À Kaboul, ces Afghanes qui défient les talibans

À Kaboul, samedi, aux abords du palais présidentiel, un milicien armé intervient alors que des femmes manifestent pour réclamer le maintien de leurs droits au travail et à l’éducation. BILAL GULER/Anadolu Agency via AFP
LE FIGARO : REPORTAGE - Les femmes se rassemblent en secret et manifestent face au nouveau pouvoir pour réclamer leurs droits.

Malgré la chaleur étouffante et la présence tout aussi oppressante de combattants talibans, un petit groupe de femmes aux tenues bariolées arpente une rue de Kaboul. Direction: le palais présidentiel, vidé depuis trois semaines de ses occupants et solennellement gardé par des membres du mouvement extrémiste qui s’est emparé du pays trois semaines plus tôt.

Munies de haut-parleurs et de pancartes sur lesquelles elles ont rédigé des slogans en persan et en anglais, elles interpellent leurs nouveaux dirigeants et la communauté internationale: «Éducation, travail, liberté!», «Nous voulons des droits humains», réclament-elles en chœur.

Lunettes de soleil sur le nez, voiles chatoyants posés sur l’arrière de la tête révélant des chevelures aux teintes blondes ou cuivrées, elles se passent un micro: «Les femmes ont des droits politiques, économiques et sociaux !» Résonnent ces quelques voix, sous l’œil curieux des passants, masculins pour la plupart, dont certains ont pris l’initiative de laisser pousser leur barbe afin de se prémunir contre d’éventuelles représailles. » | Par Margaux Benn, Envoyée spéciale à Kaboul | Publié : dimanche 5 septembre 2021 ; mis à jour : lundi 6 septembre 2021

Réservé aux abonnés

Taliban Claim Control over Panjshir Valley, but Resistance Vows to Fight On

THE NEW YORK TIMES: Militants posted images apparently taken in Bazarak, the capital of Panjshir Province in Afghanistan, where opposition forces have fought against their rule.

Zabihullah Mujahid, spokesman for the Taliban, during a news conference in Kabul, Afghanistan, on Monday. Jim Huylebroek for The New York Times
The Taliban claimed on Monday to have captured the Panjshir Valley, the last bastion of Afghanistan not firmly under their control, even as representatives of the opposition forces there maintained that they still had control over strategic positions in the region and vowed to fight on.

The conflicting accounts of what was happening on the ground in the area 70 miles north of Kabul, the country’s capital, were hard to verify because internet and telephone service into the region has been cut off.

If the Taliban has gained control over the rugged region and manages to keep it under its rule, it would be both a final strategic victory in its lightning-quick conquest of the country and a deeply resonant moment.

The Taliban never managed to control Panjshir the last time they ruled Afghanistan, from 1996 to 2001, and it was the launching point for the U.S.-led invasion after the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks on New York and the Pentagon.

Soviet forces, during their occupation of Afghanistan in the 1980s, made advances into the territory on at least nine occasions, only to be repelled each time, sometimes after suffering brutal casualties.

The Taliban have always been bitterly opposed to the fighters of the Panjshir and were complicit in the assassination of their storied commander Ahmad Shah Massoud 20 years ago.

While rumors of the Taliban’s having taken over in Panjshir swirled this past weekend, it was not until Monday morning that the group officially claimed control. » | By Sami Sahak, Wali Arian and Jim Huylebroek | Monday, September 6, 2021

Afghanistan : les talibans annoncent avoir pris le contrôle complet du Panchir : La résistance s'était organisée dans cette vallée depuis la prise du pouvoir par les talibans en Afghanistan à la mi-août. »

Brazil: Warning Bolsonaro May Be Planning Military Coup amid Rallies

THE GUARDIAN: Former world leaders and public figures say nationwide marches are modelled on US Capitol insurrection

Jair Bolsonaro warned on 21 August that the rallies were a ‘necessary counter-coup’ against Congress and the supreme court. Photograph: Adriano Machado/Reuters
THE GUARDIAN: Former world leaders and public figures say nationwide marches are modelled on US Capitol insurrection

The Brazilian president, Jair Bolsonaro, and his allies could be preparing to mount a military coup in Brazil, according to an influential group of former presidents, prime ministers and leading public figures on the left.

An open letter claims rallies that Bolsonaro followers are staging on Tuesday represent a danger to democracy and amount to an insurrection modelled on Donald Trump supporters’ attack on the US Capitol on 6 January.

They assert the nationwide marches by Bolsonaro supporters against the supreme court and Congress, involving white supremacist groups, military police, and public officials at every level of government, are “stoking fears of a coup in the world’s third largest democracy”. » | Patrick Wintour, Diplomatic editor | Monday, September 6, 2021

Islamism Remains First-order Security Threat to West, Says Tony Blair

THE GUARDIAN: In speech marking 20 years since 9/11 attacks, former British PM warns that non-state actors may turn to bio-terrorism

The west still faces the threat of 9/11-style attacks by radical Islamist groups but this time using bio-terrorism, Tony Blair has warned.

Blair also challenged the US president, Joe Biden, by urging democratic governments not to lose confidence in using military force to defend and export their values.

In a speech to the defence thinktank Rusi marking the 20th anniversary of the 11 September 2001 al-Qaida terrorist attacks on the US, Blair, who was British prime minister at the time , and supported military interventions in Iraq and Afghanistan, insisted the terrorist threat remained a first order issue.

He suggested “the pressure of short-term political imperatives is giving both allies and opponents of liberal open societies the belief that ‘our time is over’”.

He said he found it deeply depressing to hear western opinion claim “that we are foolish in believing that western notions of liberal democracy and freedom are exportable or will ever take root except in the somewhat decadent terrain of western society.”

He insisted that “despite the decline in terrorist attacks, Islamism, both the ideology and the violence, is a first-order security threat; and, unchecked, it will come to us, even if centred far from us, as 9/11 demonstrated. Covid-19 has taught us about deadly pathogens. Bio-terror possibilities may seem like the realm of science fiction; but we would be wise now to prepare for their potential use by non-state actors.” Read all the article and watch the video » | Patrick Wintour, Diplomatic editor | Monday, September 6, 2021

Photo : A screenshot taken from the accompanying video.

More Culinary Pleasure.

Photo : Adobe Stock

Cooking with Pizzazz !

Photo : Adobe Stock

A Kiss from Brokeback Mountain.

Ein Kuß von Brokeback Mountain. / Un baiser de Brokeback Mountain.
Thanks to tigger on Pinterest for the image of this iconic kiss.

La Hongrie : Orbán et l'État de droit | ARTE

Sep 5, 2021 • Le Premier ministre hongrois Viktor Orban a annoncé le 3 mars que son parti quittait le groupe du Parti populaire européen (PPE) au Parlement européen, en réaction à un vote des eurodéputés sur une réforme des statuts ouvrant la voie à une exclusion. Une décision qui met un point d'orgue à une crise qui oppose la Hongrie de l'ultra-conservateur Viktor Orbán à l'Union européenne sur la question de l’État de droit. Ce documentaire revient sur cette série d'événements.

Depuis l’été 2020, la bataille fait rage au Parlement européen : alors que le futur plan de relance post-Covid, fruit d’âpres négociations entre les États membres, prévoit de conditionner l’attribution des aides européennes au respect des règles démocratiques, la Hongrie de Viktor Orbán a opposé un veto ferme à ce projet. Soutenu par le gouvernement polonais, le dirigeant ultraconservateur a précipité une crise politique de plusieurs mois, mettant en exergue les tensions à l’œuvre dans une Union qui achoppe sur la question des valeurs fondamentales et de l’État de droit. Face à l’obstruction d’Orbán, l’Allemagne, à la tête du Conseil de l’UE jusqu’à la fin de l’année 2020, s’est résolue à négocier un compromis, permettant la levée du veto polono-hongrois. L’Union cède-t-elle aux autocrates ? Michael Wech se lance dans un road-movie à travers l’Europe pour décrypter cette crise inédite.Erratum : Gergely Karácsony a été élu maire de Budapest en octobre 2019 et non en décembre de cette année comme il est dit dans le film.

Documentaire de Michael Wech (Allemagne, 2020, 1h29mn)

Disponible jusqu'au 22/09/2021

Afghanistan : les talibans gagnent du terrain dans la vallée du Panchir, dernier foyer de résistance

Des membres du Front national de résistance (FNR) en observation sur une colline dans la vallée du Panchir. NATIONAL RESISTANCE FRONT OF AFG / REUTERS
LE FIGARO : Les nouveaux maîtres de l'Afghanistan auraient pénétré 25 km à l'intérieur de la vallée, longue de 115 kilomètres, contrôlée par les troupes d'Ahmad Massoud et de l'ancien vice-président Amrullah Saleh.

Les talibans ont affirmé dimanche avoir gagné du terrain dans la vallée du Panchir, dernier gros foyer de résistance armée aux nouveaux maîtres de l'Afghanistan. Depuis le 30 août et le départ des dernières troupes américaines du pays, les forces du mouvement islamiste ont lancé une série d'offensives contre cette vallée enclavée et difficile d'accès, située à 80 km au nord de Kaboul. Un responsable taliban a affirmé sur Twitter que plusieurs parties de la région étaient désormais sous contrôle des forces du régime. Côté résistance, Ali Maisam Nazary, porte-parole du FNR, a assuré sur Facebook que la résistance «n'échouerait jamais». » | Par Le Figaro avec AFP | dimanche 5 septembre 2021

À LIRE AUSSI : Face aux talibans, le «lionceau» du Panchir »

L‘affiche : La naissance de la publicité moderne | ARTE

L'image ci-dessus est une capture d'écran de la vidéo.
Sep 5, 2021 • Au début du XXe siècle, trois graphistes germanophones, les Allemands Lucian Bernhard et Ludwig Hohlwein, ainsi que l’Autrichien Julius Klinger ont révolutionné le monde de la publicité.

L'art de la publicité, dont l'essor récent est intimement lié à celui de l’industrialisation, a connu un tournant majeur à Berlin, Munich et Vienne, au début du XXe siècle. Trois graphistes, les Allemands Lucian Bernhard et Ludwig Hohlwein, ainsi que l’Autrichien Julius Klinger décident alors de mettre leur talent au service des industriels de l’automobile, du tabac ou de la mode. Simplifiées à l’extrême, leurs Sachplakaten (affiches-objet) ne ressemblent plus en rien aux publicités de style Art nouveau : désormais, les biens de consommation et leur marque sont placés au centre des affiches publicitaires. Une révolution.

Documentaire d'Adolfo Conti (Allemagne, 2017, 52mn)

Disponible jusqu'au 03/12/2021

Cette vidéo n'est pas intégrable sur les blogs. Il doit être visionné sur YouTube lui-même. Voici le lien vers celui-ci. – Mark

With the US Becoming a Less Reliable Ally, Britain Needs to Make Friends in Europe

THE GUARDIAN: Britain urgently needs to repair its relations with its neighbours but Boris Johnson’s government is singularly ill-equipped to do so

Boris Johnson with Joe Biden at the G7 summit in June. ‘The display of beach bonhomie looks all the more phoney after the US president’s brutal refusal to consult Britain over Afghanistan.’ Photograph: Leon Neal/PA
After the rout, the recriminations. British fingers furiously jab at the Americans for a shaming scuttle from Kabul that will embolden the west’s adversaries. Sir John Major yesterday called the withdrawal of western forces a “strategically very stupid” decision. Tony Blair, the prime minister who sent British forces into Afghanistan 20 years ago, goes so far as to call the precipitous exit “imbecilic”. Number 10 has been forced to deny that Boris Johnson refers to the US president as “Sleepy Joe”, the insult minted by Donald Trump. Supporters of Joe Biden counter-accuse the British and other European countries of expecting the US to continue to expend its blood and treasure in Afghanistan when most Nato members had wound down their commitments long ago.

In Whitehall, an ugly three-way blame game rages between the Foreign Office, the Ministry of Defence and the Home Office about why the government didn’t anticipate the swiftness of the fall of Kabul or make timely preparations to help vulnerable people to whom Britain owes obligations. We’d be in a better place if they’d devoted as much energy to planning for the evacuation as they are expending on excoriating each other. There will be more finger pointing when the Commons returns tomorrow. Yet it is not buck-passing between politicians desperate to save their careers that this country needs if anything useful is to be learned from this debacle. What is required is a cool reassessment of where this leaves Britain in a perilous and unpredictable world.

This humiliating episode has shattered assumptions that have been central to elite thinking about foreign policy. That was very evident when the Policy Exchange thinktank convened a panel of speakers who were notable for their credentials and their anxieties about the future. Sir Mark Sedwill, the former cabinet secretary who also served as national security adviser, was certain that the return of Taliban rule would have an “inspirational” effect on jihadists that will fuel terrorism worldwide. Tom Tugendhat, the Conservative MP who served in Afghanistan and chairs the foreign affairs select committee, worried that we have moved closer to a hot conflict between America and China because Beijing will read the west’s defeat as an encouragement to flex its muscles more aggressively. I was also struck by a contribution from George Robertson, who was defence secretary during New Labour’s first term and Nato general secretary at the time of 9/11. He has always been staunchly in the Labour Atlanticist tradition established by Clement Attlee and Ernest Bevin after the Second World War. It was arresting to hear such a vigorous champion of the alliance with America as Lord Robertson suggest that Britain and other Europeans would have to do more for themselves “to keep our people safe” because “we cannot any longer rely on the American umbrella being there in all situations at all times”. » | Andrew Rawnsley | Sunday, September 5, 2021

This is what I wrote on the matter yesterday. Read my thoughts here. We are being led by clowns and fools! – Mark

Crypto’s Rapid Move into Banking Elicits Alarm in Washington

THE NEW YORK TIMES: The boom in companies offering cryptocurrency loans and high-yield deposit accounts is disrupting the banking industry and leaving regulators scrambling to catch up.

BlockFi, a fast-growing financial start-up whose headquarters in Jersey City are across the Hudson River from Wall Street, aspires to be the JPMorgan Chase of cryptocurrency.

It offers credit cards, loans and interest-generating accounts. But rather than dealing primarily in dollars, BlockFi operates in the rapidly expanding world of digital currencies, one of a new generation of institutions effectively creating an alternative banking system on the frontiers of technology.

“We are just at the beginning of this story,” said Flori Marquez, 30, a founder of BlockFi, which was created in 2017 and claims to have more than $10 billion in assets, 850 employees and more than 450,000 retail clients who can obtain loans in minutes, without credit checks.

But to state and federal regulators and some members of Congress, the entry of crypto into banking is cause for alarm. The technology is disrupting the world of financial services so quickly and unpredictably that regulators are far behind, potentially leaving consumers and financial markets vulnerable.

In recent months, top officials from the Federal Reserve and other banking regulators have urgently begun what they are calling a “crypto sprint” to try to catch up with the rapid changes and figure out how to curb the potential dangers from an emerging industry whose short history has been marked as much by high-stakes speculation as by technological advances. » | By Eric Lipton and Ephrat Livni | Sunday, September 5, 2021

Artwork for The New York Times by Dalbert B. Vilarino.

Fears of Violence on Brazil’s Streets as Millions Rally to Back Bolsonaro

THE OBSERVER: His rural voters see the embattled president as a ‘messenger from God’. And this week they will march in the cities to support him

Supporters of President Jair Bolsonaro take part in the ‘march of the Christian family for freedom’, in Brasilia, Brazil, on 15 May. Photograph: Joédson Alves/EPA
Jair Bolsonaro supporters aren’t hard to find in Sinop, an agricultural boomtown in the Brazilian Amazon where nearly 80% of voters backed the country’s ultra-conservative leader in the 2018 election.

“He’s a president of the people,” said Marcos Watanabe, the head of the city’s conservative association, sporting a T-shirt stamped with Bolsonaro’s name.

Few, however, are as passionate as the president of Sinop’s farmers’ union, Ilson José Redivo, who has placed a billboard of his leader outside its headquarters with the slogan: “We believe in God and we value the family. We’re with Bolsonaro.”

“He’s trying to change Brazil,” said the 64-year-old corn and soya bean farmer who hosted the rightwing populist in Sinop last year at an event attended by members of the region’s powerful agribusiness elite.

Redivo is one of millions of Bolsonaro devotees expected to hit the streets on 7 September for one in a series of mass rallies that have jolted Brazilian politics and left many citizens fretting over the future of their country’s young democracy.

“It will be the largest demonstration Brazil has ever seen,” Redivo claimed on Friday as he prepared to make the 780-mile journey to Brazil’s capital, Brasília, where one of the largest mobilisations will be held. » | Tom Phillips in Sinop | Sunday, September 5, 2021

13 Polizisten bei IS-Angriff im Nordirak getötet

FRANKFURTER ALLGEMEINER ZEITUNG: In der Nacht auf Sonntag attackierten Kämpfer des „Islamischen Staats“ einen Kontrollpunkt der irakischen Bundespolizei. Der Angriff dauerte mehrere Stunden.

Im Norden des Irak sind bei einem Angriff der Dschihadistenmiliz „Islamischer Staat“ (IS) 13 Polizisten getötet worden. IS-Kämpfer hätten in der Nacht zum Sonntag einen Kontrollpunkt der irakischen Bundespolizei südlich von Kirkuk attackiert, sagte ein ranghoher irakischer Offizier. Der Angriff dauerte demnach mehrere Stunden. » | FAZ | Sonntag, 5. September 2021

ANDERE NACHRICHTEN:

Afghane sticht Frau in Berlin in den Hals, wohl weil sie arbeitete »

Machtwechsel in Afghanistan: US-General warnt vor Bürgerkrieg – Taliban wollen nächste Woche neue Regierung verkünden: In Afghanistan haben die Taliban die Macht übernommen, die letzten amerikanischen Soldaten haben Kabul verlassen. Nun herrscht Chaos im ganzen Land. »

Afghanistan: «La mort ignominieuse du néoconservatisme américain»

Renaud Girard. Jean-Christophe MARMARA/Le Figaro
LE FIGARO : CHRONIQUE - Les néoconservateurs sont des idéologues qui croient que leur conception de la démocratie doit l’emporter sur l’idée de paix. Il existe toutefois une autre manière de faire de la diplomatie en Orient.

Mort en 1983, le sénateur démocrate Henry Scoop Jackson, inspirateur du mouvement néoconservateur américain, a dû se retourner dans sa tombe au spectacle de la piteuse déroute afghane de l’Administration Biden. Jamais il n’aurait pu imaginer que son ancien collègue au Sénat, devenu président, allait reproduire, à Kaboul, l’ignominie de l’abandon de Saïgon en 1975.

Au Vietnam, l’Amérique était allée combattre l’expansion du communisme et l’agression du Vietnam du Sud par son voisin du Nord, armé par l’Union soviétique et la Chine populaire. En Afghanistan, l’Amérique s’était, avec l’Otan, lancée dans une vaste opération militaire pour faire du «nation building», tel que l’exigeait la doctrine néoconservatrice, qui façonnait, au tournant des XXe et XXIe siècles, l’élite politico-médiatique américaine. » | Par Renaud Girard | lundi 30 septembre 2021

Réservé aux abonnés À LIRE AUSSI : Renaud Girard: «L’Europe paiera l’inconséquence des États-Unis en Afghanistan» »

L’Amérique sidérée par l’ampleur de sa défaite en Afghanistan »

Getting Married in Style the Hindu Way

”Amit Shah, 32, and Aditya Madiraju, 31, met three years ago [?] at a party. They have dated ever since and decided to officially marry in a civil union at City Hall in New York City, New York.”
With thanks to the Daily Mail on Pinterest for this serene photo. You can read the newspaper article on the wedding here.

Why? Just Because.

Thanks to Smokink on Pinterest for this very expressive photo. Smokink can calso be found here.

Vielleicht im Paradies!

Peut-être au paradis ! / Perhaps in paradise !
Very many thanks to Scott on Pinterest for this perfect photo. And for making my Sunday!

Beim Knutschen.

Smooching. / En s'embrassant.
With many thanks to Pinterest for this great close-up.

Pete and Chasten Buttigieg Announce Birth of 2 Children, Share Photo

ADVOCATE: The news makes Buttigieg the first out gay parent in the U.S. Cabinet.

After announcing earlier this summer that they were expecting, Pete and Chasten Buttigieg have now revealed the birth of their two children. It is assumed that the children are twins.

"Chasten and I are beyond thankful for all the kind wishes since first sharing the news that we're becoming parents," Pete Buttigieg, the 39-year-old United States Secretary of Transportation, wrote in a post. "We are delighted to welcome Penelope Rose and Joseph August Buttigieg to our family." Chasten, 32, shared an almost identical message.

Joseph is also the name of Pete's father. » | Mikelle Street | Saturday, September 4, 2021

La Chine bannit les hommes «efféminés» de la télévision

Drapeau national lors d'une visite au Musée du Parti communiste chinois à Pékin le 25 juin 2021. NOEL CELIS / AFP
LE FIGARO : Plusieurs programmes et émissions ont été arrêtés.

Désormais, les hommes «efféminés» sont bannis de la télévision chinoise. Après plusieurs scandales liés à des stars chinoises, l'Administration nationale de la radio et de la télévision a décidé que les chaînes de télévision et les plateformes en ligne «ne diffuseraient plus de programmes qui développent l'idolâtrie ou des émissions de variétés et de téléréalité». De critères de sélection des acteurs seront à privilégier, comme la bonne conduite politique et morale. »
| Par Le Figaro | samedi 4 septembre 2021

China wird es zu bunt: «Feminine Männer» im Fernsehen verboten: TV-Anbieter dürfen in China keine männlichen Darsteller mehr zeigen, die einen «weiblichen Stil» haben. Der Grund: die von Staats- und Parteichef Xi Jinping betriebene Ideologisierung der Gesellschaft. »

Covid-19: 140.000 manifestants anti-passe sanitaire ce samedi selon l'Intérieur, en baisse par rapport à la semaine dernière

LE FIGARO : Au total, 21 personnes ont été interpellées, dont 3 à Paris, a précisé Beauvau.

Un total de 141.655 personnes, dont 18.425 à Paris, ont manifesté contre le passe sanitaire en France pour le huitième samedi consécutif, soit une mobilisation de nouveau en baisse, selon le ministère de l'Intérieur.

À 19h00, le ministère avait comptabilisé 215 rassemblements, dont cinq à Paris. Au total, 21 personnes ont été interpellées, dont 3 à Paris, a précisé le ministère. Un membre des forces de l'ordre a été légèrement blessé.

La mobilisation est en baisse depuis plusieurs semaines, selon les chiffres du ministère. Le week-end dernier, près de 160.000 manifestants avaient été recensés par les autorités, dont 14.500 à Paris. Il y a quinze jours, environ 175.000 personnes avaient manifesté et près de 215.000 il y a trois semaines, selon le ministère. Lisez la suite de l'article et regardez la vidéo ici » | Par Le Figaro avec AFP | samedi 4 septembre 2021

Daniel Barenboim – Chopin: Étude Op. 25 No.1 in A flat Major – 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.

This first ‘Musical Moment’ is of Daniel Barenboim's interpretation of Frédéric Chopin's Etude Op. 25 No. 1, recorded in Pierre Boulez Saal in Berlin.

Khatia Buniatishvili - Schubert: Impromptu No. 3 in G-Flat Major, Op. 90

Pork Chop with Creamy Mustard & Gherkin Sauce | French Bistro Recipes

Pork chop recipes: Creamy mustard & gherkin sauce : recipe on how to make a classic French dish called: côte de porc charcutière, or Pork chops in a mustard and gherkin sauce.

This step-by-step video recipe will show you how to cook meat using the "concentration" cooking method. This cooking method applies for anything that is pan-fried, roasted, grilled or sizzled.

Along with the pork chops, you will be able to see how to make what we called, in France, an instant sauce to go along your meat.

As always, it’s an easy-to-follow video and a delicious recipe. Make sure you don't forget to get some French baguette to dip into the sauce when you’re finished eating the meat.

This recipe is for 4 people.

Ingredients:

4 pork chops br /> 5 grams of butter mixed with 2cl of oil (to co\\ok the meat,
Salt and black pepper. to season the meat.

For the Sauce:

5 gm of finely chopped shallots
50 ml of dry white wine (French wine is ideal)
100 ml of veal or beef stock
5 gm of Dijon mustard
25 gm of gherkins (cut in Julienne or fine strips)
10-20 gm of butter (to finish the sauce)

The dish is usually served with freshly-made potato mash as it goes well with the sauce.

Don Winslow Films - #TheTruthAboutIvanka

Don Winslow Films - #TexasWarOnWomen

Who in his right mind would ever vote Republican? There was a time when I held the Republican Party in high regard. No longer! The Party is not fit for purpose. They are destroying the once wonderful USA. The USA used to be a beacon of progressive thought and forward-thinking. That, alas, was long ago.

To think that my own country has cut the umbilical cord with the European Union only to get tied to the apron strings of the USA sends shivers down my spine!

Sooner or later, this country will have to re-join its European brothers and sisters. It is imperative that we do so. We also need to start thinking of a federal Europe, of which the UK could take a leading rôle.

Recent events in Afghanistan should have shown us all that we can no longer depend on America for our security. We need to go it alone. And for that, we Europeans need to work closely together and form our own military: a European army, a European air force, and a European navy.

This crooked Brexit referendum should also have shown us all that it was neither fair nor sensible. IT MUST BE REVERSED. Sooner rather than later.

If we do not re-join Europe, the once 'United' Kingdom, a nation of which I was once so proud, will break up: the regions will go their separate ways. Scotland is sure to be the first country to break away from the disUnited Kingdom. The Scots are proud Europeans; and so they should be. – © Mark

To read my comment on the Texas insanity, click here.

Biden ordnet Freigabe von 9/11-Dokumenten an

FRANKFURTER ALLGEMEINE ZEITUNG: Was steht in den geheimen Dokumenten des FBI über die Anschläge des 11. September? Angehörige fordern seit Jahren Transparenz. Nun will der Präsident ein Versprechen einlösen.

Der amerikanische Präsident Joe Biden hat das Justizministerium angewiesen, Dokumente aus der FBI-Untersuchung zu den Anschlägen vom 11. September zu überprüfen und freizugeben. „Als ich für das Amt des Präsidenten kandidierte, habe ich mich verpflichtet, für Transparenz bei der Freigabe von Dokumenten über die Terroranschläge vom 11. September 2001 auf Amerika zu sorgen“, sagte Biden am Freitag in einer Erklärung. Da sich der 20. Jahrestag dieses tragischen Tages nun nähere, halte er sich an diese Verpflichtung. Justizminister Merrick Garland beaufsichtige die Überprüfung der Freigabe von Dokumenten im Zusammenhang mit der Untersuchung des FBI, erklärte Biden. Deswegen müsse der Justizminister freigegebene Dokumente in den kommenden sechs Monaten veröffentlichen. » | Quelle: Reuters | Samstag, 4. September 2021

In Marseille beginnt Frankreichs Wahlkampf

NEUE ZÜRCHER ZEITUNG: Drogenkriminalität, Armut und marode Infrastruktur: Marseille macht selten positive Schlagzeilen. Emmanuel Macron will diese Logik umkehren. Er ist nicht der Erste. Doch Macron pocht darauf, einen neuen Weg zu gehen.

Drei Tage verbrachte Emmanuel Macron, hier beim Besuch einer Schule, in der Mittelmeermetropole. | Pool / Reuters
Nicht einmal dreieinhalb Stunden dauert die Fahrt im TGV von Paris nach Marseille. Doch der Besuch, den Frankreichs Präsident diese Woche an der Mittelmeerküste absolviert hat, glich einer Reise in ein fernes, armes Land. Drei Tage lang blieb er, begleitet von sieben Ministern und Staatssekretären und einem grossen Tross von Journalisten.

Der sozialistische Bürgermeister Benoît Payan sprach von einem «historischen» Besuch und dankte dem Präsidenten fast unterwürfig dafür, dass dieser seiner Einladung gefolgt sei. Macron sagte seinerseits, er werde nicht einfach Geld verteilen. Bereits im Oktober will er wiederkommen, um die Fortschritte bei der Umsetzung des von ihm angestossenen Plans zu überprüfen. «Marseille en grand» hat er diesen Plan genannt. Er soll der zweitgrössten Stadt Frankreichs dabei helfen, aus den Negativschlagzeilen zu kommen – wieder einmal. Ein chronisch kranker Patient » | Nina Belz, Paris | Freitag, 3. September 2021

Afghanistan : des femmes manifestent pour leurs droits, les talibans recourent à la violence

Des femmes manifestent dans les rues de Kaboul, vendredi 3 septembre 2021. FACEBOOK @WPPN.AFG / REUTERS
LE FIGARO : Plusieurs dizaines de femmes ont manifesté vendredi et samedi à Kaboul, devant le palais présidentiel, pour défendre leur droit à l'éducation et au travail.

Après Herat, Kaboul. Vendredi et samedi, des femmes sont descendues dans les rues de la capitale afghane, inquiètes pour le respect de leurs droits d'étudier et travailler alors que les talibans ont désormais le contrôle du pays. «Elles étaient quelques unes hier, elles sont plusieurs dizaines aujourd'hui, femmes et filles rassemblées devant le palais présidentiel réclamant leurs droits et la justice», a ainsi tweeté samedi un journaliste de la chaîne afghane ToloNews.

Vendredi, sur les vidéos relayées par plusieurs journalistes locaux ainsi qu'Amnesty International, des femmes de tous âges étaient entièrement voilées, brandissent des pancartes appelant au respect de leurs droits. «La liberté est notre devise, elle nous rend fières», peut-on lire sur certaines d'entre elles. Elles ne seraient «pas plus d'une centaine» selon Sharif Hassan, correspondant afghan pour le New York Times, «mais leur courage vaut un millier», commente le journaliste, alors qu'elles «risquent leur vie en marchant dans les rues» sous les yeux des soldats islamistes. » | Par Le Figaro | samedi 4 septembre 2021

À LIRE AUSSI : L’INTERVIEW : Jean-Yves Le Drian: «L’Afghanistan n’est pas synonyme de déclin américain» »

Hilary Mantel: I Am Ashamed to Live in [a] Nation That Elected This Government

THE GUARDIAN: Double Booker prize winner tells La Repubblica she may take Irish citizenship to feel European again

Hilary Mantel also said in a wide-ranging interview given to an Italian publication that Boris Johnson should not be in public life. Photograph: Jeff Morgan/Alamy
Hilary Mantel has said she feels “ashamed” by the UK government’s treatment of migrants and asylum seekers and is intending to become an Irish citizen to “become a European again”.

In a wide-ranging interview with La Repubblica, the twice Booker prize-winning novelist also gave her view on the monarchy, told how endometriosis has “devastated my life”, and how Boris Johnson “should not be in public life”. She also addresses the criticism of JK Rowling and her stance on transgender rights.

In response to a question about Priti Patel’s rhetoric on migration and asylum seekers and whether it marks the “ugliest side of the new ‘global Britain’ post-Brexit”, the writer told the Italian publication: “It was my grandparents’ generation who were immigrants [from Ireland]; sometimes my life gets confused with my fiction, because a number of my characters have Irish parents.

“We see the ugly face of contemporary Britain in the people on the beaches abusing exhausted refugees even as they scramble to the shore. It makes one ashamed.

“And ashamed, of course, to be living in the nation that elected this government, and allows itself to be led by it.” » | Nadeem Badshah | Saturday, September 4, 2021

Hear! Hear! Long live Europe! Es lebe Europa! Vive l'Europe ! – Mark

Lebanon as We Once Knew It Is Gone

Electricity is a luxury many in Lebanon can’t afford. | Bryan Denton for the New York Times
OPINION : GUEST ESSAY
THE NEW YORK TIMES: BEIRUT — I never thought I would live to see the end of the world. But that is exactly what we are living today in Lebanon. The end of an entire way of life. I read the headlines about us, and they are a list of facts and numbers. The currency has lost over 90 percent of its value since 2019; 78 percent of the population is estimated to be living in poverty; there are severe shortages of fuel and diesel; society is on the verge of total implosion.

But what does all this mean? It means days entirely occupied with the scramble for basic necessities. A life reduced to the logistics of survival and a population that is physically, mentally and emotionally depleted.

I long for the simplest pleasures: gathering with family on Sundays for elaborate meals that are unaffordable now; driving down the coast to see a friend, instead of saving my gas for emergencies; going out for a drink in Beirut’s Mar Mikhael strip without counting how many of my old haunts have shut down. I never used to think twice about these things, but now it’s impossible to imagine indulging in any of these luxuries.

I begin my days in Beirut already exhausted. It doesn’t help that there’s a gas station around the corner from my house. Cars start lining up for fuel the night before, blocking traffic, and by 7 a.m. the sound of blaring horns and frustrated shouting from the street is fraying my nerves.

It is nearly impossible to sit down to work. My laptop battery lasts only so long anyway. In my neighborhood, government-provided power comes on for just an hour a day. The UPS battery that keeps the internet router working runs out of juice by noon. I’m behind on every deadline; I’ve written countless shamefaced emails of apology. What am I even supposed to say? “My country is falling apart and there’s not a single moment of my day that isn’t beholden to its collapse”? Nights are sleepless in the choking summer heat. Building generators operate for only four hours before going off around midnight to save diesel — if they are turned on at all. » | Lina Mounzer | Friday, September 3, 2021

More Oriental Beauty

A handsome Indian.
lotus on Pinterest for this lovely photo.

More on Assad Shalhoub

Screenshot taken from Assad Shalhoub's YouTube channel.
Upon further investigation, I have discovered that this handsome man is a model and bodybuilder. I believe he is Lebanese. Here’s his YouTube channel. You might wish to follow him.

Words Unnecessary !

With men as beautiful as this around, who’d want to be straight? His name, it seems, is Assad Shalhoub. I have no idea whether this man is gay or not, but he sure is handsome! I know from the time I spent in the Middle East years ago that Arab men can be stunningly handsome.
With many thanks to Pinterest for this super photo. But what you see above is actually a screenshot of the picture on Pinterest. If you click over, you’ll see why.

Ach, die Freude!

Oh, the joy ! / Ah, la joie !
Danke an Pinterest für dieses Foto.

Ella Fitzgerald : I Love You Madly - Gay through the Ages

Donald Trump Makes Lewd Remarks about Women on Video | NBC News

Oct 7, 2016 • In a 2005 conversation with Access Hollywood Donald Trump discusses his approach to some women.

How any decent American could ever vote for this licentious, very crude man is truly beyond my comprehension! He disgusts me! He has no principles, no honesty, no morality, no ethics. Nothing! Yet Christian fundamentalists were / are in thrall to him! Go figure! I know where I think he belongs; and it 'ain't' in Mar-a-Lago! Please note: Viewer discretion is advised for what is shown above. This video is certainly NOT suitable for children. – © Mark

Don Winslow Films - #TexasLearnedFromTrump

Supertramp: The Logical Song

Provided to YouTube by Universal Music Group | Views on YouTube: 17,835,780

Simon & Garfunkel : The Boxer

Provided to YouTube by Legacy Recordings. | ℗ Originally released 1970. All rights reserved by Columbia Records, a division of Sony Music Entertainment

Art Garfunkel : Traveling Boy

Provided to YouTube by Sony Music Entertainment

Art Garfunkel : Bright Eyes

Views on YouTube: 7,267,020

Art Garfunkel : I Believe (When I Fall In Love It Will Be Forever)

Provided to YouTube by Columbia

Afghans with Ties to U.S. Who Could Not Get Out Now Live in Fear

THE NEW YORK TIMES: Thousands did not make it onto U.S. military evacuation flights. Many of them are now in hiding, worried for their safety and their future.

Armed Taliban militants were looking for Shah. They knew he worked as an interpreter for the United States government, and came to his provincial home at night. “Someone inside worked for the U.S. Army!” they shouted, threatening to shoot down the door.

Shah had already left for Kabul, where he is now in hiding. But he believes he is a hunted man. “I’m not feeling safe here anymore,” said Shah, whose application for a special immigrant visa to the United States is still in the works.

“The Taliban say they are not taking revenge, and they are forgiving everybody,” he said. “But I can’t believe them. Why did they come to my house looking for me?”

There are thousands like Shah, stuck in Afghanistan under a capricious and unpredictable Taliban rule, who did not make it onto U.S. military evacuation flights — those who worked for the U.S. Army or the government, and their families, and who were eligible for U.S. humanitarian visas. They know they are potential targets as the Taliban tighten their grip since taking over Kabul fully this week.

Taliban leaders have pledged to allow those with visas to leave once they reopen the main airport, which remained closed to commercial flights on Friday.

But those like Shah doubt the pledges of a group that they feel they cannot trust and that has ruled Afghanistan ruthlessly before. Trying to leave — or showing a special immigrant visa — could itself expose them to danger if the Taliban renege on their promises. » | Adam Nossiter | Friday, September 3, 2021

U.S. Employers Added 235,000 Jobs in August, a Marked Slowdown

THE NEW YORK TIMES: The American economy slowed abruptly last month, adding 235,000 jobs, a sharp drop from the huge gains recorded earlier in the summer and an indication that the Delta variant of the coronavirus is putting a damper on hiring.

The Labor Department report on Friday follows a sharp increase in coronavirus cases and deaths that has undermined hopes that restrictions on daily activities were nearing an end.

The unemployment rate was 5.2 percent, compared with 5.4 percent in July. Economists polled by Bloomberg has been looking for gain of 725,000 jobs.

“There’s no question that the Delta variant is why today’s job report isn’t stronger,” President Biden said. “I know people were looking, and I was hoping, for a higher number.”

The August showing would have been respectable in pre[-]pandemic times. But after gains of 962,000 in June and 1.05 million in July — and with more than eight million people unemployed — it was a sharp deceleration.

“Delta is a game-changer,” said Diane Swonk, chief economist at Grant Thornton, an accounting firm in Chicago. “It’s not that people are laying off workers in reaction to Delta but people are pulling back on travel and tourism and going out to eat and that has consequences.” » | By Nelson D. Schwartz | Friday, September 3, 2021

Brigitte Bardot - Dokumentation

We Must Follow Our Gay Heart: Vintage Gay Montage - Bessie Smith: I'm Wild about That Thing

Vintage pictures of old-time gay romance, most likely not bromance. These pics look like they harken back to the late 1800s and into the early 1900s. Men loving men, guys loving guys, is nothing new. Society can't dictate where the heart must go. Enjoy these great pictures and this incredibly wonderful tune by the legendary Bessie Smith.

Ella Fitzgerald: I've Got You under My Skin

La Russie renforce son contrôle d'Internet

Les entreprises pourront continuer d'utiliser les VPN, à condition qu'elles ne violent pas la loi. DENIS BALIBOUSE / POOL / AFP
LE FIGARO : Le pays vient de bloquer six VPN, ces logiciels permettant d'accéder à des sites interdits en Russie, comme ceux liés à l'opposant Alexeï Navalny.

Le gendarme russe des télécoms, Roskomnadzor, a annoncé le blocage de six logiciels très utilisés de réseaux privés virtuels (VPN) permettant d'avoir accès à des sites internet interdits en Russie. Le service fédéral a estimé que l'utilisation de ces VPN permettait de consulter des «contenus interdits» et encourageait des «activités illégales comme la promotion des drogues, de la pédopornographie, de l'extrémisme et des tendances suicidaires».

Ce blocage concerne les programmes Hola!VPN, ExpressVPN, KeepSolid VPN Unlimited, Nord VPN, Speedify VPN et IPVanish VPN, a précisé Roskomnadzor dans un communiqué. Pourtant, Nord VPN semble toujours fonctionner actuellement. Roskomnadzor a précisé qu'il autorisera des entreprises russes utilisant ces VPN dans leurs technologies informatiques de continuer à le faire, s'il est établi que ces sociétés ne violent pas la loi. » | Par Le Figaro avec AFP | vendredi 3 septembre 2021

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

Listen to Chopin’s “Fantaisie Impromptu” played by Daniil Trifonov. Daniil Trifonov's new album contains Chopin's two beautiful piano concertos in fascinating new orchestrations by pianist-conductor-composer Mikhail Pletnev. Alongside the concerts Trifonov presents Chopin's solo works and pieces by Mompou, Schumann, Tchaikovsky, Grieg, and Barber paying homage to the genius who, in Trifonov's words, "revolutionized the expressive horizons of the piano."

Discover ´Chopin Evocations´ here.

This is so beautiful to listen to and so beautifully played that I am re-posting it. It’s sublime! – Mark

Democracy Now! Top US News & World Headlines — September 3, 2021

Spain on a Fork: Albert Bevia, Cooks ”Mushrooms Like you´ve Never Seen or Tasted Before” | Spanish Champiñones à l'Andaluza

Sep 3, 2021 - How to Make Southern-Style Spanish Mushrooms.


Get the full recipe here.

If you feel so inclined, you can support Albert Bevia on Patreon here.

Married Kremlin Spies, a Shadowy Mission to Moscow and Unrest in Catalonia

THE NEW YORK TIMES: Intelligence files suggest an aide to a top Catalan separatist sought help from Russia in the struggle to break with Spain. A fierce new protest group emerged shortly afterward.

A protest in support of the Catalan independence referendum in Barcelona, in 2017. Spain declared the vote illegal and jailed several of the politicians who called it. | Samuel Aranda for The New York Times
BARCELONA, Spain — In the spring of 2019, an emissary of Catalonia’s top separatist leader traveled to Moscow in search of a political lifeline.

The independence movement in Catalonia, the semiautonomous region in Spain’s northeast, had been largely crushed after a referendum on breaking away two years earlier. The European Union and the United States, which supported Spain’s effort to keep the country intact, had rebuffed the separatists’ pleas for support.

But in Russia, a door was opening.

In Moscow, the emissary, Josep Lluis Alay, a senior adviser to the self-exiled former Catalan president Carles Puigdemont, met with current Russian officials, former intelligence officers and the well-connected grandson of a K.G.B. spymaster. The aim was to secure Russia’s help in severing Catalonia from the rest of Spain, according to a European intelligence report, which was reviewed by The New York Times.

Asked about the report’s findings, both Mr. Alay and Mr. Puigdemont confirmed the trips to Moscow, which have never been reported, but insisted they were part of regular outreach to foreign officials and journalists. Mr. Alay said any suggestion that he was seeking Russian assistance was “a fantasy story created by Madrid.”

But other confidential documents indicate that Russia was a central preoccupation between Mr. Alay and Mr. Puigdemont. For Russia, outreach to the separatists would fit President Vladimir V. Putin’s strategy of trying to sow disruption in the West by supporting divisive political movements. In Italy, secret audio recordings revealed a Russian plot to covertly finance the hard-right League party. In Britain, a Times investigation uncovered discussions among right-wing fringe figures about opening bank accounts in Moscow. And in Spain, the Russians have also offered assistance to far-right parties, according to the intelligence report. » | By Michael Schwirtz and José Bautista | Friday, September 3, 2021

Leer en español

Frei, fromm und frauenfeindlich in Texas

NEUE ZÜRCHER ZEITUNG: Das neue Abtreibungsgesetz in Texas ist Teil eines Wertesystems, zu dem auch die Ablehnung der Homo-Ehe und das Misstrauen gegen die Corona-Massnahmen gehören. Kaum einer verkörpert diese Skepsis gegenüber dem Staat besser als der Gouverneur Abbott.

Demonstration in Austin gegen das Abtreibungsverbot. | Jay Janner / AP
Seit Mittwoch gilt im amerikanischen Gliedstaat Texas das schärfste Abtreibungsgesetz der USA. Es verbietet Schwangerschaftsabbrüche, sobald der Herzschlag des Fötus feststellbar ist. Das ist schon in der sechsten Woche möglich. Viele Frauen wissen zu diesem frühen Zeitpunkt noch gar nicht, dass sie schwanger sind.

Ein Eilantrag für eine Blockierung des Gesetzes wurde abgelehnt; der Supreme Court entschied am Mittwoch mit 5 zu 4 Stimmen, das Inkrafttreten nicht aufzuschieben. Die Weigerung ist bemerkenswert, weil das Gesetz mit anderen Präzedenzfällen kollidiert, in denen der Oberste Gerichtshof das Recht auf Abtreibung in einem späteren Stadium schützte. 1973 legalisierte er im Urteil Roe v. Wade Abtreibungen bis zum sechsten Monat. Der amerikanische Präsident Joe Biden sagte denn auch, das «extreme Gesetz» in Texas stelle einen eklatanten Verstoss gegen das verbriefte Recht auf Abtreibung dar. » | David Signer, Chicago | Freitag, Spetmber 3, 2021

Brite von IS-Terrorzelle «Beatles» gibt vor Gericht Enthauptungen und Folter zu

NEUE ZÜRCHER ZEITUNG: Alexanda Kotey soll gemeinsam weiteren Mitgliedern der Terrorgruppe IS in Syrien mehrere Geiseln enthauptet und gefoltert haben. Videos der Taten lösten weltweit Entsetzen aus. Nun droht ihm eine lebenslange Haftstrafe.

Alexanda Amon Kotey in einer Aufnahme aus dem März 2018, als er der Nachrichtenagentur Associated Press in Syrien ein Interview gewährte. | Hussein Malla / AP
(dpa) Ein britisches Mitglied einer als «Beatles» bekannt gewordenen brutalen IS-Terrorzelle hat sich vor Gericht in den USA schuldig bekannt. Alexanda Kotey soll gemeinsam mit drei weiteren Briten als Mitglied der Terrorgruppe IS in Syrien mehrere Geiseln enthauptet sowie viele weitere gefoltert haben. Videos der Taten lösten im Jahr 2014 weltweit Entsetzen aus. » | dpa | Freitag, 3. September 2021

Berüchtigtster britischer IS-Kämpfer ohne Reue: «Ich verurteile die Sklaverei nicht» : Er war einer der berüchtigtsten britischen IS-Kämpfer. Nun sitzt El Shafee Elsheikh in einem kurdischen Gefängnis. In einem Interview zeigte er keinerlei Reue. »

British Give U.S. Evidence Against ISIS ‘Beatles,’ Clearing Way for Trial: The men were half of a cell of Britons who held Westerners hostage in Syria, some of whom were beheaded for propaganda videos. »

US Withdrawal from Afghanistan Will Lead to EU Army, Says Top Diplomat

THE GUARDIAN: Josep Borrell believes moment has come for expeditionary force but idea faces opposition from EU members

Josep Borrell said the ‘deficiencies’ in the EU’s autonomy from the US had been exposed in recent months. Photograph: John Thys/AFP/Getty Images
The US withdrawal from Afghanistan will “catalyse” the EU to establish its own permanent military force, the union’s foreign policy chief has said, despite years of fruitless debate and opposition from member states.

After a meeting of EU defence ministers, Josep Borrell, the EU’s high representative for foreign affairs, said the moment had come to establish an active EU expeditionary force, described by some senior European politicians as an army.

Repeated attempts have been made to encourage military cooperation between member states, often attacked as an example of nation-building by critics. But Borrell said the “deficiencies” in the bloc’s autonomy from the US had been exposed in recent months. » | Daniel Boffey in Brussels | Thursday, September 2, 2021

Au Venezuela, l’opposition rentre dans le rang

Depuis les élections législatives de décembre dernier, Juan Guaido conteste leur résultat et prétend prolonger les mandats des députés sortants pour mieux se maintenir comme président intérimaire. YURI CORTEZ/AFP
LE FIGARO : Les principaux adversaires de Nicolas Maduro se sont résignés à prendre part aux élections locales du 21 novembre. Un désaveu pour Juan Guaido, qui a échoué à mobiliser l’armée dans sa lutte contre le régime.

L’opposition vénézuélienne participera aux élections du 21 novembre prochain. Il s’agit d’élire 23 gouverneurs, 335 maires, 253 députés locaux et 2 459 conseillers. 19 428 candidats ont été enregistrés par le Conseil national électoral. Une première depuis 2017. Lors de sa dernière participation à des élections, l’opposition avait largement remporté les législatives, malgré un conseil électoral composé uniquement de recteurs chavistes. Cette fois, le CNE comprend deux recteurs de l’opposition sur cinq. » | Par Patrick Bèle | jeudi 2 sptembre 2021

Réservé aux abonnés

Julie Gayet et François Hollande enlacés : la photo très officielle sur Instagram

L'actrice est l'ancien président de la république sont ensemble au Festival du Film Francophone d'Angoulême. (Angoulême, le 28 août 2021.) | Getty Images
MADAME FIGARO : D'habitude très discrète sur sa vie privée, l'actrice et productrice a fait une exception ce dimanche à Angoulême. Elle a dévoilé un cliché intime et tendre avec son compagnon, l'ancien président de la République, François Hollande.

La photo léchée en noir et blanc a créé la surprise en cette pré-rentrée 2021. Julie Gayet a publié sur son compte Instagram une photo d’elle et de son compagnon, l'ancien président François Hollande. L’actrice, pourtant attachée à conserver sa vie privée dans l’ombre, dévoile ici un cliché intime. On la voit enlaçant l’ancien chef de l'Etat avec un grand sourire. «Belle rentrée à tous !», a-t-elle inscrit en légende de l'image en noir et blanc. Celle qui est aussi productrice indique qu'ils se trouvent au Festival du film francophone d'Angoulême. La photo est signée Christophe Brachet, photographe du film Présidents, d’Anne Fontaine, une fiction inspirée de François Hollande et de Nicolas Sarkozy. » | Camille Lamblaut | lundi 30 août 2021

À lire aussi : Maillots de bain, dérapages et petits secrets : en vacances avec les présidents français »

It’s Lunchtime !

What do you want for lunch? Some eye candy, please!
With thanks to Pinterest and Tumblr for this photo.

Sam Smith and Brandon Flynn's "Happy Ending"

”Photo of Sam Smith and Brandon Flynn's Romance…”
With thanks to POPSUGAR on Pinterest for this photo.
WIKIPEDIA:

Sam Smith

Brandon Flynn

Two Men Kissing ‘Up Close and Personal’

Photo : Adobe Stock

Un baiser agréable au bord de la mer.

Photo : Adobe Stock
An enjoyable kiss beside the sea. / Ein angenehmer Kuß am Meer.

Message: Google, Blogger, It Appears, Is Homophobic!

I‘m thinking seriously of changing platforms. Even though I have been blogging on Google’s Blogger for twenty or so years; since I changed this blog’s focus, making it far more gay-friendly, I have become increasingly convinced that inexplicable things are happening in the background which do not correspond with the facts as I am able to garner them from other stat counter websites I am connected with.

For example, I have had an excellent connexion with a French website for many, many years. Its recording of my stats tells me a very different story from the stats that Google tells me. According to that website, my stats are going up; according to Google, my page views are going down! Go figure!

I have just had 4,000 page views shaved off my monthly total in the last half hour or so. A similar thing happened last night. This has nothing to do with any algorithm; it has everything to do with the human hand and possibly with homophobia. Of that I am convinced.

Just because a company is tech savvy, it doesn’t mean that its employees are enlightened! Some of Google’s employees appear not to be!

So, please do not be surprised if I inform you soon that I have a different web address. If I do get a new web address, you will be informed well in advance. Naturally, I do not want to lose anyone. Not even one of you! You are all very important to me. I consider you as part of my family.

Any changes will be published well in advance. Please look out for possible changes.

Warm wishes to all.
Mark

Avec les nouveaux maîtres de Kaboul, notre reportage au cœur du pouvoir taliban

La capitale afghane est tombée le 15 août dernier, sans combat. Les forces talibanes ont immédiatement pris possession de tous les bâtiments publics. Véronique de Viguerie.
LE FIGARO : EXCLUSIF - Dans la nuit du 30 au 31 août, les derniers soldats américains ont quitté l'aéroport de la capitale afghane. Les talibans, évincés du pouvoir il y a tout juste vingt ans, règnent à nouveau d'une main de fer sur l'Afghanistan. Nos reporters ont pu les rencontrer.

Sur la route qui mène de nulle part à Kaboul, une centaine d'hommes ¬armés à bord de vieilles motos fond sur l'immense forteresse. Hurlant des slogans à la gloire du mouvement taliban, tirant en l'air et sur les gardes qui s'interposent, la horde traverse la cour dans un tourbillon de poussière ocre. Et libère, en quelques minutes, les milliers de détenus de cette prison ultrasécurisée aux portes de la capitale afghane : des frères d'armes, mais aussi des membres du groupe État islamique et de la nébuleuse al-Qaida, ainsi que plusieurs criminels jugés particulièrement dangereux. Deux ou trois heures après ce coup d'éclat, sorte de prélude à la victoire, la guérilla pénètre dans la capitale. La République islamique d'Afghanistan cède sa place à l'Émirat islamique.

Le nouveau maître des lieux, c'est lui : Hazrat Wali « Zindani » (le prisonnier). Imposant trentenaire aux boucles noires qui encadrent un visage carré, il a fait de ses huit années de -détention un nom de guerre, et un ¬argument pour régner aujourd'hui sur son ancienne prison. « C'est à mon tour d'être le gardien », tonne-t-il, avant de nous annoncer d'un rictus carnassier : « Bienvenue à Pul-e-Charkhi… Ici, vous êtes chez moi ! » » | Par Margaux Benn et Véronique de Viguerie | jeudi 2 septembre 2021

Réservé aux abonnés

Nous devons sûrement tous trouver incroyable que ce groupe hétéroclite de combattants ait pu vaincre la superpuissance mondiale ! – © Mark

Michael Bolton : Drift Away