Dr.MadalinaDay

Most of Windermere polluted with sewage bacteria, finds biggest survey of its kind Exclusive: Concentrations of faecal bacteria in the lake were found to peak in summer but there were high levels throughout year Bathing water quality across most of Windermere is poor throughout the summer, indicating high levels of sewage pollution, according to a comprehensive analysis of water quality in England’s largest lake. High levels of bacteria found in human faeces – Escherichia coli (E coli) and intestinal enterococci (IE) – indicating sewage pollution, were found to be highest in the summer months, when Windermere is used heavily by holidaymakers for swimming and watersports. Continue reading...

Most of Windermere polluted with sewage bacteria, finds biggest survey of its kind

The Reality of UK Services Trade Post-Brexit  - British Chambers of Commerce The services sector represents 80% of UK output, but LSE research indicates a 16% drop in services exports to key EU markets affected by Brexit trade barriers.

“The services sector is our most important economic asset, accounting for 80% of total UK output.  However, the latest research by London School of Economics (LSE) shows that services exports have declined by around 16% in the EU markets most affected by Brexit-related trade barriers. “

Tenants in England spending ‘unaffordable’ 36% of income on rent, shows survey ONS figures for 2024 show top 10 least affordable areas all in London (42% of income) while most affordable region was north east (20%)

Median salary earners pay 36.3% of income in property rent, 41.6% in London.

Profiteering inflicts poverty. Essential workers can't live near work.

What chance of raising a family, saving for decent home, education, pension?

Must control rents. Need social housing.

#Monday #Rose

Attractive traits, full stop.

And confidence, stability, and moral competence are attractive traits, guys.

Plastic pollution plague blights Asia Kulsum Beghum sorts waste at a landfill in Dhaka. Her blood contains 650 microplastic particles per milliliter, according to an analysis funded by a waste pickers' union.

We urgently need that #PlasticsTreaty, and some of the most vulnerable people on the planet need it most

#PlasticWaste #PlasticPollution #PublicHealth

phys.org/news/2025-08...

Yellow health alerts remain across England through the weekend.

100+ wildfires burn in Greece; Spain is dealing with the aftermath of recent fires.

August extreme heat made at least 4–5× (top of the scale) more likely due to climate change

Amazing news.

Netanyahu’s Gaza City outrage fulfils his messianic fantasy of a Greater Israel. The world must stop him | Nimer Sultany This outrageous landgrab is ethnic cleansing in plain sight, says Nimer Sultany of Soas University of London, a Palestinian citizen of Israel

Netanyahu’s Gaza City outrage fulfils his messianic fantasy of a Greater Israel. The world must stop him | Nimer Sultany

Australia to recognise Palestinian state in September It follows similar moves by the UK, France and Canada.

Australia to join 150 states & recognizing Palestine as a state at the UN General Assembly next month.

New Zealand is considering joining Canberra, along w Canada, the UK, France & others.

But if Netanyahu & his thugs aren’t stopped, how much of Palestine will be left? www.bbc.com/news/article...

Anas al-Sharif, prominent Al Jazeera correspondent, among five journalists killed in Israeli airstrike on Gaza Israel admits deliberate attack on the journalist, known for frontline coverage, in a strike on a tent outside al-Shifa hospital

"Israel has killed 237 journalists since the war started on 7 October 2023, according to Gaza’s government media office. The Committee to Protect Journalists said at least 186 journalists have been killed in Gaza."

www.theguardian.com/world/2025/a...

Photo by WENCHENG JIANG. A tranquil urban street adorned with blooming cherry blossoms forming a natural canopy overhead. The wet pavement reflects the soft, overcast light of a rainy day. A black car waits at a pedestrian crossing while a person with an umbrella walks past, adding a sense of quiet motion. To the left, pink lanterns line a festive walkway, contrasting with the greenery and muted tones. On the right, parked cars and pedestrians in formal attire hint at a celebratory or seasonal event.

Even beneath the city's chaos, delicate beauty blossoms.

Rachel Reeves needs to put up taxes to cover £40bn deficit, thinktank says NIESR suggests a rise of 5p in the pound on basic and higher rate of income tax would fill the budget gap

There is a £40bn tax hole and govt must hike taxes, say headlines.

None said that HMRC didn't collect £46.8bn last yr. 40% (£18.6bn) relates to corporations. £500bn since 2010.

NAO says wealthy are dodging taxes. Corporations shift profits to dodge taxes.

Why hit the little people?

Por qué el reconocimiento de Palestina llega tarde y no es suficiente: "Habría tenido sentido en otra fase, no en medio de un genocidio" Francia y Reino Unido han prometido reconocer el Estado palestino en septiembre ante los últimos pasos de Netanyahu, pero han puesto condiciones y no han anunciado otras medidas para que no se quede e...

Haizam Amirah, director del Centro de Estudios Árabes Contemporáneos, considera que el reconocimiento de Palestina llega tarde y es insuficiente: "Habría tenido sentido en otra fase, no en medio de un genocidio" www.eldiario.es/129_bf0bc4?u...

The narrative has rapidly escalated from ‘We don’t know who these people are’ to ‘We know who these people are and they’re evil’.

The societal consequences of this racism cannot be controlled.

The manufactured public paranoia of ‘brown boat men’ will threaten all people of colour in our country.

#WQuers

Daily #Octordle #1294
4️⃣2️⃣
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9️⃣🕐
7️⃣🕚
Score: 64

Screenshot of BBC news saying police arrest 474 people at Palestine Action ban protest.

What an utter absurdity our Home Secretary has created -

Destroying British free speech, right to protest and with it undermining democracy.

It is not for the government to terrorise the public for political opinions they don’t want to hear.

Pervasive plastic pollution: how do we manage this global crisis? Is enough being done at the Global Plastics conference to stem the tide of plastic pollution?

✍️ Pervasive plastic pollution: how do we manage this global crisis?

Is enough being done at the Global Plastics conference to stem the tide of plastic pollution?

By Brian McHugh
@brianmchugh.bsky.social

#WQuers

Daily Chill #Octordle #1293
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Score: 67

"So the tariff is paid in this country by the importer, is that right?" -- Eugene Robinson guides Scott Bessent into acknowledging that tariffs are in fact paid in the United States, not by foreign governments

UK’s surveillance flights over Gaza raise questions on help for Israeli military Government says it controls what information is shared as critics question the role of intelligence gathering * Middle East crisis – live updates Britain continues to run near daily surveillance flights over Gaza with the help of a US contractor at a time of growing questions about how the intelligence obtained is used and shared with the Israeli military. Specialist flight trackers estimate that RAF Shadow aircraft have run more than 600 flights over the Palestinian territory from the Akrotiri airbase in Cyprus in an attempt to locate the remaining hostages held by Hamas since December 2023. Continue reading...

UK’s surveillance flights over Gaza raise questions on help for Israeli military

Haven't done this in a while...
#WQuers
Daily Extreme #Octordle #1291
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Score: 63

I react to Gordon Brown in the Guardian today: pity he was at the centre of the government that unleashed the gambling monster, but taxation is not enough.

We cannot allow predatory firms to prey on individuals and communities

greenparty.org.uk/2025/08/07/b...

Stephen Colbert Chides Trump for Firing the Messenger (Again) “No, you fool!” Colbert said after the president ousted a Labor Department official over a jobs report. “Now there’s one less job!”

Here’s a look at some of the highlights worth watching from late-night TV.

Hiroshima’s fading legacy: the race to secure survivors’ memories amid a new era of nuclear brinkmanship Eighty years on from the destruction of the city, registered survivors of the blast - known as hibakusha – have fallen below 100,000

Securing survivors’ memories of #Hiroshima is increasingly urgent, amid a new era of nuclear brinkmanship. The horrifying truth is that the 9 nuclear states have *already* amassed the equivalent firepower of 145.000 Hiroshima bombs. This madness has to stop

Tall Ships and the discovery of remarkable new things - Bylines Scotland The city of Aberdeen hosted the Tall Ships and, with it, offered much to travellers from far and wide

"Almost 50 ships from around the world descended on Aberdeen on 19 July, having competed against each other from Dunkirk in France. They stayed in Scotland until 22 July, when they would compete against each other again, to Kristianstand in Norway."

#Aberdeen

Lord Dannatt urged ministers to crack down on Palestine Action at request of US firm Police officer was concerned ex-army chief, a Teledyne adviser, sought to have ‘input’ into factory attack investigation

Another deeply concerning allegation, the latest in a long line of apparent commercial and political lobbying against protest movements, some of which has led to the extremely repressive legislation we now face.
Powerful lobbyists are the bane of democracy.
www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2025...

Netanyahu gov. moves to fire attorney general prosecuting him for corruption Netanyahu is standing trial, and his aides are under investigation.

BREAKING: Netanyahu's government unanimously votes to fire the attorney general who is prosecuting him for corruption

Why are the wealthy so well off? The accumulation of wealth has been driving inequality for decades. In the first of two articles we explain the injustice of our wealth taxation

The rich don’t get rich by working harder. They get rich because the tax system is designed to reward wealth, not work.

This article explains how – and what we could do instead.

Based on a blog post by Prof Richard Murphy.

@eastangliabylines.co.uk @stephenmcnair.bsky.social