The Paterson Fiasco Confirms the Threat Boris Johnson Poses to British Democracy

THE GUARDIAN – OPINION: The PM either ignores or rewrites the rules meant to hold him in check. He was thwarted this week, but the danger persists

‘This was merely the latest instance of Boris Johnson deciding that an ally clearly in breach of the rules should escape all consequence.’ Prime minister's questions, 3 November, 2021.Photograph: Jessica Taylor/UK PARLIAMENT/AFP/Getty Images
How many more times does it need to happen? How much more proof do we need that the country is run by a man with contempt for the rule of law, who believes that he and his friends are beyond its reach?

Boris Johnson demonstrated that again to the nation this week, as vividly as he could. Faced with the prospect that Owen Paterson, a comrade from the Brexit trenches of 2016, would be punished for what parliament’s standards committee called “an egregious case of paid advocacy”, Johnson instructed MPs to let his chum off the hook. The prime minister’s orders, dutifully followed by 250 of his troops, were to halt Paterson’s 30-day suspension from the House of Commons and to scrap the system that had found him guilty, replacing it with one that would be gentler in its treatment of Conservatives – because Conservatives would design it and dominate it.

The move was shocking because it was so brazen, not because it was novel. For this was merely the latest instance of Johnson deciding that an ally clearly in breach of the rules should escape all consequence. The roll call should be familiar by now. When Dominic Cummings decided the national lockdown did not really apply to him, Johnson stood by him. When Robert Jenrick fast-tracked an “unlawful” planning decision that would save Richard Desmond, a Tory donor, £45m in local taxes, Jenrick stayed in his post. When Priti Patel’s bullying behaviour was found to be a violation of the ministerial code, she too kept her job. If you’re on Team Johnson, the normal rules don’t apply.

Sometimes it’s about rewarding loyalty or a valuable favour. So when the Lords Appointments Commission decided that another Tory donor, Peter Cruddas, was not fit to receive a peerage, Johnson gave him one anyway. But just as often, the prime minister’s disregard for the rules extends to the gravest matters of state. » | Jonathan Freedland | Friday, November 5, 2021

Owen Paterson was just the fall guy. This week’s chaos was all about Boris Johnson: The prime minister has faced multiple investigations. You can see why the obliteration of the standards commissioner might seem appealing »

«Bitcoin hat keinen Wert und keine Zukunft. Knappheit allein ist kein Argument»

NEUE ZÜRCHER ZEITUNG: Bitcoin und weitere Kryptowährungen sorgen für Schlagzeilen. Aber die meisten hätten keinen inneren Wert und keine Zukunft, so Eswar Prasad. Der Cornell-Professor ist stattdessen begeistert von den innovativen Möglichkeiten der Blockchain, und er fordert eine Diskussion über den Umgang mit der Privatsphäre.

Ein Kryptowährungs-Wechselbüro in Istanbul – doch Bitcoin ist laut Eswar Prasad nur ein spekulatives Phänomen. | Chris McGrath / Getty
INTERVIEW
Herr Prasad, Bitcoin und andere Kryptowährungen – die einen halten sie für das Geld der Zukunft, andere sehen pyramidenartige Spekulationsblasen. Und Sie?

Libertäre Idealisten wollten mit Bitcoin ein Zahlungsmittel schaffen, das ohne Zentralbanken und vertrauenswürdige Finanzinstitute funktioniert. Das ist nicht gelungen. Denn die Kursentwicklung ist sehr volatil, es sind keine grossen Transaktionsvolumina möglich, und das System ist sowohl langsam als auch teuer.

Gilt das auch für die Technologie im Hintergrund?

Die Blockchain-Technologie wird sehr wahrscheinlich nachhaltige Spuren hinterlassen. Immerhin lässt sie sich im Finanzbereich vielfältig verwenden.

Sie geben dem Bitcoin also keine Zukunft? Weiter lesen » | Christof Leisinger, New York | Freitag, 5. November 2021

In a Region in Strife, India’s Moral High Ground Erodes

THE NEW YORK TIMES: The hard-line attitude of Narendra Modi’s ruling party toward Muslims has undermined the nation’s reputation as a voice for tolerance in South Asia.

Hindus in Bangladesh protesting the violent attacks against them in Dhaka last month. | Munir Uz Zaman/Agence France-Presse — Getty Images
NEW DELHI — The mob rampaged for days, burning homes, breaking into temples and clashing with police, leaving several dead.

The victims were minority Hindus living in Bangladesh, a majority-Muslim nation grappling with increasing extremism, and the violence drew an outcry from politicians in neighboring India. As the region’s traditional center of gravity, India has a history of promoting tolerance. Prime Minister Narendra Modi has also positioned himself as the champion of Hindus against a history of victimhood.

But the erosion of human rights in India has weakened its moral high ground in a region where ethnic and sectarian tensions are worsening. Sheikh Hasina — Bangladesh’s prime minister and a close ally, who had just sent Mr. Modi 71 red roses on his birthday — had pointed words for India, even as she promised to hunt the culprits.

“We expect that nothing happens there,” Ms. Hasina said, “which could influence any situation in Bangladesh affecting our Hindu community here.” » | Mujib Mashal | Saturday, November 6, 2021

Trapped in a Pandemic Funk: Millions of Americans Can’t Shake a Gloomy Outlook

THE NEW YORK TIMES: Despite signals that the economy is improving and the virus is waning, many Americans said they were frustrated by polarized politics and a sense of stagnancy.

Despite signals that things are improving, many Americans seem stuck in a pandemic hangover of pessimism. | Jenn Ackerman for The New York Times
A year ago, Michael Macey, a barber who lives in the suburbs outside Atlanta, was thrilled to help propel President Biden to victory, hopeful that Democrats would move swiftly to tackle policing laws and other big issues. But then he watched his hopes for sweeping changes wither in Washington.

Now, Mr. Macey’s sense of optimism — like that of millions of Americans — has been dashed. By the pain of an unending pandemic. By rising prices. By nationwide bickering that stretches from school board meetings to the United States Capitol.

“I don’t like the division,” Mr. Macey, 63, said. “I don’t like the standstill. We need something to get accomplished.”

For so many voters in this November of discontent, the state of the union is just … blech.

Despite many signals that things are improving — the stock market is hitting record highs, hiring is accelerating sharply with 531,000 jobs added in October, workers are earning more, and Covid hospitalizations and deaths are dropping from their autumn peaks — many Americans seem stuck in a pandemic hangover of pessimism. » | Jack Healy, Audra D. S. Burch and Patricia Mazzei | Friday, November 5, 2021

La Roumanie secouée par une profonde crise politique

Les sondages ne sont pas avantageux pour le président Klaus Iohannis qui ne recueille aujourd’hui que 14 % d’opinions favorables. JOE KLAMAR/AFP
LE FIGARO : Le président ne parvient plus à réunir les partis de droite et du centre derrière lui.

Depuis plus d’un mois et la chute du gouvernement du jeune et intempestif Florin Cîtu (49 ans), la droite roumaine est dans de sales draps. Les conservateurs (PNL) se trouvent coincés entre les réformateurs de centre droit de l’USR (l’Union sauvez la Roumanie) - ils avaient provoqué la chute de l’exécutif face à l’«attitude dictatoriale» de Florin Cîtu - et les socialistes du PSD, qui détiennent le plus grand nombre de sièges au Parlement (157, contre 119 pour le PNL, et 80 pour l’USR).

Minés par des querelles internes, les conservateurs ont fait exploser leur parti en a peine quelques semaines. Ludovic Orban, leur ancien leader, a démissionné du perchoir de l’Assemblée, entraînant derrière lui une cascade de défections (17 à ce jour). Ce sont les socialistes (ex-communistes) qui ont récupéré ce poste. En conflit ouvert avec le président de la République, Ludovic Orban agite désormais la menace, assez envisageable, d’une destitution de Klaus Iohannis. » | Par Paul Cozighian | jeudi 4 novembre 2021

Réservé aux abonnés

À LIRE AUSSI : La Roumanie sombre dans l’instabilité politique : DÉCRYPTAGE - L’impétueux premier ministre roumain a été sèchement éjecté de son siège de chef du gouvernement d’un pays qui s’enfonce dans la crise. »

Le pape nomme la première femme à la tête du gouvernorat du Vatican

François, 84 ans, a déclaré à plusieurs reprises qu'il souhaitait que les femmes jouent un rôle plus important dans l'Église catholique. Andreas SOLARO / AFP
LE FIGARO : La sœur Raffaella Petrini, Italienne de 52 ans, sera notamment chargée de superviser les opérations administratives concernant les musées du Saint-Siège, la poste et la police.

Le pape François a nommé jeudi 4 novembre la première femme à la tête du gouvernorat du Vatican, la sœur franciscaine Raffaella Petrini, poursuivant ainsi sa volonté de parvenir à une plus grande égalité des sexes dans l'Église.

En tant que secrétaire générale du gouvernorat, cette religieuse italienne de 52 ans sera chargée de superviser les opérations administratives, notamment les musées du Vatican, la poste et la police. Elle devient ainsi la femme la plus haut placée dans le plus petit État du monde. Selon le journal en ligne National Catholic Reporter, ce rôle est traditionnellement occupé par un évêque. » | jeudi 4 novembre 2021

À LIRE AUSSI : Le pape François juge le président américain «bon catholique» »

Les macarons Ladurée ne sont plus fabriqués en France

Les macarons Ladurée sont vendus dans toutes les couleurs Alexandros Michailidis
LE FIGARO : L'entreprise française a reconnu que les macarons étaient produits en Suisse depuis 2020.

Bien connus des Français, les macarons Ladurée ne sont pas fabriqués en France. C'est le président de l'enseigne, David Holder, qui l'a reconnu auprès du média suisse Bilan, confirmant les révélations de l'émission de France 2 Complément d'Enquête. Ces incontournables des petites douceurs à la française sont, en réalité, fabriqués en Suisse, à Enney exactement, dans le canton de Fribourg. » | Par Le Figaro.fr | samedi 6 novembre 2021

Allemagne : une attaque au couteau fait plusieurs blessés dans un train en Bavière

LE FIGARO : L'auteur présumé, un homme, a été interpellé, a annoncé la police locale.

Plusieurs personnes ont été blessées samedi dans un train ICE en Bavière en Allemagne lors d'une attaque au couteau dont l'auteur présumé, un homme, a été interpellé, a annoncé la police locale. » | Par Le Figaro avec AFP | samedi 6 novembre 2021

Owen Paterson, Sleaze, Corruption and Another U-turn by Johnson

Nov 6, 2021 • Boris Johnson's attempt to reform and replace the Parliamentary Commission for Standards by whipping his MPs to vote against the Commissioner's recommended 30-day suspension of MP Owen Paterson for 'egregious breaches of lobbying rules' proved to be a further massive misjudgement. Yet another public backlash resulted in a total U-turn only 24 hours later leaving those including Kwasi Karteng and Andrea Leadsome, who had backed the prime minister's proposals less than 24 hours earlier, looking foolish. In a pitiful attempt to gain sympathy, Paterson claimed that the worry of the investigation had contributed to his wife's suicide. This is yet further evidence of sleaze and corruption in the Tory party.

The Royal Wedding of Mohammad Reza Shah Pahlavi and Farah Diba

Please Help End This Scandal and Help Our Pensioners Resident Abroad: 'Frozen Pensions Day 2021'

Nov 3, 2021 • The unfair frozen pensions policy is the result of historical reciprocal arrangements agreed between a select handful of countries and the UK to allow for state pension uprating.

Uprating means that pensions are adjusted every year to align with inflation - with the cost of living rising, pensions are indexed so pensioners can continue to get by. If a state pension is not increased, it is 'frozen' and therefore falls in value year on year.

500,000 UK pensioners, just under half of those living overseas, now live in countries where their state pensions are frozen. This includes British pensioners living in Overseas Territories such as the Falkland Islands. This arbitrary post-code lottery means that UK citizens in the USA, the European Union, Israel or Jamaica rightfully receive a full state pension. But those in other countries, such as Canada and Australia, do not.

Over 90% of affected pensioners live in Commonwealth nations with close cultural ties to the UK. Many moved overseas for employment opportunities, or to live near friends and family. Others are members of the Windrush generation, who were invited to live and work in Britain at the call of the UK Government and have now been punished for returning to their country of birth.

Half of frozen pensioners receive a state pension of just £65 per week, or less. Almost all were unaware that their state pensions would be frozen before they left the UK.

Now, they are victims of geography. The End Frozen Pensions campaign believes that all pensioners, no matter where they happen to live, should be paid equally. Find out more at endfrozenpensions.org


Please sign the petition End Frozen Pensions

And email Your MP or the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions to help these people here

Fremantle Shark Attack: Search for Missing Man Off Port Beach

THE GUARDIAN: WA police say actions of witnesses were ‘heroic’ after incident reportedly involving tiger shark and great white shark

Search and rescue vessels patrol off Port Beach in North Fremantle, Western Australia. A man is missing after a shark attack. Photograph: Richard Wainwright/AAP
Emergency services are searching for a man who is believed to have been attacked by a shark off Port Beach in North Fremantle, Western Australia, on Saturday morning.

WA police said that water police, police air wing, Surf Life Saving and the Surf Rescue helicopter responded to reports of a shark attack off Port Beach at 10.10am Saturday morning.

Water police were co-ordinating a marine search for the missing man, whose age had not yet been confirmed.

A spokesperson for St John’s Ambulance WA said they had received a call at 10.03am of a shark bite and sent three crew to the scene.

Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development (DPIRD), Department of Transport (Marine) and Department of Transport (Marine) authorities also attended the scene.

Local councils have closed Port Beach and all beaches from Leighton Dog beach to Sand Tracks beach. » | Justine Landis-Hanley | Saturday, November 6, 2021

Brexit: EU Warns of ‘Serious Consequences’ If UK Invokes Article 16

A screenshot from the accompanying video.
THE GUARDIAN: Maroš Šefčovič says Brussels has seen no concessions from UK side in Northern Ireland protocol dispute

Britain and the EU appear on the brink of a trade war after Brussels accused Boris Johnson of lacking sincerity in negotiations over Northern Ireland’s future and warned of “serious consequences” if Downing Street suspended the post-Brexit deal.

As he emerged from his latest tense meeting with the UK’s Brexit minister, the EU commissioner Maroš Šefčovič said that despite Brussels’ attempts to find a compromise, “we have seen no move at all from the UK side”.

The two sides have been locked in talks for three weeks over changes to how the Brexit deal works to ensure the free flow of trade between Britain and Northern Ireland. The EU has offered to cut customs controls in half and health checks on animal and plant products heading to supermarkets by 80%, but Šefčovič suggested there had been scant effort by David Frost, the Brexit minister, to engage with the proposals.

“I found this disappointing and once again I urge the UK government to engage with us sincerely,” Šefčovič said. “From this perspective, I see next week as an important one. We should focus all efforts on reaching a solution as soon as possible.

“Our aim should be to establish stability and predictability for Northern Ireland. We hear a lot about article 16 at the moment, but there’ll be no doubt that triggering article 16 to seek the negotiation of the protocol would have serious consequences. With video » | Daniel Boffey in Brussels | Friday, November 5, 2021

Pro Footballer Says He’s Bisexual and Living with Boyfriend in Moving Open Letter

PINK NEWS: An anonymous footballer has written about his bisexuality in the wake of Australian pro player Josh Cavallo proudly coming out as gay.

Cavallo, 21, was praised for his courage and bravery after sharing his truth last month, becoming the only current openly gay male player playing professional top-flight football.

His actions have inspired another footballer to open up about his sexuality, according to Mundo Deportivo, a Spanish national sports newspaper that published a letter from an anonymous pro.

Bisexual footballer: ‘At least for now, I do not want to say who I am’

The athlete, a member of the Royal Spanish Football Federation, has not chosen to come out publicly as the “message itself is more important than the name”.

In the letter, the footballer also reveals that he is living with his boyfriend of more than three years. » | Josh Milton | Monday, November 1, 2021

Homophobia Is Alive and Kicking in European Politics and It’s Going Mainstream

iNEWS: All over the continent the far right are downplaying anti-LGBTQ violence – and in some cases, practising it

People in front of the Court House in Sofia, Bulgaria protest against homophobic attacks (Photo: Hristo Vladev/Getty)
It’s tempting to think that in Europe at least the LGBTQ community has virtually won its fight for equal rights.

In supposedly uptight Britain, same-sex couples on Strictly Come Dancing are told by straight judges to be a bit less… inhibited…

There are no same-sex shenanigans on Italy’s Ballando con le Stelle. But over there that’s the least of many gay people’s problems.

Thanks to the malign presence of the Vatican, and the nature of the far-right in its mainstream politics, Italy’s parliament is unable to pass a simple hate-crime law to combat the country’s (ample) homophobic violence – in spite of 10 years’ of trying.

Two far-right groupings voted last Wednesday to block the “Zan bill” in the Senate. Matteo Salvini’s League party and the even nastier “post-fascist” Fratelli d’Italia party led by Giorgia Meloni. Alessandro Zan is the politician and LGBTQ activist who promoted the bill.

National polls suggest they have the support of 24 per cent and 18 per cent of the Italian electorate, respectively. » | Michael Day, Chief Foreign Commentator | Published: Thursday, November 4, 2021; Updated, Friday, November 5, 2021

Pfizer präsentiert Pille gegen Covid-19 mit erstaunlich hoher Wirksamkeit

NEUE ZÜRCHER ZEITUNG: Nun schürt bereits das zweite derartige Präparat Hoffnungen auf eine einfach handhabbare Therapie. Noch liegen allerdings nur wenig Daten vor.

Das amerikanische Pharmaunternehmen Pfizer hat am Freitag die neueste Waffe im Kampf gegen Covid-19 vorgestellt. Die Tablette soll eine erstaunlich hohe Wirksamkeit besitzen. Gemäss den vorläufigen Ergebnissen einer klinischen Studie senke die Therapie mit Paxlovid das Risiko, wegen Covid-19 ins Spital zu müssen oder sogar daran zu sterben, um 89 Prozent, teilte Pfizer mit. Dafür müsse in den ersten drei Tagen nach Symptombeginn mit der Therapie begonnen werden. Schwerwiegende negative Nebenwirkungen seien keine festgestellt worden. » | Stephanie Lahrtz | Freitag, 5. November 2021

Coronavirus weltweit: Österreich verbannt Ungeimpfte aus Restaurants, Deutschland empfiehlt Booster-Impfung für alle: Über 248 Millionen Menschen sind laut der Johns-Hopkins-Universität weltweit positiv auf das Virus getestet worden. Mehr als 5 Millionen Infizierte sind gestorben. Über 7 Milliarden Impfdosen wurden weltweit verabreicht. »

Covid-19 Infections Are Rising Dramatically in Germany | Covid-19 Special

Nov 5, 2021 • Germany's COVID infections are now higher than ever. And the numbers keep growing. That's despite a relatively high vaccination rate.

Almost 70 percent of Germans are fully vaccinated against the virus. One of the main reasons are breakthrough infections - where the disease manages to bypass the jab. The only consolation for the vaccinated is that severe illness is rare.

Democracy Now! Top US News & World Headlines — November 5 2021

Au Pakistan, Imran Khan fait libérer des centaines d’islamistes antifrançais

Le 22 octobre, à Karachi, des partisans du Tehreek-e-Labbaik Pakistan (TLP) manifestent pour réclamer la libération de militants emprisonnés et l’expulsion de l’ambassadeur de France (en représailles aux caricatures de Mahomet parues dans Charlie Hebdo en septembre 2020). AKHTAR SOOMRO/REUTERS
LE FIGARO : RÉCIT - Le premier ministre pakistanais a cédé aux pressions du TLP, puissant mouvement soutenu par l’armée.

De New Dehli
C’est ce qui s’appelle l’effet papillon. Les réactions suscitées par la publication de caricatures de Mahomet par Charlie Hebdo en septembre 2020 n’en finissent plus de poser de nombreux problèmes au gouvernement pakistanais. Voilà plus d’un an qu’il essaye de transiger avec un parti islamiste, le Tehreek-e-Labbaik Pakistan (TLP). Cette organisation a fait de la défense de l’honneur du Prophète son cheval de bataille depuis sa création, en 2015.

Le TLP a organisé une énième marche entre Lahore et Islamabad du 22 au 31 octobre avec des exigences qu’il pousse depuis l’an dernier: expulsion de l’ambassadeur de France en représailles aux dessins de l’hebdomadaire français et aux propos d’Emmanuel Macron sur la liberté de caricaturer. Mais aussi libération de ses militants emprisonnés depuis le début de la mobilisation. Son chef, Saad Hussain Rizvi, est derrière les barreaux depuis le mois d’avril. » | Par Emmanuel Derville | vendredi 5 novembre 2021

Réservé aux abonnés

Hawaii Is Easing Restrictions and Preparing to Welcome Back Tourists.

THE NEW YORK TIMES: The state is eager for its vacation industry to rebound after a devastating 2020 season.


Gov. David Y. Ige announced his state would welcome international tourists again and lift capacity limits later this month on bars, restaurants and gyms in counties that require patrons to present proof of vaccination or a recent negative Covid test to enter. | Caleb Jones/Associated Press
Signaling that Hawaii is eager to jump-start its battered tourism and hospitality industries, Gov. David Y. Ige said that his state would ease Covid restrictions this month and welcome international travelers again, under new federal guidelines that go into effect on Nov. 8.

The governor’s decision was a turnaround for a state that only two months ago was advising travelers not to visit, as it dealt with the worst surge of coronavirus cases it had seen, a wave of illness driven by the highly contagious Delta variant that overwhelmed hospitals and halted Hawaii’s economic recovery. During the height of the pandemic in 2020, Hawaii endured months of lockdown, imposing strict, 14-day quarantine protocols and suffering the economic consequences to its tourism economy.

Now, with low rates of hospitalizations and new cases, the islands are again ready for business, officials say. On Sept. 2, the state’s seven-day daily average of new cases was 910. As of Tuesday, it had dropped to 116, according to a New York Times database. » | Eduardo Medina | Thursday, November 4, 2021

The U.S. economy added 531,000 jobs in October. »

Angelina Jolie ‘Saddened’ by ‘Ignorant’ Countries Banning Eternals over ‘Beautiful’ Gay Love

Angelina Jolie attends the The Eternals UK premiere. (Samir Hussein/WireImage)
PINK NEWS: Angelina Jolie has said she is “sad” for the “ignorant” countries that have banned Eternals reportedly over its gay content.

The new film, which sees gay tech maverick Phastos (Brian Tyree Henry) in the Marvel Cinematic Universe’s first same-sex kiss, has been quietly yanked across the conservative Gulf nations, per reports.

Angelina Jolie, who stars as Thena, a member of the celestial race of superhumans known as the Eternals, said she is “proud of Marvel” for “refusing to cut those scenes out”.

“I still don’t understand how we live in a world where there’s still [people who] would not see the family Phastos has and the beauty of that relationship and love,” Jolie, 46, told News.com.au.

“How anybody is angry about it, threatened by it, doesn’t approve or appreciate it is ignorant. » | Josh Milton | Friday, November 5, 2021

Angelina Jolie Is “Proud” Marvel Refused to Cut ‘Eternals’ Scenes Featuring Gay Hero for Gulf Nation Censors: The film was pulled from release in Saudi Arabia, Qatar and Kuwait after Disney refused to make edits demanded by local censors. »

It’s Gay Friday!

via GIPHY

Unabashedly Gay

via GIPHY

Ryan Oldroyd | I'm From Glenwood, UT | - True Gay Stories

March 16, 2011 • A young Mormon is ex-communicated then outed to his parents after he comes out to his Mission President.

This video clip is from 2011, but has much changed for gay Mormons since then when it comes to acceptance? – Mark

We Are the Law - Military Wedding | Marine Corps

Feb 10, 2019 • Zac & Jordan’s wedding video, Camp Pendleton Marine Corps Base

A Young Brit’s Coming Out Story

Jul 20, 2021 • He discusses his coming out story and his gradual acceptance of his sexuality.

Une expression d'amour : le baiser du matin pour commencer la journée.

Ein Ausdruck der Liebe: Der Morgenkuß, um den Tag zu beginnen. / An expression of love: The morning kiss to start the day.
Photograph: Adobe Stock

After the Wedding: The Contentment Is Palpable.

Nach der Hochzeit ist die Zufriedenheit spürbar. / Après le mariage, le contentement est palpable.
Photograph: Adobe Stock

Bank of England’s Rate Decision Leaves Many Economists Gasping for Air

THE GUARDIAN: Analysis: decision to keep rates on hold is not unpopular but governor’s signalling is roundly criticised

The Bank expects the base rate to be 1% by the end of 2022. Photograph: Leon Neal/Getty
It is “compulsory for the Bank of England governor to be an unreliable boyfriend”, Andrew Bailey joked during a press conference to explain why the central bank he runs kept interest rates on hold when action of some kind was expected.

As quips go, it fell flat in financial markets, where currency traders sold the pound, knocking more than 1% from sterling’s value against the US dollar.

It also left many economists gasping for air as the full implications of Bailey’s refusal to turn up to his own party began to sink in. He had stressed last month that monetary policy “will have to act” if there is a risk of inflation. Those words were not followed by action on Thursday, despite the rising wages and prices.

Gerard Lyons, a former candidate for governor and a former adviser to Boris Johnson, described the governor’s signalling as “appalling”, adding that by not correcting how the market or the media interpreted his comments he encouraged “hawkish expectations ahead of this meeting that was not merited by the recent data”.

Lyons went on to say the bank needed to learn from the US Federal Reserve, “to be on top of the data” and “guide” the market. » | Phillip Inman | Thursday, November 4, 2021

Jan Lisiecki – Chopin: Nocturne Op. 62, No. 2 in E Major 'Lento'

Nov 4, 2021 • Lisiecki is perhaps most celebrated for his masterfully sensitive and refined interpretative approach. His newest release – recorded last October at Berlin’s historic Meistersaal – not only captures the spirit of Chopin’s pianism, but also represents the time and circumstances in which it was made, as the pianist himself explains: “I’m the first to question why we should record something that has been recorded many times before. But music only lives through performance and is different every time we hear it, even when it’s a recording. I think there was something for me to say with this album. It reflects on the last year and my thoughts on that as well as on the escape and understanding that music gives us.”

Chopin, he adds, far exceeded the boundaries of what his contemporaries considered possible on the piano, especially in terms of the singing line. Unlike the human voice, the piano can play the longest melody without the need to take a breath; like a great singer, the pianist has to shape phrases and give emotional light and shade to melodies. “Chopin’s music flows by itself in a sense, but you need to feel instinctively where things are placed,” comments Jan Lisiecki. “It’s about striking the balance between allowing the music to flow naturally and knowing subconsciously where it should go.”

Enjoy Jan Lisiecki's performance of Chopin's Nocturne Op. 62, No. 2 in E major 'Lento'.

La production mondiale de vin très faible en 2021, en raison de la météo européenne

Si les principaux producteurs européens ont souffert, l'hémisphère sud voit ses volumes augmenter. FV Photography / stock.adobe.com
LE FIGARO : La France en particulier a souffert d'une météo désastreuse et devrait perdre sa position de deuxième producteur mondial au profit de l'Espagne.

La production mondiale de vin devrait être «extrêmement faible» en volume en 2021, les trois principaux pays producteurs européens - Italie, Espagne, France - ayant pâti de conditions météorologiques défavorables, a annoncé jeudi l'Organisation internationale de la vigne et du vin (OIV). À l’inverse, 2021 a été une année «très positive» pour les vignobles de l'hémisphère sud, après une mauvaise année 2020, a relevé l'OIV lors d'une conférence de presse en ligne.

Au total, la production mondiale de vin est estimée aux alentours de 250 millions d'hectolitres, «à peine supérieure à la production historiquement faible de 2017», selon les premières estimations de l'organisation. La baisse serait d'environ 4% par rapport à 2020, année où le volume produit était déjà inférieur à la moyenne. » | Par Le Figaro avec AFP | jeudi 4 novembre 2021

À LIRE AUSSI : Ils font du vin dans leur jardin parisien : REPORTAGE - L'œnologue Xavier Charvin d'Andlau et ses parents, le comte et la comtesse d'Andlau-Hombourg, renouent avec la tradition vigneronne d'Île-de-France en produisant un vin blanc effervescent dans le 16e arrondissement. »

Ghislaine Maxwell Jail Conditions Rival Hannibal Lecter’s, Lawyers Say

THE GUARDIAN: Attorneys make another bail request and say conditions of detention are ‘reprehensible and utterly inappropriate’

The British socialite Ghislaine Maxwell is subjected to such invasive surveillance in jail that it “rivals scenes of Dr Hannibal Lecter’s incarceration” from The Silence of the Lambs, her lawyer has argued in making yet another request for bail pending her trial.

Maxwell is charged in Manhattan federal court for allegedly procuring teenage girls for the disgraced wealthy financier Jeffrey Epstein. Opening arguments in Maxwell’s case are scheduled to begin on 29 November.

“Maxwell’s conditions of detention for the past 16 months continue to be reprehensible and utterly inappropriate for [a] woman on the cusp of turning 60 with no criminal record or history of violence. It is unwarranted, unrelenting, and utterly inappropriate,” her lead attorney, Bobbi C Sternheim, wrote in court papers.

“[She] has been subject to physical and emotional abuse by the correction officers, poor and unsanitary living conditions, insufficient nutrition, difficulties reviewing the millions of legal discovery documents in the case against her, and sleep deprivation.” » | Victoria Bekiempis in New York | Thursday, November 4, 2021

Barbra Streisand : Woman in Love

Official audio for "Woman in Love" by Barbra Streisand | Views on YouTube: 14,652,024

Poland's Battle for Abortion Rights

Nov 4, 2021 • When Poland introduced a near-total ban on abortion it divided the nation, sparking mass protests. Dateline explores how church and state are impacting women's rights.

Poland has some of the strictest abortion laws in Europe, and in January those laws became even tougher. Doctors now face three years in prison for ending a pregnancy in the case of foetal abnormalities.

Crise de la pêche : les discussions entre Paris et Londres se poursuivent après la rencontre entre deux ministres

LE MONDE : Les ministres français et britannique Clément Beaune et David Frost se sont rencontrés jeudi et ont « exposé leurs positions et leurs préoccupations », selon Londres. Les discussions doivent reprendre la semaine prochaine.

Le secrétaire d’Etat britannique chargé du Brexit, David Frost, a rencontré, jeudi 4 novembre en fin de matinée, le secrétaire d’Etat français aux affaires européennes, Clément Beaune, à Paris. FRENCH FOREIGN MINISTRY / VIA REUTERS
Rencontre au sommet pour tenter d’apaiser les tensions concernant le dossier de la pêche. Le secrétaire d’Etat britannique chargé du Brexit, David Frost, a rencontré, jeudi 4 novembre en fin de matinée, le secrétaire d’Etat français aux affaires européennes, Clément Beaune, à Paris.

« Cet entretien a permis la reprise de dialogue », mais « il y a encore beaucoup de travail et des écarts de position importants », a déclaré Clément Beaune après cette entrevue avec David Frost. « Ce que nous demandons, c’est l’application de l’accord, ce ne sont pas des exigences nouvelles par rapport à l’accord », a-t-il insisté. Lors d’un briefing par téléphone avec des journalistes, Clément Beaune a fait état d’une discussion « utile et positive »marquant « la reprise d’un dialogue à un niveau politique entre la France et le Royaume-Uni », qui « s’inscrit toujours dans le cadre européen ». » | Le Monde avec AFP et Reuters | jeudi 4 novembre 2021

Im Streit zwischen Frankreich und Grossbritannien geht es um mehr als nur um Fische: Der umstrittene Zugang französischer Fischer zu britischen Gewässern treibt Paris und London an den Rand einer Eskalation. Auf beiden Seiten geht es um politisches Kalkül und Symbolpolitik, aber auch um die Durchsetzung grundsätzlicher Interessen nach dem Brexit. »

British and French talks to settle fishing row end in stalemate: Brexit minister David Frost met Europe minister Clément Beaune in Paris but two sides remain at odds »

Amerika erwartet starke Aufrüstung Chinas

ATOMWAFFENARSENAL
FRANKFURTER ALLGEMEINE ZEITUNG: Das amerikanische Verteidigungsministerium geht davon aus, dass China seine nuklearen Kapazitäten erheblich erweitert. Peking weist das zurück.

China baut sein Atomwaffenarsenal nach Einschätzung des amerikanischen Verteidigungsministeriums schneller aus als bisher prognostiziert. Das Land „beabsichtigt wahrscheinlich, im Jahr 2030 mindestens 1000 Sprengköpfe zu haben“, heißt es in einem am Donnerstag veröffentlichten Bericht des Pentagon.

Das wäre in etwa eine Vervierfachung der bisherigen Bestände. Zudem wären es doppelt so viele Sprengköpfe wie bisher von Washington für diesen Zeitraum vorausgesagt. Bis 2027 könne Peking über bis zu 700 Atomsprengköpfe verfügen, schreibt das Ministerium weiter. » | Von Friederike Böge, Peking | Donnerstag, 4. November 2021

NastassjaCanCook : Pljeskavica / Pleskavitza: Serbian Meat Patty. The Hamburger That Is Usually Served on Its Own!

Nov 4, 2021 • Pljeskavica is a grilled dish(Serbian Hamburger) consisting of a spiced meat patty mixture of pork, beef and lamb. It is one of the national dishes of Serbia and is very popular in the neighboring Balkan and former Yugoslavian countries of Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, and Montenegro. The name comes from word "pljesak", in Serbian ,means "to clap the hands. Meat mixture usually kneaded for a long time to achieve viscosity in texture.

PLJESCAVICA RECIPE:

Ingredients:

2 llbs lean beef
200gm lamb (fat)
2 medium onions (minced)
2 tablespoons olive oil (used for the purpose of preserving)
300ml sparkling mineral water (or club soda)

Spices:

1½ tbsp kosher salt
1 tbsp black pepper
1 tbsp paprika
½ tsp chili pepper (Aleppo pepper)

Some oil for frying.

(In the original recipe, a combination of three meats is used: beef, pork and lamb. You could use all three or just two of them.It's a question of taste.

This dish is usually served with pickled onions:

2 medium purple onions (half-moon slices)
100ml water
1 tbsp sugar
½ tbsp kosher salt
1 tbsp pickling spices
2 tbsp white vinegar

These patties are usually served well-done and slightly charred. They are very juicy, full of flavor and often served on their own.

Enjoy!

Europe Once Again at Centre of Covid Pandemic, Says WHO

THE GUARDIAN: Cases at near-record levels and 500,000 more deaths forecast by February

Uneven vaccine coverage and a relaxation of preventive measures have brought Europe to a “critical point” in the pandemic, the World Health Organization has said, with cases again at near-record levels and 500,000 more deaths forecast by February.

Hans Kluge, the WHO’s Europe director, said all 53 countries in the region were facing “a real threat of Covid-19 resurgence or already fighting it” and urged governments to reimpose or continue with social and public health measures.

“We are, once again, at the epicentre,” he said. “With a widespread resurgence of the virus, I am asking every health authority to carefully reconsider easing or lifting measures at this moment.” He said that even in countries with high vaccination rates, immunisation could only do so much. » | Jon Henley, Europe correspondent | Thursday, November 4, 2021

Goldsmith Family Funded Boris Johnson’s Marbella Holiday

THE GUARDIAN: Update to register of ministerial interests does not specify how much PM’s break last month was worth

Boris Johnson and Zac Goldsmith in 2019. Photograph: Stefan Rousseau/PA
Boris Johnson has admitted receiving a free holiday at a luxurious Spanish villa linked to Zac Goldsmith, the former MP who was given a peerage and job by the prime minister.

The latest update to the register of ministerial interests revealed that Johnson’s near week-long stay in the Marbella property in October was funded by the Goldsmith family.

It did not specify how much the holiday was worth but this is likely to be declared separately in the register of MPs’ interests. The property is marketed online for rentals, reportedly for as much as £25,000 a week[.] » | Rowena Mason, Deputy political editor | Thursday, November 4, 2021

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

Zypern: Die Insel der verbotenen Ehen | ARTE Reportage

Nov 4, 2021 • Es ist ein Kampf, der in Europa längst vergessen ist, der Kampf um die Zivilehe. Im Nahen Osten sind nur religiöse Ehen erlaubt, und das Familienrecht - Scheidung, Sorgerecht oder Erbschaft - wird von der Bibel, dem Koran oder der Thora diktiert.

Hidden Crime Affecting Hundreds of Women | 60 Minutes Australia

May 15, 2018 • As a teenager, Rania Farrah was taken captive and held against her will by her father's family in Syria. A prisoner in the secretive and sinister world of young women who face the prospect of forced marriage. But refusing to be defeated, she secretly plotted and pulled off a daring escape back to Australia on the day she turned 18. On 60 Minutes, Rania very bravely speaks to Liz Hayes in the hope of lifting the veil on a hidden crime that affects hundreds of Australian women.

Reeling from Surprise Losses, Democrats Sound the Alarm for 2022

THE NEW YORK TIMES: Party officials say the White House and Congress must do more to address the electorate’s deep malaise or risk watching voters lurch back toward the G.O.P. by default.

WASHINGTON — Reeling from a barrage of unexpected losses, an array of Democrats on Wednesday pleaded with President Biden and his party’s lawmakers to address the quality-of-life issues that plagued their candidates in elections on Tuesday from heavily Hispanic San Antonio to the suburbs of Virginia, New Jersey and New York.

Although they had braced for a close race for Virginia governor, Democrats were caught off guard by the intensity of the backlash against their party in major off-year elections. Republicans claimed all three statewide offices in Virginia, will likely take control of the state’s House of Delegates and came close to upsetting Gov. Phil Murphy of New Jersey, whose re-election had been presumed safe by officials in both parties.

Just as jarring for Democrats were some of the less prominent contests: The powerful New Jersey State Senate president, Steve Sweeney, was trailing a truck driver who ran a shoestring campaign; a Latino Republican flipped a Democratic seat in South San Antonio; and Democrats were thrashed in local races across Long Island.

The scope of the party’s setbacks illustrated that voters were fatigued from the demands of the still-continuing coronavirus pandemic and angry about the soaring prices and scarcity of goods they were confronting every day. While Democrats’ strength in cities and some large suburbs saved them from even deeper losses, their electoral coalition showed signs of fraying as voters vented their unhappiness with the party in power. » | Jonathan Martin and Alexander Burns | Published: Wednesday, November 3, 2021; Updated: Thursday, November 4, 2021

Warnsignal an Biden: Der Sieg Glenn Youngkins in Virginia zeigt, dass Bidens Erneuerungsagenda nicht zieht. Aber auch für die Republikaner bleibt eine wichtige Frage offen. »

«Le long chemin du Brexit»

LE FIGARO : L’éditorial du Figaro, par Philippe Gélie.

Premier acte d’une «renaissance nationale», le Brexit ouvrait la voie au «Global Britain», version haut de gamme d’un Royaume-Uni béni par les gains de productivité et les hausses de salaires découlant quasi naturellement d’un contrôle retrouvé de l’immigration. Presque un an après que le pays a largué les amarres de l’UE, le scénario s’est quelque peu compliqué: la Grande-Bretagne est certes redevenue une île, mais elle ne vogue pas encore toutes voiles dehors vers le grand large.

Avant d’envisager un bond technologique, c’est de chauffeurs routiers, d’ouvriers du bâtiment et de personnel agricole qu’elle manque le plus, précisément cette main-d’œuvre européenne réduite de 200.000 paires de bras. Plus inquiétant, la croissance reste à la traîne du continent, les investissements et l’attractivité internationale affichent des indices en baisse et même les exportations hors UE ont reculé. Il est désormais clair que, séparé de son premier marché, le pari économique de l’après-Brexit ne sera pas gagnant en un claquement de doigts. » | Par Philippe Gélie | dimanche 24 octobre 2021

Réservé aux abonnés

Les adieux au long cours d’Angela Merkel

Accompagnée d’Emmanuel Macron, la chancelière allemande Angela Merkel faisait ses adieux, à Beaune (Côte-d’Or).POOL/REUTERS
LE FIGARO : La chancelière était reçue mercredi par le couple Macron après une impressionnante tournée internationale.

À Beaune, mercredi 3 novembre, Angela Merkel a eu droit aux égards réservés aux amis de la France: reçue par Emmanuel Macron et son épouse, avec qui elle a déambulé dans les ruelles de la cité bourguignonne sous les applaudissements des badauds, après Helmut Kohl et François Mitterrand lors d’un sommet en 1993, la chancelière a été décorée grand-croix de la Légion d’honneur et intronisée, au Clos Vougeot, membre de la Confrérie des chevaliers du tastevin. Même pour cette fille de pasteur qui affiche d’ordinaire une superbe indifférence envers les attributs du pouvoir, la réception qu’elle a reçue du couple élyséen avait de quoi ébranler ses penchants pour la sobriété protocolaire.

La presse allemande s’interroge d’ailleurs sur les états d’âme de «Mutti» à la veille de quitter le pouvoir. Angela Merkel gère-t-elle sa tournée d’adieux internationale à la manière d’une rock star, mettant en scène ses dernières apparitions pour maintenir en haleine son club de fans jusqu’à l’ultime minute? En l’occurrence la semaine du 6 décembre, lorsque son successeur Olaf Scholz sera élu par le Bundestag. » | Par Pierre Avril | mercredi 3 octobre 2021

Réservé aux abonnés

À LIRE AUSSI : Angela Merkel ou la puissance du pragmatisme : GRAND RÉCIT - Sa rationalité froide, son pragmatisme et son sens du compromis lui ont permis d’affronter les crises en série qui ont marqué ses quatre mandats. »

Auf ein letztes Glas Wein mit der Kanzlerin: Emmanuel Macron weiß, dass Angela Merkel guten Wein schätzt. So lud er sie zum Abschied in die idyllische Kleinstadt Beaune nach Burgund ein. Dort wurde der scheidenden Kanzlerin eine Ehre zuteil, die selbst Kohl verwehrt blieb. »

‘I’ve Always Aimed Big’: Vietnamese Tycoon behind £155m Oxford Donation

THE GUARDIAN: Nguyen Thi Phuong Thao has gone from importing fax machines as a student in Moscow to name-changing billionaire

Nguyen Thi Phuong Thao has an estimated $2.7bn (£2bn) fortune, part of which was made from VietJet, the airline she founded and runs. Photograph: Bloomberg/Getty Images
Nguyen Thi Phuong Thao began her business career as a sideline importing fax machines and latex rubber into the then Soviet Union while studying economic management at D Mendeleev University of Chemical Technology in Moscow. Before she had turned 21 – or graduated – she had made her first million.

Phuong Thao, who is popularly known as Madam Thao, is now Vietnam’s first and only female billionaire with an estimated $2.7bn (£2bn) fortune made from VietJet, the airline she founded and runs, alongside a vast property empire that stretches from skyscrapers in Ho Chi Minh City to five star beach resorts across the country as well as offshore oil and gas exploration and fossil fuel financing.

But her name may soon be well known in the UK as well as Vietnam after University of Oxford’s Linacre College agreed to rename itself Thao College after a £155m “transformative donation” from her holding company Sovico Group.

“Education and research are the keys to the development and prosperity of mankind,” she said on announcing the deal. “I believe the long-term cooperation with Oxford University will bring new opportunities and good value to the community.” » | Rupert Neate | Thursday, November 4, 2021

The Love That Cannot Be Extinguished!

"Homo Couples. Vintage Photos. Male Affection."
So you thought that gay love was a new phenomenon. There’s nothing new about It. It was always there. It has been there since the beginning of time. The only thing new is that tt is out in the open now. Gays are now proud to be who they really are. You legislators can try to legislate It away. You will fail! It cannot be done. The urge to love is much, much stronger than any law could ever be.You cannot legislate the gay away; and you cannot pray the gay away either. My advice to you is this: Learn to live with it and concentrate your energies elsewhere, on things you really can change. Gay love will be around a lot longer than you will be. So don’t waste your time! – © Mark

Covid: Germany Enveloped in ‘Massive’ Pandemic of the Unvaccinated

THE GUARDIAN: Health minister says wave ‘far from over’ as vaccination rate flatlines and clinics report rising numbers of Covid-19 patients

Germany’s health minister, Jens Spahn, has warned that his country is going through a “massive” pandemic of the unvaccinated.

“The pandemic is far from over,” said Spahn, a member of the Christian Democratic Union (CDU). “We are currently experiencing a pandemic of the unvaccinated, which is massive. There would be fewer coronavirus patients on intensive care units if more people would let themselves be vaccinated.”

In the last week several German clinics have raised alarm about rising numbers of patients with Covid-19 on the wards. On Wednesday authorities reported 2,220 patients in intensive care beds, the highest number since the start of June.

Over the last seven days 666 people have died from the virus in Germany, slightly more than in the same week a year ago, before the start of the vaccination drive and the arrival of the more infectious Delta variant. For now the number of fatalities is rising less steeply than it did during the previous three coronavirus waves in the country. » | Philip Oltermann in Berlin | Wednesday, November 3, 2021

Kanzlerin erwägt neue Regeln für Ungeimpfte: Die Politik zeigt sich besorgt über die steigenden Infektionszahlen, das Kanzleramt dringt auf ein rasches Bund-Länder-Treffen. Die 2G-Regeln könnten ausgeweitet werden. »

En France aussi, la hausse du taux d'infections est inquiétante :

Covid-19 : le masque à nouveau obligatoire à l'école à partir de lundi dans 39 départements : La hausse du taux d'incidence provoque un rétropédalage sur les mesures d'allègement des mesures sanitaires, alors que 79 territoires étaient exempts du masque dans les salles de classe. »

In England as well, the chief medical officer fears Covid is spreading into older age groups:

Jonathan Van-Tam voices concerns over rising Covid death rate: England’s deputy chief medical officer says he fears infection is spreading into older age groups »

Allzeithoch bei Neuinfektionen: Die vierte Corona-Welle rollt weiter – den Höchststand der dritten Welle hat sie nunmehr übertroffen. Die Gesundheitsminister ringen um einen gemeinsamen Corona-Kurs. Wie könnte der aussehen? »

Beethoven: Piano Concerto No. 4 in G Major, Op. 58 - I. Allegro moderato | Krystian Zimerman · London Symphony Orchestra · Simon Rattle

Prince Andrew Could Face US Trial in 2022 over Alleged Sexual Abuse, Judge Says

THE GUARDIAN: Development comes after Andrew’s lawyers attacked Virginia Giuffre, accusing her of seeking a ‘payday’ at prince’s expense

Virginia Giuffre’s civil lawsuit alleges she was forced to have sex with Prince Andrew when she was 17 years old. Photograph: Steve Parsons/AFP/Getty Images
Prince Andrew could face civil trial in the US over alleged sexual abuse at the end of 2022, a judge said on Wednesday.

Speaking [at] during a phone conference with lawyers in New York, US district judge Lewis Kaplan said he anticipates a trial date of “somewhere in the September to December period of next year”.

The development came after Andrew’s lawyers attacked his accuser, Virginia Giuffre, in legal filings over the weekend, accusing her of seeking a “payday” at Andrew’s expense and referring to accusations that Guiffre was a “sex kitten”. » | Adam Gabbatt and agency | Wednesday, November 3, 2021

Gay Man's Life Changes for the Better after Coming Out. “We Have a Very Modern Family.”

Oct 27, 2021 • Andre Kahn had a wife and a daughter and a secret - he was gay. Though he ultimately came out, the journey that followed wasn’t always easy. Fortunately, thanks to a supportive community and a loving family, Andre was eventually able to live his truth happily and form his own “modern family.”

La Bourse de Paris bat à nouveau son record

L'indice parisien a fini à 6.950,65 points. Bruno Bleu / stock.adobe.com
LE FIGARO : Le CAC 40 a battu son record de la veille qui dépassait déjà le record de clôture établi en septembre 2000.

La Bourse de Paris a fini en hausse de 0,34% mercredi et battu de nouveaux records avant la décision de la Réserve fédérale américaine sur la mise en œuvre d'une réduction de ses achats d'actifs attendue par le marché.

L'indice parisien a fini à 6.950,65 points, dépassant son record absolu en séance qui remontait au 4 septembre 2000 et battant son record de clôture établi la veille. La place parisienne a notamment profité ces dernières semaines d'une saison de résultats d'entreprises de bonne facture au troisième trimestre, notamment ceux du secteur du luxe qui représente environ un quart de la cote. Pour la suite, «le rythme de progression ne va peut-être pas être aussi effréné dans la mesure où l'économie est en transition», note toutefois Benoît Peloille, stratégiste chez Vega IM. » | Par Le Figaro avec AFP | mercredi 3 novembre 2021

À LIRE AUSSI : Comment le CAC 40 se transforme »

Inflation Bonds Are Getting a Big Rate Bump »

Fed Announces Plan to Slow Its Bond Buying Program: The Federal Reserve is dealing with high inflation at a time when millions of workers remain on the job market’s sidelines. »

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

Wirtschaftswissenschaftler sieht Welt im Endspiel des Kapitalismus | DW Nachrichten

Nov 3, 2021 • Die Preise steigen. Aktuell beträgt die Geldentwertung in Deutschland 4,5 Prozent, das ist der höchste Stand seit 28 Jahren. Norbert Häring, Wirtschaftswissenschaftler und Autor, sieht die Welt im Endspiel des Kapitalismus. In den nächsten fünf Jahren, wahrscheinlich darunter, könnte es den nächsten Crash geben, so Häring. Auch die aktuellen Lieferengpässen in vielen Branchen seien ein Anzeichen – eine Folge geopolitischer Machtspiele. Generell kritisiert er die Finanzbranche und auch die EZB, die mit viel billigem Geld kaum reale Wirtschaftsimpulse gesetzt habe.

Ronnie Kroell | I'm From Chicago, IL | True Gay Stories

Oct 16, 2009 • Ronnie Kroell's grandma comes to the rescue when his mom is being less than supportive after finding out he's gay.

The Secret World of Sugar Babies and Sugar Daddies | 60 Minutes Australia

Jun 10, 2019 • Incredibly, right now in Australia there are more than 200,000 young women who have either become, or are trying to be, “sugar babies”. Their ambition is for a sweet life of pampered luxury, paid for by older, sometimes much older, men. For the so-called “sugar daddies”, the equation is simple: the wealthier they are, the more attractive they are. But as Sarah Abo finds out, it’s not hard to read between the lines here. The term sugar baby is often code for sex worker, and the male moneybags are often crinkled-up creeps. And that leads to a very important question: is this sugar baby phenomenon about empowering women or exploiting them?

Due to the content and bad language in this documentary, it is most unsuitable for children. Viewer discretion is therefore advised.

This phenomenon could also be called ‘sex for sale’; and we all know what the traditional word for that is! Just because it is high-tech, it doesn’t change the fundamental nature of what is happening here. It turns 'love' and sex into a financial transaction.

Personally, I find this a very sad indictment on modern society. True love can never be bought. It doesn’t matter whether it is straight or gay love. It’s just not how love works. Sad! – Mark

Neofascist Seizure of America’s State Governments

Oct 22, 2021 • On the show, Chris Hedges discusses the seizure of state government by American’s homegrown neofascist movement with the historian Paul Street.

The creeping homegrown Christianized fascism that is steadily gaining power in the United States is most evident not in Washington but in state-level politics. Some 150 million Americans live in fully or mainly “red states,” where state politics and policy are completely or largely in the hands of a neofascist Republican party. There are 22 states where Republicans control the governorship and legislative bodies. There are 15 states where the Democratic party controls the governorship and legislative bodies. And there are 13 states with divided governments. In the “red” states such as Texas and Florida laws are being passed to suppress voting, outlaw abortion, forbid honest discussion of white systemic racism in public education, ban local governments and school districts from enforcing minimum wage ordinances, prohibit local vaccine and mask mandates, cut pandemic-related unemployment benefits, reject federal Medicaid dollars to help the poor receive health care, and persecute undocumented workers and their families. The nation’s most retrograde corporate political funders and operatives – the Koch-backed “fifth column” culprits in historian Nancy MacLean’s book Democracy in Chains – have long focused heavily on politics and policy at the state level. State politics, with the collapse of the local press and its consolidation by a handful of corporations, is an easy mark. It is rarely covered and almost never in depth. Corporations, for relatively small costs, can buy the loyalty of state officials and banish those who do not do their bidding. What is happening, as the historian Paul Street writes, is that in the white nationalist “flyover” states, Republican neofascists are hard wiring these jurisdictions to orchestrate this creeping coup with Leninist discipline.

Paul Street is the author of ten books including his latest Hollow Resistance: Obama, Trump, and the Politics of Appeasement. He also writes regularly for Counterpunch where he published a recent column headlined “What Happens in the Red States."

‘This Is a Total Fabrication of the Government’ – Ex-NSA Official William Binney on Assange’s Case

Nov 3, 2021 • The extradition trial of WikiLeaks co-founder Julian Assange made headlines worldwide last week, and his fate still hangs in the balance. RT talks to former NSA intelligence official and whistleblower William Binney, who says the governments involved want to silence the free media. [Originally aired on 27/10]

The UK Must Ban ‘Conversion Therapy’ – Even for Adults Who Claim to Want It

THE GUARDIAN – OPINION: In allowing over-18s to give ‘informed consent’ to this abusive practice, the government is pandering to rightwing evangelicals

Last week the government finally published its proposals on how it intends to ban the degrading practice of so-called “conversion therapy”. It has taken years of lobbying, several high-profile resignations, as well as various statements from senior religious leaders and indeed whole denominations – such as the Church of England and the Methodist church – to get us to this point. Was it worth the wait?

In truth there is much in the proposals that can and should be welcomed. The government has shown willing to listen to the senior human rights lawyers behind the Cooper report, which I convened, and has accepted our proposal of a two-pronged approach involving both criminal and civil remedies. This means that as well as clear criminal sanctions against perpetrators, who now face sentence of up to five years and a hefty fine, it will also introduce new protection orders that will work to safeguard young vulnerable LGBT+ people from harm.

That is, if you are under 18 or have been found to have been forced or coerced into conversion therapy. But this restriction, focusing purely on the under-18s, is woefully inadequate and leaves thousands still open to abuse, particularly in religious settings – which the government’s own research has shown accounts for the majority of conversion practices. The new law would still allow adults to freely seek out such therapies. However, we know that it is young adults (aged 18-24) who are vulnerable to significant risk when they leave home and find themselves wooed by fundamentalist religious groups. » | Jayne Ozanne | Tuesday, November 2, 2021

Les talibans interdisent l'utilisation de devises étrangères aux Afghans

LE FIGARO : Le gouvernement taliban a annoncé mardi qu'il serait désormais interdit d'utiliser des devises étrangères dans le pays, mettant encore plus à risque une économie déjà en lambeaux. «La situation économique et l'intérêt national du pays nécessitent que tous les Afghans se servent de l'afghani comme monnaie pour toutes leurs transactions», a indiqué le porte-parole taliban Zabihullah Mujahid dans un communiqué. «L'Emirat islamique ordonne à tous ses citoyens, commerçants, marchands, hommes d'affaires (...) de strictement s'abstenir d'utiliser des devises étrangères», insiste le responsable. » | Par Le Figaro avec AFP | mardi 2 novembre 2021

Turkey: Homosexuality Could Soon Be “Illegal”

Mar 15, 2021 • “The clock is ticking! Homosexuality will be illegal in Turkey! We must act NOW! Recently, Turkish President Erdogan said there was no such thing as LGBT people! His Interior Minister referred to protesters as ‘LGBT Deviants’ on Twitter. Their rhetoric is ramping up, and we KNOW how this will end. Soon, it will be illegal to be LGBTQ in Turkey. We must act NOW!”

In this video, Okan Sengun explains what is happening in Turkey. From the 2021 Boğaziçi University student protests, trans women were arrested at the Women's March.

Okan explains what Twitter should do immediately to stop the spread of hate speeches in Turkey and the horrible end gay Turks are facing if they don’t speak out.

Abus sexuels : l’Eglise doit reconnaître sa responsabilité

LE MONDE : Réunis en assemblée plénière du 2 au 8 novembre, les évêques de France doivent tirer les conséquences du rapport Sauvé. De leur capacité à engager de profondes réformes dépend l’avenir de la première religion de France.

Editorial du « Monde ». Pour l’Eglise catholique, c’est peu de dire que le rapport Sauvé sur les abus sexuels commis en son sein, rendu public le 5 octobre, a fait l’effet d’une déflagration. La surprise est venue moins de la mise au jour d’un scandale déjà amplement connu, grâce aux témoignages des victimes, que de son ampleur – 216 000 personnes aujourd’hui majeures auraient été agressées sexuellement par des prêtres ou des religieux depuis 1950 – et du fait que l’Eglise soit désignée comme l’institution, en dehors de la famille, où de telles agressions sont de loin les plus fréquentes.

Dans l’Eglise, les abus sexuels ont un caractère « massif » et « systémique », a assené le rapport rédigé à la demande de l’épiscopat par l’ancien vice-président du Conseil d’Etat. Les évêques français, réunis à Lourdes du 2 au 8 novembre en assemblée plénière, vont devoir décider des mesures à prendre, non seulement pour réparer les vies blessées, mais aussi pour réformer le mode de fonctionnement d’une institution où la dissimulation et la non-dénonciation de délits et de crimes sexuels ont longtemps prévalu, et dont le discours sur la sexualité masque un immense malaise. » | ÉDITORIAL | mardi 2 novembre 2021

Shutting Down Historical Debate, China Makes It a Crime to Mock Heroes

THE NEW YORK TIMES: Under a new law, China has zealously prosecuted even the perceived slander of Communist figures, broadening Xi Jinping’s campaign to dominate party orthodoxy.

A painting showing Mao with Red Army soldiers and officers at the National Art Museum in Beijing during the exhibition “100 Years Toward Greatness” in June. | Gilles Sabrié for The New York Times
The young woman in Beijing began her post complaining about mobs gathering online, where recluses vent misogynistic insecurities from the safety of desk chairs. As provocative as it was, it might have passed unnoticed except that she added another beat.

She mocked the toxic masculinity of users imagining themselves as Dong Cunrui, a textbook war hero who, according to Chinese Communist Party lore, died valiantly during the civil war that brought the party to power in 1949.

For that passing reference, the woman, 27 and identified in court only by her last name, Xu, was sentenced last month to seven months in prison.

Her crime: violating a newly amended criminal code that punishes the slander of China’s martyrs and heroes. Since it went into effect in March, the statute has been enforced with a revolutionary zeal, part of an intensified campaign under China’s leader, Xi Jinping, to sanctify the Communist Party’s version of history — and his vision for the country’s future. » | Steven Lee Myers | Tuesday, November 2, 2021

Michael Bublé : Everything

Luke Harlan | I'm from Fayetteville, AR | True Gay Stories

Jul 5, 2011 • After enduring ex-gay counseling and his Southern Baptist roots, Luke finally finds happiness by being true to himself.

Dimitra’s Dishes : The Best Beef Shawarma Recipe

Get the recipe here

Un baiser sur le banc du parc.

Ein Kuß auf der Parkbank. / A kiss on the park bench.
Photo: Adobe Stock

Yuval Noah Harari on How He Met His Husband

Oct 31, 2021 • Harari met his husband in 2001 on a dating app.