Spate of Attacks across UK Sparks Fear among LGBTQ+ Community

THE GUARDIAN: Hate crimes related to sexual orientation and gender identity have increased year on year since 2015

Birmingham’s gay village, scene of an attack on a couple earlier this month. Photograph: Jacob King/PA
Two weeks ago, Ranjith “Roy” Kankanamalage, 50, was discovered with a fatal head injury in Tower Hamlets Cemetery Park, east London. The brutal attack was, police believe, motivated by homophobia and a man has been arrested on suspicion of murder.

A day earlier, a couple called Rob and Patrick were attacked with broken bottles in Birmingham’s gay village, leaving one unconscious and the other with extensive cuts. Three men have been arrested on suspicion of robbery and wounding.

On 30 July, in Edinburgh, a married gay couple were punched, kicked and spat at as they walked down a busy city centre street. Three men have been charged in connection with alleged assaults and homophobic crimes.

And in Liverpool, during Pride month, hundreds of people joined a protest on 22 June after at least three street attacks on young men within the space of a few weeks.

Local activists and national campaigners have told the Guardian that this spate of attacks across the UK, while unconnected, underscores a climate of fear endured by the LGBTQ+ community on the streets. » | Libby Brooks and Jessica Murray | Sunday, August 29, 2021

The Anti-Gay Agenda : Why can’t straight men stop obsessing about gay people? Why is it that a thing that has nothing to do with them occupies so much of their time and energy? Maybe they should interrogate their own prurient interests in other people’s love, get at the root and figure out why the idea of male intimacy riles them. »

Chinese University Appears to Ask for Lists of LGBTQ+ Students for ‘Investigation’

THE GUARDIAN: Survey by Shanghai University that asked colleges to research the political stance and ‘state of mind’ of members of LGBTQ+ communities has sparked alarm

Chin’a authorities have a worsening intolerance for gender and sexual minority groups, particularly those engaged in activism. Photograph: How Hwee Young/EPA
A well-known Chinese university appears to have asked its colleges to make lists of their LGBTQ+ students and report on their “state of mind”, according to a purported internal directive published online on both Chinese and foreign social media platforms.

Shanghai University has not confirmed the request or responded to queries about its intention, but it has sparked alarm among young Chinese people, coming after a crackdown on campus groups and organisations supporting LGBTQ+ and feminist communities.

The “Campus Survey”, citing “relevant requirements”, asked colleges to “investigate [and] research” students identified as LGBTQ+. It also requested information on the students’ state of mind and psychological condition, including political stance, social contacts, and mental health status. The questionnaire did not explain what “relevant requirements” it was referring to.

Students and activists have expressed concern that the information-gathering exercise could signal further targeting of students. Some legal experts on Weibo are questioning whether such a practice would violate China’s new data privacy law.

Shanghai University’s communications department could not be reached for comment. Other departments referred the Guardian to the communications department. » | Vincent Ni, China affairs correspondent, and Helen Davidson | Sunday, August 29, 2021

Cina shock, università chiede di stilare lista studenti gay »

Brazil's Jair Bolsonaro Says He Will Be Killed, Arrested or Re-elected

Mr Bolsonaro is planning to run for a second term next year | AFP
BBC: Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro has said he sees three alternatives for his future: prison, death or victory in next year's presidential election.

The right-wing populist leader is trailing left-wing former President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva in the polls.

"I have three alternatives for my future: being arrested, killed or victory," he told evangelical leaders.

But the former military officer said there was no chance of prison because "no man on Earth will threaten me".

Mr Bolsonaro was nearly stabbed to death on the campaign trail in 2018. His remarks come amid fierce tensions between him and the country's judiciary and election authorities. » | BBC | Sunday, August 29, 2021

L'art de brasser le saké

LE FIGARO : Le saké Japonais, ou « Nihonshu», est une boisson traditionnelle japonaise réalisée à base de riz fermenté. Depuis le IIIe siècle, les Tôjis (maîtres de chai) nippons n’ont eu de cesse d’affiner sa production. Focus sur l’art de la « sakéification».

Adobe Stock
Contrairement à ce que l'on pense souvent, le saké est un terme générique qui désigne l’ensemble des alcools en japonais. C’est sans doute pourquoi il est également utilisé pour désigner ces digestifs grossiers et sans saveur servis depuis des décennies dans les restaurants asiatiques de France et de Navarre, associant au breuvage une image des plus déplorables. Mais le véritable saké Japonais, dit «Nihonshu», est beaucoup plus fin et raffiné que le tord-boyaux homonyme qu’est l’alcool de riz chinois.

Historiquement, des prêtresses, vestales locales, mâchaient le riz pour initier le processus de fermentation à l’aide des enzymes salivaires. Aujourd’hui, ce protocole est réservé exclusivement à des cuvées qui serviront d’offrandes divines. Petit tour d’horizon du processus moderne de fabrication du saké Japonais. Les secrets d'un bon saké » | Par Le Figaro Vin | dimanche 2 mai 2021

Harry Nilsson: Without You | 1972 (HD)

Views on YouTube: 7,965,116

Harry Nilsson: Everybody's Talking (1969)

Jan 8, 2012 • This great song was originally released by "Fred Neil" in 1966 but this version became a massive success for "Harry Nilsson" in 1969 when used in one of my favourite films "Midnight Cowboy" i just love this song.Strangely this song only managed to reach number 23 here in the UK charts. | Views on YouTube: 3,448,281

Céline Dion - Pour que tu m'aimes encore | 'Taking Chances’ World Tour: The Concert

Vues sur YouTube : 4,528,500

Rimsky-Korsakov: Scheherazade, Op.35 - 2. Lento

Rimsky-Korsakov: Scheherazade, Op.35 - 2. Lento · Michel Schwalbé · Berliner Philharmoniker · Herbert von Karajan · Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov Rimsky-Korsakov: Scheherazade / Tchaikovsky: Capriccio; Overture "1812" ℗ 1967 Deutsche Grammophon GmbH, Berlin Released on: 2000-01-01

’Hunter’s Chicken’ Recipe – ‘Chicken Chasseur’ – By the French Cooking Academy

Poulet sauté chasseur
A chicken chasseur recipe. Chicken chasseur is a classic French stew made with sauteed pieces of chicken, served with a sauce made using a combination of brown chicken stock, tomato sauce, mushrooms, shallots and fresh herbs (tarragon and parsley). It is best made using a cast-iron ‘Dutch oven’(US), or cast-iron casserole (UK). It goes well with a side dish of potatoes or quality tagliatelle. It is best eaten with a dry white wine such as Muscadet.


Get the printable recipe here.

Repression Without Borders

Yan Cong for The New York Times
OPINION: THE EDITORIAL BOARD
THE NEW YORK TIMES: Authoritarian leaders have taken their repressive tactics global.

Smiting foes wherever they may be has a firm place in mythology, literature and history. The meddling Greek gods. James Bond’s license to kill. Joseph Stalin’s hit man who finally caught up with Leon Trotsky in Mexico City. Given this legacy, it is fair to ask why human rights organizations are now raising an alarm about authoritarian leaders who hunt down dissidents far from their borders.

The reason is that the scope, scale and impunity of transnational repression by a new breed of strongmen to intimidate, detain, assault, kidnap, deport or assassinate exiled critics have grown exponentially with globalization, digital connectedness and new methods of surveillance.

Some of the more flagrant examples are well known: the murder and dismemberment of the journalist Jamal Khashoggi by Saudi agents in the Saudi Arabian Consulate in Istanbul and Russia’s use of lethal toxins to murder one former spy, Alexander Litvinenko, and attempt to murder another, Sergei Skripal. Neither Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman of Saudi Arabia nor President Vladimir Putin of Russia made any effort to justify or rationalize the hits; they simply denied personal responsibility.

Turkey’s President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, by contrast, has openly cast a broad global net for his foes since a coup attempt in July 2016, using both legal and illegal means. According to a major report this year by the human rights organization Freedom House, the dragnet has included at least 58 abductions in 17 countries. » | The Editorial Board* | Saturday, August 28, 2021

* The editorial board is a group of opinion journalists whose views are informed by expertise, research, debate and certain longstanding values. It is separate from the newsroom.

Food, Beer, Toys, Medical Kit. Why Is Britain Running Out of Everything?

A precarious economy leads to limited choices in the shops. Photograph: Simon Jonathan Webb/Alamy
THE OBSERVER: Poor pay and conditions for HGV drivers and the loss of many thousands of EU workers are plunging the UKs supply chain into crisis

Gaps on supermarket shelves. Fast food outlets pulling milkshakes and bottled drinks from their menus. Restaurants running out of chicken and closing. Empty vending machines. Online grocery orders full of substitutions. Fruit and vegetables rotting in the fields.

These are just some of the most visible signs of Britain’s deepening supply chain crisis, which has seen stocks in shops and warehouses slump to their lowest levels since the Confederation of British Industry began surveying in 1983.

It has led to dire warnings that the UK’s food system, which has been hit hardest by delivery delays and labour shortages, is in danger of reaching breaking point and may not be able to meet Christmas demand.

Customers may have only started noticing this crisis in recent weeks but it has been building for months, with businesses, road hauliers and transport unions telling ministers at the start of the summer that a shortage of lorry drivers could lead to empty shelves.

The logistics industry estimates around 100,000 more HGV drivers are needed to get goods and materials moving again. The shortfall has emerged, in part, because 14,000 EU drivers have left the country and only 600 have returned since Brexit. The pandemic has also disrupted training and tests for new drivers: around 40,000 HGV driving tests were cancelled last year. » | Tom Wall & Phillip Inman | Sunday, August 28, 2021

“My dear! Don’t you know? Haven’t you heard? These shortages are caused by Brexit. You know, that silly referendum Cameron called to shut up the right-wing loons, the whingers, in the Tory Party. He thought it would shut ‘em up, but he had the shock of life when the results were returned in favour of leaving! He had wanted to heal the longstanding rift in his Party, but instead projected the rift onto our nation. It was cause for his resignation. But now the people are suffering.”

“Well, I do declare!”

“This is what really happened: The ‘squillionaire class’, smelling lots of dough from leaving the EU, conned the 'little people' into believing that if we left, Britain could get its greatness back again. After all, Britannia did indeed rule the waves once upon a time!

The idea of leaving caught the people’s imagination. They say it was common to hear such refrains as this in the streets: ”I’m definitely voting to leave, Ethel. We don’t want ‘them forriners’ telling us what to do! In any case, they say we’ll get our blue passports back if we leave! Oh yes, I votin’ to leave! Definitely!”

“But the shortages in the shops and poor quality of fruit and vegetables are the result of this madness, my dear! It’s a high price to pay for this illusory thing called sovereignty, don’t you think?”

‘Sovrinty’! What’s that then? – Mark

Elizabeth Holmes: From Silicon Valley’s Female Icon to Disgraced CEO On Trial

Elizabeth Holmes was the Theranos CEO who claimed her technology could perform a large range of tests with a small amount of blood. Photograph: Stephen Lam/Reuters
THE OBSERVER: Once the world’s youngest female self-made billionaire, the former head of Theranos is facing fraud charges and possible jail time

The rise and fall of the blood testing startup Theranos turned the tech world upside down and captured the attention of millions beyond Silicon Valley, inspiring multiple books, documentaries and a television series.

Theranos set out to revolutionize the medical testing space, reaching a valuation of $10bn before the capabilities of its core technology were revealed to be largely fabricated. Now, its founder and former leader, Elizabeth Holmes, is about to face the music.

Holmes, 37, is facing trial in a California courtroom, charged with defrauding Theranos’s patients and investors. She could spend up to 20 years in prison, and has pleaded not guilty.

“This is a bellwether case,” said Jason Mehta, a Florida attorney with expertise in federal fraud cases in the health industry. “It has emerging technology and the typical marketing bravado of a startup, all in the crosshairs of the federal criminal justice system.” » | Kari Paul | Sunday, August 29, 2021

‘People wanted to believe’: reporter who exposed Theranos on Elizabeth Holmes’ trial »

Wie Kabul fiel - erzählt von den Menschen, die geblieben sind, denen, die flohen und solchen, die sich in Afghanistan verstecken

Senior Airman Taylor Crul / U.S. Air Force via AP
NEUE ZÜRCHER ZEITUNG: Als die Taliban am 15. August Kabul einnahmen, endete mehr als nur ein langer Krieg.

Der letzte Auftritt von Meraj Wafa mit seiner Band endet früher als geplant. Es ist fast Mitternacht in Kabul, der Heiratsschwur ist bereits gesprochen, die Gäste haben gegessen und sogar noch etwas getanzt, aber die Stimmung ist nicht so, wie es sich für eine Hochzeit gehört. Wie an jedem Fest, das eine Zäsur im Leben markiert, redet man zwar auch hier von dem, was noch kommt. Aber die Gespräche handeln nicht von Hochzeitsreisen, Flitterwochen und Wünschen für eine neue Familie. Sondern von bärtigen Männern mit Turbanen, die angeblich vor der Stadt stehen.

Wenige Wochen zuvor war Meraj Wafa noch im grössten Fernsehsender Afghanistans aufgetreten. Meraj sass am Boden zwischen seinen Musikern und spielte auf einem Handklavier. Das Video auf Youtube wird mehr als eine Million Mal angeschaut. In jenem Afghanistan war die Musik noch am Leben.

Meraj Wafa, das dichte Haar wie ein Helm flach über den Kopf gelegt, stammt aus einer Musikerfamilie, die das alles, was nun folgt, schon einmal erlebt hat. Sein Vater hat ihm erzählt, wie sie flohen, als die Taliban 1996 zum ersten Mal Afghanistan eroberten. Meraj ist 25, zu jung, um sich daran zu erinnern. Für Meraj waren das Geschichten aus einer anderen Zeit und einem anderen Land. Er hatte nicht damit gerechnet, dass er die Taliban jemals selber erleben würde. Nun, an diesem 14. August, einem Samstagabend, sind sie plötzlich ganz nahe.

Um Mitternacht wird die Hochzeit abgebrochen. Meraj packt die Instrumente ein und fährt nach Hause. Am nächsten Morgen schickt er Mitglieder seiner Band in ihr Büro. Sie sollen dort Plakate abhängen, alles vernichten, was ihre Identität verraten könnte. Dann zieht er eine Burka an und fährt zu seinem ersten Versteck, einem kahlen Kellerraum mit einer Matratze. Von dort ruft er Freunde in Europa an. Sie warnen ihn: Du musst untertauchen, wir suchen einen Weg, dich da herauszuholen. » | Michael Schilliger, Flurin Clalüna, Andrea Spalinger, Andreas Babst | Samstag, 28. August 2021

Mike Pence: «Dieser Rückzug entehrt eine Generation von Soldaten» : Der frühere US-Vizepräsident Mike Pence macht die Regierung von Joe Biden für den chaotischen Abzug aus Afghanistan verantwortlich. »

Afghanistan : Macron veut une «safe zone» au cœur de Kaboul

Emmanuel Macron au parlement irakien à Bagdad, ce 28 août. LUDOVIC MARIN / AFP
LE FIGARO : Le président français veut une résolution de l'ONU pour continuer les opérations humanitaires sur place, grâce à un espace sous contrôle des Nations-unies dans la capitale afghane.

La France et le Royaume-Uni vont plaider ce lundi à l'ONU pour la création à Kaboul d'une «safe zone», c’est-à-dire une zone protégée qui permettra la poursuite des opérations humanitaires sur place, a déclaré Emmanuel Macron au Journal du Dimanche .

Alors que les cinq membres permanents du Conseil de sécurité doivent se réunir ce lundi au sujet de la crise afghane, Londres et Paris élaborent un «projet de résolution» qui «vise à définir, sous contrôle onusien, une 'safe zone' à Kaboul qui permette de continuer les opérations humanitaires», a indiqué Emmanuel Macron. «C'est très important. Cela donnerait un cadre des Nations unies pour agir dans l'urgence, et cela permettra surtout de mettre chacun devant ses responsabilités et à la communauté internationale de maintenir une pression sur les talibans», a-t-il ajouté. » | Par Le Figaro avec AFP | Publié : samedi 28 août 2021 ; mis à jour : dimanche 29 août 2021

Afghanistan: «Le vieil homme et les terroristes» »

Guido Reni : Saint Cecilia

Guido Reni - Saint Cecilia [1606]
“Guido Reni (November 4, 1575 – August 18, 1642) was a prominent Italian painter of high-Baroque style. Born in Bologna into a family of musicians, Guido Reni was the son of Daniele Reni and Ginevra de’ Pozzi. As a child of nine, he was apprenticed under the Bolognese studio of Denis Calvaert. Soon after, he was joined in that studio by Albani and Domenichino. Reni died in Bologna in 1642. He is buried with Elisabetta Sirani in the Rosary Chapel of the Basilica of San Domenico in Bologna.”

With many thanks and much gratitude to Gandalf on Pinterest for this truly exquisite work of art. Gandalf is also to be found on Flickr at Gandalf’s Gallery.

Ecstasy!

Photograph: Adobe Stock
Ekstase! / Extase !

Happiness Is…

Photograph: Adobe Stock
holding hands in a café.

A Jewish Gay Wedding

Marvellous ! Two souls committing to each other in the great ceremony of marriage.
My gratitude to Smashing the Glass on Pinterest and its source, here for this great photo.

Turkey: Two Gays Hugging and Expressing Love and Affection for Each Other

Such a wonderful expression of love!
With many thanks and much gratitude to Taksim on Pinterest and on Tumblr for this great photo.

Message

It’s Saturday night; so, it’s the end of the week. I should therefore like to take this opportunity to thank you all for your continued support. Naturally, I hope and trust that you are enjoying the subtle changes I am frequently making to this website. My aim is to please YOU.

This website brings me so much pleasure; being able to observe from the stats and data that so many of you are regular visitors to my blog brings me more pleasure than I can easily express in a few words. I suppose, in short, it is true to say that your continued support sustains me.

Because I have little knowledge of YOUR demographics, it is difficult for me to know exactly what you like or dislike. In many ways, I work ‘in the dark’. Somehow, I need to find a way of knowing exactly what pleases you; so, please bear with me on that. This is going to take time.

It is quite possible that some of my visitors are gay but are still in the closet. Those in the closet could be young or even quite old. Many older gays are still in the closet, fearful of coming out. Coming out is not an easy process and it takes courage.

Whether you are young or old, if you are still struggling to live your life authentically, and if you believe that I could help you in any way, then please do not hesitate to contact me. My email address is markalexander.librabunda@gmail.com . I am not an expert in coming out, but I have had a lot of experience in life; and I know what has worked for me. If you feel in any way that my experience can help you, then email me. There will be no charge.

Living in the closet is not living an authentic, honest life. Some people cannot come out because of their geographic location. There are, indeed, many places on earth where coming out would not be a wise option. It is better to live in the closet and be safe than to come out and put your life in danger! But where coming out is a safe option, then generally coming out is to be recommended, I believe, as long as you have reached an age in life in which your sexual orientation has stabilised.

Again, I thank you kindly for all your support. Further, I send each and every one of you the warmest of wishes. – Mark

Daniil Trifonov – Chopin: Fantaisie-Impromptu In C-Sharp Minor, Op. 66

Brexit Madness: Now Kwasi Kwarteng Wants to Train Up 100,000+ Lorry Drivers!

Aug 28, 2021 • Our new immigration policy makes it all but impossible for low-paid workers to come to the U.K. even if they want to. Shortages of workers as a result of this policy are already having a serious negative impact on our economy. This is not temporary.

Neither the Labour Party policy of asking the government to issue 10,000 temporary work permits nor the government's policy of training up 100,000 or more new HGV drivers will work.

Unions representing workers in sectors most affected by the absence of EU workers are in a very strong position to demand much better pay and conditions from a government and employers which they will have to concede.

The government is in a very weak position as result of the folly of its Brexit policy and because of their own incompetence.

CORRECTIONS: The Scottish Secretary is Alister Jack and not Ian Jack as I said The average age of British lorry drivers is 55 and nor 59 as I stated in the video.


Brexit is quickly turning this country into one of the “s***h*** countries” Trump talked about so colourfully! Unfortunately, Trump got the adjective right, but the countries wrong! He forgot to include the UK! – Mark

Italia Squisita : Risotto by Chef Carlo Cracco

Mar 22, 2019 • Carlo Cracco is one of the most renowned and beloved Italian chefs. Brought up in Gualtiero Marchesi's "golden brigade", together with other great professionals, after travelling Italy and the whole world he's now based in the city of Milan. We visited him in his one-Michelin star restaurant to discover the recipe for the traditional risotto with saffron, "alla Milanese". Enjoy! | Sponsor Riserva San Massimo

„Kein Unterschied zwischen Biden und Trump“

IRAN ÜBER AMERIKAS ATOMPOLITIK
FRANKFURTER ALLGEMEINER ZEITUNG: Irans geistliches Oberhaupt Ali Chamenei sieht in der amerikanischen Atompolitik keinen Unterschied zwischen Joe Biden und Donald Trump. Die Äußerungen dämpfen die Hoffnung auf eine baldige Fortsetzung der Wiener Gespräche.

Irans geistliches Oberhaupt Ali Chamenei hat Hoffnungen auf eine baldige Fortsetzung der Gespräche über das internationale Atomabkommen mit Teheran gedämpft. Bei einem Treffen mit dem neuen Kabinett unter Präsident Ebrahim Raisi erhob er am Samstag deutliche Vorwürfe gegen den amerikanischen Präsidenten Joe Biden. Dieser unterscheide sich bei seinen Forderungen an den Iran nicht von seinem Vorgänger Donald Trump.

Die Vereinigten Staaten hätten in dieser Angelegenheit „kein Schamgefühl“, sagte Chamenei laut der auf seiner Internetseite in Auszügen veröffentlichten Rede: „Obwohl sie sich vor aller Augen aus dem Wiener Abkommen zurückgezogen haben, reden sie jetzt so und stellen Forderungen, als wäre es die Islamische Republik gewesen, die sich aus dem Pakt zurückgezogen hat“. » | Quelle: AFP | Sa,stag, 28. August 2021

This Is How Theocracy Shrivels

Taliban fighters praying at the Pul-I-Khishti Mosque in Kabul, Afghanistan, on Friday. Credit.: Marcus Yam/Los Angeles Times
OPINION
THE NEW YORK TIMES: Certain years leap out as turning points in world history: 1517, 1776 and 1917. These are years when powerful ideas strode onto the world stage: the Reformation, democratic capitalism and revolutionary Communism.

The period around 1979 was another such dawn. Political Islam burst onto global consciousness with the Iranian revolution, the rise of the mujahedeen after the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan, the Islamization program in Pakistan and the popularity of the Muslim Brotherhood across the Arab world.

The ideas that seized the imagination of millions had deep and diverse intellectual roots. For example, the mid-20th century thinker Sayyid Qutb mounted a comprehensive critique of the soulless materialism of America, tracing it in part to the separation of church and state — the fatal error, he believed, that divided the spirit from the flesh. In the Muslim world, he argued, body and soul should not be split asunder, but should live united in a resurrected caliphate, governed by Shariah law.

This vision could manifest in more temperate ways, as clerics seeking to exercise political power, or in more violent ways, as jihadists trying to overthrow Arab regimes.

By 2006, in an essay called “The Master Plan,” Lawrence Wright could report in The New Yorker how Al Qaeda had operationalized these dreams into a set of sweeping, violent strategies. The plans were epic in scope: expel the U.S. from Iraq, establish a caliphate, overthrow Arab regimes, initiate a clash with Israel, undermine Western economies, create “total confrontation” between believers and nonbelievers, and achieve “definitive victory” by 2020, transforming world history.

These were the sorts of bold dreams that drove Islamist terrorism in the first part of the 21st century. » | David Brooks, Opinion Columnist | Friday, August 27, 2021

Die Taliban haben propagandistisch dazugelernt

NEUE ZÜRCHER ZEITUNG: Frauenrechte, Pressefreiheit, Sicherheit: Die Worte der Taliban-Sprecher in geschliffenem Englisch klingen wie aus einem Leitfaden für die Beantragung westlicher Hilfsgelder. Doch was ist davon zu halten?

Frauen sollen auch in Zukunft eine Rolle in der Gesellschaft spielen, wie ein Taliban-Sprecher versichert. Doch sie werden bereits aus dem öffentlichen Leben ausradiert. | Stringer / EPA
Es waren skurrile Bilder, die sich nach der Einnahme afghanischer Städte wie Herat und Kabul im Netz fanden: Taliban, die sich im Autoscooter oder auf Kinderkarussells vergnügen, das Fitnessstudio im Präsidentenpalast testen oder Eis lutschend für Fotos posieren. Viele Afghanen hatten noch die Aufnahmen öffentlicher Hinrichtungen im Fussballstadion von Kabul während der ersten Taliban-Herrschaft von 1996 bis 2001 vor Augen und daher eher mit Bildern von Racheakten gerechnet. Doch den Taliban ist offenbar daran gelegen, den Westen und die Afghanen im In- und Ausland zu beruhigen: Wir kommen in friedlicher Absicht, alles geht normal weiter, auch wir haben menschliche Regungen – dies vermitteln die von ihnen verbreiteten Bilder.

Die Skepsis angesichts dieser Bilder ist gross. Doch sie zeigen, dass die Taliban kommunikationstechnisch dazugelernt haben. Während des ersten Taliban-Regimes waren Fernsehen, Internet und Musik verboten. Mittlerweile gibt es Dutzende von Radio- und Fernsehstationen im Land. 70 Prozent der Afghanen nutzen ein Mobiltelefon, und mehrere Millionen Afghanen sind in den sozialen Netzwerken aktiv. Auch die Taliban nutzen inzwischen intensiv die Internetplattformen, um zu kommunizieren und ihre Propaganda zu verbreiten. Während Facebook sie von seiner Plattform verbannt hat, da es sie als Terrororganisation einstuft, dürfen sie auf Twitter weiter kommunizieren. » | Elena Panagiotidis | Samstag, 28. August 2021

Frankreich hat schon früh am Afghanistan-Einsatz gezweifelt

NEUE ZÜRCHER ZEITUNG: Als erstes westliches Land hat Frankreich ab 2011 seine Truppen aus Afghanistan abgezogen. Und auch in diesem Jahr führten die Franzosen ihre Evakuierungen früh durch. Damit hat sich Paris allerdings nicht beliebt gemacht.

Frankreich hat sich bereits 2012 mit seinen Soldaten aus Afghanistan zurückgezogen. | AP
Bereits Anfang Mai, rund drei Monate vor dem Fall Kabuls, hat Frankreich begonnen, Familien aus Afghanistan auszufliegen. Das französische Aussenministerium hatte rund 600 Personen angeboten, ihnen das Flugticket zu bezahlen, sie in Frankreich für einige Zeit unterzubringen und sie beim Asylprozess zu begleiten. Der Kreis der möglichen Kandidaten war weit gezogen worden: Nicht nur frühere und noch aktive Übersetzer und Informanten französischer Organisationen hätten das Angebot erhalten, sondern auch Köche, Chauffeure und Reinigungspersonal, berichtete die Zeitung «Le Monde». Sie hatte das Vorgehen, zu dem sich das Ministerium bis heute nicht offiziell äussert, publik gemacht.

Eine Gruppe von Nichtregierungsorganisationen hatte beim Aussenministerium protestiert, weil auch ihre Mitarbeiter offizielle Ausreiseangebote bekommen hatten. Die Aktion käme einer Aufgabe des Landes gleich, kritisierten sie. Laut «Le Monde» beurteilten auch einige westliche Partner das Vorgehen der Franzosen als überstürzt; Paris tue so, als sei es beschlossene Sache, dass Afghanistan nach dem Abzug der letzten westlichen Soldaten in die Hände der Taliban fallen werde. » | Nina Belz, Paris | Samstag, 28. August 2021

Joe Biden, comptable de la sanglante retraite américaine d’Afghanistan

Joe Biden, jeudi 26 août, à la Maison-Blanche, après son allocution. JONATHAN ERNST/REUTERS
LE FIGARO : DÉCRYPTAGE - Le président américain, s’exprimant depuis la Maison-Blanche, s’est justifié et a promis de venger les 13 soldats tués dans l’attentat de jeudi soir.

L’attentat de Kaboul a achevé de transformer la calamiteuse opération d’évacuation américaine en crise politique majeure. Pour l’Administration Biden, l’annonce de la mort de treize militaires américains a fait voler en éclats l’espoir de se tirer sans trop de conséquences d’un retrait d’Afghanistan mal préparé, et dont elle est largement responsable.

La mort de douze marines et d’un marin, tués dans une double explosion alors qu’ils filtraient l’accès à l’aéroport Hamid-Karzaï de Kaboul, leur dernière porte de sortie d’Afghanistan, a privé le président de son argument selon lequel un retrait ne pouvait être que chaotique, et qu’il se déroulait jusqu’à présent sans faire de victimes américaines. «Touchons du bois», avait-il dit le 19 août dans un entretien à la chaîne ABC. L’expression est reprise depuis par ses adversaires pour souligner son impréparation. » | Par Adrien Jaulmes, Correspondant du Figaro à Washington | vendredi 27 août 2021

Réservé aux abonnés

Joe Biden plaide la fatalité du chaos à Kaboul »

Le pont aérien de Kaboul fait toujours face à des «menaces précises et crédibles» »

‘Biden’s worst nightmare’: how Afghanistan shook a president »

Les États-Unis frappent la branche afghane de l'État Islamique en réponse à l'attentat de Kaboul

Joe Biden a ordonné la mise en berne des drapeaux américains en l'honneur des 13 soldats tués à Kaboul. NICHOLAS KAMM / AFP
LE FIGARO : L'attentat de jeudi à l'aéroport de Kaboul a fait plus d'une centaine de morts dont 13 militaires américains, quelques jours avant le retrait définitif des États-Unis.

Les Américains ont riposté à l'attentat suicide commis à l'entrée de l'aéroport de Kaboul en tuant par drone samedi matin un «organisateur» de l'État Islamique-Khorassan, la branche afghane de l'organisation djihadiste. Ces représailles ont été lancées moins de 48 heures après l'attentat qui a fait plus d'une centaine de morts dont 13 militaires américains, quelques jours avant le retrait définitif des États-Unis au bout de 20 ans de guerre. Le commandement central américain a fourni peu de détails sur la frappe, se contentant d'indiquer que l'attaque a été menée dans la province de Nangahar contre un membre de l'État islamique-Khorassan soupçonné d'être impliqué dans la planification d'attaques contre les États-Unis à Kaboul. La frappe a tué un individu, et aucun civil n'aurait été tué, selon les Américains. » | Par Adrien Jaulmes, Correspondant du Figaro à Washington | samedi 28 août 2021

Afghanistan: par la monstruosité de ses attentats, l’État islamique dans le Khorasan défie les talibans »

Hurricane Ida Barrels Down on Louisiana amid Warnings of ‘Life-altering Storm’

THE GUARDIAN: Tens of thousands in US face evacuation orders as storm makes first landfall in Cuba, sparking fears of floods and mudslides

Hurricane Ida rapidly gained strength on Friday evening as communities in southern Louisiana braced for a major category 4 storm with sustained winds of about 140mph and tens of thousands of residents were placed under mandatory evacuation orders.

The hurricane is due to make landfall in the US on Sunday, with officials warning of a “life-altering storm”. The cities of New Orleans and Lafayette, as well as the state capital, Baton Rouge, are under threat from Ida, which is forecast to reach the US somewhere between the parishes of Terrebone and St Mary, slightly west of New Orleans.

“Hurricane Ida is rapidly intensifying and the situation is changing, it seems, by the hour,” said John Bel Edwards, the governor, at a briefing on Friday evening. “Now is the time to finish your preparations. By nightfall tomorrow night, you need to be where you intend to ride out the storm, and you need to be postured as you would want to be as the storm approaches you.”

Ida made its first landfall Friday afternoon on Cuba’s southern Isle of Youth. The Cuban government issued a hurricane warning for its westernmost provinces, where forecasters said as much as 20in (50cm) of rain could fall in places, possibly unleashing deadly flash floods and mudslides. » | Oliver Laughland in New Orleans | Saturday, August 28, 2021

34 Public Displays of Affection That Straight People Take for Granted

Above: Real-life couple (and friends of the author) Norge (left) and Jeramy (right) consented to taking cute couple pictures at various locations across Atlanta, Ga.
ADVOCATE: Straight people may never fully understand the bravery it takes to be an out LGBT person, because their relationships are recognized and affirmed with every TV ad, romantic comedy, and Top 40 hit. LGBT people have to fight for representation and carve out spaces where “two men kissing” is not a frightening image but a celebrated one. In the face of sexual oppression and antigay violence, fearmongering and queer erasure, our public displays of affection are acts of revolt.

Browse these 34 PDAs that straight people take for granted, many of which still come with safety concerns for many people in the LGBT community. Those of us who are able should engage in them as much as possible, now more than ever. Show the world the power of #TwoMenKissing. Love each other, and dance all night.

1. Holding Hands
You’ve probably seen it: two gay men holding hands at a theme park, walking briskly, with rigid arms and cold expressions. They almost seem like militants, cutting through the crowd, matching stride, never cracking a smile.

“Look at the joyless couple,” a friend and fellow homo said, nodding at one such couple the last time I was at Disney World. Whenever I see one of these “joyless couples,” I feel like crying or cheering or screaming or some variation of the three. They are usually young. This may be the first time they have ever held hands in public, and they are determined to do it, goddamn it — but they’re scared.

Their body language betrays their fear. Other gay men spot it easily because we have all been there. I have been there. My first time holding a man’s hand was at a theme park, and I could hardly breathe. My palms were sweating, and after a few minutes I let go. Almost immediately I felt angry at myself for being unable to last longer. Around me, straight couples were walking by, fingers interlocked. It seemed so effortless for them, so comfortable. Why was I so terrified?

The wrongness and unfairness I felt in that moment was heteronormativity and gay oppression. These words might seem academic and sing of protest, but they describe very real problems. As gay men, we are taught to fear public displays of affection from day one — because the little animated boy dog falls in love with a girl dog; because Spider-Man swoops down to save Mary Jane, not John; and because, in the first story I was ever told, God created Adam and Eve, not … well, you know the rest. » | Alexander Cheves | Undated

Author ALEX CHEVES encourages you to leave your own suggestions for sex and dating topics in the comments. Hungry for more? Follow him on Twitter @BadAlexCheves and visit his blog, The Beastly Ex-Boyfriend.

The Tightrope of Gay PDA*

SALON: Even in the most progressive of neighborhoods, I find myself looking over my shoulder

With my boyfriend’s cousin out of the house on the second day of our visit, we decide to take a public bus to downtown Seattle from Shoreline, where she lives. It’s largely empty, though the space at the front of the bus is occupied by three 20-ish, husky white guys in baseball caps and flannel shirts. They seem around my age and remind me of guys I last talked to in high school but am still friends with on Facebook -- the kind who post pictures of themselves with their arms around each other, captioned “no homo."

They’re already there when we walk in, and as the bus leaves the stop, I wonder whether they paid attention to the way I walked on or to the sweater my boyfriend was wearing. A couple minutes on, my boyfriend reaches for my hand, and I nod him a silent “no” as I shuffle over, putting a few inches between us.

Not while they’re sitting there.

I can’t really remember the exact circumstances of when I first held a man’s hand in public. The emotions that preceded it have all faded, along with the person, in the ensuing years. What I do remember, throughout the five or so minutes that I grasped that boy’s moist palm, is anxiously searching every face around us, every person that passed us by, checking for any sign of potential trouble or disapproval. The simple act itself -- of taking my date’s hand -- seemed less a simple sign of affection than an open dare to voyeurs, an exercise in what my grandmother would have called “making a spectacle of yourself.”

In the five years or so since then, this anxiety at public affection has eased somewhat. In the course of our two-year relationship, my boyfriend and I have, naturally, made countless little public demonstrations of our affection for each other, made easier by the fact that we live in and generally frequent the more LGBT-friendly parts of generally LGBT-friendly Los Angeles. While holding his hand at the art house theater we regularly go to in Pasadena, or cuddling with him at the wine bars I like in downtown L.A., or even kissing him at the restaurants we frequent in Silverlake, I’ve learned to look around in suspicion a little less and to go with the moment a little more. » | Christopher Records | Published: Saturday, July 21, 2012

This essay originally appeared on Christopher Records’ Open Salon blog. [Sorry! I can't link to it; the server couldn't be found.]

* Public Dispays of Affection.

Bare and Hirsute

Photo : Adobe Stock

Pondering, Waiting, Hoping

Photo : Adobe Stock

Love and Passion.

Photo : Adobe Stock
Liebe und Leidenschaft. / Amour et passion.

Schumann: Klavierkonzert ∙ hr-Sinfonieorchester ∙ Khatia Buniatishvili ∙ Paavo Järvi

I. Allegro affettuoso | II. Intermezzo. Andantino grazioso | III. Allegro vivace
Khatia Buniatishvili, Klavier ∙ hr-Sinfonieorchester (Frankfurt Radio Symphony Orchestra) ∙ Paavo Järvi, Dirigent | Rheingau Musik Festival 2012 ∙ | Wiesbaden, Kurhaus, 23. August 2012

A Recipe That Celebrates Chicken and Tarragon : Poulet à l'estragon

This recipe celebrates the fresh herb tarragon. we use it today to make a classic French dish called poulet à l'estragon (chicken in tarragon sauce). Using classic cooking techniques the chicken is seared then cooked in a mix of cognac, white wine and stock and cream. toward the end plenty of fresh tarragon is added to the dish to create a subtle tarragon flavored creamy sauce. best served with rice, pasta or potatoes.

Get the recipe here.

Reporter Goes to the Frontlines of the Afghanistan War on the Taliban | 60 Minutes Australia

You read about it, you see snippets on the news and, we hate to say it, Afghanistan becomes just another battle zone. Another skirmish in the so-called war on terror. That is until you're in the thick of it, under enemy fire. That's when you realise how grim, how relentless, maybe how futile this war really is. Despite the jubilation after the American invasion five years ago, the Taliban has not been defeated. Far from it. This conflict is now deadlier than ever, and we're about to send 240 more Australian troops into a country where the enemy's everywhere and everyone's a target.

Elton John - Sad Songs (Say So Much)

“Sad Songs (Say So Much)" is the first single from Elton's 1984 album Breaking Hearts. The video was filmed at Rushcutters Bay in Sydney, Australia and directed by Russell Mulcahy with choreography by David Atkins. | Views on YouTube: 25,850,492

Ayyam et François Sureau: «Les talibans montreront bientôt leur hideux visage»

LE FIGARO : GRAND ENTRETIEN - Près de deux semaines après l’entrée des talibans à Kaboul et l’humiliation des Américains, quelles leçons tirer de ces événements historiques? Quel sens donner au sacrifice de nos soldats en Afghanistan? Doit-on s’inquiéter d’une nouvelle vague migratoire? La philosophe et son mari, avocat et écrivain, n’éludent aucune question.

La philosophe préside une association d’aide aux réfugiés, notamment afghans, l’Association Pierre Claver (du nom d’un missionnaire jésuite du XVIIe siècle)*. Elle a fondé cette œuvre avec son mari, avocat et écrivain**, qui a servi en Afghanistan. Ayyam et François Sureau nous parlent de ce pays qu’ils connaissent bien et disent leur espérance quant à l’avenir du peuple afghan. LE FIGARO. - Vingt ans après le 11 Septembre, … » | Par Eugénie Bastié | jeudi 26 août 2021

Réservé aux abonnés

Afghanistan : la Turquie s’est entretenue avec les talibans

LE POINT : D’après le président Erdogan, Ankara a tenu un premier pourparler de trois heures et demie à Kaboul avec les nouveaux maîtres de l’Afghanistan.

De premières discussions ont eu lieu entre les talibans et Ankara, a fait savoir le président turc Erdogan.© ISA TERLI / ANADOLU AGENCY / Anadolu Agency via AFP
La Turquie a tenu ses premières discussions avec les talibans à Kaboul, a fait savoir le président Recep Tayyip Erdogan, ce vendredi 27 août. D’après le président turc, Ankara étudie la proposition des nouveaux maîtres de l’Afghanistan de sécuriser l’aéroport de la capitale après le retrait américain. « Nous avons tenu nos premières discussions avec les talibans, qui ont duré trois heures et demie », a déclaré le chef d'État aux journalistes. Et d’ajouter : « Si c’est nécessaire, nous aurons l’occasion d’avoir de tels pourparlers à nouveau. » » | Source AFP | vendredi 27 août 2021

Heinz-Christian Strache wegen Bestechlichkeit zu Bewährungsstrafe verurteilt

ÖSTERREICHS EX-VIZEKANZLER
FRANKFURTER ALLGEMEINE ZEITUNG: Das Wiener Landgericht hat den früheren österreichischen Vizekanzler Heinz-Christian Strache am Freitag zu einer Freiheitsstrafe von 15 Monaten auf Bewährung verurteilt. Das Urteil ist noch nicht rechtskräftig.

Heinz-Christian Strache, früher österreichischer Vizekanzler und Vorsitzender der rechten Partei FPÖ, ist am Freitag am Wiener Landesgericht wegen Bestechlichkeit verurteilt worden. Das Strafmaß beträgt 15 Monate „bedingt“, die Haft kann also zur Bewährung ausgesetzt werden. Mit ihm wurde der Unternehmer Walter Grubmüller wegen Bestechung verurteilt. Das Gericht folgte der Darstellung der Staatsanwaltschaft, der Unternehmer habe Strache durch Parteispenden und eine Urlaubseinladung veranlasst, sich für eine Gesetzesänderung zugunsten einer Privatklinik Grubmüllers einzusetzen. » | Von Stephan Löwenstein, Politischer Korrespondent mit Sitz in Wien | Freitag, 27. August 2021

Ganz Spanien ab Sonntag kein Corona-Hochrisikogebiet mehr

FRANKFURTER ALLGEMEINE ZEITUNG: Die Bundesregierung streicht Spanien von der Liste der Hochrisikogebiete. Auch Mallorca fällt damit nicht mehr in diese Kategorie. Für Reiserückkehrer entfallen damit die Quarantänevorschriften.

Wegen sinkender Corona-Infektionszahlen streicht die Bundesregierung am Sonntag ganz Spanien und damit auch die beliebte Ferieninsel Mallorca von der Liste der Hochrisikogebiete. Das teilte das Robert Koch-Institut (RKI) am Freitag mit. Damit entfallen alle Quarantänevorschriften für aus Spanien zurückkehrende Urlauber.

Der Großraum Lissabon ist ab Sonntag ebenfalls kein Hochrisikogebiet mehr. Als einzige Region in Portugal bleibt aber die beliebte Urlaubsregion Algarve auf der Liste.

Spanien gilt als beliebtestes Urlaubsziel der Deutschen im Ausland. Am 11. Juli war es wegen stark steigender Infektionszahlen mitten in der Ferienzeit als Risikogebiet eingestuft worden, Ende Juli als Hochrisikogebiet. Seitdem müssen Rückkehrer, die nicht vollständig geimpft oder genesen sind, für zehn Tage in Quarantäne, von der sie sich erst nach fünf Tagen mit einem negativen Test befreien können. Das traf vor allem die Tourismuswirtschaft auf Mallorca. » | Quelle: dpa | Freitag, 27. August 2021

Eine schwarze Stunde für Amerika – und für Joe Biden

SPIEGEL: Aus der Krise wird eine Katastrophe: Der Anschlag am Flughafen in Kabul mit mindestens 13 toten US-Soldaten sorgt in Amerika für Entsetzen. Schon fordern die ersten Republikaner den Rücktritt des Präsidenten.

US-Präsident Joe Biden: Schweigeminute für die Gefallenen | Foto: JONATHAN ERNST / REUTERS
Anschlag in Afghanistan
Die Fahnen in der Hauptstadt Washington wehen auf halbmast, der Präsident beugt sich bei einer Schweigeminute im Gebet auf sein Pult. Der Anschlag auf den Flughafen in Kabul, bei dem mindestens 13 US-Soldaten getötet wurden, ist für Joe Biden die wohl schwerste Stunde in seiner bisherigen Amtszeit.


Mit bebender Stimme verspricht der Präsident, die mutmaßlichen Drahtzieher des Anschlags, die Anführer der Terrorgruppe Isis-K, zu bestrafen. »Wir werden euch jagen, und wir werden euch dafür bezahlen lassen«, sagt Biden in East Room des Weißen Hauses in die Kameras. Die getöteten Soldaten nennt er »Helden«: In einer hochgefährlichen Mission hätten sie ihr Leben geopfert, um andere Menschenleben zu retten.

Der Präsident wirkt traurig und wütend, aber auch müde und angespannt. Der Anschlag in Kabul hat die seit Tagen herrschende Krise am Flughafen von Kabul in eine Katastrophe verwandelt. In 20 Jahren Krieg in Afghanistan haben die Amerikaner nur selten so viele Soldaten an einem einzigen Tag verloren. » | Von Roland Nelles, Washington | Freitag, 27. August 2021

Pour Biden, la crise afghane tourne au scénario catastrophe

Des blessés sont soignés dans un hôpital après la double attaque à proximité de l'aéroport de Kaboul, le 27 août 2021. STRINGER / REUTERS
LE FIGARO : Le président américain, confronté à sa plus grave crise, peine à s'affirmer et semble paralysé par une situation qu'il n'a pas réussi à anticiper.

La fin de la mission en Afghanistan, avec la mort de douze soldats américains, vire au scénario catastrophe pour Joe Biden, confronté à sa plus grave crise et comme paralysé par une situation qu'il n'avait pas vu venir.

Le 46e président des États-Unis s'est exprimé jeudi soir, plusieurs heures après la double attaque à proximité de l'aéroport de Kaboul - la plus meurtrière pour les militaires américains depuis août 2011. Lors de cette allocution, Joe Biden a rendu hommage aux soldats tués avant d'assurer que tout serait mis en oeuvre pour traquer les auteurs de l'attaque : «Nous avons des raisons de penser que nous savons qui ils sont et nous allons trouver un moyen de les traquer dans le cadre d'une grande opération militaire où qu'ils soient». Le président a affirmé que les opérations d'évacuation se poursuivaient et a de nouveau confirmé qu'il respecterait la date butoir du 31 août pour le retrait des troupes américaines, malgré les critiques qui l'appellent, y compris au sein de son parti, à rester plus longtemps si nécessaire pour achever l'évacuation.

Comme souvent depuis deux semaines, Joe Biden a dû chambouler son agenda, repoussant une rencontre importante prévue avec le nouveau Premier ministre israélien Naftali Bennett. «C'est une crise majeure qui se déroule sous sa présidence», dit à l'AFP Ian Bremmer, président de la société d'expertise Eurasia Group. «C'est un échec du renseignement, c'est un échec de la planification, c'est un échec de la communication, et c'est un échec de la coordination avec les alliés», estime-t-il. » | Par Le Figaro avec AFP | Publié : jeudi 26 août 2021 ; mis à jour : vendredi 27 août 2021

Debakel in Afghanistan: Biden trägt die Verantwortung für die Demütigung Amerikas

NEUE ZÜRCHER ZEITUNG: Nach dem Anschlag vor dem Flughafen Kabuls haben die USA erstmals seit anderthalb Jahren wieder Opfer in Afghanistan zu beklagen. Der Präsident lässt mit der desolaten Umsetzung des Truppenabzugs missen, wofür er in der Auseinandersetzung mit Trump stand: Besonnenheit und Kompetenz.

Die Auftritte des amerikanischen Präsidenten in diesen dramatischen Tagen wirken wenig überzeugend. | Stefani Reynolds / Imago
KOMMENTAR
Mit seiner jahrzehntelangen Erfahrung kennt Präsident Joe Biden die Spielregeln der Politik. Er weiss genau, wie eng sein Gestaltungsspielraum ist, bevor in den Zwischenwahlen im kommenden Jahr der Verlust der prekären demokratischen Mehrheiten im Kongress und damit seiner Handlungsfähigkeit droht. Beflügelt von ersten innenpolitischen Erfolgen, entwarf er deshalb im Frühling das Drehbuch für ein amerikanisches Sommermärchen.

Bis zum Independence Day am 4. Juli sollte die Impfkampagne so weit fortgeschritten sein, dass die Vereinigten Staaten auch die «Unabhängigkeit» vom Coronavirus feiern könnten. Am 20. Jahrestag der Anschläge vom 11. September wollte Biden nach dem vollständigen Truppenabzug das offizielle Ende des Militäreinsatzes in Afghanistan verkünden. Und irgendwann dazwischen würde der Kongress mit überparteilicher Mehrheit ein billionenschweres Infrastrukturpaket verabschieden, eines der wichtigsten Anliegen Bidens. All das, so das Kalkül des Präsidenten, könnte seine Partei entgegen den Gepflogenheiten vor Verlusten bei den Zwischenwahlen bewahren. Ein albtraumhafter Sommer » | Meret Baumann | Freitag, 27. August 2021

Biden Faces a Tragedy He Pledged to Avoid

THE NEW YORK TIMES: The president said the evacuation of U.S. citizens and allies from Afghanistan would continue, even after an attack that killed at least 13 American troops and dozens of civilians.

President Biden spoke from the East Room of the White House after the Pentagon confirmed the deaths of the American service members in what officials said were suicide bomber attacks. Credit: Doug Mills/The New York Times
WASHINGTON — It was exactly what President Biden feared most.

His decision to end America’s longest war was driven, he had said repeatedly, by his determination not to sacrifice even one more member of the military on behalf of an effort he had long believed was no longer in the interests of the United States.

But on Thursday morning, the withdrawal he set in motion claimed the lives of 13 U.S. troops, along with scores of Afghan civilians — the first American casualties in Afghanistan in 18 months and the deadliest day there for the U.S. military since 2011.

In searing remarks from the East Room of the White House Thursday evening, Mr. Biden pledged to “hunt down” the terrorists who claimed credit for the bombings at the Kabul airport but said the frantic, dangerous evacuation of U.S. citizens and allies from Afghanistan would continue for several more days.

“To those who carried out this attack, as well as anyone who wishes America harm, know this: We will not forgive,” Mr. Biden said, using language that had grim echoes of warnings President George W. Bush made after the terrorist attacks on Sept. 11, 2001. “We will not forget. We will hunt you down and make you pay.”

America’s tumultuous exit from Afghanistan has dragged down Mr. Biden’s approval ratings, and the bombings on Thursday surely will open him up to political criticism. But it was unclear what the damage would be to his presidency in the long term, as he exits a war that most Americans want out of as well. » | Michael D. Shear | Published: Thursday, August 26, 2021; Updated: Friday, August 27, 2021

Lindsey Graham Calls for Biden Impeachment »

UK evacuation from Kabul to end in ‘a matter of hours’ »

Hundreds of Britons offer to host Afghan refugees after fall of Kabul: Many have signed up with charities that connect refugees and asylum seekers with hosts around UK »

Antigay Catholic Newsletter Threatens to Out More Priests via Grindr

Giulio Napolitano/Shutterstock
ADVOCATE: The Pillar has suggested in reports it could out several people using the hookup app, including some within the Vatican.

The Vatican is concerned that The Pillar, a newsletter-based publication run by anti-LGBTQ+ members of the Church’s hierarchy who outed a priest using Grindr data last month, is just getting started.

In its initial report, the newsletter claimed that Monsignor Jeffrey Burrill, the highest-ranking American cleric who is not a bishop, was likely having sex with men he met through Grindr and had been doing so for years. Burrill resigned as general secretary shortly after the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) was informed of the coming report.

In subsequent reports, the newsletter alleged that it has obtained further online dating app data that implicates high-ranking officials in the Catholic church as engaging in gay sex. Although it has stopped short of outing anyone specific, the concern is that the reports go beyond leaders here in the U.S. (a second report claimed the publication had data showing dating app use within the Archdiocese of Newark, N.J.) but potentially to the highest ranks of the Vatican.

According to a third report, “at least 16 mobile devices emitted signals from the hookup app Grindr” and “16 other devices showed the use of other location-based hookup or dating apps, both heterosexual and homosexual” from “within the non-public areas of the Vatican City State” in 2018, The Pillar alleges. » | Rachel Shatto | Monday, August 23, 2021

Puttin’ on the Style

Many thanks to Charlidos on Pinterest and Tumblr for this great and stylish photo of Tom Hardy.

Just Married !

With thanks to Marriage is so gay. on Pinterest.

Juste une expression d'amour

Nur ein Ausdruck der Liebe / Just an expression of love
With gratitude to Brian Trevor on Flickr for this wonderful and expressive photo.

Michel Barnier to Run in French Presidential Election

Michel Barnier said that limiting immigration would be a key policy pledge. Photograph: Reuters
The EU’s former chief negotiator on Brexit, Michel Barnier, plans to stand as a right-wing candidate against Emmanuel Macron in next year’s French presidential elections, saying that limiting immigration would be a key policy pledge.

“In these grave times, I have taken the decision and have the determination to stand … and be the president of a France that is reconciled, to respect the French and have France respected,” he told the evening news show of TF1 television in a live interview.

Barnier, who is entering an increasingly crowded field on the right, cited his long experience in politics as giving him an edge in the race including the “extraordinary” negotiations to find a deal on Britain’s exit from the European Union. He said during the years-long process he had to work “with heads of state and government to preserve the unity of all the European countries”.

Asked why he wanted to challenge Macron – with whom he had worked closely in the Brexit process – Barnier replied that he wanted to “change the country”. » | Agence France-Presse | Thursday, August 26, 2021

Michel Barnier: «Je veux être un président qui respecte les Français et fait respecter la France» »

Bombs Strike Kabul Airport, Killing at Least 12 US Troops and Dozens of Afghan Civilians

The Defense Department said 12 U.S. service members were killed and 15 wounded in an ISIS suicide bomb attack near an airport gate on Thursday. Many more Afghan civilians were killed and wounded. Credit: Jim Huylebroek for The New York Times
THE NEW YORK TIMES: Two suicide bombers struck a packed crowd outside the Hamid Karzai International Airport in Kabul on Thursday, killing at least 12 American service members and scores of Afghan civilians, officials said.

In the final days of its 20-year presence in Afghanistan, the U.S. military sustained one of the highest single-day American tolls of the war.

“Today is a hard day,” said Gen. Kenneth F. McKenzie Jr., head of the United States Central Command. And he warned that the danger was not over.

“We have other active threats against the airfield,” General McKenzie told reporters at a news conference in Washington.

The bombs were set off near a crowd of families at the airport gates who were desperately hoping to make one of the last evacuation flights out. Gunfire was reported in the aftermath of the explosions.

The Islamic State released a statement claiming responsibility for the attack. » | Eric Schmitt, Helene Cooper, Megan Specia, Thomas Gibbons-Neff, Jim Huylebroek, Matthieu Aikins, Victor J. Blue, Fatima Faizi, Najim Rahim, Fahim Abed and Sharif Hassancontributed reporting. | Thursday, August 26, 2021

Daniel Barenboim – Chopin: Étude Op. 25 No.1 in A flat Major (Live from Pierre Boulez Saal, 2020)

May 15, 2020 • Musical moments are moments of memories, reflection, as a retrospect of the past and anticipation of the future. These are moments that enrich our lives with music that we already know or get to know in the moment of listening. Every two weeks, starting on 15th May, a new Musical Moment will be released by the yellow label performed by prestigious artists like Daniel Barenboim, Yuja Wang, Nadine Sierra, Avi Avital, Albrecht Mayer or Hilary Hahn just to name a few.

The first 'Musical Moment' to be released is performed by none other than conductor, pianr />ist and Chopin connoisseur Daniel Barenboim. Enjoy this first Musical Moment and watch Barenboim's interpretation of Frédéric Chopin's Etude Op. 25 No. 1, recorded in a currently empty Pierre Boulez Saal in Berlin.