Mediaboss Marketing

Big Bens iconic chimes should bong Britain out of the European Union on the day of Brexit, Leave-backing Tory MPs have said.

Tory MP Jacob Rees-Mogg said the bongs would be symbolically uplifting for the country as a row continues to grow over plans to silence the Great Bell for four years.

Earlier this week, Parliament said it would review plans to silence Big Ben for maintenance work to be carried out, after Prime Minister Theresa May joined a backlash against the move.

But the bongs will still be halted after noon on Monday so the work on the Elizabeth Tower and the clock and bell it houses can begin.

Earlier this year, Downing Street said Britain would leave the EU "when Big Ben bongs midnight" on March 29, 2019, the deadline for the two-year Article 50 withdrawal process.

But Commons authorities could not confirm when the chimes would start up again, or whether Big Ben would bong on Brexit day.

Tory MP Jacob Rees-Mogg told the Daily Mail: "I think Big Ben ought to be kept striking as much as possible during the repairs as long as it doesn't deafen the work force.

It would be symbolically uplifting for it to sound out our departure from the EU as a literally ringing endorsement of democracy."

Party colleague Peter Bone said: "Big Ben should bong when we come out of the EU, absolutely.

Big Ben maintenance man slams plans to silence clock as 'nonsense'

"We are being liberated from the European Union superstate and Britain will again be a completely self-governing country. Where will the eyes of the world be? On Parliament and Big Ben. It would be very strange if at midnight on that day it does not chime out, very bizarre. It is the heart of our nation."

And fellow Tory Andrew Bridgen added: "It would be very fitting if Big Ben was to chime us out of the EU. We need to go out with a boom as we regain a sovereign parliament once again."

A Commons spokesman said: "On Monday, following the 12 noon chimes, Big Ben's bongs will temporarily cease.

"We cannot yet give a confirmed date for when chiming will resume, however the intent is to maintain striking for important events, such as Remembrance Sunday and New Year's Eve.

"The clock mechanism will continue to function for the immediate future, and we will aim to have at least one working clock face visible throughout the works.

"When Parliament returns, the House of Commons Commission will consider the length of time that the bells will fall silent.

"Of course, any discussion will focus on undertaking the work efficiently, protecting the health and safety of those involved, and seeking to ensure resumption of normal service as soon as is practicable given those requirements."

If the bell does not bong for four years, it would be the longest period Big Ben has been silenced in its 157-year history.

The 13.7-tonne Great Bell was last stopped for maintenance in 2007 and before that was halted for two years in 1983 for refurbishment, but has been stopped on a number of other occasions since it first sounded in 1859.

Parliamentary officials have insisted workers' hearing would be put at "serious risk" if the bell continued chiming. They warned that those using the 100-metre-high scaffolding around the tower could also be startled by the 118-decibel bongs.

And they have dismissed suggestions the chimes could be restored during the hours that work is not being carried out as the process takes about half a day to complete.

The 29 million renovation includes the installation of a lift and repairs to the clock's hands, mechanism and pendulum.

View original post here:
Big Ben should bong Britain out of European Union, Brexit-backing MPs say - Evening Standard

Thats all kinds of scary. If theres one place on Earth that would be the worst possible spot for a giant volcanic chain, its beneath West Antarctica. Turns out, its not a great situation to have a bunch of volcanoes underneath a huge ice sheet.

In a discovery announced earlier this week, a team of researchers discovered dozens of them across a 2,200-mile swath of the frozen continent. Antarctica, if youre listening, please stop scaring us.

The study that led to the discoverywas conceived of by an undergraduate student at the University of Edinburgh, Max Van Wyk de Vries. With a team of researchers, he used radar to look under the ice for evidence of cone-shaped mountains that had disturbed the ice around them. They found 91 previously unknown volcanoes. We were amazed, Robert Bingham, one of the studys authors, told the Guardian.

The worry is that, as in Iceland and Alaska, two regions of active volcanism that were ice-covered until relatively recently, a warming climate could help these Antarctic volcanoes spring to life soon. In a worst-case scenario, the melting ice could release pressure on the volcanoes and trigger eruptions, further destabilizing the ice sheet.

The big question is: how active are these volcanoes? That is something we need to determine as quickly as possible, Bingham said.

Read the original here:
The European Union is considering an electric car mandate. - Grist

In May 2017, 120 grade 7 students from the Saida and Burj Shemali areas visited three newly renovated UNRWA health centres, all of which were rehabilitated and refurbished with European Union (EU) support: the Ein El Hilweh Health Centre II, the Saida Polyclinic and the Burj Shemali Health Centre. The aim of the visit was to teach students about the Agencys health-care services and see them in action, as well as to expand their knowledge of key health issues.

For Palestine refugees in Lebanon, access to affordable health services is difficult. Palestine refugees do not enjoy public health coverage in the Lebanese health system and are not recognized under any of the Ministry of Public Health programmes. On average, Palestine refugees spend around 12 per cent of their total expenditures on health (AUB Survey 2015). As such, the primary health-care services that UNRWA provides free of charge to Palestine refugees are critical, as are the Agencys efforts to raise awareness in the community about public health issues and our services.

The students visiting the health centres were accompanied by health tutors, who are sponsored through the EU regional trust fund 'MADAD,' and taken on an interactive tour of the health centres by the head nurse. The MADAD Fund is used by UNRWA to support the needs of Palestine refugee children from Syria in Lebanon and covers educational material (including health materials) and recreational activities. The Fund ensures the dignity of Palestine refugee students from Syria and that they receive quality and inclusive education. The Fund also promotes healthy living by supporting health tutors who lead the children through the health curriculum, which covers healthy eating, proper hygiene and oral health.

The students visiting the health centres engaged with the medical staff and learned about their operations and good health practices from the doctors. All of the participating students wrote about their experience you can read some of their accounts about what they learned during these visits below.

The European Union and UNRWA have been long-time partners in offering affordable and high-standard health care and providing a decent standard of living for the most vulnerable Palestine refugees through the rehabilitation of shelters and health centres. The three health centres were rehabilitated to better serve the needs of the camp inhabitants, allowing for better utilization of space and for the adaptation of the Family Health Team approach, focusing on the comprehensive history of the patient rather than treating the specific ailment and allowing for a more person-centered approach to their health-care needs.

BY FATIMA IDRIS

The Health Centre is an organization that delivers medical services to Palestine refugees in Burj Shemali camp. We visited the centre one day and the nurse, Sheikha, welcomed us with love and respect. We entered the first room and it was full of files and lockers for the patients who wanted to heal. Then we met all the doctors, and every doctor is assisted by a nurse. We also went into the drugs room that was filled with drugs, the dentists room, the delivery room and the laboratory. In my opinion, the Health Centre is perfect and has no problems. It helps keeps us and our families healthy and safe.

BY HALA ARDAT

I went with some students with our teacher Lina Jaafar and the health counsellor Zahra El Hussein to the UNRWA Health Centre to learn about its sections. When we got there, the chief nurse Sheikha welcomed us and updated us. She explained to us how patients are treated; each family has its own file. We went into all the rooms and learned about the changes they underwent. Each nurse has a specific room in which they treat the patients. I thank teacher Lina and Miss Zahra because I learned details about the Centre I did not know about.

BY HAMLEH OTHMAN

On May 3rd, 2017, we, the students in Grade 7, Qibya school, visited the UNRWA clinic in Ein El Hilweh camp. We listened to a lecture from the doctor in charge about the services that UNRWA secures for the Palestinian refugees. The doctor told us new information about personal [cleanliness], lice infection and healthy food. At the end, we [advise] other [classes] to visit the clinic in the future.

BY REEM MAHMOUD

On 3rd May, 2017, we made a visit to [Ein El Hilweh] camp to have a lecture about health education. One of the doctors gave us a lecture on three topics:

How to protect ourselves from lice infection Personal hygiene Healthy food At the end, many of us asked the doctor many questions. He was very kind and cooperative. We were very happy to have this kind of visit and hope we have similar visits in the future.

UNRWA HEALTH CARE IN LEBANON

UNRWA provides primary health-care services through 27 health centres in Lebanon, with 12 centres located inside the camps and 15 located in Lebanese cities and Palestinian gatherings in Lebanon. UNRWA provides a comprehensive package of both curative and preventive services, which include consultations with general practitioners, ante- and post-natal health care, family planning, and specialist care (e.g. cardiology, gynaecology and ophthalmology). Essential drugs and a range of simple diagnostic tests (laboratories and radiology) are also provided. In addition, with the influx of Palestine refugees from Syria (PRS) into Lebanon since 2012, UNRWA has significantly expanded its beneficiary caseload for its health services, supporting some 32,000 PRS (as of December 2016) and providing them with direct access to basic primary health care and hospitalization services.

THE EU MADAD FUND

The EU regional trust fund MADAD provides concrete assistance for refugees and host communities for basic education and child protection, training and higher education, better access to health care, and improved water and wastewater infrastructure, as well as support for projects promoting resilience, economic opportunities and social inclusion in Iraq, Jordan, Lebanon and Turkey.

EU AND UNRWA: TOGETHER FOR PALESTINE REFUGEES

Since 1971, the European Union and UNRWA have maintained a strategic partnership governed by the shared objective to support the human development, humanitarian and protection needs of Palestine refugees and promote stability in the Middle East. Today, the European Union is the largest multilateral provider of international assistance to Palestine refugees. This reliable and predictable support from the European Union enables UNRWA to provide core services to more than 5 million Palestine refugees in Jordan, Syria, Lebanon, the West Bank and Gaza, including quality education for roughly half a million children and primary health care for more than 3.5 million patients. Collectively, the EU and its Member States are also among the largest contributors to the Agencys humanitarian emergency appeals and projects in response to various crises and specific needs across the region. The partnership between the European Union and UNRWA has allowed millions of Palestine refugees to be better educated, live healthier lives, access employment opportunities and improve their living conditions, thus contributing to the development of the entire region.

Follow this link:
UNRWA and the European Union promote good health practices among Palestine refugee students in Lebanon - ReliefWeb

August 17th, 2017 by Joshua S Hill

The European Union has announced that it will link its emissions trading system with Switzerlands own system, following a decision made by the European Commission.

With all attention focused on the environmental impact the United Kingdoms exit from the European Union (Brexit) will have on the regions, and specifically the UKs greenhouse gas emissions levels, the European Union has this week announced that it will now link its own emissions trading system with Switzerlands, following the adoption of two proposals by the European Commission which finalized the deal between the EU and Switzerland.

Specifically, linking the two systems will allow participants in the EU Emissions Trading System (EU ETS) to use allowances from the Swiss system for compliance, and vice versa.

The move was described by Switzerlands government as a big step forward.

The EU ETS is based on a cap and trade system in which a cap is set on the total amount of certain greenhouse gas emissions that are allowed to be emitted by installations covered by the EU ETS. Operating in 31 countries including all 28 EU Member States, plus Iceland,Liechtenstein, and Norway the EU ETS limits emissions from more than 11,000 heavy energy-using installations including power stations and industrial plants, and airlines that operate between these countries, and covers around 45% of the EUs greenhouse gas emissions. (Greater specifics of the EU ETS including the trading of allowances can be found here.)

Meanwhile, Switzerlands emissions trading system covers 54 companies acrosscement, pharmaceutical, refinery, paper, district heating, and steel sectors, and is also based on a cap and trade system, setting the maximum amount of emissions at 5.63 million tonnes of CO2 in 2013, then reduced by 1.74% each year, set to reach 4.91 million tonnes in 2020.

The big takeaway, in my opinion, from this announcement is the impact that it might have on the upcoming Brexit negotiations. Now that the EU has agreements in place for four non-European Union countries Iceland,Liechtenstein, Norway, and now Switzerland will the UK remain as part of the EU ETS, or will it create its own emissions trading scheme and link itself with the EU, or will it go it alone?

Check out our new 93-page EV report, based on over 2,000 surveys collected from EV drivers in 49 of 50 US states, 26 European countries, and 9 Canadian provinces.

Tags: Emissions trading system, EU, EU Emissions Trading System, EU ETS, European Commission, European Union, Swiss, Switzerland, Switzerland emissions trading

Joshua S Hill I'm a Christian, a nerd, a geek, and I believe that we're pretty quickly directing planet-Earth into hell in a handbasket! I also write for Fantasy Book Review (.co.uk), and can be found writing articles for a variety of other sites. Check me out at about.me for more.

Go here to see the original:
European Union To Link Emissions Trading System With Switzerland - CleanTechnica

ANKARA (Reuters) - Turkey's European Union minister accused Germany on Thursday of harming EU credibility by trying to dictate policy towards Ankara, after Chancellor Angela Merkel said there would be no expansion of a customs union or deepening in EU-Turkish ties.

Relations between Turkey and European Union countries have deteriorated sharply after a series of disputes linked to Turkey's crackdown in the wake of last year's failed coup attempt, in which 250 people were killed.

Tensions with Germany are particularly acute because Turkish authorities detained several German nationals including a journalist and a rights activist. Germany is also withdrawing forces from Turkey's Incirlik air base after Ankara restricted access to German politicians.

Turkey formally remains a candidate to join the European Union but Merkel said on Wednesday that no new chapters in accession talks were being opened and aid to Turkey had been cut to a minimum. There would be no expansion in the customs union, she said, and "no kind of deepening at all" in relations.

Turkey's European Union minister Omer Celik said Merkel's comments were unfortunate and damaging.

"We should emphasize that no EU member should give orders to EU institutions or EU processes," he told a news conference in Ankara. "These situations are very dangerous, they represent statements that harm the EU's credibility."

Celik said both Turkey and the European Union would gain from updating the customs union. "But they are acting as if doing so is a favor to Turkey. Let me be very clear, we are in no rush," he said.

Germany, Europe's leading power, has toughened its stance towards Turkey in recent weeks, urging citizens to exercise caution if traveling there and threatening measures that could hinder German investment.

Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan says the post-coup crackdown, in which 50,000 people have been detained and 150,000 sacked or suspended from the judiciary, journalism, academia and other sectors was needed to address deep-seated security threats.

Domestic and foreign critics accuse him of using a state of emergency as cover to root out opposition and strengthen his grip on power.

Celik called on Berlin to cooperate with Turkey's request for the extradition of Adil Oksuz, a theology lecturer suspected of playing a major role in the failed coup.

Turkish authorities say Oksuz was detained near an air base hours after the July 15, 2016 coup attempt, only to be released by a judge two days later. He has been on the run since.

Turkish media have reported that he has been seen in Frankfurt and Ulm and given a temporary residence permit by Germany's Baden-Wurttemberg state.

"No ally of ours can harbor a killer," Celik said. "Even the possibility of someone with a clear tie to the coup attempt being harbored by our ally is saddening."

Germany's foreign ministry said on Wednesday that the Turkish request would be examined by a German judge before the German government could make a decision on the request.

Celik repeated Turkey's complaint that it submitted thousands of files to Germany and requested suspects to be handed over without any response from Berlin.

"The Oksuz issue is very clear. We are allies with Germany, allied countries. We expect an attitude that is fitting of our level of cooperation," he said.

The justice ministers of the two countries spoke by phone for an hour on Thursday, Turkey's justice ministry said. It described the conversation as "very productive and positive", but gave no details.

Germany has dismissed accusations that it is not cooperating with Ankara's requests.

Reporting by Ece Toksabay and Tulay Karadeniz; Writing by Tuvan Gumrukcu and Dominic Evans

See the original post here:
Merkel harming EU credibility over Turkey, minister says - Reuters