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sudden shock

Exceptional heat characterized the weekend and broke many records. The communities of Sherbrooke and Mont-Tremblant also experienced their hottest August 6 and 7 on record.

record cold

The days follow each other but are not the same: Monday, these are cold records that could be broken almost anywhere in the province. Montreal, for example, is in a good position to bring a new brand to the board.

Jump forward

Responsible for this trend reversal is the passage of a cold front that hit Quebec on Sunday. It effectively encouraged the formation of an atmospheric trough, thereby opening the door to a cooler air mass. The arrival of a system and its imposing cloud cover will contribute to this particularly chilly start to the week. Temperatures are therefore likely to remain below seasonal norms for the remainder of the week. The dew point is also much lower as humidity lingers after crossing the cold front. The impression of freshness persists, especially early in the morning. This freshness kick, paired with a rather shy sun, gives a touch of autumn next week. In fact, autumn weather is often marked by an increased presence of clouds and a drop in mercury.

Remember that the normals are now on a downward slope. From August 15, the average temperature decreases by 1°C per week. Here are the normal values ​​by region from August 1st to August 31st:

• Gaspe: 25°C to 21°C
• Sept-Iles: 21°C to 17°C
• Rimouski: 23°C to 19°C
• Saguenay: 24°C to 21°C
• Quebec and Sherbrooke: 25°C to 22°C
• Montreal and Gatineau: 27°C to 24°C
• Val d’Or: 23°C to 20°C

Regardless, a more heat-friendly course is possible for the end of August. Temperatures could rise above seasonal norms again.

ALSO SEE: The Slow March into Fall Begins

Around 49% of Singaporeans say they are considering Japan for their next vacation abroad, according to market research firm YouGov.

Among young citizens, interest is likely to be even greater. About 68% of Singaporeans aged 16 to 24 said they are considering Japan for their “next vacation,” compared to 37% of those over 55, according to a study published in May.

Japan was by far the top choice among respondents, while the second choice, Taiwan, attracted the interest of 39% of respondents. According to the results, around 26% expressed an interest in taking a holiday to Malaysia, but this may have been influenced by the survey question asking specifically about ‘by air’ travel plans.

Still, Wanping Aw, CEO of Tokyo-based travel agency Tokudaw, said her company saw a big uptick in business after Japan reopened its borders in June — with 50% of inquiries and bookings coming from Singapore, she said.

Why Singaporeans like Japan

Japan has always been a popular travel destination for Singaporeans, Aw said, especially for those who want a change of seasons.

Spring and winter are the two “high seasons” for travelers from Singapore, she said. “They like cherry blossoms and snow very much.”

Singaporean trader Alex Ng said he was planning a trip to Japan this fall.

Wanping Aw at Shinjuku Gyoen, a popular park in Tokyo. Aw, a Singaporean, has lived in Japan for 13 years.

Source: Wanping Aw

A self-proclaimed “Japanophile,” Ng said the country hits the “sweet spot” between the familiar and the unfamiliar.

He said Japan’s safety, cleanliness and professionalism are comparable to Singapore’s, as is compliance with social rules for the greater good.

“Trains don’t go on strike while you’re rushing back from a day trip,” he said. “We feel comfortable in this structure. It’s familiar how we live here, which is probably why most Singaporeans like Switzerland.”

The food is also well-known — rice-based with ingredients like fish, pork, and tofu — but it “branches out in myriad intriguing directions from there.”

Alex Ng said most Singaporeans enjoy the intricacies of Japanese culture. “It’s cathartic and inspiring to experience.”

Source: Alex Ng

He said he also appreciates the religious differences between the two countries.

“We are fortunate to have a range of religions here in Singapore,” he said. But “the Shintoism that influences much of Japanese life and culture – particularly its architecture, aesthetics, cultivation and care of natural spaces – is quite different from what we grew up with.”

And the cherry blossoms? “Hundreds of years have been spent cultivating tens of thousands of cherry blossom trees… for a few weeks of lively celebrations each year.”

“I’m not tired of the spectacle,” he said.

Confusion is the order of the day

Singapore is one of more than 100 countries and territories marked “blue” in Japan’s color-coded entry classification system.

Travelers from these locations do not need to undergo a Covid-19 test or quarantine on arrival, nor do they need to be vaccinated to enter the country. However, visas and Covid-19 PCR tests are required before the flight, according to the website of the Japanese embassy in Singapore.

But the requirements beyond that have confused many travelers, Aw said.

This applies in particular to the regulation according to which tourists “are only allowed to enter the country if, among other things, a travel agency that organizes the trip serves as the receiving organization of the people entering the country,” as the Japanese Ministry of Foreign Affairs explained.

Sites like this use a “language that speaks in loops,” Aw said.

Everyone is confused and stressed about the visa application process.

“And this misunderstanding is escalated by the fact that the Japanese embassies use the word ‘package tour,'” she said. This conjures up images of “30 to 40 strangers on a large bus, traveling along a set route with a set itinerary.”

But that’s not right, she said.

One person can book a “package tour,” she said, adding that since Japan’s borders opened in June, she has arranged three individual tour bookings — including one from Singapore.

The term “pre-determined itinerary” also confuses potential travelers.

“Everyone seems to have the impression that they have to nail their itinerary to the hour or the minute…that it’s difficult to come up with,” she said. “But it’s not as difficult as it seems.”

Another problem – “everyone is confused and stressed about the visa application process,” she said.

To apply for a tourist visa, travelers must plan an itinerary and book their flights and accommodations before she can process their “ERFS certificates,” she said, referring to an approval document visitors need before they can apply for their visa.

Only Japanese companies can apply for the certificate, but travelers can work through travel agencies in their home countries, which in turn work with their local partners in Japan, she said.

Once an ERFS certificate is earned, travelers can apply for their visas, Aw said.

Finally the companion

In addition to working with an agency, international travelers must “always” travel with a companion, Aw said.

Guests have to pay for the escort, who is a travel agency employee, Aw said. But on the other hand, escorts can help with things like restaurant reservations and train schedules to make trips go more smoothly, she said.

Supervised travel is not an exclusion criterion for Ng, nor is Japan’s rest of travel rules, he said. However, he said he would probably travel to Japan more often if the rules were less cumbersome.

For now, Ng said he was optimistic.

“There is a good chance that Japan will ease restrictions further soon as the election is now over,” he said.

Ng said he had secured his flights and hotels – but not his visa – on the assumption the rules could be different in the autumn.

Aw said many other Singaporeans are doing the same. They are making plans but are delaying the process of applying for their visas “as long as they can,” she said.

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UNUSUAL – It’s nothing new, the English are known for their very odd cuisine, devouring sausage-covered eggs or a lard pudding. All for breakfast, of course.

But our British neighbors took a new step towards naughtiness this summer by taking mayonnaise ice cream, as you can (unfortunately) see in our video at the top of the article.

Fashion designer Anya Hindmarch had the strange idea of ​​launching The Ice Cream Project. Specifically, it is an ephemeral shop in London that offers 14 extraordinary flavors of ice cream. Forget vanilla or chocolate: Here customers order balls with soy sauce, ketchup, HP sauce or even baked beans. A scoop sells for £3.5 (€4.15) and the 500ml jar for £10 (about €12).

The Ice Cream Project is The Village’s newest concept store, offering a collection of unexpectedly delicious i… https://t.co/tpzgk7dXF8

– This is London (@ThisIsLondonmag)

See the tweet

“British Cupboard Classics”

“The aim is to improve everyday taste. “, explains the Portal agency Hannah Wearne, shop assistant in this unusual shop. “We took the classics from British pantries and turned them into ice cream. »

Launched in The Village on July 9th, the store is always full. According to managers, the equivalent of six weeks of ice cream was sold in just four days. “Our ice cream is very popular. We have our own regular guests, which is very nice,” adds the employee.

“Due to the success of The Ice Cream Project, you may have to queue before entering the store. We will always do our best to serve as many people as possible. There may be days when we have to close the queue to avoid disappointment for those who wait unnecessarily. »

📣Due to the success of The Ice Cream Project, you may have to queue before entering the store. We will always do our… https://t.co/IY5XVRkstX

—Anya Hindmarch (@anyahindmarch)

See the tweet

Managers also clarified that the most popular flavors are Kellogg’s Froosties cereal ice cream and Coco Pops. The pop-up store closes on August 28th.

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Split

Amnesty International is dealing with very harsh and almost unanimous reactions to its “report”, which we have not been able to read because only a sparse communiqué was published on August 4 about alleged Ukrainian military tactics endangering the population. The (veiled) accusation of using civilians as human shields, setting up military posts in apartment buildings, schools and hospitals enraged President Zelenskyy, according to which the human rights organization did not say a word between August 6 and August 7, immediately after Iron and Fire in Zaporizhia nuclear power plant, which endangered the entire European continent.

On Sunday 7 August, Amnesty again defended the report but expressed “regret for causing pain, anger and suffering”. Meanwhile, the organization’s Ukrainian manager, Oksana Pokalchuk, resigned: “Unless you live in a country occupied by invaders who are tearing it apart, you probably don’t understand what it means to condemn an ​​army of defenders,” commented he.

On the Russian side, Amnesty received a lot of praise. It was repeated on television in Moscow that “according to Amnesty, the Ukrainian armed forces are doing what we have been talking about for so long,” and indeed in these five months of war Russian forces have committed massacres almost every time. they justified themselves by having pursued military goals. If this were also true, it would mean an admission of indiscriminate and untargeted strikes, even with the notorious cluster bombs prohibited by the laws of war.

The unanimous criticism

Amnesty’s allegations against the Ukrainian army were met with almost unanimous disapproval by numerous experts and many newspapers. For the philosopher Bernard Henri Levy, “It is like accusing the French resistance of fighting in the streets of Paris in August 1944. It’s a mixture of stupidity and cynicism. It means playing Putin’s game”. Corriere war correspondent Lorenzo Cremonesi, who spent a long time in Ukraine during that war, wrote an editorial on August 7 with a very clear title: “Amnesty was wrong about Ukraine”. Journalist Cristiano Tinazzi, who has also been in Ukraine for an extended period of time in recent months, wrote a thread on Twitter to explain the errors in the Amnesty statement. But perhaps the most poignant editorial is that of the respected The Times: “The Times’ vision on Amnesty International’s report on Ukraine: Putin’s propagandists”.

Amnesty International did not take into account the context of the war, which is not being fought in open country. Since February 24, the Russians have been targeting towns and villages. We got acquainted with the names Mariupol, Irpin, Bucha: cities with 100,000 to 500,000 inhabitants. Urban spaces, with houses and streets. Could Ukraine have defended Mariupol, which was raided by the Russians in the countryside? Obviously not. Whatever has been verified by Amnesty (unverifiable quotes from ordinary people are mentioned in the available press release), the context must not be forgotten.

At the same time, contrary to what Amnesty writes in the communiqué, since the beginning of the war Ukraine has done everything possible to evacuate as many civilians as possible. Unfortunately, the safety regulations do not allow large numbers. For example, between August 5 and 6, 601 were evacuated from the Donetsk region. Sometimes these evacuations are genuine high-risk operations by armed forces special forces. In the past, attempts were primarily made (also with Turkish mediation) to agree on humanitarian corridors, but this did not always work. We reported in this newspaper about the escape of a woman from Kherson and what happened to the next caravan (shot and forced to return). And how can we forget the Russian missiles at Kramatorsk station on crowded civilians waiting for a train to escape?

Meanwhile, Ukraine’s Center for Strategic Communications and Information Security (Spravdi) conducted a thorough investigation and concluded that the organization used testimonies from people who were in “filtration camps” and prisons of the occupied territories in Donetsk and Luhansk. The interviews, Spravdi writes on Telegram, were conducted “under obvious pressure from the security forces of the Russian Federation”. And again: “Sometimes this conversation was the only way (for the displaced, editor’s note) to pass through the filter and leave the borders of the occupied territories”. The interviews would therefore not represent an authentic and honest point of view, but only the one “fitting” to the circumstances.

No difference between pursuer and victim

The Amnesty communiqué makes no distinction between the persecutor and the victim, between the intruder and the intruder, between the aggressor and the attacked. No Ukrainian military would have had to shoot, hide in the trenches, if another country had not invaded free and independent Ukraine. So Amnesty has taken on enormous responsibility. First, filing inaccurate complaints without providing supporting evidence. And then the support of Russian propaganda, which has already begun to use the organization’s report to their advantage. Finally, to take the situation out of context and to accuse Ukraine, very seriously, of using civilians as human shields without any substantial evidence (and there cannot be) to prove it.

This invalidates Amnesty’s previous allegations against Russia, and a reputable newspaper like the Times can afford to claim that the report is the result of Putin’s propaganda.

Anthony Guterres. Photo: Zumapress

António Guterres, Secretary-General of the United Nations (UN), warned of an impending catastropheregarding the attacks last week on the Russian-controlled Zaporizhia nuclear power plant in Ukraine.

At activities commemorating the 77th anniversary of the Hiroshima bombing in Japan, Guterres said such an act would be “a suicide squad” with unpredictable consequences.

“Right now that the nuclear threat is back, we must call on countries with nuclear weapons to commit not to use them. If not, it would mean the destruction of the planet,” Guterres told the Japanese press.

Although he harshly criticized the events, Guterres said has not held directly responsible any of the parties involved in the conflict, share allegations of authorship of the attacks.

The Zaporizhia nuclear power plant is the largest in Europe and has been under Russian control since the early days of the Russian military operation to denazify Ukraine and support the self-proclaimed republics of Donetsk and Lugansk.

In his statements the UN chief reiterated his support for the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), whose experts were willing to inspect the Zaporizhia plant, while Ukraine was opposed, so as not to legitimize Russian rule.

After meeting Emperor Naruhito, Guterres said Japan is an essential pillar of multilateralism, a defender of world peace, security and disarmament.

“The world must never forget what happened here,” said Guterres from Hiroshima.

(Adopted from Telesur)

See also:

Russia and the main switch

Aleix Espargaró arrived at the British GP with recharged batteries after a long summer for the MotoGP World Championship members. I wanted to take advantage of the suspension of Championship leader Fabio Quartararo and Aprilia’s good moment to continue taking points from the Frenchman. However, a hard fall in the last practice session on Saturday threw a spanner in the works. What seemed like a major shock turned into a major setback for his title attack plan this Monday: broken right heel and seven days of absolute rest without even being able to even support the leg.

The new diagnosis came this afternoon after a thorough examination at the Dexeus University Hospital in Barcelona. On both Saturday and Sunday, the Granollers rider put in a commendable performance to save the furniture and stay within reach of the reigning world champion. Unable to walk alone and barely an hour after being shot down at 170 km/h and hitting the tarmac violently, Aleix managed to break the previous course record during the qualifying round. His performance earned him sixth place on the grid and he ended the day with applause from the team’s mechanics upon arrival in the pits. The next day, with a lot of cool blood and a good dose of anti-inflammatories, he managed to finish the race in ninth place, just behind Quartararo. “Now I feel pain everywhere. Feet are better than on Saturday, I can walk. But I have a lot of pain in my legs, in my neck, in my back,” he said at the end of the race. “I think we’re going to have very close races in the last eight races on the way to the championship.”

Aleix Espargaró is joined by members of his team at last weekend’s British Grand Prix.AFP7 via Europa Press (AFP7 via Europa Press)

Despite the bad news, the fact that the tournament’s second-placed team – 22 points behind the leaders – is positive that he does not need an operation to heal his injured foot. In order not to support this, you have to use crutches throughout the week. After being left on a stretcher after his crash in FP4, the result is the best in a complicated scenario at this stage of the Championship. His efforts during a race where he seemed to have the pace to win before the crash allowed him to remain the only rider to finish in the points in the twelve races that year. “It’s a shame because I couldn’t overtake, I couldn’t be aggressive, I couldn’t make up any positions,” analyzed the Catalan, who was very ambitious despite the circumstances. On the last lap he even threw the bike to Quartararo to scratch him another notch in the standings: “It wasn’t about points, it was about finishing up front. I tried, but unfortunately I missed a good opportunity to catch up today.”

Espargaró’s goal is to reach the Austrian GP on August 21 in the best physical condition possible. He will try, if his body allows, to stay hooked on the fight for a title that nobody could have imagined a year ago today when he himself gave Aprilia their first podium since the brand’s return to the premier class in 2015 .

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Olivia Newton-John, best known for her role as Sandy Olson in the cult musical Grease, has died at the age of 73, her husband said in a statement published on social media on Monday.

The actress “passed away peacefully this morning at her Southern California ranch surrounded by family and friends.” She has battled breast cancer for 30 years.

With varnished hair and leather jackets, Olivia Newton-John rose to fame after playing the role of Sandy in Grease (1978) opposite John Travolta. The latter paid tribute to him vividly: “My dear Olivia, you have made our lives better. Her influence was incredible. I love you so much,” the actor posted on Instagram.

Olivia Newton-John also has around forty country and pop-rock albums to her credit – including “Physical,” a big hit in 1981 – and has performed hundreds of concerts around the world.

Ever since the cancer struck her in her 40s — breast cancer and mastectomy in 1992, then two recurrences with metastases in 2013 and 2017 — the star has dedicated all her energies and fame to fighting the disease. “Olivia has been a beacon of triumph and hope for 30 years by sharing her experience with breast cancer,” her husband wrote, noting that a fund had been set up in his name to fund research on plants: medicines and cancer , the Olivia Newton-John Foundation Fund.

singing star

Queen Elizabeth II, born in Cambridge on September 26, 1948, with the title “Dame Commander of the Order of the British Empire”, is the granddaughter of the German physicist Max Born, whose work on quantum theory was crowned with the Nobel Prize. His father fought in the British armed forces during World War II and was involved in the arrest of Rudolf Hess.

The one we called “Livvy” was only five years old when her family moved to the Antipodes. Destination Melbourne, Australia. With her passion for music, she won a local singing competition at the age of 16. Her mother urges her to pursue her talent and they both go back to England. First singles, first successes. In 1974 she represented Great Britain in the Eurovision Song Contest and finished fourth but lost behind… Abba.

Then on to California, where she made a name for herself on the country and western scene. The Anglo-Australian has even been named “The Most Popular Singer in the United States” twice and wins a Grammy Award beating Queen Dolly Parton.

“You are the one who I want”

Crowned by his success in Saturday Night Fever, John Travolta blows his name for Grease. Released in 1978, the film was an instant hit worldwide. In France, it has 6 million visitors… more than Les Demoiselles de Rochefort or West Side Story! Everyone is humming “summer nights” and “you’re the one i want”.

And its finale becomes a myth, with the transformation of Sandy, the blond and wise schoolgirl, into a femme fatale who appears in the middle of the fairground, cigarette in mouth, black biker jacket, strapless top, tight lamé pants and dizzying heels… In she sways to a frenetic rhythm and electrifies Danny (John Travolta), the rebel with the smooth banana. The original outfit was auctioned in 2019 for … $405,700.

Despite this worldwide success, Olivia Newton-John did not continue her momentum in the cinema for long. She’s filming another musical romance, Xanadu, with Gene Kelly and a new movie with John Travolta, Two of a kind, but the magic doesn’t work as well. In addition to a few roles in film and television, she devoted herself mainly to singing and her Californian ranch, where she lived surrounded by animals.

by Greta Privitera

Ambassador Caroline Kennedy Met The Two Children Of The Men Who Saved The President-elect And His Crew: ‘I’m So Grateful To Be Here’

Between 1961 and 1963, during those two years and ten months of Kennedy’s presidency, anyone who entered the Oval Office and looked closely at the President’s desk could see, to the left behind the lamp, a wooden panel with some kind of coin quarters in it, a brown moon, a somewhat whimsical paperweight. This unexpected item, found on a presidential table, contained part of a coconut shell engraved with the words that saved JFK’s life in 1943.

In addition to China’s renewing US influence in the South Pacific, the famous coconut is also why Caroline Kennedy, the new US Ambassador to Australia, went to Honiara, Solomon Islands. On the 80th anniversary of the Battle of Guadalcanal – a battle between Allied and Japanese forces that marked a turning point in World War II – Caroline Kennedy excitedly met John Koloni, son of Eroni Kumana, and Nelma Ane, daughter of Biuku Gasa. the two men who delivered the pod of rescue to the Australian Coast Guard they were working with. “I’m so thankful to be here. Thank you and I hope that one day I can bring my children and continue this relationship,” the ambassador said.

The coconut shell story is worthy of a Hollywood screenplay. During the war, JFK commands a small naval unit that patrols the South Pacific. On August 2, 1943, his boat was rammed by a Japanese destroyer. From this point on, the future president becomes a kind of rambo ante litteram. Once in the sea, he swims more than three miles (nearly five kilometers) to the nearest island, clamps the belt of an injured companion’s life jacket between his teeth, and carries him to safety. With the remains of his crew, they arrive on a deserted island, where they only eat coconuts for two days. JFK realizes that staying there isn’t a good idea, and back at sea they arrive at a larger island. It is August 5th, while JFK and a companion are looking for water and food, they see Eroni Kumana and Biuku Gasa, their rescuers in a canoe from afar. They are two Solomon Islanders who were fortunate to have worked alongside the Allies in the Coast Guard. Kumana himself recalled meeting the American crew in an interview with National Geographic: «Some of them cried, others shook our hands. When Kennedy saw us, he ran to us and hugged us.” JFK remembers writing an SOS message on the coconut shell to deliver to the soldiers: “Nauro Island. Commander. The natives know. 11 survivors. Need a small boat. Kenny”. All in capital letters. The two men bring the message to the Allied troops at great risk, because in order to do so they cross the waters occupied by the Japanese enemies in their canoe and rescue the future President of the United States and his men For years Kennedy kept in touch with Kumana and Gaza, and today daughter Caroline continues the tradition.This heroic story also served his rise into politics.After all, who could not believe that a leader saves a crew with a coconut?

Aug 8, 2022 (Modified Aug 8, 2022 | 10:28 p.m.)

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