Success is overrated how do you handle your mistakes

F ield Marshal Lord Vincent of Coleshill, who has died aged 87, was successively Vice Chief of the Defence Staff, Chief of the Defence Staff and Chairman of the Nato Military Committee between 1987 and 1996; it was a decade that wrought immense changes in the balance of power in Europe, with far-reaching implications for Britain’s Armed Forces. Vincent’s appointments coincided with the demise of the USSR, the collapse of the Warsaw Pact countries, the Gulf War, the implementation of the Conventional Forces in Europe (CFE) treaty and the re-unification of Germany. He also had to deal with the start of the conflicts in the former Yugoslavia and the consequent commitment of British forces to the UN’s Organisation Protection Force (Unprofor). These events raised important questions about British defence policy and structures. As the Cold War moved to its conclusion and the conflicts in the Balkans escalated, other Nato countries were reviewing their force structures, and one of … [Read more...] about Field Marshal Lord Vincent of Coleshill – obituary

A group of 45 Conservative MPs from "Red Wall" seats have called for a permanent reduction in business rates to help firms come out of "cold store" after the coronavirus crisis. In a letter to Chancellor Rishi Sunak ahead of Wednesday's Budget , MPs from the Northern Research Group (NRG) have demanded a "bold move" to support shops and high streets up and down the country. Live COVID updates from the UK and around the world Business rates are paid on the use of a building for non-domestic purposes. At last year's Budget, Mr Sunak announced a 12-month suspension of business rates to help firms affected by COVID lockdown restrictions. Advertisement But he is now under pressure to make that assistance permanent - although the Treasury has said it won't publish the results of a fundamental review of business rates until the autumn, when there is more economic certainty. Rossendale and Darwen MP Jake Berry, the chair of the NRG, … [Read more...] about Budget 2021: Conservative MPs demand permanent cut to business rates to help firms come out of ‘cold store’

Judges on Monday found former French President Nicolas Sarkozy guilty of corruption after he tried to bribe a top lawyer with the promise of a job in Monaco. He will serve a one-year prison term. The 66-year-old has faced multiple graft accusations since leaving office in 2012 and prosecutors successfully argued he tried to obtain information about a separate probe into alleged financial impropriety in his party. He did so by offering to help judge Gilbert Azibert secure a well-paid legal adviser role in the principality of Monaco. Nicolas Sarkozy is the first modern French head of state to actually appear in court Sarkozy told the court he had "never committed the slightest act of corruption." The graft and influence-peddling charges — among several legal cases against him — carried a maximum sentence of 10 years and a fine of up to €1 million ($1.2 million). 'Paul Bismuth' and the tapped phone calls The case for the prosecution rested on conversations between … [Read more...] about French ex-president Nicolas Sarkozy sentenced to prison over corruption case

In the southern Spanish city of Seville, the municipal water company has introduced a pilot scheme to produce electricity using methane from fermented oranges. EMASESA, a member of Aqua Publica Europea (European Association of Public Water Operators), aims to achieve energy self-sufficiency for its EDAR Copero Wastewater Treatment Plant (WWTP) in the city, an existing facility that already generates electricity from organic matter. The plan is to put surplus electricity into the grid by 2023. "The project started as a result of EMASESA's interest in achieving energy self-sufficiency in the urban wastewater treatment process," the company's CEO, Jaime Palop, told DW. EMASESA aims to achieve energy self-sufficiency at its EDAR Copero wastewater treatment plant Oranges not only fruit In this way, facilities such as the Copero WWTP, which consumed around 13 GWh/year in 2020, achieved levels of self-sufficiency close to 95%, the CEO said.  "The Copero WWTP, due to its … [Read more...] about Spain: Why Seville oranges are the new green

Demi Lovato has apologised for using photographic filters in the past - saying she didn't realise how "dangerous" they are. Sharing a video to her Instagram feed, the chart-topper put a number of filters up to tweak her appearance, asking: "But how can I always look like this?" Demi, 28, captioned the video with a number of speech bubbles, one of which read: "Wait do I need a smaller nose?" Another insisted: "My skin is not this smooth." And in a third, Demi declared: "These aren't my real eyes." "Thank God I'm realising this now," she wrote, "and I'm sorry for using them w/o realising how dangerous they were before." Beneath she asked: "Thank God these weren't around when I was 13 but also... "How are teens supposed to learn to accept themselves w/this s**t?" She ended the video with a smile to the camera. Demi's been flooded with supportive messages since sharing the powerful message. "You are so beautiful always," one wrote. Another gushed: "Actually … [Read more...] about Demi Lovato asks how teens can accept themselves in world of filters and Photoshopping