China's every action is portrayed as part of a bid for world domination. Shady authoritarian allies like Modi’s India are promoted as allies of the west in “the struggle for democratic values”.
The greatest threats in a post-Brexit Britain stem from the country being a weaker power than it was five years ago, but pretending to be a stronger one.
Britain outside the EU is inevitably even more dependent on the US than before. Many will ask what is new about the reliance on Washington.
It is happening at a moment when America is moving to confront China, and to a lesser degree Russia, in a new cold war in which Britain will be a participant but will have very little influence.
Theatrical antics – like sending a British destroyer off Crimea, and dispatching the aircraft carrier Queen Elizabeth to the South China Sea – are gestures designed to persuade public opinion at home that Britain once again has a global role.
The problem facing all populist leaders in the world is that they promise bread and circuses for everybody, but seldom deliver them. This is true of Trump in the US and Modi in India, and is also the case for Johnson in Britain.
• • •
Missing some Tweet in this thread? You can try to
force a refresh
» Modi accused of treason by opposition over India spyware disclosures | India | The Guardian theguardian.com/news/2021/jul/…
The stories, published in the Guardian and in partner media outlets around the world on Sunday and Monday, revealed details of hundreds of verified Indian phone numbers that appear in leaked records of numbers.
In a statement, the opposition Congress party accused the Modi government of being the “deployer and executor” of a “spying racket”.
Tensions remain high as hopes dashed for breakthrough in China and India stalemate - The Guardian theguardian.com/world/2021/jul…
The clash did not result in all-out declarations of war, but pledges of de-escalation and multiple rounds of failed military talks have instead been overshadowed by a year of troop, artillery and infrastructure buildup.
While Indian army officers say they cannot match the high-tech Chinese infrastructure, they at times admitted to copying their way of living.
The chapters are: 1. Seize Power (Hitler), 2. Crush Your Rivals (Saddam), 3. Reign through Terror (Idi Amin), 4. Control the Truth (Stalin), 5. Create a New Society (Gaddafi), 6. Rule Forever (Kim Il-sung and family). afr.com/life-and-luxur…
Idi Amin was nicknamed “Big Daddy” or “the gentle giant”, before he revealed his true nature, which resulted in the disappearances of about 300,000 Ugandans.
Colonel Gaddafi came to power on a wave of popularity and a platform of genuine reform. He would remain in charge for 42 years, growing steadily more quixotic and brutal, until he literally died in a ditch.
In contrast with the U.S. states that have explicitly banned vaccination mandates or passports, the European Union is using digital covid certificates, with scannable QR codes that quickly show if someone has been vaccinated, tested negative or recovered from covid-19.
As in Greece and Italy, vaccination would become mandatory for health workers in France by fall. Most everyone else here would still be in a position to decline vaccines.
Both England and Wales recorded the hottest day of the year on Sunday, beating records set on Saturday, and forecasters predict it could be even warmer throughout the week up to Thursday.