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united kingdom millionaires, millionaireceoclub.com, https://www.MillionaireCEOclub.com
#unitedkingdom#uk#č±å½#äŗæäøåÆēæč±å½#č±å½äŗæäøåÆēæ#č±å½äæ±ä¹éØ#ē¾äøåÆēæč±å½#č±å½ē¾äøåÆēæ#united kingdom millionaire#united kingdom millionaires#united kingdom billionaire#united kingdom billionaires#united kingdom trillionaire#united kingdom club#united kingdom clubs#united kingdom group#united kingdom groups#millionaire united kingdom#millionaires united kingdom#billionaire united kingdom#billionaires united kingdom#united kingdom#united kingdom vip#vip united kingdom#united kingdom vvip#vvip united kingdom#u k
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united kingdom millionaires, united kingdom billionaires, millionaireceoclub.com, https://www.MillionaireCEOclub.com
#united kingdom millionaires#united kingdom billionaires#unitedkingdom#uk#millionaireunitedkingdom#millionairesunitedkingdom#unitedkingdommillionaire#unitedkingdommillionaires#billionaireunitedkingdom#billionairesunitedkingdom#unitedkingdombillionaire#unitedkingdombillionaires#č±å½#äŗæäøåÆēæč±å½#č±å½äŗæäøåÆēæ#č±å½äæ±ä¹éØ#ē¾äøåÆēæč±å½#č±å½ē¾äøåÆēæ#united kingdom millionaire#united kingdom billionaire#united kingdom trillionaire#millionaire united kingdom#millionaires united kingdom#billionaire united kingdom#billionaires united kingdom#trillionaire united kingdom#united kingdom club#united kingdom group#united kingdom gift#united kingdom vip
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#united kingdom#Press#Facts#Media#News#world news#Politics#democracy#Government#fraud#economics#billionaires#us news#uk news#uk politics#london#england#uk riots#Lies#fact check#misinformation#boris johnson#donald trump#rishi sunak#kier starmer#Tax#newspaper#The sun#Daily mail#rupert murdoch
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Homelessness in the UK
One of the major issues facing the UK right now is homelessness, in every major city you turn a corner and see those less fortunate than ourselves, most of us walk by, blind to this issue that is plaguing our society, slowly eating away at the base of our most core values and traditions. A good example of this is Birmingham; often considered by many to be the ugly side of Britain, no one is proud to have come from Birmingham and neither is anyone proud to be homeless in Birmingham. Nearly 12,000 people are homeless in Birmingham. To raise awareness for this issue that is crippling our country, the Crisis charity erected a statue in front of St. Martins.
The 4.3 metre-tall statue is named Alex and was made using advanced AI to combine the faces of 7 people currently under threat of homelessness. He is a stark reminder of how homelessness can negatively affect oneās forehead-to-face ratio. Our party - The British Revival Party - seeks to quell this issue through the construction of new homelessness shelters, we plan to place signs in various places within major urban areas to encourage the homeless to seek the help they need, we are hoping to start a re-education program in order to teach the homeless valuable skills they can use to thrive; this will not only have an impact on the economy, helping to spur on growth but will also help save dying professions, such as: cricket ball making, piano making, and horse collar making, by teaching the homeless these valuable skills we can ensure they will stay off the streets while making them valuable parts of not only the workforce but of our culture and society.
VOTE BRP in the next general election!
#homelessness#poverty#society#capitalism#privilege#social issues#tax the rich#tax the 1%#tax the billionaires#tax the wealthy#britain#united kingdom#great britain#birmingham
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There are a lot of unfortunate similarities between billionaire Elon Musk and former President Donald Trump. Both are petty and small-minded and crave the adulation of some of the most toxic people on the internet. But the most confounding connection hovers over Muskās administration of X, just as it did over Trumpās White House, which is the question: āJust how much of this is on purpose?ā [...] Intention was, and is, less important than the real-world effects of what weāre seeing. Whether due to malevolence or being terrible at his job, Musk has made X into a cesspool for anyone hoping to find the truth. And the reality is that as Musk has become more openly revanchist in his worldview, X has become a platform that is all too willing to let right-wing misinformation spread. Itās a forgoing of responsibility that is having deadly impact in the United Kingdom ā and could have similarly disastrous effects if left unchecked during the U.S. election.
Elon Musk and Donald Trump share the most frustrating similarities
Delete Twitter.
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ASOIAF entities as main pop girlies
The Night's Watch = Katy Perry
Once upon a time, pop's most influential hit maker suddenly decided to dye her hair blonde and get a pixie cut, got political, and publicly spoke to a therapist who told her to get her shit together. Thus began her never-ending flop era.
In an unrelated sequence of events, Aegon I Targaryen (a weird blonde man) invaded Westeros, created a central political unit, told the different kingdoms to get their shit together, and cut off the NW's weekly supply of men since there were no more pointless wars going around. Thus began their never-ending flop era.
BTW Jon Snow is the NW's 'Harleys in Hawaii'....their first and only hit in a really long time :(
The Kingsguard = Taylor Swift
Very famous, very rich, very influential, actually has a history of producing incredible material. But every now and then, you get a pop album that's just so..... bleh :/ And is Jaime Lannister the Westeros version of Taylor's Reputation era? Idk, you tell me....
Also, remember how TS had a feud with KP but got more famous and successful as Katy faded into irrelevance? Yeah, me too. In the same vein, the KG continues to maintain its high reputation while its counterpart (the NW) becomes even more irrelevant than it already was, if that's even possible.
The Golden Company = Gaga
Exclusively for the gays and no one else. There's really no doubt about it. But Gaga hurt the fanbase when she decided to pivot into acting, which is currently giving her more success than the music stuff. The GC has a great reputation but comes from a history of flop rebellions. So they've pivoted to a "Targaryen" pretender in hopes that they can win big this time around.
The Rainbowguard = Charli XCX
Huh?? Shouldn't the Rainbow Guard be Gaga??!
Please š don't be ridiculous. They do not have the material, and that's the T. But they're both for the gals and the gays. And in the same way that Charli had like two hits then faded into the shadows, the Rainbow Guard really can only claim Loras and Brienne. The rest are inconsequential.
The Brotherhood Without Banners = Dula Peep (aka Dua Lipa)
Who doesn't know THE Albanian pop princess Dula Peep?? She new, she's hot, and she's from out of town! She's got good music, but critics say that she's been recycling the same sound for a while now which is getting stale. The BWB has fallen into the hands of a foreign red god, and critics say that they can't produce a hit anymore since they kept recycling the same Beric. They did it six times, which got a little stale...
The Faceless Men = Grimes
Grimes makes really good music, I think? Also, remember when she dated a douchebag billionaire, got dumped, then staged a PR stunt reading the communist manifesto? Me neither. Anyway, the FM are known for being very good assassins who sell their services for the highest price possible. They were also founded by slaves, but that's probably unrelated.
Maesters of the Citadel = SZA
The talent is there, the influence is there, and the reputation is there. But you cannot trust them because they like to lie a lot...unprovoked.
[BONUS] Robb Stark's Vanguard = Bebe Rexha
Bebe is responsible for some of the greatest pop hits of the 21st century; she's even written one of the greatest K-pop songs of all time, that's a whole other region!! She's the very face of talent, but she's unfortunately a blink and you'll miss it type of gal. The average Joe would most likely struggle to name more than two songs from her. Robb's Vanguard also has the talent. They have the material. But sadly, 90% of us would struggle to identify anyone not named Dacey Mormont. I mean, did you even remember that this group existed?
[BONUS] Tywin Lannister = Nicki Minaj
A very talented but messy bitch who likes to play around with extremely problematic people...do I need to elaborate any further?
#pop girlie metric#the stormcrows are the pussycat dolls and daario is nicole - grrm revealed it to me in a dream#asoiaf#valyrianscrolls#the night's watch#the kingsguard#the golden company#the rainbow guard#the brotherhood without banners#the faceless men#the citadel#tywin lannister
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hey guys. here are some plots that have been heavy on my mind and i would love to write them out. please, before you reach out to me/like this post, make sure you read my guidelines under the read more in the pinned post. the bolded muse is the one want to play.
havana rose liu x opp ā camp counselors but make it slasher, or the quarry inspired.
muse a lives in a rural town and odd shit starts happening to her ā stigmata, she starts healing people with a touch, she starts having visions of the immediate future ā and the setting of the town is southern gothic vibes, which means that she is ruled as a freak by some and as an immaculate miracle by other religious freaks. enter muse b, who is a journalist or priest sent by the vatican to investigate. ā stigmata and the unholy inspired.
emma d'arcy x opp ā muse a is the lead singer of a rock band who is touring the united states when they meet muse b (can be their fan, they can meet by chance at a festival, can also be an actress) and their connection is immediate and undeniable. this plot is meant to navigate the ups and downs of their relationship filled with angst, jealousy and love. we can make them toxic and intense, all wrapped in fame background that puts them under a microscope.
hallmark-inspired plots with plenty of smut.
mxwxw ship where a married couple pays especial interest in their best friend's daughter, or a couple who goes out and hooks up with a woman but they are both so infatuated with her the next morning they end up sending a text to make sure she got home okay.
muse a is a billionaire stuck in a loveless marriage and as he and his wife try to make one last effort to save their marriage they decide to have a baby via surrogacy. enter muse b, who will be their live-in surrogate and surprise, surprise, they end up falling in love. plenty of sneaking around, and angst, not to mention the baby.
anything with stepcest where we can develop a good plot surrounding it. the angst & sneaking around being real.
muse a is married to muse b's brother, but she is the portrait of a neglected housewife. it all changes when muse a and muse b start spending more and more time together until they develop enough feelings for one another to start an affair behind the brother's and entire family's back.
roommates with feelings but add a lot of drama.
dad's best friend x opp, that's it.
anything forbidden.
i really need historical plots, too.
son's girlfriend x boyfriend's mom/stepmother.
muse a comes into muse b's kingdom and seizes it ruthlessly bringing muse b back to his land as his future queen. when time passes, what feels like a prison starts feeling like freedom and his bruteness melts around her softness. ā would love to play either hannah dodd, anna sawai or emily bader.
muse a and muse b are star-crossed lovers, but it just happens that fate recycles over and over again and muse b always dies before they can have their forever. muse a is the immortal being fated to search for muse b in just about every reincarnation and tries to love her from afar but always ends up coming closer.
#1x1 discord#1x1 roleplay#discord 1x1#indie 1x1#1x1 rp#plot inspo.#indie smut rp#indie kink rp#indie rp
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Elon Muskās wars: Brazil to Australia, UK to US, the X ownerās many battles
The billionaire has taken on multiple governments, claiming heās fighting for free speech. But often, his business interests and political views are in play too.
Throughout history, the worldās richest people ā almost all men ā have often operated from the shadows, taking on governments they donāt like quietly.
Not the worldās current richest man.
In recent months, Elon Musk has taken on government after government, mostly left or liberal administrations, in public online wars centred around his claim that they are curbing free speech. But often, the spats have also come amid attempts by governments to regulate social media ā where Musk, the owner of X, has a direct business interest as well.
From Brazil to Australia, France to the United Kingdom, and of course the United States, hereās a look at the battles Musk has stirred, and how theyāve played out for him and his companies.
Continue reading.
#brazil#brazilian politics#politics#elon musk#twitter#australia#united kingdom#united states#australian politics#uk politics#us politics#france#french politics#i'd add that apartheid clyde gladly capitulates to censorship demands from the likes of the governments of turkey and india#image description in alt#mod nise da silveira
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Professor Layton and the Eternal Diva
ļ¼°ļ¼”ļ¼²ļ¼“ćļ¼ļ¼
ćļ¼¦ļ¼©ļ¼²ļ¼³ļ¼“ććļ¼°ļ¼²ļ¼„ļ¼¶ććļ¼®ļ¼„ļ¼øļ¼“ć
Disclaimer: This is a fan-translation for the Japan-exclusive novellisation of the movie Professor Layton and the Eternal Diva. The original novel was written by Aya Matsui under the supervision of Akihiro Hino, and belongs to Level-5.
This translation only aims to be a pleasant read for non-Japanese fans, nothing more: I made a few deliberate changes while translating in order to get the writing style closer to what is usually found in English fanfictions, as the Japanese storytelling can sometimes be different than what we are used to.
ļ¼ The Island of Ambrosia
How long had we been on the lifeboat?
It felt like such a long time that I began to wonder if the explosion on the Crown Petone had even occurred.
Was it real? Or had it been a dream that all twelve of us here had seen at the same time?
There were only twelve of us left. First there were me, the professor, Janice, Mr Whistler, the seven-year-old Melina, Amelie, who was said to be a British chess champion as well as a high school student, and Mr Brock with his iconic backpackā¦
And then, there were the people who had taken the other lifeboat: the former captain OāDonnell; Mr Bargland, who looked in such good health, it was hard to believe that he only had six months left to live; there was the gorgeous Mrs Raidley, and another woman, Miss Annie Dretche, who wrote mystery novelsā¦
And finally, believe it or not, there was Mr Starbuck, the former footballer from the national team who was known as the āLegendary Left Leg.ā Any member of the national team was a star among stars in the whole United Kingdom, but Mr Starbuck could not bear talking, or even hearing about his past carreer.
Annie secretly told me why: his āLegendary Left Legā was tattered with scars from the surgery he had received after an injuryā¦ and because of it, he could no longer play football. He had an unwavering determination to play football once more, and this was why he was trying to obtain eternal life.
I had woken up in the lifeboat during the early hours of dawn, and Annie, riding on the other lifeboat next to ours, had been the only other person awake. With nothing better to do, we had spent the time chatting.
By that point, the boats had slowed down, and were now leisurely headed towards the island that had appeared in the distance.
I was hungry and thirsty, but still had enough energy left to talk. So Annie also told me this: Mr Bargland was the president of a giant trading company, the āWorld Fleetā corporation, and Mrs Raidley was the widow of a billionaire as well as a queen of high society. This lady had said that she was participating in this puzzle-solving game for the sake of making her beauty shine foreverā¦
āI am quite partial to gossip magazines,ā Annie concluded, winking at me with a mischievous smile.
Annie herself was a mystery writer, and fairly well-known in the United Kingdom; even I knew that any mystery written by Annie Dretche would always be number one in the sales charts upon release. My mum was a big fan of her works.
āAnnie, the first film I ever watched was āMurder on the Thames.ā I saw it with my mum in a small cinema in Misthallery.ā
I had been kept on the edge of my seat from start to finish, wondering how the protagonist would be able to solve the perfect crime in the River Thames. When I told her, she flashed a very happy smile.
āI think itās a pretty good mystery, if I do say so myself.ā
But then she fell silent. She looked in the distance and murmured:
āLuke, if I could have eternal life, what do you think I would do?ā
āHuh? Um, I donāt knowā¦ā
It did not immediately occur to me.
āI am going to keep writing masterful mysteries, forever. I believe I can.ā
As she said this, her eyes were sparkling against the horizon. I wonderedā¦ How old was she?
Definitely younger than Captain OāDonnell. About as old as Mr Bargland and Mr Whistlerā¦
And yet, I thought that in this very momentā¦ she was thinking about death.
Maybe she had too much talent, and not enough time, to live a normal life. There were so many different reasons for people to wish for eternal lifeā¦
With this in mind, I too continued to stare silently at the horizon.
We arrived on the island together.
Mr Bargland looked around cautiously. āWhat on Earth is this islandā¦ā
āAt first glance, it seems to be uninhabitedā¦ā Captain OāDonnell mused.
At that moment, Mr Brock began to dash off. As he was running, he was muttering in excitement:
āImpossible! Could it be? Finallyā¦?ā
At the end of his course, he hugged a rock and exclaimed:
āThereās no doubt about itā¦ This is Ambrosia!ā
Ambrosia!? I was not the only one to be astonished.
āAmbrosia, you say?ā
āOr should I say, this is where Ambrosia used to beā¦ā
For the very first time since I met him, Mr Brock lowered his backpack and pulled something out of it with great care. It was a scrapbook, and it seemed to be an extremely important one to him.
āThis is a scrapbook dedicated to the immortal kingdom of Ambrosia, which I, Marco Brock, amateur historian, cobbled together in my spare time from work!ā
āItās so thickā¦ā
āSo youāre a History geekā¦ā
Mr Starbuck and Mrs Raidley were both taken aback, but Mr Brock was so engrossed in turning the pages that he didnāt seem to have heard their voices at all. Instead, he soon took out a sheet of paper from one of the pages and aligned it close to the rock he was facing.
āJust look at this! Itās the same crest!ā
He was holding a drawing of the incomplete coat of arms. And indeed, there was something carved into the rock that seemed to have the same symbols.
The professor walked up to him and gazed at the crest.
āIndeed, this looks like the coat of arms of Ambrosia. I have seen it before in Dr Schraderās study.ā
Mr Brockās voice was trembling with excitement and emotion.
āSee? Itās here! I finally got my wish!ā
Captain OāDonnell was also deeply moved. He looked around the island once more, this time with a completely new expression.
āI never thought I would be able to set foot here in my lifetimeā¦ But I see now. This is Ambrosiaā¦ā
Mr Barglandās eyes squintedā¦ then sparkled.
āSo the elixir of immortality is hidden somewhere on this island?ā
At these words, everybody came still, as if frozen in place. After all, they had just realisedā¦ This had been our intended destination all along.
It was then that Mrs Raidleyās voice rang out. āWait, look over there!ā
I followed her gaze, and saw that a table was set up under a tree on the beach. Food and drinks were laid out, ready for a meal.
āFoodā¦ā
āAnd wine, tooā¦ā
Mr Starbuck and Mrs Raidley both voiced their excitement, walking up to the table. We all followed suit.
A message written on a small card that had been placed between the rows of treats caught my eye.
āTo all participants in the gameā¦ā I read out loud.
āThank goodnessā¦ I was so thirsty.ā
āIs this a reward for solving those puzzles?ā
Everyone competed for a chair, rushing to eat. Ms Bargland was the first to pick up the wine, and he eagerly began to pour it into a glass.
āOr perhapsā¦ Could this be a new puzzle?ā
At Ameliaās words, everybody stopped their hands. Mr Barglandās wine gurgled and overflowed from his glass.
But then, Melina reached for a plate of fruit andā¦ began to eat, carefree. I had never seen this type of fruit before, I wondered if it could be native to this islandā¦ Regardless, that was what she was eating. I couldnāt take it any longerā¦
āā¦Well, who cares, Iām eating!ā
We all took Mr Barglandās words as permission to eat. We were simply too hungry.
They say that hunger makes the greatest kind of seasoning, and indeed, never had I ever had such a delicious meal.
āOh, itās so good!ā
āReallyā¦ā
Janice smiled, as she tasted the same fruit that Melina had picked earlier. The professor too closed his eyes when I grabbed a handful of food. Usually, he would casually say something like, āA gentleman should always watch his manners, Luke.ā But it seemed like today, he would let it slide.
After the meal, I went on a stroll along the beach. My stomach was full, I was happy, and I justā¦ well, I kind of wanted to be alone, away from everyone.
I found many beautiful shells on the beach. And there was no one to pick them up, on this desert islandā¦ Well, I could afford to keep one or two.
I could hear Janiceās voice in the distance. She was enjoying a chat with the professor.
āThis all feels like a dreamā¦ The game, this islandā¦ and eating outside like this, with the great Professor Layton, looking at the sea side by sideā¦ā
āThe part about eating outsideā¦ would be quite normal for the archaeological survey class.ā Somehow, it sounded like the professor had been saying this as if he were actually asking a question.
āRuins and beaches are two different things,ā Janice replied with a shrug. āBut I suppose that ruins are more romantic to you.ā
This reminded me of the fact that she used to take classes with him when she was a student. That was years before I met himā¦ She probably had many memories of her school days that she remembered fondly. She probably missed those times by his side.
This suddenly made me feelā¦ very lonely.
I decided to walk away so I wouldnāt hear their conversation anymore. Melina was picking up shellfish too, just a bit further. When looking at her like this, she seemed to be even younger than just seven years old. Did this child really say that she had eternal lifeā¦?
I walked up to her and tried to offer the shell I had picked up earlier, but she wouldnāt even look at me.
I pressed the shell to my ear and crouched down beside her, before saying:
āIf you do this, you can hear the sound of the waves.ā
Melina remained silent.
āWell, thatās what Iāve been told, butā¦ I was never able to hear them properly.ā This was an honest confession.
āā¦I hear them,ā she muttered.
Her words surprised me. āReally?ā
She brought a shell to her ear and began to sing.
āŖ
Hm-hm-hm-hmā¦ Hm-hm-hm-hmā¦ Hm-hm-hm-hm-hm-hm-hm-hm-hm-hm-hm-hmā¦
The melody was somewhat melancholic, but very beautiful.
I sighed. āThatās a pretty song.ā
āā¦The sea taught me.ā
āThe sea?ā
Did she really hear the song just now, coming out of the shell?
I was about to ask, but the howling of a beast was heard from somewhere.
I looked around in all directions with a start. Just this instant, this had been the sound of a ferocious, cruelā¦ yes. The voice of a wolf.
āDid you just hearā¦?ā
When I turned my head back to her, Melina was gone. I looked around, but she was nowhere to be seen.
I ran up to Mr Whistler, shouting in panic: āMr Whistler, Melinaās disappeared! She was right here a second agoā¦ā
He did not bat an eye. āShe must have gone off to play elsewhere.ā
āElsewhereāā¦? He was so careless!
āWhat is that look for? She will come back.ā
I wanted to object, but suddenlyā¦ I heard that voice again.
āLadies and gentlemen, your little break is about to end.ā
At the same time, a pack of wolves darted out of the bushes behind me.
āP-Professor! Wolves!ā
Mrs Raidley screamed. When the manās voice rang out again, it was as if he could see how upset and scared we were; and it was tinged with a sinister laugh.
āNow, shall you all be the wolvesā dessert next?ā
āR-r-run!ā
Everyone else ran as fast as they could, and they did not need Captain OāDonnell to do it. But I stayed behind. The wolves growled and slowly came closer, and closerā¦
That was when I was struck by a flash of inspiration. If I could try talking to themā¦ I could talk to animals, after all.
People would sometimes ask me how I could have this āmagical power,ā as they sayā¦ but I have been able to talk naturally with the neighbourhood dogs and cats for as long as I can remember. So when they would ask me howā¦ I donāt really know myself. I will simply talk to them when I need to, because I can.
And in that moment, I really needed to.
I jumped in front of the wolves to protect Janice, and started talking to them.
āGrrā¦ Gruh! Garuh! Grruhā¦ā
In proper Englishā¦ āWeāre not doing anything hurtful!ā
The wolves repliedā¦
āGahoooā¦ā
What? Funny?
I had no idea what they were talking about. Usually, I would know for sureā¦?
āProfessor, this isnāt right! They donāt understand me!ā
āSomeone must be manipulating them.ā
As he said this, the professor threw sand at the wolf that tried to attack him. This scared off the pack for a small moment.
āJanice, Luke, we have to go!ā
All three of us set off at full speed towards the forest, catching up with the others.
āI, I canāt, run anymoreā¦!ā
Annie sounded like she was in pain.
āā¦Yet youāre running anyway,ā Mr Bargland huffed with disdain. āYouāre stubborn, old lady.ā
ćāćććććććā
#professor layton#layton's book club#luke triton#annie dretche#hershel layton#janice quatlane#melina whistler#marco brock#celia raidley#pierre starbuck#curtis o'donnell#oswald whistler#eternal diva#eternal diva novel#translation#professor layton and the eternal diva#I did not expect such a cute moment between Luke and Annie#that was actually cute and wholesome!#It's also interesting that Layton would mention that eating outside is a rather usual thing to do for archaeology students#Apparently part of his lessons is field work?? Even for students who took archaeology as a minor class?#and the way that he worded it like a question... I wonder if it's one of the reasons he starts to grow suspicion#Too bad that was translated differently in the English dub#that sounds like cool and subtle foreshadowing
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As environmental, social and humanitarian crises escalate, the world can no longer afford two things: first, the costs of economic inequality; and second, the rich. Between 2020 and 2022, the worldās most affluent 1% of people captured nearly twice as much of the new global wealth created as did the other 99% of individuals put together, and in 2019 they emitted as much carbon dioxide as the poorest two-thirds of humanity. In the decade to 2022, the worldās billionaires more than doubled their wealth, to almost US$12 trillion. The evidence gathered by social epidemiologists, including us, shows that large differences in income are a powerful social stressor that is increasingly rendering societies dysfunctional. For example, bigger gaps between rich and poor are accompanied by higher rates of homicide and imprisonment. They also correspond to more infant mortality, obesity, drug abuse and COVID-19 deaths, as well as higher rates of teenage pregnancy and lower levels of child well-being, social mobility and public trust. Bullying among schoolchildren is around six times as common in more-unequal countries. The homicide rate in the United States ā the most unequal Western democracy ā is more than 11 times that in Norway. Imprisonment rates are ten times as high, and infant mortality and obesity rates twice as high. These problems donāt just hit the poorest individuals, although the poorest are most badly affected. Even affluent people would enjoy a better quality of life if they lived in a country with a more equal distribution of wealth, similar to a Scandinavian nation. They might see improvements in their mental health and have a reduced chance of becoming victims of violence; their children might do better at school and be less likely to take dangerous drugs. The costs of inequality are also excruciatingly high for governments. For example, the Equality Trust, a charity based in London, estimated that the United Kingdom alone could save more than Ā£100 billion ($126 billion) per year if it reduced its inequalities to the average of those in the five countries in the OECD that have the smallest income differentials ā Denmark, Finland, Belgium, Norway and the Netherlands. And that is considering just four areas: greater number of years lived in full health, better mental health, reduced homicide rates and lower imprisonment rates. Many commentators have drawn attention to the environmental need to limit economic growth and instead prioritize sustainability and well-being. Here we argue that tackling inequality is the foremost task of that transformation. Greater equality will reduce unhealthy and excess consumption, and will increase the solidarity and cohesion that are needed to make societies more adaptable in the face of climate and other emergencies. (...)
The scientific evidence is stark that reducing inequality is a fundamental precondition for addressing the environmental, health and social crises the world is facing. Itās essential that policymakers act quickly to reverse decades of rising inequality and curb the highest incomes. First, governments should choose progressive forms of taxation, which shift economic burdens from people with low incomes to those with high earnings, to reduce inequality and to pay for the infrastructure that the world needs to transition to carbon neutrality and sustainability. (...) International agreements to close tax havens and loopholes must be made. Corporate tax avoidance is estimated to cost poor countries $100 billion per year ā enough to educate an extra 124 million children and prevent perhaps 8 million maternal and infant deaths annually. (...) Bans on advertising tobacco, alcohol, gambling and prescription drugs are common internationally, but taxes to restrict advertising more generally would help to reduce consumption. Energy costs might also be made progressive by charging more per unit at higher levels of consumption. Legislation and incentives will also be needed to ensure that large companies ā which dominate the global economy ā are run more fairly. For example, business practices such as employee ownership, representation on company boards and share ownership, as well as mutuals and cooperatives, tend to reduce the scale of income and wealth inequality. (...)
More in-depth explanation for the reasons behind the fragment I've included in this post can be found in the article linked above, as well as the sources for all the claims.
#sustainability#climate emergency#environmentalism#environment#capitalism#anticapitalism#science#š¬#social science#anti capitalism#anti advertising
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Sincerely fuck the United Nations for being so fucking useless , they have failed for not just for Palestine but for Sudan , Kashmir , Yemen and every other country outside the global North.
The problem with the United Nations lies within its inception , the fact that the international law isn't legally binding and its only a convention , meaning that its only politically binding, is a huge problem becuase countries are free to ignore the charter of human rights or other forms of international law regarding protection of citizens , and can do essentially whatever they want . And we've seen this with Israel.Israel and its settlements have always been illegal , UN's humanitarian and legal experts have been saying this since the start of the occupation of Palestine in 1948 , because they violate the Geneva convention . Israel and US have never been a signatory of the international criminal courts and they are free to do so .
Sovereignty of countries has always been a problem.
If you look at the first three articles of the Genocide convention its clear that what Israel has been doing for the past 24 days and 75 years is unambiguously Genocide. Additionally Article 3 states explicitly those complicit in Genocide are the same as the ones doing the deed . So in this case: United States , United Kingdom , European Union (with the exception of Ireland and some other countries) Canada, Australia and their governments are all guilty of the crime of Genocide.
United States , being the hegemon , has a huge control over the UN and the other intergovernmental organisations particularly World Bank and IMF . US enjoys a share of 16 percent in the IMF , which is much higher than any other country . WEF and World Bank all are hosts to oligarchs and billionaires and greedy fucking politicians that only care about their self interests , and most of them naturally side with the hegemon . That's why big tncs and industries like nestle , apple , Google etc etc all support Israel becuase Israel is in turn supported by the US .
Genocide Joe put it best when he himself said decades ago "if there wasn't an Israel the United States had to invent an Israel" . Israel is nothing but a vassal state who's only form of protection is the US , that's the only reason it even exists . That's why these Zionist pieces of shit can walk about without an ounce of shame , becuase they're fully supported by the US .
#free palestine#from the river to the sea palestine will be free#fuck israel#israeli apartheid#palestine
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Thank Aunty Francine & Uncle Paul For Messages Via Mum Paula & Dad Paul š¤š«
Thank Uncle Paul For His Insight Its All Connected In Any Way We Don't See š š š ,Yet Sport Awakenings All Connected & Freewill Exists,
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Climbed Roads Access Too Buckingham Palace Wall & Allowed Too Stay With Dooms Day Clock 1 Second Too Midnight & SO19, MI5, Armed Police, Armed Kings & Queens Guards Did Nothing Shocking All People In Green Park & Fountains ā² Outside Buckingham Palace & They Filmed Me Or Took Photos Of Me,
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Unlike MI6 & CIA Destabilising World For Any Governments ?.!.
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Family of Late US billionaire Agree to Return Looted Artifacts to Cambodia
The family of late American pipeline billionaire George Lindemann has agreed to return 33 looted artifacts to Cambodia, according to the US Attorneyās Office, a decision described as āmomentousā by the Southeast Asian country.
The collection includes statues of deities, angels and demons from the 10th and 12th centuries from Koh Ker, the ancient capital of the Khmer kingdom, and from the famous Angkor Wat temple, the US Attorneyās Office for the Southern District of New York said on Tuesday.
In a statement it said the familyās decision to return the artifacts was voluntary. Lawyers for the Lindemann family did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Cambodiaās archaeological sites suffered widespread looting during civil conflicts from the 1960s to 1990s and its government has spent years pursuing the return of antiquities, some of which it says are on display in American museums.
The United States repatriated 27 smuggled antiquities to Cambodia in 2021, including Hindu and Buddhist statues valued at about $3.8 million and last year returned 30 more including several that were more than 1,000 years old.
The artifacts that were held by the Lindemann family are expected to be repatriated later this year, said Bradley Gordon, a lawyer advising Cambodia on the repatriations and head of its investigation team.
He said he understood the Lindemann family had paid more than $20 million for the artifacts.
Cambodiaās Ministry of Culture and Fine Arts in a statement said the Lindemann familyās decision to return the artifacts set āan excellent and proper example for other museums and private collectors.ā
In a June speech to the American Chamber of Commerce, two months before becoming Cambodiaās leader, Prime Minister Hun Manet said the antiquities were national treasures and more than just historical relics.
āThey are the blood in our veins and the soul in our hearts that forge the identity of being Khmerā¦ our heritages define who we are and who we will be,ā he said.
US authorities have spent more than a decade working on locating artifacts from Cambodia and have so far repatriated 65. In 2019, art dealer Douglas Latchford was indicted for wire fraud and other crimes related to selling looted Cambodian artifacts, but the charges were dismissed after his death.
#Family of Late US billionaire Agree to Return Looted Artifacts to Cambodia#looted#stolen#theft#George Lindemann#Douglas Latchford#Angkor Wat temple#Koh Ker#ancient artifacts#archeology#archeolgst#history#history news#ancient history#ancient culture#ancient civilizations#ancient art
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hello!! Can I request Villian Tom Hiddles in which the reader is a journalist who is asked to do an interview on him and she beings to snoop around and she gets caught and a bit of teasing ensues. He decides to claim the reader as his own.
You're Never Leaving - Chapter One
(T/W: Mentions of murder, homicide, drug overdose deaths, and drugs)
A/N: Thank you so much for your patience with me, @omgsuperstarg ! I hope you enjoy this fic.
CEO, billionaire, genius, philanthropist, patron of the arts, enigmatic bachelorā¦Thomas William Hiddleston was a man of many titles and if he wasn't such a terrifying man, he might've been your hero.Ā
For a long time, no one in the world had ever heard of the name Hiddleston, let alone in Great Britain. But that all changed in 2015, when the blue-eyed, dark-haired CEO of Imperial Pharmaceuticals graced the cover of Forbes magazine as one of the most influential people in the United Kingdom. It was then that the world was first introduced to Mr. Hiddleston.
He vaguely spoke about his childhood during his first interview, claiming Scottish origins and something about British people having difficulty pronouncing his surname. And then he narrated a story to the reporter about him re-vamping Imperial Pharmaceuticals in honor of his late father, who was a physical chemist that often working in matters related to medical science. And that was what inspired him to turn an unknown factory from the 1960s into one of the greatest drug manufacturers in the western hemisphere. it was nothing but a simple wish to honor one of the most intelligent men in Mr. Hiddleston's lifeā¦and a yearning to make healthcare accessible to all, despite their socioeconomic status or age.
The media ate it up like a bunch of hungry hyenas.Ā
But along with all the press related to Thomas Hiddleston's tenacity, business talents and of course, his charisma, a few secrets about the CEO's past began to trickle into the public eye. The most notable secret was that Thomas Hiddleston was allegedly involved with one of London's most powerful mafia gangs, the gang that was known to carry out assassinations for a price, and manufacture cheap copies of prescription drugs for the black market. Some even said that he used money from his criminal activity to fund the drug research that took place at Imperial Pharmaceuticals.
The people at Imperial Pharmaceuticals did their best to hush all related rumors and possible allegations of criminal activity to their best avail. And thanks to their efforts, Thomas Hiddleston continued to remain in the public limelight as a non-scientist trailblazer in the world of drugs and medicine.Ā
And Thomas Hiddleston's possible criminal past might have all faded into irrelevance if it hadn't been for two deadly coincidences.
The first coincidence was the mysterious death of three corrupt members of Parliament who'd recently been caught in a money laundering scam. They'd all seemingly died in their sleep on the same night, but their times of death were all different due to their bodies being discovered at different points. And the murder took place just two days after Imperial Pharmaceuticals launched their new line of pills to cure insomnia.Ā
The second coincidence was the infamous mass overdose death that took place in South London in 2019, nearly the same day as when Imperial Pharmaceuticals launched a drug that would help heroin addicts combat symptoms of withdrawal and provide a placebo effect in the place of heroin.Ā
As if the proximity between the drug launches and the deaths wasn't enough, the mere idea that the CEO of Imperial Pharmaceuticals was linked to a mafia that manufactured counterfeit drugs for the black market was enough to make you speculate that something might be going on behind closed doors. And that there was more to Thomas Hiddleston than meets the eye.
Your initial hunch was bolstered by the claims from a detective living in Baker Street who happened to be very familiar with the drug addicts living in the area of South London affected by the mass overdose. He told you about the drugs taken by the addicts living there, and how similar they appeared to be with respect to the ones from Imperial Pharmaceuticals.Ā
Now all that was left for you was to approach Thomas Hiddleston himself, the CEO of Imperial Pharmaceuticals. His past and his links to the crime world were the whole reason that this new company could be linked to these two instances of homicide. But none of your speculations would be valid if Thomas Hiddleston didn't confess to his links with a London mafia group.Ā
And thanks to Lady Luck, you - a journalist for a small magazine - managed to bag a twenty-minute interview with the man himself, one-on-one. No PR team to speak to, no red tapeā¦it was too good to be true. Almost to the point where it made you wonder why someone so famous and busy as Thomas Hiddleston would eagerly accept an interview with a nearly-unknown magazine.
Still, the prospect of interviewing him made you giddy during the entire journey to the headquarters of Imperial Pharmaceuticals. If all went well, and you asked the right questions, you would be on the forefront of uncovering the crime of the decade. Alright, maybe not the crime of the decade - let alone Pulitzer-worthy - but still, this would be far juicier of a story than anything you had ever written about.
When you arrived at the building, a receptionist directed you towards the ninth floor of the building. There, a blonde young man dressed in grey with a thick Essex accent led you to a pair of tall doors, gently pulling a gilded handle towards him. "This is Mister Hiddleston's office, madam. He'll be here in fifteen or twenty minutes - would you like some coffee, some tea, or a glass of lemonade while you wait?"
"Noā¦" You took a breath, knowing it would do nothing for the butterflies in your stomach. "No, thank you. I'll wait hereā¦thanks."
"No problem, madam." He gave you a quick nod, and closed the doors behind you.Ā
Unbelievable - you were actually inside the office belonging to the CEO of Imperial Pharmaceuticals Thomas William Hiddleston. Everything about his office screamed old money, whether it was the large, Baroque-style mahogany desk in the center adorned with a human skull a la Hamlet, or the mahogany chairs adorned with green cushions and gold accents. He may be shady, but goodness did he have taste.
You reluctantly allowed yourself to explore, first picking up the skull on Mr. Hiddleston's desk. Underneath it was a sticky note that read, in cursive,
'Silence the Baker Street Boys'
Silence the Baker Street Boys...What could that possibly mean? You thought to yourself for a moment before remembering the one testimonial you received...from a detective living on Baker Street. Oh my gods, did he already know about your interest in unveiling him as a criminal?
Anxious to know more about what Mr. Hiddleston did and did not know at this point, you found yourself rummaging through the drawers of his desk, and even opened some of the drawers underneath his bookcase.
You managed to uncover quite a few details, including a recipe for counterfeit cocaine using cornstarch, counterfeit heroine that doubled as a poison, a few emails about a shipment of sleeping pills and methanol, and even a diary filled with notes about different types of medication.
"Can I help you?"
You swiftly turned around to find none other than Mr. Hiddleston, standing behind you in a blue-black, double-breasted coat over a white button-down shirt, black trousers, and an ebony tie. His cerulean eyes narrowed in your direction, but the rest of his body showed no sign of tension. Not a single muscle in his face was tense, andĀ
You swallowed, trying not to tremble as you stood up, and ignoring the ringing in your earsā¦almost as if you were slowly losing consciousness. But you knew where you were, and you knew how to maintain a professional demeanorā¦well, almost. "G-g-good afternoon, Mr. Hiddlestonā¦It's-it's s'wonderful to meet youā¦in person."
Mr. Hiddleston crossed his arms. "You didn't answer my question."
At that moment, you were lost for words, your throat as dry as a stale biscuit. Mr. Hiddleston took a step closer, and looked you up and down while you closed the drawer, holding the knob to steady yourself. Taking your silence as the signal he has the upper hand, Mr. Hiddleston began to pace the room. "Shame, really. I was looking forward to talking to you today."
You blinked, still trying to process his words all while trying not to slip to the floor.
"You know, most of the journalists that talk to me are from these well-reputed magazines - Time, New York Magazine, Forbes - ones you'd find even in a supermarket or a dentists's waiting room. When my secretary came across your request for an interview, I was intrigued. A budding writer, graduated from university two years ago fromā¦Bryn Mawr, yes?"
Your skin began to tingle, and each muscle in your hands went rigid as iron. Had he conducted a background check on you? Of course it was protocol that you did your homework before coming to an interview, but researching the interviewer? Not something that you could say any one of your interviewees had ever done before.
You nodded, and a small, minuscule smirk formed on Mr. Hiddleston's face. "Bryn Mawrā¦a women's college in Pennsylvania. You probably have a set of protective parents who didn't want their little daughter falling into the company of the bad boys. Can't blame them for wanting to shelter their princess." He sauntered towards one of the chairs facing the desk, placing his long fingers around the smooth arched top.Ā "A major in political science, with two minors in the history of art and in English literature. You wrote exactly one-hundred and twenty articles for the Haverford and Bryn Mawr Bi-College Newspaper over the course of your four years of study."
Mr. Hiddleston casually pulled the chair out and sat down, keeping his legs almost half a yard apart. "I read some of your pieces while I was on a plane to Mumbai two days ago. I have to say, I was impressed - the things you wrote about student protests and action films were good enough. Good enough to cater to the tastes of liberal arts majors and washed-out professors who settled on teaching when they've failed to make an impact in their fields. Butā¦" Hiddleston paused, touching his bottom lip with a finger, "I saw potential in you. I thought you could do better. I saw a drive, and perhaps a sliver of professionalism. What a shame, really." Mr. Hiddleston shakes his head, closing his eyes for a moment. "Now perhaps I'll never know."
"What do you mean?" You blurted, eyes wide open for the first time since he entered the office.
He chuckled darkly. "Are you familiar with the term 'intrusion claim'? A method of invading one's privacy that involves interfering with one's seclusion or solitude?"
"These documents belong to the company!"
"A private company." He leans back, "Well, my dear, you've just provided at least three reasons for me to sue you. You've intruded on a private matter of mine; by your tone, you've declared that your intentions to invade my private documents was intentional; andā¦any reasonable person would find your little transgression to be highly offensive.
That puny little publication that pays for your bread and butter will be out of business faster than they can hide their tails between their legs, seeing as how my company's lawyers are unbeatable. And you, my inquisitive little Amanpour, will be nothing but a disgraced failure with a legal stain so conspicuous that no newspaper or publishing house will ever want to hire you."
"NO!" You shrieked, covering your mouth in horror at the possibility of losing your job, as well as being responsible for the magazine's collapse. "No, pleaseā¦no!" You gasped heavily, your chest heaving through your blouse. "You can't do thisā¦.please, please don't do this. I'm sorry, I'm so sorry, I wouldn't have done it if -"Ā You faltered almost immediately, seeing as how Mr. Hiddleston's expression did not change the slightest.
Mr. Hiddleston pointed to the ceiling. "This office is wired with security cameras, recording our each and every move. One display of this footage in court, and your case is over."
"I'll do anything," you boldly declared, placing both hands on his desk. "Anything at all, just don't sue me."
"Anything at all?"
"Anything." You swallowed, holding your head as high as possibleā¦even if all you wanted to do was crawl under his desk and disappear. At this point, you needed nothing more than to save your job, and the magazine you represented. Even if it requiredā¦surely he wouldn't, not in his officeā¦whatever it was, you'd still do it. Nothing else mattered.
Mr. Hiddleston smirked a little wider, putting his hands together. He'd easily found your kryptonite, and it would be a shame to turn down a chance to have some fun with it. "There is one thing that you could do for me. Perhaps then I might take back my earlier claims about suing you." He stood up from the chair and placed both hands on the desk, mirroring you, and leaned slightly forward. "You could work for me instead."
Baffled, you took a step back and shook your head. "I'mā¦I'm not in scienceā¦I've never even wrote for a scientific article before."
"You wouldn't have to." Mr. Hiddleston merely replied. "I would hire you as part of my own public relations team at Imperial Pharmaceuticals. You would be the person answering journalists on my behalf, those writers from the most well-reputed magazines - places surely you've dreamed of working at. All those journalists will be begging for a chance to interview you, to spend a meager twenty minutes in your presence just to gain an insider's perspective."
Now was your turn to cross your arms. You may have been desperate, but that didn't stop you from sensing something fishy in Mr. Hiddleston's proposition. "Why would you do this? You just threatened to sue me for an "intrusion claim". Now you want me to work for you?"
"Well, darlingā¦." Mr. Hiddleston apparently decided to switch from 'my dear' to 'darling'. He looked up at you with a devious glint in his cerulean eyes. "Your transgression wouldn't be considered an intrusion if they were belonging to something you were a part of, since you would belong to this company. Unless you would prefer to never work in journalism again."
You closed your eyes for a moment and took a breath. "Fine. Justā¦bring me the paperwork."
"Why?" He asked, not even asking what paperwork you were referring to.Ā
Opening your eyes, you forced yourself to look at Mr.Hiddleston at his level. "I'll take the job."
"What job?" Mr. Hiddleston teased, daring you to say it.
You bit the inside of your cheek, trying to muster the words as best as possible. "I'll work for you. Forā¦your PR team."
He tutted. "That's no attitude to bring to your new boss, darling."
Taking another breath, you stretched the corners of your mouth to form as convincing of a smile as possible. "I graciously accept your offer to work for your public relations team."
"And what else do you say to me?" Mr. Hiddleston smirked again, walking behind the desk so he was standing next to you.
"Thank you."
"Thank you who?"
You closed your eyes. Goodness, this man was going to milk everything out of this. "Thank you, Mr. Hiddleston."
He leaned in and briefly pecked your cheek, his lips barely touching your skin just enough for you to feel it. "That's more like it." Mr. Hiddleston began to walk away, striding towards the entrance of the office.
"Wait!"
He turned around on his heels.
"What about the interview?" You asked, picking up the notebook and pens you brought with you.
Mr. Hiddleston stroked his chin for a moment, and put his hands in his pocket. "I'll have my secretary reserve a table for two at Circolo Popolare. 6 PM, and the dress code is cocktail. Don't be late, darling."
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The World's Tallest Building, The Burj Khalifa, Dubai , UAE. Image: StƩphane Compoint
Inside The Supertall Building Boom
What Skyscrapers Reveal About The Countries That Build Them
ā September 20th 2024
A skyscraper is a statement of ambition. No surprise, then, that Saudi Arabia wants to build the worldās tallest. Construction on the Jeddah Tower stopped in 2018 but will restart soon; when completed, it will be the first building ever to rise to a dizzying 1,000 metres. The Jeddah Towerās nearly 170 storeys will house the usual combination of luxury flats, hotel rooms and offices. On one side visitors will be able to gaze on a new financial district; on another, across the Red Sea.
The building may cost around $1.2bn, but that is a trifling sum given the more than $1trn that Saudi Arabia is spending on developing infrastructure, luring tourists and repositioning itself on the global stage. Leaders see the tower, which resembles a jagged splinter of glass, as a symbol of the kingdomās power. It āsends a financial and economic message that should not be ignoredā, Prince Alwaleed bin Talal, who is overseeing the project, has said.
If that is the case, other places are sending out similar steely messages. There are 236 āsupertallā buildings across the worldāa label given to anything bigger than 300 metresāand 160 of them have been erected since 2014, according to the Council on Tall Buildings and Urban Habitat (CTBUH), a research group. Another 96 are under way. These hulking piles reshape skylines and cities. And, as well as reaching skyward, they point towards geopolitical and cultural trends. Which countries are building supertalls, and why?
Midtown Manhattan in 1955, looking downtown towards the Empire State Building, then the tallest building in the world Image: Getty Images
The Middle East is home to 20% of all supertalls. The United Arab Emirates, like Saudi Arabia, is showing off its oil wealth and status as one of the regionās fastest-growing economies. It has 35 supertalls; Dubai alone boasts 31, more than any other city. Its behemoth is the Burj Khalifa, which, at 828 metres, has been the worldās tallest tower since opening in 2010. (Reportedly only 71% of the Burj Khalifa is usable space; the rest is āvanity heightā.)
Asia has a great love of heights, too, having built more than two-thirds of all supertalls in the past decade. A recent addition is Merdeka 118 in Kuala Lumpur, which was completed last year. At 679 metres tall, it pushed its way into second place. China, which had barely any skyscrapers before 1980, now has five of the ten tallest. The country is home to more skyscrapers per person than America. Some 70% of the supertalls under construction are going up in China. Twenty-five of them, if completed, will rank among the worldās top 100 tallest buildings.
Chinaās upward trajectory has practical causes. Until recently, the countryās population was surging, rising from 980m in 1980 to 1.4bn today. And those seeking work are still moving from the countryside to the cities, where 66% of people live. Height also helps with urban density, making commuting distances shorter.
But politics provides additional moĀtivation for city planners to think big. āOfficials in small cities are particularly prone to build tall,ā says Jason Barr, an economist and the author of the book āCities in the Sky: The Quest to Build the Worldās Tallest Skyscrapersā. Strivers in the Communist Party see supertalls as a way to put their lower-tier cities on the mapāand perhaps gain attention from central-government bigwigs.
Only 10% of supertalls built in the past decade have sprung up in America, the ancestral home of the skyscraper. (The first were built in New York and Chicago in the late 1880s.) New York, a city known for its gigantic buildings, has gained a few, including super-thin towers south of Central Park in a cluster nicknamed āBillionairesā Rowā. There are still many economic incentives to go high, particularly in New York: land is expensive, and its population is among the most concentrated of any American city. But gaining approval for new buildings is a complex process, thanks to 3,300 pages of zoning regulations.
The number of storeys may be soaring, but some countries nevertheless prefer to stay closer to the ground. In the European Union only Poland has a supertall building (Britain, an ex-member, has one too: the Shard). Skyscrapers are often regarded as āgaucheā on the continent, says Daniel Safarik of CTBUH. In London and Rome new edifices are not allowed to block views of certain landmarks, making it hard to build upwards. Paris has banned construction of new tall buildings in response to āuglyā skyscrapers. On X one French person called the Montparnasse Tower, a Brutalist building from 1973, the greatest affront to Paris since the Nazi occupation.
When designing a supertall, architects must not have their heads in the clouds. The first serious order of business is to make sure the building does not get buffeted or blown over. āWind is the governing factorā of supertall design, says Gordon Gill, who co-designed the Jeddah Tower. As buildings go up and up, so do wind forces. Engineers calculated that the Burj Khalifa, for instance, needed to be able to stand tall amid winds of 150mph (240kph), equivalent to a strong tornado.
The proposed Xiāan Greenland Tower in Xi'an, China, draws inspiration from the detailed armour of terracotta soldiers from the Qin dynasty Image: Adrian Smith, Gordon Gill Architecture
To avoid a statement of grandeur becoming a parable of ineptitude, architects have to āconfuseā the wind using diffĀerent shapes. Thinness, tapering, twisting, round edges and cut-outs at the top of the building all help, and there are interior as well as exterior solutions. At 432 Park Avenue in New York, five double-floors are left empty to let the wind pass through. Taipei 101 in Taiwan features a steel pendulum, weighing some 728 tonnes, that swings to counteract wind-induced movement.
Given the role of skyscrapers as symbols, architects must also pay close attention to what they look like. Note that the Woolworth Building in New York, the tallest in the world from 1913-30, has a copper roof and gargoyles to reflect its status as a ācathedral of commerceā. Today those commissioning supertalls, particularly in Asia and the Middle East, want the building to stand for cultural confidence as well as a specific sense of place.
Top: 432 Park Avenue in New York and Taipei 101, Taiwan (Bottom) Image: Getty Images, Bridgeman, Alamy
Mr Gill says he consults historians to learn about relevant symbolism: for the faƧade of the proposed Greenland Tower in Xiāan, he evoked the armour of the terracotta soldiers of the ancient Qin dynasty. The spiral shape of Israelās first supertall, currently under construction in Tel Aviv, recalls a biblical scroll. Merdeka 118 looks rather like a syringe, but its design was supposedly inspired by the shape of Tunku Abdul Rahmanās hand, evoking the statesman who proclaimed Malaysian independence in 1957.
The proposed 1 Park Avenue in the port city of Dubai, UAE (top) was designed to symbolise the motion of water. The Petronas Towers in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia (bottom left), were meant to evoke the Islamic architecture of South Asia like the Qutb Minar, an 800-year-old minaret in Delhi, India (bottom right). Image: Alamy, Getty Images, Adrian Smith, Gordon Gill Architecture
The sky is not the only limit for supertalls. Enterprising countries all want spectacular buildings, at least until they decide they have had enough. Chinaās officials are clamping down on āweirdā buildings. Edifices that look like āgiant trousersāāthe nickname given to a building in Beijing designed by Rem Koolhaasāare now verboten. In 2021 the government imposed a height cap of 500 metres and banned cities with fewer than 3m residents from building above 250 metres. (It is thought that safety problems, an oversupply of commercial offices and lots of vacant residential buildings motivated this policy.)
More engineering breakthroughs are needed, too, if buildings are to go higher. It was elevator innovations that helped set off skyscrapers in the late 1800s. But Adrian Smith, one of the architects on the Burj Khalifa, says that lift technology has long been a limiting factor. Existing steel cables have a travel distance of around 500 metres, meaning that it is not possible to get a single lift to the top of many supertalls. (Wind also puts extra strain on the cables.) Yet multiple banks of lifts are difficult to fit into tall, thin buildings. The Jeddah Tower will instead use carbon-fibre, a lighter material that can take lifts higher.
If and when it is possible for buildings to rise higher, no doubt some tycoon or tyrant will want to start a mile-high club. Supertall buildings are monuments to human ingenuity and modernity. But most of all, as Mason Cooley, an American humorist, put it, āA skyscraper is a boast in glass and steel.ā
The Burj Al Arab in Dubai, UAE, which recalls the sail of a Dhow, a Common Arab Sailing Vessel Image: Getty Images
ā This Article Appeared in the Culture Section of the Print Edition Under the Headline āThe Edifice Complex".
#Edifice Complex#Skyscrapers#Supertall Building Boom#UAE š¦šŖ#China šØš³#Taiwan š¹š¼ | Republic of China šØš³#Saudi Arabia šøš¦ | Royal Clock Tower#Kuala Lumpur | Malaysia š²š¾ | Merdeka 118#Burj Khalifa | Dubai | UAE š¦šŖ#Shangha Tower#Ping An Finance Centre
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Wow, Rishi "stop the boats" Sunak, Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, whose government forbade the UK Coast Guard from saving the lives of literal refugees from war and poverty when they were adrift on boats due to asylum seeking being a farcical and obtuse process to act as a barrier to entry rather than the lifeline it should be for those in need, has said he will do all he can to help the idiot billionaires who got in their submersible suicide tube which is steered by the controller your little brother gets on their way to see a reminder of the dangers of the hubris of the wealthy.
I hope they're not dead, but I do hope the irony is painfully obvious.
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