David J. Chmiel
3.7K posts
@DavidJChmiel
Advisor, writer & speaker on geopolitics and their impact on business. Former M&A lawyer. Most tweets on politics & history with some rants on train service.
A humanoid robot won a half-marathon in Beijing in 50 minutes and 26 seconds, finishing faster than Ugandan runner Jacob Kiplimo's world record. Read more: cnn.it/4dWXNC6
A humanoid robot won a half-marathon in Beijing in 50 minutes and 26 seconds, finishing faster than Ugandan runner Jacob Kiplimo's world record. Read more: cnn.it/4dWXNC6
NEW: Keir Starmer says it's "staggering" and "unforgiveable" that he wasn't told Peter Mandelson failed security vetting - and that he's "absolutely furious" about it. He'll address MPs on Monday. “That I wasn’t told that Peter Mandelson had failed security vetting when he was appointed is staggering. “That I wasn’t told that he had failed security vetting when I was telling Parliament that due process had been followed is unforgiveable. “Not only was I not told, no minister was told, and I’m absolutely furious about that. “What I intend to do is to go to Parliament on Monday to set out all the relevant facts in true transparency, so Parliament has the full picture.”
Happy Birthday, Edward Fox. Fox won a BAFTA for his blazing turn in A Bridge Too Far (1977), all the more impressive in a cast crammed with talent, and with barely 20 minutes on screen time. Maybe it helped that the real General Horrocks was there on set.
New polling finds Canadians support building the proposed high-speed rail line, still contemplate joining the European Union, and even joining the armed forces if we found ourselves at war Link to the article below
How does Britain actually fight a war? Who selects the targets? Where does the intel come from? Does the PM sit above it all or do they get involved in the detail of operations? Find out from those who were inside the room during the Libya conflict @polcurrency
The Canadian embassy in Washington DC looks like it was built to resist invasion. Perhaps they knew something in advance? A pristine example of the bunker aesthetic of late modernism. What a shocker.
Here’s the ENGLISH version. Another major blow to Britain’s soft power. 🇬🇧 By our correspondent Antonello Guerrera LONDON – Do you spic English? For almost a century, the British Council has been Italians’ gateway to learning English, crossing the Channel, and living the dream and myth of London, Great Britain, the Royal Family and the Underground “Tube,” of James Bond, of Britpop bands like Oasis, the Beatles, and Swinging London—where the miniskirt was born and, before that, European freedom. After all, Nazifascism in Italy was also fought by the BBC, with Radio Londra and the legendary “Colonnello Buonasera.” Meanwhile, an Anglophile like Arbasino moved in and out of the British Council, where Manganelli was a pillar, and Italo Calvino was a hero of two worlds. Now, however, after eighty years of honorable activity, the British Council is preparing to cancel its English courses in Italy, given the severe cuts that one of the pillars of Britain’s struggling “soft power” will have to make. As a well-informed source told @Repubblica: “English courses and exams will be confirmed until the end of the year; after that, we don’t know what will happen. And of course, there will be cuts affecting many teachers.” According to what we have learned, the British Council—entrusted since 1934 by London with promoting British culture and education worldwide—will invest more resources in events and cultural participation, at the expense of language teaching, which will instead be concentrated in less developed countries. Brian Young, the @BritishCouncil’s director for Italy, confirmed to @Repubblica: “A proposal has been made to close the British Council’s teaching centre in Italy and a formal consultation process is currently underway. This proposal is part of a wider global review of our operations. The British Council works in more than 100 countries worldwide and, like many international organisations, we continue to face financial challenges following the pandemic. These include the need to address a significant funding gap and the repayment of a loan provided by the UK Government during that period. As a result, we are reviewing our operations in several countries and, in some cases, considering changes to our activities. “We understand that the proposed closure of our teaching centre in Italy may be worrying for students, parents and colleagues, and we are committed to managing this process with transparency and care. While the consultation process is ongoing, all courses will continue as planned until the end of the current academic year, and we remain fully committed to maintaining the quality of teaching our students expect. “The British Council will continue to operate in Italy through its exams and cultural engagement work, maintaining strong partnerships with institutions, educators and communities across the country.” This is because the British Council is preparing for the blow of repaying a government loan of nearly £200 million dating back to the Covid emergency, in addition to cuts to overseas cultural programs by Keir Starmer’s Labour government. According to Politico, there could be at least… (1/2)
