to produce these drawings and plans.

Data story 2: Two-week train ride from China to the west

https://multimedia.scmp.com/news/china/article/One-Belt-One-Road/europe.html

Organization name: South China Morning Post.

The story talks about the first train covering 12,000 kilometers as it took 18 days from China to the United Kingdom, making London the 15th European city with direct rail lines to China, as it set off from Stanford Lo Hop, Essex, bound for Yiwu in Zhejiang Province, China enters the English Channel, enters the Eurotunnel in Calais and the containers finally reach their destination, London.

Analysis: The aim of this info graphic is to provide a context for a railroad initiative connecting China to the West.

They have combined classic, long-running storytelling with maps, ground elevation charts, infrastructure, risk gauge charts, animation, user interaction, and other media. A variety of techniques have been chosen to prevent overly intense data from appearing overwhelmingly. They put a split screen on the desktop version which means readers can refer to the track as they read the narration.

They changed boring static maps and used animated maps that move to make the paths better understood. This is an example of how new data journalism around the world, not just in Western countries, aims to drive greater engagement and a better user journey through data stories, even when the topic is complex. Thanks to the interactivity of the piece and the variety of elements combined, the experience is more engaging and clear to readers, They also used images of all the areas the train visited to further add to the attraction between the charts and the information.

Using data from the Economist Intelligence Unit using Google Earth, they mapped and tracked the path of each initiative to obtain elevation and altitude profiles to explain extreme environments and geographical conditions.

They used many technologies for this project: QGIS mapping software, Microsoft Excel, Adobe Illustrator, HTML, CSS, Javascript, Planet satellite imagery, DigitalGlobe images.

For example, they used SCPM graphics to illustrate infrastructure risks and risk measures, and Land elevation of the Troitsk-Revda railway and the Khorogos-Zharkent railway.

Results:

Looking at these data stories and the analyzes and graphics they contain, he came to several conclusions:

- The election news needs graphics and explanatory data.

- we can use many shapes, such as x and y diagrams, or use colors to illustrate the contrast in city drawings.

-Data journalism relies more on data drawn in the form of charts.

- Data journalism turns information into blueprints for easy understanding of the reader and as a database they can refer to.

- It gives this news an elegant and beautiful appearance, as the reader enjoys reading it.

[brookstonalmanac]

Events 7.29 (after 1900)

1900 – In Italy, King Umberto I of Italy is assassinated by the anarchist Gaetano Bresci. His son, Victor Emmanuel III, 31 years old, succeed to the throne. 1901 – Land lottery begins in Oklahoma. 1907 – Sir Robert Baden-Powell sets up the Brownsea Island Scout camp in Poole Harbour on the south coast of England. The camp runs from August 1 to August 9 and is regarded as the foundation of the Scouting movement. 1914 – The Cape Cod Canal opened. 1920 – Construction of the Link River Dam begins as part of the Klamath Reclamation Project. 1921 – Adolf Hitler becomes leader of the National Socialist German Workers' Party. 1932 – Great Depression: In Washington, D.C., troops disperse the last of the "Bonus Army" of World War I veterans. 1937 – Tōngzhōu Incident: In Tōngzhōu, China, the East Hopei Army attacks Japanese troops and civilians. 1945 – The BBC Light Programme radio station is launched for mainstream light entertainment and music. 1948 – Olympic Games: The Games of the XIV Olympiad: After a hiatus of 12 years caused by World War II, the first Summer Olympics to be held since the 1936 Summer Olympics in Berlin, open in London. 1950 – Korean War: After four days, the No Gun Ri Massacre ends when the US Army 7th Cavalry Regiment is withdrawn. 1957 – The International Atomic Energy Agency is established. 1957 – Tonight Starring Jack Paar premieres on NBC with Jack Paar beginning the modern day talk show. 1958 – U.S. President Dwight D. Eisenhower signs into law the National Aeronautics and Space Act, which creates the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA). 1959 – First United States Congress elections in Hawaii as a state of the Union. 1965 – Vietnam War: The first 4,000 101st Airborne Division paratroopers arrive in Vietnam, landing at Cam Ranh Bay. 1967 – Vietnam War: Off the coast of North Vietnam the USS Forrestal catches on fire in the worst U.S. naval disaster since World War II, killing 134. 1967 – During the fourth day of celebrating its 400th anniversary, the city of Caracas, Venezuela is shaken by an earthquake, leaving approximately 500 dead. 1973 – Greeks vote to abolish the monarchy, beginning the first period of the Metapolitefsi. 1973 – Driver Roger Williamson is killed during the Dutch Grand Prix, after a suspected tire failure causes his car to pitch into the barriers at high speed. 1976 – In New York City, David Berkowitz (a.k.a. the "Son of Sam") kills one person and seriously wounds another in the first of a series of attacks. 1980 – Iran adopts a new "holy" flag after the Islamic Revolution. 1981 – A worldwide television audience of around 750 million people watch the wedding of Charles, Prince of Wales, and Lady Diana Spencer at St Paul's Cathedral in London. 1987 – British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher and President of France François Mitterrand sign the agreement to build a tunnel under the English Channel (Eurotunnel). 1987 – Prime Minister of India Rajiv Gandhi and President of Sri Lanka J. R. Jayewardene sign the Indo-Sri Lanka Accord on ethnic issues. 1993 – The Supreme Court of Israel acquits alleged Nazi death camp guard John Demjanjuk of all charges and he is set free. 1996 – The child protection portion of the Communications Decency Act is struck down by a U.S. federal court as too broad. 2005 – Astronomers announce their discovery of the dwarf planet Eris. 2013 – Two passenger trains collide in the Swiss municipality of Granges-près-Marnand near Lausanne injuring 25 people. 2015 – The first piece of suspected debris from Malaysia Airlines Flight 370 is discovered on Réunion Island. 2019 – The 2019 Altamira prison riot between rival Brazilian drug gangs leaves 62 dead. 2021 – The International Space Station temporarily spins out of control, moving the ISS 45 degrees out of attitude, following an engine malfunction of Russian module Nauka.

[ericfruits]

Boris Johnson’s profligacy problem

Public spending Boris Johnson’s profligacy problem

Britain’s government is gaining a reputation for waste

IF BRITONS GET a covid-19 vaccine next spring, the government wants them to thank Kate Bingham. A big shot in venture capital, she is the head of the government’s vaccines taskforce, a body which has placed early orders for 340m vaccine doses. She has also been in the limelight for less favourable reasons: her taskforce spent £670,000 ($883,000) on public relations advisers, she was accused of divulging sensitive information to an investor conference—and, to cap it all, she is married to a Tory minister.

Ms Bingham’s case represents the tensions in Boris Johnson’s government. To its fans, it is bringing in skilled outsiders to do jobs that politicians cannot, and stripping out the penny-pinching bureaucracy that hobbles ambitious programmes. To its critics, it has tossed aside proper spending controls and is becoming a chumocracy.

Jolyon Maugham, a campaigning lawyer, is suing the government over contracts for personal protective equipment (PPE), which he claims were improperly awarded to a pest-control firm and a confectionery wholesaler. Mr Maugham also accuses the government of wrongly handing deals to consultants close to the Conservative Party. The two big pandemic-related jobs went to well-connected people: Ms Bingham and Dido Harding, a businesswoman who is head of the covid-19 testing regime and is also married to a Tory MP. She was hired without a public recruitment process. Peter Riddell, the Commissioner for Public Appointments, said last month that non-executive board memberships, intended to bring business expertise into government, were being used to promote political allies.

The pandemic is part of the explanation, for it has forced the government to spend money and fill jobs with wartime haste. In a reply to Mr Maugham, the government’s lawyers describe a global scramble for PPE which made a normal tendering process impossible. Not surprisingly, the number of ministerial directions—official notices from ministers approving spending on projects that senior civil servants think may be irregular, undeliverable or poor value for money—has increased sharply in the pandemic.

The political climate has changed too. David Cameron’s government made reducing the deficit its central political goal; it hunted out spending on biscuits, air travel and consultants by officials. This government, by contrast, will make a virtue of largesse as it seeks to hold working-class seats it won from Labour in the last election, and believes in state intervention in industry. In June, the business secretary issued a direction to buy a $500m stake in OneWeb, a bankrupt satellite company, saying it would signal “UK ambition and influence on the world stage”. Officials warned the investment may fail. On November 11th the House of Commons Public Accounts Committee (PAC) said ministers had exposed themselves to allegations of political bias when they allocated £3.6bn of grants to provincial towns before last year’s general election by “vague and broad-brush” criteria. Preparations for Brexit also encouraged bad habits: in 2019 the government was sued by Eurotunnel over a hastily-arranged contract for ferries in case of a no-deal exit.

A third factor is Number 10’s attitude to civil-service procedure. Dominic Cummings, the prime minister’s chief aide, has long complained that risk-averse civil servants use European procurement law to choke projects and believes that the state should back high-risk projects that the market won’t fund. The government differs from its predecessors in its obsession with speed and appetite for risk in using public money, reckons Meg Hillier, chair of the PAC. “This is where the civil service has to be robust.” Former mandarins sympathise with Mr Cummings’s frustration at procurement rules, and few doubt the need for haste in the pandemic. But if such processes put a ceiling on dynamism and brilliance, they also provide a floor against waste and graft. ■

This article appeared in the Britain section of the print edition under the headline "Chumocracy"

https://ift.tt/2UnMRDD

[izzoliauto]

1972 Fiat (595s Inspired) 500F - What a charming and fun addition to the IZZOLI garage this would make! Currently being prepped for auction over at @trade_classics with a guide price of £10-12k this gorgeous 595s inspired 500F looks like a super fun and very tempting garage addition to blast through the Eurotunnel in... My goodness this is a tempting little treat. The car has been a long term project for the current owner, who has cherished it after completing a fastidious restoration and 595s transformation on the little Fiat. The engine has been replicated to feel like the original 595s. During Gavin's ownership, the engine's cylinder head has been ported as well as applying an Abarth cam head - the best value for money performance modification out there, and also the most time-consuming. It also has a very fruity little exhaust note which you can hear for yourself by watching the videos on the Trade Classics website. - ☎️Enquiries: @trade_classics 📸: Photography: @trade_classics 📲Follow: @izzoliauto - #1972Fiat500F #Fiat595s #IZZOLIautomobilia https://www.instagram.com/p/CCJ0C5oDVLU/?igshid=2nwtcmp0ue10

[bunkershotgolf]

The pedigree of Le Touquet Golf Resort, home to France’s No. 1 links course*, has been recognised in an influential ‘Top 100 Golf Resorts of Continental Europe 2018’ ranking that sees it enter the Top 20 for the first time.

Recognising the successful transformation of the historic resort, experts at Golf World Magazine said the renovation work at Le Touquet Golf Resort had ‘transformed the entire visitor experience’, and by opening up the stunning dunescape it has ‘restored its original grandeur and revealed its original personality’.

It’s position at No. 20 in the new ranking was underpinned by the exquisite restoration of La Mer (The Sea) Course, including the recovery of four of Harry Colt and Charles ‘Hugh’ Alison’s original holes lost to the dunes during WWII.

The resort has received industry-wide praise since its ambitious renovation project began in 2011 and has also culminated in the rebirth of the charming Le Manoir Hôtel as a modern, boutique establishment as well as the construction of a new, striking architect-designed clubhouse.

Laurent Boissonnas, Chief Executive Officer at Le Touquet Golf Resort, said: “It is hugely encouraging to see the wealth of positive feedback and accolades we are receiving and it also underlines the important steps we have taken to position the resort as one of Europe’s must-visit golf destinations.”

Le Touquet Golf Resort provides 45 holes of outstanding golf surrounded by a natural landscape of sand dunes, pine forests and big skies.

Only an hour’s drive from the Eurotunnel’s Calais Terminus along the A16, it is an easily accessible destination for golfers from the UK, Belgium and The Netherlands, as well as the rest of France.

In recent months it has also claimed ‘Redevelopment of the Year 2018’ from Golf Inc. in the USA, seen rises in La Mer’s position in both Golf World Magazine and Top100golfcourses.com rankings, and Le Manoir Hôtel has been voted ‘France’s Best Golf Hotel’ for the second successive year by readers of the UK’s biggest-selling golf magazine, Today’s Golfer.

* Golf World magazine (UK)

[irnbraw]

SCOTO TUNNEL - your Direct Route to Europe. 

Scottish Government is reportedly furious that its ambitious plans for a ‘Scotland-based Eurotunnel of its own’ were leaked by Theresa May. 

Speaking to the BBC the Prime Minister accused the SNP of “Tunnel Vision” in its continual focus on another separation referendum.  “This is weeks before we wantit tae release details o’ oor plans” said a furious Sturgeon in response.  “We hud another White Paper and everyhin’ - aww ready an’rarein tae go” she added.

Although the Furst Minister refused to be drawn on the costs of the project - or where the money would come from for such a massive engineering undertaking (”I’ll no take a lecture on funding and deficits fae the like o’ you” she said - pointing out that the BBC journalist in the room herself ran an overdraft while at the University of Glasgow), she did release a mock-up of the proposed logo.  This also included an artist’s rendering of the proposed path of the tunnel.

Then pressed for more details of where the tunnel would be located, the Furst Minister replied “In the groond, stupit!  Honestly, can yous no get yer act the gether?”  Mumbling “fake news” before waving away reporters from the Daily Telegraph, Daily Mail and the Aberdeen Press & Journal.

A spokesman for the Scottish Government later handed out copies of the logo and a typed up version of the Furst Minister’s remarks.  That included a number of comments about how typical of it was of London Tories in trying to leak Nicola Sturgeon’s tunnel.  Neither Kezia Dugdale or Ruth Davidson was available for comment.

[voucherstree]

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