Why Democratic Socialism Is Gaining Popularity in the United States

Socialism used to be a scary word in the U.S., but presidential hopeful Bernie Sanders and freshman Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez have helped to catapult it back into mainstream American politics. In the latest explainer from CNBC we try to answer what socialism means to different parts of the political spectrum and whether it's fad or the future of politics in America.

8 Monarchies That No Longer Exist | British Pathé

Currently there are 13 sovereign monarchies in the world. Here is a list of 8 monarchies that do not exist anymore from the Kingdom of Russia to the Kingdom of Romania.

Why Being Gay in Russia Is about "Love and Passion"

Jon and Alex, a gay couple from Russia, share an intimate moment at a small apartment in St Petersburg.

This secret glimpse into their private lives was captured by Danish photographer Mads Nissen and received the prestigious World Press Photo Award in 2015.

But while people across the globe were admiring Nissen's work, life for Jon and Alex was only getting more difficult. Members of the LGBT community in Russia say social stigma and risk of physical attacks have increased since the country approved the law banning 'gay propaganda' in 2013. And for Jon, now that Alex is not alive, the picture is also a symbol of painful struggle and, ultimately, loss.

If you have been affected by any of the issues raised in this film, you can get advice and information here. Reporter: Anastassia Zlatopolskai | Producer: Julia Malkin

Pete Buttigieg: The Big Gay Interview | The Advocate x LGBTQ&A

Pete Buttigieg takes a break from the campaign trail to talk with Jeffrey Masters about his history-making candidacy, navigating his queerness as he campaigns in more conservative states, serving in the Navy under Don't Ask, Don't Tell, fighting climate change, and meeting his husband on a dating app.

Pete Buttigieg’s Unlikely, Unprecedented 2020 Campaign | TIME

The New Guy: How Mayor Pete Buttigieg became a surprise contender in the 2020 Democratic primary.

US Election 2020: Buttigieg Sexuality Becomes Campaign Issue

BBC: Democratic presidential candidate Pete Buttigieg's sexuality has become a campaign issue after a radio host questioned if voters would pick a man "kissing his husband on stage".

Firebrand conservative Rush Limbaugh said Democrats must realise America is still not ready to elect a gay man.

Mr Buttigieg's Democratic rivals leapt to his defence, and President Donald Trump said he would vote for a gay man.

Mr Limbaugh was last week awarded a top civilian honour by the president.

On his radio show which is nationally syndicated to millions of listeners, Mr Limbaugh on Wednesday imagined Demcorats' deliberations over who to vote for.

He said: "They're saying, 'OK, how's this going to look? Thirty-seven-year-old gay guy kissing his husband on stage, next to Mr Man, Donald Trump.'" » | Valentine’s Day, 2020

Sorry, Fossils! America needs a gay president. It will awaken the nation to the realities of the twenty-first century. Go for it, Pete! Your country needs you! – Mark

Türkei: Staatsanwalt fordert hohe Haftstrafe für Deniz Yücel

ZEIT ONLINE: In der Türkei hat der Staatsanwalt sein Plädoyer im Prozess gegen den Journalisten Deniz Yücel gehalten. Er fordert bis zu 16 Jahre Haft.

Die türkische Staatsanwaltschaft wirft dem Welt-Reporter Deniz YücelTerrorpropaganda und Volksverhetzung vor. Dafür fordert sie für ihn nun bis zu 16 Jahre Haft, wie Yücels Anwalt Veysel Ok mitteilte. Der Staatsanwalt hatte sein Plädoyer nicht laut verlesen, sondern zuvor schriftlich eingereicht.

Ok forderte mehr Zeit für die Verteidigung. Der Prozess soll nun am 2. April fortgesetzt werden. Yücel selbst ist nicht anwesend. » | Quelle: ZEIT ONLINE, dpa, fin | Donnerstag, 13. Februar 2020

Blasphemy 'Is No Crime', Says Macron amid French Girl's Anti-Islam Row

THE GUARDIAN: Schoolgirl Mila received death threats after posting anti-religious diatribe on Instagram

Emmanuel Macron has waded into a row over a schoolgirl whose attack on Islam has divided France, insisting that blasphemy is “no crime”.

The French president defended the teenager, named only as Mila, who received death threats and was forced out of her school after filming an anti-religious diatribe on social media.

Macron’s intervention comes after his justice minister, Nicole Belloubet, was criticised for claiming Mila’s attack on religion was “an attack on freedom of conscience” while saying the death threats were “unacceptable”.

The case has sparked a furious public debate in France, a strictly secular republic with a large Muslim population. The education authorities have since found another school for the teenager. » | Kim Willsher in Paris | Wednesday, February 12, 2020

Johnson's Caribbean Christmas Holiday Was a Gift from Tory Donor

THE GUARDIAN: David Ross, co-founder of Carphone Warehouse, provided PM’s accommodation

Boris Johnson’s Caribbean holiday over the New Year was a £15,000 gift from a wealthy and controversial Conservative donor, newly released documents disclose.

The prime minister and his partner Carrie Symonds accepted accommodation for a private holiday in St Vincent and the Grenadines.

David Ross, a Tory donor who co-founded the Carphone Warehouse chain, provided the accommodation, which was reportedly on the private island of Mustique, which is one of the Grenadines.

Ross, 54, has known Johnson for at least 15 years. He was a member of the London 2012 Board as a representative of then-London Mayor Johnson. » | Rajeev Syal | Wednesday, February 12, 2020

Islamic Conquests and Civil War

In this lecture, Professor Freedman discusses the Islamic conquests. Although they were in some sense religiously motivated, Arab did not attempt to forcibly convert or eradicate Jews, Christians, or other non-Muslims. The conquests began as raids, but quickly escalated when the invaders discovered that Byzantium and Persia were too weak to withstand their assault. In a relatively short period of time, the Arabs were able to conquer an area stretching from Spain to India. Against this background of successful conquests, Islam began to experience deep internal divisions. These began as criticisms of the election of Mohammed's successors, but broadened to criticize the Caliphate and the ruling family. Out of this strife came the division between Sunni and Shiite Muslims. Professor Freedman concludes the lecture with observations on the increasingly non-Arab Muslim populations.

Mohammed and the Arab Conquests

In this lecture, Professor Freedman introduces Islam. He begins with a discussion of its geographical context: the dry desert lands of the Arabian peninsula. The Bedouins, or nomadic Arabs of the region, lived in a tribal society somewhat similar to the Germanic tribes discussed earlier in the course. Their raids against the Byzantine and the Persian Empire, for lack of strong opposition, would lead to the Arab conquests. The second half of the lecture focuses on the life of Mohammed (570/580 -- 632) and the early years of Islam. Mohammed's revelation was one of the unity of God and a progressive interpretation of God's prophets, with Mohammed as the last of these. Early Islam was slow to differentiate itself for Christianity and Judaism, though this process accelerated after Mohammed's flight to Medina in 622. Professor Freedman ends with a discussion of the tenets of Islam and anticipates the discussion of the Arab conquests in the next lecture.

Christians Converted to Islam in Modern Mediterranean World · Noel Malcolm

What Forced Meghan and Harry to Do a Royal Runner? | 60 Minutes Australia

It's not quite disintegrating, but there's little doubt the Royal Family is fraying at the edges. Bad enough is Prince Andrew being entangled in an ongoing sex scandal involving young women, but even more gob-smacking is Prince Harry and Meghan Markle's daring – many say disrespectful – escape from the Firm.

As Tom Steinfort reports from London, the shame of it is the Duke and Duchess of Sussex had promised so much in the way of positive PR for the Royals. Sticking to the fairytale script, they'd fallen in love, married in a castle, and produced a beautiful boy. But somehow it's now all gone horribly askew.

BBC HARDtalk (2016): Julian Assange 4th Year in Ecuador Embassy Highlighted by Foreign Minister (Guillaume Long) Interview

BBC HARDtalk interview with the Ecuador Foreign Minister Guillaume Long.

Trump Has Total Meltdown over Viral Photo Showing His Tan Lines

The online community erupted in hysterics this weekend as a photo of Donald Trump went viral. The photo showed his horrid combover and his obviously fake tan lines, prompting ridicule from every corner of the internet. But Trump insists that the photo is fake, even though the authenticity of it has been verified. This is the kind of thin-skinned person we have in charge of our nuclear arsenal. Ring of Fire’s Farron Cousins discusses this.

Photo Credit: U.S. President Donald Trump walks across the South Lawn to the Oval Office as he returns from a day trip from North Carolina at the White House in Washington, U.S., February 7, 2020. - Joshua Roberts | Reuters

US Sanctions Venezuela Again to Prove Socialism Doesn't Work

Shortly after Venezuelan opposition leader and self-declared president Juan Guaidó got a standing ovation at Trump's State of the Union address, United States officials promised more sanctions on Venezuela. Why?

Arab League Rejects Trump's Middle East Plan

The Arab League has rejected US President Donald Trump's Middle East plan. At an emergency meeting in Cairo, Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas attacked the proposal, saying his people will never accept it. Al Jazeera's Nida Ibrahim reports from Ramallah, the occupied West Bank.

The 200-year-old Diary That's Rewriting Gay History

BBC: A diary written by a Yorkshire farmer more than 200 years ago is being hailed as providing remarkable evidence of tolerance towards homosexuality in Britain much earlier than previously imagined.

Historians from Oxford University have been taken aback to discover that Matthew Tomlinson's diary from 1810 contains such open-minded views about same-sex attraction being a "natural" human tendency.

The diary challenges preconceptions about what "ordinary people" thought about homosexuality - showing there was a debate about whether someone really should be discriminated against for their sexuality.

"In this exciting new discovery, we see a Yorkshire farmer arguing that homosexuality is innate and something that shouldn't be punished by death," says Oxford researcher Eamonn O'Keeffe. » | Sean Coughlan | Monday, February 10, 2020

Why a Young Former Mayor Is Surging in US Election

BBC: Pete Buttigieg has surged towards the top of the pack ahead of New Hampshire's Democratic primary on Tuesday. He's drawing more attention from voters - and more attacks from presidential rivals who view this newcomer to national politics as a serious threat.

There's an old saying about the way the two parties pick their presidential nominees - Democrats fall in love; Republicans fall in line.

After a 2016 election that turned conventional wisdom on its head by producing iconoclastic Donald Trump and establishment-favourite Hillary Clinton as the nominees, that nostrum could be reasserting itself. While the Republican Party is closing ranks behind the president, there's nothing logical or expected about the early success Pete Buttigieg is having in the Democratic fight to take on Trump in November.

He's the former mayor of a modest-sized Indiana city, the 306th-largest in the US - a college town like Oxford in the UK, only smaller.

He's 38 years old, which would make him the youngest president in US history.

He's also the first openly gay major-party presidential candidate, a historic candidacy that would have seemed inconceivable just a few decades ago, when Republicans were campaigning - and winning - on opposition to gay marriage and mainstream Democrats, by and large, avoided the issue. » | Anthony Zurcher, North America reporter | Sunday, February 9, 2020

Brexit : De Gaulle "La Grande Bretagne et l'Europe" | Archive INA

Charles de GAULLE s'interroge sur la candidature de l'entrée de l'Angleterre dans le marché commun. Il pointe du doigt le refus de l'Angleterre, naguère, à participer à la communauté qui se construisait. Il met en relief le caractère "insulaire, maritime, et lié par ses échanges, ses marchés, son ravitaillement aux pays les plus divers et souvent les plus lointains". Il ajoute que "la nature, la structure, la conjoncture qui sont propres à l'Angleterre diffèrent profondément de celles des continentaux"

Simon Wallfisch ist einer von 3000 britischen Juden, die einen deutschen Paß nehmen

Seine Großmutter hat Auschwitz überlebt und schwor, nie in das Land zurückzukehren, das ihre Eltern und sechs Millionen weitere Juden ermordet hat. Doch jetzt hat der Brexit Simon Wallfisch gezwungen, etwas für sie Undenkbares zu tun: Er beantragte die deutsche Staatsbürgerschaft.

Zum Artikel »

Die Schwulenheiler | Panorama - die Reporter | NDR

Christian Deker, schwul und Panorama Reporter, besuchte Ärzte, die offenbar seine sexuelle Orientierung ändern wollen. Eine Reise in die homophoben Winkel der Republik. Nicht nur christliche Hardliner lehnen Homosexualität ab, auch in den evangelischen Landeskirchen glauben einige, Homosexualität sei Sünde und ließe sich therapieren.

Der "Schwulen-Paragraf" | Doku

Man nannte sie "die 175er". Nach Schätzungen wurde gegen 100.000 Männer ermittelt, 64.000 hat man verurteilt. Der Paragraf hat Leben zerstört, Existenzen vernichtet.

Verbrechen: Liebe - Seltene Bilder aus der NS-Zeit | Kontrovers | BR Fernsehen

Die Fotos rufen Beklemmung hervor. Zwei junge Frauen mit Schildern um den Hals. Darauf steht: "Wir sind aus der Volksgemeinschaft ausgeschlossen - wegen Verkehr mit Kriegsgefangenen". Welche Geschichte steckt hinter diesen Bildern? Kontrovers-Reporter auf Spurensuche.

Verbotene Liebe - Homosexualität im NS-Regime

Gleichgeschlechtliche Liebe war in den Augen der Nazis entartete Sexualität. Tausende schwule Männer kamen in den Konzentrationslagern ums Leben. Das schwul-lesbische Filmfestival Pink Apple in Zürich widmete im Mai 2015 diesen verboteten Liebesgeschichten einen Schwerpunkt.

Joe Scarborough Reads Bible to Critique Trump’s Prayer Breakfast Speech | Morning Joe | MSNBC

Joe Scarborough discusses President Trump's remarks at Thursday's National Prayer Breakfast and why he says Trump mocked the words of Jesus Christ and got away with it. Aired on 02/07/20.

Interview with Anita Lasker-Wallfisch

Anita Lasker-Wallfisch in conversation with Norbert Meyn.

In this interview the cellist Anita Lasker-Wallfisch discusses her childhood in Breslau, studying cello with Leo Rostal in Berlin, being imprisoned for trying to escape to France, playing cello in the camp orchestra in Auschwitz, being liberated in Bergen-Belsen, arriving in Britain in 1946, starting to work as a musician in London, becoming a founder member of the English Chamber Orchestra and being part of a community of musical émigrés in London. She also speaks about her husband Peter Wallfisch, his career as a concert pianist and his time as a professor at the Royal College of Music, and about other émigrés including the violinist Maria Lidka and the pianist Alice Herz-Sommer.

This interview is presented as part of the ORAL HISTORY PROJECT "Singing a Song in a Foreign Land", which focuses on musicians who emigrated from Central Europe because of Nazi persecution in the 1930s and 40s.

Jewish Survivor Anita Lasker-Wallfisch Testimony

Romney, Breaking With Republicans, Will Vote to Convict Trump of Abuse of Power

THE NEW YORK TIMES: Senator Mitt Romney, Republican of Utah, grew emotional on the Senate floor as he pronounced President Trump “guilty of an appalling abuse of public trust.”

WASHINGTON — Senator Mitt Romney of Utah announced on Wednesday that he would vote to convict President Trump of abuse of power, making him the first Republican to support removing Mr. Trump for his bid to pressure Ukraine to investigate his political rivals.

“I think the case was made,” Mr. Romney said in an interview in his Senate office on Wednesday morning, ahead of an afternoon floor speech in which he grew emotional as he explained his decision. He declared Mr. Trump “guilty of an appalling abuse of public trust.”

Mr. Romney said he would vote against the second article of impeachment, obstruction of Congress, arguing that House Democrats had failed to exhaust their legal options for securing testimony and other evidence they had sought. But the first-term senator said that Democrats had proved their first charge, that the president had misused his office for his own personal gain. » | Mark Leibovich | Wednesday, February 5, 2020

Mark Littlewood In Conversation with Simon Clark

On 16th May 2019, to mark the 40th anniversary of the smokers' group FOREST (Freedom Organisation for the Right to Enjoy Smoking Tobacco), Mark Littlewood, director-general of the Institute of Economic Affairs, spoke to Forest director Simon Clark.

Rep. Tim Ryan Walks Out of State of the Union: ‘Give Me a Break!’ | The Last Word | MSNBC

Rep. Tim Ryan tells Lawrence O’Donnell he had to leave during Trump’s speech because of the countless lies Trump was telling. He asks, “how much can a guy take?” Aired on 2/5/20.

Highlights (and Snubs) From Trump’s State of the Union Speech

Assured of Acquittal, Trump Makes Case for a Second Term »


State of the Union: Pelosi expresses her disdain as Trump pitches for re-election »

A Very Stable Genius: A Conversation with Carol Leonnig and Philip Rucker

Watch as The Washington Post’s White House Bureau Chief Philip Rucker and National Investigative Reporter Carol Leonnig discuss their new book, "A Very Stable Genius: Donald J. Trump's Testing of America."

Comprendre la colonisation israélienne en cinq minutes

Le 14 mai 1948, selon le calendrier grégorien, Israël proclamait sa naissance. 70 ans plus tard, la région reste l’un des points les plus sensibles du Proche-Orient. Une solution pacifique entre Israéliens et Palestiniens est-elle encore possible ? Le point, en cartes et en images. – Par Véronique Malécot , Francesca Fattori , Charles-Henry Groult et Xemartin Laborde Publié le 05 juin 2017 à 15h38 - Mis à jour le 29 janvier 2020

Khashoggi Fiancée: 'Saudi Arabia Can Get Away with Whatever It Wants'

THE GUARDIAN: Hatice Cengiz tells Guardian world has failed to punish kingdom over journalist’s murder in Turkey

The fiancee of Jamal Khashoggi has said the world has failed to hold Saudi Arabia to account over the journalist’s murder and the kingdom is being “encouraged to do whatever it wants”.

Hatice Cengiz, a Turkish scholar and activist, said the lack of meaningful global sanctions against Saudi Arabia more than a year after Khashoggi’s brutal killing inside the Saudi consulate in Istanbul, had sent a message that the kingdom “can do what it wants, and then get away with it”.

“Because these people were not punished for what they have done, and because the world has chosen to just move on, they can still do what they want,” she said. » | Stephanie Kirchgaessner | Tuesday, February 4, 2020

C of E Sex Guidance Row: Synod Member Calls Out 'Deep' Hypocrisy

THE GUARDIAN: Jayne Ozanne, an LGBT+ campaigner, condemns ‘leaders who preach one thing and practise something different’

The Church of England has “leaders who preach one thing and practise something completely different” when it comes to sex, according to a prominent member of the church’s ruling body.

In an explosive speech on Monday, Jayne Ozanne, a member of the General Synod and a leading campaigner for LGBT+ equality, called out “the deep levels of hypocrisy that exist among certain church leaders”.

Speaking to the William Temple Association in Bournemouth, she said: “We have leaders who are married and have affairs. We have leaders who make unwanted passes and comments to those they work with and whom they pastor.

“We have leaders who are gay but won’t admit it – who then have sex with someone of the same sex – and then chastise those who who work for them, who are in openly gay relationships, for doing the same.

“It is a despicable abuse of power by those who believe that their only sin is getting caught. So they get away with it because they can, because of the power they hold and exert over those in their charge. And many of us in the church know about it and feel powerless to stop it.” » | Harriet Sherwood, Religion correspondent | Tuesday, February 4, 2020

Khashoggi Murder: Western Powers Are 'Sending the Wrong Message' | UpFront (Special Interview)

Agnes Callamard, the United Nations Special Rapporteur on Extrajudicial Executions, who has been investigating the murder of journalist Jamal Khashoggi recently co-authored a report that suggests Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman (MBS) hacked a mobile phone belonging to Jeff Bezos, the owner of Amazon and The Washington Post.

"I believe," Callamard said, "the hacking of Jeff Bezos is linked to a targeted campaign against dissidents and against anyone of strategic interest for information, communication, and public relations."

Since effectively taking control of Saudi Arabia, MBS has been ramping up the country's influence abroad. Khashoggi wrote critically about the de facto ruler for The Washington Post and in October 2018 was murdered in the Saudi consulate in Istanbul.

Though the Saudi government has jailed and sentenced to death some of the individuals who carried out the killing, Callamard has dismissed the process as a "mockery of justice".

"The individuals that had been identified as having, at the minimum, planned and organised the killing, those individuals are walking free," Callamard explained.

Callamard laments the response by countries in the West. In the US, where Khashoggi was a resident, President Donald Trump has not been shy in expressing his admiration for MBS, saying he would be a "fool" not to conduct business with the kingdom.

"So far, the governments of the United States, of France, of the UK, have been unwilling to challenge the crown prince for his behaviours, and by so doing, they are sending the wrong message," said Callamard.

This week's special interview is with the UN's Special Rapporteur on Extrajudicial Killings, Agnes Callamard.

Analysis: Trump's Middle East Plan: The Farce, the Fraud and the Fury

The Trump administration has finally lifted the curtains on the final act of its Middle East diplomacy by revealing the long-awaited, ahem, "peace plan" in a surrealistic White House celebration. I will admit from the outset that I cannot write about it with a straight face, considering the absurdity of the last three years of Trump policies towards Israel and Palestine. To call it a "peace plan" is to do injustice to the infamous "peace process" and its many failed "peace plans". It is so much worse, that a better term for it would be an "assault on peace". Everything about the plan is farcical. Al Jazeera's senior political analyst Marwan Bishara discusses the outcome of the deal.

Radio Host Rush Limbaugh Reveals He Has Advanced Lung Cancer

THE GUARDIAN: ‘Shock jock’, 69, to undergo treatment immediately / Limbaugh reveals news on his nationally syndicated show

The conservative “shock jock” Rush Limbaugh revealed on Monday that he had been diagnosed with advanced lung cancer.

The hugely influential radio host made the announcement during his nationally syndicated radio show.

Limbaugh, 69, added that although his intention is to continue working “as competently and as expertly as [he does] each and every day”, he will begin undergoing treatment immediately, taking him off-air for the next couple of days. He said he was aiming to be back by Thursday, calling the program “the source of [his] greatest satisfaction”.

“Every day I’m not here, I’ll be missing you and thinking about you,” he said. In the segment, Limbaugh said doctors discovered the issue after he complained of shortness of breath. » | Kenya Evelyn in Washington | Monday, February 3, 2020

Trump's "Deal of the Century": Mideast Plan Imposes Conditions on Palestinians

Donald Trump unveiled his "Deal of the Century" even though Palestinians and Israelis are not speaking. Timing is everything for a U-S president who is running for re-election while under impeachment and an Israeli prime minister who is running for re-election while under indictment.

Brexit Sparks Renewed Calls for Scottish Independence

Britain's departure from the European Union has sparked calls for another referendum on Scottish independence.

The Guardian View on Trump’s Impeachment Trial: The Perils of Outrageous Immunity

THE GUARDIAN: In looking the other way over the president’s corruption and lawbreaking, the Republican party has offered up its soul in exchange for power

The line that best sums up last week’s Senate impeachment trial of Donald Trump probably comes from the lips of Omar Little, the stickup artist who robs drug dealers in HBO’s the Wire. “You come at the king,” warned Mr Little “you best not miss”. The truth came for Mr Trump but after the smoke cleared on Friday, the president was still standing. He remains in the Oval Office because almost every Republican senator preferred being in power to upholding the democratic principles upon which the US was founded. By Wednesday Mr Trump will have defied justice. He will then be free to continue his campaign of grievance and resentment safe in the knowledge that there is no genuine check on his executive overreach. » | Editorial | Sunday, February 2, 2020

'Pathological Liar': Bloomberg Hits Back at Trump 'Mini Mike' Insult

THE GUARDIAN: Trump uses Super Bowl interview to attack potential rival

Michael Bloomberg traded insults with Donald Trump on Sunday, calling the president “a pathological liar who lies about everything: his fake hair, his obesity and his spray-on tan”.

The comment, made through the Democratic presidential candidate’s press secretary, came in response to abusive tweets and remarks the president made in a Super Bowl interview with Fox News host Sean Hannity.

In a quick-fire section of the interview, Trump was asked what he thought of when he heard the names of various political rivals.

“Very little,” he said of Bloomberg. “I just think of little.”

Bloomberg, 77, is 5ft 8in tall. Trump, 73, is 6ft 3in.

Trump then repeated an evidence-free claim, also made on Twitter earlier, about Bloomberg demanding special treatment in the Democratic presidential primary because of his height. » | Martin Pengelly in New York | Sunday, February 2, 2020

After Elizabeth II: Monarchy in Peril? | British Royal Family Documentary | Timeline

A new sovereign can revive a royal family or be its kiss of death. So will the controversial successor to Queen Elizabeth II spell the end of Britain’s thousand-year monarchy?

This film looks at the shaky future of the House of Windsor, once the beloved Queen passes the crown to her son Charles. The aging and opinionated Prince of Wales is not widely loved in Britain or abroad. The public still resent his treatment of Lady Diana, his adulterous relationship with Camilla, now destined to be Queen, and his relentless meddling in politics. “An overtly political king”, says British columnist Johann Hari, “will be death for the monarchy.” Many agree and look to Charles’ older son Prince William. But “Wills” is a reluctant Royal, still haunted by the brutal demise of his glamorous mother Diana. His brother, Prince Harry, is best known for an unflattering series of public scandals.

This documentary chronicles the storm gathering over the House of Windsor and asks the once unthinkable question: Will the monarchy still be around after Elizabeth?

Nicola Sturgeon: Independence Best for Scotland Post-Brexit

Scotland's first minister urges supporters of Scottish independence to build and win the political case for it rather than rushing to hold a referendum.

Boris Johnson recently rejected Sturgeon’s request for the legal powers to hold a second referendum, but the Scottish National party leader said independence was the only way for the country to maintain its parliamentary sovereignty and connection to the EU Sturgeon calls for unity and focus in push for Scottish independence

'Empathy' for Independent Scotland Joining the EU Says Tusk

Former European Council president Donald Tusk says Brussels feels "empathy" towards an independent Scotland joining the European Union.

Tusk: EU would be enthusiastic if Scotland applied to rejoin »

Republican Pastor Says Jesus Wants to “Beat the Crap” Out of John Bolton

Conservative Pastor Rodney Howard-Browne is not happy about John Bolton throwing Trump under the bus, and he thinks Jesus is unhappy, too. In a tweetstorm this week, the Pastor asked the question “What Would Jesus Do?” and proceeded to answer his own question by saying that Jesus would have made a whip and “beat the crap” out of John Bolton. Ring of Fire’s Farron Cousins discusses this insanity.

Will the US Mideast Plan Boost or Undermine Peace? I Inside Story

The last opportunity for peace. That's how U.S. president Donald Trump described his plan to end seven decades of conflict between Palestinians and Israelis.

However, Palestinian leaders weren't involved in the process and they immediately rejected it as a conspiracy. The plan sides with Israel on the so-called 'final status issues' to be resolved with the Palestinians.

Israel gets Jerusalem as its capital, as well as sovereignty over the Jordan Valley and illegal Jewish settlements in the West Bank. Palestinians have been promised a path towards their own state, but only after four years of monitoring to determine whether their leaders are doing enough to fight 'terrorism'.

So does the proposal boost or undermine peace? And what does it say about America's evolving position on the conflict?

Presenter: Sami Zeidan | Guests: Robbie Sabel - Professor at Hebrew University of Jersualem and Former Legal Adviser to the Israeli Ministry of Foreign Affairs; Nabil Sha'ath - Senior Palestinian Official and Adviser to President Mahmoud Abbas; Phyllis Bennis - Fellow at the Institute for Policy Studies and author of the book, 'Understanding the Palestinian-Israeli Conflict.'

Mehdi Hasan: Trump’s Middle East Plan Is a Policy of Apartheid & Settler Colonialism

We continue our discussion of President Trump’s long-awaited Middle East plan to end the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, which he has described as the “deal of the century.” The plan was drafted by Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner without any input from Palestinians and would give Israel sovereignty over large areas of the occupied West Bank, control over all of Jerusalem, and keep all illegal settlements built in the occupied West Bank. We speak with Mehdi Hasan, senior columnist at The Intercept, and Rashid Khalidi, the Edward Said professor of modern Arab studies at Columbia University. Khalidi’s latest book is titled “The Hundred Years’ War on Palestine.”

Anti-Semitism On The Rise in Germany

Seventy-five years after the liberation of Auschwitz, anti-Semitic crimes in Germany have risen by 20 per cent. CBC's Margaret Evans looks at the possible causes and the impact it's having on the Jewish community.

Trump's Mideast Peace Plan: Is It Really the 'Plan of the Century'?

Trump's Mideast peace plan: is it really the 'plan of the century'? FRANCE24's Claire Pryde asks chief foreign editor Robert Parsons.

Joe: A Confederacy of Dunces Defends President Donald Trump | Morning Joe | MSNBC

The president's lawyers insisted at his Senate impeachment trial Monday that there was nothing improper about his dealings with Ukraine's government. The Morning Joe panel discusses. Aired on 01/28/20.

Anti-Semitism Rears Its Head 75 Years after Auschwitz | DW News

The last survivors of Auschwitz gathered at the Nazi death camp in what was once occupied Poland. They were joined by world leaders to mark 75 years since Auschwitz was liberated in January of 1945 in the final months of World War Two. The number of survivors is growing ever fewer, but some returned there to bear witness. They spoke about the horrors they experienced during the Holocaust and warned that it could happen again. Pinchas Goldschmidt, chief rabbi of Moscow and president of the European Conference of Rabbis joined DW in the studio to discuss what the recent rise of anti-Semitism means in the context of history.

'A Very Stable Genius' Details History as It Happened in Trump White House | The 11th Hour | MSNBC

Carol Leonnig and Philip Rucker join to discuss their exceedingly well-reviewed new book on the dysfunction of the Trump White House, 'A Very Stable Genius.' Aired on 01/27/20.

We Shall Not Die Now | Holocaust Documentary | Timeline

From Blackbird Pictures, in association with the US Holocaust Museum and the Claude Lanzmann “Shoah” Collection, We Shall Not Die Now chronicles the Holocaust, when, between 1939 and 1945, over six million Jews and millions of others were systematically murdered by the Nazi regime. Seventy-five years after the conclusion of the war, the film explores not only the horrific human tragedy and what we can learn from it, but also the resilience of those that rebuilt their lives in spite of the unimaginable. Told by the survivors and liberators who experienced it first hand such as Cantor Moshe Taube (number twenty-two on Schindler’s List) and Ben Ferencz (concentration camp liberator and last living prosecutor of the Nuremberg trials), We Shall Not Die Now is a journey of despair, hope, and the triumph of the human spirit through history’s darkest hours.

With the help of the US Holocaust Museum's archival team and Claude Lanzmann’s daughter, Angelique, the production was able to explore dozens of hours of unused material filmed for the 1985 documentary “Shoah.” Select reels of that footage was incorporated into the film with the blessing of the Lanzmann family. The film also includes new footage filmed at the camps in Poland, new interviews with survivors and liberators, and original music composed by Golden-globe nominated composer, Benjamin Wallfisch.

The film was created by 19-year-old Indianapolis-based filmmaker Ashton Gleckman, who traveled around the country to interview survivors. He worked with the various memorial sites in Poland to film at the concentration camps and historical sites and went on to edit the film and help to compose the score. The film commemorates the 75th anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz.

Holocaust Survivor Dita Kraus: 'For Children, Auschwitz Was Less Horrible Than for Adults'

As the world marks the 75th anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz, FRANCE 24's Jerusalem correspondent sat down with Dita Kraus, a survivor of the Nazi concentration camp in Poland. Detained with her parents from December 1943, the young teenager was in charge of the few books smuggled out of the belongings of other deportees and kept in the "children's block". With these books, Kraus, nicknamed the "Librarian of Auschwitz", sought to provide a semblance of humanity in the midst of unspeakable horror.

The Guardian View on the Case against Glenn Greenwald: An Outrage in Brazil and Beyond

THE GUARDIAN: The decision to charge the American journalist with cybercrimes is an attack on democracy as well as press freedom

The campaign in Brazil against the investigative journalist Glenn Greenwald could hardly look more personal. The country’s far-right president, Jair Bolsonaro, suggested last year that the American “may do jail time”, and has used homophobic slurs against him. Mr Greenwald and his husband, the Brazilian congressman David Miranda, have faced not only lies and verbal attacks but death threats: “Neither my husband, nor I, nor our children, have left our house in the last year without armed security, armoured vehicles, teams of security,” he said this week.

Now Mr Greenwald, an outspoken critic of the president, has been charged with cybercrimes over the publication of leaked phone messages apparently showing collusion between prosecutors and Sérgio Moro, then a judge, but now justice minister. They fuelled concerns about the huge Car Wash anti-corruption investigation: while it uncovered shocking abuses, it also raised suspicions of political bias. Mr Moro oversaw the trial that led to the jailing of the popular former president Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, whose conviction eased Mr Bolsonaro’s election. » | Editorial | Friday, January 24, 2020

Unraveling Hitler’s Conspiracy | Archeology | WW2 Documentary | Timeline

The Nazi’s doctrine was clear: They, the Aryans, were a superior race, as they had demonstrated in their heroic past. Every effort must therefore be made to guarantee the genetic purity of the nation.

In July of 1935, Heinrich Himmler, Head of the Gestapo and the SS, founded the Ahnenerbe (The Research and Teaching Society for Ancestral Heritage) to validate these ideas and to ensure their propagation. Himmler’s goal was to research, excavate, and restore (real and imagined) Germanic cultural relics and to obtain scientific (or pseudoscientific) support for these racial theories. Here, for the first time, is the story of how archeology was used not only to manipulate information about the past, but also to legitimize the genocidal regime of the Nazis.

Les leçons oubliées d’Auschwitz

LE MONDE: Editorial du « Monde ». Soixante-quinze ans après la libération du camp d’extermination, les antisémites sont toujours à l’offensive dans une Europe marquée par la poussée des nationalismes.

Editorial. Les célébrations ne sont pas des cours d’histoire, mais des leçons sur le présent. Celles du 75e anniversaire de la libération du camp d’extermination d’Auschwitz, jeudi 23 janvier, à Jérusalem, en présence d’une quarantaine de dirigeants internationaux, n’ont pas échappé à la règle. Au prix d’une instrumentalisation parfois sidérante du passé, ces cérémonies n’en auront pas moins livré un double enseignement sur l’inquiétant état du monde. Le premier concerne la montée de l’antisémitisme. En 2000, à Stockholm, le 3e Forum international sur la Shoah, auquel avaient assisté 46 chefs d’Etat et de gouvernement, avait débouché sur une déclaration en huit points évoquant notamment « la responsabilité solennelle de combattre le génocide, le nettoyage ethnique, le racisme, l’antisémitisme, la xénophobie ». » | Éditorial, Le Monde | vendredi 24 janvier 2020

„March For Life“: Gegen Abtreibungen, für Trump

FRANKFURTER ALLGEMEINE ZEITUNG: Donald Trump spricht als erster amerikanischer Präsident beim „Marsch für das Leben“, der jährlichen Demonstration der Gegner des geltenden Abtreibungsrechts. Die Aktivisten, von denen viele sonst Kliniken belagern, bereiten ihm einen warmen Empfang.

„Hört auf, Babies zu töten“, „Wir sind für das Leben“ und „Stoppt den Baby-Holocaust“: Das war auf den Schildern der Tausenden Menschen zu lesen, die am Freitag zur National Mall in Washington gekommen waren, um Donald Trump auf dem „March for Life“ sprechen zu hören. Jedes Jahr treffen sich hier Gegner von Schwangerschaftsabbrüchen. Und während Trump vergangenen Jahr hier schon eine Rede per Videoschalte gehalten hatte, war er nun als erster Präsident persönlich gekommen. „Ungeborene Kinder hatten noch nie einen großartigeren Verteidiger im Weißen Haus“, sagte Trump, während viele Zuhörer jubelten. » | Von Frauke Steffens, New York | Samstag, 25. Januar 2020

THE NEW YORK TIMES: Trump Tells Anti-Abortion Marchers, ‘Unborn Children Have Never Had a Stronger Defender in the White House’ » | Elizabeth Dias, Annie Karni and Sabrina Tavernise | Friday, January 24, 2020

Lindsey Graham Is the Most Shameless Man in American Politics

The South Carolina senator once put a lot of effort into cultivating an image of a reasonable, sober, sensible, moderate Republican, willing to reach out across the aisle, willing to stick up for his principles, willing to denounce Donald Trump. But today, there is no position he won’t abandon, no U-turn he won’t perform, no lie he will not tell.

Palace Denies Prince Charles 'Snubbed' Mike Pence

The Prince of Wales was greeting dignitaries, including world leaders, at an event to mark the 75th anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz - but seemed to ignore US Vice-President Mike Pence.

A Buckingham Palace official has denied this was a snub, telling the BBC that the prince and Mr Pence had a "long and warm conversation" before the ceremony began.

Emmanuel Macron réaffirme l'importance de la lutte contre l'antisémitisme

A l'occasion du 75e anniversaire de la libération d'Auschwitz, Emmanuel Macron, en déplacement à Jérusalem, s'est exprimé jeudi 23 janvier, devant la communauté française.

«J'ai tenu à être ici à Jérusalem, à l'invitation du Président Rivlin, à l'appel de Yad Vashem, à l'injonction du plus jamais ça», a t-il déclaré avant d'insister sur la menace qui pèse sur la France. «L'antisémitisme en France c'est d'abord et avant tout le problème de la République. C'est la quintessence, le visage premier de la haine de l'autre. A chaque fois que les démocraties se sont affaiblies, que des grandes crises ont bousculé la confiance et ont ravivé les divisions, le premier signal c'était l'antisémitisme.» Il en a profité pour dénoncer ceux qui jouent sur les peurs, avant de lister les actions du gouvernement pour lutter contre l'antisémitisme : surveillance renforcée de 868 lieux de culte juifs, associations dissoutes, création d'une structure judicaire dédiée à la lutte contre la haine, et d'une plateforme en ligne.

Souvent accusé de museler la liberté d'expression par ces différentes actions, Emmanuel Macron a tenu à répondre : «La liberté d'expression ce n'est pas la propagation de la haine».

Concernant la politique française au Proche-Orient, le Président de la République a défendu une voie médiane attachée au droit international : «Vous savez combien je suis attaché à la sécurité d'Israël, mais dans le même temps à ne jamais avoir une politique d'alignement sur la voie la plus extrême». Il s'est opposé à tout processus d'escalade dans la région. «C'est la voix que la France porte dans le processus de paix dont plus personne n'ose parler considérant qu'il ne se terminera pas. Il aura une fin, elle doit être heureuse, a t-il affirmé. Elle ne peut être la victoire de l'un sur l'autre».

Remembering the Holocaust: Prince Charles Speaks

Remembering the Holocaust: Prince Charles speaks a the podium at the Yad Vashem World Holocaust Remembrance Center in Jerusalem.

Steinmeier at Yad Vashem: 'I Bow in Deepest Sorrow for German Acts' | DW News

Ceremonies were held at the Yad Vashem Memorial in Jerusalem to honor Holocaust victims and survivors. This is the first in a series of events marking the 75th anniversary of the liberation of the Auschwitz death camp, which is commemorated as International Holocaust Remembrance Day. Dozens of international heads of state and government joined Israeli leaders at the ceremony. . In the first speech by a German president at Yad Vashem, Frank-Walter Steinmeier said Germany's responsibility for the crimes of the Nazi regime will never end. Russian President Vladimir Putin, French President Emmanuel Macron and US Vice President Mike Pence were also among those who remembered one of the world's darkest chapters and vowed to fight anti-Semitism in their countries.

75th Anniversary of Liberation of Auschwitz: A Survivor Remembers | DW News

Dita Kraus, the 'librarian of Auschwitz,' was just a teenager when she was deported from Prague and ended up in death camp. Now 91, Dita spoke to DW at her home in Israel. World leaders will be at the former death camp for the official Holocaust Remembrance Day on Monday, but for Dita, it's a place she never wants to see again. The horrors she experienced there are too much to bear. At Auschwitz, she snuck books to the children's block.

Sex Is for Married Heterosexual Couples Only, Says Church of England

THE GUARDIAN: Pastoral guidance also calls for Christians in gay or straight civil unions to be abstinent

The Church of England has stated that sex belongs only within heterosexual marriage, and that Christians in gay or straight civil partnerships should be sexually abstinent.

Bishops have issued pastoral guidance in response to the recent introduction to mixed-sex civil partnerships, which says: “For Christians, marriage – that is, the lifelong union between a man and a woman, contracted with the making of vows – remains the proper context for sexual activity.”

The church “seeks to uphold that standard” in its approach to civil partnerships, and “to affirm the value of committed, sexually abstinent friendships” within such partnerships.

It adds: “Sexual relationships outside heterosexual marriage are regarded as falling short of God’s purpose for human beings.” » | Harriet Sherwood | Thursday, January 23, 2020

Good luck with that, bishops! So what these guys are saying is that fun is out for anyone who isn't straight and married. And this is God's will in the twenty-first century, you say? Conclusion: God doesn't do fun! – Mark

Meghan Markle's Brother Thomas Markle Jr Speaks Out on Australian TV | Sunrise

Meghan Markle's estranged half brother has spoken out about her decision to leave the royal family and the letter he famously sent Prince Harry.

Freedom From Religion Foundation Lecture

"Freedom From Religion in the Bible Belt” was the theme of FFRF's (Freedom From Religion) Raleigh Regional Convention, May 2-3 2014 conference in downtown Raleigh, N.C., at the Sheraton Raleigh Hotel, 421 South Salisbury St. In conjunction with the Triangle Freethought Society, FFRF’s active Raleigh-area chapter, the gathering “won hearts and minds for reason and secularism.” CNN was scheduled to cover some of the event for an upcoming documentary on atheism.' The interview will be part of FFRF and the Dawkins Foundation's Openly Secular coalition campaign. Presented by Triangle Freethought Society.

Criminalizing Reporting: Glenn Greenwald Faces Cybercrime Complaint after Exposing Scandal in Brazil

In Brazil, federal prosecutors have filed a criminal complaint against journalist and Intercept co-founder Glenn Greenwald in connection to a major investigation he spearheaded that exposed misconduct among federal prosecutors and a former judge. Called “The Secret Brazil Archive,” the series of pieces published in The Intercept and The Intercept Brasil used a trove of documents to offer new and damning insight into the sweeping anti-corruption campaign that brought down former President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva and paved the way for the election of right-wing President Jair Bolsonaro. The investigation used previously undisclosed private chats, audio recordings, videos and other information provided by an anonymous source to expose the wrongdoing of top officials, including Justice Minister Sérgio Moro, who oversaw the anti-corruption crusade known as “Operation Car Wash.” On Tuesday, a justice minister filed a denunciation of Glenn Greenwald, claiming he “directly assisted, encouraged and guided” individuals who allegedly accessed online chats related to Operation Car Wash. A judge will now decide whether to press charges. The move has sparked international outrage at what many are condemning as an attack on the free press in Brazil. We speak with Andrew Fishman, managing editor of The Intercept Brasil and reporter for The Intercept.

Harry and Meghan Threaten Legal Action over Canada Paparazzi Shots

The Duke and Duchess of Sussex have issued a warning over continued harassment by paparazzi photographers as they start their new life in Canada out of the spotlight.

America's Great Divide: Anthony Scaramucci Interview | Frontline

Anthony Scaramucci served briefly as the White House communications director for Donald Trump in 2017. He is a founder and managing partner at SkyBridge Capital.

Scaramucci's candid, full interview was conducted with FRONTLINE during the making of the two-part January 2020 documentary series “America's Great Divide: From Obama to Trump.”

What Does the Future Look Like for Harry and Meghan?

It's still unclear what the new Royal arrangements will mean for Harry and Meghan's future life. From their security arrangements, to the use of their 'Sussex Royal' brand and even what they will be called with future titles are still under discussion.

Au Royaume-Uni, Harry Mountbatten-Windsor et Meghan Markle n’auront plus leur titre royal au printemps

LE MONDE: Le couple a donné son accord au remboursement de certaines dépenses passées, notamment pour la rénovation de leur cottage de Windsor, à l’ouest de Londres.

C’est la fin de dix jours de crise à Buckingham. Le prince Harry Mountbatten-Windsor et son épouse, Meghan Markle, renonceront à leur titre d’altesse royale et cesseront de recevoir des fonds publics, a annoncé, samedi 18 janvier, le palais britannique, après leur décision de renoncer à leur statut de membres actifs de la famille royale. « Ils ne rempliront plus d’obligations royales » et « ne peuvent plus formellement représenter la reine », ajoute le communiqué.

Le texte précise que le couple a donné son accord au remboursement de certaines dépenses passées, notamment pour la rénovation de leur cottage de Windsor, à l’ouest de Londres. Les travaux avaient coûté plus de 2 millions de livres (2,3 millions d’euros), ce qui avait été critiqué dans les médias. » | Le Monde avec AFP | samedi 18. Janvier 2020

Harry and Meghan’s Hard Exit

THE NEW YORK TIMES: The couple’s wish to carve out more “progressive” roles led to the loss of perks, privileges and titles.

LONDON — There is no such thing, it turns out, as being a part-time royal. The severance deal that Buckingham Palace announced on Saturday for Prince Harry and his wife, Meghan, is most remarkable for how clean a break the royal family is making with two of its most popular, if disaffected, members — much more severe than the couple apparently expected.

The British news media, which has likened the couple’s split with the royal family to Brexit, lost no time on Sunday in pronouncing the agreement the equivalent of a “hard Brexit,” similar to the uncompromising trade deal that Prime Minister Boris Johnson is expected to pursue with the European Union this year.

Far from carving out a “progressive new role within this institution,” as the couple hopefully declared when they unexpectedly announced their plans to “step back” from royal duties this month, Harry and Meghan will lose most of the privileges and perks of royalty once they give up their full-time status and forsake Britain for an uncertain future in Canada and the United States.

Under the terms of the agreement, the couple will no longer use their most exclusive titles, His Royal Highness and Her Royal Highness, will forgo public funding of their activities and will repay more than $3 million for the refurbishment of Frogmore Cottage, their residence on the grounds of Windsor Castle. » | Mark Landler | Sunday, January 19, 2020

'They're Turning the Royal Family into a Walmart with a Crown on': Meghan Markle's Father Thomas Launches an Extraordinary TV Attack on Megxit as He Tells Channel 5 Documentary That the Sussexes Are 'Cheapening' the Royals by Quitting

MAIL ONLINE: Thomas Markle spoke exclusively to Channel 5 in a new television documentary / He describes Meghan and Harry's behaviour as embarrassing in the interview / He says: 'This is one of the greatest institutions ever. They are destroying it'

The Duchess of Sussex's estranged father has spoken in depth for the first time about the Megxit crisis – and accused his daughter of 'cheapening' the Royal Family and throwing away 'every girl's dream' for money.

In a TV documentary, Thomas Markle describes Meghan and Harry's behaviour as embarrassing, says they are 'turning into lost souls' and, in a reference to a discount American supermarket giant, adds: 'They are turning it [the Royal Family] into a Walmart with a crown on.'

He added: 'This is not the girl I raised.'

Mr Markle's intervention in the monarchy's worst crisis for a generation came as the Queen's top aides finalised a deal for the couple, who are quitting as frontline Royals and leaving Britain to seek financial independence.

He tells the Channel 5 documentary: 'When they got married they took on an obligation, and the obligation is to be part of the Royals and to represent the Royals. And it would be foolish for them not to.
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'This is one of the greatest long-living institutions ever. They are destroying it, they are cheapening it, making it shabby… they shouldn't be doing this.' » | Ian Gallagher for the ‘Mail On Sunday’ | Saturday, January 18, 2020


Royal pundits react »

Inside Iran: What's Next? | The Economist

When Iran's military forces mistakenly shot down a Ukrainian passenger jet it sparked widespread protests around the country. Iran's leaders face being overwhelmed by a crisis they created—how will they respond?

Read more »

People Who Remember Every Second of Their Life | 60 Minutes Australia

Imagine being able to remember every minute detail of your life. You can recall what the weather was like, what you were reading or what you wore to the shops at any minute, any hour or any day stretching back decades. It sounds like some kind of parlour trick, but it's actually a real and very rare medical phenomenon.

Luca Guadagnino on the Power of First Love in ‘Call Me By Your Name’

Based on a novel of the same name by André Aciman, Call Me By Your Name tells the story of two young men who fall in love in Italy in 1983. Director Luca Guadagnino discusses the film's dreamlike aesthetic and the power of first love.

Stevie Wonder: Love's In Need Of Love Today

Boris Johnson prépare la révolution de l’après-Brexit

LE FIGARO: À deux semaines de la sortie britannique de l’Union européenne, le premier ministre veut montrer qu’il compte profondément changer le pays.

Londres,

À deux semaines de la date historique du 31 janvier, qui verra le Royaume-Uni quitter l’Union européenne, on ferraille désormais à Londres sur la façon de célébrer l’événement. Les brexiters veulent marquer le coup, si possible avec les onze coups de Big Ben. Or, la cloche de 13,7 tonnes de la tour emblématique de Londres est muette depuis août 2017, pour une rénovation qui doit durer quatre ans. Le coût d’une remise en service provisoire a été chiffré à 500.000 livres. Le nouveau président de la Chambre des communes a pris sa calculette: chaque «bong» marquant l’heure cruciale coûtera plus de 45.000 livres… » [€] | Par Arnaud De La Grange | vendredi 17. janvier 2020

Un tableau retrouvé en Italie est bien le « Portrait d’une dame » de Klimt, volé en 1997

LE MONDE: Le tableau avait été subtilisé en février 1997, alors que le Musée d’art moderne Ricci Oddi de Piacenza était fermé pour travaux.

Un tableau retrouvé par hasard il y a cinq semaines à Piacenza, dans le nord-ouest de l’Italie, est bien un original de Gustav Klimt, volé il y a vingt ans dans la même ville. « C’est avec une grande émotion que je peux vous dire que le tableau retrouvé est authentique », a déclaré Ornella Chicca, une magistrate chargée de l’enquête, lors d’une conférence de presse organisée vendredi 17 janvier. » | Le Monde avec AFP | vendredi 17. janvier 2020

Balearic Islands Pass Bill Targeting Boozy Brits Abroad

THE GUARDIAN: Law bans happy hours, free bars and makes it illegal to advertise pub crawls

The regional government in the Balearic islands has passed a bill aimed at clamping down on alcohol-fuelled holidays.

The law bans happy hours, free bars and two-for-one drinks parties and makes it illegal to advertise pub crawls. There will be no new licences for party boats and existing boats are banned from operating in designated areas.

Shops selling alcohol that currently stay open all night will have to close between 9.30pm and 8am or risk fines of up to €600,000 (£511,000) or the threat of being closed down for three years.

The restrictions apply to the worst affected areas of Magaluf and El Arenal de Palma in Mallorca as well as Sant Antoni de Portmany in Ibiza. » | Stephen Burgen in Barcelona | Friday, January 17, 2020

Meghan Markle's Sister's Message to the Duchess of Sussex | This Morning

Samantha Markle, the sister of Meghan Markle, shares her views with us on the shocking announcement made by the Duke and Duchess of Sussex last week. They announced they were stepping down from full-time royal duties, but there was nobody less surprised than Samantha. She told us in this exclusive interview why she thinks Meghan is tarnishing the family name and also why her father’s willingness to testify against his estranged daughter in what is being billed as the 'trial of the century’ would allow the real truth to be heard. Broadcast on 17/01/20

Prince Harry and Meghan's UK Home Being Closed Down

THE GUARDIAN: Reports add to speculation that Duke and Duchess do not plan to spend much time in UK

Frogmore Cottage, the home of the Duke and Duchess of Sussex, is in the process of being shuttered, according to reports, fuelling speculation the couple do not intend to spend any meaningful time in the UK in the near future.

Key live-in staff – a house manager and a cleaner – are being moved to other duties within the Queen’s household. Other staff members, used on an ad hoc basis and including chefs, maids and footmen, have been told their services are no longer required at the couple’s Windsor residence, the Daily Mail reported.

The claim comes as Harry and Meghan begin a period of “transition”, splitting their time between the UK and Canada, with the reluctant blessing of the Queen. » | Caroline Davies | Friday, January 17, 2020

It’s not just Meghan and Harry. I’d like us all to escape this dire royal circus » | Suzanne Moore

Heaven and Hell on Newstalk with Moncrieff

Seán Moncrieff hosts an eclectic Irish radio show on Newstalk which is operated by News 106 Limited, a subsidiary of Denis O'Brien's Communicorp. He interviewed Bart on January 13th, 2020 during a seven-minute spot in brief discussion about his new book, "Heaven and Hell: A History of the Afterlife" to be published by Simon & Schuster. The interview asked questions like: Was Heaven and Hell discussed in the Old Testament? Does Judaism believe in the afterlife? Did the belief in Heaven and Hell exist during Jesus' lifetime? Did there exist an early belief that a deceased person entered limbo after death? Doesn't the physical depictions of Hell only make sense if a person is physically tortured? Why do more people in the U.S. believe in Heaven than in Hell? Other thoughts are considered during this succinct segment.

Utah Condom Campaign Halted over Racy Packaging

BBC: Utah Governor Gary Herbert has halted the distribution of 100,000 free condoms in the US state because of racy slogans on the packaging.

It features phrases like "SL,UT", a word play on Utah and its capital, Salt Lake City, "Enjoy Your Mountin" and "Explore Utah's caves".

It was part of a campaign by the Utah department of health on HIV prevention and promotion of safe sex.

The department apologised for "the offensive packaging". » | Thursday, January 16, 2020

Actor Laurence Fox's Question Time Clash over Meghan

The Duke and Duchess of Sussex's decision to step back from royal life sparked debate on BBC's Question Time.

Actor Lawrence Fox clashed with an audience member who said the way Meghan had been treated in the press was "racist".

Senate Opens Trump Impeachment Trial as New Ukraine Revelations Emerge

The chief justice was sworn in as the presiding officer and senators swore to do “impartial justice,” as the Senate opened only the third presidential impeachment trial in U.S. history.

Read the article here »

Most Canadians Don't Want to Cover Harry and Meghan's Costs, Poll Says | Power & Politics

A large majority of Canadians don’t want to pay for Harry and Meghan’s security costs during their time in Canada, according to a new poll by the Angus Reid Institute.

'Call Me By Your Name' Director Slams Homophobe James Woods | Advocate Film | The Advocate

"We have to fight back and say 'watch the movie and don't put your parochial prejudices in front of the movie and the effort of a lot of people'"

“America Exists Today to Make War”: Lawrence Wilkerson on Endless War & American Empire

Retired U.S. Army Colonel Lawrence Wilkerson, who served as Secretary of State Colin Powell’s chief of staff from 2002 to 2005, says the escalation of tensions between the U.S. and Iran today is a continuation of two decades of U.S. policy disasters in the Middle East, starting with the 2003 run-up to war with Iraq under the Bush administration. “America exists today to make war. How else do we interpret 19 straight years of war and no end in sight? It’s part of who we are. It’s part of what the American Empire is,” says Wilkerson. “We are going to cheat and steal to do whatever it is we have to do to continue this war complex. That’s the truth of it. And that’s the agony of it.”

Fareed Zakaria: Here's the Problem with Trump's Foreign Policy

CNN's Fareed Zakaria explains the impact of President Donald Trump's actions in the Middle East.