Quartz: Bernie and Corbyn are the same candidate—in all the wrong ways

Firstly, it bears noting that progressives in both countries have a fair amount to thank both men for—both have shifted their previously centrist parties towards leftist platforms that are genuinely popular with voters tired of the Blair-Clinton “third way.” These include policies such as Sanders’ Medicare for all, free college tuition, and $15 minimum wage, and Corbyn’s push for a “green jobs revolution,” railway nationalization, and an end to abusive hiring practices. They have driven a considerable amount of activism and enthusiasm, with Sanders racking up extraordinary levels of small-dollar donations and Labour membership surging under Corbyn.[...]

Equally damaging is how the two have reacted to the rifts, showing uncannily similar levels of stubbornness. Many Clinton supporters blame Sanders in part for her loss to Donald Trump, suggesting his refusal to throw his weight behind her—and his holding out on conceding the race after it was clear she would win—led many Sanders voters to either stay home or even back Trump. Corbyn, meanwhile, simply refuses to engage with his critics. Labour’s deputy leader Tom Watson has begged for him to treat the MPs’ departures seriously, but Corbyn has merely said he is “disappointed,” without acknowledging the legitimacy of their grievances.[...]

Sanders, who surrounded himself with largely white male advisers, has systematically declined to seriously consider racism and sexism as problems in their own right, instead viewing them as outcomes of widespread economic inequality. Unsurprisingly, Clinton trounced him among minority and female voters.[...]

Corbyn tarnished his self-declared feminism in his first week as Labour leader, announcing a shadow cabinet with no women in the top three posts. Instead of acknowledging that he hadn’t properly considered the matter beforehand, as seemingly revealed by an interaction between Corbyn and a lieutenant overheard by journalists, Corbyn accused critics of “living in the 18th century.” His claim: that those jobs are now no more important than less prominent shadow cabinet posts like health and business secretary. A year later, when Labour named a roster of white men as its candidates for big city mayorships, a backbench Labour MP wrote: “I suppose feminism is out of the window when your brothers in arms want the jobs.”

read the article

Haaretz: Polish Prime Minister to Haaretz: Tens of Thousands of Poles Aided Jews. We Won't Give in to Lies

“I have no problem with someone mentioning the fact that during the cruel, evil, dehumanizing war there were individual criminals in my nation – obviously there were, just as in every other nation,” says Morawiecki. “But when you use these stereotypes that ‘every Pole suckled anti-Semitism out of their mother’s breast’ it’s nothing short of racism.”[...]

“We also have to cope with some anti-Semitism in Poland, but fortunately it is marginal,” Morawiecki said, citing the recent report of the European Fundamental Rights Agency. “Poland is one of the few countries in the EU where the number of anti-Semitic incidents is decreasing, while in many others we are witnessing worrying developments,” he said, noting that anti-Semitism appears to be on the rise in countries like France, Germany, Sweden and Britain. [...]

Morawiecki also cited that the joint statement he signed with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu last June included a section denouncing anti-Semitism and anti-Polonism. This part of the declaration elicited criticism from some historians who argued that a parallel should not be drawn between the two, and that putting them together in this way diminished the gravity of centuries of anti-Semitism in Poland.[...]

Netanyahu was initially quoted on the Jerusalem Post website as having said that “the Polish nation” colluded with the Nazis. Following a request for clarification from the Polish government, his office issued a statement that “He was speaking about Poles and not about the Polish people or the country of Poland.”

read the article

Quartz: Mumbai has the world’s second-largest collection of Art Deco buildings but no one notices them (June 27, 2017)

But in Mumbai, believed to host the world’s second-largest collection of Art Deco buildings, such interest is hard to find. Tourists tend to focus on established landmarks, such as the Gateway of India, while residents, some of whom even live in Art Deco apartments, are hardly aware of their historical significance. Besides, in a city starved for space, conservation efforts haven’t always been able to save these heritage structures from damaging restoration or repair work, or even outright demolition.[...]

The Art Deco style originated in the 1920s and spread from Europe to the US and the rest of the world through the 1930s and ’40s. In Mumbai, known as Bombay at the time, Indian architects were drawn to its futuristic glamour, and began using the new materials and technologies available to incorporate geometric patterns, pastel colours, and even nautical elements (such as porthole windows) in their buildings, some of which, such as the Regal and Eros theatres and the Fairlawn apartments, still stand today.[...]

However, things could change. In February, the central government finally nominated the area for UNESCO accreditation, setting in motion the process that could eventually lead to World Heritage Site status in 2018. That will guarantee international attention, as well as funding for conservation efforts, and a massive influx of tourists.

read the article

Politico: Orbán defiant as conservative critique grows

EPP leaders were outraged this week when the Hungarian government unveiled a taxpayer-financed campaign attacking Juncker, along with the Hungarian-American billionaire George Soros, and accusing Brussels of plotting to impose migration policies that go against Hungary's interests.

So far, party chieftains, including the EPP president, Joseph Daul, have protected Orbán, mindful that the 12 seats Fidesz holds in the European Parliament are important for the EPP's majority and its future election prospects. According to EPP rules, the suspension or exclusion of a member party can be triggered by “seven ordinary or associated member parties from five different countries.”

Earlier Friday, Austrian Chancellor Sebastian Kurz said he found the wording of Orbán’s campaign “unacceptable,” according to local media reports.

read the article

statista: Atlantic Overfishing: Europe's Worst Offenders

A report by the New Economics Foundation has named Europe's worst offenders for overfishing in the northeast Atlantic. Every year, European fisheries ministers agree on a total allowable catch (TAC) for commercial fish stocks. This is generally determined using advice from scientific bodies who provide information on the state of stocks and recommended maximum catch levels.

In 2019, Sweden exceeded its TAC by 52.4 percent - equating to 17,369 tonnes. The United Kingdom and Ireland join Sweden at the top of the list of the worst offenders for overfishing, exceeding their quotas by 24.3 and 21.7 percent, respectively.

see the graph