Europa beschikt wel degelijk over economische macht: het heeft sleutelposities op tientallen gebieden waarvan China en de VS afhankelijk zijn. Wie het spel slim speelt, kan zelfs de productiviteit laten groeien.

Vanaf deze week is de theatervoorstelling ‘Harry Potter en het Vervloekte Kind’ te zien in Nederland. De bedenker van deze tovenaarswereld, J.K. Rowling, is tegenwoordig vooral in het nieuws vanwege haar beledigende uitspraken over trans personen. „Rowling financiert met haar inkomsten rechtstreeks de afbraak van trans rechten.”

Kamagurka laat elke week zien hoe Bert Vanderslagmulders vordert met het schrijven van een boek.

Mathias Döpfner beat the Mail to seize a British institution. But whether he will be a sobering or malign influence is not yet clear

After fighting off one foreign takeover, staff at the paper that broke the news of the second world war might have been expected to react badly when meeting their potential new German owners on Monday. Instead, journalists at the Telegraph felt “optimistic”, “enthusiastic” and even “cautiously pleased” – one called a takeover by media conglomerate Axel Springer the “best possible outcome”.

The reason for this Panglossian response is partly hope that Axel Springer and its boss, Mathias Döpfner, might genuinely be keen on journalism, and partly exhaustion at the end of a wildly convoluted three-year takeover battle. The fight says a lot about the state of the print news business – upended by technological and economic headwinds yet still seen as an attractive bauble for rich power players and important as a home for journalism. For how much longer this persists could well depend on what Axel Springer and its part-owner and boss Döpfner do with it.

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(Silver Arrow)
​With Keef-style riffs and full-blooded commitment to the bit, resurgent brothers Chris and Rich Robinson​ resurrect​ the rocker lifestyle of eras past

Time is not linear for Chris and Rich Robinson. When their group the Black Crowes first surfaced in the late 80s, music was deep into one of its magical transitional eras, technological advances sling-shotting pop into unexpected futures as techno, hip-hop and acid house left rock’n’roll looking like a period piece. The Robinsons clearly hadn’t received the memo, arriving in a blaze of paisley and patchouli with an inspired Otis Redding cover that dragged its 60s Stax strut all the way into the early 70s, redressing it in bell-bottomed denim and Sticky Fingers swagger.

Almost 40 years later, little has changed within the Crowes’ hermetically sealed hotbox. There have been calamitous splits, amicable hiatuses and radical lineup rejigs, to the point where the brothers are the only founding Crowes left. Yet they remain proud exiles from Main Street, and from the 21st century. It makes their 10th album an irresistible pleasure. In this grimmest of moments, with war and genocide and maniacs at the wheel across the globe, who could blame anyone for escaping into the simpler world conjured here, governed by Keef-worthy riffs, infallible slip-slide grooves and the kind of rock’n’roll misadventure that’s always been rejuvenated in the Crowes’ hands?

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In her wisdom, Mum taught me to roll with the punches, and reassured me that she’d always be there – even when I staggered in much the worse for wear

What my mum taught me best is her expression: “Let’s play it by ear.” That might sound like an excuse for disorganisation and procrastination, but what she’s really saying at the end of every phone call is: “Life happens, plans change, and we’re always here for you – whatever time you decide to roll up.”

That’s her to a T – putting everyone else first. Even now, at 50, if I go out for a drink or to a gig with my brother and crash at my parents’ place, Mum will still stay up to be sure I’ve made it home safe.

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Fears are growing that the new far-right president will slash environmental protections in favour of foreign investment

In Chile’s most northerly region, Arica y Parinacota, Andrea Chellew, 62, relies on tourists for her cafe. They usually travel from the coastal city of Arica to the unique biosphere of the Andean highlands, which rise well above 5,000 metres and host nature reserves and wetlands.

At 3,000 metres (9,800ft) above sea level, along Highway 11, she lives by the trade route that brings raw materials and goods between Bolivia and Chile. Yet the cafe remains empty as fewer tourists come, amid more reports of increased mining activity near environmentally protected areas, such as the Lauca national park.

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Dmitriev said U.S. officials were “beginning to better understand” the importance of Russian oil and gas in global markets.

Some account holders see names, salaries, and child benefit payments… just not their own

Customers of three major UK banks woke on Thursday to find incorrect transactions appearing in their apps, a problem later attributed to a technical glitch.…

RAMADI (ANP/DPA/AFP/RTR) - Pro-Iraanse milities in het westen van Irak hebben gemeld dat ze vanuit de lucht zijn aangevallen door de VS en/of Israël. Daarbij zijn volgens bronnen bij de Volksmobilisatiekrachten (PMF) 27 doden en 60 gewonden gevallen.

Doelwit waren een commandocentrum van de beweging vlak bij de Syrische grens en meerdere voertuigen.

Het zou gaan om het hoofdkwartier van de militie Harakat Ansar Allah al-Awfiya (Loyale Aanhangers van Allah) die op een zwarte lijst in Washington staat. Een aantal van de PMF-milities hebben Amerikaanse bases in Irak beschoten naar aanleiding van de recente aanvallen op Iran.

Samenwerkingsverband

Bagdad, Jeruzalem en Washington hebben niets over de aanvallen gezegd. De Iraakse premier Mohammed Shia al-Sudani heeft de aanvallen op de PMF veroordeeld.

De PMF werden in 2014 opgericht door de sjiitische leider van Irak, grootayatollah Ali al-Sistani. Dat was destijds voor de strijd tegen terreurbeweging Islamitische Staat. De door Iran gesteunde PMF zijn feitelijk een overkoepelend samenwerkingsverband van tientallen veelal lokaal georganiseerde sjiitische milities.

Gezamenlijk hebben de PMF volgens claims van de beweging meer strijders op de been dan de bijna 200.000 militairen van het Iraakse leger. De Iraakse regering heeft de PMF als paramilitair onderdeel van de strijdkrachten gelegaliseerd, maar heeft er geen zeggenschap over.