Tusk ruft zu Protest in Warschau auf

NACH UMSTRITTENEM URTEIL
FRANKFURTER ALLGEMEINE ZEITUNG: Nachdem das polnische Verfassungsgericht nationalem Recht den Vorrang vor EU-Recht gegeben hat, ruft Oppositionsführer Donald Tusk zum Protest auf. „Nur gemeinsam können wir sie stoppen“, schreibt Tusk auf Twitter.

Der frühere EU-Ratspräsident und polnische Oppositionsführer Donald Tusk hat zu Protesten gegen ein umstrittenes Urteil des Verfassungsgerichts seines Landes aufgerufen. „Ich rufe alle, die ein europäisches Polen verteidigen wollen, dazu auf, am Sonntag um 18 Uhr auf den Schlossplatz in Warschau zu kommen“, schrieb er am Donnerstagabend auf Twitter. „Nur gemeinsam können wir sie stoppen.“ Tusk ist kommissarischer Vorsitzender von Polens größter Oppositionspartei, der liberalkonservativen Bürgerplattform. » | Quelle: dpa | Freitag, 8. Oktober 2021

New Orleans: First Dance in Their Own Wedding Reception

”The couple shares their first dance at this luxe New Orleans reception” | Image by Kristen Marie Parker
My thanks for this great photo go to Juneberg Weddings on Pinterest.

Ein Kuß mit Gefühl

Un baiser avec sentiment / A kiss with feeling
With thanks to maury on Pinterest for this expressive photo.

Paris demande des sanctions contre la Hongrie pour sa loi «homophobe»

Depuis 2010, le premier ministre hongrois multiplie les attaques contre les droits des personnes LGBT. JURE MAKOVEC / AFP
LE FIGARO : La Hongrie doit faire l'objet de sanctions européennes pour sa loi «homophobe» adoptée en juin, a estimé vendredi 8 octobre le secrétaire d'État français aux Affaires européennes qui se rendra mardi à Budapest. «Il y a une loi homophobe très grave qui a été votée en Hongrie à la mi-juin. Sur ce sujet, il peut, il doit y avoir des sanctions juridiques, voire financières», a déclaré Clément Beaune sur BFMTV.

«On ne peut pas voter une loi qui ne respecte pas des principes de l'Europe qui sont l'égalité, la liberté, la non-discrimination», a insisté le secrétaire d'État qui a lui-même fait son coming out en 2020. «C'est pas des mots, ça a été instauré après la Seconde Guerre mondiale parce qu'on sait ce qu'il se passe quand on casse l'État de droit et les valeurs». » | Par Le Figaro avec AFP | vendredi 8 octobre 2021

« Je suis gay et je l'assume » : Clément Beaune fait son coming out : Le secrétaire d'État chargé des Affaires européennes, qui a accordé une interview à « Têtu », veut montrer que l'orientation sexuelle « n'est pas un obstacle ». »

Cabinet minister comes out as gay with defiant vow to fight Poland’s shameful ‘LGBT-free zones’: France’s minister for European affairs Clément Beaune has publicly come out as gay and vowed to fight against Poland’s “LGBT-free zones”. »

LGBT+ BBC Staff ‘No Longer Feel Safe’ as Broadcaster Expected to Cut Ties with Stonewall

PINK NEWS: LGBT+ staff at the BBC have said that they “no longer feel safe” at the broadcaster as it reportedly prepares to withdraw from Stonewall’s workplace diversity scheme.

The BBC is just one of around 800 organisations across the UK that are signed up to Stonewall’s Diversity Champions programme, which promotes LGBT+ inclusion and equality in the workplace.

Numerous organisations – including Ofcom – have pulled out of the programme in recent months as the charity has faced a barrage of attacks over its trans-inclusive stance.

The BBC is expected to become the next major casualty of the anti-trans discourse surrounding Stonewall, according to Vice.

BBC insiders told Vice that the planned withdrawal from the Diversity Champions scheme could happen as soon as next week. The broadcaster’s membership is due for renewal “in early October”, staff said, and BBC executives have reportedly decided not to continue it.

One anonymous BBC staffer told Vice that top executives at the broadcaster feel they can’t be connected to Stonewall “in any way” because the BBC needs to be “impartial on LGBTQ lives”. » | Patrick Kelleher | Thursday, October 7, 2021

Ein Tag in Auschwitz – kompletter Dokumentarfilm auf Deutsch

Polish Court Rules EU Laws Incompatible with Its Constitution

THE GUARDIAN: Country takes big step towards ‘legal Polexit’ against backdrop of rows between ruling nationalists and Brussels

The Polish prime minister Mateusz Morawiecki, arriving at an EU-western Balkans summit in Slovenia on Wednesday. Photograph: Radek Pietruszka/EPA
Poland’s constitutional tribunal has ruled that some EU laws are in conflict with the country’s constitution, taking a major step towards a “legal Polexit” with far-reaching consequences for Warsaw’s funding and future relations with the bloc.

The tribunal, whose legitimacy is contested after multiple appointments of judges loyal to the ruling nationalist Law and Justice (PiS) party, said some provisions of EU treaties and EU court rulings clashed with Poland’s highest law, adding that EU institutions “act beyond the scope of their competences”.

“This is a legal revolution,” said René Repasi, professor of international and European law at Erasmus university in Rotterdam. “Admittedly it’s a captured court, but this is furthest step towards a legal exit from the EU ever taken by a national court.”

In a strongly-worded initial reaction, the European Commission said the decision on Thursday raised “serious concerns”. It reaffirmed that “EU law has primacy over national law, including constitutional provisions”.

The commission added that rulings by the European court of justice are “binding on all member state’s authorities, including national courts”, and said it would “not hesitate to make use of its powers under the treaties to safeguard the uniform application and integrity of union law”. » | Jon Henley Europe correspondent and Jennifer Rankin in Brussels | Thursday, October 7, 2021

Outrage after Gay Woman Diagnosed at Spanish Hospital with ‘homosexuality’

THE GUARDIAN: LGBT group complains to Murcia government after teenager was given report that included line: ‘Current illness: homosexual’

A Pride march in the Valencia region of Spain. LGBTI activists in Murcia want their regional authorities to apologise over a teenager’s treatment at Reina Sofía hospital, saying some in the health service ‘view sexual orientation as an illness’. Photograph: Biel Aliño/EPA
A family and an LGBT collective in south-east Spain are demanding answers and an apology after a 19-year-old gay woman who visited a gynaecologist over a menstrual condition was diagnosed with “homosexuality”.

On Monday the woman went to an appointment at the Reina Sofía hospital in the city of Murcia. After being examined she was given a piece of paper that included the line: “Current illness: homosexual.”

The woman’s mother told the online paper elDiario.es that the gynaecologist had asked her daughter whether he could include her sexual orientation in his report, and that she had consented – despite her surprise – as she thought at the time it might be relevant.

“At first, I thought it was funny, but it just isn’t,” said the patient. » | Sam Jones in Madrid | Thursday, October 7, 2021

Butter Chicken - köstliches Hähnchen in aromatischer Sauce | Thomas kocht

‘Butter Chicken‘, oder Butter Hühnchen, ist ein indisches Curry auf Tomaten-Basis. Im indischen heißt es Murgh Makhani. Das Gericht ist, wie bei so vielen, aus der Resteverwertung entstanden. Übrig gebliebenes Tandoori Hühnchen wurde in eine würzige, cremige Tomatensauce gegeben. Das Ergebnis war ein unglaublich leckeres Curry.

Das Rezept ist hier erhältlich.

Jan Lisiecki – Chopin: Nocturne in E Minor, Op. posth. 72/1 | Live from Würzburg, 2018

Boris's Brexit Boomerang: Is the UK Spiraling into Chaos? | To the Point

Oct 7, 2021 • The UK is facing chaos. With supplies of some key goods becoming scarce, the military have been called in. Is Brexit to blame? Our guests: Vendeline von Bredow (The Economist), Jon Worth (freelance journalist),Simon Young (DW)

Brexit is, and will continue to be, a disaster. BoJo is not qualified for the high position he holds: He doesn’t have any understanding of economics and he is not interested in the hard work that governing entails. Britain is on its way to becoming the ‘Sick Man of Europe’ yet again. We’ve been there before and we had to enter Europe to solve it. BoJo and his silly ideas will only compound the problem. – © Mark

Ces hommes profitent de la plage avant le début de l'hiver

These men are enjoying the beach before winter sets in / Diese Männer genießen den Strand vor dem Winter einbruch
With many thanks to El Chulo Dominicano amd Pinterest for this lovely photo.

Hinweis an den Hacker

Ich glaube, es wäre eine gute Idee, wenn Du Deine Mutter fragen würdest, Dir als Geschenk eine Babyrassel zu kaufen und sie in Deinen Kinderwagen legen. Die Rassel wird Dich sicherlich trösten!

Liebe Grüße,
Mark

A Short but Important Message to My Visitors

I am being hacked again, even as I write this. One of my posts about anti-Semitism has been taken down. I had placed that up only a short while ago. It was an article from the New York Times on anti-Semitism in Auschwitz-Birkenau.

Then, I noticed that I was unable to place a link underneath my report from 60 Minutes Australia on gay conversion therapy, entitled Pray the Gay Away. The keyword underneath that video is now ‘great songs’. I did didn’t place those words there, a hacker did. Problem is that I cannot change it back to what it should be! This has never happened to me before.

The hacker is clearly an anti-Semite. He is also sure to be a homophobe. This is extremely sad. – © Mark

Vandals Tag 9 Barracks at Auschwitz with Antisemitic Slurs

THE NEW YORK TIMES: The police and the Auschwitz Memorial are urging anyone with knowledge of the vandalism to come forward.

Wooden barracks at the former Auschwitz-Birkenau camp in Oswiecim, Poland, in 2005. | Czarek Sokolowski/Associated Press
THE NEW YORK TIMES: The police and the Auschwitz Memorial are urging anyone with knowledge of the vandalism to come forward.

Vandals sprayed antisemitic slogans and phrases denying the Holocaust in English and German on nine wooden barracks at the Auschwitz-Birkenau memorial site, in what officials there called “an outrageous attack on the symbol of one of the greatest tragedies in human history.”

The police in Oswiecim, the town in southern Poland where the concentration camp sits, said on Wednesday they were analyzing footage taken by security cameras on the site and looking for anyone who could give them information about the vandals, who they believe struck between 8 a.m. and noon on Tuesday. The barracks, which were defaced with black paint, housed men during the Holocaust and are near the Gate of Death in the Birkenau death camp. The police declined to give any further details about the slurs.

The Auschwitz Memorial site, in the statement published on its Twitter account, further condemned the graffiti as “an extremely painful blow to the memory of all the victims” who perished at the camp.

More than 1.1 million people, the majority of them Jews, perished in gas chambers at Auschwitz-Birkenau, or from starvation, cold and disease.

Countries across Europe have witnessed an increase in antisemitism online and among people protesting at demonstrations against the restrictions related to the coronavirus pandemic, with observers expressing concern that Jews increasingly feel unsafe in the European Union. The European Commission has earmarked 24 million euros, almost $28 million, to increase protection around synagogues and other Jewish events or sites. » | Melissa Eddy | Wednesday, October 6, 2021

Gay Teen Describes Traumatizing Experiences at Gay Conversation Camps | ABC News

Mar 11, 2017 • Lucas Greenfield, 17, says he was sent away to facilities aimed at "curing" him of his homosexuality.

Vandals Tag 9 Barracks at Auschwitz with Antisemitic Slurs

THE NEW YORK TIMES: The police and the Auschwitz Memorial are urging anyone with knowledge of the vandalism to come forward.

Wooden barracks at the former Auschwitz-Birkenau camp in Oswiecim, Poland, in 2005. | Czarek Sokolowski/Associated Press
THE NEW YORK TIMES: The police and the Auschwitz Memorial are urging anyone with knowledge of the vandalism to come forward.

Vandals sprayed antisemitic slogans and phrases denying the Holocaust in English and German on nine wooden barracks at the Auschwitz-Birkenau memorial site, in what officials there called “an outrageous attack on the symbol of one of the greatest tragedies in human history.”

The police in Oswiecim, the town in southern Poland where the concentration camp sits, said on Wednesday they were analyzing footage taken by security cameras on the site and looking for anyone who could give them information about the vandals, who they believe struck between 8 a.m. and noon on Tuesday. The barracks, which were defaced with black paint, housed men during the Holocaust and are near the Gate of Death in the Birkenau death camp. The police declined to give any further details about the slurs.

The Auschwitz Memorial site, in the statement published on its Twitter account, further condemned the graffiti as “an extremely painful blow to the memory of all the victims” who perished at the camp.

More than 1.1 million people, the majority of them Jews, perished in gas chambers at Auschwitz-Birkenau, or from starvation, cold and disease.

Countries across Europe have witnessed an increase in antisemitism online and among people protesting at demonstrations against the restrictions related to the coronavirus pandemic, with observers expressing concern that Jews increasingly feel unsafe in the European Union. The European Commission has earmarked 24 million euros, almost $28 million, to increase protection around synagogues and other Jewish events or sites. » | Melissa Eddy | Wednesday, October 6, 2021

Boris Johnson promet un avenir «radieux»

Boris Johnson, mercredi devant le congrès des conservateurs à Manchester: «Build back better» (reconstruisons en mieux). PAUL ELLIS/AFP
LE FIGARO : Le premier ministre britannique a déroulé, mercredi, devant le congrès des tories sa vision d’un «conservatisme radical et optimiste».

Boris Johnson ne veut pas se laisser polluer par l’air du temps. Certes, il y a ces crises en cascade, la flambée des prix du gaz, les pénuries d’essence, les problèmes d’approvisionnement dans les supermarchés ou les usines, le manque de main-d’œuvre et mille autres tracasseries qui flottent dans le sillage de la crise sanitaire et du Brexit. Mais le premier ministre se veut un indéfectible optimiste et il fallait rassurer les militants. Il a ainsi promis, mercredi, un avenir «radieux», en déroulant sa vision d’un «conservatisme radical et optimiste».

C’est la première fois depuis deux ans que «BoJo» haranguait ses troupes conservatrices réunies en congrès à Manchester. Par contraste avec un Labour «fatigué et pessimiste», le patron des tories a voulu déployer toute sa force de conviction. L’artisan du Brexit s’est engagé à libérer «l’esprit unique» de la Grande-Bretagne. Cet esprit comparable à nul autre, il le trouve chez les soignants, les entrepreneurs et les sportifs. Le premier ministre a cité en exemple la résilience mentale de la joueuse de tennis Emma Raducanu, lors de sa victoire dans le dernier US Open. Et s’est émerveillé qu’un pays représentant 0,8 % de la population mondiale ait pu se hisser à la quatrième place des médailles aux derniers Jeux olympiques. » | Par Arnaud De La Grange | mercredi 8 octobre 2021

Réservé aux abonnés

Depuis le Brexit, les différends entre Paris et Londres s’accumulent : ANALYSE - Le bras de fer franco-britannique engagé depuis neuf mois au sujet de la pêche n’est qu’un contentieux parmi d’autres. La relation entre les deux pays n’avait pas été aussi dégradée depuis longtemps. »

La France peut-elle vraiment couper le courant à Jersey ? : LA VÉRIFICATION - Le secrétaire d'État aux Affaires européennes a agité ce mardi la menace énergétique pour faire pression contre Londres dans le dossier de la pêche. »

Ces hommes profitent de la plage avant le début de l'hiver

These men are enjoying the beach before winter sets in / Diese Männer genießen den Strand vor dem Winter einbruch
With many thanks to El Chulo Dominicano amd Pinterest for this lovely photo.

Gipsy Kings : Trista Pena

Scenes from the film «Revenge» starring Kevin Costner and Madeleine Stowe Lyrics, music: Andre Reyes, Jacques Baliardo, Jalhoul Bouchikhi, Maurice Baliardo, Nicolas Reyes, Tonino Baliardo

ulio Iglesias, Stevie Wonder : My Love

Autriche : le chancelier Sebastian Kurz visé par une enquête pour corruption

Sebastian Kurz a récemment été critiqué pour ses velléités de contrôle des médias nationaux. LEONHARD FOEGER / REUTERS
LE FIGARO : «Neuf autres suspects, ainsi que trois organisations» sont aussi concernés pour diverses infractions de corruption liées à cette affaire, a annoncé le parquet dans un communiqué.

Le chancelier autrichien Sebastian Kurz, visé par une enquête, est soupçonné d'avoir utilisé des fonds gouvernementaux pour s'assurer une couverture médiatique favorable, a annoncé le parquet mercredi 6 octobre. «Sebastian Kurz et neuf autres suspects, ainsi que trois organisations» font l'objet d'une enquête pour diverses infractions de corruption liées à cette affaire, a précisé le parquet dans un communiqué, après une série de perquisitions. » | Par Le Figaro avec AFP | mercredi 5 octobre 2021

Bee Gees - Alone

Views on YouTube: 17,751,123

Rezept : Zürcher Geschnetzeltes mit Rösti | Marcel Prenz

Zürcher Geschnetzeltes ist eines meiner Lieblingsgerichte. Ich lernte es kennen als ich vor vielen Jahren in Zürich lebte und arbeitete. Falls sie dieses Gericht nicht kennen, darf ich es Ihnen empfehlen? Es ist ein Hochgenuß! Auch noch; Rösti wie dieser Herr sie vorbereitet ist authentisch und sieht wunderbar aus. Ganz lecker! Übrigens, viele Köche, vor allem in Großbritannien, machen Röstii falsch. Die Rösti, die dieser Herr vorbereitet, ist genau wie man sie vorbereiten sollte. - Mark

Das Rezept finden Sie hier.

A Scary Energy Winter Is Coming. Don’t Blame the Greens.

OPINION : THOMAS L. FRIEDMAN
THE NEW YORK TIMES: Every so often the tectonic geopolitical plates that hold up the world economy suddenly shift in ways that can rattle and destabilize everything on the surface. That’s happening right now in the energy sphere.

Several forces are coming together that could make Vladimir Putin the king of Europe, enable Iran to thumb its nose at America and build an atomic bomb, and disrupt European power markets enough that the upcoming U.N. climate conference in Glasgow could suffer blackouts owing to too little clean energy.

Yes, this is a big one.

Natural gas and coal prices in Europe and Asia just hit their highest levels on record, oil prices in America hit a seven-year high and U.S. gasoline prices are up $1 a gallon from last year. If this winter is as bad as some experts predict — with some in the poor and middle classes unable to heat their homes — I fear we’ll see a populist backlash to the whole climate/green movement. You can already smell that coming in Britain.

I am a fan of the financial newsletter Blain’s Morning Porridge, written by a smart, irreverent market strategist in London, Bill Blain. Last Thursday he bluntly summed up the energy situation for the U.K. and Europe this way:

This winter — people are going to die of cold. As the price of energy goes higher, the costs will fall disproportionately upon the poorest in society. Income inequalities will be dramatically exposed as the most vulnerable in society face a stark choice: heat or eat. … This winter the U.K. is likely to be on its knees, begging energy from wherever it’s available. Europe will be in as much trouble. The Middle East will be charging whatever they can get away with, and the capacity to deliver is limited. … And Vladimir Putin can’t wait. … He will invite each European leader to plead their case individually, menacingly asking each leader why he should open the gas taps to their nation specifically. … Make no mistake, this winter is going to be shocking. Be aware.

How did we get here? In truth, it’s a good-news-bad-news story. » | Thomas L. Friedman, Opinion Columnist | Tuesday, October 5, 2021

’Pandora Papers’: Why Is It So Difficult to Clamp Down on Tax Evasion? | DW News

Oct 4, 2021 • It is the biggest ever data leak exposing how the world's richest and most powerful keep their wealth offshore, hidden from the tax man. Journalists from around the world, including at DW News, have spent years sifting through this trove of data – and the results reveal a global offshore shadow economy inhabited by billionaires, celebrities, and political leaders. The goal is the same: to keep wealth hidden and avoid paying taxes. Some of the practices are legal, others are raising eyebrows.

Former Gay Conversion Therapist Says Practice Does Not Work | 60 Minutes Australia

Sep 16, 2019 • John Smid knows better than most the devastating effects Gay Conversion Therapy can cause. For 22 years he helped run Love In Action, one of the largest Christian gay conversion institutions in the US. But in all his time working for the institution, he says he never once saw a person 'converted' to be straight – and that he spent over two decades not just deceiving LGBT church members but also himself.

Homophobie : l'Assemblée nationale vote à l'unanimité un nouveau délit contre les «thérapies de conversion» : Le texte prévoit une infraction spécifique contre les soi-disant «thérapeutes» ou religieux qui prétendent «guérir» les homosexuels, un délit puni de deux ans d'emprisonnement et 30.000 euros d'amende. »

Les «thérapies de conversion» pour homosexuels, entre mythe et réalité : DÉCRYPTAGE - Une proposition de loi veut interdire les pratiques ou discours visant à «guérir» l'homosexualité. Mais des associations s'inquiètent des contours encore très flous donnés à cette notion, qui risquerait d'attenter à la liberté de conscience. »

Plus de 300 dignitaires religieux appellent à interdire les «thérapies de conversion» »

Loi sur les thérapies de conversion : psychiatres et juristes s'inquiètent pour les enfants en questionnement de genre : Deux collectifs de psychiatres et juristes alertent sur le danger d'inclure «l'identité de genre» dans la loi visant à interdire les «thérapies de conversion» pour homosexuels : celle-ci pourrait empêcher la prise en charge des enfants souffrant de dysphorie de genre. »

I’ve Had No Feedback Yet

Despite receiving lots of visitors to this blog, and despite requesting feedback, I have received not even one single email from anyone with any opinion or suggestions for improvement. I am surprised and disappointed.

Because I have had no feedback, I have no idea which features you like and which features you dislike. Consequently, I am working completely in the dark: I have absolutely no idea whether I am on the right track, or not.

When I changed the name and focus of this blog, I hoped to build a community. Building a community relies on some interaction. Without interaction, I am merely blogging according to my own whim and fancy. That was not my intention.

I find this a little demoralising. I am also demoralised by the fact that my page views are not growing in spite of all my hard work. I once requested that you spread the word for me. Clearly, this hasn’t helped.

Thus far I have never tried to monetise this blog; so, I get nothing from it except the satisfaction of pleasing my visitors (and seeing my page views go up). Without any feedback at all, I cannot know whether I am pleasing you, especially when the page views don’t rise accordingly.

At one point, I reached approximately 68,500 page views a month. Today, I am down to 46,200+ this month.

I have reasons to be suspicious of this page view count. I am not convinced that it is not being tampered with. Why? Because it doesn’t tally with the stats I get from a French company which also monitors my statistics. Their stats are consistently good and vary little, indicating that nothing has changed. Google’s, by contrast, go up and down like a yo-yo, sometimes the page view count can drop 1,500 views in a space of less than half an hour! Then, the following day, it climbs back up again only to be cropped again late that night. They talk of algorithms; it seems more like the human hand to me!

Make no mistake, my page views are still very good by comparison with other blogs, research tells me. However, I want this blog to grow and grow, not go up and down like a yo-yo.

So I ask you again, please be so kind as to write me an email with your thoughts and suggestions. It doesn’t have to be long. But your ideas would be very helpful to me. I don’t think that this is asking too much of you.

You can write to me in English, German, or French; in whichever language suits you best. But a little feedback would be very welcome and extremely helpful.

As always, my email address is markalexander.librabunda@gmail.com

I shall look forward to receiving your viewpoints and suggestions. – Mark

My original FEEDBACK request is here.

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

Vanilla crème anglaise by Pierre-Dominique Cécillon for Larousse Cuisine

Crème anglaise à la vanille

Access to the Tory Party Is Being Bought by a New Class of Tycoon Funders

THE GUARDIAN: In light of revelations in the Pandora papers, we need to be asking what are they getting in return?

Boris Johnson appointed Ben Elliot as Tory co-chair. This appointment changed the structure of the British Tory party.’ Photograph: David M Benett/Dave Benett/Getty Images for Din Tai Fung
One big theme has dominated Tory party conference at Manchester this week: levelling up. Boris Johnson, we are being told, is on a mission to rescue British working people who have been forgotten and left behind in today’s UK.

According to this powerful narrative Keir Starmer’s Labour party is a manifestation of a “woke” metropolitan elite utterly alien to the “red wall” voters who flocked to the Tories at the last election.

The Pandora papers revelations undermine that Tory story. Yes, there are struggling people who have been forgotten by the system. Yes it’s a worthy cause to give them a much bigger say in public life. But no, the Tories don’t generally represent such people.

Johnson’s Conservative party essentially belongs to the super-rich. The billionaires. Those with privileged access to the prime minister and the chancellor of the exchequer. To the large and in many cases insalubrious cast of men and women with walk-on appearances in the Pandora papers scandal.

This class of Conservatives does not seem to see the British state – as Tories have historically claimed to do – as something to which you dedicate a life of service. They seem to see it rather differently: as something to be plundered and used for self-enrichment. » | Peter Oborne | Tuesday, October 5, 2021

France Threatens to Cut UK and Jersey Energy Supply in Fishing Row

THE GUARDIAN: French government pushing EU to take stronger stance in dispute over access to Channel waters

The EU could hit Britain and Jersey’s energy supply over the UK’s failure to provide sufficient fishing licences to French fishers, France’s EU affairs minister has said.

Clément Beaune, who is a close ally of the French president, Emmanuel Macron, said action would be decided on within days and discussions were already in motion.

France has been pushing the EU to take a stronger stance against the UK over its concerns that Boris Johnson’s government is acting in breach of its obligations over fishing access to Channel waters.

Last week a third of French boats applying to fish in Jersey’s waters were turned down by the island’s government. The previous week the UK government provided only 12 of 47 French vessels with permits for its coastal waters. The UK and Jersey authorities have said the vessels that had been turned down had failed to provide evidence of operating in the relevant waters. » | Daniel Boffey in Brussels | Tuesday, October 5, 2021

The End of a ‘Gilded Age’: China Is Bringing Business to Heel

THE NEW YORK TIMES: Executives sit in jail, tech companies are being reined in and the biggest developer is teetering. It’s the beginning of a new era for China’s economy.

Xi Jinping in Tiananmen Square in Beijing on Thursday. In Mr. Xi’s China, success in business no longer guarantees safety. | Carlos Garcia Rawlins/Reuters
Chinese tech companies are reeling from regulation. Nervous creditors are hoping for a bailout for China’s largest developer. Growing numbers of executives are going to jail. An entire industry is shutting down.

For China’s leader, Xi Jinping, it’s all part of the plan.

Under Mr. Xi, China is reshaping how business works and limiting executives’ power. Long in coming, but rapid in execution, the policies are driven by a desire for state control and self-reliance as well as concerns about debt, inequality and influence by foreign countries, including the United States.

Emboldened by swelling nationalism and his success with Covid-19, Mr. Xi is remaking China’s business world in his own image. Above all else, that means control. Where once executives had a green light to grow at any cost, officials now want to dictate which industries boom, which ones bust and how it happens. And the changes offer a glimpse of Mr. Xi’s vision for managing the economy, ahead of a political meeting expected to solidify his plans for an unprecedented third term in charge.

The goal is to fix structural problems, like excess debt and inequality, and generate more balanced growth. Taken together, the measures mark the end of a Gilded Age for private business that made China into a manufacturing powerhouse and a nexus of innovation. Economists warn that authoritarian governments have a shaky record with this type of transformation, though they acknowledge that few have brought such resources and planning to the effort. » | Paul Mozur | Tuesday, October 5, 2021

Pandora Papers: Massive Leak Exposes How Elite Shield Their Wealth & Avoid Taxes in Colonial Legacy

Oct 5, 2021 • The Pandora Papers, described as “the world’s largest-ever journalistic collaboration,” have revealed the secret financial dealings of the world’s richest and most powerful people. “We’ve uncovered a system that benefits a few at the expense of the many,” says Ben Hallman, senior editor at the International Consortium of Investigative Journalists, who details some of the project’s main revelations so far. We also speak with Vanessa Ogle, professor of history at the University of California at Berkeley and an expert on tax havens, who says the growth of tax havens like the Bahamas and Switzerland is directly linked to wealth extraction from the developing world. “The seed money for the expansion of these tax havens comes out of the colonial world,” she explains.

Missbrauch in der katholischen Kirche: Bis zu 330 000 Opfer in Frankreich

NEUE ZÜRCHER ZEITUNG: Seit den 1950er Jahren sind in der katholischen Kirche in Frankreich 216 000 Kinder und Jugendliche Opfer von sexuellem Missbrauch geworden – dazu kommen weitere Zehntausende Opfer in von der Kirche betriebenen Einrichtungen. » | Diesntag, 5. Oktober 2021

Full interview: Boris Johnson on Brexit, Immigration and UK Labour Shortages

Oct 5, 2021 • Political Editor Gary Gibbon talks to Prime Minister Boris Johnson and asks him about his words during the 2016 Brexit referendum, immigration and labour shortages currently affecting the UK.

This is BoJo at his best! Lying, fudging, obfuscating and talking nonsense.

The other day, BoJo was talking about a low-wage economy; now he's talking about a high-wage economy! It’s time he made up his mind. That man is out of his depth.

Let’s get one thing straight: This supply chain problem, with a shortage of petrol at the pumps and bare shelves in supermarkets is largely being caused by Brexit. The problems of poor quality fruit and vegetables, price inflation and a shortage of care workers are also being caused by Brexit, not the pandemic!

I have said it before and I’ll say it again: This man does NOT understand even basic economics. – © Mark

Emmanuel Macron a reçu Antony Blinken, première rencontre avec un responsable américain depuis la crise des sous-marins

La rencontre entre les deux hommes politiques n'était pas prévue. Antony Blinken devait uniquement rencontrer Emmanuel Bonne, le conseiller diplomatique du Président. POOL / REUTERS
LE FIGARO : L'Élysée a annoncé dans un communiqué que «beaucoup de travail» restait à faire «pour identifier les décisions concrètes» sur les enjeux communs de la France et des États-Unis.

Emmanuel Macron a reçu mardi 5 octobre le chef de la diplomatie américaine, Antony Blinken, en tête-à-tête à Paris pour sa première rencontre avec un dirigeant des États-Unis depuis le début de la crise des sous-marins. Une discussion qui doit «contribuer à restaurer la confiance entre la France et les États-Unis».

Le secrétaire d'État, à l'agenda duquel ne figurait qu'un entretien avec Emmanuel Bonne, le conseiller diplomatique d'Emmanuel Macron, «a ensuite été longuement reçu en tête-à-tête par le président de la République», précise l'Élysée dans un communiqué. Il y a un «commun accord que nous avons une opportunité à présent d'approfondir et renforcer la coordination» entre les deux pays alliés, notamment «sur les enjeux d'intérêt commun, qu'il s'agisse de la coopération UE-OTAN, du Sahel, ou de l'espace Indo-Pacifique». » | Par Le Figaro avec AFP | mardi 5 octobre 2021

À LIRE AUSSI :

Sous-marins : du «contrat du siècle» à la crise de confiance »

German Division and Reunification - The Brandenburg Gate as National Symbol | DW Documentary

Oct 4, 2021 • More than just a landmark in Berlin, the Brandenburg Gate is a national symbol. Like no other building, it stands for Germany’s division and reunification. But while everyone recognizes the Brandenburg Gate, hardly anyone knows much about it.

Built in 1793, the Brandenburg Gate received little attention at first. That changed when Napoleon triumphantly entered the city through the gate after his victory over Prussia in 1806 - and took its Quadriga to Paris as a spoil of war. After the charioteer returned to Berlin in 1814, the Brandenburg Gate became a national symbol of triumph.

Following the Second World War, the gate stood at the place where two opposing political systems met. Here, East and West confronted each other, from either side of the Wall. That changed in 1989, when people from East and West crossed the Wall at the Brandenburg Gate to embrace each other.

More than any other German monument, the Brandenburg Gate has been exploited again and again for the politics of power; its symbolism has been reinterpreted numerous times; and it has been used and abused as a backdrop by countless political groups.

Die Homophobie ist wieder auf dem Vormarsch (2016)

Die Homophobie ist wieder auf dem Vormarsch, wir sprechen mit dem Journalisten Jan Feddersen, eines seiner Schwerpunktthemen ist die Homosexualität.

Unfreie Fahrt

TEMPOLIMIT IN DEUTSCHLAND
FRANKFURTER ALLGEMEINE ZEITUNG: Kommt mit der neuen Regierung ein starres Tempolimit auf Deutschlands Autobahnen? Wenn sich eine Ampel-Koalition für Tempo 130 ausspricht, geht wieder ein Stück Freiheit verloren.

In den Koalitionsverhandlungen streiten die Parteien um viele wichtige Themen, ein starres Tempolimit auf den Autobahnen gehört eher nicht dazu. Es lässt sich zwar mit einem Federstrich einführen, wir hoffen aber, dass sich wenigstens die Freien Demokraten nicht von den Scheinargumenten düpieren lassen, die angeblich dafür sprechen.

Deren erstes: Alle anderen haben es schon. Das ist das schwächste, weil sich daraus nichts ableiten lässt. Wenn alle Staaten sich bis über die Ohren verschulden, wird das dadurch richtig? » | Ein Kommentar von Lukas Weber | Dienstag, 5. Oktober 2021

The Guardian View on Rishi Sunak’s Speech: Levelling Down

THE GUARDIAN – EDITORIAL: The chancellor’s praise for the economic policies of previous Conservative governments augurs badly for struggling families

Screenshot taken from the accompanying video.
One of the lessons that leading Brexiters learned from the 2016 referendum was that brazen opportunism can pay off handsomely. A Eurosceptic movement born in the more arcane reaches of the Conservative right, committed to deregulated, laissez-faire economics, achieved its goal by channelling a desire in Labour’s heartlands for more, not less, protection from the global economy.

This week, as the Conservative party conference meets in Manchester, the same audacity is on display again. As the army moves in to deliver urgent fuel supplies, food and labour shortages grow and an unprecedented, wasteful cull of more than 100,000 pigs looms. Boris Johnson and his ministers have hailed the chaos as necessary disruption on the way to a “high skills, high wage” economy. The worse things get, the better they will become, it is claimed, as business is forced to adapt to a long-term absence of migrant labour and up its game on pay and conditions. The abject handling of a foreseeable crisis, exacerbated by Brexit, is thus rationalised post-hoc as the royal road to “levelling up”. » | Editorial | Monday, October 4, 2021

Sunak is either a liar or a fool. – © Mark

FOLGEN DES BREXITS: Warum die irische Insel zusammenwächstDer Brexit sollte Nordirland fest ans Vereinigte Königreich koppeln, so hatten Unionisten sich das vorgestellt. Tatsächlich geschieht gerade das Gegenteil – notgedrungen. Bei Marks & Spencer im Zentrum von Belfast gibt es kein Toilettenpapier mehr. Dosensuppen und Kartoffelchips sind auch ausverkauft bis auf eine Sorte. Chinesische oder indische Fertiggerichte in der Kühlabteilung? Fehlanzeige. Bei Obst und Gemüse klaffen ebenfalls Lücken. Am Regal für Heidelbeeren hängt ein Schild: „Wir sind stolz darauf, britische Farmer zu unterstützen.“ Das Problem ist nur: Britische Farmer schaffen es nicht mehr, ihre Ware zu den Kunden in Nordirland zu bringen. Hier und da mag das mit fehlendem Benzin zusammenhängen, der großen Plage im Vereinigten Königreich. Doch sind die leeren Regale für Nordiren kein neues Phänomen. Es gibt sie schon seit Anfang des Jahres, seit das Königreich mit voller Wirkung die Europäische Union verlassen hat.»

The Guardian View on Tax Havens: Bring Them to Heel

THE GUARDIAN – EDITORIAL: The Pandora papers prove that secrecy jurisdictions and their super-rich clients are still running rings around the rest of us

‘The chancellor, Rishi Sunak, was wrong to say that the prominent role of the City of London in this system is not a “source of shame”.’ Photograph: Getty
Five years after the Panama papers exposed the vast scale of offshore banking and business services via the activities of the wealth management specialist Mossack Fonseca, hundreds of billions of pounds are still being secreted away in tax havens. The leak of almost 12m documents, known as the Pandora papers, reveals that 35 current or former heads of state are among the customers of secrecy jurisdictions where huge sums of money are hidden in order to avoid tax and transparency. King Abdullah II of Jordan, Czech prime minister Andrej Babiš and Azerbaijan’s ruling Aliyev family are among those with serious questions to answer, along with more than 100 billionaires and rich individuals from all over the world.

Beyond any specific acts of venality, as outrageous as these are, looms a system whose existence is a global disgrace. As a matter of course, and in spite of their immense personal advantages, the ultra-rich are ripping off everyone else. They do this by refusing to pay their share towards the services and resources (health, education, energy, water and governance) on which everyone depends. And they are facilitated and encouraged in this by an industry whose purpose is to shield their wealth and conceal what they are up to. » | Editorial | Monday, October 4, 2021

Pandora Papers: A Money Bomb With Political Ripples: Revelations from nearly 12 million leaked confidential financial records have thrown light on the concealed wealth of powerful public figures around the world. How do they hide their money, and why is this information important? »

Taiwan President Warns of ‘Catastrophic Consequences’ If Island Falls to China

THE GUARDIAN: Tsai Ing-wen says Taiwan will ‘do whatever it takes to defend itself’ against an increasingly assertive Beijing

Taiwan president Tsai Ing-wen said if the island “were to fall, the consequences would be catastrophic for regional peace” Photograph: Ann Wang/Reuters
THE GUARDIAN: Tsai Ing-wen says Taiwan will ‘do whatever it takes to defend itself’ against an increasingly assertive Beijing

Taiwan is committed to defending its democracy against an increasingly aggressive China, the island’s president has vowed, warning of “catastrophic consequences” for the region should it fall.

The comments from Tsai Ing-wen, in an essay published on Tuesday, came amid record-breaking incursions by Chinese warplanes into its air defence zone. On Tuesday Taiwan’s premier, Su Tseng-chang, said the “over the top” activity violated regional peace, and Taiwan needed to be on alert.

China’s People’s Liberation Army (PLA) has sent nearly 150 planes into Taiwan’s air defence identification (ADIZ) zone in the first four days of October, in what mainland figures and media have labeled a demonstration of strength but which world governments condemned as an act of intimidation and aggression.

Writing for Foreign Affairs magazine, Tsai stressed Taiwan’s desire for peace but said “if its democracy and way of life are threatened, Taiwan will do whatever it takes to defend itself”.

However she also urged other nations to “understand the value of working with Taiwan”, against the broader threat posed by Beijing. “And they should remember that if Taiwan were to fall, the consequences would be catastrophic for regional peace and the democratic alliance system.” » | Helen Davidson in Taipei | Tuesday, October 5, 2021

Taiwan and China: line that Biden must tread is finer than ever: Analysis: the fallout from a conflict triggered by miscalculation or accident could be catastrophic »

Former California Cop Who Sued over Antigay Abuse Wins $2.2 Million

ADVOCATE: Jay Brome said he was subjected to homophobic harassment throughout his 20 years with the California Highway Patrol.

Former California Highway Patrol officer Jay Brome has received a settlement of $2.2 million in a lawsuit he brought against the CHP, saying his coworkers made his life on the job miserable because he’s gay.

Brome was a CHP officer from 1996 until 2015, when he took medical leave due to the stress of the homophobia he encountered. It began when he was in the police academy and continued throughout his CHP career.

“There was bullying or name-calling — ‘fag,’ ‘gay,’’’ Brome told The Sacramento Bee in 2018. “I had an instructor that told me … to take my skirt off and start acting like a man.”

At one point at the academy, according to his lawsuit, a fellow cadet aimed a training gun at his head and said, “I know you’re gay, tell me you’re gay or I’ll pull the trigger.” » | Trudy Ring | Monday, October 4, 2021

More Satisfaction

Photograph : Adobe Stock

Juste un baiser satisfaisant

Just a satisfying kiss / Nur ein befriedigender Kuß
Many thanks to El Chulo Dominicano and Pinterest for this photo.

"Pandora Papers" enthüllen geheime Geschäfte von Politikern und Promis | DW Nachrichten

Oct 4, 2021 • Die Enthüllungen bestätigen die schlimmsten Vorurteile gegen Politiker: Dass sich einige von ihnen nämlich lieber selbst bereichern als Korruption und Steuerflucht zu bekämpfen. Interne Daten von verschiedenen Finanzdienstleistern - genannt "Pandora Papers" - enttarnen mehr als 330 Politiker und hochrangige Beamte aus 91 Ländern, darunter Staats und Regierungschefs. Für Tschechiens Ministerpräsident Babis kommen die Enthüllungen zur Unzeit - er will diese Woche wiedergewählt werden.

Die DW spricht mit dem Journalisten Nils Naber, der an den Recherchen beteiligt war.

This Is Not Just Brexit. It's a Marks & Spencer Brexit. Truth to Power

UK gas prices are currently the highest in Europe, with some industry experts stating that this is at least partly because of Brexit and the UK no longer being part of a European Union arrangement to aggregate gas supply across the bloc. Well, maybe that’s true and maybe it isn’t, but what is beyond doubt is that in the latest plot development in Brexit the disaster movie: Marks & Spencer are closing more than half its stores in France due to Brexit supply problems, and a quarter of small UK businesses have now suspended EU sales altogether, due to post-Brexit rules. And this is just the tip of the iceberg.

BoJo is a know-nothing when it comes to economics. Nobody in his right mind who knows even just a little about economics would walk away from a single market of 500m+ consumers. That is the Single Market which Margaret Thatcher worked hard to bring about. It brought us prosperity.

Brexit is going to make this country much, much poorer. It is going to turn this country into the ‘Sick Man of Europe’ again. We’ve been there once before.

The selection of goods in the supermarkets has shrunk significantly; and what is available is generally inferior. Fruit and vegetables quickly go mildew in the salad crisper. That never happened before this damn Brexit.

The fact is that the tw*ts—use the vowel of your own choosing—have screwed up – BIG TIME.

But it should also be borne in mind that we Brits have lost our rights as European citizens, rights such as the right to set up a business, the right to buy a residence, the right to free healthcare, the right to love across frontiers, and many more rights besides. I, for one, resent losing my European rights. Despite once being a dyed-in-the-wool Conservative voter, I declare here and now that I shall never vote for the Conservatives again. I could never trust them.

The once united United Kingdom has been turned into the disUnited Kingdom; and I can’t see that changing for very many years to come.

I DO NOT respect the result of the Brexit referendum for ONE simple reason: It was NOT democratic. It was also badly designed. Further, the voters were fed claptrap and lies about the European Union.

I, for one, am ashamed of the way that the UK, under BoJo and his cabinet of jesters, is being governed. This is not the United Kingdom I once knew and loved. This whole Brexit saga is sad and stupid. Moreover it is going to impoverish the nation. – © Mark

Hélène Grimaud – Mozart: Piano Concerto No. 23: II. Adagio

Hélène Grimaud considers the concerto in A major "probably the most sublime concerto Mozart ever wrote", with a slow movement that is "an extremely deep and painful expression of longing, where you find the real Mozart." …

Dimitra’s Dishes : Mediterranean Stuffed Artichokes: The Perfect Party Appetizer

Get the printable recipe here.

Democracy Now! Top US News & World Headlines — October 4, 2021

Zu Tisch ... in Apulien | ARTE

Sep 5, 2021 • Apulien: der Süden des Südens. Von der Adria und dem Ionischen Meer umgeben und von 300 Sonnentagen im Jahr verwöhnt, ist die Region am Absatz des italienischen Stiefels ein einziges Obst- und Gemüsebeet, in dem alle Zutaten der mediterranen Küche gedeihen. Die Reihe reist auf die Halbinsel Gargano, rund um Rignano Garganico, Monte Sant'Angelo, Vico del Gargano und Peschici.

Die Folge "Der Gargano" beginnt in Rignano Garganico, hier lebt Giuseppe Bramante und züchtet Garganica-Ziegen und Podolica-Kühe. Damals wie heute vom Speiseplan der Hirten nicht wegzudenken sind Musciska – gewürzte und in der Sonne gedörrte Fleischstreifen.Im Inneren des Nationalparks zeugen Klöster und Einsiedeleien von tiefgeprägter Spiritualität. Hier steht die Wallfahrtskirche San Michele Arcangelo. Und auch zu Hause darf eine Prise Heiligkeit nicht fehlen. Auf Basis von Mandeln bereitet Anna Basta die traditionelle Süßspeise zu: Ostie chiene.In Peschici betreibt die Familie Ottaviano in fünfter Generation Fischfang mit dem traditionellen Trabucco. Von einem schmalen Steg hoch über dem Meer schauen die Männer ins Wasser. Ob die Falle heute zuschnappen wird?

Dokureihe, Regie: Lorenza Castella (D 2021, 27 Min)

Trailer : Supernova

The Government Promised to Clamp Down on Shell Companies. It Has Failed to Do So

THE GUARDIAN: These schemes are an invitation to dodge taxes and accept bribes. And as the Pandora papers show, they’re thriving

Anyone able to afford the entry fee still has access to a financial network denied to the rest of us.’ Photograph: peterhowell/Getty Images/iStockphoto
If it feels as if the secrets revealed by the Pandora papers – the biggest ever leak of offshore data – are familiar, that’s because they are.

A Ukrainian president, a former British prime minister, a friend of Vladimir Putin, they all featured in the Panama papers – which uncovered the financial information of more than 200,000 offshore businesses – back in 2016. Here we are five years later, reading about them all over again.

The individuals may be different: it’s Tony Blair this time, not David Cameron; Ukraine has a new president; and the Putin friend is an oil trader, not a cellist. But the essential details are the same. Anyone able to afford the entry fee still has access to a financial network denied to the rest of us; and it follows that no one in power has done anything substantive about it in the past half-decade.

t shouldn’t need saying, but this is bad. Democracies only survive because the law applies equally to everyone. If a shadow system persists that allows the rich and powerful to avoid obeying the same rules as the rest of us, the trust that underpins our system will disappear. Without trust, democracy cannot survive. » | Oliver Bullough | Monday, October 4, 2021

It is self-evident that we are not living in democracies but kleptocracies! Whilst this is going on, any talk of democracy is laughable. Our systems are corrupt and rotten to the core. Who can be trusted anymore? Each man is out for himself. Further, the bigger the theft, the more likely you are to get away with it! Steal a Mars bar and you're in deep trouble; steal a few billion and all is well – you're protected. Talk of perversion, this is it! Rotten is as rotten does. – © Mark

'Pandora Papers' Expose Secret Tax Havens of the Rich & Powerful | DW News

Oct 4, 2021 • A massive data leak has revealed the secret financial dealings of some of the world's richest and most powerful people. The "Pandora Papers" show how politicians, business tycoons and celebrities hide their wealth using off-shore tax havens. The investigation was carried out by the International Consortium of Investigative Journalists, with global media partners including DW.

Tories facing calls to return cash from donors named in Pandora papers: Ministers forced to answer string of questions about Tory donors’ alleged links to corruption »

UK Truck Crisis: Delivery Shortages Put Christmas at Risk | DW News

Oct 4, 2021 • Army tanker drivers are to start delivering fuel to filling stations in the UK. Many have run dry in a deepening supply crisis. The government insists it has a plan to end shortages of fuel and some foods, but admits it could be months before things get back to normal. Critics say Brexit is causing the chaos.

UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson is remaining defiant as he faces a supply chain crisis in the lead up to the Christmas season. In an address to party faithful he said he has a bold plan for a post-COVID recovery. But labour shortages across the UK are bringing logistics to a standstill and leaving supermarket shelves empty. The army is to be deployed to shore up fuel supplies, after days of panic buying at the pumps.

Hauler David Zacchea points to all the trucks he's had to take off the road. He can't hire enough drivers to run them.

It's part of a wider supply chain crisis gripping the UK. The government says it will offer thousands of temporary visas so that foreign drivers can fill the gap. But business owners say it's like throwing a drop of water on a bonfire.

Driver's unions also say conditions on the job are so poor, it makes keeping staff difficult. Business is now concerned that logistics for the Christmas season will suffer. Poultry farmers are experiencing labor shortages as well, saying people's Christmas turkeys are under threat. Prime Minister Boris Johnson is trying to promote a sense of calm, saying it was all part of the plan for post-Brexit Britain. But it's doing little to sooth nerves. Fears of shortages have led to panic buying at petrol stations. Many retailers say fuel levels are critically low.


This is primarily a Brexit problem. That is undeniable. - © Mark

Britain’s Christmas Lament: Meat Shortages and Delivery Delays: Military personnel are driving transport trucks. Pig farmers may start culling their stock. Even the government says shortages will affect Christmas, as Britons brace for a challenging winter. »

Bier, Speck, Medikamente: In Grossbritannien fehlt Alltägliches: Die Briten stöhnen, viele Produkte sind kaum noch erhältlich. Weil Zehntausende Lastwagenfahrer fehlen, kämpft die Wirtschaft mit logistischen Problemen. »

Revealed: Czech PM Used Offshore Companies to Buy £13m French Mansion

THE GUARDIAN: Pandora papers reveal Andrej Babiš financed purchase via secret loans through three overseas firms

Andrej Babiš is the second-richest man in the Czech Republic. Illustration: Guardian Design
THE GUARDIAN: Pandora papers reveal Andrej Babiš financed purchase via secret loans through three overseas firms

Andrej Babiš, the billionaire Czech prime minister, is under pressure to explain a convoluted offshore structure he used to finance his purchase of a £13m mansion in the south of France.

The disclosure that Babiš controls a group of overseas companies comes as he contests a general election in the Czech Republic this week – and represents the latest embarrassing turn for a former oligarch who entered politics promising to fight corruption. Babiš is the second-richest man in the Czech Republic with a net worth of £2.7bn but his previous business dealings have provoked public protests and an ongoing clash with the EU.

Details of the secretive offshore arrangements set up by the prime minister are disclosed in the Pandora papers, the largest ever trove of leaked offshore data. The leaked documents have been shared by the International Consortium of Investigative Journalists with the Guardian, the BBC and other media around the world. » | Simon Goodley, Robert Tait and Scilla Alecci | Sunday, October 3, 2021

Crown estate bought £67m London property from family of Azerbaijan ruler: Leak reveals firms linked to Aliyev family – repeatedly accused of corruption – have traded nearly £400m of UK property »

Russian tycoon’s link to alleged corruption in leaked files raises questions for Tory ministers: Leak sheds light on past offshore structure used by Viktor Fedotov, whose UK firm is seeking approval for huge UK infrastructure project »

Pandora papers live: Boris Johnson says ‘all Tory donations vetted’; Kremlin dismisses ‘unsubstantiated claims’»

Major Tory donor advised on Uzbekistan deal later found to be $220m bribe: Leak shows Mohamed Amersi helped firm with what it later accepted was ‘corrupt payment’ to then Uzbek ruler’s daughter »

Pandora Papers: Ein internationales Recherchenetz beleuchtet, wie Präsidenten, Autokraten und ein König Steuern umgehen: Dem Internationalen Netzwerk investigativer Journalisten sind fast zwölf Millionen vertrauliche Dokumente zugespielt worden. Ihre Enthüllungen belasten 35 Staats- und Regierungschefs und Hunderte von Politikerinnen und Politikern. »

A bientôt 20 ans, le mariage homosexuel reste interdit un peu partout dans le monde

FRANCE CULTURE : Le mariage pour tous aura 20 ans l'an prochain. Légalisée par les Pays-Bas pour la première fois en 2001, l'union entre deux personnes de même sexe n'en reste pas moins interdite dans de nombreux pays. État des lieux en ce 29 février, jour du défilé de la Gay Pride à Sydney.

Le premier mariage entre personnes de même sexe a été célébré le 11 février 2020 en Irlande du Nord : Robyn Peoples et Sharni Edwards se sont dit oui à Carrickfergus, près de Belfast.• Crédits : Paul Faith – AFP
Il y a vingt ans, le mariage homosexuel était illégal partout dans le monde. Aujourd'hui, en 2020, il est autorisé dans une trentaine de pays, à commencer par les Pays-Bas, première nation ayant franchi le pas en 2001. Aux quatre coins de la planète, malgré les interdictions et les répressions, l'homosexualité revendique une existence publique et des droits mais les réalités sont toutefois très contrastées selon les régions. Panorama en ce samedi 29 février, jour de la parade de "Mardi Gras" de Sydney, l'un des plus importants rendez-vous LGBT au monde et qui fait office de Gay Pride en Australie.

En deux décennies, le droit au mariage pour les personnes de même sexe a été reconnu par la plupart des pays dits "occidentaux" : en Europe, en Amérique du Nord et du Sud mais aussi à Taiwan et en Afrique du Sud.

En Afrique, au Moyen-Orient et en Asie, les législations continuent de réprimer l'homosexualité en tant que telle. On risque la peine de mort au Sultanat de Brunei, en Iran et au Soudan. On encourt la prison - entre dix et quatorze ans - au Nigeria, au Liban et en Tunisie. On s'expose aux coups de bâtons en Malaisie et à Singapour... Pourtant, du Maroc au Botswana en passant par le Japon, Cuba ou l'Équateur, l'homosexualité, bien qu'elle demeure condamnée, marginalisée ou criminalisée, s'émancipe.

Une forme de culture "homo mondiale" a émergé après les années noires du sida, au siècle dernier. Le début du XXIe offre-t-il une conjoncture propice à une généralisation de l’intégration dans la loi, du principe de l'égalité des unions et des droits, pour toutes et tous ? Pas si simple. Les pionniers européens » | Par Nadine Epstain et Franck Ballanger | samedi 29 février 2020

Married and Committed

Photo Adobe Stock

Ein leidenschaftlicher Kuß

Un baiser passionné / A pssionate kiss
Photo : Adobe Stock

Jordan’s King among Leaders Accused of Amassing Secret Property Empire

THE NEW YORK TIMES: A leak of nearly 12 million files suggested King Abdullah II was among 35 current and former leaders to use secret shell companies to hide their wealth.

King Abdullah II of Jordan came under scrutiny on Sunday when a report said he was among several world leaders to use secret offshore accounts to hide his wealth. | Stefani Reynolds for The New York Times

GAZA CITY — King Abdullah II of Jordan came under heightened scrutiny on Sunday after an alliance of international news organizations reported that he was among several world leaders to use secret offshore accounts to amass overseas properties and hide their wealth.

The king was accused of using shell companies registered in the Caribbean to buy 15 properties, collectively worth more than $100 million, in southeast England, Washington, D.C., and Malibu, Calif. The purchases were not illegal, but their exposure prompted accusations of double standards: The Jordanian prime minister, who was appointed by the king, announced in 2020 a crackdown on corruption that included targeting citizens who used shell companies to disguise their overseas investments.

The Jordanian royal court declined to provide a comment to The New York Times, but lawyers for King Abdullah told the International Consortium of Investigative Journalists, which published the report, that his foreign properties were bought exclusively with his personal fortune and not public funds. » | Patrick Kingsley | Sunday, October 3, 2021

Pandora Papers: Biggest Ever Leak of Offshore Data Exposes Financial Secrets of Rich and Powerful »