The popular broadcaster investigates what happened after a large pile of murdered animals were dumped outside a primary school in Hampshire. Plus, Lena Headey tackles an idea from an ‘ethical pornographer’

Mangled pheasants, mutilated foxes, weeping kids: the third series of the multi-award-winning show about environmental crime opens with a huge pile of murdered animals outside a primary school. The investigation leads to revelations about the world of illegal bloodsports and rural organised crime. It even recruits Chris Packham. “It’s low-level terrorism, isn’t it?” he exclaims at one point – and it’s hard not to agree. An essential listen. Alexi Duggins
BBC Sounds, all episodes available

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Powerful animation portrays experiences of a French-Iraqi journalist Feurat Alani, with anecdotes about his father, a prominent leftist exile

With a title translated a little inelegantly from Le Parfum d’Irak to “flavours of Iraq” when “the perfume of Iraq” might have been simpler and better, this film is a powerful, vivid animation co-directed by Léonard Cohen with its author, French-Iraqi journalist Feurat Alani, robustly narrated in Alani’s first-person by the actor Malik Zidi. The animation style is stylised and expressionist: shapes and forms like silhouette cutouts suggest the piercingly insistent forms of memory.

It is about Alani’s childhood and fractured family experience growing up in Paris in the 80s as the son of a prominent leftist Iraqi exile who was forced out of his native country on account of his opposition to Saddam Hussein. The story itself is told through a loose series of flashbacks occasioned by his father’s funeral, at which mourners, members of Iraq’s 1970s socialist diaspora brought together by his death, start recounting anecdotes. To these, Alani adds his own reminiscences of going back to see his extended family in Iraq at the end of the 80s, and experiencing the madeleines of those flavours and smells of Baghdad and Falluja: the delicious taste of ice-cream and the fragrances of young men’s exotic hair oil.

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⚽ Latest World Cup news as tournament comes to close
⚽ Player guide | Golden Boot | Follow on TikTok | Mail us

Speaking after the match, Spain’s manager, who is a deeply religious person, said: “It was written, and we deserve it.”

This team and this wonderful fanbase deserve everything. We had a date with destiny and we wanted to make it count.

The players have asked me what we have left to win. Together we’ve figured out that it’s the next match in September [against England in the Nations League] because this team is tireless.

Again and again they had come, again and again they had been halted but they would not be denied. A dozen different players had taken aim at Emi Martínez’s goal but somehow he was still standing and time was slipping away, yet Spain refused to do so, so they came some more.

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Exclusive: Maternity staffing shortages worsen as more and more under-35s quit because of burnout

More and more midwives are leaving the NHS before they reach 35 because of burnout, worsening the staffing problems that are affecting maternity units.

The growing trend of early career quitting has sparked fears it poses a threat to the quality and safety of care that mothers and babies receive from already-understaffed childbirth services.

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Is the machinery of state jammed, or is the reason for the slow pace of change more personal than institutional?

Eighteen months into the 24 it turned out he would last in No 10, Keir Starmer was a man in a hurry. The biggest frustration with the job, he told MPs, concerned “speed and the ability to get things done”. The underlying problem, he thought, was that every time something had gone wrong in the past, “successive governments have put in place another procedure or another body or another consultation to try to stop ourselves ever making a mistake again”.

In airing his impatience, if little else, Starmer is in tune with the country he has become too unpopular to lead. Julian Gallie, a pollster at Merlin Strategy, says voters have been “crying out for change for a decade”, even if they have sent inconsistent signs about what sort of change it should be. The Brexit vote, the Corbyn surge of 2017, the Johnson majority of 2019 and the Tory rout of 2024 can all be seen as “a desperate roll of the dice against a status quo” that somehow feels impossible to shift.

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A report on the Spectator’s coverage of Muslims makes for grim reading. Conservatism is now focused on this minority to the exclusion of everything else

I start this column already resigned to the tune out, to the glaze over, the click away. This is not to say that I do not have faith in you, dear reader, to keep reading and caring. But I am aware, and this is central to the problem, that it is now normal, when it comes to a certain minority in this country, to speak of them as if they were some sort of plague. Islamophobia has become so common as to be mundane in large parts of the British media. Foremost among the offenders is Britain’s oldest political magazine: the Spectator.

A large and comprehensive report from the Centre for Media Monitoring reviewed 3,733 articles published in the Spectator relating to Islam or Muslims. Released last week, it criticised the publication for “a sustained and systemic pattern of biased coverage of Muslims and Islam”, according to the CMM, “with more than half of all relevant articles rated as biased over an eight-year period”. It is grim, grim reading.

Nesrine Malik is a Guardian columnist

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Chaos of Capita-run scheme has left some people waiting up to a year for payments and in financial hardship

Retired civil servants have been failed by the decision to outsource their pension scheme, the government has admitted, and the maladministration meant some were left waiting up to a year for payments.

Multiple members of the civil service pension scheme, run by the private company Capita since December, have come forward to say they are unable to afford rent and have been forced to use food banks after being left without an income.

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The Guardian goes on the ground with Brazilian forces fighting to eradicate mining that has destroyed protected areas of Indigenous land

The jerry-built bordello at the foot of Vila Cururu, an illegal gold-mining settlement at the heart of Brazil’s most desecrated Indigenous territory, was a hive of depravity until just a few weeks ago.

Inebriated prospectors huddled around wooden tables, swigging beer and Scotch whisky, and ogling pole-dancing sex workers before going with them to shacks behind the brothel.

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Rustic, authentic and utterly delicious – three dishes that bring the taste of the trattoria straight to your table

Pesto trapanese combines almonds, tomatoes, pecorino and a hint of garlic and basil to create a fresher version than the typical Genovese variety, and I especially love the way the richness of the almonds is lifted by the fresh tomatoes – when they’re pureed together, it creates a wonderful mouthfeel. For me, though, pasta pomodoro symbolises home. My mum’s was a cornerstone of our trattoria, as it is at Italian restaurants around the world, and every family has their own fiercely guarded recipe. I developed this particular method when I started Pasta Princess, which delivered hand-rolled pasta and pomodoro sauce all over London during lockdown. It kept me grounded when I was in between kitchens, and resurfaced at Tiella, where it features regularly on the menu. Finally, torta caprese is a wonderfully rich flourless chocolate cake made with ground almonds. Mum often made a similar cake called torta gianduia, which uses hazelnuts instead of almonds, a recipe that hails from Piedmont, the heart of Italy’s hazelnut production (the Tonda Gentile delle Langhe variety is particularly prized for its incredible quality and flavour, carrying the IGP label to denote regionality and strict production standards). I remember her once buying these special hazelnuts on a trip to Italy, and taking them back home to New Zealand so she could make gianduia. When the cake came out of the oven, the aroma was so incredible that she decided to bring it home rather than putting it on the menu, and shared it with us instead.

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Het merkwaardige aan erfbelasting is hoe snel het debat verandert in een soort natuurrechtelijke paniek. Alsof de staat plotseling je tandenborstel komt opeisen zodra oma overlijdt. “Er is al belasting over betaald”, klinkt het dan verontwaardigd. Een argument dat meestal wordt uitgesproken terwijl dezelfde persoon zonder morren btw betaalt op een broodje, accijns op benzine en loonbelasting over salaris waarmee vervolgens opnieuw van alles wordt gekocht waar alweer belasting op zit. Geld beweegt door de economie en wordt voortdurend opnieuw belast. Dat is geen uitzonderlijke communistische terreurdaad speciaal gericht tegen nalatenschappen. Dat is gewoon hoe belasting werkt.

De bijzondere emotionele status van erfenissen verraadt iets anders: veel mensen ervaren dat geld eigenlijk al als van henzelf voordat ze het hebben gekregen. Alsof de spaarrekening van hun ouders een soort extensie is van die van henzelf. Een toekomstig bezit waar de overheid vanaf moet blijven. Alleen is dat juridisch, economisch en moreel nogal een vreemde redenering. Dat geld was van degene die het verdiende. Daarna sterft die persoon. Vervolgens krijgt iemand anders plotseling een enorme som geld puur door geboorte, familiebanden en ander toeval.

Maar een erfenis is geen prestatie. Geen beloning voor arbeid, risico of ondernemerschap. Het is in essentie een gelukje. Sommige mensen erven een huis in Amsterdam. Anderen erven schulden, trauma’s of een verzameling vergeelde Donald Ducks. De samenleving accepteert inmiddels vrij breed dat extreme ongelijkheid op basis van afkomst problematisch kan zijn, behalve wanneer die ongelijkheid letterlijk via afkomst wordt overgedragen. Dan heet het ineens “van de familie afblijven”.

Nog vreemder wordt het wanneer erfbelasting wordt neergezet als diefstal van “familiegeld”. Alsof rijkdom een soort bloedlijn-eigenschap is die beschermd moet blijven. Daarmee verschuift bezit van individueel naar erfelijk privilege. Wie rijke ouders heeft, krijgt sowieso al een vliegende start zonder daar iets voor te hoeven doen, daar is die erfenis niet voor nodig. Wie arme ouders heeft, begint vaak vanaf nul. Vervolgens vertellen we elkaar graag dat we in een meritocratie leven waarin hard werken centraal staat.

De obsessie met erfbelasting laat ook zien hoe diep het idee zit dat vermogen eigenlijk onaantastbaar hoort te zijn zodra het eenmaal is opgebouwd. Zelfs als dat vermogen generaties lang blijft accumuleren. Terwijl belasting juist één van de weinige mechanismen is waarmee een samenleving voorkomt dat economische macht permanent erfelijk wordt. Zonder erfbelasting ontstaat vanzelf een aristocratie met aandelenportfolio’s in plaats van landgoederen.

Natuurlijk zijn er discussies mogelijk over percentages, vrijstellingen of familiebedrijven. Een kleine erfenis voelt anders dan honderden miljoenen aan vastgoed en beleggingen. Alleen de morele verontwaardiging over het principe zelf blijft vreemd.

Waarom zou iemand automatisch recht hebben op enorme belastingvrije vermogensoverdracht puur omdat een familielid is overleden?

The Jolie Blondes, a country, country-rock, bluegrass and rockabilly quartet, covering The Weight by The Band, at Swart Bier & Weinlokal in Berlin. But what's a favourite cover, or remake (in any media) that you have heard or seen? Or have you covered a piece of music e.g. at karaoke, or art, or culture yourself in some way? Or talk about what's going on with you as this is your free thread.

DUBLIN (ANP/BLOOMBERG) - De oorlog in het Midden-Oosten heeft de afgelopen maanden een aanzienlijke negatieve impact op de financiële resultaten van Ryanair gehad. De prijs van kerosine is fors gestegen en de vraag naar reizen is gedaald, meldt de luchtvaartmaatschappij maandag. De winst viel in het afgelopen kwartaal daardoor lager uit dan een jaar geleden.

De nettowinst kwam het afgelopen kwartaal uit op 538 miljoen euro, 34 procent lager dan een jaar geleden.

Volgens de luchtvaartmaatschappij zorgt de onrust in het Midden-Oosten ervoor dat consumenten langer twijfelen en wachten met boeken. Ryanair stelt de vraag te moeten stimuleren met lagere tarieven en verwacht dit ook tijdens het hoogseizoen in de zomer nog te moeten doen.

WASHINGTON (ANP/AFP/RTR) - Het luxevliegtuig dat de Amerikaanse president Donald Trump van Qatar kreeg, wordt binnenkort ongeveer een maand aan de grond gehouden. Dat vertelde Trump nadat discussie was ontstaan over de veiligheid van de Boeing 747-8. Het toestel krijgt volgens de president upgrades.

Trump vloog deze maand met zijn nieuwe vliegtuig naar Ankara voor een NAVO-top, maar gebruikte op de terugweg een ouder presidentieel toestel. De spanning met Iran liep toen op en The New York Times schreef dat het nieuwe vliegtuig niet beschikte over dezelfde veiligheidssystemen, onder meer op het gebied van raketverdediging. Verslaggevers van de krant werden vervolgens gedagvaard.

De president meldde de geplande verbeteringen toen hij een vraag kreeg over zijn nieuwe vliegtuig. "Voor zover ik heb begrepen, sturen ze het over ongeveer een maand weg om het volledig te laten upgraden", zei hij. "Dat zal ongeveer een maand in beslag nemen." Trump trad niet in detail over het soort upgrades.

Kazu_1 has added a photo to the pool:

Kazu_1 has added a photo to the pool:

banzainetsurfer has added a photo to the pool:

Ginzan Hot Springs draws visitor to its thermal waters and old-fashioned charm. Guests can immerse themselves in the historic atmosphere by renting a kimono to stroll the cobblestone lanes, adorned with eye-catching tiles, and admire the traditional wooden ryokan along the river.

Around sunset gaslights at bridges spanning the Ginzan River are lit, bathing the town in warm light. The scene is particularly moving during the winter months, when the soft glow of the lamps warmly illuminate the snow-covered resort.

The centerpiece of Ginzan Hot Springs is the four-story Notoya Ryokan (building on the right in the photo). Established in 1892, the current structure was built in 1921 and is designated a National Tangible Cultural Asset.

The building’s distinct architecture includes countless detailed plaster engravings called kote-e on columns and box-like compartments for storing rain shutters. The traditional works also adorn other structures around the resort, lending the town an artistic air.

Source:www.nippon.com/en/guide-to-japan/gu005013/soaking-in-hist...

banzainetsurfer has added a photo to the pool:

Miners working the old Nobezawa silver mine first discovered the thermal water of Ginzan Hot Springs some 500 years ago. The site flourished during the mine’s heyday in the early seventeenth century, but eventually declined as silver production waned. The hot springs enjoyed a resurgence starting in the Taishō era (1912–1926), though, with multistory wooden ryokan springing up along the banks of the Ginzan River.

Ginzan Hot Springs draws visitor to its thermal waters and old-fashioned charm. Guests can immerse themselves in the historic atmosphere by renting a kimono to stroll the cobblestone lanes, adorned with eye-catching tiles, and admire the traditional wooden ryokan along the river.

Around sunset gaslights at bridges spanning the Ginzan River are lit, bathing the town in warm light. The scene is particularly moving during the winter months, when the soft glow of the lamps warmly illuminate the snow-covered resort.

The centerpiece of Ginzan Hot Springs is the four-story Notoya Ryokan. Established in 1892, the current structure was built in 1921 and is designated a National Tangible Cultural Asset.

The building’s distinct architecture includes countless detailed plaster engravings called kote-e on columns and box-like compartments for storing rain shutters. The traditional works also adorn other structures around the resort, lending the town an artistic air.

Inside, the wood construction of the ryokan creates a warm atmosphere that is enhanced by its hallway floorboards and staircase handrails that have been polished to an amber hue by countless hands of feet. Guests can stay in rooms in the main building, which retains its Taishō-era feel, or the more modern annex. Both buildings have spacious Japanese-style rooms where guests can pass the time in an air of elegance.

Source:www.nippon.com/en/guide-to-japan/gu005013/soaking-in-hist...

Weer voor Rotterdam ☁️ - 20-07-2026 07:15 CEST

In één oogopslag:
• 17.0°C · Bewolkt ☁️ | Min 16.4°C / Max 21.2°C | Kans op neerslag 3%

Verwachting voor vandaag:
• Min 16.4°C, Max 21.2°C (Bewolkt) ☁️, Kans op neerslag 3%, 🧭 1024.3 hPa ↗️ +0.9 hPa/24h, Windsnelheid: 18.0 km/u (5.0 m/s), richting: ↓ 348°

Uurlijkse voorspelling voor de komende 12 uur:

• 08:00: 17.0°C (Bewolkt) ☁️, Kans op neerslag 4%, 🧭 1023.4 hPa ➡️ 0.0 hPa/1h, Windsnelheid: 10.8 km/u (3.0 m/s), richting: ↓ 358°
• 09:00: 17.7°C (Bewolkt) ☁️, Kans op neerslag 6%, 🧭 1023.9 hPa ↗️ +0.5 hPa/1h, Windsnelheid: 13.3 km/u (3.7 m/s), richting: ↓ 352°
• 10:00: 17.9°C (Bewolkt) ☁️, Kans op neerslag 9%, 🧭 1023.9 hPa ➡️ 0.0 hPa/1h, Windsnelheid: 14.0 km/u (3.9 m/s), richting: ↓ 354°
• 11:00: 18.7°C (Bewolkt) ☁️, Kans op neerslag 10%, 🧭 1024.0 hPa ➡️ 0.0 hPa/1h, Windsnelheid: 12.6 km/u (3.5 m/s), richting: ↓ 356°
• 12:00: 19.3°C (Bewolkt) ☁️, Kans op neerslag 9%, 🧭 1024.2 hPa ➡️ 0.0 hPa/1h, Windsnelheid: 13.7 km/u (3.8 m/s), richting: ↓ 350°
• 13:00: 19.8°C (Bewolkt) ☁️, Kans op neerslag 6%, 🧭 1024.4 hPa ➡️ 0.0 hPa/1h, Windsnelheid: 14.0 km/u (3.9 m/s), richting: ↓ 351°
• 14:00: 20.3°C (Gedeeltelijk bewolkt) ⛅, Kans op neerslag 4%, 🧭 1024.3 hPa ➡️ 0.0 hPa/1h, Windsnelheid: 12.2 km/u (3.4 m/s), richting: ↓ 356°
• 15:00: 21.1°C (Gedeeltelijk bewolkt) ⛅, Kans op neerslag 3%, 🧭 1024.2 hPa ➡️ 0.0 hPa/1h, Windsnelheid: 14.4 km/u (4.0 m/s), richting: ↓ 348°
• 16:00: 21.2°C (Gedeeltelijk bewolkt) ⛅, Kans op neerslag 3%, 🧭 1024.3 hPa ➡️ 0.0 hPa/1h, Windsnelheid: 16.2 km/u (4.5 m/s), richting: ↓ 344°
• 17:00: 21.1°C (Gedeeltelijk bewolkt) ⛅, Kans op neerslag 2%, 🧭 1024.3 hPa ➡️ 0.0 hPa/1h, Windsnelheid: 17.3 km/u (4.8 m/s), richting: ↓ 342°
• 18:00: 20.8°C (Gedeeltelijk bewolkt) ⛅, Kans op neerslag 1%, 🧭 1024.2 hPa ➡️ 0.0 hPa/1h, Windsnelheid: 18.0 km/u (5.0 m/s), richting: ↓ 343°
• 19:00: 20.2°C (Zonnig) ☀️, Kans op neerslag 1%, 🧭 1024.2 hPa ➡️ 0.0 hPa/1h, Windsnelheid: 18.0 km/u (5.0 m/s), richting: ↓ 346°

Voorspelling voor de komende dagen:

• dinsdag 21 juli: Min 15.3°C, Max 22.9°C (Bewolkt) ☁️, Kans op neerslag 1%, 🧭 1025.7 hPa ↗️ +1.4 hPa/24h, Windsnelheid: 17.3 km/u (4.8 m/s), richting: ↓ 347°
• woensdag 22 juli: Min 16.1°C, Max 19.3°C (Lichte motregen) 🌦️, Neerslag 0.9 mm, Kans op neerslag 20%, 🧭 1023.2 hPa ↘️ -2.5 hPa/24h, Windsnelheid: 18.4 km/u (5.1 m/s), richting: ↘ 321°
• donderdag 23 juli: Min 15.3°C, Max 20.3°C (Lichte motregen) 🌦️, Neerslag 0.2 mm, Kans op neerslag 1%, 🧭 1020.8 hPa ↘️ -2.4 hPa/24h, Windsnelheid: 14.0 km/u (3.9 m/s), richting: ↘ 330°
• vrijdag 24 juli: Min 14.3°C, Max 23.2°C (Lichte motregen) 🌦️, Neerslag 0.6 mm, Kans op neerslag 5%, 🧭 1018.6 hPa ↘️ -2.2 hPa/24h, Windsnelheid: 5.6 km/u (1.6 m/s), richting: ↗ 235°
• zaterdag 25 juli: Min 17.1°C, Max 25.7°C (Bewolkt) ☁️, Kans op neerslag 7%, 🧭 1009.2 hPa ↘️ -9.4 hPa/24h, Windsnelheid: 14.6 km/u (4.1 m/s), richting: ↗ 231°
• zondag 26 juli: Min 19.9°C, Max 22.0°C (Lichte motregen) 🌦️, Neerslag 1.7 mm, Kans op neerslag 31%, 🧭 1008.9 hPa ➡️ 0.0 hPa/24h, Windsnelheid: 19.9 km/u (5.5 m/s), richting: ↗ 245°

Details:
• 🌡️ Huidige temperatuur (om 07:15): 17.0°C (Bewolkt)
• 🤚 Gevoelstemperatuur: 15.0°C (-2.0°C)
• 💨 Windsnelheid: 11.5 km/u (3.2 m/s), richting: ↓ 345°
• 🌬️ Windstoten: 22.3 km/h (6.2 m/s)
• 💧 Luchtvochtigheid: 57%
• 🧭 Luchtdruk: 1023.4 hPa ↗️ +0.5 hPa/3h
• 👁️ Zichtbaarheid: 26.6 km
• ☀️ UV-index: 0.2
• 🌅 Zonsopgang: 05:47 · 🌇 Zonsondergang: 21:49

Luchtkwaliteit:
• AQI: 26 🟢 (Goed)
• PM2.5: 3.8 μg/m³
• PM10: 14.8 μg/m³

Gegevens geleverd door Open-Meteo

#Rotterdam #Meteo #MeteoBot #MeteoNetherlands #OpenMeteo #FediMeteo

The Washington Post describes a mid-tier executive at Meta as one of Silicon Valley's "winners" whose financial security suddenly "evaporated" as their workforce "pushed headlong into AI and heavy job cuts," creating a transformed job market. "Her ex-husband, a designer at Meta who was laid off in 2020, eventually gave up looking for jobs in his profession. He now lifts boxes at a warehouse."


Layoffs.fyi, which tracks announced job cuts, counts more than 800,000 tech workers laid off since 2022, including large staff reductions in recent months at Meta, Microsoft, Oracle and Amazon... "There's this whole tranche of people who've been quite used to being among the most upwardly mobile in society who are all of a sudden saying, 'Now I'm the guy on the streetâs'" said Oliver Raskin, who founded Silicon Valley market research consultancy Signalcraft Insights and has surveyed attitudes in the tech labor force... "The rise of AI, especially, is bound to change the workplace radically," [said Georgetown University historian Joseph McCartin]. "But the way it's going to happen is similar to how technology transformed the auto industry." Ruth Milkman, a labor sociologist at the City University of New York, said that technology workers are getting a dose of what workers in other industries have long complained about: jobs that feel unsteady or rob them of autonomy. "Low-wage workers are used to it," she said...

Many layoffs at technology companies are probably a hangover effect from over-hiring in prior years, experts say. And they don't account for a spotty recent increase in hiring in the information industry, which includes employment of software developers and jobs in media and entertainment. Digging deeper, though, some economists say there are signs that Silicon Valley and other technology-reliant parts of the American economy have reached a turning point where they are growing without needing as many people. The notion was encapsulated in a recent talk that ricocheted through group chats across the tech industry: In it, a partner at the start-up incubator Y Combinator heralded a new generation of AI-first companies that will only need human labor for "novel situations," "ethical considerations" and "high-stakes moments."

Gad Levanon, chief economist at the labor research nonprofit Burning Glass Institute, said that the number of hours worked in the information sector has dipped since 2022, while the sector's economic output has increased by about 8 percent a year — more than three times the overall growth rate of the U.S. economy. He says the data reveals a sea change in industries, including technology and finance, toward doing more work with the same or fewer people — one that is spreading to other professional classes. "That's the new reality for white-collar and tech-exposed work: output up, headcount flat or down," Levanon said...

Raskin, who has worked in the tech world since the late '90s, said that even though the current moment feels unsettling to many, he's hopeful that it's an early chapter in an evolving story. "It's happened many times before," he said, "that something implodes and all these people lose jobs, but then that talent gets cycled into whatever the next thing is — into a new wave of prosperity."

In the article tech entrepreneur Anil Dash quips that Silicon Valley techies are "are guinea pigs for what tech dudes want to do to everyone."

Read more of this story at Slashdot.

Thomas Hawk posted a photo: