Spain’s far-right Vox party is on the brink of sharing power as a conservative kingmaker

For the first time since the Franco dictatorship ended in 1975, a far-right party could enter government.

July 22, 2023, 6:00 AM EDT

Spain could be about to be governed by a coalition that includes a far-right party for the first time since the Francisco Franco dictatorship ended in 1975, propelled in part by frustration surrounding a drought and the environmental measures that are in place to ameliorate it.

Opinion polls indicate that theconservative Popular Party, led by Alberto Núñez Feijóo, has enough support to unseat socialist Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez, but will fall short of an outright majority. That leaves Vox — an ultranationalist, anti-immigration and anti-feminist group — the likely kingmaker. (KEK!)

Part of the reason Vox has become Spain’s third-biggest party is it has followed another key trend in modern far-right politics: fears that green measures in Spain, which faces chronic droughts, will destroy the agricultural industry. Vox and the Popular Party, which already jointly govern the southwestern Extremadura region, back a controversial plan to legalize and expand water drilling in one of Europe’s most important wetlands, much of which is already arid and lifeless, to fuel the lucrative fruit industry.

And now, questions that were once considered resolved,such as the existence of human-made climate change and its likely consequences, are again up for discussion, said Oriol Bartomeus, a politics professor at Barcelona’s Universidad Autónoma.

“Global warming had gone out of the political debate because it was something that was part of the general consensus — but now it’s becoming more and more an issue of polarization,” he said. “So, if you are on the right, you are against the ecological transition. And that’s very scary.”

Farmers have for decades been draining the aquifer in the Doñana area west of Seville in southern Spain, a region which includes the UNESCO-listed Doñana National Park, to provide the thousands of gallons of water needed for the local red fruit economy, which involves growing mainly strawberries, raspberries, cranberries and blueberries.

It takes an estimated 42 gallons of water to produce just 1 pound of strawberries, according to the ethical consumer guide HEALabel.

A law dubbed the “strawberry plan” passed in 2014 allowed huge amounts of drilling, but illegal wells proliferated regardless. The Popular Party, which controls the regional government in Andalusia, intends to declare an amnesty on the use of water from illegally drilled wells and expand the irrigable land by as much as 4,000 acres — with Vox’s strong support.

Strawberry farming is big business: One local province, Huelva, provides 98% of Spain’s entire strawberry crop and 30% of the strawberries consumed across the 27 countries of the European Union.

https://www.nbcnews.com/news/world/spain-election-far-right-vox-party-brink-sharing-power-rcna95569

Ukraine is losing on average 4-5 men to advance a few hundred feet in its counteroffensive, causing morale to suffer, report says

Alia Shoaib Jul 23, 2023, 8:05 AM EDT

Ukraine is losing, on average, 4-5 men to advance 100 meters in its counteroffensive.

Russian forces were well-prepared and were using dense minefields to hinder Ukrainian advancements.

One soldier said that while Ukraine had practiced how to capture trenches, but not holding them.

Ukrainian troops are suffering from deteriorating morale as casualties mount in their grinding counteroffensive to take back territory from Russia, a report says.

"Every hundred meters of land we gain means 4-5 infantrymen who have left the ranks – this is the average loss," an unnamed Ukrainian infantryman told The Kyiv Post.

He said that as soon as they attack Russian positions, they use artillery to "hammer our positions from front to back."

"As long as we are standing and holding on, we can say there are no losses; there may be some light injuries. As soon as we move forward, there are hefty losses. Up to half a unit for every kilometer we capture," or roughly 0.6 miles, "and it is not a given that we will hold this kilometer later," he said.

The soldier, fighting near Russian-occupied Donetsk, told the outlet that his unit had captured and then lost several Russian trenches because Ukraine's armed forces had been training to capture them but had not practiced holding them from counterattacks, he said.

A combat medic who requested anonymity told The Kyiv Post that the Russians were given too much advance notice of Ukraine's counteroffensive, which meant they were well-prepared.

Russian forces prepared by creating dense minefields, which means Ukraine's forces are moving "at a snail's pace." "Every square inch is mined," he said.

He added that many sappers are being killed as they go ahead of the other troops.

Along with coming up against mines, Ukrainian soldiers are also facing attacks by booby traps, shell strikes, serial bombs, artillery, and more, the soldier said.

"In one month, we have only advanced one kilometer and a half. We move forward by inches, but I don't think it's worth all the human resources and materiel that we have spent," he said.

Despite some cases of deteriorating morale, the soldiers said their units were still willing to carry on attacking.

Other units who spoke to the outlet painted a different, more upbeat picture, particularly those fighting around Bakhmut, who said attacks have been victorious and that morale is excellent.

While Ukraine is suffering from high casualties, fewer men are being killed than expected because of cautious tactics and high-quality armored vehicles supplied by Ukraine's Western allies, The Times of Londonreported.

https://www.businessinsider.com/ukraine-losing-4-5-men-advance-hundreds-feet-2023-7

https://www.revolver.news/newsfeed/

Photography Lea Colombo

The world is on fire, wear a facekini

FASHIONROUND-UP

The world is literally on fire right now, as unprecedented heatwaves in America, Europe, and Asia send thermometers stratsopheric and people struggle to cope in record-breaking temperatures. It’s a bleak situation, and a scary glimpse at the way things are heading as the climate crisis really starts to take hold, but for some – like the people who make electric fans, and the company behind the summer elixir that is Fanta Lemon – there are upsides to a planet ablaze, in the form of lots and lots of money.

One industry that’s currently raking it in right now in China is the one behind the gorgeous accessory that is the facekini. Designed to cover the full face with only little peepholes for the eyes and mouth, the style blocks out harmful UV rays, and is already extremely popular in East Asia, where many people avoid tanning. The temperature in the area surrounding Beijing is currently hovering around the 35 degree celsius mark, which actually sounds pretty chilly when you consider the aptly-named(!) Flaming Mountains in the Xinjiang region currently have a surface reading of EIGHTY (that’s 8-0) DEGREES. Anyway, there is something quite Margiela about the facekini, and it is obviously practical, so something to think about.

https://www.dazeddigital.com/fashion/article/60421/1/world-on-fire-facekini-china-temperature-record-heat-wave-mask-sun-protection

https://www.revolver.news/newsfeed/

Trump demands cameras in courtroom for potential election fraud case

An indictment, Mr Trump’s third in four months, could be handed down any day after he was sent a ‘target’ letter by Jack Smith

Graeme Massie2 days ago

Donald Trump’s new lawyer will ask a judge to allow cameras in a federal courtroom if the one-term president is indicted with January 6 election fraud charges by the Department of Justice.

Mr Trump has said that he received a target letter from special counsel Jack Smith who could be set to bring criminal charges against the GOP front-runner within days.

“I would hope that the Department of Justice would join in that effort so that we can take the curtain away and all Americans can see what’s happening,” attorney John Lauro said in an appearance on Fox News.

The problem for Mr Lauro is that courtroom photographing and broadcasting are banned in federal court under the Federal Rules of Criminal Procedure.

“Except as otherwise provided by a statute or these rules, the court must not permit the taking of photographs in the courtroom during judicial proceedings or the broadcasting of judicial proceedings from the courtroom,” the rule states.

Mr Lauro also explained to Fox News why Mr Trump declined Mr Smith’s invitation to appear before the grand jury investigating him.

“There’s no need to appear in front of a grand jury right now. Because President Trump did nothing wrong. He’s done nothing criminal,” he insisted.

Any indictment, Mr Trump’s third in four months, could be handed down as soon as this week, The Independent has learned.

Mr Trump wrote in a lengthy statement delivered via his Truth Social platform that special counsel Jack Smith had notified him via letter on Sunday about the development.

“On Sunday night, while I was with my family…HORRIFYING NEWS for our country was given to me by my attorneys,” said Mr Trump. “Deranged Jack Smith…sent a letter (again, it was Sunday night!) stating that I am a TARGET of the January 6th Grand Jury investigation, and giving me a very short 4 days to report to the Grand Jury, which almost always means an Arrest and Indictment,” he stated.

https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/us-politics/trump-courtroom-cameras-election-case-b2379847.html

>>19229611

Agreed, he knows he’s polling at 1% and no one likes him, so he’ll try to backtrack. Too late!

Rudy Giuliani on Joe Biden corruption. Rudy is talking directly to Joe Biden…Whoa listen to this!

2:21 minutes

https://rumble.com/embed/v2z9zfc/?pub=4

Leader of Belarus meets with Putin. Watch what they do while visiting the Cathedral

00:56 minute

https://rumble.com/embed/v2z9ypa/?pub=4