Stratford-upon-Avon Decorative and Fine Arts Society
STRADFAS
Lectures 2021-22
Special Interest Days
Completed – Capturing Real People Doing Real Things
05/4/22 – Feisty Ladies
Previous Special Interest Days
Day Visits
Completed – Rodmarton Manor & Selsley Church
Completed – Christmas “Virtual” Day Visit
24/05/22 – Bath
06/07/22 – Shropshire Churches
Previous Day Visits
Extended Tours
08-12/05/22 – KENT
02-06/10/22 – BARCELONA
Previous Arts Tours
Community Arts (Arts Volunteering)
Church Recorders
Heritage Volunteers
Arts Online Sources
Previous Lectures: March 2016 – February 2017
The Bayeux Tapestry – Imogen Corrigan
Embroidered on linen cloth in only ten different colours, vibrant as when it was first made 900years ago, the Bayeux Tapestry tells the story of that most famous battle in English history -Hastings 1066. At nearly70 metres long, it is one of the supreme achievements of the Norman Romanesque. It reveals a moral tale of kings, chivalry and ambition, demonstrating that good cannot come to those who break their word. But who made it, where and why?
Magyars and Gypsies: Liszt and the Hungarian National Style
Speaker: Dr. Rosamund Bartlett
In the 19th century Liszt was a celebrated composer and virtuoso pianist in Europe. Yet for many, he represented the soul of the Magyar people and was seen in Hungary as a national hero; his nineteen Hungarian Rhapsodies were wildly popular. But what exactly was Hungarian about them? And why did Liszt and other composers associate Hungarian music with gypsies?
Leonardo the Scientist – Guy Rooker
Leonardo da Vinci ( 1452-1519) may have painted the best-known portrait in the world but local residents may be surprised to learn that, closer to home, there is a model of his enormous crossbow design on display at the Armouries Museum in Stratford.
Leonardo was the ultimate Renaissance Man – not only was he a painter and sculptor, but he was also an inventor, an engineer and an anatomist. Although he appears not to have attended school (he was left-handed and he wrote in mirror image) he insisted that Nature was his teacher. His career carried him between the cities of Florence, Milan and Rome, and with his genius quickly recognised, he was elected to the “Confraternity of Painters” at the early age of 20.
Several outside influences changed his mode of painting: one was the early production of paper in Florence and a second was the invention of the printing press in Germany. Traditionally, 15th century painters used egg tempera, but Leonardo preferred working in oil. This suited his slow style of workmanship, as oil paint on paper can be repainted and improved on paper many times. He also pioneered the three-quarter style pose portraits, the use of chiaro-scuro (light and shade) and he experimented with the camera obscura with its pinhole lens.
Leonardo took great interest in perspective, and his Last Supper in Milan, with its great depth created by the superb use of linear perspective, perfectly illustrates his genius. As we look at the Last Supper, our eyes are drawn to the four separate groups of disciples so that we become more aware of the narrative story. In the same painting, we pause to admire the exquisitely drawn hands of each apostle.
Hands, and indeed all anatomy, were a source of fascination to Leonardo. His famous diagram of the Vitruvian Man shows his great interest in the proportions of the body. He undertook many dissections on bodies he obtained from public hangings and maintained that he needed to dissect the anatomy to be able to paint it properly. His detailed diagrams included, as well as bones, the muscles, blood vessels and tendons of the anatomy. His painting “The Virgin on the Rocks” is another example of the superb depiction of the sitters’ hands.
Apart from his magnificent paintings, Leonardo found time to follow his scientific leanings. His wide-ranging interests included wind and water, and he completed many drawings of cascades (subsequently re-utilised in his depiction of women’s hair in complex ringlet styles). He was involved in plans to alter the flow of the River Arno in Florence and invented an instrument to measure the speed of wind. Other extraordinary inventions included war machines, an odometer to measure distance and machines using ball-bearings.
Leonardo’s admirers will know of his fascination with flying, as his drawings and diagrams for a parachute, a heliopter and a hand-glider were precursors to our modern-day equipment.
The astute King Francois I of France invited Leonardo to spend his final years in the Chateau du Clos Luce near Amboise. Leonardo, now aged 64, travelled across the Alps on a mule with his retinue and some of his paintings – including the Mona Lisa. In the grounds of this chateau are reproductions of some of Leonardo’s most extraordinary inventions, including a flying machine, a wooden bridge, and a windmill, proving that this artistic genius was a scientific genius as well.
Magnificent Mosaics – Windows into the Colourful Roman World – Christopher Bradley
Christopher Bradley, a much-respected archaeologist and lecturer, took STRADFAS members this month on a virtual tour around the Mediterranean Sea, demonstrating how the Roman Empire stretched from the United Kingdom in the north across Europe and into Asia and Africa.Naturally the Romans learnt their craft from the Assyrians, the Phoenicians and the Greeks before them, and much can be learnt about the social life of Roman people – including their interests and culture, their dress, their ornaments and even their food – from their magnificent mosaics.
During the Greek Empire, pebbles were used in floor pictures, but Roman workmen introduced tiny pieces of stone to create mosaics. A magnificent example is in Dougga, Tunisia, where a wall mosaic, showing a variety of fish in bright colours, was created around the sides of a plunge pool, and at Sabratha in Libya, there is a sign in blue and white mosaic, in perfect condition, proclaiming in Latin “bathing is good for you”, and surrounded by images of lamps and Roman sandals. Is this an early example of Government health advice
Naturally the Romans learnt their craft from the Assyrians, the Phoenicians and the Greeks before them, and much can be learnt about the social life of Roman people – including their interests and culture, their dress, their ornaments and even their food – from their magnificent mosaics.~
During the Greek Empire, pebbles were used in floor pictures, but Roman workmen introduced tiny pieces of stone to create mosaics. A magnificent example is in Dougga, Tunisia, where a wall mosaic, showing a variety of fish in bright colours, was created around the sides of a plunge pool, and at Sabratha in Libya, there is a sign in blue and white mosaic, in perfect condition, proclaiming in Latin “bathing is good for you”, and surrounded by images of lamps and Roman sandals. Is this an early example of Government health advice?
Greek mythology influenced Roman subject matter and, again in Dougga, there is a spectacular mosaic of a scene from Homer’s Odyssey, where Ulysses is tied to the mast of a boat at sea. Even the music in this myth is represented by jagged lines in the sky.
Of course, Pompeii abounds in wonderful examples, including a beautiful mosaic of different fish, including an easily-recognisable octopus, on the floor of a fishmonger’s shop. Another powerful mosaic here shows Alexander the Great on horseback winning the Battle of Issus over Darius III, completed about 100 BC. Mosaics are notoriously hard to date, apart from the ones at Pompeii when we know they were completed before 79AD!
Mosaics were always commissioned by wealthy patrons in the Roman world, and often entire families from poor backgrounds were involved in what was seen as a lowly profession. Children were particularly useful at this work as their small fingers could achieve greater precision with tiny pieces of tessera. ~At Leptis Magna in Libya, a mosaic shows “The four seasons” with four Gods depicted in panels representing grapes, roses, olives and wheat, reminding us that for the Roman world, north Africa was one of their main food suppliers.
Powerhouse of the East: the British tradition, Modernism and Fine art in Singapore.
Speaker: Vivienne Laws
What is the connection between the East India Company and the gibbons on a Singapore bank note? Viv Lawes answered this whilst giving a fascinating lecture on the history of the development of art in Singapore.
Sir Stamford Raffles, as an employee of The East India Company, helped establish a British colony on Singapore whilst setting up a permanent base for the company between China and the West. As Singapore became a centre of world trade, art developed there in three ways: through the institutional framework such as The National Museum of Singapore, the National University of Singapore and The National Gallery of Singapore Art, through academia and through marketing and how it is sold.
Art which originated in the West was part British and part Western Modernism. British employees of The East India Company needed an education for the children of their employees, many of whom were Chinese, so art education was introduced through the Cambridge examination system. Richard Walker, who was a teacher and examiner of the Cambridge exam board, introduced art through his teaching and examining. He had a great influence on Chinese artists.
Three strands of British art were identified. Firstly, topographical art which grew out of war and trade such as Singapore Town from Government Hill looking East c 1850 by J. Turnbull Thompson which would have been used to show the British Government the local landscape. Secondly she explained how watercolour was so much easier to use in such a hot climate as the paint was easier to carry than oils and it dried quicker. Thirdly, watercolours could be categorised into three types. One type was the meticulous use of water colour such as paintings by Paul Sandby 1731-1809. There were also artists such as Alexander Cozens who painted A Blot: Landscape Composition 1770-80 using the whole paper, it has less detail but shows light, dark, space and density. Nothing is hidden. Finally the Romantic artists such as Thomas Girton whose painting Near Bolton Abbey Yorkshire 1715-82 shows the power of nature with a tortured, suffering artist at work. These artists were gentlemen artists who could afford to paint for leisure. They would have been taught at The Royal Academy of Art.
Meanwhile in China the traditional Chinese Ink Paintings of the Northern Song Dynasty were developing. Chinese ink is shiny and sticky and applied with an inverted tear drop shaped brush which ends in a single hair. This allows the brush to produce different calligraphic lines which allows the formation of different textures. There is no drying out or blobbiness on the silk or rice paper which was used as it absorbed the colour. So these Chinese traditions became combined with Impressionism through the influence of Richard Walker. A slide of Kusu Island with its soft palette and sharp sunshine showed us the beginnings of the fusion of the two painting styles.Lim Cheng Hoe‘s paintings are typical. However, there is a lack of background which is typical of Singapore Chinese paintings. There are often bursts of colour.
Calligraphy is part of Chinese paintings such as Home Town by Chen Wen Tsi where the actual calligraphy looks like hanging petals. The calligraphy is poetic and is essential to the painting. There is sometimes a red seal on Chinese paintings which is part of composites by gentlemen Chinese painters.
The British Council encouraged the foundation of the Singapore Art Society co-founded by Richard Walker and Liu Kay through The Singapore Water Colour Society. It was born in order to expand Singapore art. The Nangyang School of Art, founded in the 1930’s ,fuses Chinese Ink painting with the Western Modern Movement. Its members were influenced by Gaugain who was perceived to be searching for Paradise. Among other influences were Picasso, Van Gogh and Cezanne. The final slides were of artist Jane Lee and one of her modern compositions called The Stack.
Viv then explained that through the numerous art fairs on the island and abroad Singapore is selling new and exciting art at very high prices! She commented that she is involved with the Saatchi Gallery in London as it is currently promoting art from China.
The answer to my question at the opening of this article is to be found on the Singapore 50 dollar note on which the painting of the gibbons shows the fusion of British watercolours and Chinese Ink Painting which may not have come about if it was not for the East India Company!
Symbols, Emblems and Double-entendre in Dutch genre painting – Lynne Gibson
Lynne Gibson, an experienced freelance lecturer in the History of Art as well as a painter in her own right, ensured that after an hour everyone who attended her wonderful lecture viewed Dutch Paintings in an entirely different light! Her lecture entitled “Symbols, Emblems an Double Entendres in Dutch Paintings,” began by explaining that the wealthy Dutch Middle Class merchants of the middle 1600’s wanted to display their cultural credentials without reference to religious or baroque paintings. They wanted art which not only celebrated their everyday lives and landscapes but also sneered at those pretending to be what they were not.
One of the paintings, entitled Maid at The Window by Gerit Dou c 1660, illustrated the idea that a painting is like a window onto the world but Lynne Gibson argued that such paintings can also have hidden meanings in them showing a very different world. In the background there is a dutiful mother teaching her son and she is using emblem books to do this. Such books were popular amongst the Middle Classes. Each page had a picture, a poem and a motto on a particular theme. A popular theme was love. However, the saucy maid takes centre stage. She shows bare arms which was an unusual thing for her to do-it was considered a part of the body that was personal and private at that time. She is holding a jug pouring water and this could represent the female body. There is a frieze showing love and cupids. Beside her is a pot plant growing fruit – a hidden message signifying marriage and love. An imprisoned bird in a cage on a wall illustrates how a woman may be imprisoned by her lover who keeps her safe and protected from predatory men.
We saw a plethora of slides by artists such as Johannes Vermeer, Jan Steen and Gerard Ter Borch which also all seemed to have hidden meanings behind the main scenes. A Young Woman at her Toilet by Gerit Dou shows a woman in red, signifying one who was not entirely proper(a scarlet woman!). There is no chandelier in the room but a bird in a cage. There is an empty chair in the foreground, indicating someone is coming into the room. She is wearing pearls which were kept for best occasions and they can be associated with love. However, the maid is also wearing pearls and the mistress is allowing this, showing the viewer that she is mistress over a household where people are not behaving as they should!
A painting by Jan Steen shows a lady donning red stockings so maybe she is a prostitute and is guilty of impetuous behaviour. There was an emblem book, which the Dutch of the time would have known, showing someone putting on stockings and it warns not to give in to animal instincts as this will lead to ruin! Her lap dog is lying on the bed. Dogs are associated with fidelity and marital love. A lap dog usually sits on a lady’s lap and is so close to her body that the dog reflects the innermost feelings of the lady. As the dog is asleep it maybe indicating she is waiting for someone. The kicked off shoes suggest impetuosity and the half filled chamber pot illustrates she is not a good housewife as a good one would always empty it and put it away! Such paintings at face value did not alarm or corrupt so could be displayed openly in homes.
Oysters, cats, dogs, plucked chickens, foot warmers, bed warmers, swords, pearls, virginals, picture tiles, empty wine glasses as well as glasses held at the rim were among the many objects which have hidden meanings.
‘Thy Trembling Strings’ – Sarah Deere-Jones
On November 17 Sarah Deere- Jones enthralled the members of STRADFAS with her singing; playing, slides and lecture on the subject of the harp during the Regency period .She showed us a slide of guests attending Almack’s Club in London which was a fashionable place for the stars of the time to go to dance. Paine reduced all the music played there to a small booklet for the attendees to take home with them. Sarah then treated us to a short recital of three different dances from Paine of Almack’s Quadrilles adapted for the harp.
She explained that harps have ancient origins which go back to the time of Mesopotamia and Ancient Egypt and they have several different shapes. Early harps had no key changing ability but gradually, with the merging of the arts and science, foot pedals were added allowing key changes. Engineers such as James Watt and Benjamin Franklyn worked on the mechanics of the harp to allow for a greater range. A harp has over one hundred strings and with the introduction of the forchette by Sebastian Erard, sharps as well as flats and naturals could be played using thicker pedal boxes. Each of the seven pedal boxes has three positions.
Sarah then examined some social history by reminding us how ladies of the highest rank in the Regency period learnt to play the harp to display their accomplishments in order to attract marriage proposals! Harps are expensive and status symbols, so they were used to enable the ladies to not only look but sound beautiful! Young girls from wealthy families were given a musical education and were constantly pressurised to practise 4-6 hours a day. By 1814 bracing devices were invented to control their hands which were strapped to the keyboard!
Sarah quoted several times from Jane Austen which showed the importance of a lady being able to play the harp for her place in society. Lady Conygham, the Prince Regent’s mistress, was a harpist and in a letter to Cassandra Jane Austen commented on how fashionable it was to try to look like Lady Conyngham! By the early 19 century harps were built by craftsmen who painted and gilded them. Some were decorated with oil paintings and carvings. They were built for great houses so ladies sit by harps for portraits as a sign of great wealth and success. A woman was not allowed to show emotion and could not take the lead in getting to know a man so musical soirees were arranged when the man could approach her and compliment her. He may even offer to turn the music pages for her! Sarah then sang for us a Thomas Moore song called The Last Rose of Summer whilst accompanying herself on the harp. It was a charming, beautiful, mesmerizing performance which illustrated so well how a lady could have attracted a suitor in Regency times.
At the other end of the social scale, in Viggiani in Italy, poor children were apprenticed to a padrone who made them beg for money whilst the harp was being played. She cited horrendous stories of the treatment of these children; one was tied to a bed by harp strings for four days and nights! The residents of Viggiani made these harps but eventually this idea of using child labour went out of favour.
More literature was alluded to when she introduced the Aeolian harp which uses the wind blowing through the strings to create beautiful sounds. Shelley and Samuel Taylor Coleridge wrote about this in poems such as Dejection an Ode and Ode to the West Wind in the late 18 century. She concluded by showing cartoons which poked fun at harp players and then she finished by playing a piece of ancient Irish music.
Artists and their Muses – Alexandra Epps
Alexandra Epps, a guide and lecturer from Tate Modern and Tate Britain began by defining a muse as “a person or personified force who is the source of inspiration for a creative artist.”She explored the muses of Rossetti, Rodin, Picasso and Stieglitz.
Rossetti’s muse, Elizabeth Siddall has been immortalised by Millais in his painting of her as Ophelia. As Rossetti became obsessed with her, she sat exclusively for him. In those times, red hair was seen as a sign of a witch or prostitute and could bring bad luck. However, such was Rossetti’s feelings for her that he painted her long red hair and showed her reading or resting but passive and distant. He was depersonalising her. Elizabeth’s own portrait of herself at the same time is someone of the real world, looking out at the audience. Rossetti and Elizabeth Siddall moved in together but did not marry and her portraits show her as becoming increasingly unwell. She became addicted to laudanum. Their relationship faltered and this is depicted in the triptych called Paola and Francesca da Rimini in 1855. Here, a couple is shown with a rose-signifying love-on the left but on the right hell is represented by a couple, one of whom is Dante, suggesting a doomed relationship. Siddall wanted to become an artist and sculpt in her own right and her state of mind is shown in her painting entitled The Ladies’ Lament of 1856.This shows women waiting for the return of their men who have been lost in a storm at sea. She paints herself as one of these women with her glorious long red hair looking very sad. On their honeymoon he paints a very unflattering view of their lives in How They Met Themselves where he is looking back, reflecting how his life was before they married. She becomes very ill and he paints her as the beautiful queen of hearts in Regina Cordium in 1866. However, he also took commissions for other ladies to be portrayed in the same way.Bocca Baciato depicts her as extremely attractive with her red hair, red lips and dress unbuttoned. There is a rose for love and an apple for temptation. Although this would have been considered shocking at the time it does show his love for her. She miscarried, became unstable and died of an overdose. However, he was also obsessed with Jane Morris, the wife of William Morris and in his painting Dante’s Dream in 1880 the lady has Siddall’s hair but Jane’s features!
The relationship between Rodin and his muse Camille Claudel is a story of love, art and self destruction. She actually changed the style of his work from the era when he depicted powerful physicality in sculptures such as The Thinker. She was employed as part of his team as a sculptress but modelled for him as well. In 1885 in L’Aurore, Rodin sculpted her face in smooth marble emerging from a textured marble block. He influenced her work as well and she sculpts him in 1889 in The Bust of Rodin which he loved! However, Rodin, too, had another love as he was living with his older housekeeper. Claudel became paranoid, they broke up and he depicts her in The Farewell in 1898 where her hands are covering her mouth either showing a kiss or a fond farewell. The Age of Maturity of 1898 illustrates this eternal triangle with a man in the middle between an older woman pulling him away. A break in his hand between the man and the younger woman symbolises the breakdown of their relationship. However, he did specify in his will that her work must be shown in his museum in Paris.
Picasso and one of his muses Dora Maar was portrayed in tears many times. He saw “women as machines for suffering.”She was beautiful and it is her hands that he painted repeatedly. They met in a cafe where she was stabbing a knife between her fingers, frequently missing and drawing blood! He found this fascinating and even kept her blood stained gloves! She was a surrealist painter and photographer and Alex showed us how the styles of the two merged over time. This is illustrated in his masterpiece called Guernica of 1937, with its tones of black, white and grey. As Dora documented the creation of this masterpiece she became part of it. She has spiky hair, long fingernails and appears angular in every painting. In his portrait of her in 1937 her ear appears in the shape of a bee supposedly illustrating that he feeds on the nectar of her intellect. He paints her over 500 times but she is only smiling in two of them! However, at the same time, he too has another love; Marie Therese Walter. He paints her In Nude, Green Leaves and Bust in 1932 with sensuous curves, asleep and his initials enclosing her as if he is claiming ownership. She miscarries his baby and he paints a weeping woman with a dead child at this time. He shows her ear like a bee also, but this time he is feeding off her tears. Dora and Marie Therese actually fight over Picasso in his studio and in the end Dora Maar cannot take her life with Picasso anymore and she suffers a nervous breakdown, although she still paints today.
Alex concluded with Stieglitz, the father of modern avant-garde photography in America. His photograph of Winter in 1907 in Fifth Avenue shows an impressionist style. O’Keefe was an unknown artist until he promoted her charcoal drawings. She found out that he was exhibiting her work in his New York Gallery without her permission and so she went there to find out why. He became enthralled with her and even though he was married, he photographed different parts of her body over 300 times. His work became more abstract and her work became more physical so that by the time she painted Radiation Building Night in New York their work is nearly the same, so great was their influence on one another. O’Keefe went onto become the mother of American Modernism with paintings such as Jimson Weed White Flower which made more money for her than any other woman painter! Alex concluded with showing us O’Keefe’s painting called View from a Plane Looking out on Clouds which illustrates that the sky is the limit today in terms of artistic inspiration! Muses can triumph!
America’s Realist Genius: the art of Edward Hopper – Eric Shanes
‘A painter of gloomy paintings that don’t make us feel gloomy’.
Hopper helps us to recognise the loneliness which so often lies at the heart of sadness. Born in New York State in 1882, Hopper felt like an outsider. His paintings show how isolated life can be, echoing our own griefs. This realist painter shows his personal view of the American Dream in the 20th century.
The Queenes Pickture: Portraits of Elizabeth 1 – Dr. Gillian White
Gillian gallantly stepped in at the last minute to deliver this lecture because of the indisposition of the lecturer who had been booked.
These days we are familiar with the monarch through seeing her in situations based on reality. Realism in terms of a true likeness of Elizabeth 1 was of no consequence in those times. Her portraits were governed by symbolism and emblems. These symbols were illustrated by a panelling picture of Henry VIII 1543-1547 showing his “family.” Henry is in the centre, sitting down, under a canopy showing the royal arms, with HR VIII painted on it. His hand is placed on Edward Prince of Wales who would become Edward VI. The future of the monarchy is shown as male and at the centre. Jane Seymour is also in this picture even though by this time she was dead but she had produced the male heir so she is important enough to be included. Near the architectural columns at either side are the girls; Henry’s daughters, Mary on the left and Elizabeth on the right. They are in almost identical clothing, submissive and waiting to be instructed for their lives. The first portrait of Elizabeth on her own shows her as a 13 year old on the edge of an adult adventure in a fully enclosed interior as she has been quietly and protectively brought up. She is wearing a crimson gown illustrating her father’s wealth. There are pearls set in gold edging her bodice .She is wearing a ruby and diamond necklace. In a brooch are 3 pendant pearls which are symbols of purity. There is also a design in the shape of a cross showing she is a princess of a reformed religion. The diamonds are black as there was no technology then to bring out their lustre. She is holding a religious book with her finger in the page showing how Christian and scholarly she was. Behind her is a larger, blank book saying her story is still to be written.
The portrait of Elizabeth in 1600 aged 25 years at her coronation shows her, despite the problem of gender, as a resplendent monarch with an orb, sceptre, golden robes, ermine and a crown. Rubies, pearls and diamonds were set in gold and the gold, jewelled crown showing her semi divinity. The Hampden Portrait of Elizabeth by Steven van der Meulen reflects an expectation that she would marry. She had just survived smallpox, there was the possibility of civil war and there was pressure on her to name a successor. She is telling parliament she will marry if it is right for the country and she is resting on an empty golden chair, a symbol for her throne expressing her power and her willingness to share it with someone. The most important image is the tapestry foliage at the side indicating fruitfulness that she will in her own time be fruitful. The painting of Elizabeth and the Three Goddesses is painted when she is in a very different place. She is shown as strong, beautifully dressed with two ladies in waiting behind her. She carries a sceptre, wears her crown and holds the golden orb. On the other side of the painting Elizabeth is met by the goddesses Juno, the queen of all goddesses representing honourable matrimony, Athena in the centre representing a chaste, virgin and Venus with Cupid a symbol of physical love. The goddesses are offering her a choice of the three. The Elizabethans would have been familiar with the judgement of Paris where he is told to choose the greatest of these three and his prize is a golden apple, thus linking with Elizabeth holding the golden orb. Elizabeth us shown as greater as and even higher than them so the decision seem s to have been made that she will not marry and procreate. As she ages, the appearance of the masque of youth is shown in portraits. We were shown the Darnley Portrait of 1572 where she is resplendently dressed with a crown in the background, her face shows a cold severe masque. She will appear like this for the next 30 years in portraits, thus illustrating she has stopped the aging process so there is no need to worry about the succession. The Nicholas Hilliard Pelican Portrait of the queen is so called because of the jewelled pelican pendant in the centre on her dress over her heart. It is heavy in symbolism as it draws blood from its own body to feed its young, inferring that Elizabeth will nurture all her subjects and give her own life’ s blood for them. She is shown with the chalk white masque again. This is 16 century spin doctoring! The Phoenix portrait shows her in extremely rich clothing, the masque of youth and a Tudor rose with an enormous diamond. The phoenix in the centre is a useful symbol as it is reborn in fire for strength and leadership. This implies she will be forever young, strong and powerful.
We were shown other portraits echoing the themes of power, strength and eternal life with magnificent jewels. The Armada Portrait of 1588 by George Gower depicts Elizabeth sitting at the centre like a great spider seemingly controlling the elements of light and a tempest. Her power is now so great. The crown imperial orb is on her head and under her hand is a globe showing the Spanish defeat and the conquering of the Americas. The Ditchley Portrait by Marcus Gheeraerts shows her standing on the top of a map of England, like an oak tree. England is no longer great enough; she is an empress now as an armillary sphere hangs near her representing the entire universe. In The Rainbow Portrait Elizabeth is approaching 70 years old and is holding a rainbow inscribed with “Non sine sole iris” meaning there is no rainbow without the sun implying she is the sun, she is so great. Her dress is covered with ears and eyes indicating she sees and hears everything. On the sleeve is a bejewelled serpent showing wisdom. There is a great ruby heart symbolising that her intellect overrules her heart. She has put her feelings aside for the nation.
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GOP Sen. Rand Paul slows bill to boost 9/11 victims fund
By MATTHEW DALYJuly 17, 2019 GMT
U.S. Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand, D-New York, speaks at the AARP Presidential Forum at the Waterfront Convention Center in Bettendorf, Iowa on Tuesday, July 16, 2019. (Olivia Sun/The Des Moines Register via AP)
WASHINGTON (AP) — Republican Sen. Rand Paul on Wednesday blocked fast-track approval of a bipartisan bill that would ensure a victims’ compensation fund related to the Sept. 11 attacks never runs out of money.
Paul objected to a request by Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand, D-N.Y., to approve the bill by unanimous consent.
Paul, R-Ky., questioned the bill’s 70-year time frame and said any new spending should be offset by corresponding cuts. The government already faces a $22 trillion debt, a figure that grows every year, Paul said.
The Congressional Budget Office estimates the 9/11 bill would result in about $10.2 billion in additional compensation payments over 10 years, including more than $4 billion for claims already filed.
Gillibrand said 9/11 first responders and their families have had “enough of political games.” The legislation has 74 Senate co-sponsors, including Gillibrand, and easily passed the House last week.
The bill would extend though 2092 a victims compensation fund created after the 2001 terrorist attacks, essentially making it permanent. The $7.4 billion fund is rapidly being depleted, and administrators recently cut benefit payments by up to 70%.
“Our 9/11 first responders and the entire nation are watching to see if this body actually cares ... about the men and women who answered the call of duty” after the attacks, Gillibrand said.
As the World Trade Center towers began to crumble that day, “there was one group of men and women — our heroes, the bravest among us — who ran the opposite way,” Gillibrand said. “They ran toward danger. They raced up towers. They went into harm’s way to answer the call of duty.”
In the months after the attacks, first responders cleaned up the aftermath, breathing in toxic air amid smoke, burning metal, crushed glass and electronics and other hazards.
“These heroes have since had to quit doing the jobs they love, providing for the families they love because they’re too sick,” Gillibrand said. “They’ve had to give up their income. They’ve had to give up their dreams and their future. They’ve had to face the terrifying reality that they are actually going to die because of what they did on 9/11 and the months thereafter.”
She and Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer, also of New York, urged Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell to bring up the bill as soon as Thursday. McConnell, R-Ky., has agreed to call a vote before Congress goes on its August recess.
Schumer, Gillibrand and Sen. Cory Gardner, R-Colo., want McConnell to bring up the bill as a stand-alone measure and not package it with other legislation such as a broad budget and debt deal that would stave off the likelihood of a government shutdown this fall.
“The minute this bill hits the floor, it will pass,” Schumer said.
Debate over the measure comes a month after comedian Jon Stewart sharply criticized Congress for failing to act. Stewart, a longtime advocate for 9/11 responders, said lawmakers were showing “disrespect” to first responders now suffering from respiratory ailments and other illnesses as a result of their recovery work at the former World Trade Center site in New York City.
Stewart called the sparse attendance at a June 11 House hearing “an embarrassment to the country and a stain on this institution.” He later targeted McConnell for slow-walking a previous version of the legislation and using it as a “political pawn” to get other things done.


Home News Asian child rights coalition calls for release of arrested Filipino rights advocate
Asian child rights coalition calls for release of arrested Filipino rights advocate
Rights groups said Ujano “has always been in the public eye in the last three decades for her non-profit work"
Jose Torres Jr.
Maria Salome Crisostomo-Ujano (Photo courtesy of Karla Ujano)
A regional coalition of child rights organizations called on Philippine authorities to release child rights and women’s rights leader Ma. Salome “Sally” Crisostomo-Ujano who was arrested on November 14 over charges of rebellion.
In a statement, the Child Rights Coalition Asia (CRC Asia) “strongly denounces” the arrest of Ujano who has been serving as national coordinator of the Philippines Against Child Trafficking since 2008.
PACT is a member organization of the Civil Society Coalition on the Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC Coalition), a member network of CRC Asia.
The group said that contrary to the claims of Philippine authorities that she has been hiding for more than 15 years, Ujano “has always been in the public eye in the last three decades for her non-profit work on protecting the rights of women and children.”
From 1990 to 2007, at the time when the alleged charge of rebellion was filed, she was serving as the executive director of the Women’s Crisis Center, providing assistance and counseling to survivors of violence against women.
“While doing so, she worked closely with the Philippine National Police Women and Child Protection Units and the National Commission on the Role of Filipino Women, now known as the Philippine Commission on Women,” said the regional child rights group.
It said that as national coordinator of PACT, Ujano “strengthened the collaboration between civil society and government to protect children against child trafficking.”
The Philippine National Police, however, claimed that the arrest of Ujano was a result of lawful implementation of a warrant of arrest.
“Let me emphasize that this arrest is, foremost, the result of a lawful implementation of a warrant of arrest issued by judicial authorities,” said newly appointed national police chief General Dionardo Carlos.
The police said Ujano was arrested by joint forces of local police units on Sunday, November 14 in Malolos City, Bulacan province, through a warrant of arrest issued by Judge Virgilio Alpajora of Lucena City for the crime of rebellion.
The warrant dated June 28, 2006, was issued almost 15 years ago and stemmed from the alleged involvement of Ujano in the ambush of two military personnel in Quezon Province in 2005.
In a Facebook post by Sally’s daughter, Karla said that the case was not valid because her mother was serving as executive director of Women’s Crisis Center in 2005.
Human rights group Karapatan said “nothing is more audacious than the [police] commending themselves for the unjust arrest of Ujano by reviving an old baseless charge, and labeling her as a most wanted person who has eluded arrest for 15 years.”
“In fact, various organizations that she has worked for the last two decades attest that she has been active and present in the public eye all these years,” said Karapatan secretary general Cristina Palabay.
“Common sense and justice must prevail,” said WomanHealth Philippines, a nongovernmental organization focusing on women’s rights. “We call for the immediate release of [Ujano] and an end to the harassment and persecution of women human rights defenders.”
child rights advocate


Taxpayers who find themselves in a loss-making position often intuitively assume that as long as they are not liable to pay tax due to the fact that they have an assessed loss, they would not be exposed to understatement penalties (‘USPs’).
This is not the case if one considers the detail of the provisions of the Tax Administration Act (‘the TAA’) that deal with USPs. These provisions were recently the subject of a tax court case heard in the Gauteng Tax Court (Case No 24674). This article briefly considers the relevant provisions of the TAA that underpin USPs. This is followed by an analysis of the views expressed in the Tax Court in the context of the imposition of USP where a taxpayer is in an assessed loss position.
SARS must impose an USP in the event of an understatement by a taxpayer, except if it results from a bona fide inadvertent error. An understatement is defined as any prejudice to SARS or the fiscus as a result of, amongst others, failure to submit a return, an omission from or incorrect statement in a return.
The USP is calculated as the highest percentage from the penalty rate table in section 223(1) of the TAA multiplied by the shortfall. In the case of a taxpayer who finds itself in an assessed loss position, the shortfall is calculated as the difference between the amount of an assessed loss properly carried forward from the tax period to a succeeding tax period and the amount that would have been carried forward if the understatement were accepted, multiplied by the maximum tax rate that would have applied ignoring the assessed loss.
Background to the dispute
The taxpayer claimed less wear-and-tear (‘W&T’) allowances than it was entitled to in years of assessment prior to 2016. When it became aware of this fact, it claimed the W&T allowances that it failed to deduct in prior years as “catch-up” W&T allowances in the 2016 year of assessment. SARS disallowed this deduction on the basis that tax is an annual event and the taxpayer accepted it. The taxpayer disputed the USP that SARS imposed at a rate of 50%.
Judgment and analysis
The judgment deals with a number of arguments raised by the taxpayer that I do not deal with in this article. The argument raised that is relevant to the focus of this article is that no USP can be levied unless there is prejudice to SARS or fiscus. There would be harm to SARS if it were out of pocket. It appears from paragraphs 16 and 17 of the judgment as if it was contended that since taxpayer was in an assessed loss position, and remained so after the adjustment by SARS, that SARS was not out of pocket and that there was no loss of the fiscus.
Counsel for SARS argued that prejudice does not only refer to actual prejudice, but also includes prospective or potential prejudice. It based this on Wavelengths Construction CC v The Commissioner for the South African Revenue Service (Case No. 24622) where the court stated that “[a]ny prejudice is, in our view, wide enough to include the existence of a realisable that the mistake will hamper the ability of the Respondent to effectively and efficiently administer the provisions of the tax legislation and to perform in terms thereof by assessing and collecting taxes which are due”. Mabuse J agreed that the prejudice requirement was met in this case.
A peculiar aspect of this case is that, unlike a taxpayer who deducted an amount that should never have been deducted, the taxpayer did not deduct more W&T allowances than it is entitled to on a cumulative basis (although on a year by year basis, it claimed the W&T allowances in the incorrect periods). There could possibly have been an argument that the since the balance of the assessed loss carried forward reflected the correct cumulative amount of W&T allowances SARS suffered no prejudice. It is not clear whether counsel for the taxpayer pursued this argument.
Jul 1, 2021 | Corporate and business tax
Taxpayers may deduct an allowance for expenditure not yet incurred in the circumstances set out in section 24C of the Income Tax Act. This provision has been the subject of two disputes that proceeded to the Constitutional Court (‘CC’), which in itself is...


Replays confined to All-Ireland finals
Tyrone captain Padraig Hampsey leads his team. ©INPHO/Tommy Dickson.
The All-Ireland football and hurling finals will be the only inter-county games where there will be a provision for replays in 2022.
RTE is reporting that every other championship game next year will be decided on the day, meaning extra-time and penalty shootouts could become commonplace. With the GAA committed to a 25-week inter-county season, there is little or no wiggle room for games to be replayed.
Collective inter-county training can resume on December 8 ahead of the return of the pre-season competitions which weren't played last season due to Covid. At last Saturday's Central Council meeting in Croke Park, it was agreed to stage the O'Byrne, McKenna and McGrath Cups and Connacht League (football) along with the Walsh and Kehoe Cups and Munster Hurling League in hurling.
Challenge matches are also permitted from the start of January.


Miles Franklin c1925
[PX*D 250 (v.1), 80]
Miles Franklin
Animals Literature Women
Franklin, Miles
The life of Miles Franklin is a vital chapter in the story of Australian literature. While always a girl from the bush, for much of her life she called Sydney home.
Stella Maria Sarah Miles Franklin was an Australian writer and feminist. She established the Miles Franklin Literary Award for literature through a bequest on her death. It is awarded each year to a novel which is of the highest literary merit and presents Australian life in any of its phases. Her papers and diaries are held by the Mitchell Library, State Library of New South Wales.


Cartoonist voices his side, defends cartoon
At the University of Minnesota last week, an editorial cartoon I drew for The Minnesota Daily was attacked by a political action group, a reader and a group of University administrators as racist. The irony is, it was a cartoon attacking racism.
I usually don’t respond to criticisms of my cartoons, but in this case, I’m sickened by the intellectual McCarthyism represented by the signatories of the Oct. 17 letter “Rage Continues Over Cartoon”. To imply that the official position of the University of Minnesota is to “no longer” publish “cartoons like this one” is a shameless display of intimidation bordering on censorship by administrators against student journalists.
Perhaps the administrators’ own discomfiture over the exposed practice among their own cronies — not just in UW-Madison but also in at least one other university recently — of doctoring public relations literature to create a fake appearance of diversity on campus is what drove them to take this action. After all, this practice is a symptom of the lack of diversity on university campuses — a symptom of the institutional racism and classism that makes it impossible for many minorities to gain access to a college education.
The bully tactics deployed are anti-free speech, anti-art and an insult to the intelligence of the staff members and readers of the Daily. No wonder Spike Lee felt obligated to open his latest film, “Bamboozled,” with Webster’s definition of “satire.” Academic Stalinists like those who signed the letter have succeeded in infecting the population on and off campus with satirical illiteracy by demonizing anyone who disagrees with their particular prescription for curing the disease of racism in America — namely, censoring the incorporation of negative images from history into art which is designed to attack racism. It’s called satire, and it’s called historicism, and it’s not only equally valid as a strategy for combatting racism, but it’s more sophisticated and more effective.
The notion that repressing the display of a negative image will somehow magically end racism is naive and simple-minded to the extreme, and has been proven by history and by social psychological and communication research to do nothing but add fuel to the power of those images. Bem and Brehm’s work supporting the reactance theory in social psychology and the refutation half a century ago of the bullet theory of communication are relevant examples. George Orwell elucidated the naivete and fascist implications of this strategy in “1984.”
I am embarrassed to be a graduate student at a university where this stale 1980s-style of political correctness is routinely yanked out of moth balls to attack anyone who might dissent from the letter writers’ shoddy anti-art mentality, and disappointed that no art or design or history or literature (or, for that matter, LOGIC) professor has come to the defense of using negative imagery in visual satire. However I am not surprised, as that is precisely the chilling effect that results from the kind of name-calling that was dealt out by this contingency.
Pete Wagner is a Daily political cartoonist and welcomes comments to [email protected] Send letters to the editor to [email protected]


The "Virtual Draft"
The Human Village
About PWH
The Minnesota 8
The play, "Peace Crimes"
Springboard for the Arts
See the Play
"Peace Crimes: The Minnesota 8 vs. the war"
at Rarig Center
Feb 21-March 9th
Veterans Letters Project
Veterans Stories
Intergenerational Dialogue
"Minnesota 8 Celebration" - Recognition & Awards event
****Star Tribune****
"Heartland Activists"
Peace and War in the Heartland
Play tells story of Vietnam War draft-board raiders
Events illustrate 'Minnesota 8,' other dissenters of the era
By Richard Chin
rchin@pioneerpress.com.
If you want to relive — or learn about — the turbulent protest and dissent surrounding the war in Vietnam, you'll have plenty of chances over the next few weeks.
Last weekend, the History Theatre in St. Paul, in collaboration with the University of Minnesota Theatre, opened its production of "Peace Crimes: The Minnesota Eight vs. The War," about the arrest, trial and imprisonment of peace protesters who broke into draft-board offices throughout the state to destroy draft records in 1970.
Twin Cities Public Television's Channel 17 will rebroadcast a program about the making of the play called "Peace Crimes Backstage: The Mn 8," next month.
And tonight, Daniel Ellsberg, the Vietnam-era government analyst turned peace activist, will be in town to talk about "American Democracy in Dissent" with University of Minnesota political science professor Larry Jacobs as part of the U's Great Conversations series.
Ellsberg, who testified during one of the Minnesota Eight trials and almost used the event to release the Pentagon Papers — the secret study of U.S. decision-making during the war — also was expected to attend the play.
During the next few weeks, a project created by Minnesota Eight members called "Peace and War in the Heartland" will continue a series of talks and seminars and draft-lottery re-enactments at campuses, including Metro State University on Wednesday, St. Olaf College on Thursday and Saturday, the University of Wisconsin-River Falls on March 11 and the College of St. Catherine on March 13.
Ron Peluso, History Theatre artistic director, said "Peace Crimes" is the product of a nearly three-year process that began when Frank Kroncke, one of the Minnesota Eight, showed up in his office with a memoir of his experiences. Peluso thought it could be turned into a play about the price of protest.
"I felt it could be an interesting play because even though there's no draft today, there's some parallels with what's going on in the war in Iraq," Peluso said.
Besides, the History Theatre had never done a play that focused on the Vietnam War, said Peluso, who narrowly missed being drafted himself.
"It took a lot of courage to stand up against the war," said Peluso, who directs the play. "I don't think I had that courage."
Peluso enlisted Los Angeles playwright Doris Baizley to come up with the script. She said the Minnesota Eight members she interviewed reminded her of the friends she had, including her boyfriend, who had volunteered to fight in Vietnam.
"I think it was because they were willing to pay the price" of fighting for what they believed in, Baizley said.
Twin Cities Public Television executive Tom Trow said the actions of the draft-board raiders personally benefited him.
He received his induction notice in 1970, but instead of reporting for his 6:30 a.m. physical, he slept in because he had decided to flee to Canada. He woke to read a newspaper story about a draft-board raid that apparently destroyed his records.
"Nothing ever happened to me," he said.
Peluso said most of the cast of the play — which includes 13 University of Minnesota students — weren't alive when the Minnesota Eight were convicted and sentenced to five years in federal prison. Many of their parents weren't even old enough to have been drafted.
But members of the Minnesota Eight say their experiences are still relevant.
"There were all these lies about Vietnam, just as there are all these lies a
Kroncke, 63, of St. Paul, said he could easily see the draft being reinstated.
"We are so draft-ready.
Performances of the History Theatre and the University of Minnesota Theatre "Peace Crimes: The Minnesota Eight vs. the War" runs through March 9 at the University of Minnesota Rarig Center, 330 21st Ave. S., Minneapolis. For more information, see historytheatre.com or call 651-292-4323.
The University Minnesota Great Conversations program "American Democracy in Dissent," with Daniel Ellsberg and Larry Jacobs, is at 7:30 p.m. today at the Ted Mann Concert Hall, 2128 4th St. S., Minneapolis. See www.cce.umn.edu/conversations/ or call 612-624-4000.
"Peace Crimes Backstage" will be aired on the Minnesota Channel at 7 p.m. Saturday and at 1 p.m. Sunday. The Minnesota Channel can be found on Channel 243 on St. Paul Comcast and Channel 202 on Minneapolis Comcast.
More information about Peace and War in the Heartland Project events is available at pwh-mn.org.
ALERT! ALERT! ALERT! ALERT! ALERT!
The military Selective Service Draft has been activated!
What is your Lottery number? Click here to find out.
Copyright © 2007 FXKroncke. All Rights Reserved.


Top 5 Active Tennis Stars Who Could Become Brilliant Coach
The tennis world has seen lot of great tennis stars gone down the route of appointing legendary ex players as coaches. However it’s an approach that has mixed results because not every legendary tennis players necessarily make a good coach.
Apparently, there is a swing in the tennis world that enables players to hire former stars as coach. We’ve seen Ivan Lendl, Amelie Mauresmo tutored Andy Murray to the pinnacle of his career and a host of other legends who achieved mouthwatering success as a coach.
However some players who enjoyed an illustrious career may find coaching job very tasking and difficult, while some would perform immensely in the act of tutoring, mentoring, coaching and even work as a psychology for their charge.
let’s chronicle active tennis stars who could become a brilliant and vibrant coach.
Rafael Nadal – (Spain)
Nadal’s attention to his health and preparation for tournaments could make him a brilliant coach. The Spaniard has impeccable work ethic and a very good fitness regimen that helps him to be in top shape for the big competitions, as such if he choose the route of tutoring other youngster as a coach all of these would prove valuable for him and his player.
Nadal’s friendly approach to his coaching team could groom him into becoming an easy manager to work with. Meanwhile been a multiple Grand Slam winner which comes with great experience, could also prove valuable in nurturing his player to the pinnacle of their career.
The Spaniard also has the mentality of competitiveness in him, that could also help in reducing uncertainty in a player career with a more comprehensive analysis of the game on court from a legend like him.
With all of that, he could be just the right coach for a youngster struggling to break to the top.
Apparently, coaching requires patience and ability to impact impeccable technique into younger players. Without mincing word, looking at the illustrious career of the world number two he does possess the qualities to become a great coach.
Novak Djokovic – (Serbia)
Great coaches help younger player to maximize their own talent, having said that the Serbian star his one great player that could become a top manager based on his experience and quality as a player should he take the route just like others.
Novak is known to be a player who pay attention to details and preparation, undoubtedly that alone could make him an excellent tennis coach if he decides to venture into coaching after retirement.
For every top professionals work ethic is one aspect of every profession that is very key, so in that regard the Serbian has what is believed to be a tremendous work ethic which would help him achieve success as a coach.
Obviously not every player considered a great player has the temperament it takes to become a great coach. However with Novak’s jovial attitude and dogged approach to things, that should make him a top coach in the future plus his wealth of experience as a player.
Roger Federer – (Switzerland)
The Swiss old war horse been one of the tennis player who has enjoyed lot of empathy and respect from the world of tennis for over two decade now.
Roger may not be the talk of the town now, but his undoubtedly one of the finest tennis player the world has seen grace the courts with his mind-blowing talent.
With his meekness and the in-depth knowledge of the game Roger would make a good coach for a player who wants to breakthrough, and wants to compete with the best. His years of experience and having toed the same path before would prove important in nurturing a player who wants to learn under his tutelage.
It’s very hard to keep working on a player who isn’t ready to leave the baseline and move to the top.
However, Roger knows what it takes to nurture a player into becoming a superstar having worked with the Australian Peter Carter in his younger days before he died in a car accident while on his honeymoon, a year before Federer won his first major silverware at Wimbledon.
Roger would fit in perfectly as a coach with the sound instructions he has also garnered over the years from his coaches, plus been an experience player all of that would work in his favor in helping younger player to breakout of the baseline and move to the top.
READ ALSO: The Best 5 Male Tennis Coaches From 2010-2021
Andy Murray – (Scotland)
Andy Murray have also been impacted by lot of great players who mentored and tutored him into becoming arguably the finest British tennis player ever.
Having said so, choosing to become a coach and also give back to the youngster wouldn’t be a bad idea after all.
As a player the Briton his known for his physical hard work on the court, which got him into the top 5 best players in the world.
So been a very hard-working player, should Murray becomes a coach hard work is undoubtedly one of the technique he would love his player to imbibe.
For every professional tennis player, it’s very important to have an impressive backhand, first serve, slice backhand, on the run passing shot, and a good defense.
All of these are the impeccable strength of Murray as a player and as a coach these are some of the things he would want his player to posses as his strengths.
Coaching as a matter of fact requires patience and focus, Murray may not posses the patience quality like others.
However he’s got what could bail him out in difficult moments as a coach which is the ability to understand and focus on what could cause difficulties for his player, having learnt a lot from all of his coaches especially Amelie Mauresmo in difficult time.
Juan Martin Del Potro – (Argentina)
Martin in his best form on the court, his definitely the kind of player that could get an opponent coaching team feel discomfort in their box, causes lot of head scratching in the stand, and a downturn eyes for his opponent fann.
The Argentine his well renowned for his forehand which is the biggest strength of he’s, which has broke open lot of points for him.
The former US Open Champion has fall victim to lot of injury setbacks in his career, which has deterred him in reaching the potential he showed as a younger player.
However, the Argentine would no doubt comfortably sit among some of best players on the court without any qualms.
Should Juan Martin Del Potro become a coach, one of the thing he would like to pay more attention to is the health of his player.
Looking back at his career he didn’t quite enjoy an injury free career, so in that case he would be interested in focusing more on the health of his player for him to compete with good and healthy form.
It doesn’t necessarily mean the Argentine would become a great coach, but been a decent player he might wants to put his experience into working as coach.
As the work of every coach is to help player maximize his or her talent, Martin would fit into the that position as a coach should he venture into the trend of ex players becoming a coach.
Tags: AUSTRALIAN OPEN, DJOKOVIC, RAFEAL NADAL, Roger Federer, Tennis
Sporting Events Involving Nigeria In 2021
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Air pollution costs $2.9 trillion a year: NGO
by Marlowe Hood
Particles thrown off by fossil fuel use account for 4.5 million premature deaths each year around the globe, with 1.8 million of those deaths in China and a million in India
The global cost of air pollution caused by fossil fuels is $8 billion a day, or roughly 3.3 percent of the entire world's economic output, an environmental research group said on Wednesday.
The report from the Centre for Research on Energy and Clean Air (CREA) and Greenpeace Southeast Asia is the first to assess the global cost of air pollution specifically from burning oil, gas and coal.
"We found that the China Mainland, the United States and India bear the highest costs from fossil fuel air pollution worldwide, an estimated $900 billion, $600 billion and $150 billion per year, respectively," the report said.
Particles thrown off by fossil fuel usage account for 4.5 million premature deaths each year around the globe, including 1.8 million in China and a million in India, the researchers found.
The new figure is in line with World Health Organization (WHO) estimates of 4.2 million deaths each year linked to ground-level air pollution, mostly from heart disease, stroke, lung cancer and acute respiratory infections in children.
Living in the New Delhi area of India is like smoking 10 cigarettes a day, earlier research has shown.
"Air pollution from fossil fuels is a threat to our health and our economies that takes millions of lives and costs us trillions of dollars," said Minwoo Son, clean air campaigner at Greenpeace East Asia.
The global cost for 2018 was $2.9 trillion, the report estimated.
Graphic charting the financial cost and the cost in human lives of global fossil fuel air pollution, according to data released by the Centre for Research on Energy and Clean Air and Greenpeace Southeast Asia.
"But this is a problem that we know how to solve: by transitioning to renewable energy sources, phasing out diesel and petrol cars, and building public transport."
The 44-page report breaks down the global burden of fossil fuel-driven air pollution—measured in economic costs and premature deaths—by type of pollutant and by country.
Each year the global economy takes a $350 billion hit from nitrogen dioxide (NO2)—a byproduct of fossil fuel combustion in vehicles and power plants—and a further $380 billion hit from ozone, according to middle-ground estimates.
Deep into the lungs
By far the most costly pollutant is microscopic fine particulate matter (PM 2.5), which accounts for more than two trillion dollars per year in damages, measured in health impacts, missed work days and years lost to premature death.
The global breakdown for premature deaths each year was 500,000 for NO2, one million for ozone, and three million for PM 2.5.
Some 40,000 children die every year before their fifth birthday due to PM 2.5, which also leads to two million preterm births annually and twice as many cases of asthma.
PM 2.5 particles penetrate deep into the lungs and enter the bloodstream, causing cardiovascular respiratory problems. In 2013, the WHO classified it as a cancer-causing agent.
Globally, air pollution accounts for 29 percent of all deaths and disease from lung cancer
Middle-range estimates of the number of premature deaths stemming from fossil fuel pollution include 398,000 for the European Union, 230,000 for the United States, 96,000 for Bangladesh, and 44,000 for Indonesia.
Among countries taking the biggest economic hit each year are China ($900 billion), the United States ($610 bn), India ($150 bn), Germany ($140 bn), Japan ($130 bn), Russia ($68 bn) and Britain ($66 bn).
Globally, air pollution accounts for 29 percent of all deaths and disease from lung cancer, 17 percent from acute lower respiratory infection, and a quarter from stroke and heart disease, according to the WHO.
Air pollution is a focal point of social discontent in some parts of the world, leading some experts to speculate that it could drive a more rapid drawdown of fossil fuel use.
"Are we approaching a tipping point where it will no longer be acceptable to shorten the lives of people with fossil fuel pollution?" Johan Rockstrom, head of the Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research, told AFP.
The new report used global datasets for surface-level concentrations of the three main pollutants analysed, and then calculated health and cost impacts for 2018.
Estimates of PM 2.5 and NO2 concentrations were based on Earth observation instruments on two NASA satellites that monitor aerosols in the atmosphere.
Deaths, years of life lost and years lived with disability due to PM 2.5 exposure are drawn from the Global Burden of Disease, published in 2018 by PNAS.
India leads world in pollution linked deaths: study
Rapid global shift to renewable energies can save millions of lives
European urbanites breathing highly polluted air: report
New obstacles ahead in China's pollution fight: report
Nearly 50% of transport pollution deaths linked to diesel: study
Countries with the highest pollution deaths, mortality rates
Peruvian gold rush turns pristine rainforests into heavily polluted mercury sinks
Radiocarbon dating from prehistoric cemetery reveals human stress caused by global cooling event 8,200 years ago
Scientists find the climate and health impacts of natural gas stoves are greater than previously thought
Decreasing development on forest and agricultural land partly driven by gas prices, study finds
How carbon labels can aid in the fight against climate change
Living near or downwind of unconventional oil and gas development linked with increased risk of early death
Clouds in the southern hemisphere more precisely understood


Youth Participation in EU Elections is Falling: Differences across Member States
5 October 2016 26 July 2018
Doru Frantescu
by Doru Frantescu
Director at VoteWatch
Data from the last European elections shows a sharp decrease in the turnout of young people voting. Even more worryingly, the gap between the participation of the oldest generation and the youngest one is widening. While an opposite trend can be observed in some of the Member States such as Sweden, Italy and Greece, the overall issue of youth participation in EU elections should be addressed.
Polls show that a majority of the youth trust EU institutions. On the other hand, the low level of interest of young people for the European elections only creates a new paradox of old habits. As little as 27.8% of the youngest generation (18-24 years old) voted for their MEPs in 2014. Moreover, the large gap between the participation of the youngest and the oldest age groups is striking, to say the least – a valid source of concern for the European institutions. In fact, as young people hold more positive attitudes towards the EU than older generations, their absence at the polling stations actually rewards parties that are more critical of EU integration.
Next door, a high level of dissatisfaction of young people is also observed in the United Kingdom…
Some examples can shed light on this difference. The first map shows that, in Ireland, there was a gap of 55 percentage points between the turnout of the youth (18-24 year-olds) and older generation (55+) in 2014. Next door, a high level of dissatisfaction of young people is also observed in the United Kingdom, as less than 20% of young people exercised their right to vote over the last European elections. On the other hand, over 50 percent of the elderly went to the British polling stations. When it comes to the national elections, however, this gap is much lower, as in the case in Ireland, where more than 75% of Irish youth voted.
This pattern holds for almost every European country, with the notable exception of Sweden, and, of course, those countries where voting is mandatory: Luxembourg and Belgium. In fact, in the last European elections, many more young Swedes showed up in comparison to their older counterparts (a positive difference of 17%). Furthermore, millennials were the most participative age group. Such a difference is even more striking when the figure is compared to the estimates of participation by age for the national elections. In the same year, 2014, fewer young Swedes (81.3%) voted in the national elections than the national average (85.8%). This difference might partially account for the different electoral results of Swedish political parties in European and national elections, as smaller left-wing parties (such as the Feminist Initiative) performed better at the European elections than at the national ones.
If one compares the results of the European elections of 2014 to 2009, paradox strikes again. Not only was there an overall sharp decrease in youth electoral participation, but a further widening of the generational gap. As is shown by the second map, there is an overall increase in the gap between the older and the younger age group, although in the case of Sweden its direction is reversed, with the younger demographic now participating more than the elderly.
The case of Sweden is not isolated. It rather stands as the start of a pattern which can be also seen in countries struck by austerity, such as Greece and Italy, where more young voters participated in the European elections, while the level of abstention increased among the older generation. Italy is one of the most prominent cases of a reduction in the participation gap between the two generations.
The crisis of the Eurozone and the heated debates on austerity measures show just how deeply the decisions taken at the EU level affect the daily lives of its citizens.
This trend does not hold in the case of Cyprus and Portugal, where youth participation fell dramatically in 2014. Specific factors related to the different political systems in these countries account for this difference, such as the absence of strong left wing anti-establishment parties, able to capitalise on the disaffection of young voters towards austerity policies.
The crisis of the Eurozone and the heated debates on austerity measures show just how deeply the decisions taken at the EU level affect the daily lives of its citizens. This is arguably what could have spurred the desire of young Spanish and Italians to change. After all, young people are the most affected by the rise in the unemployment level in Southern Europe. Time will tell if these patterns will last. One thing is certain: the Union needs its youth back – its opinions, ideas and energy, in order to stay strong.
In partnership with VoteWatch Europe.
focus Next LeftEurope Elections Millennials
Why Ireland’s low tax policy has survived for so long
2 December 2019 17 December 2019
Since the late 1950s, Irish governments support foreign investment, and the utilisation of tax and other means in the pursuit of this policy
Debates focus Next Economy the magInequalities taxation
Reforming tax policy: a European fight!
David Rinaldi
Margit Schratzenstaller
2 December 2019 2 December 2019
Smart taxation: making the economy more social and environment-friendly, and ensuring compatibility with the EU single market.
Global tax injustice: what are the solutions?
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Police: New charges for man who held woman captive
DELAND, Fla. (AP) - Florida authorities say a woman who was beaten and held captive for two days at gunpoint by her boyfriend escaped when she convinced him bring their dog to an animal hospital - and then slipped a note to a staff member.
The Volusia County Sheriff's Office says 39-year-old Jeremy Floyd was arrested at DeLand Animal Hospital. He is being held without bond on domestic violence and other charges.
The report says Floyd beat the woman Wednesday and refused to let her leave their home. Two days later, she convinced Floyd to let her take their dog to a veterinarian, although he wouldn't let her go alone.
The Sheriff's Office on Wednesday added a stalking charge against Floyd, accused of violating pretrial release conditions in this case, specifically the condition prohibiting contact with the victim. The victim reported Floyd contacted her from jail 15 times on Saturday, 17 times on Sunday, and 15 times on Monday.
"A check of the Volusia County Branch Jail phone system confirmed Floyd used his inmate number to call the victim at least 16 times over that timeframe," said Andrew Gant with the Sheriff's Office. "He left a voicemail stating: 'I understand you’re upset with me. I’m sorry, I know you’re upset with me, and I apologize about what I did to you. I’ll make it up to you. I apologize and I love you.'"
Floyd remains held at the Branch Jail on $57,000 bond on his previous charges and no bond allowed on the pre-trial condition violation.


Timeless season 2 episode 9 review: Is Jessica really with Rittenhouse?
Timeless, Timeless season 2 review	 May 14, 2018
On Timeless season 2 episode 9 Sunday night, the two-part finale ended with one of its most dramatic reveals of the entire season: Jessica seems to be a fairly active part of Rittenhouse. It’s not so much her being an unknowing participant. Judging from her getting in the Lifeboat with a gun in tow, she certainly seems like she knows precisely what she is doing.
As you would imagine at the moment, this is a problem — especially since it could also have some big implications for Jiya. Her prophecies are a big problem for Rittenhouse and it makes some sense that they would want to extract her from the bunker.
Whose fault is all of this, really? Well, this is where things get troubling for Wyatt. It was him who refused to take Jessica away from the bunker and with that in mind, she was able to execute the next phase of her plan. We don’t blame him given that he loved Jessica and remembered a specific iteration of her from his past; it was hard for him to really understand how she could be different, even if he was warned by Agent Christopher to get her away from the Lifeboat prior to the mission at the heart of the story.
For those who love history, we imagine that you very much enjoyed getting to see the show’s version of Harriet Tubman in the past. This whole story was Timeless as we know and love it, as the focus was placed heavily on one of history’s greatest underdogs and everything that they did in order to change history. The problem of course for Tubman on the show was that Rittenhouse was making some of her struggles so much worse.
The issue for Rittenhouse
As it turns out, there were also some problems behind the scenes for the group as Carol and Emma continue to jostle for power. As of right now it feels like Carol is the person who has most of the power over Emma, and she is doing everything that she can in order to bring forward the whole “family” aspect of Rittenhouse.
Related – Check out more news on the show, including some of the latest on the renewal effort
CarterMatt Verdict
Basically, this was an epic episode of the show with a huge twist at the end of the hour — and it was thoroughly entertaining the entire time. If you love Timeless and want to see the show back for more, this is a good example as to why it should return.
One other character we’d love to explore more is Stanley the pilot, given the history that he has with Connor Mason and, to go along with it, some of what has transpired with him over time.
What do you think about Timeless season 2 episode 9 overall? Be sure to share right away in the comments!
Meanwhile, be sure to like CarterMatt on Facebook for some other news, reviews, and some additional insight now when it comes to the series. That is also where you can discuss the series more with other viewers. (Photo: NBC.)