#but shes still Strong and the Indigenous nations try their best to keep her healthy they dont have as much power as Canada and America

[youareunbearable]

Not to be a Hetalia freak on main but im teaching about WW2 again so you all have to suffer with me as this old obsession puts me in a choke hold

I personally just think it would be So Fun to write a story about how Canada (Matthew) changes over the years.

To start off, I think North America is a lot closer with her nations than other Ancients, like Europa who hasn't really been seen since Grandpa Rome fell. North America, like her twin to the South, spends her time amongst her Nations, spending a summer traveling with her nomadic ones like the Anishinaabe (her three children who live together under the Council of Three Fires) or spending the winter with her nations down south in their sprawling cities carved into her rockbed.

She knows every one of her nations, speaks all their languages, knows all their histories, she celebrates their highs and mourns their lows, she loves them all and grieves when they war with each other and sings her joy to the sky when they make peace

One day, she travels up north. She spends time with her daughters, the Nations of the Beothuk and the Thule people, and on her coastline, she spies something curious. There, watching the waves make the horizon dance as clouds drift by, is a child unlike one she has seen before.

Beothuk gives a frightful hiss, and Thule clutches at her mother's arm. The child is as pale as death, but is not one of the blessed creatures, with snow white colouring and eyes that shine like the sunset of a warm summer's eve. No, this child's skin is the colour of pale sand, its long hair in a tumble of waves, as if a braid was just removed, is the colour of pale corn silk, and its eyes, when it turns to look at the trio, dances with the brilliance of the purple seen in the Northern Lights.

North America knows this child instantly, he is Hers. With a gentle and calming hand on each daughter's arm, she brings them forward with a happy smile on her lips. "Little one," she calls as they approach, "I know you. You are a child of my lands, but your features are one of my almost forgotten sister. Tell me, child of Europa and my own heart, what is your name? Where are your people?"

The little child, a boy no older than 3, waddles up to his mother. He reaches his hands up and she gladly takes him to her breast. He rests his head there, eyes closed in bliss as he listens to her heart beat. His sisters begin to calm as they watch the babe. He's not so frightening after that first glance, this pale little sibling of theirs.

When he opens his eyes again, they shine with that twinkle that all nations have, one that pulls their kind together, makes them recognize each other despite their human form. In the language that his sister Beothuk uses, but with a strange accent that makes her nose scrunch at the difference, the child speaks.

"My name is Vinland, and my people are coming." With that, he snuggles into his mothers embrace, but turns to watch the waves again, where in the horizon, some of the clouds get closer.

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Big brother Iceland always growled that it wasn't fair that Mamma found him first. He would clutch little Vinland to his chest and grumble that he was His little brother first, and that Mamma's influence was too much. Vinland didn't see what the big deal was, he spent a lot of time with Big Brother Iceland, and Big Brother Norway even though Big Brother Iceland also didn't like that, saying that Vinland was His little brother, not Norway's. Vinland personally thought he had a lot of Iceland's influence, more than Mamma's. He shared his colouring, with their matching pale hair and skin, even if Vinlands was a lot longer and he refused to let Big Brother Iceland cut it. Vinland's people also had the same housing style as Iceland's and Norway's, and the same customs. Vinland even shared their language and when he spoke to Mamma or his sisters he had their Norse accent.

But Big Brother Norway just shook his head when Vinland pointed this out. "She found you first. You will always belong to her more than us. Her heartbeat was the first you heard, and so that rhythm is the one your heart beats to. No matter what, no matter who's influence you may be under," and here Norway played with a piece of Vinland's ice blonde hair, and pinched his fair cheeks, "that heartbeat is what you will always go back to in the end."

Vinland frowned, his little toddler face sad as he tries to piece together what he was told.

"I'll always have Mamma's heart as my heart, but I'm still yours and Iceland's. She may have been the first to find me, but I Saw you first. When my eyes opened, the first thing I saw, the first thing I knew, was your ships coming towards me." One of little Vinland hands reached up to cover one of his big twinkling violet eyes, the other hand reaching up to do the same to one of Norway's. "You gave me life, and the proof of that will stay forever, no matter what."

Iceland gave a huge groan as he suddenly scooped up the little colony and gave a muffled scream as he squeezed the boy. "Too precious!! Illegal!! Im keeping you forever I don't care what North America says!!! I'll fight an Ancient to keep you by my side!!!"

----

While Iceland and Norway didn't end up having to fight an Ancient, they did have to fight Vinland's sisters. A fight they lost.

It was chaos, tensions had been building and a bull being set loose didn't help matters, and before Vinland knew it, he was curled into a ball sobbing as the pain of mortal deaths burned under his skin. Iceland had tried to grab him, to bring him with him and Norway on their retreat, but he was cut off by Thule, who snarled and screamed for the children of Europa to leave her Mother's land. Beothuk had scooped him up, cooing and hushing his whimpers as they fled the chaos, the deaths, not stopping even as Iceland screamed his name, cursing out at Norway, at Thule, at Beothuk for keeping his little brother way from him.

This was the last time Vinland saw the Nordic countries for a long, long, time.

------

With no colony of people, he was a nation adrift. Iceland's people kept him alive by their stories, and there was the occasional fisherman that came ashore, but none stayed for long.

Vinland felt himself weaken, like he might fade away if he blinked for too long. His Mamma frowned when she came to visit again, and just like last time she brought the little Nation to her breast, rested his ear to her heartbeat, and walked south. She carried him down to his brother, the Mi'kmaq Nation, who was lonely from the loss of his own little brothers, the Anishinaabe Nations who felt stifled and traveled westward down the Big River, a 100 years prior. Here, Vinland was cared for and entertained. While he still felt weak and faint, and would get weaker and fainter as less and less of Iceland and Norway's people kept him alive in their memories, he was loved. Mi'kmaq was kind, treated him well, and would take him all over his territory to meet his people and visit the other Nations in the area, their siblings. Nothing really would help him get better. Mamma had told Mi'kmaq this as she handed him over to his older brother. Vinland was one of her children yes, but he was also a child of Europas' descendants. He could not survive or thrive without them both. For the next few hundreds of years this is how he lived, half alive.

Until one day, as Vinland was resting on the shore of the mouth of the Big River, he suddenly felt stronger than he had in long time. His eyes snapped eastward, and there, faint and distant but there, were ships being pulled by the clouds themselves. Mi'kmaq frowned at the sight, but Vinland's smile split his face in two.

--------

It wasn't Big Brother Iceland or Big Brother Norway, but a different child of Europa. His name was France, and his hair was a darker blonde, like an oak tree in fall, a mixing of bright yellow and brown and a little red depending on how the sun hit it. His eyes weren't purple, like Vinland's or Iceland's or Norway's, but a blue that sparkled like the sea under the sun's brightest rays. His face had hair growing on it, not in a full bush like Iceland or Norway's people, but thin and almost pointy at the ends.

He had the same power that Norway had, he felt strong, not as strong as Mamma, and a different strong than Mi'kmaq. Where his older brother felt strong and steady as the current, this new nation felt as strong as a buck at its prime. Ready to lock antlers to show its strength, but would soon fade with the passing seasons. That didn't matter, however, because France fell in love with Vinland at first sight. He didn't care that Mamma found him first, or that he lived with his brothers and sisters. As soon as France saw him he wept and knelt before him, and though he was shocked that Vinland spoke old Norse, he asked if the little Nation wanted to be his Colony.

Mi'kmaq was hesitant, made France jump through all these hoops to prove that he would take care of his little brother, and not just leave him behind at the first taste of conflict like Iceland and Norway did. He also made France promise that he was just taking Vinland as a colony, not himself or their other siblings, and that France would treat them all with respect.

France, who only had eyes for the little nation, and also had a healthy fear of the knowledge that an Ancient was walking these shores and would be visiting in time, was more than happy to swear to that.

The European nation promised, they even signed a big treaty that ended in a feast and gift giving, but in the end, Vinland, no, Canada, got a new Big Brother.

"If he doesn't treat you right, we'll be here for you, little Brother." Mi'kmaq promised, giving the little Nation a kiss on his golden hair. After the treaty was signed, Canada began to change a little. His eyes stayed the same violet shade, and his heart still beat in time with his Mamma and siblings, but his hair darkened to the same dirty blonde as France's, his skin became a little more tan as if he was used to a stronger sun then what was felt up north. But more importantly, Canada began to feel more solid, more real than he had in a very long time.

Life with France was good while it lasted.

‐--------

Life with England, was different.

To begin with, England hated Canada's siblings, and hated his Mamma. To England, Canada's only siblings were Newfoundland, the American Colony States, and more than a dozen other colonies under England'svast Empire. England, and his people, tried to scrub away any influence of Mamma's or his Siblings had on him.

Fortunately, England didn't spend as much time with Canada as he did with his other Colonies, and left Canada behind to stay with his older brothers- Scotland and Ireland. These nations loved to tell little Canada all about how snobby and boorish England was. In their own way, they showed Canada the love that he was missing, and took him back to the eastern coastlines where he grew up and thrived. He even got to visit his older brother Mi'kmaq sometimes, even if the older nation always snarled and huffed about how poorly England was treating Mamma and the others. About how England had no respect for a signed and agreed upon treaty.

When England came back for a visit, he shrieked when he saw that Canada's hair had a ginger shine to it, and that there was a spattering of very pale freckles across his nose. Ireland and Scotland just sneered as he screamed at them.

"Thats what you get" they would mock, "when you leave your little brother to be raised by others. Just cause you own him doesn't mean he'll be like you. Or like you." They laughed at this, and would always smile whenever they caught word of the tensions between Canada's French population and the English one, or whenever their people, or Canada's siblings' people, caused a fuss.

England threatened to make boarding schools that would ensure that Canada became a fine Englishman if he kept having bad influences corrupt him.

(He did end up making those boarding schools, and Canada did end up being forced to attend. Canada never did forgive England for that, nor for influencing his government decades later into keeping those schools, or making them mandatory for his Siblings' people. Canada still had those scars over his heart, still felt his heart weakly flutter sometimes from the long lasting internal damage. No apology would ever make his heart beat normally again)

Canada expanded, he grew stronger and stronger, larger and larger. He fought in wars, in rebellions, he went over seas twice to fight for France, for England against their foes and won. He came out of those conflicts as a known power, as a global power. At one point, he boasted the title of having the third largest navy, and his siblings would just laugh and tease and jeer at him that of course he did, he was born of Norseman and settled by explorers, and his siblings' people used his rivers and lakes as their own personal freeways.

Soon, Canada was the tallest out of all his siblings. Mi'kmaq had to look up at him, Haudenosaunee would make him sit when she spoke to him or else she would wave her lacrosse stick in his face. Even America had to look up at him, peer at him over his glasses as he rambled about whatever crossed his mind. Soon Canada was even allowed to sit in the land where his Mamma first found him, feeling that earth under his fingers once again become a part of him. All around him was a coastline, with rolling hills that hid an ancient settlement, his old being, under its soil.

He closed his eyes, feeling the warm sea breeze brush by his face. Vinland, it seems to whisper to him in a language almost forgotten. He could almost remember how his long gone sisters Beothuk and Thule sounded as they called to him. He had almost forgotten about them.

"Canada," his Mamma called to him from behind. Her son turned around, violet eyes twinkling as he got up, stretching his long sun kissed limbs, pale freckles dotting his scrunched up nose. When he relaxed, he smiled and went to her. No matter how tall he had gotten, he was still able to snuggle up to his Mamma, rest his head to her chest and feel that heartbeat that sounded in time to his own, as weak as it fluttered sometime, but getting stronger and stronger. Her warm, steady hands came up to cradle the back of his head, fingers burrowing in his strawberry blonde hair.

"Oh my child, how far you've come, and how far you will go still." She placed a kiss to his hair. "My darling little Canada."

[dippedanddripped]

WITH MERCEDES-BENZ FASHION WEEK (MBFWA) IMMINENT, GQ SPOKE TO THE CEO OF THE AUSTRALIAN FASHION COUNCIL (AFC) DAVID GILES-KAYE ABOUT WHY MENSWEAR IS HAVING ITS MOMENT DOWN UNDER, AND THE IMPACT IT’S HAVING ACROSS THE BOARD.

Double Rainbouu, ExInfinitas, SSS World Corp, Bassike, MNdatory, MJ Bale, Christian Kimber, Chris Ran Lin, Blair Archibald, Homie, Jac + Jack, Strateas Carlucci, Trenery, Song for the Mute, Daniel Patrick, The People Vs, The Critical Slide Society, Calibre, Assembly Label, Venroy, Zanerobe, Commas, Ten Pieces, Non-Type, Academy Brand, Barney Cools, Ksubi, Jack London, Joe Farage, P Johnson, RM Williams, AMXANDER.

These are just some of the Australian menswear brands that spring to mind thriving at the moment. Together with department stores like Harrolds, David Jones, Marais and Masons, you have all the evidence you need that men’s fashion in Australia is booming.

MBFWA is about to kick off and with more menswear set to walk the runways than ever before, we decided to catch up with David Giles-Kaye – a man who’s flying the flag for fashion and menswear from a more business-focused position in Australia.

Yes, a more vested interest in fashion means more options for the Australian gent to get enthused by and greater opportunities to fill your wardrobes with. But this is serious business we are talking about.

The fashion industry brings in billions of dollars to Australia’s economy, and it’s also leading the way in the sustainability stakes too.

So while the two candidates to be our next prime minister may struggle to grasp the importance of personal style, we’re here to dig deeper into one of the fastest growing industries in this country. And Scott Morrison or Bill Shorten, if you’re reading, feel free to get in touch for some election-day tips.

In the meantime, here’s to a fantastic Fashion Week.

GQ: Let’s start off by discussing the growing importance of Sydney’s Fashion Week.

David Giles-Kaye: From AFC’s point of view, it is really important that it’s growing and is healthy. It’s also important for labels as a way of entering the international buying system, indeed we’re seeing MBFWA feature more prominently on international buyers’ schedules.

Indeed, we have buyers from the likes of MatchesFashion.com, Neiman Marcus, Lane Crawford, Bergdorf Goodman, Saks Fifth Avenue attending, which is great. But what improvements are there to make?

We’re supportive of IMG’s efforts to make it attractive for more international buyers to come here – so they find something interesting, different and unique. We also see MBFWA as a place where we can educate labels around how to sell internationally, understand what buyers are looking for, and how they can best prepare to do business on a global scale.

This year, there are a couple of seminars on the schedule focusing on just this. McKinsey & Company are presenting their State of Fashion Report, which is connecting labels to the key global trends impacting the world’s fashion businesses and engaging around that. Lambert + Associates are also hosting a Sales Seminar for brands on how to best establish themselves in the international market.

While we have people together we want to help them, not just for fashion week but for the future, to build that business capability.

How can MBFWA become more relevant to the Australian gent?

Well, men’s fashion is really on the agenda like it’s never been before. It’s a strong trend globally and is going from strength to strength here.

Although there are several local labels making waves internationally, we’re not showcasing enough menswear at home, and setting the agenda for more to come. We still don’t have that pathway established.

Emerging labels, like MNDATORY, Ex Infinitas, Chris Ran Lin, Blair Archibald, and AMXANDER are coming through strongly. So the more we can showcase these labels, and demonstrate that they are developing strongly as designers and as brands, then the more that pathway will start filling up with people, designers, starting labels.

MBFWA have a great line-up of menswear designers this year and we need to keep building on this.

Why are menswear trends increasing on a global scale, and how is that starting to translate in Australia?

Similar to other markets, Aussie men are more style conscious, we’re not as inhibited as we once were, and we’re engaging with fashion in a more authentic way.

As men embrace personal style more strongly, we need more options for them, where they can buy what they like. From a commercial point of view, more men’s labels may take a while to come, as people slowly start to trust in these trends. And that ties in with the significance of fashion week – engaging men so we can help that ecosystem evolve more quickly.

Fashion week happens to collide with election week, and I know Julie Bishop was a huge backer of the industry, who is now taking over that to show how valuable the fashion industry is to the Australian economy?

We’re yet to see someone take over from Julie Bishop. She has been a fantastic advocate for the industry both here and overseas for many years.

Engagement with all levels of government is really important to building the health of our 25 billion dollar industry. And it’s not just about building economic value and employment, but recognising that fashion is important for reflecting our many cultural identities and our expression of our creativity as a nation. Julie Bishop really got this and we miss her.

How do you feel about cultural representation and what needs to be done to support more Indigenous brands in the industry?

There are fantastic Indigenous artists and designers working in textiles and fashion. But there are way too few of them, and, as an industry we really haven’t done enough to help them develop in the past. We have a focus on this now

. It’s a collaborative focus, connecting with Indigenous designers and their communities and bringing them together with established fashion designers and industry mentors to figure out how we can help them grow.

It’s so important that our Indigenous culture is strongly represented in our industry, but we’ve still got a long way to go.

A couple of weeks ago was Fashion Revolution Week – what’s the AFC’s stance on that?

Yeah that’s such a huge area. We’re very supportive of Fashion Revolution and think it is fantastic how the Australian fashion industry have embraced it, there are over 60 events that have been organised around the country this year.

Protecting workers’ rights and ensuring a living wage is just so critical to the future of the industry. Fashion has an undeniable social and environmental footprint, second only to the oil industry it’s one of the largest polluters. And with so many touch-points from fibre to the consumer, it’s also a huge employer.

There are a lot of problems in the supply chain and we’re working very hard to fix them. Fashion Revolution is one of the bodies that is really helping and pushing us.

This year MBFWA has put in place its first steps to reduce event waste and increase energy efficiency, which is great. But are we doing enough to enable brands to be more sustainable?

It’s fundamentally about building transparency within the industry so that consumers can make informed decisions where they buy products and be part of making that change happen.

Sustainability and ethical practice are absolutely critical. They are arguably the two most important issues of our time. So trying to bring people together and get projects going about this topic is key.

A lot of companies in Australia are highly engaged and actively investing in building transparency in their businesses – publishing reports and factory names and really digging deep into their supply chains to understand what’s happening and then fixing it if there’s a problem. We also have technology companies developing new fibre recycling processes, which we might even see in place by the end of this year.

We can definitely see a future with a truly circular economy and where we can be assured that workers are treated properly in our supply chain. We would like Australia to be one of the leaders in the world in this area and I think we are starting on the way to being that.

The other thing I’ll say is that our emerging designers are leading the way; labels like A.BCH have really set the bar high. They’re putting a huge amount of effort into knowing absolutely everything that’s going into their products and then communicating that to their customers.

That’s great. Is it more difficult for established brands to completely change their methods and turn things around?

Yeah, it’s about the more established brands having to adapt to it. The recent Baptist World Aid fashion report scored some of our more established fashion labels quite low. But this doesn’t necessarily mean that they are actually poor in this area, it just means that they don’t have the documentation in place to demonstrate how they’re making their clothes. These companies now need to invest in new systems for building transparency.

[euroman1945-blog]

The Daily Tulip

The Daily Tulip – News From Around The World

Monday 3rd September 2018

Good Morning Gentle Reader….  In case you hadn’t noticed the new month is with us, Boy! This year has gone by so fast... is it me or as we get older the time goes quicker..??? I tried to slow down time yesterday, I laid on the beach and tuned the rest of the world out by listening to the sound of the waves.. time passed by just as quickly, but I walked home refreshed and ready for another battle with the world.. was greeted on my arrival by Bella who bounced around all over the place, she clearly thought I had gone forever.. isn't love grand.....

COCA-COLA TO BUY COSTA COFFEE CHAIN FOR £3.9BN….  Whitbread acquired Costa in 1995 for £19m from founders Sergio and Bruno Costa. The coffee shop to hotels group said earlier this year that it would split Costa and list it as a separate entity, following pressure from activist investor Elliott. But on Friday the company said a sale of the business is now "in the best interests of shareholders". Proceeds of the deal will be used to pay down debt and boost the pension fund. Whitbread added that it intends to return a significant majority of net cash proceeds to shareholders. The Press Association reported earlier this year that Whitbread has been approached informally over a potential buyout of Costa. The company said the sale of the coffee chain will allow it to focus on its Premier Inn hotels business. Chief executive Alison Brittain said: "This transaction is great news for shareholders as it recognises the strategic value we have developed in the Costa brand and its international growth potential, and accelerates the realisation of value for shareholders in cash. "This combination will ensure new product development, continued growth in the UK and more rapid expansion overseas." Whitbread acquired Costa in 1995 for £19 million from founders Sergio and Bruno Costa when it had only 39 shops. It now has more than 2,400 outlets and is embarking on overseas expansion. Coca-Cola boss James Quincey said: "Costa gives Coca-Cola new capabilities and expertise in coffee, and our system can create opportunities to grow the Costa brand worldwide. "Hot beverages is one of the few remaining segments of the total beverage landscape where Coca-Cola does not have a global brand. "Costa gives us access to this market through a strong coffee platform."

TAKING HOLIDAYS IS KEY TO PROLONGING YOUR LIFE, STUDY SAYS…. Taking at least three weeks of holiday each year could help you live longer, a study has found. Researchers said a healthy diet and regular exercise were still no substitute for time off when it came to relieving stress. The 40-year study found that patients who took fewer than three weeks of annual holiday were a third more likely to die young than those who took more. "Don't think having an otherwise healthy lifestyle will compensate for working too hard and not taking holidays," said Professor Timo Strandberg, of the University of Helsinki in Finland. "Vacations can be a good way to relieve stress." The study, which began in the 1970s, involved 1,222 middle-aged men born between 1919 and 1934 who were at risk of heart disease, due to factors such as high blood pressure, smoking or being overweight. Half were given instructions to exercise, eat healthily, achieve a healthy weight and stop smoking, while the others were given no extra advice. The research, presented at the European Society of Cardiology conference in Munich, found that those given the regular advice were more likely to die young - with the experts suggesting the interventions may have added extra stress to their lives. Among the same group, those who took less than three weeks off each year were 37% more likely to die young over the next 30 years. Professor Strandberg said: "The harm caused by the intensive lifestyle regime was concentrated in a subgroup of men with shorter yearly vacation time. "In our study, men with shorter vacations worked more and slept less than those who took longer vacations. "This stressful lifestyle may have overruled any benefit of the intervention. We think the intervention itself may also have had an adverse psychological effect on these men by adding stress to their lives."

BOLIVIAN WOMAN MAY BE WORLD'S OLDEST PERSON AT NEARLY 118….  The Bolivian woman still sings in her indigenous Quechua tongue and strums a tiny Andean guitar known as the charango at her home in the rural town of Sacaba. In her long life, she has witnessed two world wars, revolutions in her native Bolivia and the transformation of her home town from having a population of 3,000 people to a bustling city of more than 175,000 in five decades. Her national identity card says Ms Flores Colque was born on October 26 1900 in a mining camp in the Bolivian mountains. Aged 117 and 10 months, she would be the oldest woman in the Andean nation and perhaps the oldest living person in the world. However, Guinness World Records has said it has received no application for her and Ms Flores Colque does not seem to care that her record has not been confirmed. She has not even heard of the reference book. These days, she enjoys the company of her dogs, cats and chickens. She is lucid and full of life, and she loves a good cake and singing folkloric songs in Quechua to anyone who comes to visit the dirt-floor adobe home she shares with her 65-year-old grand-niece, Agustina Berna. Ms Flores Colque told reporters: "If you would have told me you were coming, I'd have remembered all the songs." Growing up, the now-centenarian herded sheep and llamas in the Bolivian highlands until she moved in her teenage years to a valley, where she began selling fruits and vegetables. The produce became her main source of sustenance, and she still maintains a healthy diet though she does indulge in the occasional cake and glass of soda. She never married and has no children. The previously world's oldest person, a 117-year-old Japanese woman, died earlier this year. Nabi Tajima was born on August 4 1900. Her passing apparently leaves Ms Flores Colque as the world's oldest living person. Birth certificates did not exist in Bolivia until 1940, and births previously were registered with baptism certificates provided by Roman Catholic priests. Ms Flores Colque's national identity card, however, has been certified by the Bolivian government. Her longevity is striking in Bolivia, which still has one of South America's highest levels of mortality, according to the UN's Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean. The Sacaba mayor's office has named Ms Flores Colque a living heritage. The office and a private foundation have improved her home, building a brick path where she walks, and a shower and toilet with a railing so the centenarian can safely make her way to the bathroom at night. Just a few years ago, she still walked briskly. But then she fell and hurt her back, and a doctor said she would never walk again. She proved the doctor wrong.

STEALTH JET TAKES TO SKIES ARMED WITH BRITISH MISSILES…. The Ministry of Defence confirmed the milestone means its F-35 Lightning jet is a step closer to operations on the front line. Defence minister Stuart Andrew revealed the test flight on a visit to a Welsh site set to become the repairs base for the F-35 aircraft. "The F-35 Lightning fleet has moved another step closer to defending the skies and supporting our illustrious aircraft carriers with this landmark flight," he said. "Exceptional engineering from the UK is not only helping to build what is the world's most advanced fighter jet, but is also ensuring it's equipped with the very best firepower. "This flight by a British pilot, in a British F-35 jet with British-built weapons, is a symbol of the major part we are playing in what is the world's biggest ever defence programme, delivering billions for our economy and a game-changing capability for our armed forces." Mr Andrew was speaking at the Defence Electronics and Components Agency (DECA) in Wales, which is set to become a global repair hub for F-35 systems. British companies are building 15% of the 3,000 F-35s planned, with an estimated contribution of £35 billion to the UK economy and 25,000 British jobs.

PASSENGER JUMPS OFF FERRY NEAR PORTSMOUTH HARBOUR…. The person was travelling on the Wightlink ferry from Portsmouth to Fishbourne on the Isle of Wight when the incident happened at around 10.50am on Wednesday. A spokeswoman for the Maritime and Coastguard Agency said an "extensive search is being carried out", involving a search and rescue helicopter, two lifeboats, harbour patrol vessels and a Royal Navy vessel. HM Coastguard has asked other vessels in the area to join the search. Wightlink said in a statement: "On the 10.30am St Cecilia car ferry from Portsmouth to Fishbourne a passenger was seen to jump overboard, just outside Portsmouth Harbour. "The crew of St Cecilia deployed the ship's rescue boat and the coastguard is now the lead authority on this matter, with a number of vessels assisting in the search."

Well Gentle Reader I hope you enjoyed our look at the news from around the world this, morning… …

Our Tulips today are incredible....

A Sincere Thank You for your company and Thank You for your likes and comments I love them and always try to reply, so please keep them coming, it's always good fun, As is my custom, I will go and get myself another mug of "Colombian" Coffee and wish you a safe Monday 3rd September 2018 from my home on the southern coast of Spain, where the blue waters of the Alboran Sea washes the coast of Africa and Europe and the smell of the night blooming Jasmine and Honeysuckle fills the air…and a crazy old guy and his dog Bella go out for a walk at 4:00 am…on the streets of Estepona…

All good stuff....But remember it’s a dangerous world we live in

Be safe out there…

Robert McAngus #Spain #Tulips #Travel #Coffee