‘Political persecution’: Julian Assange files further appeal against extradition to US

Latika Bourke

Aug 27 2022

Julian Assange has filed his next bid to appeal against his extradition to the United States.

If granted, Assange will seek to raise sensational media reports that the CIA plotted to kidnap and even kill the Australian during his time holed up in the Ecuadorian embassy. Assange spent seven years at the diplomatic residence in London to avoid being extradited to Sweden to face allegations of sexual assault and rape.

Assange’s Ecuadorian hosts ended up kicking out the Australian in April 2019, handing him over to Scotland Yard.

He has been incarcerated in British jails ever since, for skipping bail to avoid the Swedish extradition and as the US requested his extradition to face charges relating to the WikiLeaks cables that he published more than a decade ago.


FRANK AUGSTEIN/AP
WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange greets supporters from a balcony of the Ecuadorian embassy in London back in 2017.

’s extradition has been ordered by the British courts and in June was signed off on by Home Secretary Priti Patel.

Assange’s perfected grounds of appeal filed to the High Court of Justice Administrative Court name the US government and Patel as respondents.

The appeal will challenge the 2021 decision of District Judge Vanessa Baraitser who said that Assange could be extradited to the US but barred it on mental health grounds, agreeing that he could self-harm if sent to face trial.

The US government successfully appealed the bar by providing assurances about the prison conditions in which Assange would be kept while he awaits any trial.

DOMINIC LIPINSKI/AP
Supporters of Julian Assange protest outside the Home Office in London in July 1, calling for his release from prison and to mark his 51st birthday. The decade-long legal saga was sparked by his website WikiLeaks’ publication of classified US documents.

But this next appeal by Assange will argue that he is being prosecuted for his political opinions, which, if accepted, would be in breach of the Extradition Act, which states that if it appears that an extradition is sought for the purpose of prosecuting or punishing a person on account of their political opinions then their extradition should barred.

Assange will also argue that Patel erred in signing off on his extradition claiming it breached section 4 of the US-UK extradition act which says extradition must not be sought by either side for political offences.

Assange is charged with violating the Espionage Act when he coached Chelsea Manning how to hack into databases to steal hundreds of thousands of cables which WikiLeaks published in full, after initially publishing selected contents of the cables in partnership with mainstream media outlets.

The appeal marks a shift in his legal defence which had relied more heavily on his physical and mental health.

MATT DUNHAM/AP
Buildings are reflected in the window as Julian Assange was taken from court in 2019, where he appeared on charges of jumping British bail seven years ago.

This claim was originally accepted by Baraitser but overturned on appeal.

Since then, YahooNews! has reported allegations that the Trump Administration floated ways to extract Assange from the US embassy, with the view of kidnapping or even killing him.

Assange’s wife Stella said High Court judges would now determine whether Assange will be granted an appeal hearing.

“Since the last ruling, overwhelming evidence has emerged proving that the US prosecution against my husband is a criminal abuse,” she said in a statement.

MATT DUNHAM/AP
In March, Stella Moris posed for the media and for supporters as she arrived to marry her partner Julian Assange in a small service to be held inside the high-security Belmarsh Prison, in south east London. Assange has been held at Belmarsh since 2019, when he was arrested for skipping bail during a separate legal battle. Before that, he spent seven years inside the Ecuadorian Embassy in London to avoid extradition to Sweden.

“The High Court judges will now decide whether Julian is given the opportunity to put the case against the US before open court, and in full, at the appeal,” Stella Assange said.

Australia’s Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has previously said he believes Assange should be freed but since winning the May election has declined to outline what entreaties he has made to US President Joe Biden, saying he would not do diplomacy via a “loud hailer”.

READ MORE:
* British judge approves extradition of Julian Assange to US, sent to UK government for decision
* WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange gets married in small ceremony at London prison
* Mexico to offer Julian Assange asylum after US extradition bid fails
* Nicky Hager gives evidence for Julian Assange at extradition hearing
* Julian Assange all smiles after seven-year rape investigation is dropped

Swimmer bitten by shark off coast of Britain – first time in 175 years

Several species of shark visit the waters off Cornwall every year, including blue sharks, porbeagle sharks and basking sharks.

 by Joe Mellor
2022-08-03 


A swimmer has been bitten by a shark while snorkelling off the coast of Britain – the first attack of its kind in 175 YEARS.

The victim sustained a leg injury when they were attacked in a rare case off the Cornish coast near Penzance.

The incident took place last Thursday (28/6) and is potentially the first unprovoked shark attack in British waters since 1847.

Extremely rare

Blue Shark Snorkel Trips, the company that organised the tour, said such incidents were “extremely rare” and they were “in continued talks with shark experts” as to what happened.

“As we know, these things can happen when we choose to interact with wild animals in their own environment,” the company said in a statement on its Facebook page.

“The last thing we want is to let speculation drive the media into a world of bad press for the sharks, under no fault of their own.

“We immediately enacted our emergency response plan, with first aid being carried out on the person involved.

“Following advice and assessment from the coastguard, the person walked off the boat and received further treatment ashore.”

The firm also shared a statement from the victim, who said: “Despite how the trip ended, it was amazing to see such majestic creatures in the wild and I don’t for a second want this freak event to tarnish the reputation of an already persecuted species.

“Wanted to thank everyone for their amazing actions. What was a very scary incident was made so much easier by the kindness and calmness of the people around me.”
Surfer

In 2017 surfer Rich Thomson was apparently bitten on the thumb by a smooth hound – a relative of sharks.

Several species of shark visit the waters off Cornwall every year, including blue sharks, porbeagle sharks and basking sharks.

None of these species are considered dangerous, though there have been a total of four fatal blue shark attacks worldwide since records began.

The last recorded unprovoked ‘attack’ was at Felixtowe when a windsurfer’s board was bitten by a shark in 2016.

Despite this, the windsufer sustained no injures and shark bites tend to only happen when provoked during fishing or other activities.

A spokesperson for HM Coastguard said: “HM Coastguard sent Penzance Coastguard Rescue Team to meet a snorkeler who suffered a suspected shark bite.

“The coastguard was notified just before 12.30pm on Thursday (July 28). It is believed the swimmer suffered a leg injury.

“The coastguard team met the casualty at Penzance harbour to assist with passing them into the care of the ambulance service.”

Boris Johnson turns into The Joker in new artwork

“The Joker became an obvious match-up. He’s not the charming cheeky lad. It’s a ploy he uses.”

 by Jack Peat


Boris Johnson morphs into The Joker in a new artwork.

The Prime Minister has been sketched, in ballpoint pen, in a tie and jacket and with his trademark, bouffant hairstyle.

But James Mylne, 38, has depicted him in the guise of arch villain The Joker.

The artist told the PA news agency: “He’s always been a bit of a joker. But for a while, at the beginning, for the first couple of years it was all a bit innocent, a bit charming.

“But there’s more beneath the surface.”

“The Joker became an obvious match-up. He’s not the charming cheeky lad. It’s a ploy he uses.”

“The blond hair proved difficult”

Mylne finished the work, expected to sell for between £2,000 and £6,000, less than a fortnight ago.

The 50 by 50cm piece took “almost 70 hours” and the artist uses spray paints to add colour, backgrounds and additions.

Because he uses biro, one mistake can mean having to start the whole piece again.

“I’ve got quite good at minimising risk. I always start with the hard bits. The blond hair proved difficult,” he said.

Mylne, whose portraits are often mistaken for photographic prints, said of his work: “It appeals to a different type of art buyer, collectors who are interested in what art should be about, being culturally relevant.”

He has also created a portrait of Brazilian president Jair Bolsonaro with the flames of the Amazon pouring from his eyes, as fires continue to rage in the rainforest.

And he previously depicted Donald Trump with tears in the style of the US flag falling from his eyes.

A Decade Of Shady Business

The artist said: “Ballpoint pens are everywhere. Scattered over desks at work or school, on counters at your post office or bank, and under your sofa.

“No-one owns them really, ubiquitous, disposable, and pretty much free.

“The simple engineering and design behind them is so efficient and durable that they haven’t needed a design change in decades.”

The works will go on display in Mylne’s new solo exhibition A Decade Of Shady Business, marking 10 years of his “ballpoint art”.

UK

Watch: ‘Stand together, fight together, win together’ – rousing video on postal worker strike

Communication Workers Union general secretary Dave Ward said 115,000 members were striking over pay amid ‘rocketing’ inflation and energy bills.

by Joe Mellor
2022-08-26 


Credit:PA

The leader of the Communication Workers Union (CWU) declared Friday’s industrial action as “the biggest strike in the UK since 2009”, as he said more than 115,000 postal workers were out protesting over pay.

It comes as a video by Peter Stefanovic has gone viral supporting the postal workers.

CWU general secretary Dave Ward says his members voted in favour of the strike by 97.6% in a ballot, after management “imposed” a 2% pay rise on employees but “rewarded themselves with record bonuses”.

Friday’s strike will be followed by further stoppages on Wednesday August 31, Thursday September 8 and Friday September 9.

Scores of CWU members, including Mr Ward and a person in a Postman Pat costume, were rallying at a picket line in Whitechapel, east London, on Friday.

They banged drums, waved flags and clutched placards outside the Royal Mail Whitechapel Delivery Office, as passing drivers beeped their horns in apparent support.

Enough is enough

One man shouted “enough is enough, millions for the bosses, pennies for the workers”.

Members also chanted “Thompson out” – a reference to Royal Mail’s CEO, Simon Thompson – to the beat of drums.

CWU boss Mr Ward told the PA news agency: “This is the biggest strike in the UK since 2009, and we have got over 115,000 members who are out on strike today after delivering a massive ‘yes’ vote.

“And it’s over pay, and our members just lost total confidence in the actions of the company, the board, and they’ve lost faith in the leadership and people will understand that when they see the way that the company have conducted themselves.

“The company made record profits last year: £758 million. They gave away over £400 million to shareholders, they rewarded themselves with huge record bonuses for achieving their financial targets and then imposed a 2% pay increase on postal workers.

“Against the background of rocketing inflation, rocketing energy bills, it’s simply not acceptable.

Pillars of our society

“Postal workers in the UK are one of the last remaining pillars of our society.

“We are going to fight hard to get our members the pay deal that they deserve.”

He added: “In regard to the Labour Party, what we want is full support from them in this dispute, it’s a just cause.”

On Thursday, a Royal Mail spokesperson said: “Tomorrow’s CWU strike thrusts Royal Mail into the most uncertain time of its 500-year history.

“It is putting jobs at risk and making pay rises less affordable. We are losing £1 million a day.

“We must change to fix the situation and protect high quality jobs.

“We want to protect well-paid, permanent jobs long-term and retain our place as the industry leader on pay, terms and conditions. That is in the best interests of Royal Mail and all its employees.

“We apologise to our customers, and the public for the inconvenience the CWU’s strike action will cause.

“We have offered to meet the CWU numerous times in recent weeks, but they declined each invitation, preferring to spend their time on the political agenda of the UK trade union movement.

“We remain ready to talk with the CWU to try and avert damaging industrial action and prevent significant inconvenience for customers.”

Watch

Related: Mick Lynch delivers masterclass is dealing with

 ‘biased media’ as strikes continue

 

Royal Mail workers begin four-day strike as 115,000 walk out

Further strike dates have been set on August 31, and September 8 and 9

Postal workers from the Communication Workers Union (CWU) on the picket line at the Royal Mail Whitechapel Delivery Office in east London / PA

By Bill McLoughlin
3 hours ago

Royal Mail workers have begun a four-day strike over a pay dispute with the company.

On Friday, some 115,000 are expected to stage a walkout, which will last throughout the weekened, with Royal Mail warning that letters will not be delievred, and parcels will be delayed.

Amid the cost of living crisis, workers from the Communication Workers Union (CWU) have called for a pay rise which is more in line with the current rate of inflation, which stands at 10.1 per cent.

Workers for the CWU have reportedly rejected a prior offer of 5.5 per cent after prolonged talks and have set further strike dates on August 31, and September 8 and 9.

“We can’t keep on living in a country where bosses rake in billions in profit while their employees are forced to use food banks.

“When Royal Mail bosses are raking in £758m in profit and shareholders pocketing in excess of £400m, our members won’t accept pleas of poverty from the company,” CWU general secretary Dave Ward said.

Although services will be severely disrupted, Royal Mail says it will attempt to deliver as many Special Delivery and Tracked 24-hour parcels as possible. Medical prescriptions will also be prioritised.

According to Royal Mail’s latest figures, its operating profit was prejected at £416million in March.

With inflation set to rise to 13 per cent later this year, and the energy price cap hitting £3,549 in October, Mr Ward added: “There can be no doubt that postal workers are completely united in their determination to secure the dignified, proper pay rise they deserve.”

In response, a Royal Mail spokesperson said the business must be able to update its working practices and not ignore technological advancements.

“While our competitors work seven days a week, delivering until 10pm to meet customer demand, the CWU want to work fewer hours, six days a week, starting and finishing earlier,” they added.

“The CWU’s vision for Royal Mail would create a vicious spiral of falling volumes, higher prices, bigger losses, and fewer jobs.”

Government to probe Czech billionaire’s Royal Mail stake over national security

Royal Mail workers to walk out over pay in ‘summer’s biggest strike’

The brain actually ‘beats’… just like the heart, say scientists.

And its tiny movements - less than the width of a human hair - have been caught on film for the first time.

 by Joe Mellor
in News, Science

The brain actually ‘beats’… just like the heart, say scientists.

And its tiny movements – less than the width of a human hair – have been caught on film for the first time.

The breakthrough could lead to better ways of spotting concussions and other brain injuries before they become life threatening.

It also offers hope of developing cycling and motorbike crash helmets that provide better protection.

The US team used a revolutionary imaging technique to capture and magnify the movement of the brain every time the heart beats – in real time.

They say it is a promising and long awaited diagnostic tool for a host of brain disorders that will improve and hasten treatment.

These include weakened blood vessels in the brain called aneurysms that can trigger potentially fatal haemorrhages.

Understanding how the brain moves – at rest and upon impact – has been crucial to shedding light on them, but technology to clearly see it has lagged behind.

Co lead author Professor Mehmet Kurt, a biomechanical engineer at Stevens Institute of Technology, New Jersey, said: “It is proof of concept.

“We wanted to see if we could amplify the tiny movements of the brain with every heartbeat and capture that movement as it naturally occurs – so without introducing noise.

“That is important when you are trying to do what we are trying to do – detect abnormal motions in the brain to diagnose and monitor disorders.”

The brain moves minutely with each heartbeat – on the order of ten to 150 micrometres which is less than the width of a single human hair.

The movements are so small standard MRI (magnetic resonance imaging) brain scans are unable to film them in detail.

The new technique reported in Magnetic Resonance in Medicine is called phase-based amplified MRI and was originally developed while the researchers were based at the University of Stanford, California.

In the past two years they have fine tuned the method to show it can be used for diagnostic benefit.

In experiments they attached a pulsometer that monitors heart rate to the wrists of healthy subjects and coordinated the timing of the beat with images of the brain, stitching the slices together to create a smooth movement.

An algorithm, tailored to the piston-like motions of blood and spinal fluid coursing through the brain, then intelligently magnifies the brain’s motion to a more visible scale while keeping potential noise subdued.

The resulting video images, reconstructed slice by slice, retain the spatial characteristics of an MRI.

The skull and all anatomical features are displayed at actual scale. But the pulse-driven motion is amplified significantly as they animate.



Co lead senior author Dr Samantha Holdsworth, a medical physicist who is now at the University of Auckland, explained: “You can actually capture the whole head ‘nodding’ in the scanner due to the force of the blood pumping into the brain every time the heart beats.”

The researchers found the technique provided few errors and good visibility, particularly in areas of the brain that move most. These included the mid brain and spinal cord, which helps relay sensory information.

It also spots movement in areas resistant to motion such as the frontal cortex which is important for planning, reasoning and judgement.

The team applied the technique on two subjects, a control and a patient with Chiari malformation I.

The condition, present at birth, can cause many symptoms, including headaches or stiffness in the neck, due to malformations at the base of the skull and upper spinal area.

Unlike the control, video images of the patient showed significantly abnormal brain movement in at least two locations.

The researchers will continue to use the technology in clinical settings involving larger numbers of patients with known medical diagnoses of various conditions such as concussion, aneurysm and structural brain abnormalities.

Prof Kurt, who is also known for his work on concussions, added: “Better visualisation and understanding of the biomechanical properties of the brain could lead to earlier detection and monitoring of brain disorders.

“It could also help with prevention, as it could lead to the design of better helmets.”

How the Igbo culture is gaining acceptance in the US state of Minnesota

Diaspora News
Oghenekevwe Uchechukwu
August 26, 2022

Fidelis Akonu and his family. Source: Instagram@Umunnemn

FOR nearly three decades, the Igbo ethnic majority group from South-East Nigeria has colourfully celebrated its rich cultural heritage in faraway Minnesota, the United States, which is home to more than 13, 000 Nigerians.

The event, usually organised in August by the Umunne Cultural Association, reveals a deep sense of identity and seeks to unite and educate Igbo families and Minnesotans about the Igbo culture, art, music and values.

The event this year featured the Ada Igbo Beauty Pageant during a gala night on August 12 at the Banquets of Minnesota and the Igbo Festival (IgboFest) celebration on August 13 at the North Hennepin Community College in Brooklyn Park, themed: “Creating Cultural Awareness for the next Generation”

.

The Bende war dance group of Umunne in Minnesota.
Source: Instagram@Umunnemn

In recognising the event, Governor of Minnesota Tim Walz, enumerated the contributions of the Igbo ethnic group in education, arts, volunteering and good culture sharing with Minnesotans.

“Igbos in Minnesota are working to ensure the sustainability of Igbo culture by creating cultural awareness for the next generation.

“Now, therefore, I, Tim Walz, Governor of Minnesota, do hereby proclaim Saturday, August 13, 2022 as IGBO DAY,” the governor declared.

In her remarks as a special guest of the event, former Nigerian Ambassador to the Kingdom of Spain Bianca Ojukwu paid a glowing tribute to the giant strides of Igbos living in Minnesota and enjoined them to continue to promote the cultural values of the group and transmit the same to their offspring.

Ojukwu noted that the ancestral Igbo language, norms and traditions had shaped their sense of identity as a people and created a sense of belonging and collective pride.

The annual event brings together thousands of attendees looking to try African delicacies, enjoy a variety of dance performances and processions, shop for beautiful African arts, jewelry, and apparel, as well as network.

In another development, the House of Representatives member for Minnesota Esther Agbaje, who is Nigerian, will be seeking re-election through the ballots on November 8.

Author profile
Oghenekevwe Uchechukwu

The Pros and Cons of Adding Wifi to Mount Kilimanjaro
Installing high-speed internet on the mountain is a divisive topic among alpinists and locals alike

By the end of the year, Tanzania hopes to have wifi access all the way to the summit.
Getty

BY LINDSAY ROGERS @LNDSRGRS

At an elevation of 19,341 feet, Mount Kilimanjaro in Tanzania is the highest free-standing mountain rise in the world, one that nearly 30,000 alpinists attempt to climb every year. Not one of those climbers has, for obvious reasons, ever had access to wifi on the mountain. But the year is 2022, and because “off-the-grid” very rarely means complete disconnection anymore, that’s about to change.

Climbers now have access to high-speed internet on the mountain, which means they will be able connect to wifi “up to an altitude of 12,205 feet,” per NBC News. By the end of the year, the country hopes to offer it all the way to the summit.

“I am hoisting high-speed INTERNET COMMUNICATIONS (BROADBAND) on the ROOF OF AFRICA,” Nape Nnauye, Tanzania’s minister of information, communication and information technology, tweeted on August 16. “Tourists can now communicate worldwide from the summit of Mount Kilimanjaro. WE ARE GOING TO UHURU PEAK 5880 Meters Above Sea Level!”

That’s right, by end of year you’ll be able to post your selfies right to the ‘gram from Mount Kilimanjaro’s peak — the news of which has, unsurprisingly, solicited a mixed bag of reviews. At the Matador Network, Suzie Dundas goes through the pros and cons.

There are many benefits to having wifi on a mountain where there are roughly 10 fatalities a year, safety chief among them. Now, should a hiker need immediate assistance, it will be exponentially easier for rescuers to pinpoint their location, thus expediting the speed at which they’re able to reach said hiker.

It’s also pretty cool, Dundas posits, that hikers will be able to share their climb in real time by way of photos, texts, emails and even live streams. However, that’s also where things start to get a little dicey. Hiking Kilimanjaro is obviously no small feat, even for the most experienced of alpinists. Not only does it require a certain level of experience and physical fitness, it also warrants your undivided attention, which a vibrating phone doesn’t necessarily lend itself well to.

Lastly, as Dundas points out, installing wifi on Kilimanjaro sends a less than stellar message: the mountain, which largely serves tourists, takes precedent over the surrounding villages; 17% of the population reportedly does not have access to cell service. Although, it does bear mentioning that Kilimanjaro climbing tourism brings in about $50 million, or roughly 18% of the country’s GDP, annually.

 

Drought forces earliest harvest ever in French wine country

26 August 2022, 

Climate France Vineyards. Picture: PA

The harvest is now happening earlier than ever as a result of severe drought and the wine industry’s adaptation to the effects of climate change.

The landscape in the prestigious vineyards of Bordeaux looks the same as ever, with healthy, ripe grapes hanging heavy off rows of green vines.

But this year something is starkly different in one of France’s most celebrated wine regions and other parts of Europe.

The harvest that once started in mid-September is now happening earlier than ever – in mid-August – as a result of severe drought and the wine industry’s adaptation to the unpredictable effects of climate change.

Paradoxically, the season of heatwaves and wildfires produced excellent grapes, despite lower yields.

Workers collect white grapes of sauvignon in the Grand Cru Classe de Graves of the Chateau Carbonnieux in Pessac-Leognan, south of Bordeaux (Francois Mori/AP)

But achieving such a harvest required creative changes in growing techniques, including pruning vines in a different way and sometimes watering them in places where irrigation is usually banned.

And producers across Europe who have seen first-hand the effects of global warming are worried about what more is to come.

So far, “global warming is very positive. We have better ripeness, better balance… but if you turn to the future, and if you increase the temperature by one degree more, plus, you will lose the freshness part in the balance of the wine”, said Fabien Teitgen, technical director of Chateau Smith-Haut-Lafitte, an estate that grows organic wine grapes in Martillac, south of Bordeaux.

Grape growers adjusted their practices amid a series of heatwaves, combined with lack of rain, that hit most of Europe.

In the Bordeaux region, in south-western France, giant wildfires destroyed large areas of pine forests.

It did not rain from the end of June until mid-August.

As the harvest unfolds, dozens of workers kneel in the vineyards to hand-pick grapes and put them into baskets.

The fruit is immediately crushed to make juice, which is put into tanks, then barrels to start the wine production process.

Chateau Carbonnieux at Pessac-Leognan, south of Bordeaux (Francois Mori/AP)

The harvest aims to produce the white wine from the famous Pessac-Leognan appellation.

Red wine will soon follow.

Eric Perrin, one of the owners of the Chateau Carbonnieux estate, recalled that during his childhood, in the 1970s, harvests started around mid-September.

This year, they began on August 16.

But the 2022 vintage may be better than ever, Mr Perrin said, because the grapes are healthy and well balanced.

The hot, dry weather also prevented vines from getting diseases such as mildew.

Producing wine is a centuries-old tradition at Chateau Carbonnieux, where Thomas Jefferson visited the vineyards in 1787, before becoming president of the United States, and planted a pecan tree that still stands in a park.

Nowadays, Chateau Carbonnieux wine is sometimes offered by French President Emmanuel Macron to esteemed hosts.

The drought changed the way wine producers work.

Fabien Teitgen, technical director of the Chateau Smith-Haut-Lafitte estate (Francois Mori/AP)

Before, vintners used to give vines a shape that allowed grapes to get the maximum amount of sun so they produced more sugar, which converts into alcohol.

This year, growers tended to let leaves protect the grapes so the shadows would preserve the fruit’s acidity and freshness, Mr Teitgen explained.

Yields may be 15% to 20% lower in the broader region, mostly due to smaller grapes and the fact that some were burned by the sun in specific areas, Mr Teitgen said, but it will not affect the wine’s quality.

In front of the 14th-century tower of the Chateau Smith-Haut-Lafitte vineyard, Manon Lecouffe this week carefully watered newly planted vines, an indispensable job.

Vines that are several years old have deep roots that allow them to draw water from far underground and endure drought without suffering too much.

But this year, estates had authorisation to water adult vines, a practice usually banned in Bordeaux.

“Some plots were heavily suffering with leaves falling,” Lecouffe said.

Another step vintners may take is to reduce the density of their plots to require less water or to work the soil to better conserve moisture deep down.

Laurent Lebrun, director of the Chateau Olivier estate, goes through the vineyards to taste grapes from various areas and decide when harvesting is needed (Francois Mori/AP)

Experts are also considering whether planting new grape varieties could be helpful.

At Chateau Olivier, which also produces Pessac-Leognan wines, director Laurent Lebrun showed how he and his team go through the vineyards to taste grapes plot by plot to decide where and when to harvest.

The consequences of global warming are now part of daily life for vintners, Mr Lebrun said, noting the speed of the changes.

“We need to reprogramme our own way of thinking,” he said.

“There are many tools that are still within our reach, which are already used in warmer regions.”

Further south in Europe, harvests also started weeks earlier than normal to save shrivelling and scorched grapes.

Production is expected to be 10% to 20% lower in some regions of Italy, Spain and Portugal, though producers are hopeful of increased quality.

Italy’s Coldiretti agricultural lobby stressed that the higher cost of energy and raw materials is expected to increase costs by 35%.

Eric Perrin, one of the owners of the Chateau Carbonnieux Grand Cru Classe de Graves, walks in the castle courtyard (Francois Mori/AP)

Scientists have long believed that human-caused climate change makes extreme weather more frequent.

They say hotter air, warmer oceans and melting sea ice alter the jet stream, which makes storms, floods, heatwaves, droughts and wildfires more destructive.

As warmer winters cause grape vines to produce early buds, French vintners worry that frost will disrupt the growing season more often.

Violent hailstorms can destroy a year of work in a few minutes.

At Chateau Carbonnieux, Mr Perrin fears some smaller producers may not withstand the changes.

“Climatic events since 2017 have led to smaller harvests. Not everyone will be able to survive it, for sure,” he said.

By Press Association

US journalist Angad Singh allegedly denied entry into India, deported to NY

India News
Published on Aug 26, 2022 

His mother Gurmeet Kaur, who is also a writer, narrated the entire incident on social media saying the authorities didn’t give a reason before deporting him

Angad was planning to come to India on a personal visit to meet his family members. 

(Facebook (Gurmeet Kaur FolktalesofPunjab))

By HT Correspondent

A US citizen of Indian origin and journalist Angad Singh was allegedly denied entry to India and deported from the New Delhi airport to New York on Wednesday night, his family members said.

In a Facebook post, his mother Gurmeet Kaur, who is also a writer, said, “When I flew to America for the first time - PanAm flight from Bombay to New York - I saw a Sikh boy about my age (I was 22) handcuffed and being taken away to be deported back to India. My heart tore. I spoke to him from a distance - to comfort him. He said he didn’t know the reason. He was tired of sitting down in plane rides and all he wanted to do was to lay down - his back hurt so bad. I wished him Chardikala (high spirit). “

“Today, a generation later, My son an American citizen who travelled 18 hours to Delhi to visit us in Punjab was deported. Put in the next flight back to New York. They didn’t give a reason. But we know it is his award-winning journalism that scares them. It is the stories he did and the stories he is capable of”, she said.

She added, “It is the love for his Motherland that they can’t stand. It is the cutting edge reporting of #ViceNews that gets to them. He is 6’5” tall. His back hurts from riding long rides in such small spaces. He must be wanting to lay down. I wish you Chardi Kala my boy. It’s not easy to be a Sikh, a Gursikh on top, a journalist, a warrior of truth and justice. Speaking truth has a price. We must pay it. I am comforting your back. See you in the land of free. Ps: So which story do you think pissed them off?”

According to sources, Gurmeet, who is also settled in US, is in India at present. Angad was planning to come to India on a personal visit to meet his family members, the sources said.

Gurmeet was not available for comment over the phone.

 

Finland's Prime Minister Is Embroiled in Footlooseghazi-Makeoutgate

Like the Brits, the Finns should get some real scandals. Whatever happened to trying to overthrow the government?

By Jack HolmesPUBLISHED: AUG 26, 2022

JUSSI NUKARI//Getty Images

War on the European continent. A cost-of-living crisis in Britain and beyond. The worst drought ever recorded in human history in China. All pale in comparison to the unfolding catastrophe in Finland, where Prime Minister Sanna Marin has been caught dancing and singing and allowing beautiful people to smooch in the prime ministerial manse, all in the space of a week. The 36-year-old was also accused of using drugs and promptly proved that she had not. All of this has poured into a sprawling scandal that we might call Footlooseghazi-Makeoutgate. It's enough to shake your faith in all that we hold dear.

It began with a disturbing video of Marin, the youngest ever Finnish leader when she was elected at 34, singing and dancing at a party with her friends. This was immediately decried as conduct unbecoming of a prime minister. "Critics have said the PM should be focused on leading Finland during a cost-of-living crisis," Britain's Telegraph reported. Then another video was leaked, this time of Marin dancing at a club with a man who was not her husband. Is that still a thing we're pretending to care about from our politicians? No matter, moving on. Pretty soon, some Finnish media had latched onto the idea that a voice in the first video could be heard saying "flour gang," which was immediately taken to be a drug reference. Marin denied taking drugs and took a drug test. It came back negative.

But then, the following week, another video was leaked of Marin dancing up on someone at a club. And then there was the coup de grâce: the photo of two women making out in a bathroom of the Finnish PM's residence. OK, confession time: when we said there was smooching in the manse earlier, we didn't mention that the smoochers were, in one report's styling, "TOPLESS!" They even held up a sign that said "Finland" to obscure the toplessness. The photo was pulled from the TikTok of a Finnish model named Sabina Särkkä, and where exactly is the problem here? Sorry, got distracted again. It's just that, if you live in a country dominated by geriatric political leaders, you might find all of this kind of refreshing. Marin is a reasonably competent administrator by day, and someone who goes out and parties with her friends by night. Jesus! Maybe she should take up golf.

Parliament did not sign off on this tomfoolery!

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In fairness to the haters and losers, the past couple weeks have not contained the sum total of Marin's party fouls: she landed in hot water back in December 2021 for hitting the club—and leaving her phone at home!—following a possible COVID exposure. "She was initially told she did not need to isolate because she had been fully vaccinated," the BBC reports, "but later missed a text that advised her to do so." Speaking of the Beeb, the Brits' own party scandals point to why there was at least, maybe, possibly, some point to getting mad about this earlier incident. Boris Johnson's #Partygate indiscretions seem almost quaint from our vantage point over here in America, but when you factor in that the Brits actually locked down for long periods of the godforsaken pandemic, you can see why they got a bit riled up that the guy making the rules wasn't exactly abiding by them. California Governor Gavin Newsom caught flak for the same.

Still, one can't help but encourage these countries to get some real scandals. A garden party, Boris? Try overthrowing the government. Have a mob of your enthusiasts storm Parliament to keep you in power. Step it up!

OK, we're getting sidetracked. This was about the Finnish prime minister having fun with friends in her free time in unapproved ways. And while Finland is in the process of joining NATO, no less! Hold up—there's a relentless online campaign to discredit the leader of a country that's currently pursuing protection against Russian aggression? There's a steady stream of leaks of damaging information about a politician who favors a policy—NATO expansion—that the next-door neighbors consider contrary to their interests? What a coincidence! It does seem that Marin is taking on some water in the polls, and that she could be turfed out in the next election. But there's no indication that will stop Finland joining NATO, and from the outside, this could just as easily be a guerrilla advertising campaign from Finland's tourism board. Work hard play hard!

In the end, though, the best argument against Marin's behavior is that it could be used against her just as it has been. That's bad logic and bad for human freedom, but who ever said politics was concerned with any of that? Just because the Finns elected a young adult doesn't mean they can't act outraged when she behaves like a young adult, and they're really only outraged because she was pictured behaving like a young adult. Maybe that speaks to the company she keeps, though when you hit the club, it's harder to know that, too. OK, maybe she should play golf. And pick up porn stars at the turn. And use questionable schemes to pay them off. Jesus! Nobody does scandals like the world hegemon. Just follow our lead, folks.

JACK HOLMESSENIOR STAFF WRITER

Jack Holmes is a senior staff writer at Esquire, where he covers politics and sports. He also hosts Useful Context, a video series.