Day: Nov 6, 2025

Market Overton - 17th Century Window!

Market Overton: 17th Century Window! (6.11.2025)

What is now the dining area – where I set-up my study space – was probably once part of the garden. Therefore, the window itself was once considered the height of building technology. In those days, draughts from blowing winds were a major issue. The frame of this window is firmly embedded in the wall-structure so that no wind can penetrate. The cement and plaster hold it robustly in place – whilst its relatively small surface area allows for strength and stability. As glass was not as strong then as it is now – the panes of glass used were far-smaller – with each held in-place by its own frame. Furthermore, and a feature I like, is the central pane that possesses a stout hinging and opening and shutting mechanism. Even today – this design still retains much of its original strength – whilst being now inside the house means it is now better preserved.

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A Cuckoo Pecks the Tree Outside Our Bedroom Window!

Sutton: A Woodpecker Outside Our Bedroom Window! (6.11.2025)

Whilst getting ready for school – our youngest daughter (Kai-Lin) – heard a “knocking” outside our bedroom window in our first-floor flat (the window is more or less in-line with the treetops nearby). When Gee pulled-back the curtain (it was around 8 am) to everyone’s surprise – there was what looked like a juvenile Woodpecker attempting to develop a head of steam through its inexperienced pecking! Normally, we only ever hear these birds “out of sight” as it were, but even then, only at a considerable distance (usually in woodland or nears forests) – but I have never seen such a rural bird landing within a city context.

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This photo taken with a mobile phone shows a supporter presenting a poster of Democratic candidate Zohran Mamdani during the New York City mayoral election in New York City, the United States, Nov. 4, 2025. Democratic candidate Zohran Mamdani won the New York City mayoral election Tuesday night, becoming the first muslim mayor of the most populous city in the United States. (Photo by Winston Zhou/Xinhua)

New York: Democrat Zohran Mamdani Wins Race for New York City Mayor! (6.11.2025)

NEW YORK, Nov. 4 (Xinhua) — Democratic candidate Zohran Mamdani won the New York City mayoral election Tuesday night, becoming the first muslim mayor of the most populous city in the United States.

By 00:30 a.m. East Time (0530 GMT) Wednesday, Mamdani had seized around 50.4 percent of the votes, while former New York Governor Andrew Cuomo, running as an independent, had collected 41.4 percent, and Republican candidate Curtis Sliwa had garnered only 7.1 percent, according to the preliminary results issued by the Board of Elections in the City of New York.

Mamdani, born in Uganda, is currently a member of the New York State Assembly and is set to take office on Jan. 1, 2026.

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South African President Cyril Ramaphosa (4th R) receives the G20 Extraordinary Committee Report on Global Inequality from Nobel Laureate Joseph Stiglitz (3rd R), UNAIDS Executive Director Winnie Byanyima (1st R), and four other leading global experts of the committee at a ceremony in Cape Town, South Africa, on Nov. 4, 2025. (Photo by Shakirah Thebus/Xinhua)

South Africa: G20 Report Warning of Global Inequality Crisis Unveiled! (6.11.2025)

Drawing on data from the World Inequality Lab, the analysis showed that the world’s richest one percent have increased their average wealth by 1.3 million U.S. dollars since 2000, while the poorest 50 percent gained only 585 U.S. dollars, adjusted for inflation. Though income gaps between individuals have narrowed largely due to growth in China, the wealth divide between the Global North and South remains substantial.

“The world understands that we have a climate emergency; it is time we recognized that we face an inequality emergency too,” said Stiglitz, who chaired the six-member committee behind the report.

Much of the wealth at the top stems from “monopoly power and exploitation,” he said, adding that inequality is “not the laws of nature, but the laws of man.”

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