#launches 14 dedicated

[putschki1969]

Kalafina on Anisong Premium Radio ~ Group Shot ~

As expected, we got a proper group shot of the girls promoting their upcoming radio appearance!! BANZAI!!! This is amazing! Seeing all three of them together like this💙🖤🤍A dream come true!! *sobs*🥹

It’s been 6 years since Kalafina appeared on radio together🥳 Before their comeback performance next year, a 2 hour special will be aired on radio✨ You can listen LIVE on the "NHKラジオ らじる★らじる"WEBSITE HERE. However, you will need VPN to access since it is region-blocked. There's also an "NHKラジオ らじる★らじる" app which you can download but again, VPN is required!📱 📻Screen-recording is not possible on the app so I will have to figure out a way to record the stream on the webbrowser. Hopefully it will work. Usually you can download archived radio programs on the site Radiko,jp (VPN required) but this particular program only seems to be available for premium users

Date/Time: 12/31 (Tue) 14:00~ 16:00 Radio Channel: NHK-FM MCs: Oishi Masayoshi, Asada Haruna Link: https://www.nhk.jp/p/rs/X7W4K87Q2K/

『Kalafina Anniversary LIVE 2025』 Official Ticket Resale Service

For those who have purchased tickets for the "Kalafina Anniversary LIVE 2025" concert an official resale service will be launched as a measure against high-priced resales.

Applicable ticket types: Normal seats (all reserved) ¥11,000 (tax included) Annotated seats (all reserved) ¥11,000 (tax included)

Reception dates and times December 31, 2024 10:00 - January 6, 2025 11:59

Ticket Trade Site (for non-FC tickets: https://trade.tixplus.jp/artists/tour/11318

Trade Site for Wakana FC Tickets: https://wakana-fc.jp/contents/879746

Trade Site for KEIKO FC Tickets: https://tristone.co.jp/niku-chocolate/members_news/detail.php?no=461

Possibly, this could be an option for people who are still looking for a ticket or who need to find someone to buy their spare tickets. I have no experience with this service so I can't tell you anything about it. Not sure if the service is foreigner friendly. Probably not...

UPDATE:

@cbtgi was kind enough to share some experiences with me so I can post a few more infos on the ticket trading process.

The website isn't region blocked, VPN is not required. There's no English version available though so you have to navigate the Japanese site.

People with tickets can register their tickets for trading at anytime. Those who are in search of a ticket have to register for a lottery (happening once everyday at 12h starting today until January 6). During the lottery you have the option to choose between different ticket types. The first distinction is general vs. fan club ticket, the former being accessible via the general website, the latter via a dedicated FC link (see above). Then there is the option to choose between paper or electronic tickets and single or bundle tickets. Annotated seats are an additional option. Of course, all these options only become available as long as someone is offering their ticket for trade so you have to keep refreshing the page to see if anything new was added. Apparently, there were around 14 tickets for sale during today's lottery.

Unfortunately, overseas credit cards are not accepted as payment method so you have to choose payment at a convenience store (you'll naturally need help from someone in Japan to handle that).

If you have any questions, please reply to this post and tag me and @cbtgi so that hopefully, we can help you out.

[rudnitskaia]

Why are you doing this?

The question that appears so often in the game and that I also have been asking myself the whole day.

Pardon me the adaptation of Russian saying that will sound like an awful pun considering the forthcoming topic, but what started with a toast to health, ended with a prayer for repose.

The weekend has begun and I finally dedicated it to the long-awaited Asylum. I played to it… and I feel the urge to spill my raw thoughts on the topic here. As always, many words, many ramblings. You're warned.

But let's start from afar. I'll highlight the spoilers section in advance before it starts.

I got acquainted with the predecessor of Asylum, namely Scratches, somewhere back in 2008-2009. I'm around 14, I love horror point-and-click adventures, and I'm buying a CD with a gloomy house on the cover, which became a treasured memory for me later. So much so that I even still have an account somewhere with Blackwood login, and I repeatedly promoted the story itself to my acquaintances as something truly worthy of attention.

With all respect and deep love to the genre, I have to say that many point-and-click adventures (and many stories in general, I'd say nowadays) have one frequent issue – they have no problem with creating atmosphere and intrigue, but the denouement... er... more often than not feels like, pardon me, a fart in a puddle. It's as if the screenwriter is publicly admitting that he doesn't know what he wanted to say, where he was leading the story and how to end it in a beautiful, monumental way, being tired of writing it. Most of such games I remember fondly for one reason or another have that same disease. You can't imagine how much I mourned, for example, for Darkness Within series or for the first part of Black Mirror, both of which created pleasantly terrific tension but failed in the task of bringing it to its proper culmination.

Scratches didn’t suffer from this. Moreover, unlike most horror point-and-click adventures, it left a duality of interpretation: it allowed the player to decide for himself whether the cause of the events was really something supernatural or whether everything had a completely ordinary, logical explanation – a series of accidents that led to the tragedy. For me, it was (and is) a wonderful example of a good script.

So when, in those distant years, I found out about the beginning of Asylum's development, I waited for the project with burning eyes. But its release date was rescheduled from 2010 first to 2011 and then indefinitely. My focus of attention shifted to other things over time.

Sometime in 2019, I learned that the team had released another mini point-and-click adventure, Serena. I played through it and again found myself enchanted by the wonderful and in every sense chamber script. A little later I also found out that Asylum was still under development, wrote a supportive comment to the developers in Steam and started waiting for the game again.

When the notification about the release came to my e-mail inbox, my “NO WAY!” was heard, I think, throughout the whole building. :D Of course, I bought the game right away and now finally launched and played it through.

And I responsibly declare that it hurts. It. Hurts.

The game quickly draws you in with its atmosphere and captivates you with its mysteries and story in general. The controls were perplexing at first, but the retro gameplay is more of a plus for me because it evokes a sense of nostalgia. Critically disliked only the lack of inventory and, in general, the lack of puzzles. Also, the mini-map for fast teleporting could’ve been useful, but not necessarily, since it could’ve slightly ruined the atmosphere. The witty jokes and Easter eggs about Scratches added to the first positive impressions.

But, unlike Scratches, Asylum's storyline, amazing in the beginning, gradually becomes a complete mess from the second half of the game. Since both games are from the same writer, I naturally tend to compare them, and I still can't figure out what happened to Asylum's plot, considering enough time for it to be developed (15 years to be exact), that it became so badly crumpled and illogically resolved.

THE FOLLOWING TEXT WILL CONTAIN HUGE SPOILERS, I'VE WARNED YOU. IF YOU HAVEN’T PLAYED THE GAME AND PLAN TO PLAY OR WATCH A PLAYTHROUGH, I RECOMMEND YOU TO NOT READ MY RAMBLINGS UNTIL YOU DO.

The minor inconsistencies were there from the beginning. For example, the fact that neither the receptionist Julia nor the guard Bruno asks our name can be written off as a game convention, but when Bruno asks Julia through the speakerphone to “send someone to help him” because “a violent patient has escaped again”, in a place where the only people who are not locked in the “wards” are himself, the old Dr. Miller, the receptionist girl and a quiet skinny patient Lenny who has brittle bones, you involuntarily raise an eyebrow. Who, which one of them are you asking to send to help you with a dangerously strong violent man, Bruno? You've been there for days; you must know there’s no one to help in such cases!

Or, Julia lets us into the hospital on the condition that we won't go up to the top floors of the building, because there's some dangerous equipment up there. Yes, it's really there, as we’ll know further, but it already shows that Julia is definitely a character who should know more than she's saying. But for more than a half of the game, like all the other characters, she's simply absent.

These are really minor things; I can chalk them up to inattention and to game conventions. As opposed to all of the following.

The first half of the game copes with the plot – our protagonist, who remembers the period of his stay in the institution very vaguely, is sure that he belongs to a group of patients under the supervision of Dr. Ann, who applies mild methods of psychotherapy. Noticing that something terrible is happening to her patients, which they refuse to talk about, Dr. Ann discovers an unusual fungus on the clothes of one of them and, after examining it, realizes that it provokes hallucinations and brain tumors. She is sure that this is the reason for the deterioration of her patients' condition, but she can't understand where this fungus came from and why her patients are constantly receiving strange injuries.

However, as the story progresses, we realize that the protagonist was never a part of that group, but is still somehow connected to those patients.

At the same time, we discover the story of the head of the mental institute, Dr. Hanwell, who gradually delved into the occult topics. Due to a lack of funding, Hanwell enlisted patients to work on remodeling the asylum’s facility through the system of underground tunnels and accidentally discovered some sort of ancient and/or alien shrine with an entity that only a “broken mind” can embrace. With the support of two people, his pen pal Dr. Miller (coincidentally the current head of the clinic) and his coworker Dr. Hawthorne, Henwell engages the patients in further excavation of the tunnel and “contact” with the “creature” in the shrine in an attempt to find out what it is. Upon leaving the shrine, the patients cannot remember anything but feelings of fear, so Dr. Hanwell and Dr. Hawthorne torture them to recreate this feeling of fear and therefore to make them recall details about the “creature” under extreme conditions.

The game repeatedly emphasizes both the hallucinogenic qualities of the fungus in the tunnel and the strange, foul-smelling air there as well. Thus we, as in Scratches, get a fork in the road – Is there really a chthonic deity under the building, or did everyone simply inhaled poisoned air and spores of carcinogenic fungus and imagined everything, especially Dr. Hanwell and his companions, who initially fanatically believed in the supernatural and wanted to find and see it?

That's a good part of the plot. A great one. Delicious and logical. Except it deteriorates rapidly from this point.

Dr. Ann no longer appears in the story. Dr. Ann – a character who logically should’ve been the reason this asylum was shut down, because she would have grown from indifference to her patients to genuine sympathy for them. Dr. Ann, who should’ve done her own investigation into where the fungus came from, where the patients' injuries came from (by following them secretly, for example), and should’ve made the facility inspected by someone, or should’ve gotten herself into a direct confrontation with Dr. Hanwell and Dr. Hawthorne, giving up her career… does none of these things. She disappears from the storyline after we learn that she found the fungus. That's it. Zero development of such a POTENTIALLY fascinating character.

In almost all flashbacks of the protagonist, i.e. in 5 out of 8 cases, there is a schizophrenic woman Rebecca, who got pregnant as a result of being raped outside of the hospital. She is also called the most intriguing patient for the study by Dr. Ann. Rebecca also appears in the opening scene of the game, when the protagonist rides in a car to the hospital (it could have been Dr. Ann, but I still think it was Rebecca). The game screams at us from every possible corner: Rebecca is important. Rebecca is important to the protagonist and to the entire story. But no! Rebecca's story doesn't lead to any meaningful outcomes of the main storyline. Yes, the fact that her gruesome self-abortion was the final straw in the horrors of this hospital, leading to its closure, is NOT important to the plot. Narratively, it leads the protagonist NOWHERE.

Dr. Miller is a talented former chemist who bought out and decided to take over the mental institute after his pen pal Dr. Hanwell. The character who tarnished his reputation by developing and releasing a disastrous medicine… who had reliable knowledge of Dr. Hanwell's experiments and was his eager supporter and even provocateur in occult matters… and he shows up for one unimportant brief conversation and then completely disappears from the narrative. What is his motivation for reopening the clinic? Why is he there after all those years? WHAT FOR? WHY IS HE NOT REVEALED AT ALL??

Also, in the present timeline, there are some patients who were relocated to the hospital BEFORE the building was renovated, including patients from Dr. Ann's group. WHAT FOR WAS IT DONE? Because it can't be coincidental within the narrative! It just can't, that's all! Especially in conjunction with the Dr. Miller’s unrevealed story above! It's just a gun that didn't shoot! But, you guessed it right – the game doesn't give us an answer.

Over the course of the narrative, there’s no one who tries neither to interfere with us, nor to create any difficulty in searching the clinic or uncovering its secrets. W. H. Y?

The game, on top of that, also messes up the timelines of events. The protagonist sees visions/memories/flashbacks of a time when the hospital was not abandoned yet – which, I presume, was at least 5 years ago, and judging by the state of the hospital, at least 20. But then we see in his vision how one patient ingests a macguffin, and… the game leads us to the morgue to dissect that patient's corpse and get that macguffin out of it. HELLO! Why hasn't that patient decayed in 5-20 years??! Same situation with a corpse in a tank in the sewer system. The soft tissue would have decomposed long ago! What time are we in? What's going on?!

However, the game doesn't give us any answers.

And in the end, it turns out there really is a fetus-like chthonic deity under the building, and the protagonist is… *drum roll*… Dr. Hanwell! And that's why he is not listed as a patient. Finita la commedia.

And don't tell me the protagonist just made up all these characters like Julia, Bruno, Lenny and Dr. Miller and the hospital was empty the whole time. It's just… it's a disaster of a narrative. And you couldn't find a person more disappointed than I was at the time I finished the game.

The twist that we are Dr. Hanwell simply negates all our research. A person cannot critically forget everything. Or rather, they can, in case of total amnesia, but in such cases people around them notice it and ask for help. We are social creatures; we don't live in isolation. Even those who have no family and friends somehow communicate with colleagues, encounter neighbors, people in stores or in public transport, after all. Look at elderly people lost due to dementia – they may leave or travel to distant places, but their strange behavior often attracts the attention of store and public transport workers, so they are usually taken to the police or the nearest hospital and identified. If Dr. Hanwell has forgotten everything, why hasn't anyone helped him? And even if he had, say, some sort of dissociative fugue, he would still have made up his own identity and had to deconstruct those fiction facts about himself as the story progressed! Besides, in the case of a dissociative fugue, common memories are retained, and Dr. Hanwell had an extremely extensive scientific knowledge of medicine. Okay, fine, build the narrative around this twist that we are Dr. Hanwell, for God's sake, but then be so kind and put the focal point on these memories and strange feelings that we know too much for a mere patient! Let the character, to his own horror, recognize HIMSELF in the voice on the recordings, in the handwriting in the medical notes, in the portraits, in the video footages… if the protagonist slowly understands that he was the one who did these horrors, it also would've been a strong narrative method.

However, without that “awesome” twist, the protagonist gave the impression of a man who can't remember only a small part of his past, an important piece of the puzzle, but who has built and lived his life outside of the hospital, at least those very 5-20 years… he knows who he is. But he simply can't settle down without remembering some personally important events. I was sure that his connection to the pregnant Rebecca would lead to the fact that either he was her son (though that would leave the question of how he remembered anything from inside her womb and would’ve required significant changes in flashbacks) or that he was just another woman's 4-7 year old child who had a mutual attachment to Rebecca. Maybe in her own child Rebecca would still see a spawn of the devil, whereas in this boy (the protagonist) she would see someone she would want to care for. This would also explain why the protagonist is not listed nowhere as a patient, but was present on therapy sessions and everywhere where Rebecca was, and does not remember this period well. He was simply too young and was not mentally ill, so when the hospital closed and Rebecca apparently died or was relocated, he was finally given to some foster family, probably from among the former asylum’s employees. His connection to Rebecca could justify his stay in the hospital – the separation of the two provoked hysterics in both of them, and so the boy was made a “hospital child” and kept with Rebecca, whose condition would improve considerably in the presence of the boy. It would also explain why Lenny only vaguely remembers the main character – he saw him only as a child. And that would explain the large amount of kids' stuff all over the hospital – just make the protagonist remember them as something once his own, and that’s it!

Bring Dr. Ann's character to the forefront, under the main spotlight. I mean, this is a fascinating character! A career woman, a scientific progress activist who, under the influence of circumstances, becomes, literally, the only voice of reason and the protector of the weak from the truly crazy occultists in this story. Make us follow her path, investigate the story of her confrontation with the fanatics in charge of the hospital in the past. Make us find out the reason of why suddenly Dr. Ann's patients, including us in some way, were brought back to the hospital, make us discover Dr. Miller's current intentions and confront him in the present, or maybe even join him in the end, if we wish. And let there really be an ancient/alien shrine in the basement, just leave it to us, the players, to decide whether there was something inexplicably Lovecraftian about it, or whether the head doctors and a number of patients fell victims to hallucinations due to occult fictions and poisonous airs and spores… it's… it's so simple, gosh… all the musical notes were there, but how wrong they were played! And you can't even chalk it up to the rush in the game development – Asylum had 15 years, if not more… I feel deeply pity for a story that could have been really interesting and, without exaggeration, a masterpiece, but in the end became the same fart in a puddle as many stories do lately. I can't take it anymore.

If you read it to this point – first of all, wow, my respects, and secondly – I'd love to hear your impressions on the game. My impressions are very strong, as you can see, and I, as usual, tried to justify them with arguments and offer a variant of correction, but I don't claim it to be the only truth. It's simply my usual mental gymnastics, nothing more, and I believe there're plenty of other variants of how everything could be logically structured.

And now… I think I’ll go and find something to drown my grief in.

UPD from 03/30/2025: I read a few very interesting theories in Steam, one about all these events and people we see being a metaphor of struggling but failing delirious mind, and one about everything being a metaphor of lobotomy, but even if any of these (unarguably good) interpretations is true, in my point of view, it wasn't revealed enough in the game narrative to have such a conclusion without feeling that it's far-fetched. With no offense to these theories' authors, because they really did an awesome analytical job to find a meaning in the original writer's script, but so far it all looks like the deep meaning search syndrome, and for me it only highlights the lack of narrative consistency in the game.

[covid-safer-hotties]

Also Preserved on our archive

By Meike Leonard

Long Covid clinics across the country are closing their doors, leaving desperate patients without vital treatment and feeling ‘abandoned’, they have claimed.

Dedicated clinics set up to support long Covid patients in Surrey, Croydon, Hertfordshire and Lanarkshire have been shuttered, The Mail on Sunday has learned.

A service in Devon will close in the New Year, patients have told this newspaper, and we have learned that clinics in Frimley may also be facing the axe.

Now, campaigners and doctors speaking to this newspaper say this winding down of long Covid provisions will have a devastating impact on the millions suffering from the condition.

‘It shows that the NHS and Government are not interested in long Covid,’ said Kent-based GP Dr Stephanie De Giorgio.

‘They genuinely don’t consider this a priority despite the vast amount of people who currently need treatment – and the many more who may need treatment in the future. This isn’t a niche service – the NHS needs to accept long Covid as a real and far-reaching problem.’

While most people recover from Covid within days or weeks and make a full recovery within three months, for some the symptoms last longer. An estimated 1.9 million people in the UK were suffering with persisting issues after Covid, as of March 2023.

Patients report fatigue, shortness of breath, problems with memory and concentration – so-called ‘brain fog’ – muscle aches and joint pain, dizziness and palpitations among other things.

For some, these can be so severe it prevent them working, going to school or carrying out even basic daily tasks.

This was the case for 36-year-old Rachel Hext, who was forced to give up work as a nurse two years ago after catching Covid and never recovering.

The mother-of-two first became ill while working on a Covid ward in her hospital, just after returning from maternity leave. Later on, Rachel regularly had treatment at her closest long Covid clinic in Torbay, Devon – having been referred by her GP.

These services, launched in November 2020 with a special £10million ring-fenced fund, were designed to be a one-stop-shop staffed by a range of specialists who could help tackle the variety of complaints that hit long Covid patients.

But Rachel says her local clinic is soon to close. ‘In spring, my doctor called to tell me that the clinic would be closing in the summer,’ she said.

‘He said that I would still be able to get treatment by specialists for whatever conditions had already been diagnosed with.

But he couldn’t answer what would happen with new referrals, or how I would get help for any new problems that might crop up.’ Rachel said she was later informed that the facility had been granted an extension but would be closing in the New Year.

When contacted by The Mail on Sunday, NHS Devon denied there were plans to decommission their long Covid service, although e-mails from clinicians working at the clinic contradict this.

‘There are some people who have a huge number of issues and they won’t be able to get proper treatment without dedicated long Covid clinics,’ she said.

Long Covid campaigners say the closures are due to funding issues and the fact that fewer people are seeking care from them.

Originally run by NHS England, responsibility for the clinics was handed to integrated care boards (ICBs) – the 42 bodies in England which allocate funding to local health services – earlier this year.

In Scotland, 14 NHS Boards have a similar role. Support groups say that since this shift, patients and staff have reported closures and a scaling back of services. They say that key personnel are being redeployed or leaving the NHS altogether.

‘NHS England de-prioritised long Covid by not mandating that ICBs keep running the clinics,’ said Manchester-based lung expert Dr Binita Kane.

‘They may claim that fewer people are using the services, but I suspect what’s actually happening is that fewer people are testing for Covid now, making it harder to get a long Covid diagnosis further down the line.

‘Long Covid patients who have had it for a while may have improved or are ironically considered too severe for treatment. This may make it seem like the clinics are less necessary – but there are many more long Covid patients still in need of help.’

The challenge if clinics all close down, Dr Kane added, is that these patients will now have to be absorbed into existing services that aren’t set up to deal with their complex symptoms.

NHS England and the Scottish government have been approached for comment.

[aimeedaisies]

The Princess Royal’s Official Engagements in June 2024

04/06 As Master of the Corporation of Trinity House, attended the Trinitytide Anniversary Annual Court Meeting, Church Service and Luncheon. 💼⛪️🍽️

As Colonel-in-Chief, The Royal Corps of Signals, this afternoon inspected The Queen’s Gurkha Signals Regiment on public duties at St James’s Palace. 🫡

As Chairman of the International Olympic Committee Members Election Commission, held a Members Election Commission Meeting at St James’s Palace. 💼

05/06 With Sir Tim As Colonel-In-Chief of The Royal Regina Rifles, unveiled a statue and attended a Reception at 10 Place des Canadiens, Thue et Mue, Bretteville. 🇬🇧🇫🇷🇨🇦

With Sir Tim Attended a service of commemoration and reception to mark the 80th anniversary of the D-Day Landings at Bayeux War Cemetery. 🪦🪖

With Sir Tim As President of the Commonwealth War Graves Commission, attended the Annual Service in Bayeux Cathedral to commemorate the 80th anniversary of the D-Day Landings. ⛪️

With Sir Tim As President of the Commonwealth War Graves Commission, attended a service to commemorate the 80th Anniversary of the D-Day Landings at Bayeux War Cemetery. 🪦🕯️

06/06 With Sir Tim Attended the Annual Founder’s Day Parade at the Royal Hospital Chelsea. 💂

As Colonel of The Blues and Royals (Royal Horse Guards and 1st Dragoons), attended a Household Cavalry Council Meeting at Hyde Park Barracks. 🐎

07/06 Opened Forest of Dean Community Hospital. 🏥

Visited Ruskin Mill Trust in Nailsworth. 🏫

09/06 Attended the Bramham International Horse Trials Prize Giving, on its 50th anniversary. 🏇🏼

11/06 Opened Mercator Media Limited’s 25th Anniversary Seawork Marine Exhibition in Southampton. ⛴️

As Patron of the British Nutrition Foundation, visited the British Armed Forces Nutrition Programme at The Royal Logistic Corps Regimental Museum in Winchester. 🍏🍊

As Patron of Farms for City Children, and Past Master of the Worshipful Company of Butchers, attended a Festival of Learning at Butchers’ Hall. 🥩🥓🍖

Unofficial Sir Tim attended a reception at the King Edward VII Hospital and unveiled a plaque dedicated to Sir Jameson Boyd Adams. 🍾

With Sir Tim As Royal Fellow of the Royal Academy of Engineering, attended The Prince Philip Fund Commemoration Dinner at Prince Philip House. 🍽️🍾

12/06 On behalf of The King, held an Investiture at Windsor Castle. 🎖️

As Chancellor of the University of London, attended the School of Advanced Study 30th Anniversary Reception at Senate House. 📚📖

As President of The Duke of Edinburgh’s Commonwealth Study Conferences, attended a Dinner. 🍽️🗺️

13/06 As Patron of Transaid, visited the Multimodal 2024 Exhibition. 🛻

As Patron of the Townswomen’s Guilds, attended the Annual General Meeting. 💼

As Patron of the Foundation for Future London, attended the UK Cultural Exchange launch. 🇬🇧🗺️

With Sir Tim As President of the Royal Society for the encouragement of Arts, Manufactures and Commerce, attended a President’s Panel Discussion and Dinner. 🎤🍽️

14/06 Presided over a conference attended by the Colonels of the Regiments of the Household Division. 💂

Cavalry Regiments

Blues and Royals - Princess Anne

The Life Guards - Non - Royal

Footguards

Grenadier Guards - Queen Camilla

Coldstream Guards - Non - Royal

Scots Guards - Prince Edward

Irish Guards - Catherine, Princess of Wales

Welsh Guards - Prince William

Reserves

London Guards - Prince Edward

15/06 With Sir Tim Trooping the Colour

17/06 With Sir Tim Attended a chapter of the Most Noble Order of the Garter in the Throne Room, Windsor Castle. 🏰

With Sir Tim Attended a luncheon, hosted by the King, at Windsor Castle. 🍽️

With Sir Tim Attended an Installation Service was held in St George’s Chapel at which The Duchess of Gloucester was installed as a Lady of the Most Noble Order of the Garter. 🪽🎖️

18/06 unofficial Attended day one of Royal Ascot. 🏇🏼

19/06 unofficial Attended day two of Royal Ascot. 🏇🏼

20/06 unofficial With Sir Tim Attended day three (Ladies Day) of Royal Ascot. 🏇🏼

21/06 With Sir Tim Attended the RNLI Beating Retreat, Reception and Dinner at the Old Royal Naval College in Greenwich. 🛟🥂🍽️

22/06 With Sir Tim As Patron of the Eric Liddell 100, attended a Service in St Giles’ Cathedral, followed by a Reception to commemorate 100 years since Eric Liddells Olympic gold medal win. 🥇

~ Engagements cancelled due to hospitalisation ~

Total official engagements for Anne in June:

2024 total so far:

Total official engagements accompanied by Tim in June:

2024 total so far:

FYI - due to certain royal family members being off ill/in recovery I won't be posting everyone's engagement counts out of respect, I am continuing to count them and release the totals at the end of the year.

[world-of-wales]

PRINCE OF WALES DIARIES ♔

14 MARCH 2024 || WEST YOUTH ZONE BY ONSIDE

The Prince of Wales visited WEST Youth Zone in Hammersmith and Fulham. WEST - Where Everyone Sticks Together will be staffed by skilled and dedicated youth workers who will support young people from across west London develop the skills and confidence they need to achieve their dreams. The Prince of Wales spent time speaking to pupils from Ark White City primary school and WEST's Young People's Development Group who were involved in shaping the design and facilities in the new centre and heard how WEST will be transformative for young people living locally. He then toured the Youth Zone, met young people using the fourcourt indoor sports hall before joining in cookie decoration in the teaching kitchen. Finally, William joined a gathering of young people to celebrate the launch of the new Youth Zone with a plaque unveiling.

[eretzyisrael]

By RICHARD FERRER IN KFAR AZA

Eight months before Machmud arrived at Batia Holin’s home to kill her, the two had jointly launched an exhibition aimed at promoting peace and unity between Israelis and Palestinians.

After connecting through a Facebook group for residents on the Israel-Gaza border, the pair spent months sharing pictures on WhatsApp of daily life from both sides of the fence. This seemingly heartfelt exchange blossomed into a poignant exhibition entitled Between Us, dedicated to bridging the divide. Due to the dire risks involved, they never spoke directly. ‘Normalisation’ (interacting with Jews) is the most serious crime a Gazan can commit.

“We didn’t discuss politics,” Batia tells me as we walk along the Gaza barrier fence on the outskirts of Kibbutz Kfar Aza, where Machmud – who told her he was a 28-year-old photographer from the Gazan town of Shuja’iyya – was one of 300 Hamas terrorists who breached the border on the morning of October 7 and entered her kibbutz.

The 71-year-old, who has lived on the kibbutz for more than 50 years, has dedicated her life to coexistence. The idea of collaborating with a Palestinian across the border, someone who experienced the same sights and sounds yet lived a vastly different reality, deeply resonated with her sense of purpose.

“Machmud and I wanted to show the world that, despite the circumstances in which we live, we share the same hope for a brighter future. That despite the obstacles, most people on both sides of the fence just want to live in peace.”

Batia Holin beside a banner displaying pictures of hostages from Kibbutz Kfar Aza that remain in captivity.

Their exhibition opened in Israel on 4 February 2023 in nearby Kibbutz Nahal Oz (where 14 people were killed and seven abducted), with plans for it to tour the United States. One of its most striking exhibits was photographs of the Mediterranean Sea, showing the same beach border from opposite perspectives: one looking north, the other south.

Machmud was, of course, unable to be there in person, so he wrote Batia a touching email: “I hope this project will influence and improve understanding, quality of life and security on both sides of the fence. I hope that with the help of my photos, Israeli society and the whole world will know that the Gaza Strip is not only a place of rockets and missiles but a place worth living in. I hope that with the help of my photos, Israeli society will see that in Gaza the people are simple, love life and are not fighters and terrorists. This exhibition, for me, is hope for a peaceful life.”

Batia at her Between Us exhibition

Today, in the wake of such unimaginable brutality, Batia’s dreams seem heartbreakingly naïve. Her faith has been so profoundly shattered that she fears there may not be a single adult in Gaza who shares her vision of peace. “The hardest feeling is the sense of total betrayal,” she tells me.

“The sense that everyone in Gaza was involved, even those who claim to oppose Hamas. I realise how awful that sounds. It truly is awful. But I cannot think anything else today. The past 17 years since Hamas took over Gaza have been difficult and it’s got worse over time. Before the attack, people called life here 90 percent heaven, 10 percent hell. Now it just feels like hell.”

Batia heard Machmud’s voice for the very first time at 10am on October 7 when she received a phone call from an Israeli number she did not recognise. He told her he was inside the kibbutz and asked if Israeli soldiers were nearby.

Burned-out homes in the kibbutz. Sixty-four residents were murdered

“I was so confused,” recalls Batia with a shudder. “At first, I thought Machmud must have heard about the attack and was calling out of concern. It didn’t take long to realise he had a different reason. He wanted to cause me harm. I didn’t speak to him. I just hung up. I didn’t have time to think about the call until two days later. Terrorists were everywhere. My husband and I were just trying to survive. Later, I gave all the details I had about Machmud to the army. His phone number, personal information he’d shared, screenshots of our chats. I have no idea what happened to him.”

[gryficowa]

!!!

[ncisfranchise-source]

When CBS‘ NCIS: Origins resumes its freshman run this Monday at 10/9, as Narrator Gibbs might put it, “This is the story of… Michael” — as in NIS Special Agent Mike Franks.

“It is,” Kyle Schmid concurred at the top of an in-depth, Friday-night conversation with TVLine. “It is very much the beginning of jumping into the backstory of Mike Franks. And I think it’s a really important story to tell, because of the relationship between Mike and Gibbs (played by Austin Stowell).

“The writers have just been giving me such phenomenal material,” the actor noted, “and I couldn’t be more grateful.”

It could be said that Schmid didn’t get his firmest grasp on who Mike Franks is until he had to walk a day not in the character’s shoes — meaning, a pair of well-worn, nile crocodile leather boots. That’s because the winter premiere opens with Franks thrusting his foot through the heel of one boot, forcing him to first wear a pair of Reeboks to the office, and later borrow a pair of Randy’s boat shoes.

“I’m the type of actor who when I put on my wardrobe, and slip on my boots, I ‘drop Kyle’ and I walk around all day talking like this,” he said, briefly slipping into Franks’ drawl. “For 12, 14 hours a day on set, I’m Mike Franks. My jokes are Mike Franks’, my attitude is Mike Franks. And when I put on those boat shoes, I think I forgot how to talk and walk like Mike.

“I’m being 100% genuine here…,” Schmid stressed. “I was worried I wasn’t doing my job well because I didn’t feel like myself, and there were moments when I had to run over to the director and be like, ‘Was my accent off? Am I doing this right, because I’m missing this big part of myself?’ It was such a strange, psychological hurdle for me to get over that when [showrunners] David [J. North] and Gina [Lucita Monreal] came down to set, I was like, ‘I don’t want to do this again. Don’t take away my boots, man.’ David looked me in the eye and goes, ‘That was the point,'” to underscore how important the boots are to Franks. “And I just went, wow. OK, that is a writer who gets it. That is a writer who understands their partner, their actor, and how to get what they want in something.

“It was such a beautiful realization that everything had been planned,” Schmid said, “and it really worked.”

The boots that Franks is not ready to part with play a key role in the first batch of flashbacks this week’s episode gives us, of a teenage Michael (played by Berlin Station‘s Brandon Spink) being gifted with the nile crocodile leather by his mom (Gigi Bermingham) and older brother (Matthew Erick White).

“I read that scene with the younger Franks, where the boots don’t fit and he’s pulling them off, massaging his feet…,” Schmid recalled. “The older brother just walks up and doesn’t say a word. He takes off his own boots and Michael puts them on, and I immediately got emotional, because that’s the side of humanity that I think is such a building block for our culture — and maybe something that we’ve lost currently, the generosity to help one another.

“I’ve got a brother who’s seven years younger than I am. I love him more than anything in the world,” Schmid shared, “and that scene, for me…. Like, I would’ve done the same thing, and the fact that they were able to capture that relationship just kind of blew my mind.”

Spink, as teenage Michael, doesn’t particularly favor Schmid in appearance. But Schmid said that what the young actor communicates from within is far more important that his look.

“His physicality had less to do with it than who he was as a person and what he brought to it psychologically as an actor,” Schmid offered. “He’s also a very dedicated young actor, which reminded me a bit of myself growing up and seeing the opportunity to make a meal out of a particularly good opportunity or scene. [Brandon] was hungry, and honest, and the way plays the younger Franks is, to me, so important because Franks has this armor — he’s this gruff man — but below that is this childlike sense of love for people and things, like [NIS K-9] Gary Callahan and the bird with Gibbs. And that was not lost on me when I watched Brandon read this material for the first time. There was a genuine authenticity of caring deeply about the world and what is right.”

All told, Schmid was not just surprised to embark on a deep dive into who Mike Franks was and is, but to actually see what all it will entail in this episode and beyond.

“I mean, when David mentioned it to me — ‘Yeah, we’re getting your backstory’ — I was like, ‘Oh, OK.’ I didn’t think much of it,,” Schmid admitted. “And then we get the script for [Episode] 11, and I immediately called Gina and David and just said, ‘Guys, thank you. Thank you so much. Thank you for writing just something that, to me, seems so meaningful.'”

[transmutationisms]

https://www.gofundme.com/f/help-us-escape-gaza-a-mothers-plea-for-safety

Dear friends and supporters,

My name is Nada, and I am reaching out to you with a heavy heart and a sense of urgency.

Here in Gaza, there is a small tent standing alone in the corner of a refugee camp. Inside it, I sit with my young children, trying to protect them in every way possible and provide them with comfort and safety despite the hardships.

My children and I are now in great danger and need your help to evacuate from Gaza to safety. The situation worsens every day with limited access to drinking water, food, and medicine, along with facing the horrors of war.

The war has swept away our homes and dreams, and now we live in a tent, surrounded by hunger, fear, and diseases. My youngest son suffers from hepatitis due to pollution and lack of healthcare.

The days pass very slowly, and the situation deteriorates further each day. The need for food, medicine, water, shelter, and safety has become nearly impossible.

I have launched a fundraising campaign to facilitate our evacuation to Egypt and to start our lives anew. The ticket price to enter Egypt is $5,000 for each adult and $2,500 for children.

Your contribution, no matter how big or small, will make a significant difference in our lives and give us a chance for a brighter future. With your donation, you can be the light that illuminates our lives.

Please save my children; I do not want them to die in Gaza. If I cannot survive, please do not forget them. Protect them after I am gone.🙏🏼❤️

this fundraiser is verified (no. 182 on this sheet) and is at €5,848 of €16,000 as of 14 June

[mariacallous]

Ukraine launched what officials termed as the country’s “most massive” air attack of the war this week as Kyiv seeks to bring Putin’s invasion home to Russia. In the early hours of January 14, Ukrainian drones and missiles struck a series of strategic targets in multiple Russian regions including Bryansk, Saratov, Tula, and Tatarstan. The strikes at distances of up to 1000 kilometers from the Ukrainian border underscored Ukraine’s growing capacity to conduct long-range bombardments against high-value Russian targets.

This week’s attack was notable both for its scale and sophistication, with drones and missiles deployed in coordinated airstrikes that exploited the weaknesses of Russia’s air defenses. Representatives of Ukraine’s 14th Separate Regiment of Unmanned Aerial Systems confirmed that decoy drones were used to distract and overwhelm Russian air defenses, creating openings for missiles to hit primary targets. Once defenses were compromised, some targets were then struck by additional waves of long-range drones.

While Russian officials remain tight-lipped over the scale of the damage inflicted, media reports and open source data indicate that a range of military and industrial objects were hit. Targets included oil refineries and storage facilities, an airbase used for attacks against Ukraine, and various industrial plants involved in the production of materials critical for the Russian war effort.

These simultaneous strikes against multiple high-priority targets deep inside Russia highlight Ukraine’s ability to conduct increasingly complex long-range air operations. The attacks of January 14 required close coordination between Ukrainian drone and missile crews along with military intelligence and special operations units.

Ukraine’s rapidly evolving drone industry is at the heart of the escalating air war inside Russia. Since the onset of Russia’s full-scale invasion almost three years ago, Ukrainian drone production has increased dramatically, with hundreds of new companies from within Ukraine’s vibrant tech sector emerging to develop and manufacture a wide array of different drone models.

The Ukrainian authorities have sought to make the most of this potential, establishing the Brave1 platform in spring 2023 to streamline cooperation between the Ukrainian military, state organs, private sector developers, and investors. In summer 2024, Ukraine became the first country to establish a new branch of its military dedicated to drone warfare. The creation of Ukraine’s Unmanned Systems Forces underlined the country’s emphasis on innovation as Kyiv seeks to compensate for Russia’s often overwhelming advantages in terms of manpower, firepower, and other vital military resources.

In addition to an expanding arsenal of long-range strike drones, Ukraine is also working hard to develop domestic missile production. In recent months, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has showcased a number of new missiles as Kyiv looks to reduce its dependence on Western partners for the supply of missiles capable of hitting targets inside Russia.

This emphasis on domestic drone and missile production is part of a broader shift away from reliance on foreign military aid. It also reflects longstanding frustration in Ukraine over the reluctance of the country’s partners to authorize attacks inside Russia due to fears of possible retaliation from the Kremlin. While US President Joe Biden partially lifted restrictions on strikes against Russian targets in late 2024, President-elect Donald Trump has since been critical of the decision. This has added weight to arguments that Ukraine must rely on its own drones and missiles to strike back against Russia.

The impact of Ukrainian airstrikes inside Russia goes far beyond disruption to military logistics, damage to oil refineries, and reductions in Russia’s military output. Together with the ongoing Ukrainian occupation of hundreds of square kilometers in Russia’s Kursk region, Ukraine’s air war is undermining the illusion of Putin’s invulnerability and eroding Russian confidence in the Kremlin’s ability to defend the country.

Since February 2022, the Putin regime has gone to great lengths to shield the Russian public from the consequences of the war in Ukraine while maintaining an air of normality. However, frequent footage on social media of burning Russian infrastructure and powerful Ukrainian airstrikes is now directly challenging Moscow’s tightly controlled narrative. This is causing a visible change in mood, with even leading regime propagandists such as Vladimir Solovyov now voicing their displeasure over the failure of Russia’s air defenses.

Growing signs of demoralization within Russia reflect the sobering realization that the country’s existing air defenses are unable to cope with Ukraine’s growing deep strike capabilities. For Kyiv, this represents an important window of opportunity. In all likelihood, Russia will eventually address the vulnerabilities of its vast military and industrial infrastructure to drone and missile attacks. However, if Ukraine can continue expanding the current air offensive in the coming months, it could succeed in striking a significant blow to the Russian war effort.

For now, Ukraine’s air attacks are sending a clear message to Moscow and to Kyiv’s own partners that the Ukrainian military is capable of escalating on its own terms and does not share Western concerns over so-called Russian red lines. Maintaining this momentum and securing the means to continue offensive strikes inside Russia will be paramount to determining not just the direction of the war, but also its eventual outcome.

[the-garbanzo-annex-jr]

by Jonah Fried

MONTREAL – B’nai Brith Canada is greatly disturbed by the prospect of a “Youth Summer Program” planned by participants in the illegal anti-Israel encampment on McGill University’s property.

Flyers promoting the “revolutionary summer program,” which organizers are framing as their answer to a “transnational student callout to #Revolt4Rafah,” feature images of keffiyeh-clad fighters brandishing submachine guns. Activities would be held from June 17 to July 12, 2024, on the lower field of McGill’s downtown campus, which has been unlawfully occupied by a coalition of radical anti-Israel groups since April 27.

“This is appalling,” said Henry Topas, Quebec Regional Director for B’nai Brith Canada. “Look at how they have moved the goalposts. First, they started holding demonstrations every week, despite their tendency to spout violent and antisemitic slogans. Then, they illegally occupied the campus, bullied Jewish students, harassed McGill administrators at their homes, and broke into university buildings.

“Now, we have a ‘summer camp’ openly being advertised with images of masked men holding weapons. Is McGill going to allow its campus to be used to brainwash youths into thinking that terrorism is acceptable?”

The announcement of the planned summer program comes only days after McGill offered amnesty to all students involved in the encampment and offered to accept some of the protesters’ “demands” – even as the university continues to seek a court order authorizing police to remove the illegal occupants.

In a social-media post, the McGill chapter of Students in Solidarity with Palestinian Human Rights (SPHR) promised to “redefine McGill’s ‘elite’ instutional [sic] legacy by transformining [sic] its space into one of revolutionary education.”

SPHR says in its literature that “physical activity” as well as “revolutionary lessons” will be included in the so-called “program.”

The signup sheet:

The sheet lists options such as classes on “Islamic Resistance,” “pan-Arabism,” and the so-called “Axis of Resistance” – an apparent reference to the Islamic Republic of Iran’s network of proxies dedicated to destroying Israel and the United States.

The launch of this alarming “youth program” follows a violent incident on June 6, when a group of radicals broke into and vandalized the James McGill administration building, occupying it for two hours. This marked the most extreme escalation on campus since the beginning of the Israel-Hamas war in October 2023. Police in riot gear used necessary force to disperse the crowd and access the building, which protesters had barricaded with construction fencing and other materials.

At least 15 people were ultimately arrested in connection with the clashes, some for throwing rocks at police officers.

“The situation at McGill is well out of control and has been for some time,” said Richard Robertson, B’nai Brith Canada’s Director of Research and Advocacy. “We call on McGill and the local authorities to ensure that the university’s property is not used as a forum to incite violence against Israel and Jews.

“The plan for this so-called program further disproves the myth that these illegal encampments are about democracy and peaceful protest. They are, in fact, a hypocritical assault on Canadian values and Western norms as a whole.”

[usafphantom2]

PHOTOS: USAF F-15E jets return home from the Middle East with "kill marks" and "nose arts"

Fernando Valduga By Fernando Valduga 05/11/2024 - 12:26 in Military, War Zones

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A few weeks after shooting down a swarm of Iranian drones during the defense of Israel, the 494º U.S. Air Force Fighter Squadron is back at the RAF Base of Lakenheath, in the United Kingdom, sporting a new and intriguing painting.

Photos publicly released by the U.S. Air Force show the F-15E Strike Eagles returning to their home in the 48ª Fighter Wing with vivid art on their nose, as well as missile markings and bombs alluding to their exploits in the region.

Photos of an F-15E nicknamed "Hellcat" show the aircraft painted with more than two dozen bomb marks, suggesting that he launched a large amount of ammunition. The plane was also decorated with nine red missiles, indicating numerous air-to-air combat. An F-15 called "RAWR" boasts more than a dozen missile and bomb marks. Another jet, "El Jefe", carries multiple bomb marks and a missile mark. The "Mullet" carries nine missile markings and numerous bomb markings. Yet another F-15 has nine missile markings and five bomb markings. These are just some of the F-15s that have recently returned to their base.

Photos released by the Air Force show that the first jets arrived on May 8, and a spokesman for the Air Forces Central (AFCENT) confirmed on May 10 that the 494º Fighter Squadron had returned to the RAF Base of Lakenheath.

Violence in the Middle East increased after Hamas' attack on Israel on October 7 and Israel's subsequent military operation against the group in Gaza, causing unrest throughout the region.

In February, the U.S. conducted airstrikes against targets in Iraq and Syria in response to more than 170 attacks on U.S. troops and recently helped Israel defend itself from a massive drone and missile attack from Iran.

In April, U.S. Air Force aircraft shot down more than 70 drones that Iran launched against Israel on the night of April 13 and in the early morning hours of April 14. These planes included F-15Es of the 494º Fighter Squadron and the 335º Seymour-Johnson Air Base Fighter Squadron, North Carolina, as well as American F-16s.

"I am very confident and proud of our joint strength and what they were able to do with our allies and partners," said Joint Chiefs of Staff, General Charles Q. Brown Jr., to reporters on April 26.

The 494º Fighter Squadron first arrived at CENTCOM in October, a few days after the Hamas attack. More F-15E were rushed to the region on April 12, just one day before Iran's attack.

"One of the fighter squadrons appeared, like, the day before, and was right in the middle of the flight, and that says something about our level of training, our level of capacity," Brown said.

The 335º Seymour-Johnson Fighter Squadron is now the only F-15E squadron in the region, deployed in the Middle East along with the F-16 and A-10. The A-10s of the 104º Maryland National Guard Fighter Squadron and Seymour-Johnson's F-15E recently completed a three-week Desert Flag exercise.

"Maintaining multi-capable and ready teams is essential to fulfill the mission," said AFCENT commander, Lieutenant General Derek C. France, in a statement of May 9 reflecting on his first month in charge. "I was impressed by the level of dedication of AFCENT's aviators. They have been operating beyond my expectations and I am extremely proud to be part of this team."

Tags: Military AviationF-15E Strike EagleUSAF - United States Air Force / U.S. Air ForceWar Zones - Middle East

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Fernando Valduga

Fernando Valduga

Aviation photographer and pilot since 1992, he has participated in several events and air operations, such as Cruzex, AirVenture, Dayton Airshow and FIDAE. He has works published in specialized aviation magazines in Brazil and abroad. He uses Canon equipment during his photographic work in the world of aviation.

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[good-old-gossip]

Israel kills a child in Gaza every 45 minutes.

That is an average of 30 children killed every day over the past 535 days. ​

Since October 7, 2023, Israel has killed at least 17,400 children, including 15,600 who have been identified. Many more remain buried under the rubble, most presumed dead.

Many of the surviving children have endured the trauma of multiple wars, and all of them have spent their lives under the oppressive shadow of an Israeli blockade, affecting every aspect of their existence from birth.

What is left of Gaza’s children?

About half of Gaza’s 2.3 million residents are children.

Over the past 17 months, Israeli attacks have left their homes in ruins, destroyed their schools, and overwhelmed their healthcare facilities.

To put this in perspective, if you had a room of 100 children:

2 have been killed

2 are missing, presumed dead

3 have been wounded, many critically

5 have been orphaned or separated from their parents

5 require treatment for acute malnutrition

The rest of the children bear the invisible scars of war, trauma that affects their mental health, safety and future.

Who were these children Israel killed?

They were the sons and daughters of Gaza, each with a life that should have been filled with innocence and the joy of childhood.

Among the documented children killed, there were -

at least 825 babies, not yet old enough to celebrate their first birthday

895 one-year-olds, killed before they could take their first steps

3,266 who died as preschoolers aged two to five, deprived of play, discovery and the simple wonders of growing up

4,032 who died aged six to 10, leaving behind empty classrooms and school uniforms that were hardly worn

3,646 who died aged 11 to 14, middle schoolers who had lived through three wars (2012, 2014, 2021), but were killed in the fourth

and 2,949 who were 15 to 17, at the age when they were preparing to step into the world, leaving behind dreams of independence and futures never realised; the 17-year-olds lived through four wars (2008-09, 2012, 2014, 2021), and were killed in the fifth

8,899 who were sons and 6,714 were daughters

1,720 killed before their first steps

On March 18, Israeli forces launched 100 simultaneous strikes across the Gaza Strip, shattering a two-month-old ceasefire with Hamas.

Over the next 36 hours, 436 people were killed, including at least 183 children, 94 women, 34 elderly people, and 125 men.

Among the children killed was one-year-old Mohammed Abu Hilal, who died along with his seven-month-pregnant mother, Afnan, in an Israeli air attack on the al-Mawasi camp - a location Israel had claimed was a “safe zone”. His father Alaa had sent them there in the hope of keeping them safe.

“Oh, my dear son, go up to heaven, you’re going to find all your toys up there,” the heartbroken father cried as he held his son’s lifeless body.

Mohammed was among 895 one-year-olds - and 935 children named Mohammed - killed by Israeli attacks.

3,266 deprived of the joys of play

Reem was just three years old when she was killed, alongside her five-year-old brother Tarek, in an Israeli air attack on their family home in the Nuseirat refugee camp in November 2023.

Following her death, a video of her grandfather, Khaled Nabhan, cradling her lifeless body and calling her "Soul of my soul" spread widely, symbolising the immense suffering endured by Gaza's population.

Khaled cherished his beloved granddaughter and recalled sadly how she would greet him with a hug every day.

On December 16, 2024, Khaled, who dedicated his time to helping those in need, was also killed by an Israeli strike.

4,032 leaving empty classrooms

Hind Rajab, five, was a bright, kind-hearted child full of life and curiosity, her family and neighbours said.

On January 29, 2024, Hind found herself the only survivor in a blood-soaked car filled with the bodies of her family.

They had been targeted by an Israeli tank as they tried to flee Israeli bombardment on Tal al-Hawa neighbourhood. Hind was left alone but managed to call the Palestine Red Crescent Society (PRCS).

In her final moments, she pleaded for help over the phone, her terrified cries echoing across the world.

"I’m so scared, please come. Please send someone to take me," she repeated during a harrowing three-hour conversation with emergency services that Israel was blocking from reaching her.

Her body was discovered 12 days later alongside those of her family and the medics who had attempted to save her.

The Hind Rajab Foundation continues to honour her memory and seek justice for her and others affected by Israel’s war on Gaza.

3,646 killed before they could grow up

On October 19, 2023, an Israeli air strike struck Gaza’s oldest church, Saint Porphyrius, killing at least 18 people.

Among those killed were siblings, Suhail Ramez al-Souri (14), Julie Ramez al-Souri (12) and Majd Ramez al-Souri (10).

Their heartbroken father recounted the devastating moment his children were killed while seeking refuge inside the church.

“We thought this was our safe haven,” he said through tears, "Our last refuge, in the house of God."

“They bombed my angels without warning. They killed our children, the children of cousins, relatives,” the grieving father added.

2,949 futures never realised

Mahmoud wanted to be a journalist, just like his father.

Determined to share the stories of his homeland with the world, the 15-year-old, known as “young Wael”, together with his sister Khuloud, started recording videos documenting the effects of Israel's escalating violence on Gaza.

“In Gaza, there is no place safe ... this is the [fiercest] and most violent war we have lived [through] in Gaza. Help us to stay alive,” the young Dahdouh duo pleaded.

On the night of October 25, 2023, Mahmoud was killed, along with his mother, seven-year-old sister Sham, one-and-a-half-year-old nephew Adam and 21 others, in an Israeli air raid on the Nuseirat camp where the family had sought shelter after being told by the Israeli army to move south for their safety.

The stories of children like Mohammed, Reem, Hind, the al-Souri siblings, and Mahmoud reflect the countless childhoods stolen in Gaza, leaving behind memories of innocence and futures that will never be realised.

[aimeedaisies]

The Princess Royal’s Official Engagements in February 2024

01/02 Visited ReBoot (Moray Computer Recycling) in Forres. 🖥️

As Warden, opened the Queen Elizabeth II classrooms at Gordonstoun School. 🏫

Visited Lossie Community Hub at the Warehouse Theatre, in Lossiemouth. 🎭

Unofficial Sir Tim, as Chair of the Board of Trustees, attended the opening ceremony of the Zimingzhong 凝时聚珍: Clockwork Treasures from China's Forbidden City exhibition at the London Science Museum. 🐉🧧🕰️

03/02 With Sir Tim As Patron of the Scottish Rugby Union, attended the Six Nations Rugby Match between Wales and Scotland at Principality Stadium in Cardiff. 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁷󠁬󠁳󠁿🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿🏉

05/02 Visited Dressability Clothing Alterations Charity in Swindon, to mark its 25th Anniversary. 👗🪡🧵

As Commandant-in-Chief (Youth) of St John Ambulance, attended the dedication of a new Community Response Unit in Devizes, Wiltshire. 🚑

06/02 Held an Investiture at Windsor Castle. 🎖️

As Patron of the Royal College of Occupational Therapists, attended the launch of Nottingham West Primary Care Network’s Interactive Group Therapy at Plumptre Hall. 🩺

As President of the UK Fashion and Textile Association Limited, visited GH Hurt and Son in Nottingham. 🪡

With Sir Tim As Royal Fellow of the Royal Academy of Engineering, attended the announcement of the winner of The Queen Elizabeth Prize for Engineering at the Science Museum in London. ⚙️🥂

07/02 As Colonel-in-Chief of The Royal Logistic Corps, visited the Defence Explosive Ordnance Disposal, Munitions and Search Training Regiment at St George’s Barracks in Bicester. 💥

As President of the Commonwealth War Graves Commission, visited the Commission’s Headquarters in Maidenhead. 🪦

As Patron of Catch22, visited the Commissioned Rehabilitative Services at Community Links in London. 🔗

08/02 As Vice Patron of the British Horse Society, visited Wormwood Scrubs Pony Centre in West London. 🐎

As President of the Royal Yachting Association, attended the Annual Luncheon at Trinity House in London. 🛥️🥪

09/02 In Wales, Princess Anne; 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁷󠁬󠁳󠁿

As Royal Patron of the National Coastwatch Institution, visited Worms Head Station in Rhossili, followed by a Reception at South Gower Sports Club in Scurlage. 🔎🍾

Visited Newport Medieval Ship. 🚢

Visited Newport Transporter Bridge which is undergoing maintenance. 🌉

10/02 With Sir Tim As Patron of the Scottish Rugby Union, attended the Six Nations Rugby Match between France and Scotland at Murrayfield Stadium in Edinburgh. 🇫🇷🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿🏉

12/02 As Patron of Swinfen Telemedicine, attended a Meeting at the Royal Society of Medicine. 💊

As Chancellor of the University of Edinburgh, held a Dinner at Buckingham Palace. 🎓

13/02 Held an Investiture at Windsor Castle. 🎖️

As Master of the Corporation of Trinity House, chaired the Quarterly Meeting of the Court at Trinity House. 📆

14/02 As Royal Patron of the National Coastwatch Institution, visited Hengistbury Head Station near Bournemouth. 🌊

As Colonel-in-Chief of the Intelligence Corps, visited I Company at Hamworthy Barracks in Poole. 🕵️‍♀️

15/02 Visited the Ordnance Survey National Mapping Agency in Southampton. 🗺️

With Sir Tim Attended Evensong and the James Caird Society’s Dedication Service followed by a Reception in Westminster Abbey, to mark the 150th Anniversary of the birth of Sir Ernest Shackleton. 🔭🧭🇦🇶

16/02 Visited knife crime community group ‘Off the Streets’ North Northamptonshire in Wellingborough. 🚫🔪

20/02 As President of the UK Fashion and Textile Association, visited Laxtons Limited in Baildon near Bradford. 🧶

As President of the UK Fashion and Textile Association, visited Marton Mills in Otley, West Yorkshire. 🪡

21/02 In Doncaster, South Yorkshire, Princess Anne;

Visited Agemaspark Precision Engineering Company. ⚙️

Visited Haith Group Vegetable Processing Machinery Company. 🥕🥦

As Patron of the Butler Trust, visited HM Prison and Young Offender Institution Doncaster. 🚓👮‍♀️

As Past Master of the Worshipful Company of Carmen, attended a Joint Services Awards Dinner at Painters’ Hall in London. 🍽️

22/01 Visited London South Bank Technical College and Lee Marley Academy. ✏️👷

As Patron of Save the Children UK, visited Mary’s Living and Giving Shop in Wandsworth. 👚

23/02 unofficial Departed Heathrow Airport for Namibia 🇬🇧✈️🇳🇦

24/02 unofficial Arrived at Windhoek Hosea Kutako International Airport in Namibia. ✈️🇳🇦

Representing The King, Princess Anne called upon Mrs Monica Geingos (widow of Dr Hage Geingob). 🖤

Unofficial Sir Tim represented Princess Anne, Patron of the Scottish Rugby Union, at the Six Nations Rugby Match between Scotland and England at Murrayfield Stadium in Edinburgh. 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿🏉

25/02 Representing The King, Princess Anne attended the Burial Service for Dr Hage Geingob at Heroes’ Acre. 🕊️

Later attended a State Luncheon given by The President of Namibia at State House. 🍽️

26/02 unofficial Arrived at Heathrow Airport from Namibia. 🇳🇦✈️🇬🇧

With Sir Tim Attended the British Horseracing Authority’s Thoroughbred Industry Employee Awards at Ascot Racecourse. 🐎🏆

27/02 With Sir Tim Attended a Service of Thanksgiving for the late King Constantine II at St George’s Chapel in Windsor Castle with members of 🇬🇧, 🇬🇷, 🇩🇰 and 🇪🇸 royal families.

28/02 As Patron of the Royal College of Emergency Medicine, attended the Emergency Medicine Trainees' Association Annual Conference at Hilton Newcastle Gateshead. 💉💊

As Royal Patron of the Motor Neurone Disease Association, attended a Rugby League Reception at Leeds Rhinos Rugby Club, in Headingley, Leeds. 🦽🏉

29/02 unofficial Departed from Heathrow Airport for the United Arab Emirates 🇬🇧✈️🇦🇪

Unofficial Sir Tim, as President of Never Such Innocence, attended a 10th anniversary celebration for the charity at Edinburgh Castle. 🏰

Total official engagements for Anne in February: 44

2024 total so far: 85

Total official engagements accompanied by Tim in February: 6

2024 total so far: 23

FYI - due to certain royal family members being off ill/in recovery I won’t be posting everyone’s engagement counts out of respect, I am continuing to count them and release the totals at the end of the year.

[batwomanandmotherpanic]

OUTSIDERS #1

Written by JACKSON LANZING and COLLIN KELLY

Art by ROBERT CAREY

Cover by ROGER CRUZ

Variant cover by JOHN CASSADAY

Variant cover by DAN MORA

1:25 variant cover by CHRISTIAN WARD

1:50 variant cover by ROGER CRUZ

$4.99 US | 32 pages | Variant $5.99 US (card stock)

ON SALE 11/14/23

“Never the End.”

A universe of secrets is about to come to light.

Batman protects Gotham City from evil. Batman Inc. protects the rest of the known world. But what of the unknown world? What of the ancient evils in hidden tombs and forgotten tragedies from a magic-and-mad-science-fueled super-heroic century? Using his fortune, Luke Fox launches a new organization dedicated to shining light into the world’s darkest corners. His first recruit: Kate Kane, the Batwoman—who will re-embrace her military background to protect Luke’s dream and encounter every bit of strangeness the DCU has to offer. And just wait until you meet the Third Man… or learn what universe-shattering secret they’ve discovered buried under Antarctica. Outsiders is the return of comic book archaeology, digging into all the forgotten corners of DC’s history to preserve, record, and better understand the true nature of the DC Multiverse…and the forgotten stories that make up its fabric.

[spacetimewithstuartgary]

NASA's EZIE MISSION

A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket lifts off from Vandenberg Space Force Base, carrying NASA's EZIE spacecraft into orbit. Credit: SpaceX

Under the nighttime California sky, NASA's EZIE (Electrojet Zeeman Imaging Explorer) mission launched aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket at 11:43 p.m. PDT on March 14.

Taking off from Vandenberg Space Force Base near Santa Barbara, the EZIE mission's trio of small satellites will fly in a pearls-on-a-string configuration approximately 260 to 370 miles above Earth's surface to map the auroral electrojets, powerful electric currents that flow through our upper atmosphere in the polar regions where auroras glow in the sky.

At approximately 2 a.m. PDT on March 15, the EZIE satellites were successfully deployed. Within the next 10 days, the spacecraft will send signals to verify they are in good health and ready to embark on their 18-month mission.

"NASA has leaned into small missions that can provide compelling science while accepting more risk. EZIE represents excellent science being executed by an excellent team, and it is delivering exactly what NASA is looking for," said Jared Leisner, program executive for EZIE at NASA Headquarters in Washington.

The electrojets—and their visible counterparts, the auroras—are generated during solar storms when tremendous amounts of energy get transferred into Earth's upper atmosphere from the solar wind. Each of the EZIE spacecraft will map the electrojets, advancing our understanding of the physics of how Earth interacts with its surrounding space. This understanding will apply not only to our own planet but also to any magnetized planet in our solar system and beyond. The mission will also help scientists create models for predicting space weather to mitigate its disruptive impacts on our society.

"It is truly incredible to see our spacecraft flying and making critical measurements, marking the start of an exciting new chapter for the EZIE mission," said Nelli Mosavi-Hoyer, project manager for EZIE at the Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Laboratory in Laurel, Maryland. "I am very proud of the dedication and hard work of our team. This achievement is a testament to the team's perseverance and expertise, and I look forward to the valuable insights EZIE will bring to our understanding of Earth's electrojets and space weather."

Instead of using propulsion to control their polar orbit, the spacecraft will actively use drag experienced while flying through the upper atmosphere to individually tune their spacing. Each successive spacecraft will fly over the same region 2 to 10 minutes after the former.

"Missions have studied these currents before, but typically either at very large or very small scales," said Larry Kepko, EZIE mission scientist at NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland. "EZIE will help us understand how these currents form and evolve, at scales we've never probed."

The mission team is also working to distribute magnetometer kits called EZIE-Mag, which are available to teachers, students, and science enthusiasts who want to take their own measurements of the Earth-space electrical current system. EZIE-Mag data will be combined with EZIE measurements made from space to assemble a clear picture of this vast electrical current circuit.

The Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Laboratory leads the mission for NASA. Blue Canyon Technologies in Boulder, Colorado, built the CubeSats, and NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Southern California built the Microwave Electrojet Magnetogram, which will map the electrojets, for each of the three satellites.

IMAGE: A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket lifts off from Vandenberg Space Force Base, carrying NASA's EZIE spacecraft into orbit. Credit: SpaceX