Afghanistan : les talibans préviennent de «conséquences» si les États-Unis retardent leur départ

Le porte-parole des talibans Suhail Shaheen lors d'une conférence de presse à Moscou en juillet. AFP
LE FIGARO : Sous pression de ses alliés, Joe Biden a ouvert la porte à un maintien des soldats américains en Afghanistan au-delà du 31 août.

Les États-Unis et leurs alliés s'exposent à des «conséquences» s'ils retardent leur départ d'Afghanistan, prévu pour le 31 août, afin de poursuivre les évacuations à Kaboul, a prévenu lundi 23 août un porte-parole des talibans interrogé par la chaîne de télévision Sky News.

«C'est une ligne rouge. Le président Biden a annoncé que (les Etats-Unis) retireraient toutes leurs forces armées le 31 août. Donc s'ils prolongent (leur présence), cela signifie qu'ils prolongent l'occupation, alors que ce n'est pas nécessaire», a déclaré le porte-parole Suhail Shaheen. «Si les Etats-Unis ou le Royaume-Uni demandent plus de temps pour poursuivre les évacuations, la réponse est non. Ou il y aura des conséquences», a-t-il ajouté. «Cela créera de la méfiance entre nous. S'ils ont l'intention de continuer l'occupation, cela provoquera une réaction». » | Par Le Figaro avec AFP | lundi 23 août 2021

«C’est notre responsabilité morale d’aider les Afghans», souligne Ursula von der Leyen

LE FIGARO : En déplacement dans une base militaire du nord-est de l’Espagne, qui servira de centre d'accueil pour les Afghans arrivant de Kaboul et ayant travaillé pour l'UE, Ursula von der Leyen déplore «la tragédie» que traverse actuellement l’Afghanistan. La présidente de la Commission européenne souligne qu’en plus de l’aide apportée par les différents États, «l’Union européenne est engagée à continuer à soutenir les ONG» au sein du pays. Vidéo : Ursula von der Leyen en parle en anglais » | Dimanche 22 août 2021

«Das Leben ist fürchterlich»: Seit einer Woche regieren die Taliban – Afghanen berichten von Übergriffen und Knappheit

NEUE ZÜRCHER ZEITUNG: Die Taliban regieren fast ganz Afghanistan. Die Lage im Land scheint instabil, einigen Menschen fehlt es am Nötigsten.

Taliban-Kämpfer patrouillieren am 19. August in einem Viertel von Kabul. | Rahmat Gul / AP
Eine Woche ist es her, seit Kabul gefallen ist. Seit einer Woche kontrollieren die Taliban die Hauptstadt und Afghanistan. Die Lage im Land ist noch immer unübersichtlich, es gibt viele Gerüchte, und in den sozialen Netzwerken kursieren Berichte von Grausamkeiten der Taliban, die sich später als falsch erweisen. Fest steht, dass die Taliban gelernt haben: Zu Beginn ihres zweiten Emirats geben sie sich alle Mühe, harmlos zu wirken, wie Befreier, nicht wie Eroberer. Wie ein möglicher Partner für die internationale Gemeinschaft.

Aber es gibt sie noch immer, die andere Seite der Taliban. Eine Woche nach der Machtübernahme häufen sich die Berichte über Hausdurchsuchungen überall in Afghanistan. Es gibt Listen, auf denen Namen von den Menschen stehen, die mit dem Westen kooperiert haben.

«Meine Nachbarn haben mich angerufen, die Taliban stünden vor meiner Haustüre», sagt Abdul Hamid Mohammadi. Er stammt aus Bamian, einer Stadt im Westen Kabuls. «Die Taliban haben nach mir gefragt. Die Nachbarn haben geantwortet, unsere Familie sei nach Kabul geflüchtet», sagt Mohammadi. Kurz bevor Bamian fiel, mietete er ein Auto, den doppelten Preis habe er dafür bezahlt. Er fuhr die Familie ins vermeintlich sichere Kabul. Mohammadi gehört zur schiitischen Minderheit der Hazara und hat für amerikanische Hilfswerke gearbeitet; er sagt, das mache ihn zum Ziel.

Der Fernsehsender Deutsche Welle berichtet, die Taliban hätten einen ihrer Journalisten aufspüren wollen. Bei der Hausdurchsuchung hätten sie ein Familienmitglied ermordet und ein weiteres schwer verletzt. Der Journalist selber lebt mittlerweile in Deutschland. Weitere Tote am Flughafen » | Andreas Babst, Delhi | Montag, 23. August 2021

Hundreds Clash in Portland as Proud Boys Rally Descends into Violence

THE GUARDIAN: Running street battle ends in gunfight after ‘Summer of love’ protest in a parking lot of a former Kmart store

Far-right extremists and anti-fascist counter protesters clashed on Sunday in Portland, Oregon. Photograph: Nathan Howard/Getty Images
THE GUARDIAN: Running street battle ends in gunfight after ‘Summer of love’ protest in a parking lot of a former Kmart store

A rightwing protest in Portland on Sunday has culminated in a gunfight, when antifascist demonstrators returned fire at a man who shot at them with a handgun in a downtown street.

The firefight took place in the heart of downtown Portland, soon after 6pm. As antifascists followed a man at a distance who they were trying to eject from the area, he took cover behind an electrical substation box, produced a handgun and opened fire. He fired at least two shots before an antifascist returned fire with their own handgun. At least seven shots were fired.

Portland police bureau confirmed that a man had been arrested over the shooting but did not have any information on any injuries.

The incident came after a day of protest descended into running clashes involving hundreds of protesters and counter protesters. » | Jason Wilson in Portland, Oregon | Monday, August 23, 2021

ISIS Poses ‘Acute’ Threat to U.S. Evacuation Efforts in Kabul, Sullivan Says

THE NEW YORK TIMES: President Biden’s national security adviser warned of mounting but unspecified terrorist risks to the U.S. mission to evacuate thousands of Americans and Afghan allies.

A crowd waited by an entrance to the international airport in Kabul, Afghanistan, as U.S. Marines secured the perimeter on Sunday. Photo: Jim Huylebroek for The New York Times
WASHINGTON — President Biden’s national security adviser warned on Sunday that the threat of a terrorist attack by the Islamic State posed a serious danger to the administration’s evacuation of thousands of Americans and Afghan allies from the international airport in Kabul.

“The threat is real. It is acute. It is persistent. And it is something that we are focused on with every tool in our arsenal,” Jake Sullivan, the national security adviser, said on CNN’s “State of the Union.”

His comments were the most urgent so far regarding a range of steadily increasing threats that intelligence and military officials have privately briefed Mr. Biden and his top aides on in recent days, officials said.

Neither Mr. Sullivan nor other senior American military or intelligence officials provided details about the threats or their specificity. Current and former officials say, however, that they range from a missile attack against a transport plane taking off or landing at Hamid Karzai International Airport to a bomb-laden truck or suicide bombers infiltrating the crowd outside the airport. » | Eric Schmitt | Sunday, August 22, 2021

Tony Blair Criticizes US Exit from Afghanistan

I was no particular fan of Tony Blair, but I agree wholeheartedly with what he says in this short video clip. The man is spot on in his assessment. I realize that some people have disliked what I had to say on current British and American politics, but I believe that what I have said is in accord with what Tony Blair has just said. I, too, like Joe Biden. I think he is an honourable man and a man with his heart in the right place. I feel sure that his intentions are good; and it must be said that he has already, in his short time in office, done some very good things for America. But I really think that he should not have taken the decision to withdraw from Afghanistan at this time, and certainly not as abruptly as this. This decision is going to haunt America and it will cause a lot of problems for Europe and the rest of the world. It will ultimately cause a lot of problems for America itself, too. That is what I believe. – © Mark

Hashtag Monaco: “Influencers Add the Human Touch to Luxury”

Screenshot, taken from article, of Olga Lavric, “digital influencer”, based in Monte Carlo.
MONACO LIFE: They document their lives and passions online, and with that comes a new way to showcase Monaco. Olga Lavric and Milana Chigridow are digital influencers, giving their hundreds of thousands of followers a unique glimpse of what life looks like in the fabled Principality.

It’s the perfect destination to post about. Famous architectural masterpieces, luxury superyachts in the harbour, and all those fast cars. Of course, we’re talking about Monaco.

The Principality is a favourite when it comes to social media. On Instagram alone, there’s more than seven million posts with the hashtag “monaco”. But if on the one side there are occasional vacation posts by the hoards of visitors each year, on the other there’s a community of influencers who work all year around to share all-things-Monaco.

Five years ago, Olga Lavric found herself with no job and a suggestion from her husband: “You are following a lot of fashion/beauty bloggers. Why not start your personal blog?”. At first, she was indecisive, not knowing how her work situation would evolve, but then she knew she had to take the risk. “In the end I said: ‘Why not? Better to try than to regret later’. Now I’m more than happy to do what I really love. For me this is a dream that came true,” Olga tells Monaco Life.

Olga’s job goes from answering emails to organising photo shoots, preparing outfits, editing photos and videos or attending events. Apart from that, she drinks her coffee in the morning and spends time with her family and friends, just like everyone else. “I have a normal life as everyone else does, with little exceptions,” she explains. » | Rita Meireles | Tuesday, August 10, 2021

Handsome Man Thinking…

and smoking.
With many thanks to Facebook and Google Images for this great and expressive photo.

Two Handsome Young Men; One Loving Kiss.

Deux beaux jeunes hommes ; un baiser amoureux. / Zwei hübsche junge Männer; ein liebevoller Kuß.
With thanks to achuy tan on Pinterest.

Mahler: Symphony No. 5 in C-Sharp Minor - IV. Adagietto. Sehr langsam

Berliner Philharmoniker · Herbert von Karajan | Provided to YouTube by Universal Music Group

Afghanistan : les talibans annoncent une offensive contre Massoud et ses alliés

Des hommes armés, opposés aux talibans, rassemblés avec leurs véhicules blindés humvees dans la vallée du Panchir le 19 août. AHMAD SAHEL ARMAN / AFP
LE FIGARO : La résistance afghane, composée de milliers d'hommes rassemblés dans la vallée du Panchir, se prépare à «un conflit de longue durée».

Les talibans ont annoncé dimanche que des «centaines» de leurs combattants se dirigeaient vers la vallée du Panchir, au nord-est de Kaboul, une des rares zones de l'Afghanistan échappant encore au contrôle du groupe islamiste. Les forces de résistance armée en Afghanistan, qui se sont regroupées dans la vallée du Panchir, se préparent elles à «un conflit de longue durée» si elles ne parviennent pas à négocier d'abord avec les talibans, a déclaré leur porte-parole dans une interview à l'AFP. Depuis la prise de pouvoir des talibans le 15 août, après une campagne militaire fulgurante, des milliers d'Afghans ont rejoint la vallée du Panchir, au nord-est de Kaboul, pour combattre le nouveau régime ou tout simplement pour trouver un refuge sûr et continuer leur vie, a expliqué Ali Maisam Nazary.

Là, Ahmad Massoud, fils du célèbre commandant Ahmed Shah Massoud, assassiné le 9 septembre 2001 par Al-Qaïda, deux jours avant les attentats du 11-Septembre aux États-Unis, a rassemblé quelque 9000 hommes armés, selon Ali Maisam Nazary. » | Par Le Figaro avec AFP | dimanche 22 août 2021

Tarte au citron par Pierre-Dominique Cécillon pour Larousse Cuisine

Pour 4 à 6 personnes. | Difficulté : facile.

Ingrédients :

250 g de pâte brisée ,
15 cl de jus de citron ,
200 g de sucre semoule,
3 œufs,
150 g de beurre ,
le zeste de 1 citron non traité.

Préparation :

1. Préparez la pâte brisée si vous n'utilisez pas une pâte toute prête.
2. Préchauffez le four à 180 °C (therm. 6).
3. Faites cuire la pâte à blanc : étalez la pâte sur 3 mm d'épaisseur et mettez-la dans un moule à tarte de 18 cm de diamètre. Piquez le fond avec une fourchette et posez par-dessus un disque de papier sulfurisé recouvert de noyaux d'abricots ou de légumes secs. Enfournez pour 20 minutes en retirant les légumes secs à mi-cuisson.
4. Dans une casserole, faites chauffer le jus de citron avec le sucre et les œufs. Mélangez, puis ajoutez le zeste de citron. Portez à ébullition sans cesser de fouetter.
5. Dès que le mélange commence à épaissir, retirez la casserole du feu et laissez refroidir pendant 10 minutes environ.
6. Ajoutez le beurre petit à petit dans la casserole en remuant bien pour l'incorporer.
7. Sortez la tarte du four et versez par-dessus la crème au citron.
Laissez refroidir avant de servir.

LarousseCuisine Apricot Tart (in English) here.

Apology to My Followers

I have an apology to make to my followers. I nixed the follower feature a few days ago, because on my computer, you, my followers, no longer showed up on the front page. However, when I went to check stats and other things on the back pages a short while ago, I see that you are all still there and still following me. All 53 of you! I am truly sorry about this. It was not my intention to nix you. Not at all! But as I couldn’t see you on the front page, I thought you had deserted me. But you haven’t.

When I went to re-install the list, it tells me that I must do it, one follower at a time. But there are no instructions as to how to do this. So, folks, please bear with me. I am going to have to do a spot of research as to how I can achieve this. In the past, followers just showed up – I didn’t have to do anything. Clearly, Google has changed the system.

So, dear followers, all of you, please forgive me for this screw-up. I will correct it, but I am not sure how long it’s going to take me. I think I shall have to go onto a forum somewhere on the Net and see if I can get some help with it.

I’m sorry! I truly am.

Mark

A Disastrous Brexit, Corruption, Chaos and Incompetence - The Johnson Government

Aug 22, 2021 • Four men will be remembered for bringing us Brexit, Farage, Cameron, Johnson and Corbyn Together with the far right of the Conservative party Farage frightened Cameron into calling a referendum expecting the result to be that we would remain. Johnson gambled that his best bet to becoming prime minister was to lead the 'Leave' campaign and then return to the Commons as a gallant loser, a hero to the right and pretender to the premiership.

The Johnson government, 60% of which is made up of those who campaigned for and voted 'Remain' must be one of the worst cabinets ever. Corruption and incompetence are rife and no offence is sackable under Johnson. From multi-millionaire Sunak taking away the £20 a week Universal Credit uplift to Priti Patel committing at least six breaches of the Ministerial Code to Dominic Raab going on holiday as the Taliban marched across Aghhanistan on its way to Kabul and refusing to call his counterpart in Kabul this cabinet is deeply flawed from top to bottom. Dishonesty, lying in Parliament and corruption have all become acceptable under Boris Johnson.


Boris Johnson—I prefer to call him 'BoJo the Clown'—is the worst prime minister we've ever had in this country. He is a clone of that clown they had in America: Trump! Trump was the worst president Americans ever elected in my lifetime, too; and he did immense damage to the United Kingdom by shoring up support for that ridiculous Brexit referendum. It amazes me that the Americans haven't locked Trump up in a penitentiary. An orange jumpsuit would match his orange spray tan! I despair of this country's politics and America's, I really do. As I wrote recently in my essay, Brexit will have to be reversed asap. – © Mark

Schwules Sommercamp

Sep 6, 2016 • Einmal im Jahr bietet der Deutsche Gewerkschaftsbund das schwule Sommerjugendcamp in Markelfingen am Bodensee an. Rund 70 homosexuelle junge Männer können hier Sport machen und ihre Freizeit genießen. An diesem Ort müssen sie sich keine dummen Sprüche oder Anfeindungen anhören.

Das Camp ist mittlerweile eine feste Institution und fand im August 2019 bereits zum 25. Mal statt. Betreuer und Teilnehmer sind hoch zufrieden. Sex spielt übrigens (entgegen der gängigen Vorurteile) keine große Rolle. Aber kennenlernen und verlieben kommt schon vor.

Michael Bolton : Missing You Now

Provided to YouTube by Columbia | Views on YouTube: 1,291,435

Your Sunday Treat: "First Kiss"

This is a screenshot from the video.
”First Kiss” is an 84-minute kissing video between the artists Idan Bitton and Alfredo Ferran Calle

Venue: Tel Aviv | Year: 2013

Even though the camera is still, the kiss is in motion, provoking the viewer to stay and watch.

Idan and Alfredo do not interact with the viewer, but offer a peek into their intimate moments of commitment.

"This long-lasting, present and unapologetic kiss defines our current gay rights momentum: We are here, we love each other, and this is what it looks like."

By Idan Bitton (idanbitton.com)
Performed by Idan Bitton & Alfredo Ferran Calle
Video: Runn Shayo
More of Idan's work here Idan Bitton and Idan Bitton on Facebook.
Views on YouTube: 2,647,921

These two handsome gentlemen deserve to be assessed summa cum laude for this performance! It doesn’t get much better than this. This is a veritable ‘kissathon’. It’s impossible even to tire of watching it! It is truly fascinating.

As the video is age-restricted, it cannot be embedded here; so, unfortunately, you’ll will have to click over to YouTube to watch it. You can watch it here. Enjoy the experience! Before you click over, I highly recommend you to grab yourself a drink! This is a long performance; so you’re bound to get thirsty watching it.

If, perchance, the Taliban are watching—I have had visits from Afghanistan—I had one from Jalalabad only a few days ago. Whoever it was, must have gone away in shock! My message to the Taliban if any of them watched this splendid video (I have posted it before) is this: Eat your hearts out! – Mark

Afghanistan : Au Cœur de L’enfer

Aug 19, 2021 • Pendant un mois, le reporter Paul Comiti a partagé le quotidien d'une section de Marines américains dans le Helmand, province du sud Afghan. Le Lieutenant Scott et ses hommes doivent y tenir une enclave, cernée par les Talibans, dont les attaques sont quotidiennes. En trois mois, il a déjà perdu trois de ces hommes, dix pour cent de son effectif. Réalisateur : Paul Comiti

Tunisie : la chasse aux homos - L'Autre JT

Mar 3, 2016 • De Kairouan à Tunis, Sarah est allée à la rencontre de ceux qui sont aujourd’hui les parias du pays : les homosexuels subissent en ce moment en Tunisie humiliations, agressions et poursuites judiciaires.

L’article 230 du code pénal, qui date de l’époque coloniale, rend toujours passible de trois ans d’emprisonnement les personnes « pratiquant la sodomie et le lesbianisme » et les responsables d’Ennahda, le parti islamiste membre de du gouvernement s’attache à faire désormais respecter cet loi ! Une association, Shams tente de leur venir en aide. Elle est désormais menacée de dissolution par les autorités !

Menace islamiste : Xavier Bertrand reproche à Emmanuel Macron une «naïveté confondante»

Xavier Bertrand appelle à «dissoudre immédiatement toutes les organisations islamistes qui propagent une idéologie politique incompatible avec les valeurs que nous portons». SEBASTIEN SALOM-GOMIS / AFP
LE FIGARO : Le président de la Région Hauts-de-France et candidat à l'élection présidentielle estime également dans une interview au JDD que «la France a manqué de leadership» après l'arrivée des talibans au pouvoir en Afghanistan.

Xavier Bertrand, candidat (ex-LR) à la présidentielle, accuse Emmanuel Macron de «naïveté confondante» sur l'islamisme, et estime que «la France a manqué de leadership» après l'arrivée des talibans au pouvoir en Afghanistan, dans une interview au JDD.

«Depuis cinq ans, Emmanuel Macron a fait preuve d'une naïveté confondante» et «n'a absolument pas pris la mesure de la menace que fait peser l'islamisme radical sur notre sécurité et nos valeurs», affirme-t-il. Appelant à «dissoudre immédiatement toutes les organisations islamistes qui propagent une idéologie politique incompatible avec les valeurs que nous portons», il promet aussi qu'en cas d'élection à la présidence de la République, «les financements provenant directement ou indirectement d'États étrangers seront interdits». » | Par Le Figaro avec AFP | dimanche 22 août 2021

Islamisme : des experts appellent à ne pas «croire que le djihadisme est derrière nous» »

‘Trapped in Hell’: Kabul Airport Chaos Casts Doubt on US Promise of Safe Evacuation

THE OBSERVER: There is no coherent system, and those who do make it to the airport face days stuck waiting to board flights

People wait at the airport in Kabul. The US has no figure for the exact number of people who need evacuating.Photograph: Anadolu Agency/Getty Images
In a voice quivering with fear and exhaustion, Sara pleaded down the phone: “Please, get us out of here. The situation is very bad, we are trapped in a hell.”

For the past four days, Sara, who asked for her real name not to be used, has waited with her family among the thousands of people outside the gates of Kabul airport, desperately trying to board a US evacuation flight.

In the past few days, she said she had seen more than 15 people, including children, shot before her eyes, witnessed her uncle beaten brutally by Taliban fighters and had her nights on the hard street outside the airport gates interrupted by crowd surges and the panic-inducing crack of gunfire.

The crowds were packed in so tightly it was hard to breathe, and people had been trampled to death, she said, adding that the putrid stench of rubbish was getting worse by the day. They had run out of food and water. “My mental state is completely broken,” said Sara.

Sara and her four family members have all been issued US visas for evacuation from Afghanistan and received instructions in a letter from the US consul to go directly to Camp Sullivan, the US military base at Kabul airport, on 18 August. They were told to be prepared to wait hours, and bring bedding with them. But when they arrived on Wednesday, they found thousands blocking the entrance, and all the gates closed. They have not opened for them, and there has been no further information.

“No one is allowed through, even with visas,” she said. “No one from the US is helping us. No one is telling us which gate to go to – we don’t even know when the US flights are leaving. There is violence everywhere but every gate we go to is closed and no one gives us any information or shows any mercy.” » | Hannah Ellis-Petersen, South Asia correspondent | Saturday, August 21, 2021

Sieben Tote bei Gedränge am Flughafen von Kabul

Hoffen darauf, mit einem Flugzeug dem Machtbereich der Taliban zu entfliehen: Afghanen auf einer Straße vor dem Airport Kabul. (Foto: AFP)
SÜDDEUTSCHE ZEITUNG: Laut britischer Regierung sind sieben Menschen im Gedränge vor dem Flughafen Kabul gestorben. / Ein Großteil der Mitarbeiter von Hilfsorganisationen setzt seine Arbeit vor Ort fort. / Österreich will keine weiteren Flüchtlinge aus Afghanistan aufnehmen. / Verteidigungsministerin Kramp-Karrenbauer räumt gravierende Fehleinschätzungen der Bundesregierung und der Nato ein.

Nach dem Abzug der internationalen Truppen aus Afghanistan haben die islamistischen Taliban die Macht im Land übernommen - und gestalten es nach ihren Vorstellungen um. Die wichtigsten Entwicklungen im Newsblog.

In Kabul sind im Gedränge rund um den Flughafen nach Angaben der britischen Regierung sieben Menschen ums Leben gekommen. "Unsere Gedanken sind bei den Familien von sieben afghanischen Zivilisten, die tragischerweise in der Menge in Kabul gestorben sind", hieß es am Sonntag in einem Statement des Verteidigungsministeriums.

Zuvor hatte bereits ein Korrespondent des britischen Senders Sky News von Toten vor den Toren des Flughafens berichtet. Unter den Menschen, die darauf warteten, auf das Gelände zu gelangen und einen der Evakuierungsflüge zu erreichen, sei am Samstagmorgen Chaos ausgebrochen, berichtete der Korrespondent Stuart Ramsay, der die Szene nach eigenen Angaben vor Ort beobachtete.

Mehrere seien im Gedränge "gequetscht" worden, berichtete der Reporter. Soldaten und Rettungshelfer seien damit beschäftigt gewesen, die dehydrierten, verzweifelten Männer, Frauen und Kinder zu versorgen. Bei einigen kam jedoch wohl jede Rettung zu spät: Ramsay schilderte, wie Leichen in weiße Tücher eingewickelt wurden, nachdem Sanitäter bei den Menschen keine Lebenszeichen mehr feststellen konnten. Wie viele Menschen starben und was die genaue Todesursache war, blieb zunächst unklar. » | SZ.de/dpa/rtr/aner/rroi/olkl/saul/odg | Sonntag, 22. August 2021

Huit Muscadets à découvrir cet été, la sélection du Figaro Vin

La sélection des muscadets de l'été. DR
LE FIGARO : EXCLUSIF - Longtemps plombé par une réputation peu flatteuse et injustement considéré comme un vin acide tout juste bon à accompagner les fruits de mer, le Muscadet redore doucement son blason, jusqu'à reconquérir le cœur des fins buveurs, bien au-delà des frontières du pays Nantais.

Issu du bien mal nommé cépage melon de Bourgogne (dont il est originaire), le Muscadet est produit en Loire-Atlantique, au sud de Nantes, sur un vignoble débordant légèrement sur la Vendée et le Maine-et-Loire. Longtemps cantonné au négoce et à une image de tord-boyaux à moins de 5 euros, il est aujourd'hui l'un des vins les plus attachants de la Vallée de la Loire, et en passe de récupérer une à une ses lettres de noblesse, grâce au travail de vignerons convaincus de son potentiel. Voici notre sélection de huit cuvées à découvrir au bord de l'eau. » | Par Alicia Dorey | Publié : vendredi 20 août 3032 ; mis à jour : samedi 21 août 2021

Réservé aux abonnés

Rachmaninoff: Piano Concerto no.2 op.18 - Anna Fedorova - Complete Live Concert - HD

Sep 2, 2013 • Nordwestdeutsche Philharmonie led by Martin Panteleev, Anna Fedorova, piano. | Views on YouTube: 32,688,861

Sergei Rachmaninoff »

Diese beiden gutaussehenden, haarigen Männer sind ineinander verknallt.

These two handsome, hairy men have a crush on each other. / Ces deux beaux hommes poilus ont le béguin l'un pour l'autre.
Vielen Dank an Pinterest fürs tolle Foto.

Michael Bolton : Can I Touch You... There?

Provided to YouTube by Columbia

Michael Bolton : Reach Out I'll Be There

Michael Bolton – Love Songs Greatest Hits Tour : Appearing in Harrogate, Blackpool, Glasgow and Cardiff. Tickets available online through Ticketmaster.

A Message to You, My Esteemed Visitors and Followers: Would You Kindly Do Me a Small, but Great, Favour?

Since changing the format of this blog, the number of monthly page views has grown a lot. This pleases me greatly, of course; in fact, it delights me!

However, I have bigger plans still for this blog: I want to grow its loyal readership still more – I want to reach even more readers and potential loyal followers. And this is where I want to ask you to help me. Would you please email a link to this website to a friend, an acquaintance, or a family member? Or to several! Doing this would be a great help to me.

My aim for this website/blog is to show how normal the gay community is: I am trying to bring the gay community and the straight community together. This will help fight homophobia. Homophobia is a big problem in the world today. We need to do all we can to eliminate it.

Because it is my intention to fight the evil of homophobia, it is why I do not blog things related only to the gay community. Were I to do to that, I’d simply be ‘preaching to the choir’!

What I believe we need to do is show the world how normal being gay is. For example, by showing men kissing each day, and blogging about stories related to gay issues, thinking people will be able to conclude that gays are not so different after all: they have normal feelings, desires and interests just as everyone else has. That is one reason why I like to blog about diverse issues.

You, my visitors, mean a great deal to me. Many of you are regular and daily visitors from all over the world. Although I don’t know you, I feel that I do. I look out for you on my data each day, in order to see if my ‘friend’ has visited! That’s how much you mean to me!

So if you would kindly help me grow this community still more, I would be truly grateful. The more people that come to see how normal we all are, the sooner we will rid the world of this awful thing called homophobia!

This week, Google took away the possibility for people to sign up for a daily feed of what has been posted. I don’t know why they have done that, but all bloggers will be affected by this change. We can counter this, however, if you help me by sending a link, or a few, to your contacts.

By the way, I have received no emails from anyone yet, despite having so many visitors. Please don’t hesitate to email me if you feel so inclined; I’d love to hear from you; and I’d love to get feedback from you with any suggestions for improvements you may have.

Warm wishes to all!
Mark

Hurricane Henri: Long Island and Southern New England Brace for Impact

THE GUARDIAN: Forecasters predict landfall in New York or Connecticut / New England has not been hit by hurricane since 1991

A National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration satellite handout image shows Hurricane Henri. Photograph: NOAA/GOES/AFP/Getty Images
Preparations for a monster storm forecast to hit parts of the US north-east were stepped up on Saturday, after Henri was promoted to a hurricane as it moved closer to land.

Forecasters said Henri would be at or near category one hurricane strength when it made landfall mid-afternoon Sunday over Long Island in New York and southern Connecticut. New England has not taken a direct hit from a hurricane since Bob, a category two storm, hit in 1991.

Forecasters also said a dangerous storm surge could also occur as early as late Saturday in portions of Rhode Island and south-eastern Massachusetts and high water could also be seen in coastal New England as Henri moves inland. Heavy rain and wind may also produce flooding, the National Hurricane Center (NHC) said. » | Lauren Aratani in New York and agencies | Saturday, August 21, 2021

Phil Collins : Separate Lives

Provided to YouTube by Laika Network | Views on YouTube: 771,967

Afghanistan: US Tells Citizens to Avoid Kabul Airport

US forces currently control the international airport in Kabul | US MARINE CORPS/REUTERS
BBC: The US has warned its citizens to avoid Kabul airport amid continued chaos outside the terminal.

A security alert issued on Saturday told US citizens to stay away due to "potential security threats outside the gates".

Only those individually told to make the journey by a US government representative should do so, it said.

The advice comes as thousands try to escape from Afghanistan via the airport following the Taliban takeover.

The militant group swept across the country and captured the capital, Kabul, on 15 August. Since then, tens of thousands of Afghans - as well as foreign nationals - have headed to the airport in a bid to flee the country.

Crowds have been gathering daily, hoping to be allowed on to a flight. Those who work with the US and its allies, as well as people who have campaigned on issues like human rights, fear they may face reprisals at the hands of the Taliban if they are unable to leave.

What exactly has been happening at the airport gates on Saturday remains unclear. With BBC video » | BBC | Saturday, August 21, 2021

Greece erects fence at Turkey border amid warnings of Afghan migrant surge »

Afghanistan : il sera «impossible» d'évacuer tous les personnels afghans de Kaboul pour le 31 août, estime l'UE »

Es wird immer schwieriger, Menschen zu retten »

After Afghanistan, the Pax Americana is over – as is Nato. About time too »

Polish Region Reaffirms Anti-LGBTQ+ Zone as EU Demands Rebuke

Krakow
ADVOCATE: The European Union said it will withhold billions in funding from the council if the "Anti-LGBT Zone" resolution is not revoked.

A regional council in Poland has voted to continue to keep its status as an “LGBT-free zone” even as the European Union said it will strip the area of billions of dollars’ worth of funding.

The council of Malopolska first passed the resolution in 2019. The region is located in the south and includes the nation's second-largest city of Krakow.

The EU condemned the act. In July, it began a legal case against the country. It warned that if by September the council did not revoke the resolution, the EU would not provide the 2.5 billion euros — about $2.9 billion — it was to give the region for local projects.

On Thursday, the council of Malopolska defied the EU and voted down an opposition motion to rebuke the resolution, reported The Independent. The council is influenced by the country’s party in power, the Law and Justice Party. The political party, critics have said, has led Poland toward authoritarianism. » | Alex Cooper | Friday, August 20, 2021

Billie Jean King Reveals She’s Gotten Married in Private after Hesitating for Years

LGBTQ NATION: "Years from now, I never want anyone to question how much I was committed to you," King said about her life-long partner Ilana Kloss, she reveals in her upcoming memoir.

Ilana Kloss (left) and Billie Jean King (right) at the "Battle of the Sexes" Premiere at the Village Theater on September 16, 2017 in Westwood, CA | Photo: Kathy Hutchins / Shutterstock
Although she helped to advance LGBTQ rights for decades and fought for marriage equality for years, Billie Jean King resisted marriage herself. She turned down an offer from Elton John to sing at the wedding. She didn’t do it after John McEnroe’s pushed her to do it in Las Vegas.

But King is now revealing that eventually, she did in fact decide to get married. In fact, she and her partner of 42 years, Ilana Kloss, did it about three years ago. No one knew about it — other than the former mayor of New York that officiated it, his wife, an “aide” that witnessed it, and the city employee who issued their license.

King tied the knot with Kloss on October 18, 2018, but she’s only revealing it publicly now in her memoir, All-In, and with an interview in People Magazine. Family and friends only found out when they received advanced copies of All-In, which goes on sale on August 17. » | Juwan J. Holmes | Sunday, August 15, 2021

Pologne: le Vatican sanctionne un archevêque pour avoir dissimulé des actes de pédocriminalité

Le cas de Marian Golebiewski, 83 ans, n'est que le dernier d'une longue série de scandales d'agressions sexuelle qui ont secoué l'Église catholique. Guglielmo Mangiapane / REUTERS
LE FIGARO : L'Eglise, politiquement très influente en Pologne, est confrontée à une série d'accusations, très médiatisées, de pédocriminalité et de dissimulations.

Le Vatican a sanctionné un archevêque polonais à la retraite pour avoir couvert des agressions sexuelles sur mineurs, a indiqué samedi l'archidiocèse de Wroclaw.

Le cas de Marian Golebiewski, 83 ans, n'est que le dernier d'une longue série de scandales d'agressions sexuelle qui ont secoué l'Église catholique dans cet État membre de l'UE à prédominance catholique. «À la suite de notifications formelles, le Saint-Siège a mené une procédure concernant la négligence signalée de l'archevêque Marian Golebiewski dans des cas d'abus sexuels sur des mineurs par certains prêtres», a déclaré l'archidiocèse dans un communiqué.

Ces faits ont eu lieu alors que Marian Golebiewski était évêque de Koszalin-Kolobrzeg (nord de la Pologne) de 1996 à 2004, ainsi que lorsqu'il était archevêque de Wroclaw (ouest), de 2004 à 2013, ajoute le communiqué. À la suite de son enquête, le Vatican a décidé d'interdire à Golebiewski d'exercer des fonctions publiques et de lui ordonner de faire des dons à une fondation catholique pour la protection des mineurs. » | Par Le Figaro avec AFP | samedi 21 août 2021

Pédophilie: le pape François durcit le droit canonique »

Survivors - What Happened to the Romanov Family?

Nov 19, 2020 • It’s now about a hundred years since the Russian revolution. Millions of people became victims of the revolution. As was the Tsar, Nicholas II and his family, killed in a hail of bullets one night of July 1918. just over thirty members of the Tsar’s family managed to flee from Russia. What happened to them? Where did they go?

In this interview documentary with historic flashbacks the American-Russian lawyer Albert Bartridge in San Francisco tells us what happened to some of them. One of the survivors was Prince Vasili Romanov, nephew to the last Tsar Nicolaus II. He became one of Albert’s close friends and told him many stories about the narrow escape from the Revolution, onboard an English warship, and the life that followed, for him and his family, in a completely new existence

Editor and dubbing mixer is Olle Tannergård; cinematographer is Gunilla de Besche Öhrvall.

Original music: Magnus Dahlberg
Produced in 2018

Milestones of a Piano Legend: Shura Cherkassky Vol. 1 – Frédéric Chopin -–12 Études, Op. 10. No. 3 in E Major – Tristesse

Provided to YouTube by NAXOS of America

Afghanistan : vivre en pays taliban | ARTE Reportage

Jun 3, 2021 • Vingt ans après avoir été chassés du pouvoir par l’intervention militaire américaine, les Taliban sont entrés dans Kaboul, sans résistance, à la stupéfaction de la communauté internationale.

Des forces de sécurité afghanes inexistantes, un président en fuite au Tadjikistan, les fondamentalistes se sont installés dans une place vide. En mai dernier, alors que les taliban contrôlaient déjà une grande partie du pays, nos réalisatrices avaient suivi sur leurs terres les « maîtres des campagnes » dont les lapidations publiques avaient frappé d’effroi le monde entier.

Zainab, 10 ans, passe quatre heures par jour à apprendre le Coran dans une école de fortune, les Taliban n’ayant pas construit d’établissement pour filles. Son père, qui a perdu des proches lors d’une bavure des forces afghanes et américaines, fait l’éloge des combattants, qui assurent selon lui la sécurité du village. Épiciers et agriculteurs, soumis à une vigilance constante, tiennent le même discours…

Les Taliban sont partout : de la législation alimentaire à la fréquence des prières, ils s'immiscent dans tous les aspects du quotidien. Non loin, dans une mosquée, le « gouvernement de l’ombre » décide des lois et des nouveaux interdits. Puis, au pied d’un arbre centenaire, des juges administrent la justice lors d’un tribunal public. Seul sanctuaire pour les femmes, autrement invisibles dans l’espace public : la clinique, où elles partagent leurs peines avec une jeune généraliste venue de la capitale.

En s’immergeant dans un village taliban, et après avoir obtenu un accès très rare au sein des principales institutions, les réalisatrices apportent un éclairage troublant sur la société talibane d’aujourd’hui, et sur les rouages de cet État parallèle ultra-conservateur dont les dirigeants viennent de s’installer symboliquement dans le palais présidentiel, pour y affirmer une mainmise qui laisse préfigurer l’Afghanistan de demain. | Disponible jusqu'au 31/05/2024.

Vues sur YouTube : 295,319

Roasted Beer Chicken Inside a 2 Michelin Star Italian Restaurant with Giancarlo Perbellini

Oct 30, 2020 • Roasted chicken is a typical Sunday dish, an apparently simple classic to enjoy with the family. In reality, the infinite possibilities of flavoring the meat and the complexity of the roasting make it one of the most difficult comfort foods to prepare at home. That's why for the second time we asked a great Michelin chef, in this case, Giancarlo Perbellini from Casa Perbellini, to show us his recipe. It came out a real master class on chicken, and a preparation that combines the greedy bird with the aromas and properties of a great Italian craft beer. In collaboration with Birra Baladin

Australia Anti-lockdown Rallies: Protesters Violently Clash with Police in Melbourne

THE GUARDIAN: Thousands march through streets of Melbourne and Brisbane, as police try to prevent Sydney rally

Protesters opposed to Covid lockdowns clash with police in Melbourne, Australia. Photograph: Dave Hewison/Speed Media/Rex/Shutterstock
Anti-lockdown protesters clashed violently with police as thousands of unmasked people marched through the streets of Melbourne on Saturday.

Victoria police said they had made 218 arrests and that six officers were hospitalised during a series of altercations. Police said in a statement the majority of the estimated 4,000 demonstrators “came with violence in mind”.

“The behaviour seen by police was so hostile and aggressive that they were left with no choice but to use all tactics available to them,” the statement said.

Footage posted on social media showed protesters cheering, throwing objects at police officers and letting off flares as well as police pepper-spraying protesters.

The Melbourne protests took place after Victoria’s premier, Daniel Andrews, announced a lockdown in place across Melbourne would be extended across the entire state. The state recorded 77 new cases of coronavirus on Saturday.

More than 700 extra Victorian police officers were deployed to contain the lockdown protest.

Police said they had, for the first time during a lockdown protest, used non-lethal tactics that included rounds of pepper spray projectiles and canisters.

Two police officers suffered broken noses. One officer was hospitalised with a broken thumb and others suffered concussion. » | Ben Smee and Graham Readfearn | Saturday, August 21, 2021

Afghanistan : un quatrième vol d'une centaine d'exfiltrés de Kaboul a atterri à Paris

Le 20 août 2021 des Afghans embarquant à bord d'un Airbus A330 de l'armée de l'air française sur la base aérienne d'Al Dhafra, près d'Abu Dhabi, pour se rendre à Roissy Charles -de-Gaulle. HANDOUT / AFP
LE FIGARO : À bord de l'appareil se trouvaient une centaine de personnes, dont 99 Afghans et quatre Français.

Un quatrième avion d'exfiltrés de Kaboul s'est posé vendredi 20 août au soir à Paris, avec à son bord une centaine de personnes dont 99 Afghans, a annoncé le ministère des Affaires étrangères, dans le cadre du pont aérien mis en place par la France. Quatre Français étaient également à bord selon le communiqué.

«Un accompagnement médico-psychologique et matériel est immédiatement proposé. Des procédures accélérées ont été mises en place pour délivrer des visas aux ressortissants des pays tiers, après les vérifications nécessaires et dans un objectif de garantie de la sécurité intérieure», selon le communiqué.

C'est la quatrième arrivée à Paris d'un avion militaire français dans le cadre du pont aérien mis en place par la France pour évacuer Français et Afghans qui fuient Kaboul tombé dimanche aux mains des talibans. «Les Afghans qui souhaiteraient demeurer à long terme sur le territoire national seront accompagnés matériellement et administrativement dans leur demande d'asile», ajoute le ministère. » | Par Le Figaro avec AFP | Samedi 21 août 2021

Afghanistan: à leur arrivée à l’aéroport, les réfugiés pris en charge par les associations »

Die Taliban kämpften Seite an Seite mit ausländischen Extremisten. Wird Afghanistan nun zum Terrornest?

NEUE ZÜRCHER ZEITUNG: Die Taliban sind eng mit der Kaida verknüpft. Und diese ist nicht die einzige internationale Terrorgruppe, die in Afghanistan aktiv ist.

Ein afghanischer Soldat kontrolliert im Jahr 2019 in Faizabad angebliche Taliban. Seit Jahren kämpfen ausländische Jihadisten an ihrer Seite. Die Terrorgruppe Kaida ist noch immer in Afghanistan aktiv, es ist ein nur schlecht gehütetes Geheimnis. | Jim Huylebroek / NYT / Laif
Als Anfang August die Stadt Faizabad im Nordosten Afghanistans fiel, zogen sie hinunter aus den Bergen. Die Uiguren und Tadschiken kamen in die Stadt. Jahrelang hatten diese Jihadisten versteckt gelebt, abgeschottet. Auch weil die Taliban nicht wollten, dass jemand sie entdeckt.

Seit Jahren kämpfen ausländische Jihadisten in Afghanistan an der Seite der Taliban. Die Terrorgruppe Kaida ist noch immer in Afghanistan aktiv, es ist ein nur schlecht gehütetes Geheimnis. Nun sind die Taliban zurück an der Macht. Und Afghanistan läuft Gefahr, wieder ein sicherer Hafen für jihadistische Terroristen zu werden.

2020 haben die USA und die Taliban ein Abkommen unterschrieben, es regelte die Bedingungen für den amerikanischen Truppenabzug. Eine davon: Die Taliban erlauben niemandem, die USA oder ihre Verbündeten von afghanischem Boden aus zu bedrohen. Das Abkommen verlangt von den Taliban nicht explizit einen Bruch mit der Kaida oder anderen Jihadisten – die Amerikaner hätten sich wohl einen solchen Passus gewünscht, aber die Taliban hätten kaum eingewilligt.

Das Abkommen gilt noch, auch nach der Eroberung Kabuls. Die Amerikaner pochen darauf, und die Taliban streiten seine Existenz zumindest nicht ab. In der ersten Pressekonferenz nach der Machtübernahme sagte ihr Sprecher Zabihullah Mujahid: «Ihr werdet von afghanischem Boden aus nicht verletzt werden», er richtete die Worte an die internationale Gemeinschaft. » | Franz J. Marty, Kabul; Andreas Babst, Dehli | Samstag, 21 August 2021

Saudiarabien und die Taliban sind sich fremd geworden: Saudiarabien finanzierte den Jihad gegen die Sowjets in Afghanistan, und es gehörte zu den wenigen Ländern, die nach 1996 das Emirat der Taliban anerkannten. Heute erwischt die Rückkehr der Gotteskrieger das Mutterland des Islams aber auf dem falschen Fuss. »

Afghanistan Faces Economic Shock as Sanctions Replace Foreign Aid

THE NEW YORK TIMES: The Taliban will be under pressure to keep a fragile economy afloat.

Shoppers on Friday in Kabul, Afghanistan. The nation’s former central bank governor, Ajmal Ahmady, warned that food prices could soar. Photo: Victor J. Blue for The New York Times
WASHINGTON — As the Taliban attempt the precarious shift from insurgent movement to functioning government, Afghanistan is facing the heightened risk of a financial collapse after being propped up for the past two decades by foreign aid that now accounts for nearly half its legal economy.

The fate of the Afghan economy will be determined by decisions that the Biden administration and other countries must make on whether to recognize the Taliban as a legitimate government. In the meantime, the United States and the international community are already shutting the flow of money, leaving Afghanistan in the stranglehold of sanctions that were designed to cut the Taliban off from the global financial system. Analysts say the looming shock threatens to amplify a humanitarian crisis in a country that has already endured years of war.

Signs of strain were evident this week as the value of Afghanistan’s currency, the afghani, plunged to record lows and the nation’s most recent central bank governor, Ajmal Ahmady, warned that inflation would likely send food prices soaring. The United States, which has poured about $1 trillion into Afghanistan over 20 years, moved to block the Taliban’s access to Afghanistan’s $9.4 billion in international reserves. And the International Monetary Fund suspended plans to distribute more than $400 million in emergency reserves to the country. » | Alan Rappeport | Saturday, August 21, 2021

America’s Afghan War: A Defeat Foretold?

THE NEW YORK TIMES: Recent history suggests that it is foolish for Western powers to fight wars in other people’s lands and that the U.S. intervention was almost certainly doomed from the start.

An Afghan security forces outpost on the edge of Kunduz in July. Bredit: Jim Huylebroek for The New York Times
NEWS ANALYSIS
It was 8 a.m. and the sleepy Afghan sergeant stood at what he called the front line, one month before the city of Kunduz fell to the Taliban. An unspoken agreement protected both sides. There would be no shooting.

That was the nature of the strange war the Afghans just fought, and lost, with the Taliban.

President Biden and his advisers say the Afghan military’s total collapse proved its unworthiness, vindicating the American pullout. But the extraordinary melting away of government and army, and the bloodless transition in most places so far, point to something more fundamental.

The war the Americans thought they were fighting against the Taliban was not the war their Afghan allies were fighting. That made the American war, like other such neocolonialist adventures, most likely doomed from the start.

Recent history shows it is foolish for Western powers to fight wars in other people’s lands, despite the temptations. Homegrown insurgencies, though seemingly outmatched in money, technology, arms, air power and the rest, are often better motivated, have a constant stream of new recruits, and often draw sustenance from just over the border.

Outside powers are fighting one war as visitors — occupiers — and their erstwhile allies who actually live there, something entirely different. In Afghanistan, it was not good versus evil, as the Americans saw it, but neighbor against neighbor.

When it comes to guerrilla war, Mao once described the relationship that should exist between a people and troops. “The former may be likened to water,” he wrote, “the latter to the fish who inhabit it.”

And when it came to Afghanistan, the Americans were a fish out of water. Just as the Russians had been in the 1980s. Just as the Americans were in Vietnam in the 1960s. And as the French were in Algeria in the 1950s. And the Portuguese during their futile attempts to keep their African colonies in the ’60s and ’70s. And the Israelis during their occupation of southern Lebanon in the ’80s. » | Adam Nossiter | Saturday, August 21, 2021

Just a Beautiful, Loving Kiss

What’s not to like?
A big thank you to BLOoDyPaRaDiZe on Deviant Art for this wonderful photo. About Deviant Art here.

A Beautiful and Colourful Hindu Gay Wedding

Thanks and appreciation to Gayles TV and Google Images for this wonderful photo of these serene gentlemen on their wedding day.

Be Proud!

With thanks to Pinterest and esmale.com for this great quote.

O My Darling, I Love you! / ! يا حبيبي أُحِبُكَ

Mon chéri, je t‘aime ! / Mein Liebling, ich liebe Dich!
With thanks and appreciation to Pinterest and Ernie Taylor for this expressive photo.

Words Fail Me!

Eye candy doesn’t come much sweeter than this!
With many thanks to Pinterest for this exquisite photo.

Europe! We’ll Be Back!

MARK ALEXANDER – ESSAY: Britain’s destiny lies in Europe. One day, we’ll be back. That is if our European brothers and sisters will accept us back and forgive us for our stupidity. We Brits are Europeans, whether inside or outside of the European Union. It is a historical, geographical, and geological fact. Nobody can deny that because it is undeniable.

Unfortunately, the British electorate was erroneously given a referendum on our membership of the European Union. They shouldn’t have been given the choice to leave in a referendum. Why? Because the issue was extremely complicated, so most people didn’t understand the complexities involved. Very few politicians in Parliament truly understood what was involved in our membership of the Union or the impact of leaving would have on our economy or standing in the world. So, if our parliamentarians didn’t understand what was at stake by leaving, how could we possibly have expected the man in the street to understand what was at stake?

The fact of the matter is simple and clear: The British electorate has been cheated and lied to. They were and still are being lied to apropos of this very important issue concerning Britain’s future and destiny.

But it is very important that we understand why the electorate were lied to, and by whom. They were lied to so that the squillionaire class could make lots of dosh, even more squillions, from our exit from the EU. The fact that by doing this, they stole the average man’s European rights away from him is of no interest, consequence, or importance to them. All they cared about was self-aggrandizement, lining their own pockets, and furthering their own careers. Their perspective? The electorate be damned! And these people have the audacity to call themselves patriots. Go figure!

The people who have stolen the British people’s European rights away from them—rights such as the right to set up a business in Europe, buy properties and homes in Europe, love across frontiers in Europe, receive universal and reciprocal healthcare, and much else besides—is of no consequence or importance to these fools. In any case, most of these self-serving clowns have never done a proper job in their lives. Most of them have been born with a silver spoon, nay golden spoon, in their mouths. Do you think they care about hard-working businessmen and businesswomen losing their businesses because of Brexit? Do you think they care about goods becoming more expensive and scarcer in the shops? Not at all! I doubt that even one of them knows the price of a pint/litre of milk!

These people are just playing around. Politics is all a game to them. They are not serious politicians at all. In fact, do they truly understand national politics, still less understand international politics? I know what I think. I will leave that question with you for you to make up your own minds.

As for being tied to America’s apron strings, I have this to say… We Brits are not Americans; rather, we are Europeans. We share a common ancestry with our brothers and sisters in Europe. Even our royal families are all related; they all have DNA in common. Queen Victoria, for example, was known as the “grandmother of Europe”! We Europeans share so much common ancestry.

As for America and Americans, of course we should be close to America and its people. Americans are our close friends and allies. It is right that they are; and they always will be. However, we can be far, far more useful to America and Americans inside the European Union that we can ever be outside of it. Inside the EU, we can be America’s English-speaking gateway to the continent. Outside of it, Britain is in danger of becoming an irrelevance.

So, I don’t know how long it will take for this folly of Brexit to play out; but I am as sure as anyone can be that one day, hopefully in the not-too-distant future, we Brits will come to realise the folly of our decision to leave you all. I hope that when the time comes, you will again give us the welcome you gave us the first time around. I, for one, feel European with every fibre of my being. I dream of a united Europe. Free and whole – a Europe with a shared common heritage. Vive l’Europe ! Es lebe Europa! Long live Europe!

All Rights Reserved
© Mark Alexander

Bee Gees - You Win Again | Official Video

A very exciting sound from a very talented group! Views on YouTube: 9,986,179

Fear and Confusion Reign in Kabul Despite American Assurances

A baby was handed to U.S. troops over the perimeter wall of the airport in Kabul, Afghanistan, on Thursday, in this still image taken from video obtained from social media. A Marine Corps spokesman said the baby’s father and the baby were reunited. Credit...Omar Haidari/via Reuters
THE NEW YORK TIMES: The effort to evacuate people from Afghanistan, hampered by mayhem in Kabul and delays in Washington, stood in sharp contrast to President Biden’s reassurances on Friday.

With thousands of people inside the Kabul airport waiting for flights and thousands more outside the walls trying — and usually failing — to get in, fear reigned among Afghans who feared being stranded in the country after the Taliban takeover.

The United States has rushed troops and diplomatic reinforcements to the airport in recent days to speed up visa processing for Afghans. American commanders are negotiating daily with their Taliban counterparts — the former insurgents they battled for nearly two decades — to ensure that evacuees can reach the airport.

But crowds are still waiting fearfully outside the airport gates, where Taliban soldiers have attacked people with sticks and rifle butts. As Afghans clutching travel documents camped amid Taliban checkpoints and tangles of concertina wire, anxious crowds were pressed up against blast walls, with women and children being hoisted into the arms of U.S. soldiers on the other side. » | — Shashank Bengali, Lara Jakes, Annie Karni and Kenneth P. Vogel | Friday, August 20, 2021

What a cock-up! What a mess! Such chaos! Such confusion! Twenty years of war, many lives lost, and billions of dollars of taxpayers’ money wasted. And for what? For this manifest demonstration of utter failure. So much for US foreign policy! If this is the best the US can do, the country must surely be on the skids. Shameful! No sweet, comforting words from Biden, or anyone else, can change that fact. It is utterly disgraceful! – © Mark

Afghanistan: à Kaboul, les évacuations se poursuivent dans le chaos »

„Himmlisch – mit Liebe gemacht“ : Original Wiener Apfelstrudel : Weltbekannt und geliebt

Nov 1, 2019 • Heute zeige ich euch einen weltbekannten Klassiker. Den Original Wiener Apfelstrudel. Die Zubereitung ist sehr einfach und er schmeckt einfach köstlich. Ich zeige euch im Video neben dem Originalrezept natürlich auch ein paar Tipps wie ihr den Teig selber machen und ziehen könnt.


Zutaten:

250g Mehl
1 Prise Salz
25g Öl (geschmacksneutral)
1 Ei 100ml lauwarmes Wasser
3kg säuerliche Äpfel
100g Rosinen
120g Kristallzucker
100g Semmelbrösel
100g zerlassene Butter
1 TL Zimt

Simona, die queere Weinmacherin | Friederike klopft an (3/3) | SWR Doku

Aug 20, 2021 • Simona hieß als Kind noch Simon. Nach dem plötzlichen Tod des Vaters hat sie sehr jung Verantwortung für das Weingut übernommen, wurde Winzerin und Weinprinzessin. Wie geht das, anders sein, als die anderen – und trotzdem akzeptiert werden? Friederike Kempter stammt aus Freudental im Landkreis Ludwigsburg und lebt heute als Schauspielerin und Mutter in der Großstadt Berlin. Für drei Mini-Dokus des SWR kehrt sie als Host des neuen Formats „Friederike klopft an“ in den Südwesten zurück. Dort trifft sie Frauen um die 40 aus dem SWR Sendegebiet mit besonderen Lebensgeschichten wie eine queere Winzerin und eine streitbare Hebamme. Besondere Persönlichkeiten, die nicht den Mut verlieren und ihren Weg gehen – gerade dort, wo Frauen es schwerer haben als Männer. Wie haben sie es geschafft, Widerstände zu überwinden – und die zu werden, die sie sind: mutig, lebensklug und durchsetzungsstark? Die Portraitierten geben Friederike Kempter einen spannenden Einblick in das, was Frauen alles schaffen können, auch gegen gängige Vorurteile.

Céline Dion - Let's Talk About Love | Official Audio

Views on YouTube: 891,912

What Is Shariah Law, and What Does It Mean for Afghan Women under the Taliban?

A Taliban fighter walking past a beauty salon in Kabul on Wednesday. Credit...Wakil Kohsar/Agence France-Presse — Getty Images
THE NEW YORK TIMES: The Taliban have pledged that women in Afghanistan will have rights “within the bounds of Islamic law,” or Shariah, under their newly established rule. But it is not clear what that will mean.

Shariah leaves considerable room for interpretation. When the Taliban ruled Afghanistan in the past, they imposed a strict one, barring women from working outside the home or leaving the house without a male guardian, eliminating schooling for girls, and publicly flogging people who violated the group’s morality code.

The insurgents have not yet said how they intend to apply it now. But millions of Afghan women fear a return to the past ways.

Here are the basics of what to know about Shariah and how it could factor into the Taliban’s treatment of women. » | Daniel Victor | Published: Thursday, August 19, 2021; Updated: Friday, August 20, 2021

As I walk around Kabul, the streets are empty of women »

Prince Andrew’s Reputation Damaged for Ever by Giuffre Claims, Experts Say

THE GUARDIAN: Lawyers say Duke of York has lost in court of public opinion and is unlikely to engage with civil case in US

Prince Andrew: ‘The public perception is he’s a condemned man,’ says the royal author Penny Junor. Photograph: Maureen McLean/Rex/Shutterstock
The Duke of York faces an “uphill struggle” to combat the impact of the sex offences allegations made against him and has already lost in the court of public opinion, leaving his reputation “highly tarnished” and a return to royal duties impossible, experts have said.

Following a damaging two weeks in which Andrew’s accuser Virginia Roberts Giuffre lodged a civil lawsuit in New York alleging he had sex with her when she was 17, and a source claimed he was a “person of interest” in the Jeffrey Epstein investigation, the duke is now caught “between a rock and a hard place,” said one expert.

There has been silence from Andrew – who denies all allegations against him – and his legal team over the latest twists in the long-running case. A day after Giuffre lodged her claims, he headed for Balmoral with his ex-wife Sarah, Duchess of York, in time for the opening of the grouse shooting season.

Buckingham Palace has consistently distanced itself from Andrew’s travails, referring any inquiries to the duke’s personal legal and PR teams. However, that the Queen invited him to Balmoral, and that she authorised him to lead public tributes after the death of Prince Philip, indicates her personal support, royal observers believe. » | Caroline Davies | Friday, April 20, 2021