Why divorce rates are falling fast

I am a child of unhappily divorced people. Apparently, there are happily divorced people, but I have always thought they were a myth; an invention of advertisers, who need people to always be happy, even in extremis. Your heart can be in pieces, but how well you wear a cashmere shrug and gambol with a puppy!

For me, it was like growing up filled with emotional shrapnel. I didn’t think I would get married, although I always wanted to. I felt incapable of trust. I was love-shy. I am married now, although I do not know if I will stay married. Does anyone really know if they will survive? The fractures between us are large and growing. Sometimes we fill them in, and sometimes not. Perhaps one day we will no longer want to.

I always had a ghoulish interest in marriage though – and in divorce. It was a secret and unacknowledged obsession, which I tried to pretend I was above. Before I was married I would haunt wedding shows deliberately – and insultingly. (I was born to a woman who would shout at random brides, helpfully: "Don’t do it!") I was jealous, and contemptuous. But I wanted to get married, and for bad reasons. I wanted to get married to show I was not broken. I wanted to get married to prove I was wanted.

For that is what marriage is: the universal sign of being wanted, and settled, and loved. Nothing exposes your needs – and defects – like relationships. When I became engaged at 39 I expected congratulations, for, as my husband said, quoting Louis CK, he was the last branch I clung to as I fell out of the tree, and I married him, at least partially, because he said things like that. He knew things about me that I didn’t. My friends treated me like a bad investment that had, suddenly and miraculously, produced a dividend.

Too often, you come to the most important relationship of your adult life like a child, with all a child’s needs, hopes and fears. So, I have been asking people why they got divorced. It’s a curiously intimate question if you really dig in, and ask how they felt, rather than what happened. What were you seeking and how did you feel when it didn’t show up?

Jerry Seinfeld announces four London dates in summer 2019

Jerry Seinfeld is to give four rare performances in London when he brings his standup show to the Hammersmith Apollo in summer 2019.

Seinfeld will perform two shows a night on 12 and 13 July, marking his return to the capital for the first time in seven years. The 64-year-old superstar comedian, who found international fame with his eponymous TV series, has had recent hits with the Netflix special Jerry Before Seinfeld and the Emmy-nominated web series Comedians in Cars Getting Coffee. He will arrive in the UK after a residency at the Beacon theatre, New York.

The comic recently gave an interview to the New York Times in which he reflected on the current climate in comedy including Bill Cosby's sentence for sexual assault, Louis CK's return to live performance after admitting sexual misconduct and the cancellation of Roseanne Barr's show after she posted a racist tweet.

Seinfeld said that the intensity of solo standup is what makes it so popular: “The thing about being in comedy is, 'We hate you, get off the stage' is what we're used to. Every comedian has that as part of their life. Getting booed, yelled at, hated. So you almost don't notice it. You either have the skin for it or you don't."

In one of his most recent UK performances, in 2012, Seinfeld performed in Birmingham. “Oh my God, Birmingham, England!" he yelled as he took the stage. “Do you know how many years I have been wanting to come here? Zero! Never even thought about it."

Franklin Medhurst obituary

My father, Franklin Medhurst, who has died aged 98, was an architect and town planner, author, campaigner and environmentalist.

Two years ago the message in his pro-EU letter to the Guardian went viral and was retweeted by the MP Jo Cox days before she was murdered. Later, Frank, a lifelong cyclist, was asked to start the first Jo Cox Way bike ride, a 260-mile ride from Cox’s constituency in Birstall, West Yorkshire, to the House of Commons in London.

In the 1960s Frank was director of the Teesside Survey and Plan, a revolutionary 40-year urban restructuring programme. After two years, when the plan was almost complete, he was abruptly dismissed. He later claimed, in his book A Quiet Catastrophe (2013), that his firing was associated with the 70s Poulson affair.

Born to artisan glassmakers Arthur (known as Will) and Winifred (nee Maberly) in Bristol, Frank went to Askwith Memorial school in Taunton, Somerset. He was 19 when war broke out and he volunteered for the Royal Air Force. Frank served as a wireless operator and an air gunner, and was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross for sinking a U-boat, which was only located this year.

He married Betty Blackwell in 1944, and after the war received ex-serviceman grants to train as an architect at Bristol School of Architecture (1946-1951) and then at the London School of Town Planning (1951-53), where he was taught by EAA Rowse.


Betty and Frank divorced in the 70s, and in 1982 he married Jenny Hydes, a Fairtrade retailer, with whom he campaigned on poverty and against the Iraq war. He gained a further degree from the Open University in global politics (1989) and retired the following year.

In his 70s he planted a 3,000-tree wood near his home, recently named Franklin’s Wood. Complications from a heart operation in his 80s resulted in an amputation below the knee, but undeterred he bought a reclining tricycle which he rode into his late 90s. His final book, War and Liberty, was published last year.

Frank is survived by Jenny, five children from his first marriage, Nick, Steve, Bruce, Amelia and me, 11 grandchildren, 11 great-grandchildren and one great-great-grandson.

Uber and CitySprint among gig economy firms to face parliament

Uber and courier firms including CitySprint are to be called to give evidence to a parliamentary inquiry into gig economy companies that have continued to deny workers employment rights despite tribunal rulings.

Frank Field MP, chair of the work and pensions committee, is to see if changes to legislation and enforcement are needed to ensure workers have their legal employment rights.

The new inquiry comes after a string of tribunal rulings against companies, including Uber, eCourier and CitySprint, which ruled that couriers and taxi drivers should be classified as workers and be entitled to holiday pay and the minimum wage. The companies failed to deliver those rights across their workforce, and argued that their drivers and riders were self-employed contractors.

"The inquiry will, I hope, shine a bright light on the extent to which justice is being evaded in the gig economy," said Field, who resigned the Labour whip late August. "We will be looking to suggest any immediate changes that are required, both to the law itself as well as its enforcement, to ensure no company is able to evade justice."

The inquiry launches as Uber continues to fight a 2016 tribunal ruling that said its drivers were workers and not self employed. The latest round is expected to be heard at the court of appeal late in October. Since the tribunal ruling Uber has offered some improved conditions for UK drivers, including limited insurance, limits on working hours and a 24-hour phone line for support.

Uber has repeatedly insisted that most of its drivers wanted to retain the flexibility to choose their own hours. However, the firm continues to face criticism over conditions. Couriers working for its Uber Eats takeaway delivery service this week protested outside the company’s London head office over a change in pay structure, which they said left them out of pocket.

Greek, Chinese FMs Commit to Expand Cooperation

The foreign ministers of Greece and China on Monday signed a memorandum of collaboration in Beijing, in the framework of China's "One Belt, One Road" initiative.

At a press conference following their meeting, Greek Foreign Minister Nikos Kotzias and his Chinese counterpart Wang Yi affirmed the close ties between the two countries and pledged to expand their cooperation, according to the Athens News Agency.

In an official foreign ministry statement, Kotzias said that "our main goal is to deepen our political cooperation," and in that regard he said he had extended an invitation to Wang Yi to visit Athens.

The two ministers agreed to further talks on finalizing the next five-year action plan in economic cooperation between the two countries.

On his part, Wang Yi called Greece a "natural partner of China", given Greece's geographic location, comparative advantages and long-term relations of friendship and respect between the two.

Particular areas of cooperation that the two ministers discussed included, the linking of infrastructure, further promotion of trade, financial cooperation and collaboration between the peoples of the two countries in multiple sectors including tourism, science and technology, education, culture, sports, youth and local government.

Earlier, Kotzias met with top-level officials of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP). On Tuesday he is scheduled to meet separately with Chinese Vice President Wang Qishan and CCP official Yang Jiechi. He will also visit the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, the largest think-tank in Asia, where he will deliver a speech on Greek-Chinese relations and the way forward.

University, online job site renew cooperation

UNIVERSITI Tunku Abdul Rahman (Utar) is once again teaming up with JobStreet.com by launching a JobStreet Corner at its Kampar Campus.

Utar president Prof Datuk Dr Chuah Hean Teik said the university has a long-standing relationship with JobStreet.com, having, conducted various joint research projects since 2010.

"It is due to the assistance and support of industry partners like JobStreet that Utar has become what it is today.

"For instance, because of the support from several stakeholders, Utar was ranked in the Top 111-120 of the Times Higher Education Asia-Pacific University Ranking 2018," he said.


"I have faith that the ambassadors would be able to collaborate with JobStreet to benefit both organisations.

"This programme not only enables ambassadors to build character but also to develop skills through trainings provided by JobStreet.com," he said.

"Student ambassadors can also help their friends register for a JobStreet account and give advice about employment processes as well as career choices," he added.

JobStreet.com Regional Senior Manager Dominic Wong said they are happy to work with Utar in developing industry-ready graduates through the joint programmes.

"All student ambassadors were trained in the JobStreet.com workshop which was designed to help them assist other undergraduates to be more job market ready. The workshop also deepens the student ambassadors’ knowledge on the job market dynamics, leadership skills and how to conduct resume clinics," he said.

"We look forward to other collaborations in the future with Utar to help students be more career-ready as well as ultimately bridge the employments gaps in Malaysia,"

Presently, more than 51,000 Utar graduates have registered with JobStreet.com.

Editorial: Trump can't stop cooperation on climate change

President Donald Trump's sorry record of ignoring and belittling the enormous challenge of climate change has slowed progress toward solutions.

America needs broad and sustained action to cut carbon emissions into the atmosphere, which trap heat and warm the planet.

Though the president has ceded leadership on the important issue to Europe, China and other nations, a bipartisan group in Congress is trying to find consensus around a plan for action.

This includes two Wisconsin congressmen — Reps. Mike Gallagher, R-Green Bay, and Ron Kind, D-La Crosse — who are part of the 82-member Climate Solutions Caucus. By design, the group is evenly split between Republicans and Democrats. Its goal is to "educate members on economically viable options to reduce climate risk and protect our nation's economy, security, infrastructure, agriculture, water supply and public safety."

That sounds encouraging.

Lots of Democrats going back to former Vice President Al Gore have highlighted scientific warnings about global warming for decades. Now a growing number of Republicans have joined the cause. That includes U.S. Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., who stressed the need for action during his unsuccessful bid for president a decade ago.

More recently, Republican Jeb Bush favored an international agreement to lower emissions during his 2016 bid for president. And last year, James Baker and George Schultz — former Cabinet secretaries under President Ronald Reagan, outlined their proposal for a revenue-neutral carbon tax.

Swift and serious action is going to require support from both political parties.

The private sector also is stepping up to help find remedies that make environmental and economic sense. The Alliance for Market Solutions, for example, includes business executives whose goal is to "build the conservative case for a clean-energy future." The group proposes a tax on carbon in exchange for less government regulation to encourage innovation.

In a front-page story last week, the State Journal marked 30 years since NASA's top scientist warned Congress and the world that global warming had already arrived. Since then, average temperatures have climbed, and extreme weather has increased. The risk to lives and property is enormous.

One popular priority the Climate Solutions Caucus should embrace is greater investment in scientific research. America should be leading the search for clean energy breakthroughs, not waiting for other nations to discover the future.

Another way to impose a tax on carbon emissions without hurting ordinary people is to steer the revenue back to the public, perhaps in the form of a rebate or tax credit that's based on carbon use. The less carbon burned, the bigger the check or credit. Making sure any carbon tax is "revenue neutral" — so the proceeds from any tax doesn't turn into a slush fund for unrelated government spending — is the best way to build support.

From melting glaciers to bleaching coral reefs to more floods and wild fires, the effects of climate change are becoming more evident. Our nation must pull together to pursue climate solutions for the sake of our children and grandchildren.

Sino-Russian cooperation and exchange under the Belt and Road Initiative increases

Frozen grounds, cold winds and long nights - these can be a nightmare for any construction team. But this is what employees of the China Railway Major Bridge Engineering Group grappled with in past winters while building the China-Russia Tongjiang Rail Bridge crossing the border between China and Russia. The bridge is expected to trigger a commercial and infrastructure development boom in the cross-border economic corridor, along with a larger flow of cargo and people.
                                                       

Scheduled to be finished this year, the 2,280-meters bridge (about 1,900 meters of which is built by China) connects Tongjiang city in Heilongjiang Province to Nizhneleninskoye in Russia. It is one of the most important infrastructure projects to promote the implementation of the "plan for building the China-Russia-Mongolia Economic Corridors." The Chinese construction team nearly completed the major parts of the project in China over an intense 14 months in 2015, wining global praise.

With both countries embracing the upcoming year of China-Russia local cooperation and exchange, its completion is a veritable gift to facilitate China-RFE cooperation, together with joint projects in other fields between the two countries in RFE.

Cooperation tightens

In the past two years, the Russia Far East Area has absorbed $9 billion in foreign investment, of which 80 percent comes from China, which is how Russian president Vladimir Putin introduced RFE at the Eastern Economic Forum in 2017.

According to data provided by the Ministry for the Development of Russian Far East, Chinese enterprises increased by one-third in 2017. The 28 joint projects committed to the area are valued at $4 billion, accounting for 35 percent of overall foreign investment in the Far East over the past three years.

Beyond the resource-extraction industry, China's Tianjin Port Group signed a memorandum of understanding for cooperation with Commercial Port of Vladivostok Group in June of 2017 to promote the two ports' integrated development and respond to China's international Belt and Road Initiative.

Azerbaijan, India eye cooperation

The Finance Minister of India, Mr. Arun Jaitley met with the Finance Minister of Azerbaijan, Samir Sharifov in New Delhi on February 21.
                                                     

The two ministers discussed measures for expanding bilateral cooperation between Azerbaijan and India, particularly in the area of trade and investment and exchange of trade and business delegations.

The discussions also dealt with the bilateral agreements being negotiated between the two sides, namely, Bilateral Investment Treaty and the Double Taxation Avoidance Agreement.

India and Azerbaijan enjoy close friendly relations based on historical links and growing bilateral cooperation. India’s ONGC-Videsh is an equity partner in Oil and Gas sector in Azerbaijan.

In 2017, India’s export to Azerbaijan has grown by more than 60 percent and total bilateral trade between India and Azerbaijan has reached around $460 million.

The two countries have growing cooperation in capacity building under the Indian Technical and Economic Cooperation (ITEC) programme which provides fully paid training programmes for Azerbaijani professionals and students in Indian institutions.

Time for closer partnership and greater cooperation

On January 22, the Second Ministerial Meeting of the China-CELAC Forum will be held in Santiago, Chile. As an important practice of the major-country diplomacy with Chinese characteristics following the 19th National Congress of the Communist Party of China, the meeting will set the stage for greater progress in the relations between China and Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC) countries in the new era.
                                                   

Established in 2014 at the initiative of President Xi Jinping, the China-CELAC Forum is an important milestone of China's distinct foreign policy approach, signifying a new stage of mutually reinforcing progress of bilateral ties and regional cooperation in China-LAC relations.

It has extended China's regional cooperation frameworks to cover all developing countries, contributed to a full-fledged structure of China's foreign policy, added another platform for South-South cooperation and provided strong support to building a community with a shared future for China and LAC countries.

Over the past three years, the China-CELAC Forum has made solid steps and delivered tangible results. Seventeen subforum sessions have been held to promote cooperation in over 10 areas. The dialogue and exchange mechanisms between the two sides have strengthened and expanded. China's financing measures towards LAC countries have been steadily implemented, supporting more than 80 projects concerning people's livelihood in over 20 LAC countries.

China and LAC countries are both developing countries, and we both have our dreams and visions. Across the vast ocean, we look forward to joining hands with our LAC colleagues. It is my belief that with firm determination and persistent efforts, China-LAC cooperation will continue to score new progress in the new era.

Let's unite our efforts and build toward a new form of international relations featuring mutual respect, fairness, justice and win-win cooperation and a community with a shared future for mankind. Together, we will contribute to an open, inclusive, clean and beautiful world that enjoys lasting peace, universal security and common prosperity.