Member Info for mick-b

Zimbabwe’s President Emmerson Mnangagwa has signed a bill into law that imposes penalties on Zimbabweans who are found to have wilfully harmed the sovereignty and national interest of Zimbabwe.

The controversial patriotic bill faced widespread opposition from lawyers and activists describing it as a grave assault on human rights.

It comes weeks before a crucial general election which the opposition believe will not be free or fair.

The law imposes sentences ranging from fines to the death penalty for those who take part in meetings which encourage international military action or trade boycotts.

President Mnangagwa and much of his inner circle are under US economic and travel sanctions which they say were a result of the opposition's lobbying.

Legal analysts believe the new patriotic law is vague and therefore open to abuse.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/live/world-africa-66072623?ns_mchannel=social&ns_source=twitter&ns_campaign=bbc_live&ns_linkname=64b1417b506a9f4885dc10de%26Zimbabwe%20president%20approves%20controversial%20patriotic%20law%262023-07-14T14%3A05%3A42.294Z&ns_fee=0&pinned_post_locator=urn:asset:8592e0bc-cce2-4544-9286-e9bb53cdfc3a&pinned_post_asset_id=64b1417b506a9f4885dc10de&pinned_post_type=share

What's in it for the UK?

The short-term gains are marginal.

The UK already had deals with the majority of these nations as part of its EU membership which have been carried over.

Since Brexit, the UK has added Australia and New Zealand to its trade deal tally.

It was just Brunei and Malaysia left that the UK didn't have a deal with and between them those two account for less than 0.5% of the total of UK trade.

Even with some changes to the trading arrangements with other countries, the gains from the expanded accord is expected to be fairly small - around 0.08% of GDP over 10 years, according to the government's best stab at an estimate.

However the Business and Trade Secretary likens CPTPP to a start-up, indicating the estimates do not account for the fact that some members - for example, Vietnam - are rapidly growing in importance in global trade.

Even so, by contrast, leaving the EU, the government's independent forecasters reckon, will have reduced the UK's growth by far more - perhaps 4% of our income.

In total, the CPTPP accounted for 8% of UK exports in 2019 - less than we sold to Germany.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/explainers-55858490

Maestro & Legend Paco de Lucía

No fancy guitar pedals or effects, pure genius, untouchable. RIP

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2oyhlad64-s

His stature....

https://www.andalucia.com/history/people/paco.htm

Https://www.lse.co.uk/chat/hot-topics.html

with TROAJAN 2nd TOP DOG

https://www.lse.co.uk/chat/top-recommended-users.html

👍🏾👍🏾

Another one to jump ship before it sinks in mire and corruption.

GAZZ

He HAS to stay in office to avoid prosecution for corruption.

Similar to Trump who seeks to be president before the numerous prosecutions land him in Jail

Does that mean your children HAVE to be brought up as Jews ?

49C in days to record another (unwanted) record.

Crazy Brits frizzle on blowtorch beaches

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu rushed to hospital

Funeral soon ?

ALLKOCK

Stupid censor !!

a 105-year-old woman who has lived in the same house her entire life has vowed she will never leave.

elsie all**** was born in the two-bed property in huthwaite, nottinghamshire, and later bought it with her late husband for £250.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/av/uk-england-nottinghamshire-66204337

now that is dirt cheap !

Https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-66211121

STEEL MAKING

https://corporate.arcelormittal.com/media/case-studies/hydrogen-based-steelmaking-to-begin-in-hamburg

https://www.rechargenews.com/transition/-world-first-as-hydrogen-used-to-power-commercial-steel-production/2-1-799308

https://www.theengineer.co.uk/content/in-depth/inside-ovako-s-hydrogen-fuelled-steel-plant-3/

"Some think he's in Africa.."

with Lord Lucan

You're pulling my plonker !

Japan have homes like that GAZ

Grandparents live at the bottom so no stairs, while parents live above with children.

benefits....just a few

Child care is free.

Noisy children no problem for hard of hearing Grandparents.

Fewer cars and no taxis ever needed.

Culture is VERY important

Japanese are taught from Childhood to respect and look after their ole folk

.

GLENCORE is my pick

Twice LLOYDS market cap

7.85% yield

+14.62% yearly increase in S/P

"don't see additional risk!!"

Miners rely almost totally on the Chinese economy.

If china sneezes metal prices tumble

Beware of China and follow closely is my advicee

THATCHER

Accent....POSH

She had voice training as she had a squeaky (high pitched) tone voice when she first entered politics.

Sold off all the council homes at discounted prices for votes and to pay for the VAST masses of unemployed as she laid waste to the Industrial north.

Failed to give money back to councils as she said she would for Right to buy profits

So only private and rented homes now left

Hence housing market completely FCKED and will be for years making many families so poor.

Germany have a housing market that really works and costs families far less to live. RENT CONTROLLED as most are rented FOR LIFE, Bit like our old council homes model back in the day.

Scotland water shortage ???

All those lochs full of fresh water (like mega reservoirs) Scotland along with Norway must have more fresh water in Europe than most.

Nice little earner when Scotland is free to sell to the English who have failed to built more reservoirs since water privatisation

"exception of software maker SAP, Germany’s tech sector is essentially non-existent. "

SIEMENS are HUGE at £100B+ CAP and over 100k employers in Germany alone.

https://theeuropeblog.com/germany/top-10-tech-companies-in-germany/