Latest news with #Isis
Time of India
11 hours ago
- Lifestyle
- Time of India
Summer Solstice 2025: Longest day of the year is today. What it means, rituals, its spiritual significance, and link to Stonehenge
The Northern Hemisphere will mark the summer solstice on Saturday, 21 June — the day with the longest duration of daylight in the year. The solstice signals the beginning of astronomical summer and is observed when the Sun reaches its highest point in the sky at noon. This moment occurs when the Earth's northern half tilts most directly toward the Sun, causing longer days and shorter nights. What is the summer solstice? The summer solstice is the point in the Earth's orbit when the Sun appears at its highest position in the sky for the Northern Hemisphere. It typically falls between 20 and 22 June each year. The word "solstice" comes from Latin — sol meaning Sun and sistere meaning to stand still — referring to the Sun's apparent pause before reversing direction in the sky. Summer Solstice meaning? The solstice date shifts slightly every year due to the way our calendar aligns with Earth's orbit. A calendar year is 365 days, but Earth takes approximately 365.25 days to complete one orbit around the Sun. The extra time accumulates, and a leap day is added every four years to keep the calendar in sync. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Buy Brass Idols - Handmade Brass Statues for Home & Gifting Luxeartisanship Buy Now Undo Summer Solstice spiritual meaning Celebration of light and renewal: The summer solstice is often seen as a symbol of light, vitality, and growth. Many traditions consider this the peak of the Sun's power — a time to honour nature's energy and the fullness of life. It is a moment to celebrate abundance and renewal. Inner transformation and reflection: Spiritually, the solstice also marks a turning point. As daylight begins to gradually shorten after this day, it reminds people of life's cycles — growth followed by release. Some use this time to pause, reflect, and set intentions, seeing it as an opportunity for inner clarity and spiritual alignment. Live Events Ancient rituals and connections: Across cultures, the solstice has inspired rituals, gatherings, and ceremonies. From sunrise meditations to bonfires, these practices often aim to connect people with the natural world, the changing seasons, and their own inner journey. Summer Solstice: Ancient Rituals and link to Stonehenge Cultures such as the Druids, Native Americans, and ancient Egyptians held ceremonies during the solstice. Stonehenge in England is aligned with the sunrise on the summer solstice. In ancient Egypt, the solstice was connected to the rising of the Nile and the goddess Isis. Inti Raymi, the Sun Festival of the Inca, celebrated the Sun god Inti during the solstice. Summer Solstice: When is sunset? Although the solstice is the longest day, it does not always have the earliest sunrise or latest sunset. The timing of sunrises and sunsets varies slightly due to Earth's elliptical orbit and axial tilt. Early sunrises tend to happen before the solstice, while the latest sunsets occur after. The summer solstice has long held cultural and scientific significance. For many, it represents a turning point in the calendar — the beginning of summer and a reminder of the relationship between Earth and the Sun. How does it affect daylight? During the solstice, the Northern Hemisphere receives more direct sunlight for longer hours. The amount of daylight varies depending on how far north a location is. Regions closer to the Arctic Circle may experience continuous daylight — a phenomenon known as the midnight Sun — while places nearer the equator see less variation. Is it the hottest day of the year? Although the summer solstice has the most daylight, it is not usually the hottest day. Peak summer temperatures tend to arrive later in the season, after the land and air have absorbed more heat. The hottest days typically occur in July or August in many parts of the Northern Hemisphere. What marks the start of summer? There are two ways to define the start of summer. Meteorologists use fixed dates, beginning summer on 1 June and ending on 31 August. Astronomically, however, summer starts with the solstice and ends with the autumnal equinox in late September. Why does the Earth have seasons? Seasons occur because Earth's axis is tilted by about 23.5 degrees. As Earth orbits the Sun, this tilt causes different parts of the planet to receive varying amounts of sunlight throughout the year. Without this tilt, there would be no significant seasonal changes.
Spectator
5 days ago
- Politics
- Spectator
How likely is regime change in Iran now?
The clue is in the name of Israel's operation. 'Operation Rising Lion' is a direct reference to the Pahlavi flag used by Iran before the Islamic revolution, which shows a lion standing proud against the backdrop of a glowing orb, the sun. In Persian this is called the 'Shir-e Khorshid.' For many years now, Netanyahu has sought to speak directly to Iranians, attempting to transcend the Islamic Republic, and to present himself as the saviour of the Iranian people. These ongoing strikes are simply a continuation of this policy, and Israel's determination to avoid civilian casualties (something we've not seen in Gaza) feeds into its desire for an anti-regime uprising caused by elite splits and popular rage. Israel should remember that Iranian nationalism is a force that transcends flags and political eras, going back even further than Islam For decades now, Israel has supported anti-regime groups in Iran, such as the frankly cultish Mujahedeen-e Khalq, a group so fuelled by hatred of the regime that they threw in their lot with Saddam Hussein during the Iran-Iraq war, a piece of opportunism for which the Iranian people, on all sides of the divide, have never forgiven them. As bombs rain down on Iranian cities and Supreme Leader Khamenei hides in a bunker somewhere in Lavizan with his family, the Israeli hope is for ordinary Iranians to rise up against a regime in disarray and free the Iranian people once and for all. Yet the longer this mythical uprising doesn't take place, the more chance there is of national sentiment swinging in behind the regime, behind the IRGC, behind those who are protecting Iranian cities. Or at least trying to. Saddam Hussein, when he began a war with a freshly-minted revolutionary Islamic Republic, gambling on a swift victory against a troubled nation, made the same miscalculation, dragging both countries into a horrendous conflict that ultimately ended in a ruinous stalemate. Since the strikes began, we have seen videos of scattered nighttime cries of 'Death to Khamenei, Death to IRGC,' ringing out across Tehran, and videos sent to news outlets with commentary congratulating the Israelis. But we've also seen strident pro-regime protests, and the longer this conflict goes on, the more Israel will be seen less as liberator and more as oppressor. Persian nationalism is a quixotic phenomenon, easily capable of siding with the Ayatollah against Israel. Qassem Soleimani, a stalwart revolutionary hero killed by the US in a 2019 airstrike, was lauded by Iranians across the political spectrum for his strategic genius and his defence of Iran's borders and domestic security. He took the fight to the US as they started wars that surrounded Iran after 9/11; he took the fight to Isis, eventually defeating it; he defended the Iranian nation. The narratives ignored his role in the brutal suppression of dissent in Iran. Israel should remember that for all the nostalgia towards Pahlavi rule, and for all the hatred of the Islamic Republic across Iranian society, Iranian nationalism is a force that transcends flags and political eras, going back even further than Islam. And it is a force that could drag this conflict out, denying Netanyahu the ultimate victory he craves; the fall of the Ayatollahs.
The Courier
13-06-2025
- The Courier
Angus teacher accused of calling bosses 'terrorist sympathisers' and writing 'abusive and offensive' Facebook posts
An Angus teacher is accused of calling bosses 'terrorist sympathisers' and making 'abusive and offensive' Facebook posts. Philippe Magalon will face claims about his behaviour while employed by Angus Council at Lochside Primary School in Montrose at a hearing on June 19 and 20. The teacher, who no longer works for the local authority, was previously convicted of shouting at pupils with additional needs and throwing a book across the classroom after becoming 'fed up' with their behaviour. Magalon, whose career started in England and lasted more than 20 years, narrowly avoided jail after admitting the offences at Forfar Sheriff Court in 2020. The General Teaching Council (GTC) will decide on his future in the sector. The allegations to be considered by the watchdog alongside his 2020 conviction are as follows. Magalon is accused of posting various abusive, offensive and discriminatory comments, pictures and videos on his personal Facebook page between February 22 and June 1 2019. The GTC says these posts would have been accessible to parents, pupils, colleagues and members of the public. In one of the comments, alongside an article titled 'Travellers who wrecked historic brewery are jailed for eight years', he wrote: 'Travellers, no wonder why in Romania, Bulgaria, Italy and other countries, these 'people' are, let's say 'unloved' everywhere they go they wreck places, steal, leave rubbish, criminality is rising. U***********n.' In another post with a link to a controversial website claiming to provide updates on religious extremism, he said: 'This is the death cult that Shemina Begum, the Isis w***e joined. 'More atrocities. 'She and her little inbred should never be allowed back in Europe.' He also shared a post with a picture containing the heading 'Christianity History' and the comment 'If you think ISIS is bad. This is what Catholics use (sic) to do. 'Think people.' Magalon wrote: 'A m**z trying to take the moral stance, ignoring today's actions by his fellow cult followers and instead trying to deflect their tortures, rapes and murders by showing actions from the distant past (at least 500 years ago). 'Get a life m**z.' The teacher is also accused of sharing a picture of Kermit the Frog holding a wine bottle with the comment 'Awww you're spreading rumours about me…at least you found a hobby spreading something other than your legs b***h!'. He wrote alongside the image: 'Sure someone will know what I mean and recognise herself.' With a photograph of a group of people wearing garments covering their face and body, he wrote: 'Never, in the history of sun shades, so many black parasols been put on display. 'On a more serious note, these filthy tarts are the remnants of Isis terrorist brides. 'Can't believe so many were missed by air strikes.' Another of Magalon's Facebook posts being investigated said: 'Just had the misfortune meet to a woman that is angry at the fact that she is working class and does not like middle class because her mother was a single mother, hello, not my fault, don't cry baby, not my fault if your understanding is…well…rather flawed by a lack of, yes, you guessed it, neuron count. 'Well obviously not highly educated, an IQ the size of my shoe size. 'Well can't stop laughing. Poor her. Gave me the example of Maggie Thatcher from…30 years ago!!!…err…wake up women, it is the 21st century! 'Now be a good girl, get a proper education, now I know, difficult if you don't have enough data storage. Never mind. Life can be so cruel.' In addition, while still employed at Lochside Primary in March 2020, Magalon sent a text which claimed bosses at Angus Council were 'terrorist sympathisers'. It is not stated who received the text, which appeared to be sent before a meeting deciding whether he would continue as a council employee. Magalon was initially suspended and took early voluntary retirement in May 2020. He wrote: 'Now, inevitably, me not being able to say anything will change on 31st and rest assured, I will not hesitate to open up and say what I couldn't as an Angus employee. 'There will be special mention for the snowflakes that took exception of my Facebook posts and whether they were from school or the education dept. at Orchardbank they will definitely not be spared and will be named and likely to be shamed as terrorist sympathisers, and why not. 'I am really looking forward to this in fact. 'As I said previously, my parting shots will be straight to the point. 'Sadly, I am not Jesus, I neither forgive nor forget therefore those who have wronged me will bear the brunt of my anger and will not be forgotten.' On January 19 2021 the teacher also sent an email to GTC Scotland in response to a newsletter. It said: 'Amazing, after all that time, weeks into second lockdown, (not to mention the first lockdown), the GTC, at least, decide to take their fingers out of their asses and publish something, something that is obviously completely inadequate and irrelevant. Bravo and thank you (not).' The watchdog says Magalon's actions were 'lacking in integrity'. A spokesperson for Angus Council confirmed the teacher no longer works for the local authority, adding: 'It is not appropriate to comment further at this time'. The Courier has attempted to contact Magalon for a response to the allegations.
Spectator
12-06-2025
- Politics
- Spectator
Richard Hermer's campaign against Britain
Five years ago, the man who is now Lord Hermer gave an interview to the Times. The then QC was asked how he'd want to be remembered. The answer he gave was curious. 'The world will be a better place,' he said, 'when privileged men like me stop seeking a place in history.' I'm not sure who Lord Hermer thinks should be seeking a place in history, though I assume he was just paying lip service to the spirit of 2020 and wanted to be read to mean that in future most of the running should be done by underprivileged transsexuals. While I cannot agree on the substance, I can agree on one specific. The world would certainly be a much better place if people like Lord Hermer stopped seeking historic roles. For although he is now the Attorney General of England and Wales, there is little to suggest that his noble lordship has any love for this country. Indeed, he appears to have spent his career defending anyone who literally wants to attack us. In their recent efforts to explain the Attorney General's unfortunate list of past clients, Hermer's defenders claim that as a barrister he had to obey the 'cab-rank' rules of the job. It was for this reason, they say, that Hermer spent his career defending such clients as Gerry Adams and almost every variety of Islamic terrorist. Yet the claim is demonstrably daft. To have represented one al-Qaeda terrorist might be a duty, but to represent at least five would seem to be a habit. Never mind that your other clients include the families of Isis members and so on.
The Independent
06-06-2025
- Business
- The Independent
Death, violence and endless delay: Inside Africa's most troubled energy project
Campaigners have demanded the UK government pull its funding for a natural gas mega project in Mozambique – alleging that it breaches Britain's human rights and environmental obligations. The project in question is a $20 billion (£15bn) liquified natural gas (LNG) development located in the Cabo Delgado region of Mozambique. The project, called Mozambique LNG, has been halted since 2021 after violence from an Isis-backed group led to 183 contractors being trapped in a hotel for two days, with 10 people killed when apparently trying to escape, including British national Philip Mawer. In all, the ongoing insurgency in the area has resulted in an estimated 6,000 deaths since the conflict began in 2017, with some 600,000 people displaced. In a letter seen by The Independent, campaign group Oil Change International (OCI) argues that the violence and other issues over the protection of the project makes a potential $1.15bn investment by UK Export Finance, a department of the UK government untenable. Continuing to finance the project is also not compatible with environmental commitments made in 2021 to no longer finance fossil fuels abroad, OCI argues. A tale of violence, delay and legal action was never meant to be the story of Mozambique's foray into natural gas, after some 180 trillion cubic feet of gas was discovered off the country's coast in 2010. In 2016, the International Monetary Fund (IMF) projected 34 per cent GDP growth for Mozambique by 2021. However, actual economic growth was around 2.5 per cent. TotalEnergies, the French energy firm, is currently in the process of trying to re-start the project by the middle of this year. 'The security situation has improved," CEO Patrick Pouyanne told Reuters on the sidelines of the World Gas conference earlier this month. Pouyanne's ambitions received a big boost in March when the US Export-Import Bank re-approved financial support worth $4.7bn for the project, boosting TotalEnergies' hopes of restarting the project. But the future of Mozambique LNG remains up in the air, with the British export credit agency still considering whether to recommit to its $1.15bn pledge – having joining with 33 countries, including the US, to sign a pledge to end public finance for fossil fuel projects abroad while hosting the COP26 climate summit in Glasgow in 2021. According to OCI campaigner Adam McGibbon, if the UK pulls out of the deal then the entire financial arrangement is expected to collapse. 'We know of at least one major bank involved in the deal that has said they will also pull out if the UK does,' he says. The legal letter sent by OCI argues that the funding of the LNG project in Mozambique goes against the UK's obligations under international law to promote human rights in business both domestically and abroad. The letter highlights the UN's Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights, which state that companies and nations must ensure that human rights are respected in relation to business operations. A UK Export Finance spokesperson said: 'UK Export Finance is currently in talks with project sponsors and other lenders regarding the latest status of the LNG production project in Mozambique. 'We take reports of alleged human rights infringement extremely seriously and are looking further into the matters.' 'The Qatar of Africa' Observers at the time the gas was discovered off the coast of Mozambique suggested that the country – one of the world's poorest – could transform into the 'Qatar of Africa'. A number of massive projects aiming to ship the gas around the world in the form of LNG were soon proposed. TotalEnergies' Mozambique LNG project stands out for its sheer size, with the $20bn in financing a figure roughly the same size as Mozambique's entire GDP. The 65 trillion cubic feet of gas it was expected to deliver is the equivalent of six years of current EU gas demand. But in March 2021, the 'force majeure' declaration was made, which enables parties to renege on an agreement due to unforeseen external circumstances. It came after Islamist insurgents captured swathes of territory in the Cabo Delgado region, and at least 1,400 people were left killed or missing presumed dead. Earlier this year French authorities began investigating TotalEnergies over potential corporate manslaughter, after survivors and relatives of victims of the event accused the energy giant of failing to protect its workers. In a statement shared with The Independent, a spokesperson for TotalEnergies said that they will ' cooperate with this investigation', but that 'the company categorically rejects' the accusations. 'Mozambique LNG's teams provided emergency assistance and mobilised their resources to evacuate more than 2,500 people (civilians, employees, contractors, and subcontractors) from the site where the Mozambique LNG project is located at the time of the attacks,' the spokesperson said. But some say the need to resettle people so that the land can used for the project has aided recruitment for the insurgents. 'The local population is being deprived of jobs, in a scenario where pressure on land is increasing, where people are losing access to land, losing access to natural resources,' wrote local analyst Joao Feijo earlier this year. 'The discontent that is created here is very great and this kind of discontent is capitalised on by these violent groups. Many individuals joined this group because they had no other alternative,' he added. Signs of discontent can be found in villagers claiming that they have not been sufficiently compensated for giving up land that most rely on for subsistence farming, according to evidence collected by local NGO Justica Ambiental, after Mozambique LNG was given rights to 6,625 hectares of land to build its liquefaction terminal. 'We agreed that the company would take our areas, but when they took our areas – the forests and fields – and they didn't want to pay us, they denied it,' said Neto Agostino Paulo resident of Macala Village, in footage captured by Justica Ambiental in summer 2024. Fellow Macala villager Adija Momade Sumail Nkabwi said: 'The company came here to lie to us that they were going to compensate us for our property that they had occupied, leaving us with false expectations'. The spokesperson for TotalEnergies told The Independent that prior to the force majeure announcement, 89 per cent of compensation payments had been paid within six months of the signing of compensation agreements, and 66 per cent were paid within 90 days. 'The Force Majeure situation has prevented the full implementation of the relocation and compensation process and has slowed down the exercise,' they said. 'Drill baby, drill' For OCI's Adam McGibbon, the violence and displacement witnessed in Cabo Delgado is a 'classic example of the resource curse': The phenomenon where resource-rich countries with abundant natural resources ironically end up with a multitude of problems. Nigeria and Angola – both oil-rich countries plagued by corruption and inequality – are oft-cited examples of countries to have suffered this fate in Africa. At the same time, it has also been said that given the low living standards of countries like Mozambique, any opportunity to bring in billions of dollars of foreign investment is a good thing. Some, like former Irish President Mary Robinson, have argued that African nations should be allowed to extract natural gas to develop. But there are growing concerns that the economic benefits originally conceived in Mozambique LNG might not ever materialise, even if the project goes ahead as planned. For all the talk of ' Drill baby, drill ' coming from Donald Trump in the White House right now, the prospects of a major new LNG production terminal are much weaker than in 2020. Since Russia invaded Ukraine in 2022, and subsequently shut off pipeline gas flows to Europe, planned new LNG facilities in the US and Qatar have driven up projections of global LNG capacity. An increase of nearly 50 per cent is currently on the horizon, according to the International Energy Agency (IEA). This ' LNG glut ', as the IEA describes it, is exacerbated by renewables continually beating targets in Europe and Asia, as well as a global push for 'energy security' that did not exist in 2020, and which is making governments less inclined to rely on expensive liquefied gas imports for energy. 'If and when TotalEnergies' Mozambique LNG project gets off the ground, it will be adding further supply into a market characterised by oversupply and lacklustre demand,' says Simon Nicholas, from IEEFA, a think tank. 'This can hardly be a surprise: There is a long history in Sub-Saharan Africa of fossil fuel projects doing nothing to boost development in the host country.' If global gas markets are oversupplied, there is a risk that Mozambique LNG will become a 'stranded asset', which will plummet in value – or even become a liability for Mozambique. Even a 'moderate-paced transition' away from fossil fuels globally would lead to Mozambique seeing gas revenues of just 20 per cent of what they would be in a slow-paced transition, a report from the think tank Carbon Tracker has found. The authors described countries looking to exploit oil and gas assets for the first time as making a 'significant gamble'. 'Huge economic costs' TotalEnergies has also structured its LNG deals in a way that activists have warned is disadvantageous to Mozambique, with revenues Mozambique set to come in the mid-2030s and 2040s, think tank IISD has said. This means that if the project does not see out its lifespan, TotalEnergies and other partners will have seen an outsize share of profits so far, with Mozambique losing out. Mozambique also faces 'substantial economic risks' related to investor-state dispute settlements (ISDS), a separate report from Columbia University found last year. ISDS are lawsuits where foreign investors sue countries where they have invested if they believe the government has violated the terms of the agreement. Mozambique's international investment agreements allow foreign investors to bypass the national judicial system in such disputes, the report found, while 'stabilisation clauses' protect investments from unexpected regulatory changes or new fiscal rules, potentially preventing Mozambique enacting new legislation to transition away from fossil fuels. 'What they have basically done is said Mozambique cannot invest in climate action without paying huge economic costs,' says Daniel Ribeiro, a Mozambican activist with Justica Ambiental. Such an arrangement is likely to 'only amplify social tensions in Cabo Delgado,' if little money is seen to reach local people while a Western company makes large profits, warns Ribeiro. Given the insurgency, delays, and economic concerns, it might seem the simplest thing for Mozambique to do would be to try and pull out of the deal. However, the country has racked up government debts since gas was discovered, using expected future gas revenues as collateral for borrowing. But expectations have not matched reality. The year 2016 also saw a corruption scandal rock the country after it was found that members of the Mozambican Government had secretly taken out loans for themselves from London-based banks, using assurances of future LNG gas revenues to do so. A 2023 report from Debt Justice found that the Mozambican government has been paying back some of those loans. Mozambique's external national debt more than doubled between 2010 and 2018, according to CEICC data, while Friends of the Earth has warned that potential corruption arising from the 'mere promises of LNG development' may have already cost the country more than any actual profit the project could generate for the country over its lifetime. For Ribeiro, who lives in the Mozambican capital of Maputo, the priority for the country should be investing in renewables and climate change adaptation. 'My main message is that the cost of climate change is going to be far greater than any profits from Mozambique LNG, and that should be the priority,' he says. The country is considered one of the most climate-vulnerable on the continent, exposed to extreme weather concerns including cyclones, droughts and floods. Cyclone Kenneth, which hit Cabo Delgado in 2019, caused damage estimated at $300m. But the Trump administration has a different idea about what is good for the country. Weeks before confirming its $4.7bn loan for Mozambique LNG, the US government shut down the USAID-backed Power Africa programme's operations in the country – with an emphasis on renewable energy – which has been leading efforts to boost energy access, in a country where only 40 per cent of the country's population has access to electricity. 'Cycle of death' The push to resume the Mozambique LNG project also comes despite the fact that the Islamist insurgency very much remains a threat. While insurgents no longer control full towns and villages, they have become more agile, and have stepped up the number of road blocks in recent weeks, according to local media. 'There are still believed to be several insurgency units of hundred or so people, and they still have the ability to make attacks and destabilise the area,' says Ribeiro. 'And every time they suffer losses, they continue to be able to recruit. Why? Because we are still not dealing with the economic and social drivers of the problem,' he adds. The EU is currently funding Rwandan troops to help protect the region - but this arrangement is also under threat due to accusations Rwanda has been supporting rebels in the Democratic Republic of Congo, as well as allegations that the Mozambican government is using units trained by the EU for protest suppression. For Marisa Lourenço, an independent risk analyst in Southern Africa, the threat of violence is 'definitely still there' in Cabo Delgado. She believes that while TotalEnergies will be able to securely lock down its site on the coast, it remains unclear if doing so is worth the money. 'TotalEnergies can secure the site. But is the infrastructure cost worth it? Will it recoup its sunken costs? Probably not. TotalEnergies rushed into taking on this project, and I think it regrets it,' she believe. For Mozambique, meanwhile, it remains clear for Ribeiro that the best option is for the country to pull out of the project. 'Pulling out will cause a whole host of problems in the short term, but it will help us emerge from this cycle of death,' he says. So long as the project continues, the Western world can turn a blind eye to what is happening in Mozambique, by imagining that it is financially supporting the country, believes Ribeiro. But if the project fails, then the country can focus on other development pathways that actually benefit the people. 'It's like a chronic condition that keeps flaring up, for which there is no cure' he says. 'Sometimes you just need to take the bullet.'
