Sunday, June 06, 2021
Österreich: Raucher gegen Nichtraucher – die große Diskussion (OE24.TV – 2017)
Dieses Gespräch war animiert und interessant. In der Zwischenzeit ist in Österreich ein generelles Rauchverbot in Kraft gestellt worden. Seither ist es strengstens verboten überall in Gaststätten und Hotels.
Nichtraucherschutz und Rauchverbote »
Falls Sie dieses Jahr einen Urlaub machen wollen, wo es erlaubt ist zu rauchen, sollten Sie vielleicht Serbien oder Rumänien in Betracht bringen. Es scheint als ob überall in Europa das Rauchen nicht mehr erlaubt ist in Restaurants, Bars oder oft auch außerhalb eines Restaurants unter einem Sonnenschirm!
Ich rauche nicht mehr, aber als Raucher hätte dieses Verbot mich dermaßen gestört! Es hätte mir die Ferien sogar verdorben. Vergessen Sie West-Europa! Hier ist alles so stark reguliert. Nach der Pandemie, fahren Sie doch weiter weg, wo die Vorschriften lockerer sind, um Ihre Ferien zu genießen! ©Mark
Wo in Europa ist das Rauchen noch erlaubt? »
The US’ Position as the Dominant Capitalist Power Is Changing - Richard Wolff [Global Capitalism]
Saturday, June 05, 2021
Is the COVID-19 Vaccine Causing Rare Myocarditis Cases?
LIVE SCIENCE: Researchers in Israel say they've found a possible link between the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine and cases of heart inflammation in young men ages 16 to 30, according to a report submitted this week to the country's Ministry of Health.
The report concluded that around 1 in 5,000 men who receive the vaccine may experience this side effect, known as myocarditis, which is higher than the rate seen for the whole vaccinated population during that time period, which was 1 in 50,000.
So far, the data isn't yet strong enough to prove that the vaccine caused these cases — experts say there are a number of factors that make it difficult to definitively tie the vaccine to heart inflammation, a link that's also being investigated in the United States. » | Rachael Rettner, Senior Writer | Saturday, June 5, 2021
The report concluded that around 1 in 5,000 men who receive the vaccine may experience this side effect, known as myocarditis, which is higher than the rate seen for the whole vaccinated population during that time period, which was 1 in 50,000.
So far, the data isn't yet strong enough to prove that the vaccine caused these cases — experts say there are a number of factors that make it difficult to definitively tie the vaccine to heart inflammation, a link that's also being investigated in the United States. » | Rachael Rettner, Senior Writer | Saturday, June 5, 2021
English Councils Start Banning Smoking Outside Pubs and Restaurants
Five local authorities have banned smoking in pavement pubs, cafes and restaurants, and others are considering following suit, before a new push by the government to make England smoke-free in less than a decade.
The Covid outdoor eating culture has given the issue of smokers outside pubs and cafes a new visibility. Last summer there was an attempt to push through an amendment to legislation in the House of Lords to make pavements smoke-free, but it failed.
However, Northumberland county council, Durham, North Tyneside, Newcastle, and the City of Manchester have all banned smoking on stretches of the pavement where bars, restaurants and cafes are licensed to put out tables. Although it does not have a policy, all the licences granted by Gateshead also stipulate that pavement cafes must be smoke-free.
Oxfordshire is also planning to ban smoking from outdoor restaurants as part of a major strategy that aims to make the county smoke-free by 2025, which is five years ahead of the government’s plan for England as a whole. It also plans to take tougher action to stop the sale of tobacco to under-18s and work to discourage smoking in homes, cars, play parks and at the school gates. » | Sarah Boseley | Wednesday, June 2, 2021
These health Nazis are dangerous killjoys! They are totally out of control! They are taking the law into their own hands. Somebody should stop them – NOW! Their time would be better spent trying to tackle the real problem in this country: drug-taking. I speak as a non-smoker. An ex-smoker to be precise. But just because I have given up smoking, I don’t expect the rest of the world to give it up with me. I am not a killjoy! – ©Mark
Cumbrian pub owner Dianne Irving and councillors warn against pavement smoking ban »
Brexit Update - The Chaos and Incompetence Continues
Rishi Sunak Announces ‘Historic Agreement’ by G7 on Tax Reform
THE GUARDIAN: Finance ministers agree deal to force multinationals to pay tax in all countries where they operate
The G7 group of wealthy nations have signed a landmark deal to tackle tax abuses by some of the world’s biggest multinationals and establish a minimum global corporation tax for the first time.
Finance ministers from the world’s richest economies agreed the historic deal on Saturday as part of talks held in London, the chancellor, Rishi Sunak, said.
As part of the plan, finance ministers also agreed to the principle of a global minimum rate that ensures multinationals pay tax of at least 15% in each country in which they operate.
Sunak said: “These seismic tax reforms are something the UK has been pushing for and a huge prize for the British taxpayer – creating a fairer tax system fit for the 21st century. » | Phillip Inman | Saturday, June 5, 2021
The G7 group of wealthy nations have signed a landmark deal to tackle tax abuses by some of the world’s biggest multinationals and establish a minimum global corporation tax for the first time.
Finance ministers from the world’s richest economies agreed the historic deal on Saturday as part of talks held in London, the chancellor, Rishi Sunak, said.
As part of the plan, finance ministers also agreed to the principle of a global minimum rate that ensures multinationals pay tax of at least 15% in each country in which they operate.
Sunak said: “These seismic tax reforms are something the UK has been pushing for and a huge prize for the British taxpayer – creating a fairer tax system fit for the 21st century. » | Phillip Inman | Saturday, June 5, 2021
DER BOMBE NÄHER DENN JE: Was Trump in Iran geschafft hat
FRANKFURTER ALLGEMEINE ZEITUNG: So viel hochangereichertes Uran wie derzeit hatte Iran noch nie. Das kann es sich in den Atomverhandlungen zunutze machen. Ein neuer Deal ist gefährdet.
Irans Atomprogramm ist eine tickende Zeitbombe. Zwar hat das von der Obama-Biden-Regierung 2015 durchgesetzte Abkommen schmerzlich bewiesen, dass eine Einhegung von Teherans atomaren Ambitionen beileibe nicht alle Probleme löst, welche die Islamische Republik in ihrer Nachbarschaft verursacht. Entscheidend ist aber die Gegenprobe: Jedes Problem, das der Region aus dem Machtkampf zwischen dem schiitischen Iran und den sunnitischen Golf-Arabern erwächst, potenziert sich, wenn die Führung in Teheran über Atomwaffen verfügen könnte. » | Ein Kommentar von Andreas Ross | Samstag, 5. Juni 2021
Irans Atomprogramm ist eine tickende Zeitbombe. Zwar hat das von der Obama-Biden-Regierung 2015 durchgesetzte Abkommen schmerzlich bewiesen, dass eine Einhegung von Teherans atomaren Ambitionen beileibe nicht alle Probleme löst, welche die Islamische Republik in ihrer Nachbarschaft verursacht. Entscheidend ist aber die Gegenprobe: Jedes Problem, das der Region aus dem Machtkampf zwischen dem schiitischen Iran und den sunnitischen Golf-Arabern erwächst, potenziert sich, wenn die Führung in Teheran über Atomwaffen verfügen könnte. » | Ein Kommentar von Andreas Ross | Samstag, 5. Juni 2021
Friday, June 04, 2021
Meet Israel’s Likely New Prime Minister | The Mehdi Hasan Show
Opinion: Netanyahu Embodied Dishonest, Divisive Demagoguery. If He’s Gone, Good Riddance
It could be over before it starts. As you read this, it may already be unravelling. But a new government has been formed in Israel, thereby removing the man who has ruled that country longer than anyone else. Benjamin Netanyahu has dominated Israeli politics for most of the past quarter-century: first elected as prime minister in 1996, he has ruled Israel uninterrupted for the past 12 years. But now, if the new coalition holds together – a big if – the reign of Bibi, King of Israel, will come to an end. Even if we should have no illusions about what comes next, that itself is a cause for celebration.
It is also the new government’s sole, animating purpose. The motley collection of parties, which runs from the settler hard right through the centre to the liberal left – and which includes a Palestinian Islamist party – has next to nothing else in common. It cannot be described as hawkish or dove-ish, left or right: it is simply the anti-Netanyahu bloc, forged to prise his fingers off the prime ministerial desk once and for all. » | Jonathan Freedland | Friday, June 4, 2021
Right-wing Populists and the EU | DW Documentary (2019)
2019 looks to be a good year for right-wing populists in Europe. Be it Italy, France, Hungary, Poland or Germany, many European countries are experiencing a shift to the right. Right-wing populists are expected to make significant gains in the European Parliament elections this spring.
Right-leaning party representatives have an agenda: they want to dismantle to the European Union. Guido Reil of Germany’s AfD party believes the best way to do that is by going to Brussels. "It is easier to destroy something from the inside than from the outside." Joseph Sauvage, a cafe owner in Denain in northern France, backs Marine Le Pen's Rassemblement National party, because he doesn't want to see people in Denain abandoned. "When the factories closed, the small shops closed. There is nothing here, economically speaking. No work. It’s also changed politically. It used to be communist. But that changed with the end of opportunities for the working class." His view of migration has also changed. "Immigrants are entitled to the same social benefits without ever having worked here." Like Joseph Sauvage, Luca Davide, a member of Italy’s Northern League party, says he's had enough of living in a run-down block in a small city full of foreigners. "We don't need drug dealers, we don't need illegals! We just want to live here in peace and safety." In early February 2018, a right-wing supporter targeted Africans in a drive-by shooting rampage. According to Northern League leader Matteo Salvini, the EU shares "moral responsibility” for the act because it "filled the country with illegal foreigners." Messages like these are met with support. Evidence of just how a state’s society and institutions change when right-wing populists come to power is evident in Hungary. Many judges, organizations that support refugees or human rights, scientists, and journalists speak of massive restrictions in Orban's "illiberal democracy". But a lot of young Hungarians starting to push back.
Right-leaning party representatives have an agenda: they want to dismantle to the European Union. Guido Reil of Germany’s AfD party believes the best way to do that is by going to Brussels. "It is easier to destroy something from the inside than from the outside." Joseph Sauvage, a cafe owner in Denain in northern France, backs Marine Le Pen's Rassemblement National party, because he doesn't want to see people in Denain abandoned. "When the factories closed, the small shops closed. There is nothing here, economically speaking. No work. It’s also changed politically. It used to be communist. But that changed with the end of opportunities for the working class." His view of migration has also changed. "Immigrants are entitled to the same social benefits without ever having worked here." Like Joseph Sauvage, Luca Davide, a member of Italy’s Northern League party, says he's had enough of living in a run-down block in a small city full of foreigners. "We don't need drug dealers, we don't need illegals! We just want to live here in peace and safety." In early February 2018, a right-wing supporter targeted Africans in a drive-by shooting rampage. According to Northern League leader Matteo Salvini, the EU shares "moral responsibility” for the act because it "filled the country with illegal foreigners." Messages like these are met with support. Evidence of just how a state’s society and institutions change when right-wing populists come to power is evident in Hungary. Many judges, organizations that support refugees or human rights, scientists, and journalists speak of massive restrictions in Orban's "illiberal democracy". But a lot of young Hungarians starting to push back.
German Cardinal’s Resignation Offer Sends Shockwaves through the Catholic Church | DW News
Germany's most senior cleric has offered his resignation to Pope Francis. Munich's Cardinal Reinhard Marx said that he wanted to share responsibility for what he called the "catastrophe of sexual abuse" by members of the Catholic church.
Marx has long been a leading voice in the call for church reforms. Those calls have been growing louder as sex abuse investigations revealed a decades-long cover-up by the clergy. Marx said investigations and reports of the past 10 years showed him there had not only been "a lot of personal failure and administrative errors," but "also institutional and systemic failure" within the Catholic Church.
Recent discussions had shown "that some in the church do not want to acknowledge this element of co-responsibility and thus also complicity of the institution and are therefore opposed to any reform and renewal dialogue in connection with the abuse crisis," he wrote in a letter to the pope dated May 21 and published on Friday by his archdiocese in Munich.
The archdiocese said in its press release on the issue that Pope Francis had since responded to Cardinal Marx, telling him that he could make the letter public, and to remain in his role until he received an answer.
Marx has long been a leading voice in the call for church reforms. Those calls have been growing louder as sex abuse investigations revealed a decades-long cover-up by the clergy. Marx said investigations and reports of the past 10 years showed him there had not only been "a lot of personal failure and administrative errors," but "also institutional and systemic failure" within the Catholic Church.
Recent discussions had shown "that some in the church do not want to acknowledge this element of co-responsibility and thus also complicity of the institution and are therefore opposed to any reform and renewal dialogue in connection with the abuse crisis," he wrote in a letter to the pope dated May 21 and published on Friday by his archdiocese in Munich.
The archdiocese said in its press release on the issue that Pope Francis had since responded to Cardinal Marx, telling him that he could make the letter public, and to remain in his role until he received an answer.
Grèce : vrai départ pour la loi anti-tabac ?
Grèce : vrai départ pour la loi anti-tabac ? »
How Canada Became a Country of Smokers | The Agenda
Australia’s Mouse Plague
Thursday, June 03, 2021
Want to Live to 100? Dan Buettner Tells You How | Amanpour and Company
3 Dinge die Dein Leben verlängern! - Ein Arzt packt aus und verrät, worauf es wirklich ankommt
Israel May Have Avoided a Fifth Election and Ended Up with Two Prime Ministers | ABC News
Israeli Opposition Parties Strike Deal to Form New Government | DW News
An unlikely coalition of disparate Israeli opposition parties struck a deal on Wednesday night to form a government. The agreement could potentially resolve an extended period of political deadlock and force beleaguered Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu from the political stage after 12 years in office. Yair Lapid, a centrist, and Naftali Bennett, an ultranationalist, announced the deal after they succeeded in cobbling together a coalition government with a number of parties from across the political spectrum. Lapid managed to pull together signatures from seven parties signaling their willingness to form a coalition shortly before his mandate to form a new government expired at midnight.
Lapid has officially informed President Rivlin that he has the backing of the majority of the Knesset to form a cabinet — over two months after the March 23 election. The new government could face a vote of confidence in Israel's Knesset parliament sometime before next Wednesday unless Lapid asks for time to negotiate any disagreements before parties sign on to a binding coalition. Such a move would delay the vote by another week and give parties time to iron out any disagreements about the policies and appointments of the new government. It is expected that Netanyahu, the country's longest-serving prime minister, will attempt to bring lawmakers from the coalition over to his side. Unless the newly formed coalition collapses before being sworn in, Netanyahu's 12-year stint in the top job will come to an end.
Lapid has officially informed President Rivlin that he has the backing of the majority of the Knesset to form a cabinet — over two months after the March 23 election. The new government could face a vote of confidence in Israel's Knesset parliament sometime before next Wednesday unless Lapid asks for time to negotiate any disagreements before parties sign on to a binding coalition. Such a move would delay the vote by another week and give parties time to iron out any disagreements about the policies and appointments of the new government. It is expected that Netanyahu, the country's longest-serving prime minister, will attempt to bring lawmakers from the coalition over to his side. Unless the newly formed coalition collapses before being sworn in, Netanyahu's 12-year stint in the top job will come to an end.
Die unglaubliche Wahrheit: Das musst Du wissen, wenn Du zum Arzt gehst - Ein Mediziner packt aus!
Der Medizinethiker Prof. Dr. Giovanni Maio fordert einen radikalen Umbruch im Medizinsektor. Denn viele Ärzte sind von wirtschaftlichen Zwängen getrieben - der Mensch, der Patient und seine Krankheit geraten dabei aus dem Fokus. Die Verwirtschaftlichung eines eigentlich sozialen Bereiches - der Medizin - schadet den Patienten. Der Fehler liegt im System: So erhalten Ärzte beispielsweise nur eine Pauschale von etwa 100 € pro Quartal für alle Gespräche mit ihren Patienten. Geld verdienen sie nur durch mehr oder weniger notwendige Behandlungen. Im Gespräch mit Robert Fleischer schildert Prof. Mayo die Abgründe des deutschen Medizinsystems, in dem die Behandlung eines Patienten davon abhängt, wie profitabel seine Genesung ist.
Prof. Dr. Giovanni Maio ist Direktor des Instituts für Ethik und Geschichte der Medizin an der Uni Freiburg, Mitglied der zentralen Ethik-Kommission für Stammzellenforschung, Mitglied des Ausschusses für ethische und juristische Grundsatzfragen der Bundesärztekammer und seit 2010 ständiger Berater der Deutschen Bischofskonferenz.
Prof. Dr. Giovanni Maio ist Direktor des Instituts für Ethik und Geschichte der Medizin an der Uni Freiburg, Mitglied der zentralen Ethik-Kommission für Stammzellenforschung, Mitglied des Ausschusses für ethische und juristische Grundsatzfragen der Bundesärztekammer und seit 2010 ständiger Berater der Deutschen Bischofskonferenz.
Psychiatrist: ‘Donald Trump Is Delusional’ Even Out of Office
‘It’s Dehumanizing’: Texas Valedictorian Goes Off Script to Attack Abortion Ban
THE GUARDIAN: Paxton Smith criticizes near-total ban that makes no exception for rape or incest
The valedictorian at a Texas high school went off script while delivering her graduation speech, criticising the state’s extreme abortion ban in an address that has since been widely shared on social media.
School administrators had signed off on Paxton Smith’s pre-written speech on how TV and media have shaped her worldview. But, when it came time to address the graduating class of Lake Highlands high school, she pivoted.
“In light of recent events, it feels wrong to talk about anything but what is currently affecting me and millions of other women in this state,” she said, her voice shaking as she began. » | Maanvi Singh | Thursday, June 3, 2021
The valedictorian at a Texas high school went off script while delivering her graduation speech, criticising the state’s extreme abortion ban in an address that has since been widely shared on social media.
School administrators had signed off on Paxton Smith’s pre-written speech on how TV and media have shaped her worldview. But, when it came time to address the graduating class of Lake Highlands high school, she pivoted.
“In light of recent events, it feels wrong to talk about anything but what is currently affecting me and millions of other women in this state,” she said, her voice shaking as she began. » | Maanvi Singh | Thursday, June 3, 2021
Wednesday, June 02, 2021
Opinion: France Is Becoming More Like America. It’s Terrible.
THE NEW YORK TIMES: PARIS — It’s become a familiar refrain in French political life. From President Emmanuel Macron and his cabinet to the far-right opposition, from print columnists to talking heads, “Americanization” is increasingly held responsible for a whole set of social ills ailing the nation.
For some of these critics, it’s the reason so many young people — adopting the view of Black Lives Matter activists — believe police violence is a problem. For others, it explains why the quality of academic research is in decline, as fanciful ideas concocted on American college campuses like intersectionality and post-colonialism supposedly flourish. To others still, it’s why people can’t speak their mind anymore, suffocated by the threats of “ cancel culture.”
Perhaps the most common gripe is that ideas and practices imported from the United States are making the French obsessed with ethnic , religious and sexual difference at the expense of their shared identity as citizens of the universal Republic.
They’re not wrong: French politics are, in fact, becoming Americanized. But the problem is not left-wing theories or censorious scolds. It is instead the rise of an insular, nationalistic, right-wing discourse driven by a belligerent style of press coverage. Distinctively French in content, the form this discourse takes — grievance-wallowing hosts conjuring embittered conversations about national decline, immigration and religion — follows America’s lead. As in the United States, the result is a degraded political landscape that empowers the far right, dragging mainstream politicians into its orbit. » | Cole Stangler * | Wednesday, June 2, 2021
* Mr. Stangler is a journalist based in France who writes extensively about the country’s politics and culture.
For some of these critics, it’s the reason so many young people — adopting the view of Black Lives Matter activists — believe police violence is a problem. For others, it explains why the quality of academic research is in decline, as fanciful ideas concocted on American college campuses like intersectionality and post-colonialism supposedly flourish. To others still, it’s why people can’t speak their mind anymore, suffocated by the threats of “ cancel culture.”
Perhaps the most common gripe is that ideas and practices imported from the United States are making the French obsessed with ethnic , religious and sexual difference at the expense of their shared identity as citizens of the universal Republic.
They’re not wrong: French politics are, in fact, becoming Americanized. But the problem is not left-wing theories or censorious scolds. It is instead the rise of an insular, nationalistic, right-wing discourse driven by a belligerent style of press coverage. Distinctively French in content, the form this discourse takes — grievance-wallowing hosts conjuring embittered conversations about national decline, immigration and religion — follows America’s lead. As in the United States, the result is a degraded political landscape that empowers the far right, dragging mainstream politicians into its orbit. » | Cole Stangler * | Wednesday, June 2, 2021
* Mr. Stangler is a journalist based in France who writes extensively about the country’s politics and culture.
Listet Fehler und Versäumnisse der Medizingeschichte auf | Dr. Gerd Reuther | Radiologe | SWR1 Leute
Das Geschäft mit der Krankheit: Das solltest Du wissen, bevor Du zum Arzt gehst - Dr. Gerd Reuther
Was dieser Spezialist über Medikamente zu sagen hat sollte gar nicht verpaßt sein! Er spricht über Vieles Klartext. Was er über Medikamente für hohen Blutdruck, Blutverdünnungsmittel, Beta Blocker, und vieles Andere zu sagen hat ist maßgebend und ist zudem ein Augenöffner! – ©Mark
USA: Conspiracy Theories Pose a Real Threat
A Professor Gives the Most Well-researched Analysis of the 1950s
Tuesday, June 01, 2021
Amazon US Customers Have One Week to Opt Out of Mass Wireless Sharing
THE GUARDIAN: Critics raise transparency fears over plan to turn all smart home devices into ‘mesh network’
Amazon customers have one week to opt out of a plan that would turn every Echo speaker and Ring security camera in the US into a shared wireless network, as part of the company’s plan to fix connection problems for its smart home devices.
The proposal, called Amazon Sidewalk, involves the company’s devices being used as a springboard to build city-wide “mesh networks” that help simplify the process of setting up new devices, keep them online even if they’re out of range of home wifi, and extend the range of tracking devices such as those made by Tile. » | Alex Hern, Technology editor | Tuesday, June 1, 2021
Amazon customers have one week to opt out of a plan that would turn every Echo speaker and Ring security camera in the US into a shared wireless network, as part of the company’s plan to fix connection problems for its smart home devices.
The proposal, called Amazon Sidewalk, involves the company’s devices being used as a springboard to build city-wide “mesh networks” that help simplify the process of setting up new devices, keep them online even if they’re out of range of home wifi, and extend the range of tracking devices such as those made by Tile. » | Alex Hern, Technology editor | Tuesday, June 1, 2021
Homosexuality: It's about Survival - Not Sex | James O'Keefe | TEDxTallaght
This passionate talk from Dr. James O'Keefe MD gives us a deeply personal and fascinating insight into why homosexuality is indeed a necessary and extraordinarily useful cog in nature's wheel of perfection.
James H O'Keefe MD, is a Board Certified Cardiologist and Director of both the Charles & Barbara Duboc Cardio Health & Wellness Center and the Preventive Cardiology service at Saint Luke’s Mid America Heart Institute. He is also Professor of Medicine at the University of Missouri-Kansas City. His postgraduate training included a cardiology fellowship at Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota. Dr O’Keefe is board-certified in Cardiology, Internal Medicine, Nuclear Cardiology, and Cardiac CT Imaging. He is consistently ranked among the ‘Top Doctor’ lists regionally and nationally as one of America’s Top Rated Physicians in Cardiology. He has been named as one of USA Today’s Most Influential Doctors. Dr O’Keefe has contributed more than 300 articles to the medical literature and has authored best-selling cardiovascular books for health professionals including: The Complete Guide to ECGs (which is used for Cardiology Board Certification), Dyslipidemia Essentials, and Diabetes Essential.
James H O'Keefe MD, is a Board Certified Cardiologist and Director of both the Charles & Barbara Duboc Cardio Health & Wellness Center and the Preventive Cardiology service at Saint Luke’s Mid America Heart Institute. He is also Professor of Medicine at the University of Missouri-Kansas City. His postgraduate training included a cardiology fellowship at Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota. Dr O’Keefe is board-certified in Cardiology, Internal Medicine, Nuclear Cardiology, and Cardiac CT Imaging. He is consistently ranked among the ‘Top Doctor’ lists regionally and nationally as one of America’s Top Rated Physicians in Cardiology. He has been named as one of USA Today’s Most Influential Doctors. Dr O’Keefe has contributed more than 300 articles to the medical literature and has authored best-selling cardiovascular books for health professionals including: The Complete Guide to ECGs (which is used for Cardiology Board Certification), Dyslipidemia Essentials, and Diabetes Essential.
Seven European Countries Begin Issuing a Digital Covid Certificate for Travel
THE NEW YORK TIMES: A digital Covid certificate system that will facilitate travel within the European Union became operational in seven countries on Tuesday — ahead of schedule — previewing what could become a standard for post-pandemic global mobility.
The document, known as a digital green certificate, records whether people have been fully vaccinated against the coronavirus, recovered from the virus or tested negative within 72 hours. Travelers can move freely if at least one of those three criteria is met.
Bulgaria, the Czech Republic, Denmark, Germany, Greece, Croatia and Poland made the certificates available to their citizens as of Tuesday and are accepting them for visitors. The European Commission, the bloc’s administrative branch, said the system would be used in all 27 E.U. countries as of July 1. » | Matina Stevis-Gridneff | Tuesday, June 1, 2021
The document, known as a digital green certificate, records whether people have been fully vaccinated against the coronavirus, recovered from the virus or tested negative within 72 hours. Travelers can move freely if at least one of those three criteria is met.
Bulgaria, the Czech Republic, Denmark, Germany, Greece, Croatia and Poland made the certificates available to their citizens as of Tuesday and are accepting them for visitors. The European Commission, the bloc’s administrative branch, said the system would be used in all 27 E.U. countries as of July 1. » | Matina Stevis-Gridneff | Tuesday, June 1, 2021
Ein sehr interessantes Gespräch über die Gesundheit! Rechnet nach 30 Jahren als Arzt mit seinem Berufsstand ab | Gerd Reuther | Radiologe | SWR1 Leute
Monday, May 31, 2021
BJ Thomas Obituary
In 1969, BJ Thomas, who has died of complications from lung cancer aged 78, spent four weeks at the top of the US chart with Raindrops Keep Fallin’ on My Head, from the soundtrack of the popular film Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid. It is the song he will always be synonymous with, but he nearly didn’t get to sing it. » | Adam Sweeting | Monday, May 21, 2021
'Hooked on a Feeling' singer B.J. Thomas dies at 78 »
Macron and Merkel Demand Explanations over US-Denmark Spy Claim
India Covid Variant Spreading across England, Data Shows
THE GUARDIAN: Scientists say geographical spread ‘entirely predictable’ and window of opportunity has been missed
The coronavirus variant of concern first detected in India is continuing to spread acrossEngland, with cases emerging beyond “hotspot” areas, data suggests.
The variant, known as B.1.617.2, is thought to be driving a rise in Covid cases in parts of the UK and is believed to be both more transmissible than the variant first detected in Kent, which previously dominated, and somewhat more resistant to Covid vaccines, particularly after just one dose.
At present up to three-quarters of new Covid cases in the UK are thought to be caused by the India variant. There have also been signs of a slight rise in hospitalisations.
The situation has led some scientists to warn that the country is now in the early stages of a third wave of coronavirus which, despite the vaccination programme, modelling suggests could lead to a rise in hospitalisations and deaths, and that full easing of restrictions in England on 21 June should be reconsidered. » | Nicola Davis, Science correspondent | Monday, May 31, 2021
The coronavirus variant of concern first detected in India is continuing to spread across
The variant, known as B.1.617.2, is thought to be driving a rise in Covid cases in parts of the UK and is believed to be both more transmissible than the variant first detected in Kent, which previously dominated, and somewhat more resistant to Covid vaccines, particularly after just one dose.
At present up to three-quarters of new Covid cases in the UK are thought to be caused by the India variant. There have also been signs of a slight rise in hospitalisations.
The situation has led some scientists to warn that the country is now in the early stages of a third wave of coronavirus which, despite the vaccination programme, modelling suggests could lead to a rise in hospitalisations and deaths, and that full easing of restrictions in England on 21 June should be reconsidered. » | Nicola Davis, Science correspondent | Monday, May 31, 2021
Israeli Opposition Parties Unite in Bid to Oust Netanyahu | DW News
Political opponents of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu are joining forces - with little in common besides a desire to oust him.
A former Netanyahu aide and right-wing hardliner, Naftali Bennett, says he's looking to form a diverse minority government and avoid another round of elections in Israel and put an end to the Netanyahu era.
Netanyahu has been on the defensive for some time. Israel's longest serving prime minister has been able to brush off public outrage over corruption charges. But after failing to form a majority government after the fourth election in two years, Netanyahu's hold on power had become tenuous.
Former TV Host Yair Lapid is determined to pull together parties from the far right to the left, including Arab-Israeli parties. The commitment by Bennett, who leads the right-wing, pro-settler Yamina party, is crucial to the proposed alliance.
Netanyahu responded by painting the broad coalition as a threat to national security. But he knows that the biggest threat posed by the new government is to current prime minister himself.
A former Netanyahu aide and right-wing hardliner, Naftali Bennett, says he's looking to form a diverse minority government and avoid another round of elections in Israel and put an end to the Netanyahu era.
Netanyahu has been on the defensive for some time. Israel's longest serving prime minister has been able to brush off public outrage over corruption charges. But after failing to form a majority government after the fourth election in two years, Netanyahu's hold on power had become tenuous.
Former TV Host Yair Lapid is determined to pull together parties from the far right to the left, including Arab-Israeli parties. The commitment by Bennett, who leads the right-wing, pro-settler Yamina party, is crucial to the proposed alliance.
Netanyahu responded by painting the broad coalition as a threat to national security. But he knows that the biggest threat posed by the new government is to current prime minister himself.
Trump Org Was ‘Rotten to Its Core’ Says Deputy Assistant AG
‘Chronic Corruption’ & Neoliberal Capitalism’s Role in Boris Johnson’s Britain’s COVID Disaster
China's Competition for Living Space | DW Documentary
More than 60 percent of China's population of 1.4 billion currently lives in cities. Within a decade, the share of urban dwellers is expected to increase to 75 percent. Construction is booming and competition for residential land is fierce.
But the right to live in a city in China is conditional. Authorities want their modern cities to be peopled with well-educated, highly-qualified or politically well-connected residents. As a result, certain standards have to be met to be eligible for a modern, urban home. Only members of China's political classes and the financially successful have a hope of qualifying. Yet more than half of the people who live in cities are so-called "migrant workers." They come from rural communities and have no official rights to settle in cities. They are there to work. With no proper rights, they are merely tolerated while they serve as merchants, servants, waitstaff, cleaners, construction workers and tradespeople. But while they are indispensible to daily life in the cities, they are unable to afford their exorbitant rents. This documentary looks at how and where these workers live, and asks whether middle and working class Chinese even figure in the official vision of shiny, high-tech cities. The filmmakers also look at what happens to those who oppose official plans, or stand in the way of the building boom.
But the right to live in a city in China is conditional. Authorities want their modern cities to be peopled with well-educated, highly-qualified or politically well-connected residents. As a result, certain standards have to be met to be eligible for a modern, urban home. Only members of China's political classes and the financially successful have a hope of qualifying. Yet more than half of the people who live in cities are so-called "migrant workers." They come from rural communities and have no official rights to settle in cities. They are there to work. With no proper rights, they are merely tolerated while they serve as merchants, servants, waitstaff, cleaners, construction workers and tradespeople. But while they are indispensible to daily life in the cities, they are unable to afford their exorbitant rents. This documentary looks at how and where these workers live, and asks whether middle and working class Chinese even figure in the official vision of shiny, high-tech cities. The filmmakers also look at what happens to those who oppose official plans, or stand in the way of the building boom.
New Report Says Denmark Helped US NSA Spy on German Politicians | DW News
New details have come to light in the scandal over the US National Security Agency's surveillance of top European politicians.
Revelations that emerged in 2013 showed that the US intelligence agency had tapped the phones of several leaders – including Germany's Angela Merkel.
Now, a new multi-national media investigation says a Danish military intelligence unit supported the US wiretapping operation. Danish intelligence reportedly worked with the US National Security Agency from here - to eavesdrop on European politicians.
A joint investigation by several European media outlets shows former German chancellor candidate, Peer Steinbrück, was among the espionage targets.
A major problem is that the Danish government didn't inform their German neighbors, though they apparently knew about the eavesdropping as early as 2015. The German government said it only found out about the spying after press inquiries.
Spying on Chancellor Angela Merkel and former Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier was revealed by NSA leaker Edward Snowden and a parliamentary inquiry. It did not reveal that a close European ally was involved.
The NSA, the Danish intelligence service and the Danish government refused to comment on the latest revelations.
Revelations that emerged in 2013 showed that the US intelligence agency had tapped the phones of several leaders – including Germany's Angela Merkel.
Now, a new multi-national media investigation says a Danish military intelligence unit supported the US wiretapping operation. Danish intelligence reportedly worked with the US National Security Agency from here - to eavesdrop on European politicians.
A joint investigation by several European media outlets shows former German chancellor candidate, Peer Steinbrück, was among the espionage targets.
A major problem is that the Danish government didn't inform their German neighbors, though they apparently knew about the eavesdropping as early as 2015. The German government said it only found out about the spying after press inquiries.
Spying on Chancellor Angela Merkel and former Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier was revealed by NSA leaker Edward Snowden and a parliamentary inquiry. It did not reveal that a close European ally was involved.
The NSA, the Danish intelligence service and the Danish government refused to comment on the latest revelations.
Sunday, May 30, 2021
Why I Believe In UFOs, and You Should Too... | Ben Mezrich | TEDxBeaconStreet (2016)
Ben discuses the UFO highway located at the 37th Parallel, and the strange phenomenon of cattle mutilations.
Ben Mezrich is the author of 18 books including Bringing Down The House that was made into the movie 21, and Accidental Billionaires that was made into the movie The Social Network.
Robert Bigelow »
Ben Mezrich is the author of 18 books including Bringing Down The House that was made into the movie 21, and Accidental Billionaires that was made into the movie The Social Network.
Robert Bigelow »
Stelter: Right-wing Propaganda Is Taking the Place of Reality
Warum Ex-Raucher zunehmen
DW: Wer mit dem Rauchen aufhört, wird dicker. Es wurde viel spekuliert, woran das liegen könnte - jetzt scheint die Ursache des Dilemmas geklärt zu sein. Und die hat nichts mit zu viel Schokolade oder Eis zu tun.
Rauchen ist ungesund. Punkt. Das ist so - ohne wenn und aber. Logische Konsequenz? Aufhören. Würden viele Raucher auch gerne, ist aber gar nicht so einfach. Ein Grund für viele, weiterzuqualmen ist die Angst, zuzunehmen. Und die scheint durchaus berechtigt zu sein. Etwa 80 Prozent der Raucher, die sich entschließen aufzuhören, nehmen danach durchschnittlich sieben Kilo zu. Das ist viel und vor allem frustrierend, da es nicht an zu viel Kompensations-Schokolade liegt. Auch Ex-Raucher, die gleichviel oder sogar weniger Kalorien als vor dem Rauchstopp zu sich nehmen, legen an Gewicht zu. » | Judith Harti | Donnerstag, 29. August 2013
Viel Schall um Rauch »
Rauchen gestattet: Wieso die Zigarette zum Film gehört »
Rauchen ist ungesund. Punkt. Das ist so - ohne wenn und aber. Logische Konsequenz? Aufhören. Würden viele Raucher auch gerne, ist aber gar nicht so einfach. Ein Grund für viele, weiterzuqualmen ist die Angst, zuzunehmen. Und die scheint durchaus berechtigt zu sein. Etwa 80 Prozent der Raucher, die sich entschließen aufzuhören, nehmen danach durchschnittlich sieben Kilo zu. Das ist viel und vor allem frustrierend, da es nicht an zu viel Kompensations-Schokolade liegt. Auch Ex-Raucher, die gleichviel oder sogar weniger Kalorien als vor dem Rauchstopp zu sich nehmen, legen an Gewicht zu. » | Judith Harti | Donnerstag, 29. August 2013
Viel Schall um Rauch »
Rauchen gestattet: Wieso die Zigarette zum Film gehört »
Dollars vs Decency: Is China Taking Over New Zealand? | 60 Minutes Australia
Dairy Milk May Lower Cholesterol and Reduce Coronary Heart Disease Risk
MEDICAL NEWS TODAY: A new study suggests that drinking dairy milk may lower cholesterol levels. / The study consists of a meta-analysis of three surveys involving over 400,000 individuals. / The scientists found that even though drinking milk leads to higher body mass index (BMI) and body fat, it still lowers the risk of coronary heart disease.
Dairy milk is a complex substance. For example, it contains 18 out of 20 essential proteins and amino acids, but it also contains saturated fats.
Perhaps this is why attempts to definitively identify its role in cardiometabolic diseases and its effect on cholesterol levels have produced conflicting results.
A newly published study from the University of Reading in the United Kingdom attempts to resolve such contradictions. The study is based on a meta-analysis of three existing large population studies.
The authors conclude that people who consume dairy milk have lower levels of both types of cholesterol and a lower risk of coronary heart disease than people who do not drink milk. » | Robby Berman | Friday, May 28, 2021
Dairy milk is a complex substance. For example, it contains 18 out of 20 essential proteins and amino acids, but it also contains saturated fats.
Perhaps this is why attempts to definitively identify its role in cardiometabolic diseases and its effect on cholesterol levels have produced conflicting results.
A newly published study from the University of Reading in the United Kingdom attempts to resolve such contradictions. The study is based on a meta-analysis of three existing large population studies.
The authors conclude that people who consume dairy milk have lower levels of both types of cholesterol and a lower risk of coronary heart disease than people who do not drink milk. » | Robby Berman | Friday, May 28, 2021
An Arms Race in America: Gun Buying Spiked During the Pandemic. It’s Still Up.
THE NEW YORK TIMES: Preliminary research data show that about a fifth of all Americans who bought guns last year were first-time gun owners. Sales usually spike around elections, but the sheer volume is notable.
WASHINGTON — It was another week with another horrific mass shooting. In cities across the country, gun homicides were climbing. Democrats and Republicans argued over the causes. President Biden said enough.
But beneath the timeworn political cycle on guns in the United States, the country’s appetite for firearms has only been increasing, with more being bought by more Americans than ever before.
While gun sales have been climbing for decades — they often spike in election years and after high-profile crimes — Americans have been on an unusual, prolonged buying spree fueled by the coronavirus pandemic, the protests last summer and the fears they both stoked.
In March last year, federal background checks, a rough proxy for purchases, topped one million in a week for the first time since the government began tracking them in 1998. And the buying continued, through the protests in the summer and the election in the fall, until a week this spring broke the record with 1.2 million background checks. » | Sabrina Tavernise | Saturday, May 29, 2021
Americans are stuck on stupid! Unfortunately, you can't fix stupid. – © Mark
WASHINGTON — It was another week with another horrific mass shooting. In cities across the country, gun homicides were climbing. Democrats and Republicans argued over the causes. President Biden said enough.
But beneath the timeworn political cycle on guns in the United States, the country’s appetite for firearms has only been increasing, with more being bought by more Americans than ever before.
While gun sales have been climbing for decades — they often spike in election years and after high-profile crimes — Americans have been on an unusual, prolonged buying spree fueled by the coronavirus pandemic, the protests last summer and the fears they both stoked.
In March last year, federal background checks, a rough proxy for purchases, topped one million in a week for the first time since the government began tracking them in 1998. And the buying continued, through the protests in the summer and the election in the fall, until a week this spring broke the record with 1.2 million background checks. » | Sabrina Tavernise | Saturday, May 29, 2021
Americans are stuck on stupid! Unfortunately, you can't fix stupid. – © Mark
Phone Intercepts Shine More Light on Jordanian Prince’s Alleged Coup Attempt
THE GUARDIAN: Discussions took place before Prince Hamzah was put under house arrest
Aides to the former Jordanian heir Prince Hamzah sought pledges of allegiance on his behalf from tribal leaders and former military officers in the weeks before he was detained, conversations caught on phone intercepts and listening devices suggest.
The recordings are key pieces of evidence in the Jordanian government’s case against two men accused of acting as proxies for Hamzah in a failed attempt to oust his half-brother, King Abdullah, as monarch. Both men – Bassem Awadallah, a former envoy to Saudi Arabia, and Sharif Hassan bin Zaid, a cousin of the king – are expected to stand trial in Amman starting on Monday.
The calls and intercepts, which have been heard by the Guardian, took place over three weeks in March, a period in which officials say Hamzah tried to rally support from figures who could elevate what officials describe as a seditious plot into a serious challenge to Abdullah’s reign. » | Martin Chulov and Michael Safi | Sunday, May 30, 2021
Aides to the former Jordanian heir Prince Hamzah sought pledges of allegiance on his behalf from tribal leaders and former military officers in the weeks before he was detained, conversations caught on phone intercepts and listening devices suggest.
The recordings are key pieces of evidence in the Jordanian government’s case against two men accused of acting as proxies for Hamzah in a failed attempt to oust his half-brother, King Abdullah, as monarch. Both men – Bassem Awadallah, a former envoy to Saudi Arabia, and Sharif Hassan bin Zaid, a cousin of the king – are expected to stand trial in Amman starting on Monday.
The calls and intercepts, which have been heard by the Guardian, took place over three weeks in March, a period in which officials say Hamzah tried to rally support from figures who could elevate what officials describe as a seditious plot into a serious challenge to Abdullah’s reign. » | Martin Chulov and Michael Safi | Sunday, May 30, 2021
Boris Johnson and Carrie Symonds Marry in Secret Ceremony
Boris Johnson has married Carrie Symonds at Westminster Cathedral in a ceremony planned in strict secrecy, according to newspapers.
The pair exchanged vows in front of a small group of close friends and family on Saturday, the Mail on Sunday and the Sun newspaper reported.
The ceremony had been planned for six months and a handful of church officials were involved in the preparation, according to the Sun.
The 30 guests invited, the maximum number under current lockdown restrictions, were said to have been informed only at the last minute. » | Nadeem Badshah | Saturday, May 29, 2021
Mail on Sunday: Boris Johnson and Carrie Symonds wed in secret ceremony at Catholic Westminster Cathedral in front of 30 guests – the first Prime Minister to marry while in office for 199 years »
Boris Johnson and Carrie Symonds marry in secret ceremony »
The Observer View on Deadly Government Incompetence>
That Boris Johnson lacks the leadership skills, capability and integrity to guide the country through a national emergency is not a new insight: it has been clear for months. But the significance of Dominic Cummings’ testimony to the House of Commons last week was that the prime minister’s former adviser provided more evidence of Johnson’s culpability for decisions that cost countless lives.
Cummings himself is a man lacking in integrity, who will for ever be associated with the electoral deceit and the implicit racism of the Vote Leave campaign during the Brexit referendum. Although he expressed what appeared to be genuine contrition for his role in the policy disasters that caused people to die, he is unlikely to be a wholly reliable narrator. But that does not mean his account of what happened during his time advising Johnson can be dismissed out of hand. Much of what he said last week accords with what we already know in relation to Johnson’s failures and rings true about his well-established character flaws. » | Observer editorial | Sunday, May 10, 2021
Saturday, May 29, 2021
Covid Deaths in US Fall to Level Not Seen Since March 2020 | The Mehdi Hasan Show
Friday, May 28, 2021
How Does North Korea Finance a Nuclear Weapons Program? | DW Documentary
How is it possible that North Korea can finance a nuclear weapons program? One of the poorest countries in the world is even able to worry the United States with its nuclear arsenal. The answer lies in the criminal activities of "Office 39".
The organization "Office 39" is a secret division of the government. Its goal is to obtain foreign currency by any means possible, providing Kim Jong Un’s totalitarian regime with financial resources. Drugs, counterfeit money, human trafficking, insurance fraud: nothing is off-limits for these North Korean gangsters. This documentary reveals their most spectacular schemes, and lays bare the sensational methods that have allowed the isolated country to circumvent UN sanctions and build up its nuclear program over a period of decades.
The organization "Office 39" is a secret division of the government. Its goal is to obtain foreign currency by any means possible, providing Kim Jong Un’s totalitarian regime with financial resources. Drugs, counterfeit money, human trafficking, insurance fraud: nothing is off-limits for these North Korean gangsters. This documentary reveals their most spectacular schemes, and lays bare the sensational methods that have allowed the isolated country to circumvent UN sanctions and build up its nuclear program over a period of decades.
Rachat de la Metro Goldwyn Mayer : le cinéma selon Amazon
LE MONDE: Mercredi 26 mai, le groupe de Jeff Bezos a déboursé 8,45 milliards de dollars pour acquérir le studio et son catalogue de 4 000 films. Cet achat à prix d’or est une nouvelle illustration du pari que l’entreprise américaine fait sur le streaming, au détriment des salles de cinéma traditionnelles.
Editorial du « Monde ». Que ne ferait-on pas pour tenter de devenir le roi de la jungle du divertissement ? Amazon a signé, mercredi 26 mai, un chèque de 8,45 milliards de dollars (6,92 milliards d’euros) pour capturer le célèbre lion rugissant de la Metro Goldwyn Mayer (MGM). Cette opération constitue une nouvelle étape du mouvement de concentration dans le secteur de la production cinématographique, sous la pression de la montée en puissance des sites de streaming, c’est-à-dire de diffusion de contenus en continu sur Internet. Les principales plates-formes, comme Netflix, Hulu (Disney), Apple ou Amazon, cherchent à étoffer leurs catalogues à marche forcée pour attirer de plus en plus d’abonnés. » | Éditorial, Le Monde | jeudi 27 mai 2021
Editorial du « Monde ». Que ne ferait-on pas pour tenter de devenir le roi de la jungle du divertissement ? Amazon a signé, mercredi 26 mai, un chèque de 8,45 milliards de dollars (6,92 milliards d’euros) pour capturer le célèbre lion rugissant de la Metro Goldwyn Mayer (MGM). Cette opération constitue une nouvelle étape du mouvement de concentration dans le secteur de la production cinématographique, sous la pression de la montée en puissance des sites de streaming, c’est-à-dire de diffusion de contenus en continu sur Internet. Les principales plates-formes, comme Netflix, Hulu (Disney), Apple ou Amazon, cherchent à étoffer leurs catalogues à marche forcée pour attirer de plus en plus d’abonnés. » | Éditorial, Le Monde | jeudi 27 mai 2021
A Dangerous Cult Now Runs Britain – The Worshippers at the Temple of Johnson
Last night’s Downing Street coronavirus briefing was given by Matt Hancock, now identifiable only by his dental records. According to Dominic Cummings, Hancock was a serial liar at a deadly level who should have been sacked 15 or 20 times. According to himself, Matt Hancock “threw a ring around care homes”. It would have been a lot better if he’d thrown the ring into Mount Doom instead.
Elsewhere, it has emerged that a government that came to power promising to control our borders has allowed 1.59 million – ONE POINT FIVE NINE MILLION – travellers to fly into the UK in the four lockdown months from January to April alone , two-thirds of whom were not UK nationals. If we don’t open up fully in three weeks, make sure to thank the Conservatives by popping a couple more points on their poll ratings.
So yes: you’ve heard a lot of denials over the past 24 hours. But the biggest UK repository of denial remains the polls, where no revelation of incompetence or failure impacts other than positively for the government. A midweek poll saw the Conservatives climb six points, to 44%, which feels about perfect for a country where at that moment Cummings was claiming industrial levels of lying, incompetence and contempt for elderly and vulnerable people, and spiking it all with such details as Boris Johnson wanting Chris Whitty to inject him with the virus live on TV. Remember, even Donald Trump at his maddest only wanted other people to inject the disinfectant. » | Marina Hyde | Friday, May 28, 2021
German Voters’ View of Personal Wealth Causes Problems for the Left
THE GUARDIAN: Analysis: left-of-centre parties struggle to cut through as survey shows ‘everyone thinks they are middle class’
It is a country with levels of wealth inequality more similar to the US than France, and one where the richest 10% of the population already owned two-thirds of the national wealth before the pandemic further widened the gap.
Yet the inequality of German society and how to fix it is likely to play a minor role in the race to September elections this year, with those parties expected to offer solutions – the centre-left Social Democratic party (SPD) and the leftwing Die Linke – struggling in the polls.
A new study offers answers why, showing how a central perception fallacy among the German electorate on questions of income and wealth creates a major obstacle for the traditional left. » | Philip Oltermann in Berlin | Wednesday, May 26, 2021
It is a country with levels of wealth inequality more similar to the US than France, and one where the richest 10% of the population already owned two-thirds of the national wealth before the pandemic further widened the gap.
Yet the inequality of German society and how to fix it is likely to play a minor role in the race to September elections this year, with those parties expected to offer solutions – the centre-left Social Democratic party (SPD) and the leftwing Die Linke – struggling in the polls.
A new study offers answers why, showing how a central perception fallacy among the German electorate on questions of income and wealth creates a major obstacle for the traditional left. » | Philip Oltermann in Berlin | Wednesday, May 26, 2021
Number of Smokers Has Reached All-time High of 1.1 Billion, Study Finds
THE GUARDIAN: Governments told to focus on stopping young from taking up habit that killed 8 million people in 2019
Smoking killed almost 8 million people in 2019 and the number of smokers rose as the habit was picked up by young people around the world, according to new research.
A study published in the Lancet on Thursday said efforts to curb the habit had been outstripped by population growth with 150 million more people smoking in the nine years from 1990, reaching an all-time high of 1.1 billion.
The study’s authors said governments need to focus on reducing the uptake of smoking among young people, as 89% of new smokers were addicted by the age of 25 but beyond that age were unlikely to start.
“Young people are particularly vulnerable to addiction, and with high rates of cessation remaining elusive worldwide, the tobacco epidemic will continue for years to come unless countries can dramatically reduce the number of new smokers starting each year,” said the study’s lead author Marissa Reitsma, a researcher at the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation.
Though the prevalence of smoking has reduced globally over the past three decades, it increased for men in 20 countries and for women in 12. Just 10 countries made up two-thirds of the world’s smoking population: China, India, Indonesia, the US, Russia, Bangladesh, Japan, Turkey, Vietnam and the Philippines. One in three tobacco smokers (341 million) live in China. » | Kaamil Ahmed | Thursday, May 27, 2021
South Africa tobacco ban greeted with cigarette smuggling boom »
Smoking killed almost 8 million people in 2019 and the number of smokers rose as the habit was picked up by young people around the world, according to new research.
A study published in the Lancet on Thursday said efforts to curb the habit had been outstripped by population growth with 150 million more people smoking in the nine years from 1990, reaching an all-time high of 1.1 billion.
The study’s authors said governments need to focus on reducing the uptake of smoking among young people, as 89% of new smokers were addicted by the age of 25 but beyond that age were unlikely to start.
“Young people are particularly vulnerable to addiction, and with high rates of cessation remaining elusive worldwide, the tobacco epidemic will continue for years to come unless countries can dramatically reduce the number of new smokers starting each year,” said the study’s lead author Marissa Reitsma, a researcher at the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation.
Though the prevalence of smoking has reduced globally over the past three decades, it increased for men in 20 countries and for women in 12. Just 10 countries made up two-thirds of the world’s smoking population: China, India, Indonesia, the US, Russia, Bangladesh, Japan, Turkey, Vietnam and the Philippines. One in three tobacco smokers (341 million) live in China. » | Kaamil Ahmed | Thursday, May 27, 2021
South Africa tobacco ban greeted with cigarette smuggling boom »
QAnon Now as Popular in U.S. as Some Major Religions, Poll Suggests
THE NEW YORK TIMES: Fifteen percent of Americans believe that “patriots may have to resort to violence” to restore the country’s rightful order, the poll indicated.
As hopes fade for a bipartisan inquiry into the Capitol riot on Jan. 6, it’s increasingly clear that the Republican base remains in thrall to the web of untruths spun by Donald J. Trump — and perhaps even more outlandish lies, beyond those of the former president’s making.
A federal judge warned in an opinion yesterday that Mr. Trump’s insistence on the “big lie” — that the November election was stolen from him — still posed a serious threat. Presiding over the case of a man accused of storming Congress on Jan. 6, Judge Amy Berman Jackson of the United States District Court in Washington wrote: “The steady drumbeat that inspired defendant to take up arms has not faded away. Six months later, the canard that the election was stolen is being repeated daily on major news outlets and from the corridors of power in state and federal government, not to mention in the near-daily fulminations of the former president.”
But it’s not just the notion that the election was stolen that has caught on with the former president’s supporters. QAnon, an outlandish and ever-evolving conspiracy theory spread by some of Mr. Trump’s most ardent followers, has significant traction with a segment of the public — particularly Republicans and Americans who consume news from far-right sources. » | Giovanni Russonello | Thursday, May 27, 2021
As hopes fade for a bipartisan inquiry into the Capitol riot on Jan. 6, it’s increasingly clear that the Republican base remains in thrall to the web of untruths spun by Donald J. Trump — and perhaps even more outlandish lies, beyond those of the former president’s making.
A federal judge warned in an opinion yesterday that Mr. Trump’s insistence on the “big lie” — that the November election was stolen from him — still posed a serious threat. Presiding over the case of a man accused of storming Congress on Jan. 6, Judge Amy Berman Jackson of the United States District Court in Washington wrote: “The steady drumbeat that inspired defendant to take up arms has not faded away. Six months later, the canard that the election was stolen is being repeated daily on major news outlets and from the corridors of power in state and federal government, not to mention in the near-daily fulminations of the former president.”
But it’s not just the notion that the election was stolen that has caught on with the former president’s supporters. QAnon, an outlandish and ever-evolving conspiracy theory spread by some of Mr. Trump’s most ardent followers, has significant traction with a segment of the public — particularly Republicans and Americans who consume news from far-right sources. » | Giovanni Russonello | Thursday, May 27, 2021
Thursday, May 27, 2021
‘House of One’: Berlin Lays First Stone for Multi-faith Worship Centre
THE GUARDIAN: Construction begins on project that will unite Muslims, Jews and Christians under one roof
Muslims, Jews and Christians are to be united for worship under one roof in Berlin in a groundbreaking project called ‘House of One’.
The cornerstone of the multi-denominational temple was laid in the German capital on Thursday with supporters saying they hoped it would forge greater understanding between the three religions.
A mosque, a synagogue and a church will be combined on the site on Leipziger Strasse, in the area where Berlin has its historical origins, and on the former foundations of a 13th-century church, the Petrikirche, which was badly damaged during second world war bombing and pulled down during communism. » | Kate Connolly in Berlin | Thursday, May 27, 2021
Muslims, Jews and Christians are to be united for worship under one roof in Berlin in a groundbreaking project called ‘House of One’.
The cornerstone of the multi-denominational temple was laid in the German capital on Thursday with supporters saying they hoped it would forge greater understanding between the three religions.
A mosque, a synagogue and a church will be combined on the site on Leipziger Strasse, in the area where Berlin has its historical origins, and on the former foundations of a 13th-century church, the Petrikirche, which was badly damaged during second world war bombing and pulled down during communism. » | Kate Connolly in Berlin | Thursday, May 27, 2021
Lisa Shaw Death: BBC Presenter Had Blood Clots after AstraZeneca Jab, Family Says
THE GUARDIAN: Radio Newcastle broadcaster had severe headaches a week after vaccine and fell seriously ill days later, relatives say
The award-winning BBC radio presenter Lisa Shaw died in hospital after suffering blood clots following her AstraZeneca vaccination, her family has said.
The 44-year-old, who was a well-known broadcaster in the north-east of England and had worked for BBC Radio Newcastle since 2015, developed severe headaches a week after having the jab and fell seriously ill a few days later, relatives said in a statement.
Shaw died at the Royal Victoria infirmary in Newcastle on Friday last week after being treated in intensive care for blood clots and bleeding. She was surrounded by family, the statement said. » | Lucy Campbell | Thursday, May 27, 2021
The award-winning BBC radio presenter Lisa Shaw died in hospital after suffering blood clots following her AstraZeneca vaccination, her family has said.
The 44-year-old, who was a well-known broadcaster in the north-east of England and had worked for BBC Radio Newcastle since 2015, developed severe headaches a week after having the jab and fell seriously ill a few days later, relatives said in a statement.
Shaw died at the Royal Victoria infirmary in Newcastle on Friday last week after being treated in intensive care for blood clots and bleeding. She was surrounded by family, the statement said. » | Lucy Campbell | Thursday, May 27, 2021
Switzerland Walks Out of Seven-year Treaty Talks with EU
THE GUARDIAN: Swiss say terms unacceptable despite Brussels’ claims they are better than those offered to UK
Switzerland has walked out of talks on a closer trading relationship with the European Union despite being offered better terms than the UK in key areas, EU officials have claimed.
On Wednesday the country’s foreign minister, Ignazio Cassis, pulled the plug on long-running discussions with the EU, saying that Berne’s conditions were “not met”.
Switzerland, while outside the EU, is the bloc’s fourth biggest trading partner and its economy is closely integrated with those of the 27 member states. Citizens of Switzerland and the EU member states have a mutual right to free movement.
But the Swiss government claimed it could not accept the EU’s demands to maintain and deepen ties as they would be rejected in a legally required referendum on a deal. » | Daniel Boffey in Brussels | Thursday, May 27, 2021
Switzerland has walked out of talks on a closer trading relationship with the European Union despite being offered better terms than the UK in key areas, EU officials have claimed.
On Wednesday the country’s foreign minister, Ignazio Cassis, pulled the plug on long-running discussions with the EU, saying that Berne’s conditions were “not met”.
Switzerland, while outside the EU, is the bloc’s fourth biggest trading partner and its economy is closely integrated with those of the 27 member states. Citizens of Switzerland and the EU member states have a mutual right to free movement.
But the Swiss government claimed it could not accept the EU’s demands to maintain and deepen ties as they would be rejected in a legally required referendum on a deal. » | Daniel Boffey in Brussels | Thursday, May 27, 2021
Navy Pilots Recall “Unsettling” 2004 Unidentified Aerial Phenomenon (UAP) Sighting
Bashar Al-Assad’s Political Advisor Slams US, Israel & Turkey: All of Syria Will Be Liberated!
Wednesday, May 26, 2021
Dr. Hanan Ashrawi: ‘Two State Solution Is Dead, Israel Destroyed It... Palestine Will Not Surrender!’
Boris Johnson ‘Like Out of-Control Shopping Trolley’, Dominic Cummings Tells MPs
THE GUARDIAN: Former aide says media-obsessed prime minister made constant U-turns and ignored advice of officials
Dominic Cummings has laid bare the “surreal” chaos in Downing Street in March last year as the government grappled with the Covid pandemic, portraying the prime minister as obsessed with the media and making constant U-turns, “like a shopping trolley smashing from one side of the aisle to the other”.
During an extraordinary evidence session to MPs at Westminster on Wednesday, Boris Johnson’s former chief aide targeted the prime minister for personal criticism, saying Johnson regretted the first lockdown and held out against imposing later restrictions, despite the advice of many people inside Downing Street, and that overall, “tens of thousands of people died who didn’t need to die”.
He claimed the prime minister had repeatedly said in respect of the first lockdown, “I should have been the mayor of Jaws and kept the beaches open,” and confirmed reports that in October, Johnson said he would see “bodies pile high” rather than order a third lockdown.
Cummings described the general situation in Downing Steet as “an out-of-control movie”. »| Heather Stewart and Peter Walker | Wednesday, May 26, 2021
The Dominic Cummings circus is an indictment of the entire governing class »
Cummings brought to life what many already knew about Johnson’s failures »
Dominic Cummings has laid bare the “surreal” chaos in Downing Street in March last year as the government grappled with the Covid pandemic, portraying the prime minister as obsessed with the media and making constant U-turns, “like a shopping trolley smashing from one side of the aisle to the other”.
During an extraordinary evidence session to MPs at Westminster on Wednesday, Boris Johnson’s former chief aide targeted the prime minister for personal criticism, saying Johnson regretted the first lockdown and held out against imposing later restrictions, despite the advice of many people inside Downing Street, and that overall, “tens of thousands of people died who didn’t need to die”.
He claimed the prime minister had repeatedly said in respect of the first lockdown, “I should have been the mayor of Jaws and kept the beaches open,” and confirmed reports that in October, Johnson said he would see “bodies pile high” rather than order a third lockdown.
Cummings described the general situation in Downing Steet as “an out-of-control movie”. »| Heather Stewart and Peter Walker | Wednesday, May 26, 2021
The Dominic Cummings circus is an indictment of the entire governing class »
Cummings brought to life what many already knew about Johnson’s failures »
‘Mob Boss’ Assad’s Dynasty Tightens Grip over Husk of Syria
Tyrant, war criminal, mob boss or, to his loyalists, their shrewd saviour: views about Bashar al-Assad rarely fall in between. As the Syrian leader faces a presidential poll on Wednesday – the result a foregone conclusion – a truer test of the authority he wields across a broken country has taken shape away from the political banners and faux campaigning.
In battered towns and villages, ravaged by a decade of savagery, the now veteran president has been clawing back losses, consolidating himself as the only figure who could plot a course from the ruins of the region’s most devastating modern conflict. Slowly, over the past year, Assad and his extended family have been shoring up their influence. Seldom seen during much of the crisis, he has become a fixture in what remains of Syria’s industrial heartland, visiting factories, pressing employees on their hardships, and hosting delegations with an ease few observed at the height of the fighting.
Syria’s allies Russia and Iran may have done the heavy lifting to save the regime from defeat on the battlefields but a more traditional structure, the house of Assad, has been just as integral in holding the country together from within. The husk of Syria is, in many ways, more under the Assad family’s control than at the war’s outset. Power structures established over four decades have anchored dynasty and dictatorship. » | Martin Chulov, Middle East correspondent | Wednesday, May 26, 2021
Ireland Condemns ‘de facto Annexation’ of Palestinian Land by Israel
THE GUARDIAN: Foreign minister Simon Coveney supports parliamentary motion and says treatment of Palestinians is ‘manifestly unequal’
Ireland’s government has supported a parliamentary motion condemning the “de facto annexation” of Palestinian land by Israeli authorities in what it said was the first use of the phrase by a European Union government in relation to Israel.
Ireland’s foreign minister, Simon Coveney, supported the motion on Tuesday, and condemned what he described as Israel’s “manifestly unequal” treatment of the Palestinian people.
But he also insisted on adding a condemnation of recent rocket attacks on Israel by Palestinian militant group Hamas before he agreed to government support for the motion, which had been tabled by the opposition Sinn Fein party.
“The scale, pace and strategic nature of Israel’s actions on settlement expansion and the intent behind it have brought us to a point where we need to be honest about what is actually happening on the ground. ... It is de facto annexation,” Coveney told parliament. » | Reuters | Wednesday, May 26, 2021
Ireland’s government has supported a parliamentary motion condemning the “de facto annexation” of Palestinian land by Israeli authorities in what it said was the first use of the phrase by a European Union government in relation to Israel.
Ireland’s foreign minister, Simon Coveney, supported the motion on Tuesday, and condemned what he described as Israel’s “manifestly unequal” treatment of the Palestinian people.
But he also insisted on adding a condemnation of recent rocket attacks on Israel by Palestinian militant group Hamas before he agreed to government support for the motion, which had been tabled by the opposition Sinn Fein party.
“The scale, pace and strategic nature of Israel’s actions on settlement expansion and the intent behind it have brought us to a point where we need to be honest about what is actually happening on the ground. ... It is de facto annexation,” Coveney told parliament. » | Reuters | Wednesday, May 26, 2021
Tuesday, May 25, 2021
Retired US Navy Chief Explains Tech Witnessed in UFO Aircraft Sighting
Whistleblower who spoke out on UFOs claims Pentagon tried to discredit him »
Tory Islamophobia Report a ‘Whitewash’, Say Muslims in Party
A long-awaited review into Islamophobia within the Conservative party has been condemned as a whitewash by Muslim Tories despite criticising the language used by Boris Johnson and the mayoral campaign run by Zac Goldsmith for being insensitive to Muslim communities.
The prime minister’s comments, in which he compared women wearing the burqa to letterboxes, were singled out in the review headed by Prof Swaran Singh.
The inquiry found that anti-Muslim sentiment was still present at local association and individual levels, but claims of “institutional racism” were not borne out by evidence of the way complaints were handled.
Senior Muslim figures within the party said the review was inadequate and failed to address deep prejudices in the party. Sajjad Karim, who was a Tory MEP for more than a decade and chaired the European parliament’s working group on Islamophobia, said: “The manner in which this inquiry has been conducted means it is nothing but an attempt to whitewash deep-rooted issues out of sight. » | Rajeev Syal | Tuesday, May 25, 2021
Belarus Is Isolated as Other Countries Move to Ban Flights
THE NEW YORK TIMES: The extraordinary forced landing of a commercial flight with a Belarusian dissident aboard escalated into one of the biggest flare-ups in East-West tensions in recent years.
MOSCOW — The tray tables were being raised and the seat backs returned to their upright positions as passengers on Ryanair Flight 4978 prepared for the scheduled landing in the Lithuanian capital, Vilnius. Then the plane made an abrupt U-turn.
For many passengers, it initially seemed like one of those unexpected delays in airline travel. But after the pilot announced the plane had been diverted to Minsk, the capital of Belarus, one passenger — Roman Protasevich, a prominent Belarusian opposition journalist who had been living in exile since 2019 — grew terrified, certain that he faced arrest.
“He panicked because we were about to land in Minsk,” Marius Rutkauskas, who was sitting one row ahead of Mr. Protasevich, told the Lithuanian broadcaster LRT upon arrival in Vilnius.
Sunday’s ordeal — described by many European officials as an extraordinary, state-sponsored hijacking by Belarus to seize Mr. Protasevich — quickly led to one of the most severe East-West flare-ups in recent years.
Meeting Monday evening in Brussels, European Union leaders called on all E.U.- based airlines to stop flying over Belarus and began the process of banning Belarusian airlines from flying over the bloc’s airspace or landing in its airports — effectively severing the country’s direct air connections to Western Europe. » | Anton Troianovski | Monday, May 24, 2021
A State-Sponsored Skyjacking Can’t Go Unanswered »
MOSCOW — The tray tables were being raised and the seat backs returned to their upright positions as passengers on Ryanair Flight 4978 prepared for the scheduled landing in the Lithuanian capital, Vilnius. Then the plane made an abrupt U-turn.
For many passengers, it initially seemed like one of those unexpected delays in airline travel. But after the pilot announced the plane had been diverted to Minsk, the capital of Belarus, one passenger — Roman Protasevich, a prominent Belarusian opposition journalist who had been living in exile since 2019 — grew terrified, certain that he faced arrest.
“He panicked because we were about to land in Minsk,” Marius Rutkauskas, who was sitting one row ahead of Mr. Protasevich, told the Lithuanian broadcaster LRT upon arrival in Vilnius.
Sunday’s ordeal — described by many European officials as an extraordinary, state-sponsored hijacking by Belarus to seize Mr. Protasevich — quickly led to one of the most severe East-West flare-ups in recent years.
Meeting Monday evening in Brussels, European Union leaders called on all E.U.- based airlines to stop flying over Belarus and began the process of banning Belarusian airlines from flying over the bloc’s airspace or landing in its airports — effectively severing the country’s direct air connections to Western Europe. » | Anton Troianovski | Monday, May 24, 2021
A State-Sponsored Skyjacking Can’t Go Unanswered »
Israël-Palestine : changer de paradigme
LE MONDE: Editorial. Une nouvelle approche du règlement du conflit, fondée sur des droits égaux pour les deux peuples, s’impose si l’on veut éviter une cinquième guerre à Gaza.
Editorial du « Monde ». Et maintenant ? Au lendemain du cessez-le-feu qui a mis fin, jeudi 20 mai, à la quatrième guerre de Gaza après onze jours d’hostilités, Israéliens, Palestiniens, diplomates arabes et occidentaux sont renvoyés à cette question lancinante.
En 2009, 2012 et 2014, à l’issue des trois précédentes confrontations, les uns et les autres ont paru prendre de grandes résolutions : conférence pour la reconstruction de l’enclave, mesures de desserrement du blocus pesant sur ce territoire, pourparlers en vue d’une réconciliation du Hamas et du Fatah. Mais faute de détermination véritable de la part des intéressés, ces initiatives louables ont à chaque fois fini par péricliter, ouvrant la voie à l’escalade suivante.
Pour en finir avec ce rituel macabre, il faut rompre avec les formules toutes faites, quasi pavloviennes, auxquelles la communauté internationale se raccroche par peur du vide et manque de courage ou d’imagination. Sans une levée rapide et intégrale de l’embargo – égyptien et israélien – qui étrangle les 2 millions d’habitants de Gaza, le « retour au calme » dont se félicitent les chancelleries est une sinistre illusion. Il n’y a pas de calme possible dans un ghetto à l’agonie. » | Éditorial, Le Monde | samedi 22 mai 2021
Editorial du « Monde ». Et maintenant ? Au lendemain du cessez-le-feu qui a mis fin, jeudi 20 mai, à la quatrième guerre de Gaza après onze jours d’hostilités, Israéliens, Palestiniens, diplomates arabes et occidentaux sont renvoyés à cette question lancinante.
En 2009, 2012 et 2014, à l’issue des trois précédentes confrontations, les uns et les autres ont paru prendre de grandes résolutions : conférence pour la reconstruction de l’enclave, mesures de desserrement du blocus pesant sur ce territoire, pourparlers en vue d’une réconciliation du Hamas et du Fatah. Mais faute de détermination véritable de la part des intéressés, ces initiatives louables ont à chaque fois fini par péricliter, ouvrant la voie à l’escalade suivante.
Pour en finir avec ce rituel macabre, il faut rompre avec les formules toutes faites, quasi pavloviennes, auxquelles la communauté internationale se raccroche par peur du vide et manque de courage ou d’imagination. Sans une levée rapide et intégrale de l’embargo – égyptien et israélien – qui étrangle les 2 millions d’habitants de Gaza, le « retour au calme » dont se félicitent les chancelleries est une sinistre illusion. Il n’y a pas de calme possible dans un ghetto à l’agonie. » | Éditorial, Le Monde | samedi 22 mai 2021
Super Blood Moon 2021: Total Lunar Eclipse Will Bring Cosmic Show across Pacific on Wednesday
The first total lunar eclipse in more than two years coincides with a supermoon this week for quite a cosmic show.
This super “blood” moon will be visible on Wednesday across the Pacific – offering the best viewing – as well as the western half of North America, the bottom of South America and eastern Asia.
Better look quick: the total eclipse will last about 15 minutes as Earth passes directly between the moon and the sun. But the entire show will last five hours, as Earth’s shadow gradually covers the moon, then starts to ebb. The reddish-orange color is the result of all the sunrises and sunsets in Earth’s atmosphere projected on to the surface of the eclipsed moon.
“Hawaii has the best seat in the house and then short of that will be California and the Pacific north-west,” said Nasa’s Noah Petro, the project scientist for the Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter. New Zealand and Australia also will have prime viewing. » | Associated Press | Tuesday, May 25, 2021
Monday, May 24, 2021
Scottish Independence: 'Queen to Head Charm Offensive to Save Union'
The strategy, which is said to be discreetly backed by Downing Street, received its effective launch on Saturday when Prince William described the "special place" Scotland has in his heart.
He made the comments in his address to the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland in Edinburgh as he and his wife embark on a week-long campaign in Scotland to win over hearts and minds. » | Kathleen Nutt | Chief Political Reporter | Sunday, May 23, 2021
Royals have dropped any pretence that they are neutral on independence »
Definitely, Maybe (3/9) Movie CLIP - Smoke-Off (2008) HD
Naughty, but nice! Those were the days! Not so many health Nazis around in those days! People had foibles, they knew they had foibles, and they enjoyed their foibles, too! Then came the Puritans! The rest, as they say, is history.
Back in the day, it was cool to smoke. These days, to be cool, you have to be anti-smoking, anti-meat-eating, pro-vegan or at least vegetarian. You mustn’t smoke, you mustn’t drink milk (only processed milk substitutes will do), and you have to jog or go to the gym. Oh, and you have to be a killjoy, too! You can’t be cool if you aren’t a killjoy.
Welcome to the new world!
Back in the day, it was cool to smoke. These days, to be cool, you have to be anti-smoking, anti-meat-eating, pro-vegan or at least vegetarian. You mustn’t smoke, you mustn’t drink milk (only processed milk substitutes will do), and you have to jog or go to the gym. Oh, and you have to be a killjoy, too! You can’t be cool if you aren’t a killjoy.
Welcome to the new world!
1967: The Counterculture Year That Changed the World | Summer of Love | Timeline
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