Le Japon choisit le rassurant Fumio Kishida comme premier ministre

Fumio Kishida s’exprime après avoir été annoncé vainqueur de l’élection à la direction du Parti libéral-démocrate (PLD), à Tokyo, mercredi. POOL/REUTERS
LE FIGARO : DÉCRYPTAGE - Le parti majoritaire a investi l’ancien ministre des Affaires étrangères qui donne peu de prise à l’opposition.

Tokyo

«Pour un “nihonbiki”, un amoureux du Japon comme moi, Fumio Kishida, c’est une très bonne nouvelle»: ce lobbyiste américain familier de l’Archipel ne cachait pas son contentement, mercredi soir, à l’annonce du nom du prochain dirigeant de la troisième économie du monde. L’ancien ministre des Affaires étrangères, Fumio Kishida, venait de remporter le scrutin interne au Parti libéral-démocrate (PLD), principale formation de la majorité. Il deviendra subséquemment, en raison du poids du PLD à la Diète, le 100e premier ministre de l’Archipel.

Des quatre candidats qui se sont poliment affrontés pendant douze jours, il a été le plus lisse. Sur le plan économique, il a appelé à mieux partager les fruits de la croissance, rééquilibrer les campagnes au détriment des métropoles, et autres lieux communs. Sur le plan sociétal, il est favorable à «un débat» sur l’évolution du statut ultra-rigide du mari et de la femme dans le couple nippon. Bref il n’a inquiété personne, remettant les réformes aux calendes grecques. Fumio Kishida est, en résumé, une victoire de l’establishment. » | Par Régis Arnaud | mercredi 29 septembre 2021

Réservé aux abonnés

Brexit : les Européens se rendant au Royaume-Uni doivent désormais montrer leur passeport

Le Royaume-Uni exige désormais des citoyens européens de présenter un passeport et non plus une carte d'identité. juliasudnitskaya / stock.adobe.com
LE FIGARO : Jusque-là, les Européens voyageant outre-Manche pouvaient présenter leur carte d'identité seulement à l'entrée du territoire. Le ministère de l'Intérieur britannique estime que ces dernières ne sont pas assez sécurisées.

La carte d'identité ne sera plus utilisable à partir de vendredi pour rentrer au Royaume-Uni, qui exige désormais des citoyens européens ou suisses qu'ils présentent un passeport, une des dernières conséquences en date du Brexit. Dans un communiqué, le ministère de l'Intérieur britannique affirme que ce changement permettra «d'empêcher les bandes criminelles organisées et autres personnes d'abuser du système», car les cartes d'identité constituent selon lui un document «non-sécurisé». » | Par Le Figaro avec AFP | jeudi 30 septembre 2021

À LIRE AUSSI :

Brexit : ces Britanniques qui cherchent une autre nationalité : INFOGRAPHIE - Les sujets de Sa Majesté établis sur le Continent, qui sont plus d'un million, se sentent oubliés par leur gouvernement dans les négociations sur le Brexit. Ils cherchent toutes les possibilités pour obtenir une double nationalité, ce qui n'est toutefois pas possible dans tous les pays de l'UE. »

Français de Londres: comment continuer à utiliser votre carte d'identité pour voyager entre l'Angleterre et la France : NOS CONSEILS - À partir du 1er octobre, les ressortissants français qui ne résident pas au Royaume-Uni ne pourront plus se servir de ce document pour s'y rendre, en raison du Brexit. Contrairement aux expatriés. »

Kenya Bans LGBTQ+ Documentary for ‘Promoting Same-sex Marriage’

THE GUARDIAN: ‘Discriminatory’ banning of I Am Samuel, about a gay man’s struggles with his sexuality, criticised by activists and producers

Samuel and Alex in a scene from I Am Samuel. Activists say the ban reflects Kenya’s ‘intolerant and intrusive religious and cultural beliefs’. Photograph: Peter Murimi/Reuters
Activists and film producers have criticised a decision by the Kenya Film Classification Board to ban a documentary that tells the story of a Kenyan man struggling with his sexuality.

They said banning the 52-minute film, I Am Samuel, amounted to “discrimination and persecution” of LGBTQ+ people.

The film – which was shot over five years and took two years to edit – follows the life of a young man tormented by his sexuality while growing up in rural Kenya, who finds acceptance after moving to the capital, Nairobi.

“The ongoing criminalisation of LGBTQ+ persons in Kenya is a sad trend bordering on discrimination and persecution of individuals perceived to have a minority orientation. The move is dictated by very intolerant and intrusive religious and cultural beliefs,” said Kamau Ngugi, the executive director of Defenders Coalition, an umbrella group of rights organisations and activists.

The film classification body said last week that the film “blatantly” violated the country’s laws that penalise all forms of homosexuality or same-sex marriage, and that the storyline was a “clear and deliberate attempt by the producer to promote same-sex marriage as an acceptable way of life”. » | Peter Muiruri in Nairobi | Wednesday, September 29, 2021

Homosexuality: The Countries Where It Is Illegal to Be Gay

BBC: A crackdown on lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender people in Cameroon has resulted in the arrest or assault by security forces of dozens of people this year, according to Human Rights Watch.

In the most recent incident, two transgender Cameroonians have been sentenced to five years in prison after being found guilty of "attempted homosexuality".

Where is homosexuality still outlawed?

There are 69 countries that have laws that criminalise homosexuality, and nearly half of these are in Africa.

However, in some countries there have been moves to decriminalise same-sex unions. In February this year, Angola's President Joao Lourenco signed into law a revised penal code to allow same-sex relationships and bans discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation.

In June last year, Gabon reversed a law that had criminalised homosexuality and made gay sex punishable with six months in prison and a large fine.

Botswana's High Court also ruled in favour of decriminalising homosexuality in 2019.

Mozambique and the Seychelles have also scrapped anti-homosexuality laws in recent years.

In Trinidad and Tobago, a court in 2018 ruled that laws banning gay sex were unconstitutional.

But there are countries where existing laws outlawing homosexuality have been tightened, including Nigeria and Uganda.

And in others, efforts to get the laws removed have failed.

A court in Singapore dismissed a bid to overturn a law that prohibits gay sex early last year.

In May 2019, the high court in Kenya upheld laws criminalising homosexual acts. Colonial legacy » | Reality Check team, BBC News | Wednesday, May 12, 2021

Russia Proposes ‘Extremist’ Label for LGBT, Feminist, Child-Free Movements

THE MOSCOW TIMES: Russia’s LGBT, radical feminist and child-free groups should be recognized as “extremist,” the chairman of an influential government commission said Wednesday.

“LGBT ideology, radical feminism and child-free movements should be recognized as extremism — an extremist ideology,” the state-run TASS news agency cited Andrei Tsyganov, chairman of a commission for the protection of children at the Roskomnadzor communications regulator, as saying Wednesday.

The proposed ban would help protect Russian children and adolescents from the influence of destructive content on social networks and the internet, Tsyganov said. » | The Moscow Times | Thursday, September 30, 2021

Human Rights Lawyers Call on UK Government to Ban ‘Conversion Therapy’

THE GUARDIAN: Experts say all practices, including prayer, aiming to change sexual orientation or gender identity must be criminalised

Activists have long campaigned for the government to outlaw conversion practices. Photograph: Vuk Valcic/Sopa Images/Rex/Shutterstock
Leading human rights lawyers and experts have called for swift action to outlaw so-called conversion therapy, which they say is degrading and harmful, and should not be tolerated in a civilised society.

The Forum, chaired by Helena Kennedy QC, says all practices, including prayer, that seek to suppress, “cure” or change sexual orientation or gender identity must be criminalised. There should be no defence that a victim appears to have consented.

“Individuals who seek out conversion practices in the hope of being ‘cured’ are not made aware of the severe psychological harm to which they are exposed, and so cannot give informed consent,” says the Forum’s report, published on Friday.

People who “actively sought out and ‘consented’ to these practices … have since provided evidence of the severe, long-term, negative psychological impact”. » | Harriet Sherwood | Friday, October 1, 2021

Hot!

I give my thanks again to El Chulo Dominicano for this great and expressive photo.

How Romantic!

Hot love in a hot tub!
Thanks and gratitude again to El Chulo Dominicano for this attractive photograph.

The Things People Do for Love!

Many thanks to El Chulo Dominicano on Pinterest for this great photo.

Vintage Gay : "Secretly"

A montage of vintage pictures of gay couples set to the music of "Secretly"

Who Is Japan's Designated Prime Minister Fumio Kishida? | DW News

Sep 30, 2021 • Japan's ruling party lawmakers voted on Wednesday to elect a new leader, with Fumio Kishida announced as the winner. Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) members were voting to replace Yoshihide Suga, who announced he was stepping down from the leadership position after drawing intense criticism over his handling of the pandemic during the Olympic Games. The new leader will almost certainly become the next prime minister of the country. Kishida should be approved by the parliament within days, and will then contest elections as the leader of the LDP. The LDP is expected to retain its majority in the powerful lower house of the parliament during general elections in November. The election was being closely watched, with race looking particularly tight between the two lead candidates.

A softly-spoken former foreign minister who hails from the Hiroshima family of politicians, Kishida had long targeted the top job. This was his second time running for the position of leadership, after having lost out to Suga last year. He was the first candidate to step into the race and ran on a platform of pandemic stimulus, touting himself as a listener who carried a suggestion box to events to note down proposals from citizens. Though Kishida faced stiff competition from his rival in the first round of voting, he delivered a convincing victory in the runoff elections. He won 257 votes, while his rival won 170. The outcome of the runoff vote was somewhat expected since he has greater support from party members. He is also likely to broadly continue the policies of Suga government. Though any major shift in policies is unlikely, Kishida has called for a "politics of generosity." He has said he wants to move from the neo-liberal economic policies that has dominated Japan. Kishida faces tough tasks in the short term, which includes reviving a pandemic-battered economy as well as confronting security risks in the region from China and North Korea.

Gay Parents: Gabriel and Dylan's Story

Michael Bolton : Drift Away

On tour in the UK right now. Tickets for his concerts are available through Ticketmaster here.

Will There Ever Be a Post-Brexit US-UK Trade Deal? - BBC Newsnight

Sep 22, 2021 • Boris Johnson and Joe Biden hold face-to-face talks in the White House. Is there any progress of a free trade deal with the US?

Those post-Brexit sunny uplands are looking far, far away now, aren’t they? Things were good for us in the European Union. But BoJo and his clique thought they knew better, and out we came for a wonderful trade deal with the US.

From where I’m sitting, no deal the US can give us will compare with the deals we had as full members of the EU. A Single Market of 500m+ consumers.

BoJo, Hannan, Rees-Mogg et al are clearly living in cloud cuckoo land!

Would that we had some decent leaders! Margaret Thatcher, with all her antipathy towards the notion of a federal Europe, was all for the Single Market—indeed she was one of its principal architects—and I’m absolutely sure that she would never have sanctioned that stupid Brexit referendum. She was a shrewd politician. She knew which side Britain’s bread was buttered. These hacks, by contrast, haven’t got a clue.

I could say 'I told you so.' But I shall refrain from doing so, since it would be in rather bad taste. – © Mark

La France, exutoire de Boris Johnson

LE MONDE : Pêche, migrants, sous-marins australiens… Les sujets de conflits s’accumulent entre la France et le Royaume-Uni. Pour masquer ses propres difficultés, le premier ministre britannique multiplie les attaques contre Paris, ce qui ravit la presse populaire tabloïd de son pays.

Editorial du « Monde ». De très longue date, les relations entre le Royaume-Uni et la France oscillent entre « entente cordiale » et exaspération réciproque sur fond de rivalité et, en réalité, de grande ressemblance. Mais jamais, dans l’histoire récente, les deux pays n’ont connu pareille accumulation de tensions. Aux différends sur la pêche, sur les migrants trans-Manche et sur la mise en œuvre du Brexit en Irlande du Nord s’est ajouté le « coup dans le dos » du pacte Aukus, conclu sur l’Indo-Pacifique entre Londres, Washington et Camberra au prix de la rupture de l’énorme contrat de fourniture de sous-marins français à l’Australie.

Le fil rouge qui relie chacun de ces conflits et exacerbe chacune de ces aigreurs est bien connu : il s’agit du Brexit. Tandis que la stratégie politique du premier ministre britannique vise à justifier le divorce avec l’Union européenne et à en souligner les prétendus bienfaits pour son pays, le président français, fondamentalement pro-européen, n’a cessé de fustiger le « mensonge » qui fonde le Brexit et dont Boris Johnson a été le principal artisan. Au printemps, M. Johnson a tenté d’attribuer au Brexit l’avance qu’avait alors son pays dans la vaccination, grâce à AstraZeneca. Cet argument ayant fait long feu, il entend aujourd’hui porter l’accord Aukus au crédit de sa politique de « Global Britain », corollaire de la sortie de l’Union européenne. » | Éditorial | jeudi 30 septembre 2021

Der niederländische Ministerpräsident Mark Rutte ist offenbar im Visier der Drogenmafia

NEUE ZÜRCHER ZEITUNG: In den Niederlanden wird gerade einem berüchtigten Drogenboss und seiner Bande der Prozess gemacht. Sollte es die «Mocro-Mafia» auch auf Mark Rutte abgesehen haben? Der Ministerpräsident steht derzeit unter erhöhtem Polizeischutz.

Ministerpräsident Mark Rutte sei seit mehreren Tagen schon nicht mehr mit seinem Velo zur Arbeit gefahren. | Imago
Mark Rutte gibt sich gerne volksnah. Allein in ausgebleichten Jeans durch Den Haag radelnd – am besten noch einen angebissenen Apfel in der rechten Hand –, so lächelt der niederländische Ministerpräsident am liebsten in die Kameras der Fotografen. Auf sichtbaren Personenschutz verzichtet er seit Jahren. Allenfalls gut versteckt im Hintergrund sollen sich die Männer mit den Knöpfen im Ohr halten. Kritik, dass dieses Verhalten leichtsinnig sein könnte, ignorierte der 54-Jährige. » | Daniel Steinvorth, Brüssel | Mittwoch, 29. September 2021

Dutch PM Given Extra Security amid Fears of Drug Gang Attack »

Tory Donor Made Life Peer and Appointed as Government Minister

THE GUARDIAN: Malcolm Offord, who has donated almost £150,000 to the Conservatives, sent to the Lords and becomes minister in Scotland Office

Malcolm Offord is the Founder and Chairman of Badenoch & Co. Photograph: Badenoch & Co
A financier who has donated almost £150,000 to the Conservatives has been made a life peer and given a ministerial job, Downing Street has announced.

Malcolm Offord, founder and chair of an Edinburgh-based “boutique investment” company, Badenoch and Co, will be made a life peer, a statement said, and become a junior minister in the Scotland Office.

Offord was a candidate for the Conservatives in May’s Scottish parliamentary election, a decision that prompted accusations of cronyism given that he had donated £147,500 to the party. Offord stood as a list candidate in the Lothian region, but was not elected.

He is the latest Conservative donor or associate to be sent to the Lords under Boris Johnson. In December last year, of 54 people ennobled by Johnson, 13 had either funded the Tories or had an employment or personal connection to Johnson. » | Peter Walker | Thursday, September 30, 2021

Comment mieux accueillir les élèves transgenres à l'école: la circulaire préparée par Blanquer

Jean-Michel Blanquer, le ministre de l'Éducation nationale. JEAN-FRANCOIS MONIER / AFP
LE FIGARO : INFO LE FIGARO - Le ministère de l'Éducation nationale s'apprête à publier un texte destiné à mieux accompagner les «transitions de genre» en milieu scolaire.

«Transgenres», «non binaires»* et «intersexes»**. Le ministère de l'Éducation nationale, après des mois de tergiversations, s'apprête à clarifier le rôle que doit tenir l'institution face à ces «transitions de genre» que de plus en plus d'élèves manifestent et souhaitent voir reconnues au sein de leur établissement scolaire. Après avoir auditionné les représentants de la communauté éducative, la rue de Grenelle va publier une circulaire intitulée «Pour un meilleur accueil des élèves transgenres en milieu scolaire».

La version provisoire de ce texte, que Le Figaro s'est procurée, tente, tant bien que mal, de fixer les règles pour répondre aux demandes de changement de prénoms, mais aussi concernant les tenues vestimentaires et l'usage de lieux d'intimité, comme les toilettes, vestiaires et chambres d'internat. Car sur le terrain, d'un chef d'établissement à un autre, d'un professeur à un autre, la situation de ces élèves, qui fait écho à l'intime de chacun, est très variablement accueillie. » | Par Caroline Beyer | jeudi 30 septembre 2021

Réservé aux abonnés

*Personne qui ne s'identifie ni comme homme, ni comme femme

** Personnes nées avec des caractéristiques sexuelles qui ne correspondent pas aux définitions types des corps féminins ou masculins

Jan-Werner Müller im Gespräch über Populismus und Identität | Sternstunde Philosophie | SRF Kultur

Aug 27, 2018 • Ob in Italien, den USA oder der Türkei: Populisten sind auf dem Vormarsch. Sie sehen sich als Stimme des Volkes im Kampf gegen die Elite. Doch was macht den Populismus derzeit so erfolgreich?

Der deutsche Politikwissenschaftler Jan-Werner Müller im Gespräch mit Yves Bossart über Erdogan, Trump, Orban, Salvini, Chavez und Blocher.

Sternstunde Philosophie vom 26.05.2018

Tchaikovsky: Nutcracker Suite, Op.71a, TH.35 - 3. Valse des fleurs (Tempo di Valse)

Provided to YouTube by Universal Music Group | Berliner Philharmoniker · Herbert von Karajan · Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky | Tchaikovsky: Ballet Suites

COVID-19: Furlough Support Scheme Ends

Sep 30, 2021 • The government furlough support scheme, which supported people wages during the pandemic, closes.

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

Die Inflation in Deutschland steigt auf 4,1 Prozent

FRANKFURTER ALLGEMEINE ZEITUNG: Am stärksten ist der Preisanstieg weiterhin bei Öl, Gas und Benzin. Aber auch Fleisch und Gemüse werden deutlich teurer – und viele Dienstleistungen. Bleibt das alles ein vorübergehendes Phänomen im Krisen-Ausklang, wie die Notenbanken sagen?

Die Inflation in Deutschland ist abermals deutlich gestiegen. Wie das Statistische Bundesamt am Donnerstag nach einer ersten Schätzung mitteilte, legten die Verbraucherpreise auf Jahressicht um 4,1 Prozent zu. Im August hatte die Rate bei 3,9 Prozent gelegen, nachdem sie noch Ende vorigen Jahres negativ gewesen war.

Die Teuerung hat damit den höchsten Stand seit immerhin Dezember 1993 erreicht. Damals, nicht lange nach der Wiedervereinigung, hatte die Inflationsrate in Deutschland bei 4,3 Prozent gelegen - seither immer unter 4 Prozent.

Der starke Anstieg der Inflation in letzter Zeit hält die Finanzmärkte in Atem. Christine Lagarde, die Präsidentin der Europäischen Zentralbank (EZB), hatte am Dienstag - wohl im Vorgriff auf solche zu erwartenden Zahlen - gesagt, es sei eine große Herausforderung für die Notenbank, sie dürfe jetzt nicht „überreagieren“. Am stärksten steigen weiterhin die Energiepreise » | Von Christian Siedenbiedel | Donnerstag, 30. September 2021

French Cooking Academy with Stéphane : Normandy-style Pork Chops Served with an Apple-flavoured Cream Sauce | Approx. 30 Minutes Cooking Time

Sep 30, 2021 • Get a taste of regional France with these pork chop cooked in a Normandy style. easy to make and perfect if you are short on time.
Côtes de porc à la normande

Ingredients:

4 pork chops, or pork cutlets
150 ml apple cider (beverage)
100 ml pure cream (heavy cream – US) [double cream – UK]
1 or 2 teaspoonfuls Calvados (optional)
4 apples (Golden Delicious, or similar) - peeled, cored and finely-sliced
20 gram butter (to cook the chops)
1 teaspoonful grapeseed or sunflower oil (to cook the chops)
30 grams butter to (cook the apples)
salt and pepper to season.

Cooking Time for the chops may vary depending on the thickness of the cuts you buy.

Ex-President Sarkozy Sentenced to Jail for Campaign Spending Violations

THE NEW YORK TIMES: Nicolas Sarkozy was convicted of illegally financing his 2012 presidential bid by exceeding France’s strict electoral rules. He said he would appeal.

Former President Nicolas Sarkozy of France on Wednesday in Madrid. | Rodrigo Jimenez/EPA, via Shutterstock
PARIS — A French court on Thursday sentenced Nicolas Sarkozy, the former president, to a year in jail for illegally financing his failed 2012 re-election campaign by wildly exceeding France’s strict electoral spending limits.

Mr. Sarkozy, 66, was president from 2007 to 2012. Though he is no longer active in politics and continues to be dogged by multiple legal entanglements, he is still an influential voice on the French right. Shortly after the verdict, his lawyer announced that Mr. Sarkozy would appeal the conviction.

It is the second time that Mr. Sarkozy has been sentenced to prison. In March, he became the first former president in France’s recent history to be sentenced to actual jail time after he was convicted on charges of corruption and influence peddling for trying to illegally obtain information from a judge on a legal case against him.

Mr. Sarkozy has appealed that conviction, which put the sentence on hold. Still, it made him only the second former president in France’s modern history to be convicted of a crime — Jacques Chirac was found guilty in 2011 of embezzling and misusing public funds when he was mayor of Paris.

The verdict against Mr. Sarkozy on Thursday came after a yearslong investigation and a trial in May and June, both of which focused on his 2012 re-election campaign and on France’s stringent electoral rules. » | Aurelien Breeden | Thursday, September 30, 2021

Affaire Bygmalion : Nicolas Sarkozy condamné à un an de prison ferme : Dans cette affaire liée à la campagne présidentielle de 2012, le parquet avait requis un an de prison, dont six mois avec sursis. L'ancien chef de l'État va faire appel. »

Frankreichs früherer Präsident Sarkozy zu einem Jahr Haft verurteilt: Nicolas Sarkozys Wahlkampf habe 2012 doppelt so viel gekostet wie erlaubt, sagen die Richter. Er hätte das besser überwachen müssen. Nun muss er ein Jahr in elektronisch überwachten Hausarrest. »

Affaire Bygmalion : qui a été condamné et pourquoi ? : Nicolas Sarkozy a été condamné à un an de prison pour financement illégal de sa campagne présidentielle de 2012. Au centre de l’affaire : un vaste système de fausses factures. »

‘Someone Lied’: French Foreign Minister Accuses Australia of Submarine Betrayal in Latest Broadside

THE GUARDIAN: Jean-Yves Le Drian says Australia reassured France everything was fine right up to the day the Aukus pact was announced

Jean-Yves Le Drian has told a French parliamentary hearing that Australia never expressed doubts about the submarine deal before breaking the contract. Photograph: Reuters
France has accused Australia of lying shortly before Canberra cancelled a major submarine contract, with the French foreign minister declaring “someone lied”.

With no sign of any imminent easing of tensions between the two countries, Jean-Yves Le Drian told a parliamentary hearing that Australia had never expressed doubts about the €56bn (A$90bn) submarine contract or the strategic Indo-Pacific pact before breaking the contract.

“Everything I have told you is confirmed by the letter I received on 15 September from the Australian ministry of defence that said everything is OK let’s continue,” Le Drian said.

The French foreign minister said this suggested “someone lied”. He added: “Something doesn’t add up and we don’t know what.” » | Kim Willsher in Paris and Daniel Hurst in Canberra | Thursday, September 30, 2021

Gay Quote: Tim Cook, CEO of Apple

Photo of Tim Cook thanks to Google Images and Twitter.
“You can only do so many things great, and you should cast aside everything else.”
Some of us are activists on the streets and in the halls of politics, and some of us are activists in the boardroom. If you have a keen mind for business, then stay out of the streets and halls of politics and impact business as an LGBTQ leader. Others will thank and follow you.

With every relay race, there’s the opportunity to shine as an individual and as a team. Every day there’s the opportunity for us to take the baton from another LGBTQ leader and shine for ourselves and our community. Will you be the next LGBTQ business leader? [Source: Forbes.]

Jung, selbstbewusst und verliebt

Photograph: Adobe Stock
Jeune, confiant et amoureux / Young, self-confident, and in love

Gay Marriage Is Not Just for the Twenty-somethings. It’s for the Mature Man, Too. Feelings of Love, Affection and Attraction Never Die.

A handsome couple: Groom and groom.
Thanks and gratitude go to StudioGregg Photography on Pinterest for this lovely photo.

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

La grande malbouffe. Documentaire Arte.

Mar 2, 2021 • Que mangeons-nous réellement en avalant un cordon bleu industriel ? Ce documentaire met la main à la pâte pour déconstruire les pratiques souvent douteuses de l’industrie agroalimentaire.

Toujours plus abondante et moins chère, la nourriture industrielle a envahi nos assiettes, avec des incidences sur la santé de plus en plus fortes : jamais l'obésité et le diabète n'ont été aussi répandus. Et jamais les étiquettes n'ont été aussi compliquées à déchiffrer. Pour percer les secrets du secteur agroalimentaire, Maud Gangler et Martin Blanchard sont eux-mêmes devenus… des industriels. Avec l’aide d’un laboratoire alimentaire spécialisé en recherche et développement, ils se lancent dans la production d'un plat populaire : le cordon bleu. Un projet offensif qui leur permet de comprendre de l’intérieur les rouages de l’ultratransformé, où la fabrication d’un produit en apparence simple tient de l’assemblage complexe. Pourquoi, alors que l’escalope panée cuisinée à la maison ne nécessite que cinq ingrédients, en faut-il ici une trentaine ? La viande du cordon bleu mérite-t-elle encore son nom ? Peut-on appeler fromage cette pâte fondante obtenue à grand renfort d'additifs ? L'emballage lui-même est-il nocif pour la santé ?

Riche et digeste

En partant d’un produit emblématique comme le mal nommé cordon bleu, puis en élargissant l'enquête, ce documentaire détricote les fils cachés d’un système ultraconcurrentiel. Se jouant des frontières, l’industrie agroalimentaire se révèle diaboliquement novatrice, usant de technologies toujours en avance sur les réglementations et d’astuces marketing rodées, ou s’aidant de puissants lobbies pour servir ses intérêts. Les autorités nationales et européennes s'avouent techniquement débordées et peinent à contrôler les substances toxiques qu'elles ont commencé par autoriser. Pourtant, l'espoir d’un changement qualitatif est impulsé par la société civile : sous la pression des consommateurs et d’applications de notation alimentaire comme Yuka, certains industriels cherchent à mieux faire pour bénéficier d’un "clean label" auquel s’attache le grand public. Réduction du nombre d'ingrédients, abandon d’additifs, choix de protéines végétales : une démarche vertueuse qui tourne parfois au casse-tête, quand elle n'aboutit pas à un effet inverse, avec des plats végans à la qualité sanitaire douteuse. Au menu de cette enquête riche mais remarquablement digeste, experts, nutritionnistes, docteurs en sciences des aliments ou consultants en "transformation positive" éclairent une question devenue cruciale : que mange-t-on aujourd'hui ?

Documentaire de Martin Blanchard et Maud Gangler (France, 2019, 1h30mn)

Licences de pêche post-Brexit refusées : Paris appelle à un front européen contre Londres

LE FIGARO : Jersey a accordé mercredi 95 licences à des bateaux français et en a refusé 75. Le gouvernement français a dénoncé des décisions «totalement inacceptables et inadmissibles».

L'île anglo-normande de Jersey va accorder 64 licences définitives et 31 provisoires à des bateaux français pour pêcher dans ses eaux et a en revanche refusé 75 demandes, a annoncé mercredi le gouvernement local dans un communiqué. Ces nouvelles licences post-Brexit viennent s'ajouter à 47 licences déjà délivrées depuis le début de l'année. Les 75 bateaux recalés devront «cesser toute activité de pêche dans les eaux de Jersey dans un délai de 30 jours», selon le gouvernement jersiais.

La veille, le gouvernement britannique avait annoncé qu'il accorderait 12 nouvelles licences sur 47 demandées, pour l'accès à une zone située entre 6 et 12 milles nautiques des côtes britanniques (Paris parle de 87 demandes). Au total, en incluant les autorisations délivrées précédemment par Londres, 100 licences sur 175 ont été accordées, selon le ministère de la Mer français. Des décisions jugées «totalement inacceptables et inadmissibles» par le gouvernement français. Ces décisions «contreviennent à l'accord signé dans le cadre du Brexit», a déploré Gabriel Attal mercredi, à la sortie du Conseil des ministres. «L'État français restera aux côtés de ses pêcheurs», a également tenu à souligner le porte-parole du gouvernement. Lire l'article et regarder la vidéo » | Par Le Figaro avec AFP | mercredi 29 septembre 2021

Jersey fears French boats will blockade port in row over fishing licences: Channel island’s government rejected third of French boats and ordered them out of its waters within 30 days »

Seong-Jin Cho – Debussy: Suite bergamasque L.75: III. Clair de lune

Listen to Debussy’s 3rd Movement Clair de lune on his Suite bergamasque played by Seong-Jin Cho. On the eve of the 100th anniversary of Claude Debussy’s death, 2015 Chopin Competition winner Seong-Jin Cho explores the great French composer’s piano music. | Place: Siemensvilla, Berlin

Rod Stewart : Maggie May

Provided to YouTube by Universal Music Group | Views on YouTube: 17,824,633

Michel Barnier: Former EU Negotiator on Brexit, Immigration & the French Presidency - BBC Newsnight

Sep 28, 2021 • The EU’s former Brexit chief negotiator, Michel Barnier, joins Emily Maitlis in his first UK broadcast interview since the publication of his book 'My Secret Brexit Diary'.

The Brexit vote was five years ago and the Brexit deal was struck nearly two years ago.

And yet the tentacles of those decisions are being felt more vividly today than ever before. Whether its discussions over rising wages of lorry drivers, or the migrant worker shortages seen in so many of our sectors.

Newsnight talks to the man who negotiated that deal for the EU, Michel Barnier.

Emily Maitlis started by asking him if he felt the negotiations ended up where he expected.

LGBT+ History by the Decades: Episode 1 - The Roaring Twenties | Episode 2 – The World at War | Episode 3 - Age of Conformity | Episode 4 - The Golden Age | Episode 5 – Before Stonewall | Episode 6 – Stonewall

The Lovesick - Vintage Gay Photos

German Cuisine: Red Cabbage – Rotkohl

Ingredients:

500 g / 18 oz red cabbage
2 onions
2 bay leaves
4 cloves
1-2 sour apples [cooking apples - UK]
4 tablespoons goose fat
1 tablespoon of sugar
3 tbsp white wine vinegar
Salt
Pepper
300 ml / 1.25 cups of poultry broth
2 tsp cornstarch [cornflour (UK)]
2 tbsp currant jelly

Klas’ Kitchen website here.

Jason Brennan will die Demokratie abschaffen | Sternstunde Philosophie | SRF Kultur

Jul 9, 2018 • Die umstrittene Wahl von Donald Trump, der Brexit, die Masseneinwanderungsinitiative: Die Demokratie steht auf dem Prüfstand. Der amerikanische Philosoph Jason Brennan möchte sie sogar abschaffen und durch eine Epistokratie, eine Herrschaft der Wissenden ersetzen. Yves Bossart hat ihn in Berlin getroffen.

À Kaboul, le retour du ministère du Vice et de la Vertu

Les talibans ont réinstauré à Kaboul le ministère pour la Promotion de la vertu et la Répression du vice en lieu et place de celui des Affaires féminines. HOSHANG HASHIMI/AFP
LE FIGARO : REPORTAGE - Cette institution, chargée entre 1996 et 2001 de réprimer les atteintes à la loi islamique, a laissé de sinistres souvenirs à la population.

À Kaboul
Mohammed Youssouf, 32 ans, se présente comme le directeur de cabinet du ministère pour la Promotion de la vertu et la Répression du vice, récemment réinstauré suite à la prise de pouvoir par les talibans le 15 août. L’homme est petit, souriant, porte une longue barbe noire et un turban assorti. Deux hommes armés de kalachnikovs gardent jalousement l’entrée de son bureau, situé dans le dixième district de Kaboul.

Il y a les responsables talibans aux discours policés qui tentent de présenter un visage acceptable au reste du monde. Et puis il y a Mohammed Youssouf. Le jeune homme confie sans détour son ambition de réinstaurer les châtiments corporels et les lapidations pour les Afghans qui oseraient enfreindre les règles de la charia, telles qu’édictées par le mouvement islamiste radical.

«Lorsque quelqu’un a une relation sexuelle hors mariage, il sera condamné au tribunal avec l’aide de quatre témoins, conformément aux réglementations de l’islam. Mais seulement si les témoins ont la même version des faits», explique-t-il sur le ton de l’évidence. «Si l’accusé est marié, le juge décidera d’une lapidation à mort. Si cette personne est célibataire, alors elle sera fouettée. La peine sera exécutée en public afin que cela serve de leçon aux autres.» Lire l'article et regarder la vidéo » | Par Wilson Fache | Publié : lundi 27 septembre 2021 ; mis à jour : mardi 28 septembre 2021

Réservé aux abonnés

A Brexit-Weary Britain Finds Itself in a New Crisis with Brexit Overtones

THE NEW YORK TIMES: The government has blamed problems like food shortages on the virus. With the pandemic waning, the focus in the fuel crisis is shifting to Britain’s exit from the E.U.


Boris Johnson, the prime minister of Britain, asked motorists to fill up only when they needed to, as a dearth of truck drivers has led to delayed deliveries of fuel and long lines at gas stations across the country. | Ben Stansall/Agence France-Presse — Getty Images
LONDON — Few things are more likely to set teeth on edge in Downing Street than the tentative winner of an inconclusive German election declaring that Brexit is the reason Britons are lining up at gas stations like it’s 1974.

But there was Olaf Scholz, the leader of the Social Democratic Party, telling reporters on Monday that the freedom of movement guaranteed by the European Union would have alleviated the shortage of truck drivers in Britain that is preventing oil companies from supplying gas stations across the country.

“We worked very hard to convince the British not to leave the union,” Mr. Scholz said, when asked about the crisis in Britain. “Now they decided different, and I hope they will manage the problems coming from that.”

For ordinary people, Mr. Scholz’s critique might also seem like old news. Britain is no longer debating Brexit. Nearly everyone is exhausted by the issue and the country, like the rest of the world, has instead been consumed by the pandemic.

But the coronavirus, and the months of economic shutdown that it forced, also masked the ways that Brexit has disrupted commerce. That disguise fell away last weekend when gas stations across the country began to run out of gasoline, sparking a panic and serpentine lines of motorists looking for a fill up.

While it would be wrong to blame a crisis with global ramifications solely on Brexit, there are Brexit-specific causes that are indisputable: Of the estimated shortfall of 100,000 truck drivers, about 20,000 are non-British drivers who left the country during the pandemic and have not returned in part because of more stringent, post-Brexit visa requirements to work in the country, which took effect this year. » | Mark Landler | Tuesday, September 28, 2021

End to freedom of movement behind UK fuel crisis, says Merkel’s likely successor: Olaf Scholz, poised to become next chancellor, wades into row over HGV driver shortage »

"It's Got Nothing To Do With Brexit!" The Latest Brexit Lie

Sep 29, 2021 • You may have noticed that all is not well in Britain right now, and I have what may be shocking news to some viewers, especially if they only watch the BBC or only read the right wing press. The government narrative that our woes are actually global problems - and more specifically problems shared with EU countries - is Just. Not. True.

BoJo and his band of jesters are loathsome! And I speak as a one-time dyed-in-the-wool Conservative voter! Brexit is going to cause untold, ongoing problems for this country for years and years to come. It was a stupid idea from the very beginning. Nobody, in his right mind, who understands anything about economics would turn his back on the European 'Single Market' – the biggest single market in the world. The sooner we get rid of BoJo and his clique of self-serving fools, the better. We need to rejoin the European Union as a full member asap. (If our European brethren would be prepared to accept us back, that is.) The sooner that happens, the quicker we will return to prosperity. – © Mark

Always Good to See Two Men Walking Together and Holding Hands

Break those taboos!
Many thanks to Nuptiis and Pinterest for this photo.

Undeniably Happy

Indéniablement heureux / Unbestreitbar glücklich
Very many thanks to El Chulo Dominicano for this super photo.

Bannon's War | Full Documentary | FRONTLINE

UK Puts Military Tanker Drivers on Fuel Delivery Standby as 'Precaution' | DW News

Sep 28, 2021 • The UK government has announced further measures to ease the rising demands for fuel, including the approval to put a pool of military drivers on standby. The country is facing a post-Brexit shortage of truck drivers.

We Brits have got what we deserve for voting for Brexit. Shortages of petrol, shortages of foodstuffs, bare shelves in the supermarkets, poor quality of fruit and vegetables; and worse it will get.

BoJo, as a classicist, knows very little about economics. He is also averse to detail and is impractical. He is also out of touch with the people. When was the last time BoJo went food shopping in a supermarket? Does he know what meat, fish, eggs, butter or milk actually cost? I very much doubt it. One can only despair at his ignorance!

Margaret Thatcher, by comparison, in spite of her superior Oxbridge education, as a grocer’s daughter, was a very practical woman, too. She was on the ball. She knew how ordinary people lived. That was her strength.

Some people loved her; others loathed her. But one thing one cannot deny: she was in touch with the people. She knew what they needed. She was also a workaholic, so worked tirelessly, often late into the night, to ensure that her policies were being carried out. – © Mark

Stocks Tumble as Tech Shares Slide and Bond Yields Climb

THE NEW YORK TIMES: U.S. stocks fell on Tuesday, with the S&P 500 falling 2 percent by midday, putting the index on track for its worst day since May.

The trigger for Tuesday’s sell-off was a rise in the yield on the benchmark 10-year Treasury note. Investors, weighing the prospect of the Federal Reserve preparing to reduce its purchases of government debt, sold off bonds, pushing the 10-year’s yield up to 1.53 percent, its highest level since June.

Government bond yields are the basis for borrowing costs across the economy, and a rise can hinder the stock market’s performance because it makes owning bonds more attractive and can discourage riskier investments.

Tech stocks are particularly sensitive to the prospect of higher interest rates, and those companies’ shares were hard-hit on Tuesday. The tech-heavy Nasdaq composite was down 2.7 percent at midday. » | Coral Murphy Marcos (Jeanna Smialek contributed reporting.) | Tuesday, September 28, 2021

Afghanistan: Hardship Grows as Economy Nears Collapse | DW News Asia

Sep 28, 2021 – Afghanistan heads closer to economic collapse, with the banks limiting withdrawals, inflation high, and unemployment growing. 03:27 The Taliban has also announced the reinstatement of executions and amputations. 11:01 A roundup of other major developments from the country.

Bruch: 1. Violinkonzert ∙ hr-Sinfonieorchester ∙ Hilary Hahn (Violine) ∙ Andrés Orozco-Estrada (Dirigent)

Frankfurt Radio Symphony

«Les Européens doivent sortir de la naïveté» vis-à-vis des États-Unis et «se faire respecter», dit Macron

LE FIGARO : Le président de la République plaide pour plus de pragmatisme et de lucidité face aux États-Unis en réaction à la perte du «contrat du siècle».

«Les Européens doivent sortir de la naïveté» en «tirant les conséquences» des nouveaux choix stratégiques des États-Unis, tournés vers leur rivalité avec la Chine, a déclaré mardi 28 septembre le président français Emmanuel Macron.

«Lorsque nous sommes sous l'effet de pressions de puissances qui parfois se durcissent, réagir, montrer que nous avons avec nous aussi la puissance et la capacité à nous défendre n'est pas céder à l'escalade, c'est simplement nous faire respecter», a-t-il martelé lors d'une conférence de presse avec le premier ministre grec, en réaction à la perte par la France du contrat australien de sous-marins au profit des États-Unis. Regardez la vidéo » | Par Le Figaro avec AFP | mardi 28 septembre 2021

A Comprehensive Guide to Boris Johnson’s Infamous Use of ‘Tank-topped Bum Boys’

Boris Johnson. (Getty)
PINK NEWS: Boris Johnson has, time and again, refused to apologise for using homophobic slurs such as “tank-topped bum boys”.

Johnson’s history of making homophobic remarks is under the microscope once more after Labour deputy leader Angela Rayner called the prime minister “scum”.

Asked if she would retract her words, she told the BBC Sunday (26 September) that Johnson was a “racist, homophobic misogynist”.

“I will apologise when Boris apologises for saying the comments he has made, I will retract that he is scum.”

Speaking during a BBC Question Time leaders’ special three weeks before the 2019 general election, Johnson suggested that any offence around his past comments was manufactured.

“If you go through all my articles with a fine-tooth comb and take out individual phrases, there is no doubt that you can find things that can be made to seem offensive and of course I understand that.”

So we thought we’d do just that, in an attempt to end the debate on whether or not his words were offensive once and for all. » | Reiss Smith | Monday, September 27, 2021

Biden: We Must Defend Rights of LGBTQ+ Individuals to Love Openly

ADVOCATE: Almost 70 U.N. member states still have laws criminalizing same-sex activity.

President Joe Biden addressed world leaders at the United Nations General Assembly Tuesday, where he spoke about the need to protect the rights of LGBTQ+ people around the world.

“We all must defend the rights of LGBTQI individuals so they can live and love openly without fear,” Biden said.

“As we pursue diplomacy across the board, the United States will champion the democratic values that go to the very heart of who we are as a nation and a people — freedom, equality, opportunity and a belief in the universal rights of all people,” he added.

In his speech, Biden specifically spoke about LGBTQ+ rights violations in Chechnya and Cameroon.

For years, Chechen authorities have organized — at times lethal — crackdowns against LGBTQ+ people in the Russian republic. Earlier this year the Russian LGBT Network reported that Chechen men forcibly returned a man to the republic from Moscow and interrogated him about LGBTQ+ people in the area. » | Alex Cooper | Wednesday, September 22, 2021

Be Warned: Gay Marriage and Gay Sex Are in SCOTUS Crosshairs »

Wenn Anderssein gefährlich ist: Homosexuelle in der Türkei | DW Reporter (2016)

Homosexuelle werden in der Türkei bedroht und beschimpft. Auch der Staat macht mobil gegen sie – etwa mit einem Verbot der beliebten „Gay Pride“-Parade in Istanbul. Der schwule Aktivist Görkem will der Polizei trotzen und dennoch öffentlich feiern.

The Plot to Kill Julian Assange: Report Reveals CIA’s Plan to Kidnap, Assassinate WikiLeaks Founder

Sep 28, 2021 • Did the CIA under the Trump administration plan to kidnap and assassinate WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange during a shootout in London? That is one of the explosive findings in a new exposé by Yahoo News that details how the CIA considered abducting and possibly murdering Assange while he took refuge in the Ecuadorian Embassy in London to avoid being extradited to Sweden for rape allegations, charges that were dropped in 2017. More than 30 former officials say former CIA Director Mike Pompeo was apparently motivated to get even with WikiLeaks following its publication of sensitive CIA hacking tools, which the agency considered “the largest data loss in CIA history.” Michael Isikoff, chief investigative correspondent for Yahoo News, lays out the plans and describes how the abduction plan “was one of the most contentious intelligence debates of the entire Trump era,” noting it ultimately spurred the Justice Department to fast-track its legal case against Assange. We also speak with Assange’s legal adviser Jennifer Robinson, who says the latest revelations should alarm American citizens, as well as journalists around the world. “This is the CIA talking about conspiracy to kidnap and murder an Australian citizen and an award-winning journalist and editor who has done nothing but publish truthful information.”

Democracy Now ! Top US News & World Headlines — September 28, 2021

As Gas Stations Run Dry, Britons Cope with Disruptions to Daily Life

THE NEW YORK TIMES: Getting to work, driving a taxi, making an ambulance run: Fuel shortages and long lines at gas stations have Britons scrambling to make trips they once took for granted.

Cars lining up at a Texaco gas station in London on Monday. | Henry Nicholls/Reuters
LONDON — In the northern English town of Baildon, Jag Sanghera took the train to work instead of driving, saving fuel needed to drive his daughter to nursery school. In west London, Laid Ibrahim, an Uber driver, tried at least seven gas stations before finding one open at 2 a.m. and waiting in line for 80 minutes. Across the city, Nick Day said the private ambulance service he works for was forced to cut the number of its vehicles on the road from six to four.

As the government tried to calm an anxious nation on Monday, gas stations across Britain continued to run dry and thousands of Britons found their lives upended.

Officials said there was no shortage of fuel and blamed the problems on panic buying. But analysts said the real cause of the chaos is a chronic shortage of truck drivers to deliver fuel to gas stations, and the government late Monday said it was putting a limited number of military tanker drivers on standby to be deployed if necessary.

Whatever the cause, the fuel supplies Britons once took for granted were vanishing, lines of vehicles clogged the streets near gas stations and some businesses that depend on fuel were suddenly at a standstill.

Dlu Uddin, the owner of Bricklane Minicab, a taxi service in east London, said he usually employs 10 drivers, but that since Sunday only two had shown up. The others do not want to drive too far from their homes because they are afraid of running out of fuel and not being able to get home, he said.

“The situation is really, really bad,” said Mr. Uddin, who said that the gas stations in his area were dry. “Never would I have a dream about this happening in England.” » | Stephen Castle, Jenny Gross and Aina J. Khan | Published: Monday, September 27, 2021; Updated: Tuesday, September 28, 2021

Pénurie d'essence au Royaume-Uni: le gouvernement appelle l'armée à se tenir prête

LE FIGARO : Les pénuries d'essence se sont encore aggravées lundi, toujours sous l'effet d'«achats panique» d'automobilistes inquiets.

Le Royaume-Uni a demandé lundi 27 septembre à son armée de se tenir prête à venir en aide dans la crise des carburants en cours dans le pays, après un week-end où les Britanniques inquiets se sont rués dans les stations-service, laissant nombre d'entre elles à sec. «Un nombre limité de chauffeurs de camions-citernes militaires doivent être prêts à intervenir et déployés si nécessaires pour stabiliser l'approvisionnement en carburant», a déclaré dans la soirée le ministère de l'Énergie dans un communiqué.

Les pénuries d'essence au Royaume-Uni se sont encore aggravées lundi, toujours sous l'effet d'«achats panique» d'automobilistes inquiets. «J'ai dû faire cinq stations-service différentes» et «mon réservoir est presque à sec», explique Lisa Wood, une automobiliste qui a patienté pendant plus d'une heure dans une station-service près du célèbre London Bridge, au cœur de Londres. Et de lancer à un conducteur voulant passer devant tout le monde: «Retournez au bout de la queue, vous êtes là depuis cinq minutes à peine!». Entre les klaxons et les jurons, Lisa concède que «ce n'est pas très britannique» de s'énerver, mais «quand il y a une crise, on n'est plus très «British». Regardez la vidéo » | Par Le Figaro avec AFP | Publié : lundi 27 septembre 2021 ; mis à jour : mardi 28 septembre 2021

Tankstellen ohne Benzin: Johnson plant Armeeeinsatz, Ärzte schlagen Alarm: Britischen Tankstellen ist das Benzin ausgegangen. Angst vor Engpässen führte zu Panikkäufen. »

Spain on a Fork: Spicy Garlic Spanish Potatoes | Albert Bevia

Patatas al pil pil

Get the recipe here.

Spanish paprikas used I this recipe here.

If you wish to do so, you can support Albert Bevia on Patreon here.

London wirft EU-Bürger ohne Aufenthaltsgenehmigung raus

Nach dem Brexit
BERLINER ZEITUNG: Der britische Premierminister Johnson will sein Versprechen einhalten und die Bewegungsfreiheit im Land einschränken. Er droht mit hartem Durchgreifen.

London - Großbritannien hat EU-Bürgern, die nach dem Brexit keine Aufenthaltsgenehmigung mehr besitzen, mit dem Rauswurf gedroht. Wer dennoch im Vereinigten Königreich bleibe, sei illegal dort, sagte der für Einwanderung zuständige Staatssekretär Kevin Foster der italienischen Zeitung La Repubblica (Samstag). „Wir erwarten, dass die Menschen das Land freiwillig verlassen, aber wenn dies nicht der Fall ist, wird die Einwanderungsbehörde versuchen, ihre Ausreise durchzusetzen“, sagte Foster. » | dpa/lex | Samstag, 25. September 2021

Censored by Blogger!

For the first time in twenty or so years, I have been censored by Blogger! A post of mine of a newspaper article on the petrol shortage and the panic buying that has been taking place because of the shortage was taken down! This astonishes me, especially since this post was a mere snippet from a Guardian article. So what exactly is being achieved by this? Anyone can go over to the Guardian and read the same thing. Is this the shape of things to come in the new, post-Brexit Britain, I wonder?

Americans' freedom of speech is guaranteed by their Constitution. The First Amendment guarantees that right. Alas, we Brits have no such guarantee. We are mere subjects, not citizens; and we have no written constitution. So we have only the rights conferred on us by Her Majesty's government. – Mark

New Taliban Chancellor Bars Women from Kabul University

THE NEW YORK TIMES: The new policy for Afghanistan’s premier university is another major blow to women’s rights under Taliban rule, and to a two-decade effort to build up higher education.

Women stand inside an auditorium at Kabul University’s education center during a demonstration in support of the Taliban government earlier this month in Kabul. | Felipe Dana/Associated Press
Tightening the Taliban’s restrictions on women, the group’s new chancellor for Kabul University announced on Monday that women would be indefinitely banned from the institution either as instructors or students.

“I give you my words as chancellor of Kabul University,” Mohammad Ashraf Ghairat said in a Tweet on Monday. “As long as a real Islamic environment is not provided for all, women will not be allowed to come to universities or work. Islam first.”

The new university policy echoes the Taliban’s first time in power, in the 1990s, when women were only allowed in public if accompanied by a male relative and would be beaten for disobeying, and were kept from school entirely.

Some female staff members, who have worked in relative freedom over the past two decades, pushed back against the new decree, questioning the idea that the Taliban had a monopoly on defining the Islamic faith.

“In this holy place, there was nothing un-Islamic,” one female lecturer said, speaking on condition of anonymity out of fear of reprisal, as did several others interviewed by The New York Times. “Presidents, teachers, engineers and even mullahs are trained here and gifted to society,” she said. “Kabul University is the home to the nation of Afghanistan.”

In the days after the Taliban seized power in August, officials went to pains to insist that this time would be better for women, who would be allowed to study, work and even participate in government.

But none of that has happened. Taliban leaders recently named an all-male cabinet. The new government has also prohibited women from returning to the workplace, citing security concerns, though officials have described that as temporary. (The original Taliban movement did that as well in its early days in 1990s, but never followed up.) » | Cora Engelbrecht and Sharif Hassan | Monday, September 27, 2021

Immigration : la France réduit de 50% les visas accordés à l'Algérie et au Maroc

Ceci est une capture d'écran extraite de la vidéo qui accompagne cet article.
LE FIGARO : Emmanuel Macron durcit le ton face aux difficultés rencontrées par la France pour renvoyer dans ces pays les ressortissants faisant l'objet d'une obligation de quitter le territoire.

La France va fortement durcir le ton envers l'Algérie, le Maroc et la Tunisie, a déclaré mardi matin le porte-parole du gouvernement Gabriel Attal, confirmant une information d'Europe 1.

Emmanuel Macron a en effet décidé de diviser par deux le nombre de visas délivrés pour l'Algérie et le Maroc, et de 30% pour la Tunisie par rapport à 2020, a précisé un conseiller de l'exécutif auprès du Figaro. » | Par Jeanne Sénéchal | mardi 28 septembre 2021

Gay Marriage in Iceland

"Pink Iceland helps couples plan their weddings in Iceland. Same sex marriage has been legal in Iceland since June, 2010 and even though we're founded with the idea of serving LGBTQ+ guests and started out with more lesbian weddings and gay weddings we work with everyone, as long as you are nice! Being a destination wedding planner in Iceland is challenging and rewarding. We'd love to hear from you and help you plan your Iceland wedding. Photo by Iceland Wedding Photographer Kristin Maria"
Many thanks to Pink Iceland for this lovely photo.

Handsome Gay Turks with a Great Sense of Humour

Very many thanks to Taksim gay sohbet and Pinterest for this superb photo.

Oh combien je t'aime !

Oh how much I love you! / Ach, wie sehr ich dich liebe!
Many thanks to El Chulo Dominicano. for this great and expressive photo.

Chopin: Ballade No. 1 in G Minor, Op. 23 | Seong-Jin Cho | London Symphony Orchestra

Provided to YouTube by Universal Music Group

«UK» statt «GB»: Britische Autos bekommen nach dem Brexit eine neue Abkürzung

NEUE ZÜRCHER ZEITUNG: Der Staat heisst Vereinigtes Königreich, doch das internationale Erkennungszeichen ist seit Jahrzehnten «GB». Das ändert sich nun. Doch nicht jeder ist mit der Entscheidung zufrieden.

Nicht mehr in der EU und nicht mehr GB: An Autos im Vereinigten Königreich wie an diesem Mini wird neu auch die Abkürzung UK stehen müssen. | Issei Kato / Reuters
(dpa) Es sind nur zwei Buchstaben, aber sie bringen viele britische Autofahrer aus der Spur: Künftig müssen Wagen für die Fahrt ins Ausland auf der Rückseite einen Aufkleber mit der Aufschrift «UK» tragen. Das bisherige «GB» ist vom 28. September an allein nicht mehr gültig, wie das Verkehrsministerium in London betont, in diesem Fall ist ein zusätzlicher «UK»-Sticker nötig. Möglich macht dies, so sagt die Regierung, der Brexit.

«Die Änderung der nationalen Kennung von ‹GB› zu ‹UK› symbolisiert unsere Einheit als Nation und ist Teil eines umfassenderen Schrittes zur Verwendung des ‹UK›-Symbols in der gesamten Regierung», begründete das Ministerium das Vorgehen. Die Vereinten Nationen seien informiert. Unterstützer betonen, dass sich nun auch endlich die Menschen in Nordirland angesprochen fühlten. Die britische Provinz gehört nicht zu Grossbritannien, wohl aber zum Vereinigten Königreich. «Schlag ins Gesicht» » | dpa | Montag, 27. September 2021

Wirklich BoJo? Sie sind noch dummer als ich je gedacht hätte! Mit all dem Problemen, die wir wegen Brexit haben, man würde glauben, daß Sie Wichtigeres zu tun hätten als solche Dummheiten einzuleiten? – © Mark

Liz Cheney: The 60 Minutes Interview

Sep 27, 2021 • Liz Cheney tells Lesley Stahl about running for re-election as an anti-Trump Republican in Wyoming, where her own party there has called for her resignation, and joining the House Select committee investigating the January 6 Capitol riot.

Peabo Bryson : If Ever You're in My Arms Again

Provided to YouTube by Rhino/Elektra | Views on YouTube: 22,969,192

Why Britain Is Embracing Pounds and Ounces

Fish for sale at a market in London. | David Azia for The New York Times
THE NEW YORK TIMES: Britain is planning a future that relies on greater usage of its imperial system of weights and measurements.

…

Now that Britain has left the E.U., the government is taking steps to return to imperial units, calling it a way to “capitalize on new Brexit freedoms.”

In practice, this will likely mean that shops and market stalls can sell produce labeled in pounds and ounces alone, rather than alongside grams and kilograms.

While some call it a Brexit victory, others question the focus on measurements when Britain is grappling with broader issues, including a fragile economic recovery. » | Jenny Goss, Reporting from London | Monday, September 27, 2021

Verwandter Artikel auf Deutsch:

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

This is yet another example of the idiocy of BoJo and his band of merry jesters! – © Mark

Democracy Now! Top US News & World Headlines — September 27, 2021

Dimitra's Dishes: Classic Greek Moussaka

Get the recipe here.

Will the UK Have a Winter Crisis?

Sep 27, 2021 • Supply chain chaos, fuel shortages, soaring energy prices, an NHS backlog and the threat of a COVID-19 resurgence - this is the winter the UK is facing.

So, what's going wrong? Who could feel the impact? And how does the government plan to avoid the worst?