Sunday, February 25, 2024

It’s Time for a Little R&R

I have been blogging daily for a very long time now, but I have had no rest from it. Needless to say, I am feeling rather worn out as a result. I therefore need some rest, a change of mind, a change of perspective. I need a holiday. I am starting that holiday today. I ask you for your understanding.

There is a lot of interesting material up on this blog. In fact, there is material going back more than twenty years. You are free to avail yourselves of it.

I have no idea how long my holiday from blogging will last. I suppose it will last until I feel thoroughly refreshed.

For your understanding in this matter and for your loyalty, I thank you all kindly.

Best wishes,
Mark Alexander

Saturday, February 24, 2024

Medwedjew droht den Ukrainern mit einem endlosen Krieg

FRANKFURTER ALLGEMEINE: Wo Russlands opferreicher Vormarsch in der Ukraine „anhalten“ soll, will der frühere Präsident nicht sagen – in Kiew jedenfalls nicht. Verhandlungsbereitschaft lässt der Kreml weiterhin nicht erkennen.

Kurz vor dem zweiten Jahrestag des Überfalls auf die Ukraine an diesem Samstag hat Dmitrij Medwedjew russischen Staatsmedien ein Interview gegeben. Daraus sprechen Angriffslust, Unversöhnlichkeit und Hassbekundungen in einem Ausmaß, das Russlands regelmäßig beteuerte Verhandlungsbereitschaft neuerlich infrage stellt. Medwedjew war Präsident und Ministerpräsident und zählt als Präsident Wladimir Putins Stellvertreter im Vorsitz des Nationalen Sicherheitsrats sowie als Vorsitzender der Machtpartei „Einiges Russland“ zur Kreml-Führungsriege. » | Von Friedrich Schmidt | Samstag, 24. Fevruar 2024

‘My Ultimate and Absolute Revenge’: Trump Gives Chilling CPAC Speech on Presidential Agenda

THE GUARDIAN: Unbound and unhinged, ex-president vilifies immigrants before devolving into bizarre riffs, including calling himself a ‘total genius’

Screenshot from the Guardian | Donald Trump speaks at CPAC in Oxon Hill, Maryland, on 24 February 2024. Photograph: Alex Brandon/AP

Donald Trump styled himself as a “proud political dissident” and promised “judgment day” for political opponents in an address that offered a chilling vision of a democracy in imminent peril.

In classic carnival barker form, the frontrunner for the Republican presidential nomination accused Joe Biden of weaponising the government against him with “Stalinist show trials”. He pledged to crack down on border security and deliver the biggest deportation in US history if he wins the 5 November election.

“For hardworking Americans, November 5th will be our new liberation day,” Trump told a packed ballroom at the Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) at National Harbor in Maryland. “But for the liars and cheaters and fraudsters and censors and imposters who have commandeered our government, it will be their judgment day!”

He added: “Your victory will be our ultimate vindication, your liberty will be our ultimate reward and the unprecedented success of the United States of America will be my ultimate and absolute revenge.”

The overwhelmingly white crowd, many wearing Make America Great Again regalia, rose to their feet and roared their approval. » | David Smith in Oxon Hill, Maryland | Saturday, February 24, 2024

En direct, guerre en Ukraine : des milliers de personnes manifestent en France et à l’étranger pour soutenir le pays

LE MONDE : Les hommages se multiplient pour la deuxième année de la guerre. Comme la première ministre italienne, Giorgia Meloni, en déplacement à Kiev à l’occasion de ce deuxième anniversaire, Justin Trudeau, le premier ministre canadien, a signé un accord bilatéral de sécurité avec l’Ukraine. LIVE EN COURS » | samedi 24 février 2024

Nawalnyjs Mutter hat Leichnam ihres Sohns erhalten

FRANKFURTER ALLGEMEINE: Mehr als eine Woche nach seinem Tod ist der Leichnam des in Haft gestorbenen Oppositionspolitikers Alexej Nawalnyj nach Angaben seiner Sprecherin an seine Mutter übergeben worden.

Die Mutter des in Haft gestorbenen Kremlgegners Alexej Nawalnyj hat dessen Leiche von den Behörden erhalten. Das teilte Nawalnyjs Sprecherin Kira Jarmysch am Samstag auf der Plattform X mit. Sie dankte „allen, die dies mit uns gefordert haben". Angehörige und Unterstützer des Oppositionellen hatten die russische Führung seit Tagen zur Herausgabe des Toten aufgefordert, um ihn menschenwürdig beerdigen zu können.

Sie wisse noch nicht, ob „die Behörden verhindern werden, dass der Ablauf (der Trauerfeier) so abläuft, wie die Familie es wünscht und wie Alexej es verdient", erklärte Jarmisch weiter. » | Quelle: dpa/AFP | Samstag, 24. Februar 2024

Dimitra’s Dishes: Greek Olive Oil Cookies: Ladokouloura (Vegan)

Feb 24, 2024


Get the recipe here.

Take Putin Seriously or Risk World War III, Former Head of British Army Warns

Feb 24, 2024 | “This is a late 1930s moment, and if we don’t react to it, we’re doomed not to learn the lessons of history.” Lord Dannatt warns the UK government and our NATO allies to take the threat of Putin seriously.

James O’Brien: 'Crackers doesn't go far enough': Liz Truss addresses America | LBC

Feb 23, 2024 | The UK’s shortest-serving PM, who is still entitled to claim up to £115,000-a-year for the rest of her life, spoke at the CPAC conference. Liz Truss said: "Conservatives are now operating in what is now a hostile environment and we essentially need a bigger bazooka."

Michael Lambert: Desperate Tories Target Foreign Workers to Save 'Red Wall' Votes

Feb 24, 2024 | The British government seems determined to do everything possible to stop foreigners from coming to the UK. Presumably this is in an attempt to pander to the Daily Express and Daily Mail readers who backed Brexit and who favour tougher restrictions on foreigners coming to the UK.

The latest immigration regulations make it all but impossible for any unskilled worker to come to work in the UK. For skilled workers there are considerable hurdles to overcome. In response to higher than expected and record immigration from non-EU countries following Brexit, the government has now announced that, in future, those wishing to work in the UK will not be allowed to bring their dependants. This will almost certainly result in a significant reduction in those coming and will further add to the UK's woes.

There are no longer any legal routes for asylum seekers to come to the UK or to apply for asylum. There are tens of thousands waiting for their applications to be processed. They are being paid around £6 per day for subsistence whilst just one of the firms providing accommodation made a profit of £62 million last year.

Preventing workers from coming to the UK and failing to process asylum applications from those who have arrived from across the Channel, having no other route to the UK, is stupid and inefficient and will only damage the UK economy more.


Friday, February 23, 2024

En Argentine, des milliers de personnes manifestent pour « l’urgence alimentaire »

LE MONDE : La mobilisation, sur le thème de « l’urgence alimentaire ne peut plus attendre », répondait à l’appel de syndicats, petits partis et mouvements sociaux de gauche ou d’extrême gauche.

Des manifestations ont rassemblé plusieurs milliers de personnes vendredi 23 février dans diverses villes d’Argentine pour alerter sur l’urgence alimentaire, lors de l’une des mobilisations contre les mesures du gouvernement ultralibéral de Javier Milei. » | Le Monde avec AFP | vendredi 23 février 2024

Tucker Carlson DESTROYS Boris Johnson | #shorts

Tucker EXPOSES BoJo here.

Lorry Drivers Who Voted Brexit Regret Everything

Feb 21, 2022


Politicians foul up everything! – © Mark Alexander

The Thinking Atheist: Mimzy Vidz: Free from Islam

Sep 7, 2021 | Mimzy was a devout Muslim. She observed the Qur'an and proselytized her religion...until her dissatisfaction with Islam led her to question everything. She shares her inspiring story on this week's show.


As hard as it may be for people to realise this, but the very hard fact remains that Islam and Western values are totally and utterly INCOMPATIBLE. Ergo, Islam, as an ideology, doesn’t belong in the West. With Islam in the West in competition with Western, mostly secular values, but based originally on Christianity, it will be either Islam or Western values which will win through in the end. Both cannot survive in tandem. So, I ask you, my readers and followers: Why have we in the West done this to ourselves? Why have we inflicted this pain on our body politic? Why have we endangered our very own survival? – © Mark Alexander

Fur on the Head, Fur on the Chin, Fur on the Chest. What Can One Say? Except Maybe that It's Beautiful!

Pelz am Kopf, Pelz am Kinn, Pelz auf der Brust. Was kann man sagen? Außer vieleicht, daß es doch schön ist! / Fourrure sur la tête, fourrure sur le menton, fourrure sur la poitrine. Que peux tu dire? Sauf que c'est peut-être beau !

Many thanks to Pinterest for this most interesting image.

Les Etats-Unis renforcent leur arsenal de sanctions contre la Russie, en misant sur le temps long

LE MONDE : Après deux ans de guerre en Ukraine, la Maison Blanche a rendu publique une liste de 500 nouveaux noms de personnes ou d’entreprises russes mises à l’index, auxquelles s’ajoutent 26 entités et individus dans 11 pays, qui ont contribué au contournement des précédentes mesures.

Joe Biden rencontre Ioulia Navalnaïa, veuve du chef de l’opposition au Kremlin, Alexeï Navalny, décédé le 16 février dans une prison russe, et sa fille, Dasha, à San Francisco, en Californie, le 22 février 2024. HANDOUT / AFP

Faute d’armes et de munitions, il reste les sanctions. Confrontée au blocage d’une nouvelle tranche d’aide militaire à l’Ukraine au Congrès, la Maison Blanche a décidé de redoubler de vigueur contre la Russie avec un outil déjà très usité, qui a montré ses limites. Dans un communiqué publié vendredi 23 février, date symbolique marquant le début de l’invasion russe il y a deux ans, le président américain, Joe Biden, a confirmé l’adoption de plus de 500 nouvelles sanctions contre des individus et des entités russes. Au total, depuis 2022, les listes du Trésor et du département d’Etat ont enregistré 4 000 noms. » | Par Piotr Smolar (Washington, correspondant) | vendredi 23 février 2024

Was die Cannabis-Legalisierung für die Großstädte bedeutet

FRANKFURTER ALLGEMEINE: Der Bundestag hat die Legalisierung von Cannabis beschlossen. Der Schwarzmarkt in Städten wie Frankfurt wird wohl kaum eingedämmt, fürchtet die Polizei.

Neues Gesetz: Wer einen Joint rauchen will, kann das Cannabis dafür bald legal erwerben. | Bild: DPA

Wenn sich die Befürchtungen der Polizei bewahrheiten, könnte eine solche Situation künftig häufiger eintreten: Eine Polizeistreife kontrolliert im Bahnhofsviertel eine Person, die sie der Dealerszene zuordnet und findet 25 Gramm Cannabis. Nach bisherigem Gesetz eine „nicht geringe Menge“. Doch es ist die Menge, die vom 1. April an jeder, der älter ist als 18 Jahre, legal mit sich führen darf. Und dann passiert: nichts. Eine Strafverfolgung ist dann naturgemäß nicht mehr möglich – und die Frage, woher die Person die Droge hat, ob aus eigenem Anbau oder aus illegaler Herkunft, ist damit auch noch nicht geklärt.

Das Gesetz zur Legalisierung von Cannabis, das am Freitag im Bundestag beschlossen wurde, ist in Polizei und Justiz höchst umstritten. Gerade in Städten wie Frankfurt, in denen ohnehin schon viele Drogen in Umlauf seien, entstehe ein Aufwand, der kaum zu bewältigen sei, sagt der Vorsitzende des Bundes Deutscher Kriminalbeamter, Dirk Peglow. Denn die zulässige Menge muss kontrolliert werden. Peglow befürchtet sogar eine Stärkung des Schwarzmarktes, unter anderem deshalb, weil nicht unterschieden werden könne, ob das Cannabis einer legalen oder einer illegalen Produktion entstammt. » | Von Katharina Iskandar und Falk Heunemann | Freitag, 23. Februar 2024

Meiner Meinung nach ist es ein großer Fehler, das Rauchen von Cannabis zum Vergnügen zu legalisieren. (Die Verwendung von Cannabis für medizinische Zwecke ist ein ganz anderer Fall.) Es ist besonders dumm, das Rauchen von Cannabis zu legalisieren, wenn gleichzeitig ein Krieg gegen das Rauchen von Zigaretten und Tabak herrscht. Gegen das Rauchen von Zigaretten und Tabak zu sein, ist völliger Unsinn, wenn man gleichzeitig den Konsum einer bislang verpönten und illegalen Substanz legalisiert. Das Rauchen von Tabak und Zigaretten, so gefährlich sie auch sein mögen, ist definitiv besser für die Gesundheit als das Rauchen von Cannabis. Zumindest haben sie keine schädliche Wirkung auf das Gehirn. Unsere Politiker haben wirklich den Verstand verloren!

Was mir als Brite wirklich dumm erscheint, ist die Tatsache, dass unser Premierminister – Rishi Sunak – so naiv ist, ein schrittweises Rauchverbot für junge Erwachsene einführen zu wollen. Und das in einer Zeit, in der Länder den Konsum bisher verbotener Substanzen wie Cannabis zunehmend legalisieren! Wie dumm ist das denn? – © Mark Alexander

This, my opinion in English:

In my opinion, it is a huge mistake to legalise the smoking of cannabis for pleasure. (The use of cannabis for medical purposes is a different case altogether.) It is particularly stupid to legalise the smoking of cannabis when, at the same time, there is a war on smoking cigarettes and tobacco. To be against the smoking of cigarettes and tobacco is total and utter nonsense when, at the same time, one is legalising the consumption of a substance which has hitherto been frowned upon and has been illegal. The smoking of tobacco and cigarettes, as dangerous to health as they may be, is definitely better for one's health than the smoking of cannabis. At least they don't have a deleterious effect on the brain. Our politicians have truly taken leave of their senses!

As a Brit, what comes to mind as really stupid is the fact that our prime minister — Rishi Sunak — is so naïve as to want to intoduce an incremental smoking ban for young adults. And this at a time of countries increasingly legalising the consumption of hitherto forbidden substances such as cannabis! Just how stupid is that? – © Mark Alexander

Lauterbach zur Cannabis Legalisierung: „Gescheiterte Drogenpolitik nimmt eine Wende“

Feb 23, 2024 | Nachdem der Bundestag für die Teil-Legalsierung von Cannabis gestimmt hat, soll Besitz und Anbau der Droge zum 1. April ermöglicht werden. Gesundheitsminister Lauterbach erklärt, weshalb das der richtige Weg ist. © REUTERS, DPA

Women Leaving Islam | Documentary

Feb 1, 2021 | In this powerful film, six ex-Muslim women activists share their moving stories of growing up in Muslim families and Muslim-majority countries and the violence, loss and shunning they faced because of their apostasy.

The women talk about everything from tearing their hijab on door handles as a child, wearing a burkini on a beach in Italy, wanting to scream their atheism in Mecca during Hajj, losing custody of a child after a husband’s accusations of blasphemy, reporting a violent fundamentalist father, forging a male guardian’s signature in order to flee their country and being shunned for defending gay rights…

Despite the risks, the women speak of hope, happiness and freedom from Islam and the hijab. The brave women: Fay Rahman, Halima Salat, Mimzy Vidz, Rana Ahmad and Zara Kay reside/have resided in Australia, Britain, Germany, and the Netherlands.

They are from backgrounds as diverse as Bangladeshi, British, Egyptian/Moroccan, Saudi, Somali/Kenyan, Pakistani and Tanzanian.


Shamima Begum Loses Appeal over British Citizenship | BBC News

Feb 23, 2024 | Shamima Begum has lost her latest bid to overturn a decision by the UK government to strip her British citizenship.

The Court of Appeal ruling means she remains in Syria with no chance of return to the UK.

Begum left her home in London aged 15 in 2015 to travel to Syria to join Islamic State group. The now 24-year-old's lawyers brought a bid to overturn a 2023 decision at the Court of Appeal, with the Home Office opposing the challenge.

The Home Office argued the "key feature" of Begum's case was national security.


Liz Truss: I Would Vote for Donald Trump

THE TELEGRAPH: Exclusive: Former PM defends sharing stage with election-deniers as she effectively endorses Republican frontrunner

Liz Truss gives a speech during the Conservative Political Action Conference in the US | CREDIT: SHAWN THEW/EPA-EFE/Shutterstock

Liz Truss said she would vote for Donald Trump over Joe Biden if she were an American citizen, effectively endorsing the Republican frontrunner in his race to reclaim the White House in November.

Ms Truss attacked Mr Biden for projecting “weakness” on the global stage, telling The Telegraph the Republican Party was more “pro-Britain” and could deliver on Ronald Reagan’s philosophy of “peace through strength”.

The former prime minister was in the Washington suburbs to share a stage with Mr Trump at a major US conservative conference.

Speaking after her speech to grassroots activists, Ms Truss said raging global conflicts called for strong US leadership on the world stage.

She said: “I think that we need peace through strength. And I think that is what we would see if the Republicans were back in, and also I think the Republicans are more pro-Britain than the Democrats.” » | Rozina Sabur, Deputy US Editor, Oxon Hill, Maryland | Friday, February 23, 2024 [£]

If any of you were wondering whether Liz Truss had a screw loose, wonder no longer! She’s just confirmed our worst fears: she definitely has a screw loose! – © Mark Alexander

Fire in High-Rise Apartment Complex Kills at Least 4 in Valencia, Spain

THE NEW YORK TIMES: The leader of the regional government declared a three-day mourning period.

A day after a fire roared through a high-rise residential complex in the Spanish city of Valencia, killing at least four people and leaving at least 14 missing, there were fears on Friday that those numbers could rise, because high temperatures inside the charred structure have prevented emergency workers from searching inside. » | Rachel Chaundler, Reporting from Zaragoza, Spain | Friday, February 23, 2024

Why I Left Islam | Fay Rahman

May 16, 2020 | Fay Rahman tells us why she left Islam, her thoughtful insights into what drove her to question her faith are resounding for all who follow suit.

Can Gabriel Attal Win Over France?

THE NEW YORK TIMES: The new prime minister wants to succeed President Macron. But first he must see off the far right and define himself before a restive public.

Prime Minister Gabriel Attal arriving at Hotel Matignon, the prime minister’s residence, in Paris this month. | Benoit Tessier/Reuters

Gabriel Attal, 34, is a new kind of French prime minister, more inclined to Diet Coke than a good Burgundy, at home with social media and revelations about his personal life, a natural communicator who reels off one liners like “France rhymes with power” to assert his “authority,” a favorite word.

Since taking office in early January, the boyish-looking Mr. Attal has waded into the countryside, far from his familiar haunts in the chic quarters of Paris, muddied his dress shoes, propped his notes on a choreographed bale of hay, and calmed protesting farmers through adroit negotiation leavened by multiple concessions.

He has told rail workers threatening a strike that “working is a duty,” not an everyday French admonition. He has shown off his new dog on Instagram and explained that he called the high-energy Chow Chow “Volta” after the inventor of the electric battery. He has told the National Assembly that he is the living proof of a changing France as “a prime minister who assumes his homosexuality.” » | Roger Cohen | Friday, February 23, 2024

Thursday, February 22, 2024

Russia: Forbidden Business | ARTE.tv Documentary

Feb 22, 2024 | When Russia invaded Ukraine, the European Union imposed extensive sanctions on the Russian federation. But these measures are being circumvented in a vast black market. This documentary attempt to shed light on the shady, forbidden business deals that are helping to keep the Russian economy afloat.

Ottolenghi: Grilled Red Cabbage with Gorgonzola and Grapes

Feb 22, 2024 | Melty, rich and cheesy might not be the first thing that comes to mind when thinking of red cabbage but in the episode, Katja is cooking just that. The cabbage is baked for a long time (3 hours but you can do that in advance!) and then grilled with red grapes for a burst of freshness. Glazed with a buttery jus and finished with soured cream, this is a perfect winter food.


Get the recipe here.

L’Inde rêve de remplacer la Chine comme usine du monde

LE MONDE : Le pays attire une part croissante de la production de smartphones. Mais ses faiblesses structurelles, comme la pauvreté, sont un obstacle.

Les annonces prestigieuses se multiplient comme autant de trophées pour l’Inde. Le géant sud-asiatique, qui rêve de rivaliser avec la Chine dans les chaînes de valeur mondiales, peut se targuer d’avoir attiré, ces dernières années, les plus grands noms de l’électronique. Apple fabrique désormais en Inde des iPhone 15, Google son nouveau Pixel 8 et Samsung son Galaxy S24. Même Elon Musk envisage d’y implanter une usine de véhicules électriques. » | Par Carole Dieterich (New Delhi, correspondance) | jeudi 22 février 2024 [€]

Article réservé aux abonnés

La mère d’Alexeï Navalny dit avoir vu le corps de son fils et accuse les autorités russes de faire pression sur elle afin qu’un « enterrement secret » soit organisé

LE MONDE : La dépouille de l’opposant russe, mort vendredi dans la colonie pénitentiaire où il était incarcéré, n’avait jusqu’ici pas encore été localisée par son entourage.

La mère de l’opposant russe Alexeï Navalny, Lioudmila Navalnaïa, a déclaré, jeudi 22 février, avoir pu voir le corps de son fils, mort vendredi dans une colonie pénitentiaire russe. Dans un court message vidéo diffusé par l’entourage de l’opposant, Mme Navalnaïa accuse par ailleurs les autorités russes de menaces à son encontre pour qu’un « enterrement secret » d’Alexeï Navalny soit organisé. » | Le Monde | jeudi 22 février 2024

Assange-Prozess: Roger Köppel im Gespräch mit Roman Zeller über die Londoner Anhörungen

Feb 22, 2024


Die Weltwoche (Schweiz) »

Die Weltwoche (Deutschland) »

Alexey Navalny’s Mentor and Friend: Putin Is “Evil, and a Killer” | Amanpour & Company

Feb 22, 2024 | As a result of a crackdown on independent journalists in Russia, Yevgenia Albats has been forced into exile. The Editor-in-Chief of The New Times, an independent political weekly based in Moscow, has been working in the United States since 2022. She was a close friend of Russian opposition leader Alexey Navalny, whose death she blames squarely on President Putin -- as does Navalny's wife, Yulia Navalny. The Kremlin calls the accusation “absolutely unfounded,” claiming that an investigation into Navalny's death is underway. Yevgenia Albats joins the show to discuss the loss of her friend and what it means for the world. | Originally aired on February 21, 2024

Attaques du 7 octobre 2023 : un rapport israélien pointe des violences sexuelles « systématiques »

LE MONDE : Ces violences ont été perpétrées par le Hamas « délibérément contre les civils israéliens », note document, fondé sur les récits de témoins.

Les attaques du Hamas en Israël, le 7 octobre 2023 ont donné lieu à des violences sexuelles « systématiques » et « préméditées », selon un rapport israélien publié le mercredi 21 février. Ce document a été rédigé par l’association des centres d’aide aux victimes de viol en Israël (ARCCI), qui chapeaute de centres de lutte contre les violences sexuelles à travers le pays. Il décrit ces exactions comme une partie intégrante des attaques du 7 octobre 2023. » | Le Monde avec AFP | mercredi 21 2024

Japanese Omelet | Akis Petretzikis

Feb 22, 2024


Get the recipe here.

Tucker Carlson: They Want Julian Assange to Die in Prison for Embarrassing the CIA

Feb 22, 2024 | As they lecture us endlessly about human rights in other countries, the Biden administration is trying to kill journalist Julian Assange for the crime of embarrassing the CIA. His wife Stella joins us from his extradition hearing.


Related.

Biden nennt Putin einen „durchgeknallten Mistkerl“

FRANKFURTER ALLGEMEINE: Der US-Präsident ist dafür bekannt, öfter mal zu fluchen. Wenn es um Kremlchef Putin geht, hält Biden sich mit seiner Wortwahl nicht zurück.

US-Präsident Joe Biden hat das russische Staatsoberhaupt Wladimir Putin einen „durchgeknallten Mistkerl“ genannt. Bei einem Treffen mit Spendern der Demokratischen Partei in San Francisco sagte Biden, der Klimawandel sei trotz des „durchgeknallten Mistkerls Putin“ die „existenzielle Bedrohung für die Menschheit“. Auf Englisch benutzte der Präsident die Ausdrucksweise „SOB“, kurz für die Beleidigung „son of a bitch“ (wörtlich: Sohn einer Hündin), was im Deutschen etwa mit „Mistkerl“, „Arschloch“ oder gar „Hurensohn“ übersetzt werden kann. » | Quelle: AFP | Donnerstag, 22. Februar 2024

Dan Wootton No Longer Being Investigated over Sexual Assault Allegations

THE TELEGRAPH: Met Police to take no further action after GB News host accused of using online pseudonym to offer money to colleagues for explicit material

Dan Wootton remains suspended over his programme in which he and his guest, Laurence Fox, made remarks about Ava Evans | CREDIT: GB NEWS

Police have dropped their investigation into Dan Wootton, the GB News presenter, over alleged sexual offences.

Wootton, 40, was accused of using an online pseudonym to offer thousands of pounds to colleagues in exchange for explicit material.

The Metropolitan Police said that it had been contacted in June 2023 with allegations of sexual offences committed by a man in his 40s.

A spokesman said: “Officers assessed all information available to establish whether any criminal offence has taken place.

“An investigation was commenced into these allegations. All parties involved have now been advised that no further action will be taken. There were no arrests during the investigation.”

Wootton said he had also been cleared in a second investigation conducted by Police Scotland. » | Anita Singh, Entertainment Editor | Wednesday, February 21, 2024 [£]

Britain’s ‘Deep State’ Thwarted My Plans, Liz Truss Tells US Far-right Summit

THE GUARDIAN: Former Conservative PM, whose tenure lasted 50 days, tells CPAC she fell victim to UK’s ‘establishment … its bureaucrats and lawyers’

Screenshot from the Guardian. | Liz Truss with Nigel Farage at the CPAC summit on Wednesday. Photograph: José Luis Magaña/AP

Liz Truss, the former British prime minister, spoke at a far-right conference in America on Wednesday, styling herself as a populist who took on America’s equivalent of the “deep state” in her own country.

Truss was among the headline speakers at this week’s Conservative Political Action Conference at the National Harbor in Maryland. CPAC is billed as the biggest annual gathering of conservatives in the US but has in recent years embraced Donald Trump’s brand of nativist-populism.

In Wednesday’s opening session, an “international summit”, the ex-PM sat side by side with Nigel Farage, former leader of the Brexit party, both with small union flags on the table in front of them. » | David Smith in Oxon Hill, Maryland | Thursday, February 22, 2024

Liz Truss is totally and utterly delusional. The trouble is that the American far-right will lap the crap up. It's just what they want to hear. – © Mark Alexander

‘She’s totally lost it’: inside story of the unravelling of Liz Truss’s premiership: Approaching one year on from the start of her tenure, a look back on how it all fell apart within 49 days »

Wednesday, February 21, 2024

This Is What Will Happen If Trump Is President | The Warning

Feb 21, 2024 | We receive hundreds of questions every day, and Steve is here to answer your most asked political questions.

Ali Malik | Ex-Muslim on the Prophet Mohammed

Aug 11, 2020 | Ali Malik discusses his current views on the life of the prophet Mohammed as an ex-Muslim.


You can follow Ali Malik on X / Twitter jere.

King Says He's Been Reduced to Tears by Public Support as He Returns to Work after Cancer Diagnosis

Usually, the meeting is held entirely in private, but the King permitted photographs and filmed footage of the first minute of the meeting to be taken | CREDIT: Jonathan Brady

THE TELEGRAPH: The monarch has been photographed meeting Rishi Sunak for their first official audience of the year

The King has said the messages and cards he has received since his cancer diagnosis have reduced him to tears, as he returns to his audiences with the Prime Minister for the first time this year.

The King told Rishi Sunak: “I’ve had so many messages and cards, you can’t believe it. They’ve reduced me to tears, most of them.”

Told by the Prime Minister that it was “wonderful to see you looking so well”, the King joked it was “all done by mirrors”.

Photographs and filmed footage of the first minute of the Buckingham Palace audience, which is traditionally held privately, show the King appearing to be in good health, if a little croaky in voice.

Usually, the meeting is held entirely in private, but the King and his aides are mindful of the public’s interest in his health as he undergoes treatment for cancer. » | Hannah Furness | Wednesday, February 21, 2024 [£]

Nawalnyjs Mutter fordert Freigabe des Leichnams ihres Sohnes | FAZ

Feb 20, 2024 | In einem von Nawalnys Organisation veröffentlichten Video fordert die Mutter des Kreml-Kritikers die Freigabe des Leichnams ihres Sohnes. Die Lösung der Angelegenheit liege allein beim Kreml-Chef, so Ljudmila Nawalnaja. © AFP, DPA

'Anti-American Crap': Former GOP Congressman Calls Out Trump's Navalny Comments

Feb 21, 2024 | Former Republican Congressman Joe Walsh reacts to former President Donald Trump's attempt to compare his legal troubles with the death of Alexey Navalny.

Letitia James Says She Will Seize Trump’s Assets If He Doesn’tPpay $355m Fraud Fine

THE GUARDIAN: New York attorney general says she may seek enforcement mechanisms in court if ex-president doesn’t have funds to pay

The New York state attorney general, Letitia James, said that she will seize Donald Trump’s assets if he does not pay the $355m civil fraud fine stemming from his financial fraud trial.

“If he does not have funds to pay off the judgment, then we will seek judgment enforcement mechanisms in court, and we will ask the judge to seize his assets,” James said to ABC News in an interview on Tuesday evening.

The New York state attorney general, Letitia James, said that she will seize Donald Trump’s assets if he does not pay the $355m civil fraud fine stemming from his financial fraud trial.

“If he does not have funds to pay off the judgment, then we will seek judgment enforcement mechanisms in court, and we will ask the judge to seize his assets,” James said to ABC News in an interview on Tuesday evening. » | Gloria Oladipo in New York | Wednesday, February 21, 2024

Leaving Islam | Ali Malik

May 17, 2020 | Ali Malik discusses his experience being brought up with Islam in Pakistan, and his eventual realisation that it was no longer something he could believe in.

Nuriyah Khan | Leaving Islam, Women & Human Rights

Apr 21, 2021 | Nuriyah Khan is a British Pakistani free thinker, ex-Muslim and advocate for human rights. In this interview, she articulates her story from faith to faithless, and elaborates on the ideas and experiences that caused her to rethink her once cherished religious convictions.

The Thinking Atheist: Why Isn't the West Talking about Islam? | With Nuriyah Khan

Feb 20, 2024 | Ex-Muslim Nuriyah Khan says many in the West (including a lot of American feminists) are misguided on the subject of Islam.


Follow Nuriyah on X / Twitter here

How Georgia's National Dish Khachapuri Is Made | DW Food

Nov 18, 2023 | You know pizza, right? But have you heard of khachapuri? This cheese-filled bread is a national treasure for Georgians and one of their national dishes. They eat it at any time: for breakfast, lunch or dinner. You could say that khachapuri is the Georgian version of pizza, but even more versatile, as it comes in 47 different varieties. For example, there is the boat-shaped Adzharian khachapuri, the version from Imereti, which is round and flat and topped with cheese. And Achma khachapuri has several layers, similar to a lasagne. Each type is typical of a particular region. In this video, we show you how ajarian khachaouri is made.

Dimitra’s Dishes: Lentil Salad with Roasted Vegetables

Feb 19, 2024


Get the recipe here.

‘Putin Will Spark a Third World War If Russia Claims Victory in Ukraine’

THE TELEGRAPH: Ukrainian steel magnate Yuriy Ryzhenkov warns of global fallout from the Kremlin’s war

Vladimir Putin will spark a third world war if the Russian president is allowed to declare victory in Ukraine, according to the boss of the country’s biggest private employer.

Yuriy Ryzhenkov, chief executive of Metinvest, which ran the sprawling Azovstal steelworks that became the site of a relentless Russian assault at the start of the 2022 invasion, warned of the consequences of a Kremlin victory.

“I don’t believe that if Ukraine fails, Putin will stop,” he said in an interview ahead of the two year anniversary of the war in Ukraine. “The Baltic states, Poland, Romania, Hungary, Slovakia are the next targets.”

Ryzhenkov’s comments were made just days before Putin threatened the US with a global war that will “bring humanity to the brink” if Capitol Hill deploys troops to Ukraine. » | Szu Ping Chan |Wednesday, February 21, 2024 [£]

Jon Danzig: A Vote for Brexit Was a Vote for Putin

Putin’s fingerprints are all over Brexit. There’s been suspicions of this for some time, but the evidence is now compelling and urgently needs proper investigation.

Motive is the key incentive for any crime. There have never been any benefits for Britain doing Brexit. Not even one. Any apparent motive for leaving the EU was based on a pack of astonishing, outrageous lies.

But the benefits to Russia from Brexit are both clear and enormous.

For almost two decades, Putin has harboured antagonism over the loss of the Soviet empire, to be successfully replaced by the enlargement of the EU, encroaching on what he considered to be Russian territory.

In 2005 he declared: “the collapse of the Soviet Union was a major geopolitical disaster”

Putin has used covert techniques to destabilise the European Union in his imperial goal to create a new Russian empire, starting with his invasions of Ukraine.

A win for ‘Leave’ was all part of that agenda.

𝗔 𝘃𝗼𝘁𝗲 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗕𝗿𝗲𝘅𝗶𝘁 𝘄𝗮𝘀 𝗮 𝘃𝗼𝘁𝗲 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗣𝘂𝘁𝗶𝗻, 𝗯𝘂𝘁 𝘃𝗼𝘁𝗲𝗿𝘀 𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝗻𝗼𝘁 𝘁𝗼 𝗯𝗹𝗮𝗺𝗲.

The lies that led to Brexit, in part fuelled and funded by Putin, were compelling, convincing, and used the powerful techniques of psychological warfare.

All of us were misled. But now Britain and Britons must decide where we stand and which side we support.

Our political elite allowed our country to become a stooge for Putin’s nefarious intentions, with absolutely no benefits to us.

But the reality is that it’s the EU we should be supporting, not Putin. The EU stands for what Britain and Britons really stand for and have always stood for.

We must support the EU project and start our journey – however long it takes – to rejoining our true family in Europe.

𝗧𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝘄𝗼𝘂𝗹𝗱 𝗯𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗺𝗼𝘀𝘁 𝗽𝗼𝘄𝗲𝗿𝗳𝘂𝗹 𝗺𝗲𝘀𝘀𝗮𝗴𝗲 𝘄𝗲 𝗰𝗮𝗻 𝘀𝗲𝗻𝗱 𝘁𝗼 𝗣𝘂𝘁𝗶𝗻, 𝘄𝗵𝗼𝘀𝗲 𝗮𝗶𝗺 𝗮𝗹𝗹 𝗮𝗹𝗼𝗻𝗴 𝘄𝗮𝘀 𝘁𝗼 𝘂𝘀𝗲 𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗰𝗼𝘂𝗻𝘁𝗿𝘆 𝘁𝗼 𝗴𝗲𝘁 𝗮𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗘𝗨. – © Jon Danzig


You can comment on this on YouTube here.

Jon Danzig’s article can be found on his blog here.

Jonathan Pie: Recession Hits

Feb 17, 2024 | 14 years of fiscal responsibility and suddenly we're in a recession! What the hell happened?


This country is f****d. And it was the Tories “what done it”! Kick the ruthless, incompetent, greedy “basterds” out! – © Mark Alexander

Assange Might Be Assassinated If Extradited, Lawyers Claim | DW News

Feb 21, 2024 | The High Court in London has begun hearing an appeal by Wikileaks founder Julian Assange against his extradition to the US on espionage charges. Assange’s supporters say he’s being hounded for publishing a trove of secret US documents that impacted diplomacy and public opinion.