Soldaten überwachen den Lockdown in Sydney

FRANFURTER ALLGEMEINE ZEITUNG: Trotz strenger Corona-Maßnahmen sind die Infektionszahlen in Sydney auf einem für australische Verhältnisse hohen Niveau geblieben. Nun sollen die Ordnungskräfte dafür sorgen, dass sich die Menschen besser an die Regeln halten.

In Australiens größter Stadt Sydney gehen seit Montag Männer in Tarnkleidung auf Patrouille, um die Einhaltung der Corona-Regeln sicherzustellen. Die rund 300 Soldaten der Australian Defence Force verstärken die Polizei in den besonders stark betroffenen Stadtvierteln auf der Straße und bei Hausbesuchen, bei denen geprüft wird, ob sich die Anwohner, die positiv auf das Coronavirus getestet wurden, an die Selbstisolation halten. Außerdem sollen sie bei der Verteilung von Nahrungsmitteln und dem Aufbau von Impfzentren helfen.

Dabei gehe es bei dem Einsatz, der auf Bitten des Bundesstaates New South Wales zustande gekommen war, nicht darum, „Angst zu verbreiten“, versicherte Mick Fuller, der Polizeichef von New South Wales. Damit reagierte er auch auf die Kritik, dass die Soldaten vor allem im Westen Sydneys zum Einsatz kämen, wo besonders viele Menschen mit Migrationshintergrund lebten. » | Till Fähnders, Politischer Korrespondent für Südostasien in Singapur | Montag, 2. August 2021

Hind Al-Eryani, porte-voix de la communauté LGBTQ+ au Yémen

Hind Al-Eryani, à Paris, le 14 juin 2021. PIERRE TERDJMAN POUR « LE MONDE »
LE MONDE : La journaliste et militante de 42 ans a aidé plusieurs membres les plus vulnérables de cette communauté à quitter le Yémen pour trouver refuge à l’étranger.

Plus jeune, Hind Al-Eryani était de celles qui cherchaient sans cesse l’approbation des autres. Pendant des années, elle a marché la tête baissée, cachant sa féminité et se comportant comme on l’attend d’une femme dans une société patriarcale comme le Yémen. Aujourd’hui, cette journaliste et militante de 42 ans est l’un des principaux porte-voix des LGBTQ+ de son pays. Ses textes contribuent à la prise de conscience sur cette communauté. Avec son aide, plusieurs de ses membres les plus vulnérables ont pu quitter le Yémen pour trouver refuge à l’étranger.

« Beaucoup de gens de la communauté LGBTQ+ me contactent et me font part de leurs problèmes, expose cette femme aux longs cheveux châtains lâchés, rencontrée en marge du festival Arabofolies organisé à l’Institut du monde arabe à Paris, dimanche 13 juin. Avec l’aide des organisations internationales comme Amnesty International et Human Rights Watch, nous avons déjà réussi à faire sortir trois personnes transgenres et un homosexuel du Yémen. Elles sont aujourd’hui à Paris et en Suède, et lui, en Arabie saoudite, en attendant le visa d’un autre pays. » « Un mariage malheureux » » | Par Ghazal Golshiri | lundi 14 juin 2021

Cet article est réservé aux abonnés. Toutes les offres d’abonnement du «Monde » sont disponible icic.

Florida May Face Its Worst Wave Ever as Delta Variant Spreads.

A coronavirus testing site in Miami on Thursday. Credit...Marta Lavandier/Associated Press
THE NEW YORK TIMES: The state is about a month away from its peak, according to an epidemiologist who tracks the virus there.

As the highly contagious Delta variant of the virus rips through the unvaccinated population in the United States, Florida is heading toward its worst outbreak since the start of the pandemic. The state is still about one month away from its peak, according to an epidemiologist who has been tracking the virus’s reach there. “Short term and long term, the cases are going to explode,” Edwin Michael, a professor of epidemiology at the University of South Florida, in Tampa, said in an interview on Monday. “We are predicting that the cases will be peaking the first week of September.” » | Adeel Hassan | Monday, August 2, 2021

Germany Will Offer Vaccine Booster Shots Starting in September »

The Guardian View on Hunger in the South: Poverty Hits Home

‘Lack of food is not, of course, the only indicator of chronic poverty and societal unfairness. Inequalities in housing, education and employment have also all been exacerbated by the pandemic.’ Photograph: Getty

THE GUARDIAN: Figures showing one in seven people going hungry in an otherwise rich area should shock ministers to act

Steve Baker, Conservative MP for Wycombe and a well-known Brexiter, said he was not surprised by new research showing that his constituency has the highest levels of food insecurity of anywhere in the country. Around 14% of residents reported going hungry in January and February this year, while a third said getting enough food was a struggle. Mr Baker has the benefit of local knowledge. It is less than a year since another report showed Buckinghamshire to have one of the worst records on social mobility in the UK. But for ministers, these new figures should be a wake-up call. Hunger is disturbing in and of itself. But there are particular reasons to worry about pockets of deep poverty in otherwise wealthy areas. » | Editorial | Monday, August 2, 2021

Tim Cook on Being Gay

Many thanks to GH (Good Housekeeping) for this great quote.

Anderson Cooper on Being Gay

Many thanks to GH (Good Housekeeping) for this great quote.

Verliebt!

Amoureux ! / In love!
Photo thanks to Google Images and Adonis Physique.

George Michael, Elton John - Don't Let the Sun Go Down on Me (Live)

Views on YouTube: 116,518,043

Phil Collins - True Colors | Official Music Video

May 11, 2010 • @Genesis – The Last Domino? North American Fall Tour 2021 tickets now on sale here. | Views on YouTube: 15,359,766

Spain on a Fork: ¨Better Than Fried¨– Oven-Baked Crispy French Fries

How to Make ¨Better than Fried¨ Oven-Baked Crispy French Fries: Views on YouTube: 569,800

Full recipe »

Inde, de la jeune fille à la femme | Rituels du monde | ARTE

Jul 4, 2021 • En Inde, la majorité des mariages sont arrangés. L'anthropologue Anne-Sylvie Malbrancke se rend à Jaipur, au Rajasthan, pour assister à l’union de Meenal et Vineet, tous deux issus de la caste supérieure des brahmanes. La jeune femme a étudié, travaille et gagne sa vie. Pourtant, elle a demandé à sa mère de lui trouver l’époux idéal...

Le rituel du mariage est rythmé par de nombreuses étapes. La veille, les femmes se réunissent pour le henné. Le jour J, le futur marié rejoint le lieu de la cérémonie à cheval. Après l’échange traditionnel des colliers de fleurs et des sept promesses (pour autant de vies partagées), le jeune homme dépose une poudre orange sur le front de Meenal : elle est désormais sa femme.

Série documentaire (France, 2019, 26mn)

Disponible jusqu'au 14/08/2021

‘Views’ sur YouTube: 466,852

More Than One Million Dead in Latin America as Variants Spread | Covid-19 Special

Aug 2, 2021 • Experts say Latin America is fast becoming the new epicenter of the COVID-19 pandemic. More than one million people there have died.

The only exception is Chile, where 80 percent of the population are fully vaccinated. Otherwise, health systems are struggling to cope. COVID-19 has claimed the lives of nearly 200,000 people in Peru, where the vaccination campaign is only slowly getting underway. Just 16 percent of the population are completely inoculated. The country is battling several coronavirus variants.

Colombia is experiencing one of the longest peaks of infection since the coronavirus arrived in the country. This third spike has put the national medical system to the test. Quarantine measures have been struggling to strengthen an already strained system. ICUs in the country's second largest city Medellín are over 95 percent occupied. Doctors insist the national model of pandemic care has failed.

Democracy Now! Top US News & World Headlines — August 2, 2021

Doku & Reportage - Prinzessin Dianas gefährliches Erbe

Jun 8, 2021 • Prinzessin Dianas gefährliches Erbe - Film von Ulrike Grunewald Sie war der Superstar der Windsors – und eine Herausforderung für die britische Monarchie: Ein schmutziger Scheidungskrieg und ihr Unfalltod stürzten das Königshaus in eine schwere Krise. ZDF 2021 | Views auf YouTube: 88,289

Grace Kelly - Mythos Monaco

Le président afghan explique l’avancée des talibans par « la brusque décision américaine » de retirer les troupes du pays

LE MONDE : Le retrait des forces étrangères doit être achevé d’ici le 31 août. Depuis trois mois, les insurgés islamistes contrôlent de plus en plus de territoires et menacent, désormais, des capitales provinciales.

Pour Ashraf Ghani, président d’un Afghanistan qui est en train de perdre pied militairement face aux talibans, le coupable est tout trouvé. « La situation actuelle est due à la brusque décision américaine » de retirer définitivement les troupes du pays.

Devant les parlementaires afghans à Kaboul, M. Ghani a aussi accusé Washington d’avoir poussé à « la destruction de la République » et à la « légitimation » des talibans en négociant directement avec eux. Ces pourparlers ont abouti, en 2020, à un accord prévoyant le départ des troupes étrangères d’Afghanistan. » | Le Monde avec AFP et Reuters \ lundi 2 août 2021

On Falling in Love

Many thanks to Pinterest and Devon McFarland.

I’m Human!

Great quote on gay labels
Photo thanks to Gay on Pinterest

Just Married!

Gerade verheiratet! / Tout juste marié !
Photo thanks to Pinterest

Quand on se sent passionné...

Wenn du dich leidenschaftlich fühlst... / When you feel passionate...
Photo grâce à Google Images et Good Reads et Damon Suede (écrivain)

Julio Iglesias Duet with Dolly Parton - When You Tell Me That You Love Me

Views on YouTube: 6,278,310

Audrey Hepburn - Unforgettable

Views on YouTube: 1,365,087

Warsaw 1939

Views on YouTube: 1,579,746

A French Dinner for the Queen - in the Kitchens of the Élysée Palace

Aug 9, 2019 • On the occasion of D-Day commemoration ceremonies, the Queen of England is paying an official state visit in France and attends a banquet as the guest of honor at the official residence of the President of the Republic of France, the Elysée Palace.

This documentary describes the event from the kitchens of power, the true vitrine of French gastronomy which has been on UNESCO’s Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity since 2010.

We follow the work of the teams of the famous chef Guillaume Gomez, from the conception of the menus to the selection of products with the best French producers as well as the installation of the reception hall. A true challenge for a prestigious guest. | Views on YouTube: 1,735,889

Princess Margaret: Rebel without a Crown - British Royal Documentary

Feb 22, 2021 – A look at the monarch's glamorous, gregarious little sister. Princess Margaret, became one of the most photographed women of her day, lived life to her own rules. | Views on YouTube: 1,123,891

I have only just watched the end of this rather interesting documentary. It's bizarre! Had I known it had such a ridiculous ending, I wouldn't have posted it. My apologoes to you all. It's a bit late to take it down now: some people are watching it. I find those ads so disrespectful and out of place, I must say. Off the wall! Again, my apologies. – Mark

Frauenhandel in Europa: Die nigerianische Mafia in Italien | DW Reporter

Aug 1, 2021 • Die nigerianische Mafia breitet sich in Europa aus. Eine ihrer wichtigsten Einnahmequellen: Menschenhandel. Tausende junge Nigerianerinnen fallen den Banden zum Opfer. Eine von ihnen ist Juliet Osabo.

Could Hong Kong's New Immigration Law Ban Residents from Leaving? | DW News

Aug 1, 2021 • A new amendment to Hong Kong's immigration law takes effect today. Critics say the change could give the government power to ban residents from leaving the city.

Hong Kong’s administrators say the law, part of China's crackdown in Hong Kong, targets "illegal refugees." But it has prompted a growing exodus.

The United Kingdom, Canada and Australia are offering extended work and residency permits to those who have left Hong Kong, and the US Congress is debating a bill to give special visas and refugee status to Hong Kong citizens fleeing political persecution.

The Long Kiss Goodbye: Will Covid End the French Bise Forever?

In 2010, Prime Minister David Cameron of Britain and his wife, Samantha Cameron, greeted President Nicolas Sarkozy of France and his wife, Carla Bruni-Sarkozy, with a bise in London.Credit...Carl Court/Agence France-Presse — Getty Images
THE NEW YORK TIMES: Social distancing made the cheek kiss a much rarer greeting, and polling suggests it may stay that way. Some say good riddance, but others miss the warmth of times past.

Twice a year, Louise Al-Hakkak would sit on her front porch in Burgundy, waiting for her sister Flora and dreading the moment of “la bise.” In this Franco-Iraqi family, only Flora enjoyed France’s traditional two-kiss greeting on the cheeks. For Ms. Al-Hakkak and her father, “It was more a chore than anything else.”

But times have changed.

“Covid made us stop doing the bise,” said Ms. Al-Hakkak, 23. “It’s a lot easier now. I don’t need to ask myself tons of questions about whether I should do it or not.”

In France, the bise is a longstanding tradition for greeting loved ones, or even strangers, that was upended by the coronavirus. Throughout the pandemic, French authorities have urged people to avoid physical contact to prevent the virus from spreading.

But now, with more than half of the French population at least partly vaccinated and most lockdown restrictions lifted, many are split over whether to go back to the way greetings used to be and questioning whether the bise was all that great to begin with. » | Gaëlle Fournier | Saturday, July 31, 2021

Quelle horreur ! Ce serait comme du fromage sans le vin ! – Mark

Turkey Is Next as Wildfires Afflict Mediterranean Countries

Turkey struggled to contain the dozens of wildfires burning this week, as local residents and tourists along the Mediterranean Coast were forced to evacuate.CreditCredit...Kaan Soyturk/Reuters
THE NEW YORK TIMES: The Turkish authorities said they were investigating the causes of fires that killed at least six people and threatened popular tourist destinations.

Firefighters in Turkey struggled to contain dozens of wildfires raging for a fourth day on Saturday, as fast-spreading blazes forced popular holiday resorts and dozens of rural areas along the Mediterranean coast to be evacuated.

The fires, which authorities say may have been sparked by arson or human negligence, have killed at least six people, officials said Saturday, and injured roughly 200 others.

As tourists were forced to flee hotels, some on boats as flames licked closer, local residents in rural areas watched the fires burn their homes, kill their livestock and destroy their businesses.

“Our lungs are burning, our future is burning,” Muhittin Bocek, the mayor of Antalya, a resort city, said in a telephone interview from the ravaged town of Manavgat, about 50 miles east along the coast.

The blazes are part of a broader pattern of wildfires afflicting the Mediterranean this summer, with areas in Lebanon, Syria, Greece, Italy and Cyprus also battling fast-moving fires. » | Elian Peltier and Asmaa al-Omar | Published: Friday, July 30, 2021; Updated: Saturday, July 31, 2021

Eine Dating-App wühlt Amerikas Katholiken auf

FRANKFURTER ALLGEMEINE ZEITUNG: Ein Internetportal behauptet, der Generalsekretär der amerikanischen Bischofskonferenz verkehre in Schwulenbars – und beruft sich auf gekaufte Mobilfunkdaten. Für die einen ist das eine „Hexenjagd“, für andere legitime Recherche.

Die katholische Kirche in den Vereinigten Staaten wird von einer Big-Data-Affäre erschüttert. Der Skandal hat schon ein prominentes Opfer gefordert: Jeffrey Burrill, Generalsekretär der katholischen Bischofskonferenz der Vereinigten Staaten, hat nach nur acht Monaten Dienstzeit seinen Rücktritt erklärt. Ob es auch in der ebenfalls von dem Skandal betroffenen Erzdiözese Newark im Bundesstaat New Jersey und vielleicht sogar im Vatikan personelle Konsequenzen gibt, steht dahin.

Der Vorsitzende der amerikanischen Bischofskonferenz, Erzbischof José Gómez, äußerte sein Bedauern über die Demission Burrills. Die Bischofskonferenz habe am Tag vor dem Rücktritt ihres Generalsekretärs Kenntnis erhalten von „bevorstehenden Medienberichten über das möglicherweise unangemessene Verhalten von Monsignore Burrill“. Man habe dessen Rücktritt akzeptiert, um eine Belastung für die Arbeit der Bischofskonferenz abzuwenden. Gomez, der seit 2011 die Erzdiözese Los Angeles führt und 2019 als erster Latino an die Spitze der amerikanischen Bischofskonferenz gewählt wurde, hob hervor, es würden gegen Burrill aber „keine Vorwürfe wegen Fehlverhaltens gegenüber Minderjährigen“ erhoben. » | Matthias Rüb, Politischer Korrespondent für Italien, den Vatikan, Albanien und Malta mit Sitz in Rom. | Freitag, 30. Juli 2021

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Related article: Commentary: That a Catholic Priest May Be Gay Isn't Cause for Sadness »

Auch verwandt: «Die Mehrheit der Priester im Vatikan ist schwul» | Sternstunde Religion | SRF Kultur »

Une vague de chaleur accélère la fonte des glaces au Groenland

Deuxième calotte glaciaire après l’Antarctique, avec une surface de près de 1,8 million de kilomètres carrés, la couche de glace qui recouvre le Groenland suscite l’inquiétude des scientifiques JEAN-WILLIAM ET RACHEL CHALOPIN / JEAN-WILLIAM ET RACHEL CHALOPIN / NATURIMAGES
LE MONDE : Sur le petit aéroport de Nerlerit Inaat, dans le nord-est du Groenland, le mercure a atteint 23,4 degrés jeudi, le plus haut niveau mesuré depuis le début des relevés de la station météo.

Une vague de chaleur au Groenland, avec des températures plus de dix degrés supérieures aux normales saisonnières, a provoqué cette semaine un épisode de fonte « massive » de la calotte glaciaire groenlandaise, ont averti des glaciologues.

Depuis mercredi, la calotte glaciaire qui recouvre le vaste territoire arctique a fondu d’environ 8 milliards de tonnes chaque jour, soit le double du rythme moyen lors de la période estivale, selon les données récentes du Polar Portal, un outil de modélisation géré par des instituts de recherche danois. » | Le Monde avec AFP | samedi 31 juillet 2021

Anger as Poland Plans Law That Will Stop Jews Reclaiming Wartime Homes

Shoshana Greenberg in Tel Aviv last month with a portrait of her parents. Photograph: Menahem Kahana/AFP/Getty Images
THE OBSERVER: Daughter of Holocaust survivor pledges to continue her fight for family property seized by Nazi occupiers

A few years ago, Shoshana Greenberg stood outside a building in Lodz, Poland, once owned by her family, with an old photograph in her hands and tears running down her face.

Greenberg, now 74 and living in Tel Aviv, was on a quest to reclaim property lost during the Holocaust. Her father was head of a prominent, wealthy Jewish family in Lodz that owned industrial buildings, residential homes and holiday properties.

When the Nazis came, the property was confiscated along with the family jewellery. They were forced into the Lodz ghetto. Later, Greenberg’s father and his siblings were sent to Auschwitz, and only her father survived. After the war, the new communist government in Poland nationalised property that had been confiscated while destitute Holocaust survivors rebuilt their lives from scratch elsewhere.

Since the fall of communist Europe in 1989, most countries in the former Soviet bloc have taken steps to provide restitution and compensation to their pre-war Jewish citizens. Poland is the only major country that has not implemented such a programme – and now it is on the verge of making recompense even harder. » | Harriet Sherwood | Sunday, August 1, 2021

Boris and Carrie Johnson Expecting Their Second Child

Boris and Carrie Johnson. ‘I feel incredibly blessed to be pregnant again,’ she says. Photograph: Reuters
THE OBSERVER: In a message on Instagram, prime minister’s wife also reveals she had miscarriage at start of the year

Boris Johnson and his wife, Carrie, are expecting their second child, as the prime minister’s wife revealed she had a miscarriage at the start of this year.

The couple, who married in secret at Westminster Cathedral in May, had their son, Wilfred, in April 2020.

Carrie Johnson announced that she is expecting their second child on her Instagram page, saying a miscarriage had left her “heartbroken”.

“I feel incredibly blessed to be pregnant again but I’ve also felt like a bag of nerves. Fertility issues can be really hard for many people, particularly when on platforms like Instagram it can look like everything is only ever going well. » | Harry Taylor | Sunday, August 1, 2021

The Problem with the World

Quote thanks to Pinterest

This Question Will Stump the Religious Homophobe

Quote thanks to Pinterest.

On God and Homophobia

Image thanks to Pinterest.

True Colours

Be true to yourself: live an honest life! – Mark
Image thanks to Shawn on Pinterest.

Two Handsome Men; One Loving Kiss.

Deux beaux hommes ; un baiser amoureux. / Zwei gutaussehende Männer; ein liebevoller Kuß.
Image thanks to Google Images and Malachi Max and Leo Giamani on Pinterest.

A Gay Farmer on Love, Isolation, and Disrupting the Meat Industry in Australia | The New Yorker

Jun 9, 2021 • In “Alone Out Here,” by Philip Busfield and Luke Cornish, an Australian rancher who is openly gay in a conservative industry fights to reduce carbon emissions through his cattle farming. | Views on YouTube: 230,084

NB: I have posted this documentary before, but it such a great documentary and so well made that I feel it is well worth posting it again. There will probably be many new visitors and followers who might well have not watched it before. In my opinion, this truly remarkable and well-made documentary breaks down many of the stereotypes so many people have of ‘gay’ men. This man is gay; yet he is all man! There is nothing quintessentially ‘gay’ about this man! And it is high time that gay stereotypes be smashed, broken down, once and for all time! – Mark

Diana: The Night She Died | Conspiracy Documentary | Real Stories

Jun 23, 2018 • After the death of Diana Princess of Wales, conspiracy theories filled the headlines. As so many of the conspiracy theories are absurd, many simple questions about the fatal night of August 31st [1997] have never been asked. By the end not only Princess Diana but also Dodi Al-Fayed and the driver Henri Paul were dead.

First, police blamed the paparazzi for causing the accident. They had been "buzzing round the car like flies." Then 48 hours later they blamed the driver of the Mercedes, Henri Paul. He was said to be three times over the drink limit.

This compelling program seeks to answer the many questions overlooked by the enquiry and to uncover what really happened the night Diana died. | Views on YouTube: 2,135,925

Gelangen Trumps verheimlichte Steuererklärungen bald an die Öffentlichkeit?

Jul 31, 2021 • Dem ehemaligen Präsidenten wird vorgeworfen, sich durch privatwirtschaftliche Interessen in seinem Amt beeinflusst haben zu lassen. Nun erhält der Kongress Zugang zu seinen Steuererklärungen. © AFP, AP

Les pouvoirs qui dirigent le monde - Documentaire ARTE

Whiter Shade of Pale - Annie Lennox

Views on YouTube: 13,992,779

A Big Thank You to You All!

You have probably already noticed that today we reached over sixty thousand page views this month. This, of course, delights me! And I owe it all to you, my esteemed visitors, followers and readers. You come here from all over the world: North America, Central America, South America, Europe, eastern Europe and Russia, Africa, the Middle East, South Asia (Indian subcontinent) and Asia and, of course, Australasia.

I can’t thank you enough for all your support.

I don’t really know who you all are; but yet I feel that I do! I so look forward each and every morning to checking my visits overnight. Naturally, I check them constantly throughout the day as well. Many of you are regulars; though naturally I have no idea who you really are; I know only the countries, towns and cities you reside in.

I changed the name of this blog only a short while ago. I also made it trilingual. I also changed the focus of its content. I have made it much more gay-friendly, but hopefully not to the exclusion of my straight supporters. All my visitors mean a lot to me – gay or straight. In fact, you mean more to me than you probably know or realize. I feel that you are part of my family.

When I changed the name of this blog, I also decided to make its content more varied: I have introduced some new features like the ‘gay kiss of the day’, and I have added more music, and a cookery feature, too. My aim is to make the blog rather like a magazine: I want there to be something of interest for a broad audience, not just a select few. Naturally, when one makes such changes, there will be a certain amount of trial and error involved. So if I err from time to time, please bear with me.

Again, thank you all so much for your continued support. Without your support, this blog wouldn’t even exist. I send you all my very warmest of wishes. – Mark

If you wish to do so, you may contact me at markalexander.librabunda@gmail.com – I would welcome your comments.

The Lincoln Project: Wayne Berman

Jul 27, 2021 • A notice to GOP donors: It may be your right to give money to whoever you like — but it is our right to tell Americans who and what you’re funding.

New York : un sommelier incendiait les terrasses de restaurants rivaux

LE POINT : L’homme de 35 ans a été filmé à trois reprises en train de mettre le feu à des terrasses et à un tas d’ordures, ont rapporté les pompiers. Il a été inculpé.

Il mettait le feu à des terrasses de restaurants rivaux. Caleb Ganzer, un sommelier new-yorkais, a été filmé par des caméras de sécurité alors qu’il incendiait des structures en bois installées en extérieur par deux restaurants, l’un en janvier et l’autre en juillet, selon les pompiers de New York. L’homme de 35 ans a été inculpé, ont annoncé les autorités. » | Source AFP | jeudi 29 juillet 2021

American Carnage: The Final Days of the Trump Presidency

The United States was in shock after an attack at the heart of the nation’s democracy. On January 6th, 2020, the Capitol building in Washington DC was ransacked by supporters of Donald Trump who refused to accept his election defeat. Jon Brain reported on the final days of the most controversial presidency in recent US history and asked what’s next for Trump and #Trumpism?

The Guardian View on Investigating 6 January: The Truth about the Storming of the Capitol

Pro-Trump supporters inside the Capitol building in Washington. Photograph: Manuel Balce Ceneta/AP
THE GUARDIAN: The attitude of Republican politicians to the committee shows exactly why it is needed

The investigation into the deadly insurrection of 6 January is not one but two processes. The first is an attempt to discover the truth about those events: not only what happened, but who, beyond the members of the mob, was responsible and in what ways. The second is the task of getting people to accept that truth – knowing that many will not.

Senior Republicans initially acknowledged the horror of the events and the culpability of Donald Trump, whose big lie of a stolen election triggered the assault upon the Capitol to stop the peaceful transfer of power. Kevin McCarthy, the House minority leader – who is said to have telephoned the president urging him to call the rioters off as they tried to break through his office window – said that Mr Trump bore responsibility. He and others called for a 9/11-style independent commission. » | Editorial | Friday, July 30, 2021

IRS must turn over Trump tax returns to Congress, DoJ says »

Hong Kong Man Arrested for Allegedly Booing Chinese Anthem While Watching Olympics

THE GUARDIAN: Man allegedly also waved colonial-era flags while watching fencer Edgar Cheung’s medal ceremony at a mall

Hong Kong police have arrested a man on suspicion of insulting the national anthem, after he allegedly booed the Chinese national anthem while watching an Olympic event at a mall. » | Associated Press | Saturday, July 31, 2021

Best Middle Eatern Breakfast: Shakshouka / Shakshuka / شكشوكة

Blanche TV : Blanche gives her own twist on this easy yet exotic Tunisian/Moroccan breakfast staple. This is low-carb, yet packed with flavor! | Views on YouTube: 94,502

As Fears Grip Afghanistan, Hundreds of Thousands Flee

With the security situation in Afghanistan rapidly deteriorating, hundreds of people wait in long lines at the passport department in Kabul each morning. Credit...Jim Huylebroek for The New York Times
THE NEW YORK TIMES: With the Taliban sweeping across much of the country, at least 30,000 Afghans are leaving each week. Many more have been displaced within Afghanistan’s borders.

KABUL, Afghanistan — Haji Sakhi decided to flee Afghanistan the night he saw two Taliban members drag a young woman from her home and lash her on the sidewalk. Terrified for his three daughters, he crammed his family into a car the next morning and barreled down winding dirt roads into Pakistan.

That was more than 20 years ago. They returned to Kabul, the capital, nearly a decade later after the U.S.-led invasion toppled the Taliban regime. But now, with the Taliban sweeping across parts of the country as American forces withdraw, Mr. Sakhi, 68, fears a return of the violence he witnessed that night. This time, he says, his family is not waiting so long to leave.

“I’m not scared of leaving belongings behind, I’m not scared of starting everything from scratch,” said Mr. Sakhi, who recently applied for Turkish visas for himself, his wife, their three daughters and one son. “What I’m scared of is the Taliban.” » | Christina Goldbaum and Fatima Faizi | Saturday, July 31, 2021

Gaddafis Sohn Saif will zurück an die Macht

Ein letzter Auftritt in Tripolis. Saif al-Islam al-Gaddafi im August 2011, in den Tagen der Entscheidungsschlacht um die libysche Hauptstadt. AFP | Hier: Ein Screenshot

DIE PRESSE: Er residierte in einer Villa in Wien, war ein Freund Jörg Haiders und Kronprinz im libyschen Regime. Nach der Revolution 2011 endete Saif al-Islam in einem Kerker. Jetzt mischt er wieder im politischen Spiel mit.

Es war die entscheidende Schlacht, der Anfang vom Ende der langen Herrschaft des Gaddafi-Clans in Tripolis. Vor fast genau zehn Jahren, im August 2011, stießen Rebellen mit massiver Luftunterstützung der Nato in die libysche Hauptstadt vor. Zugleich starteten Untergrundgruppen in Tripolis einen Aufstand. Saif al-Islam al-Gaddafi hatte damals seinen letzten großen Auftritt in der Stadt. „Die Menschen in Libyen stehen hinter uns“, behauptete er, als er im Kampfanzug nahe des Hotels Rixos al-Nasr noch einmal zu seinen Anhängern sprach. Dann stieg der Sohn und auserkorene Nachfolger des Diktators Muammar al-Gaddafi in seinen Geländewagen und brauste in einem Konvoi davon. Die Kameras internationaler Reporter fingen die bizarre Szenerie für die Nachwelt ein. Wenige Tage später war ganz Tripolis in der Hand der Aufständischen. Und Machthaber Muammar al-Gaddafi wurde zwei Monate später von Rebellen gelyncht.

Jetzt plant Saif al-Islam al-Gaddafi sein Comeback. Nach einem Jahrzehnt, das von Flucht, Gefangenschaft und Leben im Untergrund geprägt war, will er zurück an die Macht. Und dabei geht er behutsam vor, Schritt für Schritt. Denn auf seinem Weg liegen gewaltige Hindernisse vor ihm. » | Von Wieland Schneider | Freitag, 30. Juli 2021

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Ludovic : « J’ai dit à ma femme : “Je suis amoureux, mais d’un homme” »

LE MONDE : La nouvelle saison du podcast « S’aimer comme on se quitte » est diffusée cet été. Dans ce cinquième épisode, retrouvez le témoignage de Ludovic, 49 ans, interprété par Medi Sadoun.

« S’aimer comme on se quitte » est une série de témoignages recueillis par Lorraine de Foucher et publiés par Le Monde. Pendant l’été 2021, Le Monde et Spotify diffusent la saison 2 du podcast issu de cette série. » | Le Monde | samedi 31 juillet 2021

Spotify : Écoutez l’episode ici.

The Courage It Takes to Be Who You Really Are

Such a delightful quote: so true; so hilarious!
Image and quote thanks to Pinterest and Gay Star News.

Arcs en ciel. Regenbogen. Rainbows.

Image and quote thanks to Pinterest Deutschland and Etsy.

True Love

Image and quote thanks to Pinterest and Past Beauty of Men.

Pedro Francke: Relief in Peru as Moderate Is Made Finance Minister

Pedro Francke, Peru’s new finance minister. Photograph: Ernesto Benavides/AFP/Getty Images
THE GUARDIAN: President Pedro Castillo completes his cabinet after causing shockwaves with appointment of controversial Guido Bellido as prime minister

After 24 hours of uncertainty and the worst Friday in years on the stock exchange, Peru’s new president, Pedro Castillo, has completed his cabinet, swearing in the moderate leftist economist Pedro Francke as finance minister, and in the process calming jittery investors and anxious Peruvians alike.

Aníbal Torres was also sworn in, as justice minister, on Friday, filling the remaining empty cabinet posts. The rest were sworn in late on Thursday, amid deep unease over Castillo’s choice of prime minister, Guido Bellido, who is under investigation for allegedly defending the Shining Path, a Maoist rebel group that killed tens of thousands of Peruvians in the 1980s and 1990s, and is also accused of making homophobic remarks.

In a pointed rejection of Bellido’s controversial views, Francke vowed to work “towards good living, with equal opportunities, without the distinction of gender, ethnic identity or sexual orientation” when he took the oath as minister. » | Dan Collyns in Lima | Saturday, July 31, 2021

Schön, sinnlich, erregend und erotisch: Ein queerer Kuß.

Beau, sensuel, exitant et érotique : un baiser gay. / Beautiful, sensual, exciting and erotic: a queer kiss.
Image thanks to Google Images and to Washington Blade, its original source.

New Zealand Introduces Bill to Outlaw LGBT Conversion Therapy

REUTERS: WELLINGTON, July 30 (Reuters) - New Zealand introduced on Friday legislation that proposes up to five years in prison for practices intended to change a person's sexual orientation, gender identity, or gender expression, known as LGBT conversion therapy.

The proposed measures were aimed at ending such practices, which do not work, are widely discredited, and cause harm, Justice Minister Kris Faafoi said in a statement.

"Conversion practices have no place in modern New Zealand. They are based on the false belief that any person's sexual orientation, gender identity, or gender expression is broken and in need of fixing," Faafoi said.

"Health professionals, religious leaders and human rights advocates here and overseas have spoken out against these practices as harmful and having the potential to perpetuate prejudice, discrimination and abuse towards members of rainbow communities," he added. » | Praveen Menon | Friday, July 30, 2021

Ukrainian Police Clash with Far-Right Protesters at LGBT Event In Kyiv

Michael Bublé - Save the Last Dance for Me [Official Music Video]

Views on YouTube: 51,184,002

Michael Bublé’s website »

Diana Ross & Julio Iglesias - All of You

Views on YouTube: 3,152,024

Democracy Now! Top US News & World Headlines — July 30, 2021

Wales Launches Plan to Become Most LGBT-friendly Country in Europe as Westminster Slides Backwards

PINK NEWS: The Welsh government has unveiled a new LGBT+ action plan and set out its hope to become the most LGBT-friendly country in Europe.

Key actions will include trying to devolve powers related to the Gender Recognition Act in order to reform it to benefit trans people; using “all available powers” to ban “all aspects of” LGBT+ conversion therapy; and increasing support for Pride events across Wales by sponsoring Pride Cymru, establishing a Wales-wide Pride Fund and appointing a Welsh Pride co-ordinator. » | Vic Parsons | Friday, July 30, 2021

Anti-LGBTQ Megachurch Loses Lawsuit to Get People to Stop Calling Them a Hate Group

D. James Kennedy | Photo: YouTube screenshot
LGBTQ NATION: They said it's defamation and anti-Christian discrimination to call them a hate group. But free speech won the day.

A federal court rejected a Florida megachurch’s defamation and religious discrimination lawsuit over how the SPLC labeled them a hate group for their anti-LGBTQ statements.

In 2017, Coral Ridge Ministries Media in Fort Lauderdale, Florida filed a lawsuit against the SPLC after they appeared on the organization’s hate map as a hate group. SPLC says that Coral Ridge doesn’t just oppose LGBTQ rights – which Coral Ridge admitted in court – but that the megachurch portrayed LGBTQ people “as perverted and a threat to the nation.”

Coral Ridge said that SPLC defamed them because they aren’t really a hate group since they don’t commit acts of violence, even though the SPLC and other civil rights organizations don’t use the term “hate group” to only refer to violent organizations.

The church also sued Amazon because the AmazonSmile Foundation denied their application to raise funds on their platform due to their status as a hate group.

They also claimed that the organizations violated the Civil Rights Act’s ban on religion-based discrimination, saying that their anti-LGBTQ beliefs are based on the Bible. » | Alex Bollinger | Friday, July 30, 2021

Afghanistan: le tandem Russie-Turquie prêt à combler le vide laissé par les Occidentaux

Le président russe Vladimir Poutine et son homologue turc Recep Tayyip Erdogan se serrent la main à l’issue d’un entretien à Moscou, le 5 mars 2020. PAVEL GOLOVKIN/AFP
LE FIGARO : DÉCRYPTAGE - Malgré des positions à fronts renversés sur plusieurs théâtres d’opérations, la relation entre les deux pays résiste à toutes les intempéries.

Après avoir chassé les Occidentaux de Syrie, de Libye et du Haut-Karabakh, la Turquie et la Russie, main dans la main, s’apprêtent à prendre la place des États-Unis à Kaboul. Alors que les Américains se retirent d’Afghanistan après une guerre de vingt ans, et avec eux les autres forces de l’Otan, laissant le terrain aux talibans qui progressent à grande vitesse, la Turquie a proposé à Washington d’assurer la sécurité de l’aéroport de la capitale. «Qui tient l’aéroport tient la ville»,commente un officier général français.

En prenant l’aéroport de Kaboul, principale porte de sortie d’Afghanistan pour les étrangers, Ankara s’offre un levier sur les forces internationales qui resteront dans le pays, environ 500 soldats américains dans la zone verte et les expatriés, diplomates et humanitaires. En cas d’évacuation, ils dépendront d’Ankara pour assurer leur sécurité. Ou de ses supplétifs, car selon certaines sources, la Turquie pourrait exporter en Afghanistan, comme elle l’a déjà fait en Libye, … » | Par Isabelle Lasserre | Publié : jeudi 29 juillet 2021 ; Mis à jour : vendredi 30 juillet 2021

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Die Pandemie als Ausrede für leere Supermarktregale

Ein Supermarkt in Glasgow: Hier fehlt vieles. © Jeff J Mitchell/Getty Images
ZEIT ONLINE: Großbritannien steckt in der Krise, die neue Infektionswelle belastet unzählige Branchen. Dass viele Probleme dem Brexit geschuldet sind, mag die Regierung nicht zugeben.

Lange konnten die britischen Supermärkte ihre Not kaschieren. Monatelang wurden Nudeln, Dosensuppen, Avocados oder Honig so geschickt in die Regale geschoben, dass gar nicht auffiel, wie mager die Auswahl wirklich war. Es geht nicht mehr, denn jetzt fehlen auch noch die Mitarbeiterinnen und Mitarbeiter. So ist niemand da, der Zeit hätte, das dürftige Warenangebot zu Potemkinschen Dörfern eines Schlaraffenlandes zu sortieren. Plötzlich fällt auf, dass mehrere … » | Eine Analyse von Bettina Schulz, London | Dienstag, 27. Juli 2021

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This Administration: Shabby on Brexit; Shabby on Much Else Besides

UK chief negotiator David Frost looks on as Boris Johnson poses for a picture after signing the Brexit trade deal with the EU on 30 December 2020. Photograph: Reuters
The Guardian view on Boris Johnson’s Brexit lies: reality demands a rewrite »

Pyotr Tchaikovsky, Homosexual and Censored

Image thanks to The Observer.
Tchaikovsky and the secret gay loves censors tried to hide »

Un baiser intense, affectueux et naturel

An intense kiss, loving and natural. / Ein intensiver Kuß, liebevoll und natürlich.
Image grâce à Google Images et Quora.

On Kissing: “The Best Feeling in the World”

Quote and image of quote thanks to Chantal on Pinterest.

Phil Collins - A Groovy Kind of Love (Official Music Video)

May 11, 2010 • @Genesis : The Last Domino? North American Fall Tour 2021 tickets now on sale here | Views on YouTube: 22,105,385

An Innocent and Memorable Gay Kiss

Ein unschuldiger und unvergeßlicher schwuler Kuß! / Un baiser gay, innocent et mémorable !
Image thanks to Advocate.

Could Tunisia Fall under a New Dictatorship? | Inside Story

Jul 27, 2021 • Tunisia is often called the only success story of the Arab Spring. But ten years on, its democracy is looking fragile. President Kais Saied has defended sacking the Prime Minister and suspending parliament, saying he acted lawfully under the constitution.

Tunisia's biggest political party, Ennahda, is calling for a national dialogue. While some celebrated the President's decisions, others are warning of a return to authoritarianism. So could Tunisia return to dictatorship?

Presenter: Bernard Smith | Guests: Tarek Kahloui - Political analyst; Sarah Yerkes - Senior Fellow, Carnegie Endowment for International Peace; Salih Yasun - Fellow, Ostrom Workshop, Indiana University Bloomington.

Democracy Now! Top US News & World Headlines — July 29, 2021

Syria: Assad Attacks Former Opposition Stronghold with Missiles and Artillery

A woman walks past a campaign billboard depicting Syrian president Bashar al-Assad before the election, which the local population of Deraa al-Balad declared fraudulent. Photograph: Louai Beshara/AFP/Getty Images
THE GUARDIAN: President attempts to crush simmering insurrection with unprecedented offensive against Deraa al-Balad

Bashar al-Assad has attacked a former opposition stronghold with missiles and artillery shelling in an attempt to crush a simmering insurrection, in an unprecedented development in Syria’s decade-long war.

Deraa al-Balad and its surrounds, a district of Deraa city in the southern province of the same name, was targeted with heavy weaponry in tandem with a ground push on three axes from two Syrian army divisions and allied Iran-backed militias early on Thursday morning, in a large offensive which continued throughout the day.

In response to the shelling, rebel gunmen launched counterattacks across the Deraa countryside, killing at least eight pro-regime fighters and capturing dozens of combatants at several military positions and checkpoints, local sources said. » | Bethan McKernan and Hussein Akoush | Thursday, July 29, 2021

Zur Abwechslung!

For a change! / Pour changer !
Image thanks to World Stock Market.

Over Half of Brazilians Spend More Than They Earn – Survey

THE RIO TIMES: Debts are also a common issue among many Brazilians. A quarter of respondents (25%) have debts exceeding what they can afford to pay.

RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL - A survey of workers in Brazilian companies showed that more than half (or 55%) spend more than their salaries, while another 45% spend "a little less" than they earn.

The survey was conducted by financial consulting fintech Leve. In total, 700 employees from 16 companies were heard.

The goal was to draw a profile of workers' finances. According to Leve, the study drew a worrisome picture of Brazilians' lack of financial control. According to the survey, 35% of workers were only able to maintain their living standards for 3 weeks after ceasing to work. » | The Rio Times | Thursday, July 29, 2021

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Lebanon: Why Is the Country in Crisis and What’s Happening? - BBC Newsnight

Jul 28, 2021 • As Lebanon grapples with a deepening economic crisis, fuel, medicine and food are becoming increasingly scarce. Why and what’s happening?

The country is now in a state of collapse - fuel shortages, power cuts, bare shelves and a plummeting currency. It is a financial crisis with deep roots in a fundamentally flawed political system.

Last year saw the mass resignation of the entire cabinet after the explosion at a port that killed more than two hundred. It was later discovered a storage facility had been holding dangerous chemicals that no one had bothered to move.

The BBC’s Jean Mackenzie reports from and asks how the country can get back to its previous life - booming with optimism, tourism, and confidence.

« Viktor Orban a une technique de stigmatisation désormais bien rodée »

LE POINT : INTERVIEW. Fabienne Keller, eurodéputée Renew, était présente lors de la Gay Pride à Budapest. Elle soutient le bras de fer de la Commission avec le régime d’Orban.

Désormais eurodéputée macroniste, Fabienne Keller a gardé de ses années à la mairie de Strasbourg le réflexe d’aller voir sur le terrain. Elle était le week-end dernier à Budapest lords de la Marche des fiertés pour se tenir aux côtés des LGBT hongrois au moment où le régime de Viktor Orban vient de passer une loi extrêmement contestée et qui lui vaut les foudres de nombreux leaders européens. La Commission a engagé une procédure d’infraction. Le plan de relance hongrois est suspendu jusqu’au 30 septembre. » | Propos recueillis par Emmanuel Berretta | jeudi 29 juillet 2021

Hungary to Hold Referendum on Anti-LGBT Law after EU Legal Action - BBC Newsnight

Jul 27, 2021 • Hungary’s national spokesman speaks to Newsnight to defend its controversial anti-LGBT law which will now face a referendum, weeks after the EU launches legal action against the country.

Hungary’s new law - which limits the teaching of homosexuality and transgender issues to under 18s - will face a referendum in the new year.

Viktor Orbán’s government calls it a 'child protection law' and says it keeps sexual propaganda out of schools, TV shows and adverts.

Critics say the law conflates homosexuality and paedophilia, and the EU has strongly condemned it as discriminatory and launched legal action against Hungary.

Emily Maitlis is joined by Hungary’s Secretary of State for International Communication and Relations, Zoltan Kovacs.

Classic French Recipes: Navarin of Lamb / Navarin d’agneau / French Lamb Stew

This is enough for 4 people.

Ingredients for the Navarin:

800g of lamb shoulder (boneless)
100g of carrots
100g of onions
2 cloves of garlic
20g of tomato paste
20g of flour
20g of butter
5cl of oil (with high smoking point)
1 bouquet garni
small bunch of curly parsley
small pinch of salt
pinch of pepper
6 boiling potatoes

For the caramelized onions:

250g pearl / small pickling onions
10g sugar
20g butter
Enough water to cover the onions.

How to glaze and caramelizedpearl onions – a step-by-step Demonstration

French Cooking Academy

Afghans Leaving the Country as US Troops Withdraw | DW News

Jul 28, 2021 • After two decades, America's longest war is coming to an end in Afghanistan. US and NATO troops are slipping out the door while the Taliban are busting back in. And caught in the middle: The Afghan people. Some who worked with allied forces are being flown out of the country. Thousands upon thousands are fleeing across the border into Iran, headed for Turkey and then Europe. And for the vast majority, the future is as uncertain as it was when the Taliban fell 20 years ago.

China wertet die Taliban auf

FRANKFURTER ALLGEMEINE ZEITUNG: Mit ganz großem Bahnhof hat der chinesische Außenminister einen stellvertretenden Taliban-Führer empfangen. Peking signalisiert damit, dass es in Afghanistan eine größere Rolle spielen will.

Die Amerikaner hatten tagelang hart verhandeln müssen, um Wang Yi zu einem Treffen mit der stellvertretenden amerikanischen Außenministerin zu bewegen. Den afghanischen Taliban hingegen gewährte der chinesische Außenminister am Mittwoch den ganz großen Bahnhof. Zur Begrüßung des stellvertretenden Taliban-Führers Abdul Ghani Baradar führte Wang Yi respektvoll seine rechte Hand an die linke Brust, wie es in Afghanistan üblich ist. Baradar nahm dann in demselben Sessel in einem Hotel in der Stadt Tianjin Platz, in dem am Montag die stellvertretende amerikanische Außenministerin Wendy Sherman gesessen hatte. Solche Protokollfragen spielen in China eine sehr große Rolle. Ein Zufall war das sicher nicht. Die nach diplomatischer Anerkennung strebenden Extremisten wurden von Peking unmissverständlich aufgewertet. Die Frage ist, was China als Gegenleistung verlangte. » | Von Friederike Böge, Peking | Mittwoch, 28. Juli 2021

Quarantaine maintenue pour les Français au Royaume-Uni : «c'est excessif», dénonce Beaune

LE FIGARO : Le secrétaire d'État chargé des Affaires européennes a critiqué la décision britannique et a vanté l'harmonisation européenne.

En annonçant que les voyageurs américains et européens totalement vaccinés n'auraient plus à se mettre en quarantaine à leur arrivée sur le sol britannique, Londres a ouvert ses portes aux touristes étrangers. Mais les Français ne seront pas logés à la même enseigne, a précisé le gouvernement britannique hier, suscitant l'ire de Paris. » | Par Thomas Engrand | jeudi 29 juillet 2021