Tuesday, September 21, 2021

Julio Iglesias - Crazy

Views on YouTube: 8,962,235

Tom Ford on Finding 'Love at First Sight' & His Relationship Lasting | PEN | Entertainment Weekly

Jan 17, 2017 • Designer Tom Ford opens up about his relationship with husband Richard Buckley.


More on Tom Ford and Richard Buckley here.

Arthur Rubinstein - Chopin Polonaise in A flat Major, Op 53 - "Heroic"

Foreigner - I Don't Want to Live Without You | Official Music Video

Views on YouTube: 3,596,844

Democracy Now! Top US News & World Headlines — September 21, 2021

Emmanuel Macron et Narendra Modi veulent «agir conjointement» en Indo-Pacifique

LE FIGARO : Après l'annulation du «contrat du siècle» par l'Australie, le président français et le premier ministre indien se sont entretenus et ont réaffirmé leur volonté «d'agir conjointement».

Le président français Emmanuel Macron et le premier ministre indien Narendra Modi se sont entretenus mardi 21 septembre en pleine crise des sous-marins australiens et ont réaffirmé leur volonté «d'agir conjointement dans un espace indo-pacifique ouvert et inclusif», a annoncé l'Élysée.

Le chef de l'État «a rappelé l'engagement de la France à contribuer au renforcement de l'autonomie stratégique de l'Inde, y compris sa base industrielle et technologique, dans le cadre d'une relation étroite fondée sur la confiance», a précisé la présidence française. Cet entretien téléphonique intervient au moment où Paris continue de montrer sa colère après l'annonce, le 15 septembre, d'une nouvelle alliance stratégique entre l'Australie, les États-Unis et le Royaume-Uni, qui a torpillé un méga-contrat de sous-marins français à Canberra. Regardez la vidéo » | Par Le Figaro avec AFP | mardi 21 septembre 2021

Stevie Wonder : I Just Called To Say I Love You

Provided to YouTube by Universal Music Group | Views on YouTube: 19,754,276

Tory Corruption: It’s Shocking What a “Donation” Can Buy. Truth To Power



Whoever would have thought that the UK would turn into one of those sh****** countries of which Trump spoke so colourfully? BoJo and his corrupt entourage are taking this country to new lows, to new depths.

In a relatively recent post, I likened British society to a bottle of non-homogenized milk. As well as all the cream rising to the top, you can now add corruption into the mix. In my lifetime, I have never known such a corrupt administration as BoJo’s. That man needs to be kicked out of office asap. His administration is a disaster. His administration is not fit for purpose; and nor is he. – © Mark

Dimitra's Dishes : Chicken in a Creamy Spinach & Feta Sauce


Get the recipe here.

Macron Takes on U.S., a Big Gamble Even for a Bold Risk-Taker

THE NEW YORK TIMES: For President Emmanuel Macron of France, a debacle over a lost submarine deal with Australia suggests that the NATO alliance is debilitated through lack of trust.

President Emmanuel Macron of France cannot afford to be seen as soft just over six months from a presidential election. | Gonzalo

PARIS — President Emmanuel Macron of France has gambled big. He has directed his foreign minister to use language not typically associated with diplomacy, let alone diplomacy between allies, in describing American actions: “lies,” “duplicity,” “brutality” and “contempt.” He has recalled the French ambassador to the United States, a first.

Such boldness is in character. That is how Mr. Macron became president at the age of 39. He has also recalled French ambassadors to Turkey and Italy during his presidency over perceived insults. The question in the Australian submarine deal that slipped from France’s grasp is: Does the president hold sufficient cards?

In responding to the secretive U.S.-British move to sell nuclear-powered submarines to Australia, a decision that the Australians used to nix the prior French deal, Mr. Macron could choose to escalate. One idea doing the rounds in France is for the country to withdraw from NATO’s integrated military command structure, which it rejoined in 2009 after a 43-year absence.

But that would be a radical step — whatever Mr. Macron’s view, expressed in 2019, that NATO is “brain dead” — and foreign ministry officials discounted the possibility.

Still, that the idea should even circulate suggests the extent of what Jean-Yves Le Drian, the foreign minister, has called “a grave crisis between us.” France feels humiliated. It will not readily forget what it sees as an American slap in the face, described by the minister as “intolerable.” » | Roger Cohen | Monday, September 20, 2021

This is J. G.'s comment.

This is my response to it:

I wrote this short comment on the NYT today, but it appears to be too controversial for the NYT to handle. I have waited hours for the newspaper to put it up, but to no avail. So I thought I would share my comment with you here. Here it is; it is a counter-comment to J. G.'s comment from The Netherlands. His comment, in my opinion,, is spot on:

@J. G. Great comment! I couldn't agree with your assessment more. Bravo! This AUKUS deal is so dirty it stinks! [© Mark]

Aukus: French Minister Bemoans Lack of Trust in British Alliance

THE GUARDIAN: Clément Beaune says Brexit fallout and secret defence pact have undermined Franco-British relations

‘We cannot pretend there is no problem’: Clément Beaune leaving the Élysée Palace in Paris earlier this month. | Photograph: Daniel Pier/NurPhoto/Rex/Shutterstock

The British-French alliance lacks trust, France’s EU affairs minister has said, citing Downing Street’s approach to the post-Brexit arrangements for Northern Ireland and the secretly negotiated defence agreement with the US and Australia.

Clément Beaune, a close ally of the French president, Emmanuel Macron, said that while the two problematic issues should not be mixed, together they highlighted the flaw in the relationship.

“We need to rebuild confidence, we need to discuss together – we are not in this context at the moment,” Beaune said, before a meeting of EU affairs ministers and the Brexit commissioner, Maroš Šefčovič, in Brussels.

During a visit to New York for the United Nations general assembly, Boris Johnson had insisted on Monday night that the alliance with Paris remained strong and “absolutely vital”, adding: “Our love of France is ineradicable.”

But a British-French defence meeting due to take place this week has been cancelled by Paris in the fallout over the Aukus defence pact, and there has not been a bilateral leaders’ summit for three years, despite attempts by Downing Street to organise one.

Beaune admitted there was a need to rebuild confidence in the relationship. On Brexit, he said the UK was not implementing the deals it agreed on fishing rights for EU boats nor on checks on goods travelling into Northern Ireland from the rest of the UK.

“They are not well implemented … they are not fully respected,” he said. » | Daniel Boffey in Brussels | Tuesday, September 21, 2021

Zurück zu Pfund und Unze: Grossbritannien sucht die Brexit-Dividende und droht, sich zu verrennen

NEUE ZÜRCHER ZEITUNG: Mit Deregulierung und Bürokratieabbau will London dem EU-Ausstieg Nutzen verleihen. Doch etwas anders zu machen, nur weil man es kann, hilft nicht weiter.

«Darf es eine Unze mehr sein?» Ein Londoner Geschäft im Jahr 1947. | Imago

KOMMENTAR

Anderthalb Jahre nach dem Austritt aus der EU überlegt Grossbritanniens Regierung, was sie nun konkret anders machen möchte. Brexit-Minister David Frost präsentierte am Donnerstag einige Felder, in denen durch Deregulierung die ersehnte Brexit-Dividende eingefahren werden soll. Unter den Punkten, die jetzt ausgearbeitet werden: Britische Händler sollen ihre Waren wieder ausschliesslich nach alten imperialen Massen kennzeichnen dürfen – also in Pfund statt Kilogramm und Unzen statt Gramm. Ein Kilogramm zählt 2,2 Pfund zu je 16 Unzen.

Diese Idee steht sinnbildlich für vieles, was beim Brexit schiefläuft: Sie ist symbolisch, zielt an praktischen Problemen der Wirtschaft vorbei und bedient primär die Nostalgie konservativer Wähler. Obendrein hat sie wenig mit der EU zu tun. Wer in einem britischen Supermarkt Milch kauft, erhält seit Ewigkeiten deutlich gekennzeichnete 2 Pint. Doppelter Praxistest » | Benjamin Triebe, London | Samstag, 18. September 2021

Canada : les libéraux de Justin Trudeau donnés vainqueurs mais de nouveau minoritaires

Justin Trudeau, avec son épouse, prononce son discours de victoire à l'hôtel Reine Elizabeth de Montréal, le 21 septembre 2021. ANDREJ IVANOV / AFP

LE FIGARO : Après sa réélection, le premier ministre a promis aux Canadiens, dans son allocution de victoire, «un avenir meilleur» une fois que le pays serait «sorti de cette pandémie».

Les libéraux de Justin Trudeau sont en passe de remporter les législatives canadiennes, une demi-victoire toutefois pour le premier ministre sortant qui n'est pas parvenu à redevenir majoritaire à l'issue d'une campagne durant laquelle il a été malmené. D'après les projections des médias canadiens lundi soir, les résultats préliminaires permettent d'affirmer que le parti libéral obtiendrait autour de 155 sièges, sous le seuil des 170 sièges permettant d'obtenir une majorité. Or c'est précisément pour sortir de cette situation qu'il avait déclenché des élections anticipées à la mi-août pour tenter de regagner la majorité qu'il avait perdue deux ans plus tôt. Dans son allocution de victoire, le premier ministre réélu a promis aux Canadiens «un avenir meilleur» une fois le pays «sorti de cette pandémie». » | Par Le Figaro avec AFP | mardi 21 septembre 2021

Les articles suivants portent sur les élections russes et marocaines :

Élections russes: la victoire annoncée du parti de Poutine »

Aziz Akhannouch, milliardaire et premier ministre du Maroc »

KOMMENTAR: Putin und die Macht: Ein gestohlener Sieg ist wenig wert: Russlands Führung kann die Duma auch künftig wie ein willenloses Instrument benutzen. Aber um die Macht abzusichern, muss der Kreml heute grobschlächtiger vorgehen als früher. Das sollte für Putin ein Alarmzeichen sein. »

Im Dienste seiner Majestät: Die Nähe zum Königshaus hat Aziz Akhannouch geholfen, zu einem der reichsten Männer Marokkos zu werden. Jetzt soll er die Geschicke des Landes führen – die Nähe zum König bleibt. »

Tom Ford Announces Death of Husband, Richard Buckley, at 72

The pair had a son together.

ADVOCATE: Richard Buckley, a legendary fashion editor who once worked at the industry trade journal Womens Wear Daily, has died according to his husband fashion designer Tom Ford. Buckley was 71 [?].

Buckley passed Sunday and "died of natural causes after a long illness," a statement to People from Ford's representatives stated.

"It is with great sadness that Tom Ford announces the death of his beloved husband of 35 years, Richard Buckley," the statement said. "Richard passed away peacefully at their home in Los Angeles with Tom and their son Jack by his side." » | Mikelle Street | Tuesday, September 21, 2021

A great interview of Tom Ford: The Jess Cagle Interview:

Tom Ford’s Painful Memories of Childhood Bullying: ‘I Was Absolutely Tortured' »

How Tom Ford Found 'Love at First Sight'— and Makes His 30-Year Relationship Last : Ford says he met Buckley in an elevator at a fashion show and immediately knew he was "the one"»

Fashion editor Richard Buckley, husband of Tom Ford, dies at 72 »

Michael Bolton : Said I Loved You... But I Lied

Provided to YouTube by Columbia

Lionel Richie : Deep River Woman

Provided to YouTube by Universal Music Group

Perth, Australia : A Wedding Kiss

Wedding Photographer – “Not a dry eye in sight as Ollie and Matt celebrated their marriage at Guild Hall in North Fremantle”

With many thanks to the photographer of ‘celebrating lifephotography.com.au’ for this great and expressive photo.

Happiness Is…

Le bonheur est... / Glücklichkeit ist...

My thanks go to My gay themed Tumblr and Pinterest for this photo of two joyous men.

Liebe teilen im Schnee

Partager l'amour dans la neige / Sharing love in the snow

Thanks to Rj Scott on Pinterest for this photo.

Young Gay Lovers

Jeunes amoureux gays / Junge homosexuelle Liebhaber

My thanks to Model Citizen Magazine on Pinterest for this photo.

Global Markets Swoon as Worries Mount over Superpowers’ Plans

THE NEW YORK TIMES: The S&P 500 closed down 1.7 percent over a number of jitters, like China’s sputtering real estate market and the phasing out of stimulus measures in the United States.

Investors on three continents dumped stocks on Monday, fretting that the governments of the world’s two largest economies — China and the United States — would act in ways that could undercut the nascent global economic recovery.

The Chinese government’s reluctance to step in and save a highly indebted property developer just days before a big interest payment is due signaled to investors that Beijing might break with its longstanding policy of bailing out its homegrown stars.

And in the United States, the globe’s No. 1 economy, investors worried that the Federal Reserve would soon begin cutting back its huge purchases of government bonds, which had helped drive stocks to a series of record highs since the coronavirus pandemic hit.

The sell-off started in Asia and spread to Europe — where exporters to China were slammed — before landing in the United States, where stocks appeared to be heading for their worst performance of the year before a rally at the end of the trading day. The S&P 500 closed down 1.7 percent, its worst daily performance since mid-May, after being down as much as 2.9 percent in the afternoon.

The catalyst for the swoon was the continued turmoil at China Evergrande Group, one of that country’s top three developers of residential properties. The company has an estimated $300 billion in debt, and an interest payment of more than $80 million is due this week. » | Matt Phillips, Eshe Nelson and Coral Murphy Marcos | Monday, September 20, 2021

Monday, September 20, 2021

L'Europe doit payer | America First, le bilan | Episode 01 | ARTE

Apr 7, 2021 • Au fil du récit d’acteurs clés, une immersion dans les coulisses diplomatiques de l’ère Trump, entre stupeur et tremblements. Norma Percy signe une investigation édifiante sur l’histoire en marche. Premier volet. Retrait de l'accord de Paris sur le climat, mise en danger de l’Otan : les premières décisions de Trump choquent, notamment les Européens, alliés historiques des États-Unis.

"America First." Dès son arrivée à la Maison-Blanche en 2017, Donald Trump martèle son credo sur la scène internationale. Par la brutalité de ses postures et décisions, il choque ses interlocuteurs, dont les Européens, alliés historiques des États-Unis. Le président bafoue toutes les règles diplomatiques lors des sommets. Retrait de l'accord de Paris sur le climat, mise en danger de l’Otan, institution qui traverse, selon Jeremy Hunt, le ministre britannique des Affaires étrangères de l'époque, "la plus grande crise de son histoire"… Encore surpris, François Hollande se souvient de son premier échange au téléphone avec lui : "Ce qu'il m'a dit tenait en une phrase : 'Nous ne voulons plus payer pour vous. […] Les Européens doivent payer pour leur propre sécurité'." Brisant le statu quo, le président américain se rapproche de Vladimir Poutine, proximité qui inquiète les dirigeants du G7. Et si, lors du défilé du 14 Juillet, Emmanuel Macron, qui l’a invité, déploie les grands moyens pour lui plaire, François Hollande le prévient : "N'attends rien de Donald Trump, ne pense pas qu'il sera possible de le contourner ou de le séduire."

Coulisses privilégiéesr

Au fil du récit d’acteurs clés et de témoins, cette investigation fait pénétrer au cœur des sommets et des tractations internationales du mandat Trump, offrant le rare et réjouissant privilège de les suivre en différé des coulisses. Reconstituant minutieusement l’histoire en marche dans les pas des dirigeants, selon la méthode éprouvée des productions Brook Lapping, cette série documentaire, qui rappelle les éructations du président américain battu par Joe Biden en novembre dernier et la stupéfaction, au mieux amusée, de ceux auxquels elles s’adressent, met aussi à nu les failles de la diplomatie et la fragilité des équilibres planétaires. Car les homologues de Donald Trump et l’armada de ses conseillers (dont ceux qu’il se targue d’avoir remerciés, même s’ils ont démissionné) racontent aussi leur impuissance à contrôler un chef d’État qui entend diriger son pays − et imprimer le monde de sa marque ignorante au péril de la paix − comme il a géré son empire, sûr que tous les coups ou presque sont permis.

America First, le bilan Série documentaire de Norma Percy (France, 2019, 58mn)
Disponible jusqu'au 03/10/2021


Nevada – Gay Wedding: "To know Love Is Incredible"

Aug 24, 2018 • Jhonathan & Michael Pappas's wedding feature film.

Carmen - Habanera - Lyrics (Angela Gheorghiu)

Jan 11, 2018 • "Love is rebellious bird" performed by Angela Gheorghiu. Composer: Georges Bizet; opera: Carmen. | Views on YouTube: 10,101,557

Gay and Latino, "My Date in Lima, Peru" | The Gay Explorer

Jun 21, 2018 • Join me on my gay date with Pedro while we explore Lima, Peru, where we will visit amazing landmarks such as Plaza de Armas, enjoy arguably the best Pisco in the world and taste one of their most famous dishes: ceviche. We will also discuss how it is being gay and Latino in South America. Ready? Let’s go!

Michael Bolton : Drift Away

Provided to YouTube by Columbia | Views on YouTube: 1,593,249

Don Winslow Films - #MeetMotherPence

Would You Vote for a Man Like This to Lead Your Country? No? Thought Not!

The man who thinks he’s Churchill: 'Bojo the Clown'. The man looks as if he's flown over the cuckoo's nest!

Another Conservative clown Dominic Raab.

Tory Corruption: Boris Johnson Facing Day of Reckoning. Truth To Power


Get this sucker out of office asap! The SOB has even suspended the Triple Lock on state pensions! Yet he can find billions for his cronies. The man is unprincipled and corrupt. The country needs to be rid of him. – © Mark

Democracy Now! Top US News & World Headlines — September 20, 2021

‘We Felt Fooled’: France Still Furious after Australia Scraps $90bn Submarine Deal

THE GUARDIAN: ‘Maybe we’re not friends,’ recalled ambassador says, claiming Scott Morrison ‘kept us in the dark intentionally’

France's ambassador to Australia Jean-Pierre Thebault at Sydney airport last week. He said his country had been the last to know that the Morrison government was tearing up its submarine contract. Photograph: David Gray/AP

French anger at the Morrison government’s decision to scrap its $90bn submarine program with France continues to boil over, with the country’s recalled ambassador saying it felt “fooled” by the announcement.

Jean-Pierre Thebault was ordered back to Paris in the wake of the Aukus announcement, which will see Australia enter into a strategic “forever partnership” with the US and the UK.

Part of the still-to-be-determined arrangement will include the sharing of nuclear-powered submarine technology with Australia, prompting the Morrison government to tear up its existing contract with France.

On Sunday Scott Morrison said his government had informed France’s President Emmanuel Macron that the deal was off at “around 8.30” the night before the deal was announced. But details had already leaked to the media and the French have said they felt “blindsided” by the decision. » | Amy Remeikis | Monday, September 20, 2021

British ‘Baby Shortage’ Could Lead to Economic Decline, Says Thinktank

THE GUARDIAN: Social Market Foundation suggests measures including better childcare provision to increase birthrate

Britain is facing a “baby shortage” that could lead to “long-term economic stagnation”, a thinktank has said.

The Social Market Foundation (SMF) said the birthrate was almost half what it was at its postwar peak in the 1960s, and the country’s ageing population could lead to economic decline.

It said ministers should set up a cross-government taskforce to consider the issue, and one helpful measure might be better childcare provision. The thinktank said typical British working parents spend 22% of their income on full-time childcare, more than double the average for western economies.

The birthrate in England and Wales peaked in 1964 when the number of children per woman averaged 2.93. Last year it was 1.58, well below the 2.1 replacement level needed to keep the population rate stable, and in Scotland it was even lower at 1.29. » | Andrew Sparrow, Political correspondent | Monday, September 20, 2021

Gunman Kills Eight at Russian University

THE NEW YORK TIMES: A mass shooting at a provincial Russian university killed at least eight people in the latest outbreak of violence at schools or universities in Russia.

MOSCOW — A gunman opened fire on Monday on a Russian university campus, killing at least eight people and wounding 19, state media reported.

During the attack, students jumped from a second-floor window to escape a building on the campus of Perm State University, in the city of Perm, about 650 miles east of Moscow, video footage posted online showed. A state news agency, RIA Novosti, cited the Investigative Committee, a law enforcement agency, saying eight people had died. » | Andrew E. Kramer | Monday, September 20, 2021

French Cooking Academy : How to Cook a Fish meunière : Trout meunière with Toasted Almonds

Truite meunière aux amandes

The meunière way of cooking fish is usually made with sole, but it can also be made with trout. Meunière-cooking consists of coating the fish with flour before it is pan-fried. The coating of flour creates a layer of crispy skin and allows the fish to be perfectly cooked on the inside. When cooked, lemon juice and brown butter are added to the fish.


Get the recipe here.

Crise des sous-marins: les États-Unis ne s’émeuvent pas de l’ire tricolore, ni d’avoir mal traité la France

Le président des États-Unis, vendredi, arrive sur la base militaire de Dover (Delaware) pour passer le week-end dans sa résidence de Rehoboth Beach. ALEX EDELMAN/AFP

LE FIGARO : Le président Biden a convenu, à son retour de son week-end, de s’expliquer avec son homologue français.

Correspondant à Washington

Le rappel à Paris pour consultation de l’ambassadeur de France aux États-Unis, Philippe Étienne, n’a pas suscité beaucoup d’émoi à Washington. Cette mesure diplomatique, destinée à exprimer un profond désaccord, n’avait pourtant jamais été utilisée à l’égard des États-Unis, y compris pendant de précédents épisodes de tension entre les deux pays.

L’annonce de la décision, vendredi en fin de journée, est aussi intervenue juste avant le week-end. Joe Biden, parti en week-end dans sa résidence de Rehoboth Beach, dans le Delaware, avant même l’annonce du rappel de l’ambassadeur, n’a pas fait de commentaires. La seule réaction de la Maison-Blanche a été un communiqué d’Emily Horne, la porte-parole du Conseil de sécurité nationale, qui a déclaré: «Nous avons été en contact étroit avec nos partenaires français concernant leur décision de rappeler l’ambassadeur Étienne à Paris pour consultation. Nous comprenons leur position et nous continuerons à œuvrer dans les prochains jours pour résoudre nos différends, comme nous l’avons fait à d’autres moments au cours de notre longue alliance.» » | Par Adrien Jaulmes | dimanche 19 septembre 2021 ; mis à jour : lundi 20 septembre 2021

Réservé aux abonnés

Paris sagt Ministertreffen mit London ab


U-BOOT-STREIT

FRANKFURTER ALLGEMEINE ZEITUNG: Wegen des gekündigten U-Boot-Deals hat Paris ein Ministertreffen mit London abgesagt. Premierminister Boris Johnson versuchte, die Franzosen zu besänftigen – mit Liebesschwüren aus dem Flugzeug.

Wegen des Streits um den geplatzten Verkauf französischer U-Boote an Australien hat die französische Verteidigungsministerin Florence Parly ein Treffen mit ihrem britischen Kollegen Ben Wallace abgesagt. Die Begegnung sei „auf einen späteren Termin verschoben“ worden, sagte der Co-Vorsitzende des Franco-British Council, Peter Ricketts, wie die BBC und die Zeitung „Guardian“ am Montag berichteten. Parly sollte im Rahmen eines Treffens der Organisation nach London reisen, auch ranghohe Militärs sollten an den Beratungen der beiden größten Militärmächte Westeuropas teilnehmen.

Australien hatte im Zuge eines Dreierpakts mit den USA und Großbritannien den Bau atomgetriebener U-Boote vereinbart und dafür einen 56-Milliarden-Euro-Vertrag von 2016 mit Frankreich aufgekündigt. Der britische Premierminister Boris Johnson versuchte unterdessen, Frankreich zu beruhigen. Das dem Streit zugrunde liegende neue Militärbündnis seines Landes mit Australien und den Vereinigten Staaten im Indopazifik sei „nichts, worüber sich irgendjemand Sorgen machen müsste, insbesondere nicht unsere französischen Freunde„, sagte Johnson. London und Paris hätten eine „sehr freundliche Beziehung“, die „von äußerster Wichtigkeit“ sei, sagte er auf dem Flug zur UN-Generalversammlung in New York. „Unsere Liebe zu Frankreich ist unauslöschlich.“ Der Deal solle niemanden ausschließen. Morrison: Bereue den Deal nicht » | Quelle: dpa/AFP | Montag, 20. September 2021

Japan Urges Europe to Speak Out against China’s Military Expansion

THE GUARDIAN: Exclusive: in the first piece in a new Guardian series on China and tensions in the Indo-Pacific, Japan’s defence minister says the international community must bolster deterrence efforts against Beijing’s military

Japan's defence minister, Nobuo Kishi, said China was ‘attempting to use its power to unilaterally change the status quo in the East and South China Seas’. Photograph: Kim Kyung-Hoon/Reuters

Japan has urged European countries to speak out against China’s aggression, warning that the international community must bolster deterrence efforts against Beijing’s military and territorial expansion amid a growing risk of a hot conflict.

In an interview with the Guardian, Japan’s defence minister, Nobuo Kishi, said China had become increasingly powerful politically, economically and militarily and was “attempting to use its power to unilaterally change the status quo in the East and South China Seas”, which are crucial to global shipping and include waters and islands claimed by several other nations.

Tokyo had “strong concerns in regards to the safety and security of not only our own country and the region but for the global community”, Kishi warned. “China is strengthening its military power both in terms of quantity and quality, and rapidly improving its operational capability,” he said.

Kishi’s comments are a strong signal of the rising international concern over China’s military ambitions in disputed regions like the South and East China Sea, the Indian border, and in particular Taiwan. His remarks were echoed by senior figures on the island, with Taiwan’s former head of navy and deputy defence minister also warning that more deterrence was needed.

With China ratcheting up military activity in the region, experts and global military figures have also warned that small confrontations or maritime accidents could quickly escalate into a full-blown conflict. » | Helen Davidson in Taipei | Monday, September 20, 2021

Australia Is Making a Risky Bet on the U.S.

Prime Minister Scott Morrison of Australia, center, with, by video link, President Biden, right, and Prime Minister Boris Johnson of Britain, in Canberra, Australia, last week. | Mick Tsikas/EPA, via Shutterstock

OPINION: GUEST ESSAY

THE NEW YORK TIMES: The United States did not directly mention China in announcing its historic new security partnership with Australia and Britain last week, but it didn’t have to. The defense deal is a clear escalation and indication that Washington views Beijing as an adversary.

It also has thrust Australia into a central role in America’s rivalry with China. After hinting at a more self-reliant defense posture for the past several years, Australia’s government is now instead betting big on the future of its alliance with the United States with the new pact. Australia seems to be assuming that America will remain engaged in Asia for the long haul and will be prepared to face down China if necessary — but it shouldn’t.

The crux of the partnership, called AUKUS, is an agreement for the United States and Britain to share their technology to help Australia deploy nuclear-powered submarines. But this is no ordinary arms agreement, nothing like exporting fighter jets or howitzers. Only a handful of nations have nuclear-powered submarines, and Australia will be just the second country, after Britain, to benefit from the top-secret U.S. technology.

Why is Australia worthy of such favorable treatment? It’s not just that it is one of America’s oldest and closest allies. It’s that for many American observers of China’s increasingly aggressive behavior, Australia is also the canary in the coal mine for great power competition with China. » | Sam Roggeveen | Monday, September 20, 2021

Romance, Leis, Kisses.

Romance, leis, baisers / Romantik, Leis, Küsse

Many thanks to Fredrik and Derek for this great photo.

Jews & Arabs Kiss to Protest a Book Ban


This “video featuring both opposite and same sex-attracted Jews and Arabs kissing has had hundreds of thousands of views on YouTube and Facebook.” – [Source: SBS]. Read about it here. This kiss is related to this event and video.

Die Welt näher zusammenbringen: Ein Jude und ein Araber küssen einander.

Rapprocher le monde : un juif et un arabe s'embrassent. / Bringing the world closer together: a Jew and an Arab kiss each other.

In this kiss (and others, gay and straight) Jews and Arabs kiss to protest a book ban.

With many thanks to SBS and Google Images for this photo.

Sunday, September 19, 2021

Crise des sous-marins: une «rupture de confiance majeure» avec Washington

Jean-Yves Le Drian lors d’une réunion avec son homologue hongrois, le 10 septembre 2021. ATTILA KISBENEDEK/AFP

LE FIGARO : DÉCRYPTAGE - Pour le gouvernement français, le «contrat du siècle» avec l’Australie ne se résumait pas à une affaire de vente d’armes.

En rappelant pour consultation ses ambassadeurs à Washington et à Canberra, une mesure très forte d’ordinaire réservée à des pays adversaires lorsqu’ils franchissent les lignes rouges, comme la Turquie d’Erdogan il y a un an, la France a-t-elle surréagi? «Crise grave», «mensonge», «duplicité», «mépris»: rarement le ministre des Affaires étrangères Jean-Yves Le Drian, qui a l’habitude d’appeler un chat un chat, mais n’est pas connu pour être colérique ni impulsif, avait paru aussi irrité.

Quant au porte-parole du gouvernement, Gabriel Attal, il parle de «rupture de confiance majeure». La tourmente sera au cœur du coup de téléphone prévu dans les jours qui viennent entre Emmanuel Macron et Joe Biden, à la demande du président américain. Elle sera aussi évoquée dans des entretiens entre le chef de la diplomatie française et ses homologues américains en marge de l’Assemblée générale de l’ONU, dès lundi. » | Par Isabelle Lasserre | dimanche 19 septembre 2021

Réservé aux abonnés

À LIRE AUSSI :

Sans le Brexit, le Royaume-Uni aurait-il pu négocier le nouveau pacte de sécurité avec les États-Unis et l'Australie ? : LA VÉRIFICATION - Aussitôt après l'annonce du torpillage du «contrat du siècle» entre la France et l'Australie, Nigel Farage s'est félicité du contrat Aukus signé par le Royaume-Uni, qu'il estime être une conséquence du Brexit. »

Chopin: Piano Concerto No.1 in E Minor, Op.11 - 2. Romance | Larghetto | Krystian Zimerman

Polish Festival Orchestra | Provided to YouTube by Universal Music Group

Voted the Best ‘Chicken française’ on Facebook

Chicken française is also known as "Francese" – egg-dipped chicken breast in a tangy buttery sauce. I believe this dish was created in America by Italian immigrants. As with numerous Italian chicken dishes, they were originally intended for veal which was more expensive. Why an American Italian dish is called "French"beats me, but one thing is for sure, the flavours are incredible. This dish has been shared by over 100 million people on Facebook! Wow, hence why it's voted as the best chicken francese recipe ever on Facebook.
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Get the recipe here.

En minijupe dans Kaboul ? La réalité derrière la photo des Afghanes « libérées » - Flashback #5

Sep 19, 2021 • Trois femmes, en jupe, dans Kaboul : l’image est simple et puissante. Abondamment relayée sur les réseaux sociaux, souvent par des militants d’extrême droite, elle aurait aussi convaincu Donald Trump, en 2017, de maintenir les troupes américaines en Afghanistan.

Cette photo, prise en 1972 dans un quartier huppé de Kaboul, illustre-t-elle la « modernité perdue » de l’Afghanistan, avant que les talibans n'arrivent ?

Pour ce nouvel épisode de la série vidéo «#Flashback», nous avons rencontré la photographe Laurence Brun, celle qui était derrière l’objectif.

Cinquième épisode de la série « Flashback » du « Monde », qui remonte le temps pour raconter les histoires extraordinaires qui se cachent derrière les photos qui ont changé le monde.


View from the Left: US Defeat in Afghanistan Signals an Irrational, Declining Empire - Global Capitalism

Sep 19, 2021 • Prof Wolff analyzes the US defeat in Afghanistan and what America’s "defense" policies reveal about US priorities and problems that contribute to the country's decline. "This is a system that has lost even the little bit of rationality it once had. It is driven by specific, particular, what we used to call, special interests who are doing it at the expense of the society as a whole. The defeat in Afghanistan has been a powerful signal around the world that the American empire is in decline." - Richard Wolff

Submarine Deal Gives Post-Brexit Britain Its Moment on the Global Stage

THE NEW YORK TIMES: The British government played an early role in brokering the alliance with the U.S. and Australia to deploy nuclear-powered submarines in the Pacific, officials in London and Washington said.

President Biden with Prime Minister Scott Morrison of Australia, left, and Prime Minister Boris Johnson of Britain joining him via video conference on Wednesday at the White House. Doug Mills/The New York Times

LONDON — As relations between France and the United States sink to their lowest depths in decades, Britain has emerged as the unlikely winner in a maritime security alliance that has sowed anger and recrimination across three continents.

The British government played an early role in brokering the three-way alliance with the United States and Australia to deploy nuclear-powered submarines in the Pacific, according to officials in London and Washington. The landmark agreement was announced hours after Australia canceled a $66 billion deal for diesel-electric submarines with France, provoking fury in Paris and quiet satisfaction in London.

For Prime Minister Boris Johnson, who will meet this coming week with President Biden at the White House and speak at the United Nations, it is his first tangible victory in a campaign to make post-Brexit Britain a player on the global stage.

Since leaving the European Union 18 months ago, Britain has cast about for a place in the world. Brexiteers latched on to the phrase “Global Britain,” which always seemed more a marketing slogan than a coherent foreign policy.

Yet the deal sealed on Wednesday, in which the United States and Britain would supply Australia with the submarines, confirmed Britain’s status as a military power with nuclear expertise, as well as a trusted ally of the United States. It also lent credibility to Mr. Johnson’s effort to build a British presence in Asia, a strategy that at first looked mostly like a nostalgic throwback to its imperial past.

Now, Britain has negotiated trade deals with Australia, Japan and South Korea, and deployed an aircraft carrier to help the United States keep an eye on China in the South China Sea, where Beijing is asserting its own imperial ambitions by constructing a chain of military installations. » | Mark Landler | Saturday, September 18, 2021

Crise des sous-marins : Le Drian dénonce une «duplicité», l'Australie évoque de «profondes et sérieuses réserves»

Le ministre des Affaires étrangères français Jean-Yves Le Drian justifié le rappel des ambassadeurs français à Canberra et Washington par le fait qu'il y avait «une crise grave entre nous». ATTILA KISBENEDEK / AFP

LE FIGARO : Le chef de la diplomatie française pointe «une rupture majeure de confiance». Canberra rétorque que la France savait que Canberra avait de «profondes et graves réserves» sur la commande de sous-marins.

Le chef de la diplomatie française Jean-Yves Le Drian a évoqué samedi la «crise grave» provoquée par le torpillage d'un mégacontrat de sous-marins français à Canberra, dénonçant une «duplicité», ce que l'Australie et les États-Unis contestent. Interrogé au journal télévisé de France 2, le ministre des Affaires étrangères a ainsi justifié le rappel des ambassadeurs français à Canberra et Washington par le fait qu'il y avait «une crise grave entre nous». Cette mesure, la première dans l'histoire des relations entre Paris et Washington, «est très symbolique. Il y a eu mensonge, il y a eu duplicité, il y a eu rupture majeure de confiance, il y a eu mépris donc ça ne va pas entre nous», a-t-il déclaré.

Plusieurs représentants du gouvernement australien ont tenté de faire baisser la pression française dans cette affaire et de défendre leur bonne foi. Le ministre australien des Finances Simon Birmingham a assuré dimanche que son pays avait informé le gouvernement français «à la première occasion possible, avant que l'affaire ne devienne publique». Interrogé par la chaîne publique australienne ABC, il a souligné que la décision australienne de revenir sur le contrat conclu avec la France était évidemment très difficile. «Nous ne sous-estimons pas l'importance maintenant de nous assurer que nous serons en mesure de rétablir ces liens forts avec le gouvernement français et nos partenaires à long terme», a-t-il ajouté. » | Par Le Figaro avec AFP | Publié : samedi 18 septembre 2021 ; mis à jour : dimanche 19 septembre 2021

Baptism of fire as Liz Truss heads to US amid submarine row: As France accuses the US and Australia of ‘lies and duplicity’, new UK foreign secretary faces major diplomatic incident on her first official overseas trip »

Wir haben unsere Bedenken geäußert“: Paris wirft Canberra wegen eines geplatzten Rüstungsdeals „Doppelzüngigkeit“ vor. Der australische Außenminister weist den Vorwurf der Lüge jetzt entschieden zurück. Und auch die neue britische Außenministerin verteidigt den Deal. »

Funny Gay Quote

Photo thanks to ReadersHook.

“ Straight? So is spaghetti until you heat it up ” – Jet Mykles

With thanks to Jet Mykles for this great and funny gay quote.

Hot Kissing

Heißes Küssen / Baisers chauds


Many thanks to lazarwoolf (8tracks.com) and Google Images for today’s great photo.

California Dreamin’

With thanks to Liz Erban Photo | Los Angeles Wedding for this lovely photo.

Bee Gees - Alone

Views on YouTube: 17,654,841

Michael Bolton - Completely

Views on YouTube: 12,973,143

Saturday, September 18, 2021

L'Iran ne laissera pas s'installer l'État islamique à sa frontière afghane

LE FIGARO : L'Iran ne permettra pas au groupe jihadiste Etat islamique de s'installer à sa frontière avec l'Afghanistan, a prévenu samedi le président iranien Ebrahim Raïssi. Regardez la vidéo » | Figaro Live | samedi 18 septembre 2021

À LIRE AUSSI :

L'Iran ne laissera pas s'installer l'EI à sa frontière afghane »

Vintage Gay : Gay Love ; Gay Romance

Anti-gay Campaign Shows Russia's Worst Side

Jan 30, 2014 • As Russia prepares to host the Sochi Winter Olympics, Europe Editor Matt Frei reports that the country's campaign against gay people shows its worst side just when it hoped the world would see only its best.

The Guardian View of Lib Dem Strategy: Bringing Down the ‘Blue Wall’

THE GUARDIAN – EDITORIAL: Boris Johnson’s record of incompetence and dishonesty has given Sir Ed Davey an opportunity

‘History, geography and demography are on Ed Davey’s side.’ Photograph: House of Commons/PA

Electoral history is full of upsets, but few are as stunning as the Liberal Democrats’ byelection victory in Chesham and Amersham, deep in the heart of Tory Britain. In June there was a 25% swing against the ruling party and a study by the UK in a Changing Europe thinktank this week calculated that more than 30 Tory MPs would be vulnerable if such a revolt were repeated. With their party conference starting on Friday, the Liberal Democrats are determined to make that win just the first step in bringing down the Conservatives’ “blue wall”.

While there are causes for optimism, one ought to be realistic. The Lib Dems have 12 MPs. Sir Ed Davey is the party’s fourth leader in six years. He will not be telling delegates this weekend to go back to their constituencies and “prepare for government”. But there are good reasons to believe something is happening. The local election results in May signalled Lib Dem gains at the expense of the Conservatives.

Boris Johnson’s authoritarian and populist Tory party, designed to appeal to a new coalition of voters, has alienated large parts of its traditional base. When our correspondent canvassed with Lib Dems in the leafy Surrey marginal seat of the deputy prime minister, Dominic Raab, not a single voter professed loyalty to the Tory MP. Voters can punish those who take them for granted. » | Editorial | Friday, September 17, 2021

Sind Manieren out? Der Knigge* von heute – Dokumentation von NZZ Format (2004)

Jul 10, 2015 • Manieren seien veraltet, meinen viele. Aber gutes Benehmen kann für eine Anstellung ausschlaggebend sein. Manieren sind dem Zeitwandel und der Kultur unterworfen. Aber ihnen zugrunde liegt der Respekt vor dem Gegenüber.

Ein Hort der Manieren ist das Fünfsternhotel Bellevue Palace in Bern, das seine Gäste nach den Regeln tradierter Manieren empfängt, begleitet und bewirtet.

Wie lernen Kinder heute Manieren? An der Lobdeburgschule in Jena gibt es weder Gewalt unter Jugendlichen noch Füsse auf den Schultischen. Lehrer, Eltern und Schüler arbeiten gemeinsam am guten Verhalten.

In internationalen Unternehmen passen die Verkäufer ihre Kleidung der Kundschaft an. Betriebsintern aber gehört bei IBM der Respekt zur Unternehmenskultur. Viele Massnahmen fördern das Vertrauen und eine gute zwischenmenschliche Kommunikation.



* Verhaltensregeln wie man mit Menschen umgeht, nach den Prinzipien vom deutschen Schriftstellers A. Freiherr v. Knigge (1752–1796).

Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky - Hymn of the Cherubim

Orchestra : The USSR Ministry Of Culture Chamber Choir | Conductor : Valery Polyansky | Album : V/A - Sacred Treasures - Choral Masterworks From Russia | Label : Hearts Of Space – 1998 | Views on YouTube: 9,995,342

This Was My Comment on Thursday, September 16th. in the New York Times apropos of AUKUS

I strongly disapprove of this deal, especially the duplicitous way that the US, UK and Australia have gone about it.

This deal between the US, UK and Australia has greatly angered the French and the Chinese: The French are understandably very angry (and greatly disappointed) because it cancels their huge deal with Australia - they feel let down; the Chinese are also understandably very angry because they apparently view it as resurrecting the Cold War mentality. They also see it as meddling in their region and waters.

It seems to me that the West is going the wrong way about trying to curb the rise of China. First and foremost, we should not be cutting off France like this; instead, the US, UK, and Australia should be working closely with France and Europe. We should not be causing divisions by our actions, for to do so will only embolden and empower China. The West should be working as one hand!

This is an ill-conceived move. It is divisive and counterproductive. – © Mark

This comment can be found on the New York Times here. If you approve of the comment, please be so kind as to give it a thumbs up. I would greatly appreciate that. (There are also more comments of mine on this topic beneath this comment. Please read those as well and like them if you feel so inclined.)

Crise des sous-marins : la tumultueuse amitié entre les États-Unis et leur «plus vieil allié»

Le général de Gaulle en compagnie du président américain Richard Nixon à Washington en mars 1969. AFP

LE FIGARO : DÉCRYPTAGE - Depuis la Seconde Guerre mondiale, la France n'a jamais voulu être considérée comme un valet des États-Unis, quitte à jouer les «Gascons» avec son tout-puissant allié.

Pour la première fois en deux siècles, la France a rappelé son ambassadeur aux États-Unis. Le geste est fort, à la mesure de la colère française, qui ne digère pas que son allié ait sabordé le contrat juteux, qui assurait au fleuron industriel français Naval Groupe la construction de douze sous-marins australiens.

Le 17 septembre 2021 fera donc date dans l'histoire qui unit les États-Unis et son «oldest ally» («plus vieil allié»). Une histoire mouvementée et passionnée, car si la France et les États-Unis n'en sont pas à leur première prise de bec, les deux pays sont historiquement très liés. Quelque cinq cents villes et villages américains portent le nom de la Fayette qui combattit aux côtés des Américains durant la guerre d'indépendance. De même, on ne compte plus les rues françaises aux noms des présidents Wilson ou Roosevelt. Car si les États-Unis ont acquis leur liberté avec l'aide de la France, cette dernière a conservé la sienne en 1917 et 1944 grâce aux soldats américains. » | Par Stanislas Poyet | samedi 18 septembre 2021

Réservé aux abonnés

À LIRE AUSSI :

Sous-marins australiens: «La France ne doit compter que sur elle-même si elle veut peser encore demain» »

Crise des sous-marins : Paris évoque un «mensonge» et une «crise grave» : Après avoir rappelé ses ambassadeurs à cause de la «gravité exceptionnelle» de la crise, Jean-Yves Le Drian a dénoncé «une rupture majeure de confiance». »

Beef Stroganoff | French Cooking Academy

Stroganoff de bœuf


Get the printable recipe here.

Nach geplatztem U-Boot-Deal: Paris ist verärgert über die USA

NEUE ZÜRCHER ZEITUNG: In Frankreich hat man erzürnt auf das neue Militärbündnis im Indopazifik und das geplatzte Abkommen mit Australien zum Bau von zwölf U-Booten reagiert. Gross ist die Wut besonders auf Washington.

Australiens Premierminister, Scott Morrison, wandte sich vom Abkommen mit einem französischen Konzern über den Bau von zwölf U-Booten ab. | Leo Baumgartner / Australian Defence Force / Getty

NEUE ZÜRCHER ZEITUNG: In Frankreich hat man erzürnt auf das neue Militärbündnis im Indopazifik und das geplatzte Abkommen mit Australien zum Bau von zwölf U-Booten reagiert. Gross ist die Wut besonders auf Washington.

Es kriselt zwischen Paris und Washington. Aus Ärger über die Entwicklungen der letzten Tage hat die französische Botschaft in Washington ein für Freitag vorgesehenes Galadinner abgesagt, mit dem die beiden Länder an einen gemeinsamen Sieg während des Amerikanischen Unabhängigkeitskriegs erinnern wollten.

Für Frankreich war es ein Schlag vor den Kopf, als der australische Premierminister Scott Morrison am Mittwochabend (europäische Zeit) den Beitritt Australiens zu einem Bündnis mit den USA und Grossbritannien, als Reaktion auf die Expansionsbestrebungen der Grossmacht China, sowie den gemeinsamen Bau von acht atombetriebenen U-Booten verkündete. Zugleich liess Morrison ein bereits geschlossenes Abkommen mit einem französischen Konzern über den Bau von zwölf dieselelektrisch angetriebenen U-Booten platzen. Frankreich macht die USA verantwortlich für Australiens Kehrtwende » | Judith Kormann | Samstag, 18. September 2021

Aukus: France’s Ambassador Recall Is ‘Tip of the Iceberg’, Say Analysts

THE GUARDIAN: Aukus pact announcement ‘puts a big rift in Nato alliance’ for France, says former UK ambassador

The French foreign minister, Jean-Yves Le Drian, has described the Aukus security pact as a ‘stab in the back’.Photograph: Jens Schlueter/AP

France’s historic decision to recall its ambassadors to the US and Australia is far more than a diplomatic spat, analysts have warned.

The move, in protest at Canberra’s surprise decision to cancel an order for French-built submarines and its security pact with Washington and London, will affect France and Europe’s role in Nato and already strained relations with the UK.

French officials have accused Australia, the US and the UK of behaving in an underhand, duplicitous manner that has betrayed and humiliated France.

“This is far more than just a diplomatic spat, the withdrawal of ambassadors is the tip of the iceberg,” Peter Ricketts, a former permanent undersecretary at the Foreign Office and former UK ambassador to France, told BBC Radio 4’s Today programme.

“There is a deep sense of betrayal in France because this wasn’t just an arms contract, this was France setting up a strategic partnership with Australia and the Australians have now thrown that away and negotiated behind the backs of France with two Nato allies, the US and UK, to replace it with a completely different contract.

“For the French this looks like a complete failure of trust between allies and calls into doubt what is Nato for. This puts a big rift down the middle of the Nato alliance … Britain needs a functioning Nato alliance.”

Ricketts added: “I think people underestimated the impact that this would have in France and how this would seem as a humiliation and betrayal in a year President Macron is running for election in a very tight race with the far right.” » | Kim Willsher | Saturday, September 18, 2021

The nuclear option: why has Australia ditched the French submarine plan for the Aukus pact? : Just two weeks before the bombshell, senior ministers from both countries met and declared they were ‘committed to cooperation’. How did it all go so wrong? »

Cabinet Reshuffle: Boris Johnson Thinks Government Is a Game. Truth To Power

Sep 18, 2021 • As Labour overtake the Tories in the polls for the first time since the pandemic started, one third of Boris Johnson’s failing ministers have been moved sideways or booted out during this week’s cabinet reshuffle. I don’t think it’s a coincidence. We take a look at some of those leaving or joining Johnsons top team, and what it means for the future of Johnson’s government. Boris Johnson has today described his cabinet as his rugby squad, with references to half time pep talks, gum shields and other nonsense. The usual Johnson bluster, but what it does show is that he considers governing the country to be just one big game.


If anyone ever doubted the verity of my description of BoJo as a clown, take one look at the above photo of him! That will disabuse you of your doubts! – Mark

Post Brexit ‘Global Britain’ to Help Threaten China’s World Domination with 3 New Submarines!

Sep 18, 2021 • Post-Brexit Britain's influence in the world is much diminished. Whilst Global warming is clearly the greatest challenge we face, inequality is also becoming a big problem all over the world.

But the other great challenge we face is the historic and unprecedented expansion of China. I have been visiting China for thirty-five years and have witnessed the astonishing transformation of China from being a very poor and backward nation to being the richest and most powerful nation on earth.

This poses challenges for the rest of the world and especially for a weak and declining economy such as the newly liberated 'Global Britain'. Sending an aircraft carrier to the South China Sea is ridiculous and humiliating. And now, with the help of the U.S. we are to help Australia to build three new nuclear powered submarines to 'keep China in check'.

CORRECTION: SINCE 2008 CHINA HAS BUILT 25,000 MILES OF HIGH SPEED RAIL, NOT 45,000 AS I INCORRECTLY STATED – APOLOGIES.

Th richest cities in the world according to number of resident billionaires are the following:
Beijing – 100
New York - 99
Hong Kong - 80
Moscow – 79
Shenzhen - 68
Shanghai - 64
London - 63


New Zealand Bill to Ban LGBTQ Conversion Practices Receives Record 100,000 Submissions

THE GUARDIAN: Activists hopeful the majority of submissions will be in favour, amid previous signs of support and large social media campaign

More than 100,000 people have sent in submissions on New Zealand’s plan to ban LGBTQ conversion practices – more than have ever been made on a piece of legislation.

“We’ve already made history with this movement and we’re not even done,” said Shaneel Lal, an activist and organiser in the movement to ban conversion practices. “People really and truly care about this because in 2021 it is not appropriate to erase queer identities.” » | Tess McClure in Christchurch | Wednesday, September 15, 2021

Gay Times Ends Print Magazine after Nearly 50 Years

PINK NEWS: Gay Times, one of the world’s longest-running print magazine for the LGBT+ community, has ceased printing after nearly 50 years.

The UK-based magazine was first published in 1984, but its predecessors date as far back as 1975. During that time it’s been a vital resource for LGBT+ people in periods of misinformation and violent rhetoric, from the early days of the Gay Liberation Front through to the repeal of Section 28. » | Emma Powys Maurice | Friday, September 17, 2021

Colorado Gov. Jared Polis Marries Husband in Historic First for Nation

Polis wed his longtime partner Wednesday.

ADVOCATE: On Wednesday, Democratic Colorado Gov. Jared Polis married his longtime partner Marlon Reis in a small ceremony. The event is the first same-sex wedding of a sitting United States governor.

"The greatest lesson we have learned over the past 18 months is that life as we know it can change in an instant," Polis wrote to his Governor of Jared Polis Twitter account. The 18 months is likely a reference to the ongoing global pandemic. "We are thankful for the opportunity to celebrate our life together as a married couple. » | Mikelle Street | Thursday, September 16, 2021

First openly gay person elected governor in US history marries partner in beautiful ceremony »

Let Me Kiss You!

Laisse moi t'embrasser ! / Lass mich dich küssen!

With thanks to the Daily Mail for the photo. You can read the article here.

Algérie: l'ancien président Abdelaziz Bouteflika est mort

L'ancien président algérien Abdelaziz Bouteflika. GEORGES GOBET / AFP

LE FIGARO : L'ex-président algérien Abdelaziz Bouteflika est décédé vendredi 17 septembre à l'âge de 84 ans, a annoncé la télévision publique. » | Par Le Figaro avec AFP | samedi 18 septembre 2021

À LIRE AUSSI :

Bouteflika, la sortie sans gloire d’un président qui voulait incarner l’orgueil algérien »