The Guardian: Vladimir Putin may believe time is ripe for another invasion

The new Crimea crisis has come from nowhere. Over in the east there have been daily clashes between pro-Russia rebels and Ukrainian government forces in Donestk and Luhansk, with a spike in recent weeks. But the Perekop isthmus, the rustic sliver of territory between Crimea and Ukraine’s southern Kherson province, has been quiet. There was no fighting here even in 2014, when Putin staged his land grab.

All of this leads to the suspicion, voiced by Carl Bildt, Sweden’s former prime minister and others, that Russia may be about to invade again.

When it comes to the month of August, Putin has form. His previous invasions have coincided with Olympic Games, a time when the international community is distracted or on holiday - Georgia in 2008 after Beijing, and Ukraine in 2014 (after the Winter Games in Sochi).

There are other propitious circumstances this summer. The presidential election is paralysing the US, and the Republican candidate, Donald Trump, has hinted that as president he might recognise Russia’s annexation of Crimea. He seems uncertain as to where Ukraine actually is. Europe meanwhile is in disarray in the wake of the Brexit vote and an ongoing migration crisis. [...]

At this point there seem to be three possible scenarios. One is that Putin will try to leverage this latest crisis to persuade EU countries to drop the sanctions imposed over the Ukraine conflict. Another is that he is preparing a limited military incursion, possibly to set up a security corridor, which doubtless would include the electricity station in the nearby Ukrainian city of Kherson. A third is that he is planning something bigger.

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The Guardian: More than a third of UK graduates regret attending university

It found that 37% of those who went to university regret doing so given the amount of debt they now have. A total of 49% said they could have got to where they are in life without the benefit of a university degree.

The research was condemned by universities, which pointed to separate data published at the same time showing a high level of satisfaction with university and college courses. The annual National Student Survey, covering responses from 312,000 final-year students, found an overall satisfaction rating of 86% this year, the same as last year. [...]

However, official data shows that graduates are on average more likely to be in employment and earn more than non-graduates. The government’s Graduate Labour Market Statistics: 2015, published in April this year, continue to show that, in general, graduates are more likely to be in work and earn much more than non-graduates over a working lifetime.

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The Guardian: Whether leavers like it or not, Europe has a say on how Brexit will happen

Now that the decision is in, that restraint no longer applies. Via a survey conducted by Bloomberg , the other 27 member states of the EU have been vocal in conveying the terms on which they would allow a post-Brexit Britain privileged, preferential access to the single market. The bottom line is that Britain will have to accept free movement of people: put simply, if the UK wants to sell its goods and services into the single market on favourable terms, our European neighbours will demand we accept unlimited migration of EU citizens.

According to Bloomberg, France will be especially hardline. If Theresa May merely seeks “passporting rights” for UK banks – so that financial services have premium access to the single market, even as the rest of the British economy does not – the price will be free movement. [...]

Back then we blithely talked about the Norway model, sometimes tweaking it as Norway-plus or Norway-minus, as if it were solely up to Britain to decide. We chose to forget that when it comes to our relationship with Europe, there is more than one party. That’s why it’s called a relationship: there are other people involved.

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Business Insider: Norway is threatening to derail Brexit

Prime Minister May has said that she wants to secure a Brexit which will allow Britain to remain part of the EU's single market. Some Brexit supporters have suggested joining the European Free Trade Association (EFTA) — a small group of states which has access the single market despite not being EU members — would be the best way of doing this.

However, the UK's route into the EFTA will not be as straightforward as it perhaps first seemed. "It’s not certain that it would be a good idea to let a big country [the UK] into this organisation," Vik Aspaker told the Aftenposten newspaper. "It would shift the balance, which is not necessarily in Norway’s interests."

She also confirmed that the UK could only join the EFTA if the current members reached a unanimous agreement. The current members are Norway, Iceland, Liechtenstein, and Switzerland. In theory, Norway, or any other EFTA member, could exercise its veto and block UK from pursuing a key element of its Brexit project. 

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Associated Press: Brazilian judge orders Olympics to allow stadium protests

A federal judge in Rio agreed. In a temporary injunction issued late Monday, the judge said that nothing in special legislation passed before the games restricts Brazilians' right to free expression. He threatened to levy fines of up to $3,200 on anyone who removes peaceful protesters from venues.

The Rio organizing committee said it plans to ask the judge to reconsider his ruling and will make a final appeal, if necessary. [...]

To get around the ban on protests inside stadiums, some Brazilians have coordinated with friends each wearing a letter on T-shirts so the message reads "Fora Temer" when they sit in groups. Others carry smaller signs hidden in their belongings, sometimes fashioned with the Olympic rings.

Vinicius Lummertz, president of the government-run tourism board Embratur, said he has no problem with peaceful protests in stadiums as long as the games aren't disturbed.

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