UK ‘Tough Guy’ Act on Northern Ireland Will End in Disaster, Says Irish minister

THE GUARDIAN: European Affairs minister says UK government is out of step with preserving peace with protocol threats

A hijacked and burnt-out bus is removed from the loyalist Rathcoole estate in Newtonabbey, Northern Ireland. Photograph: Charles McQuillan/Getty
Ireland’s minister for European Affairs has said that a “tough guy approach” when it comes to Northern Ireland will lead to disaster, adding that threats to suspend the Northern Ireland protocol represented the first time the UK government has been out of step with the international consensus on preserving peace and stability in Northern Ireland in 25 years.

Speaking to BBC Radio 4, Thomas Byrne said there was “a serious danger of complete instability in Northern Ireland” if the UK government continues its “tough guy approach” through threats to trigger article 16, which would suspend post-Brexit trade arrangements.

He said: “We have a situation where we have the US putting pressure on the British government, the EU united in one voice with concern about Northern Ireland, Ireland concerned about Northern Ireland. We’ve never had a situation in the last 25 years where the British government is out of the loop on that.

“We want very close relations with the British government and good cooperation, we want to be singing off the same hymn sheet.” » | Rachel Hall | Friday, November 12, 2021

EU to tell Frost Brexit talks will fail unless he ditches ECJ demand »

More on Boris Johnson’s government:

The Guardian view on Boris Johnson’s Britain: cry, the corrupt country »

Johnson: „Großbritannien ist kein korruptes Land“: Das hässliche Bild vom Tory, der in die Politik geht, um Geld zu verdienen: In Großbritannien lebt die Debatte um Fehlverhalten konservativer Abgeordneter wieder auf. Die Opposition wittert Morgenluft und empört sich nach Kräften. »

Die bloße Tatsache, daß Johnson sagen muß, daß Großbritannien kein korruptes Land ist, spricht Bände! – © Mark

The Bolsonaro-Trump Connection Threatening Brazil’s Elections

THE NEW YORK TIMES: With his poll numbers falling, President Jair Bolsonaro is already questioning the legitimacy of next year’s election. He has help from the United States.

President Jair Bolsonaro of Brazil during Independence Day celebrations in São Paulo in September. | Victor Moriyama for The New York Times
BRASÍLIA — The conference hall was packed, with a crowd of more than 1,000 cheering attacks on the press, the liberals and the politically correct. There was Donald Trump Jr. warning that the Chinese could meddle in the election, a Tennessee congressman who voted against certifying the 2020 vote, and the president complaining about voter fraud.

In many ways, the September gathering looked like just another CPAC, the conservative political conference. But it was happening in Brazil, most of it was in Portuguese and the president at the lectern was Jair Bolsonaro, the country’s right-wing leader.

Fresh from their assault on the results of the 2020 U.S. presidential election, former President Donald J. Trump and his allies are exporting their strategy to Latin America’s largest democracy, working to support Mr. Bolsonaro’s bid for re-election next year — and helping sow doubt in the electoral process in the event that he loses. » | Jack Nicas | Thursday, November 11, 2021

Biden in der Klemme: Schafft Trump ein Comeback? | Auf den Punkt

Nov 11, 2021 • Donald Trump attackiert Joe Biden und mobilisiert seine Anhänger mit Verschwörungstheorien. Will der Ex-Präsident wieder an die Macht?

Unsere Gäste: Rachel Tausendfreund (German Marshall Fund); Matthew Karnitschnig (Politico); Annika Brockschmidt (freie Journalistin).


Trump wins temporary victory in effort to keep White House records secret: The former president is asking a court to block release of material related to the House investigation into the attack on the Capitol »

Which Costs More? The Closet or Coming Out?

Oct 19, 2016 • TOPIC: Everything has a cost. What is the cost of staying in the closet? What is the cost of coming out of the closet?

”I Was a Married Pastor - Until I Fell in Love with a Man” | Love Don’t Judge

Aug 28, 2020 - A Christian dad of four lost his job as a pastor after falling in love with a younger man in the deep south of America. Eric, 48, began his relationship with Matt, 27, after employing him in his demolition business. But neither man had yet come out as gay and both faced judgment from their Bible Belt community. Eric told truly: “It's not acceptable in [the community], it was difficult.” The couple are now married but when they first met, Eric was a pastor with four children. He explained how their local community reacted to the news, “our hometown is mostly conservative, I was immediately dismissed from my posted.” The age gap also added to the public backlash, “They think we're just dad and son”, Matt explained. He even had a family member who said, “Somebody will kill you.”

Wie man so schön auf Deutsch sagt: ‚Es gibt nichts, was es nicht gibt!‘ Natürlich, wünsche ich ihnen alles Gute. Nur das Beste! – Mark

Genieße die Liebe!

Profitez de l’amour ! / Enjoy the love!
With thanks to gaykiss.tumblr.com on Pinterest for this super photo.

Dimitra’s Dishes : Tiropita: Greek Feta & Phyllo Pie

Get the recipe here.

Democracy Now! Top US News & World Headlines — November 11, 2021

A Crisis the West Says Belarus Engineered Turns Dire for Migrants

THE NEW YORK TIMES: With thousands stranded at the border of the European Union’s eastern flank, the Polish prime minister accused Belarus of using people like “ammunition.” The autocratic leader of Belarus raised the prospect of disrupting the flow of natural gas through his country to Europe.


Hundreds of people, largely from the Middle East, camped at the Belarus-Poland border in frigid weather seeking to enter Poland. Western officials say Belarus is trying to orchestrate a refugee crisis at its borders with the European Union. | Polish Defence Ministry, via Reuters
WARSAW — As the standoff over migrants gathering along the European Union’s eastern flank grew more precarious on Thursday, with Polish news media reporting that a 14-year-old boy from Iraq had frozen to death on the Belarus side of the frontier, the language from political leaders on either side of the razor wire ratcheted up.

Western leaders have accused Aleksandr G. Lukashenko, Belarus’s autocratic leader, of engineering the crisis — creating a path into European Union countries for migrants from the Middle East.

Thousands of migrants have been escorted to the borders of Poland, Lithuania and Latvia under the watchful eyes of the Belarusian authorities. And once there, they are stranded in bitter cold, prevented from entering the E.U. or from going back into Belarus. It is, according to Western officials, a hybrid attack with people used as weapons. Tensions escalate at the Poland-Belarus border as migrants face dire conditions. » | Andrew Higgins and Anton Troianovski | Thursday, November 11, 2021

F.W. de Klerk, Last President of Apartheid South Africa, Dies at 85

THE NEW YORK TIMES: A prominent Afrikaner, he vehemently defended the separation of the races but later stunned his deeply divided nation, and the wider world, by reconsidering the country’s racist ways.

F.W. de Klerk and Nelson Mandela in 1994. They shared the Nobel Peace Prize for negotiating the end of the apartheid state. | Juda Ngwenya/Reuters
F.W. de Klerk, who as president of South Africa dismantled the apartheid system that he and his ancestors had helped put in place, died at his home near Cape Town on Thursday. He was 85.

The former president’s death was confirmed by the F.W. de Klerk Foundation, which said in a statement that he had been receiving treatment for cancer.

A member of a prominent Afrikaner family, Mr. de Klerk had vehemently defended the separation of the races during his long climb up the political ladder. But once he took over as president in 1989, he stunned his deeply divided nation, and the wider world, by reconsidering South Africa’s racist ways, a step that led to him and Nelson Mandela, whom he released from prison, being awarded the Nobel Peace Prize.

South Africa had become such a pariah in the eyes of the world by the 1980s, its internal strife and tainted reputation so disruptive to the economy, that Mr. de Klerk argued that the country’s future depended on a new course. » | Marc Lacey | Thursday, November 11, 2021

Afrique du Sud : mort de Frederik de Klerk, «l'homme qui a aboli l'apartheid» : DISPARITION - Le dernier président blanc du pays, prix Nobel 1993 de la paix, était connu pour avoir officiellement mis fin à l'apartheid et libéré l'icône Nelson Mandela. Malade d'un cancer, il s'est éteint le jour de ses 85 ans. »

„Aus dem Kreislauf der Gewalt ausbrechen“ : Frederik Willem de Klerk, Südafrikas letzter weißer Staatspräsident, ist im Alter von 85 Jahren gestorben. Er trug maßgeblich zur Überwindung der Apartheid bei, obwohl er als Verfechter der Rassentrennung angetreten war. »

Südafrikas Türöffner für Demokratie: Frederik Willem de Klerk ist tot: Nichts hatte in der Biografie von de Klerk darauf hingedeutet, dass er entscheidenden Anteil am Ende der Apartheid in Südafrika haben würde. Im historisch richtigen Moment brachte er dennoch den nötigen Mut für den weitgehend friedlichen Regierungswechsel auf. »

FW de Klerk obituary: Last president of South Africa under apartheid who oversaw the orderly transfer of power »

Brexit: EU Warns of 'Serious Consequences' If UK Triggers Article 16

Nov 5, 2021 • Brussels could impose tariffs on UK imports or even tear up the EU-UK Brexit trade deal altogether.

Verwandt

EU to tell Frost Brexit talks will fail unless he ditches ECJ demand: Concerns grow that Boris Johnson has already decided to trigger article 16 of Northern Ireland protocol »

50,000 New Infections: Germany's Political Power Vacuum Impedes the Country's Covid Response

• Nov 11, 2021 • Germany crossed 50,000 new daily coronavirus infections for the first time on Thursday, according to the national public health body, the Robert Koch Institute (RKI). The RKI said Germany reported 50,196 new cases within the past 24 hours. The public health body also registered 235 new deaths from the virus. Germany's number of new cases per 100,000 people over the past week has now risen to 249.1. The institute previously reported on Wednesday 39,676 new cases, which was also a record at the time. The rising cases have alarmed Germany's top health officials and political leaders. Virologist Christian Drosten said the country could witness as many as 100,000 more deaths from the virus and called for urgent action. Chancellor Angela Merkel is pushing for talks with state premiers to craft a "quick and unified response" to the crisis. Some parts of the country are putting more pressure on unvaccinated citizens. On Monday, Berlin will require a certificate of vaccination or recovery for people entering public venues such as restaurants, gyms and hairdressers.

Britischer Brexit-Minister droht mit Eskalation

STREIT UM NORDIRLAND-ABKOMMEN
FRANKFURTER ALLGEMEINE ZEITUNG: Seit Monaten verhandeln die EU und Großbritannien über das Nordirland-Abkommen, dass die Region an den europäischen Binnenmarkt anschließen soll. Bisher ohne Erfolg. Nun verschärft der britische Verhandlungsführer David Frost den Ton.

Der zuständige britische Minister David Frost hat im Streit um die Brexit-Regeln für Nordirland wiederholt damit gedroht, die Abmachungen des sogenannten Nordirland-Protokolls teilweise außer Kraft zu setzen. Gleichzeitig rief er die EU zur Besonnenheit auf.

Die Mitte Oktober von der EU-Kommission vorgelegten Vorschläge zur Lösung von Schwierigkeiten beim Handel zwischen Großbritannien und Nordirland bezeichnete der britische Minister David Frost als nicht ausreichend. Die Gespräche seitdem hätten keine Lösung gebracht. Noch bleibe Zeit, um zu einer Einigung zu kommen.

Sollte das jedoch nicht gelingen, werde das Auslösen des Notfallmechanismus von Artikel 16 des Protokolls „die einzige Option bleiben“, sagte Frost am Mittwoch im Oberhaus in London. » | Quelle: dpa | Mittwoch, 10. November 2021

La «pensée» de Xi Jinping déclarée «quintessence de la culture et de l'âme chinoises»

Le président chinois Xi Jinping sort encore renforcé de cette résolution. CARLOS GARCIA RAWLINS / REUTERS
LE FIGARO : Le Parti communiste chinois a adopté sans surprise un texte qui a encore élevé la stature du président en exercice parmi les icônes du pays.

Un siècle d'histoire pour mieux verrouiller l'avenir: le Parti communiste chinois (PCC) a adopté sans surprise jeudi 11 novembre un texte qui a encore élevé la stature du président Xi Jinping parmi les icônes du pays. Dans le plus grand secret, les près de 400 membres du Comité central, le «parlement» du PCC, ont approuvé une résolution sur «les grandes réussites» du mouvement fondé en 1921.

Dithyrambique, le texte publié par l'agence Chine nouvelle affirme que le PCC, qui gouverne le pays d'une main de fer depuis 72 ans, a écrit «l'épopée la plus magnifique de l'histoire de la nation chinoise sur des millénaires». Dans un pays où l'histoire est traditionnellement utilisée pour légitimer le pouvoir, Xi Jinping a profité de cette résolution pour se présenter en héritier incontestable du régime. » | Par Le Figaro avec AFP | jeudi 11 novembre 2021

À LIRE AUSSI : Xi Jinping, la quête du pouvoir absolu : RÉCIT - Lancé lundi, le plénum du PCC doit préparer le pays à une «nouvelle ère» à l’image du numéro un chinois. »

Seeking Global Praise, Boris Johnson Instead Deals with Scandal at Home

THE NEW YORK TIMES: As the host leader of the U.N. conference on global warming, Mr. Johnson was hoping to project statesmanship. But a mushrooming ethics scandal dominated the week, overshadowing his climate ambitions.

Prime Minister Boris Johnson, center, attended the United Nations’ climate conference in Glasgow on Wednesday. | Yves Herman/Reuters
GLASGOW, Scotland — Prime Minister Boris Johnson rushed back to the United Nations’ climate summit on Wednesday in a last-ditch effort to persuade countries to make more meaningful pledges to curb global warming. But his splashy return to the global stage was all but eclipsed by a mushrooming scandal over the lucrative business dealings of lawmakers from his Conservative Party.

Mr. Johnson is not the only world leader whose global ambitions have been swamped by domestic distractions. Some, like President Biden, were hamstrung by political battles back home. Others, like President Xi Jinping of China, were no-shows as they struggled with the pandemic and other challenges.

But as the host, Mr. Johnson’s split-screen moment was especially unforgiving: Rather than draw praise, as he had hoped, for his diplomacy on climate change, he has endured a skein of unflattering revelations about Conservative members of Parliament. The most recent embarrassment was a report that a former attorney general did legal work for the British Virgin Islands from his Westminster office, in violation of House of Commons rules.

On Wednesday, Mr. Johnson tried his best to change the subject.

“We need to pull out all the stops if we are to do what we came here to do,” he said at a news conference before the final two days of the climate conference, known as COP26. Mr. Johnson insisted a landmark deal was in reach, though he warned that several countries were falling short of necessary pledges.

“Will you help us grasp that opportunity or will you stand in the way?” he said. “The risk of sliding back would be an absolute disaster.” » | Mark Landler | Wednesday, November 10, 2021

Arthur Rubinstein - Chopin : Piano Concerto No 2 in F Minor, Op 21

London Symphony Orchestra: André Previn, conductor | 1. Maestoso 2. Larghetto 3. Allegro vivace

You can support Classical Vault on Patreon here.

Les meilleures tables du 9e arrondissement de Paris à moins de 50€

Le soufflé au Grand Marnier du Pantruche, une des adresses de Franck Baranger à Paris 9e. Sébastien SORIANO/Le Figaro
LE FIGARO : LA SÉLECTION DU FIGARO - De South Pigalle aux Grands Boulevards, en passant par les faubourgs et la Nouvelle Athènes, voici nos dix restaurants favoris, piochés parmi les nouveautés comme les valeurs sûres, pour un repas (entrée, plat, dessert) ne dépassant pas les 50 euros (ou presque!).

La sélection des meilleures tables du Figaro ici » | Par Alice Bosio, EMMANUEL RUBIN et Hugo de Saint Phalle | Publié : mardi 9 novembre 2021 ; mis à jour : mercredi 10 novembre 2021

Réservé aux abonnés

Einfach Spaß haben!

via GIPHY

Amusez-vous juste ! / Just have fun!

Brexit Is about to Get a Whole Lot Worse | Truth To Power

Nov 10, 2021 • The independent office of Budget Responsibility, funded by the UK Treasury, has established that despite the UK securing a much hyped trade deal at the last minute, Brexit has nevertheless shrunk the UK economy by 4% in the long term. And according to the government’s own figures, UK Brexit trade losses are more than 178 times larger than gains from the much-vaunted trade deals secured by Liz 'cut and paste' truss and her successor, climate change sceptic, Anne Marie Trevelyan. But Brexit may be about to get a whole lot worse. With COP26 out of the way, the UK is now threatening to trigger Article 16 of the Northern Ireland Protocol, which could prompt the European Union to suspend the post-Brexit trade deal altogether, and impose tariffs on all UK goods entering the EU.

Gay & Christian in the Military? (2010)

This video became a synopsis of my life story, but was originally just an "on-camera" audition for a "Reality" TV show (that never happened). I had no idea this video would find its way onto several websites, but because it did, several men who saw it from around the world, contacted me and I've been able to help them embrace themselves and come out with dignity -- including my current partner! Whether you're gay or straight or something in-between, I hope you find insight, understanding, or inspiration too. Life is YOUR stage -- read your OWN lines -- don't let others read them FOR you.

I don’t know why, but so many of the ‘coming out’ videos seem to be from 2010 / 2011. It must have been a bumper period for coming out! – Mark

Suddenly Different: How I Reconciled My Sexuality with My Faith (2011)

A religious gay man’s coming out story.

Ask Prof Wolff: Why Texas Bans Abortions

Supply Chain Disruptions Continued to Fuel Price Increases in October

THE NEW YORK TIMES: Prices of clothes, lawn mowers and car parts surged in October, data released Wednesday showed, as supply chain disruptions continued to fuel shortages and raise transportation costs.

The increases drove the Consumer Price Index up 6.2 percent last month from the prior year, the fastest pace since 1990.

Factory shutdowns, clogged ports, a shortage of truckers and a surge in demand for imported products have combined to drive up shipping costs for food, furniture, automobiles and other products, which are being passed on in part to consumers. Major shipping companies like FedEx and UPS have announced rate increases. » | Ana Swanson | Wednesday, November 10, 2021

EU und Belarus: Streit über Migration im Grenzgebiet

Tausende Menschen sitzen im Grenzgebiet zwischen Belarus und Polen fest. Die EU wirft dem belarusischen Machthaber Lukaschenko vor, Menschen gezielt aus Krisenregionen einzufliegen, um sie dann an die Grenze zur EU zu bringen. Damit wolle er die Mitgliedsstaaten unter Druck setzen, aus Rache für bereits verhängte Sanktionen.

Außenminister Maas drohte Belarus mit weiteren Sanktionen. Alle, die sich an der Schleusung von Migrant:innen beteiligten, würden sanktioniert. Die Europäische Union sei nicht erpressbar.

Am Montag hatten größere Gruppen von Migrant:innen in der Nähe von Kuznica vergeblich versucht, die EU-Außengrenze von belarusischer Seite aus zu durchbrechen. Nach Erkenntnissen der polnischen Behörden halten sich gegenwärtig zwischen 3000 und 4000 Menschen im belarusisch-polnischen Grenzgebiet auf - viele kommen aus Krisengebieten wie Afghanistan und dem Irak.


Merkel appeals to Putin to intervene in Belarus border crisis: Call comes after Polish PM said Russia was behind flow of people from Middle East to EU borders »

La guerre peut-elle éclater entre le Maroc et l’Algérie?

Du Sahara occidental aux conflits de frontières, l’escalade de tensions ne cesse pas entre les deux puissances du Maghreb. FADEL SENNA/AFP
LE FIGARO : DÉCRYPTAGE - La mort de trois Algériens dans un bombardement attribué au Maroc a encore envenimé les relations entre les deux frères ennemis.

Le Sahara occidental est au cœur du différend entre le Maroc et l’Algérie.

Pourquoi la situation a-t-elle dégénéré?

Voilà trente ans que le statut du Sahara occidental empoisonne les relations entre le Maroc - il revendique le territoire comme sien - et l’Algérie - elle estime qu’il s’agit d’une question de décolonisation et réclame un référendum d’autodétermination pour les Sahraouis sous l’égide des Nations unies. Jusqu’ici, le différend entre Rabat et Alger avait surtout pris la forme d’une guerre diplomatique dans laquelle chacun tentait de peser par des rapports et des jeux de lobbying dans les couloirs de l’ONU. La décision de l’Algérie de faire voler en éclats ce statu quo en annonçant, fin août, la rupture de ses relations diplomatiques avec le Maroc, est liée à l’intrusion officielle d’un troisième acteur sur le terrain: Israël. Depuis l’annonce par Donald Trump de la normalisation des relations diplomatiques entre le Maroc et Israël, obtenue en échange d’une reconnaissance américaine de la souveraineté marocaine sur le Sahara occidental - ni confirmée ni annulée par l’Administration Biden - Alger s’inquiète d’«opérations étrangères» visant à sa «déstabilisation». » | Par Adam Arroudj | dimanche 7 novembre 2021

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In Full: Paul Keating Addresses National Press Club of Australia

Nov 10, 2021 • Former prime minister Paul Keating addresses the National Press Club discussing Australia's strategic framework and its role in the Indo-Pacific.

In his address, Mr Keating gave a scathing assessment of Australia's defence decisions regarding the Indo-Pacific region.

His remarks come after Australia scrapped a $90 billion French Naval Group submarine contract in favour of nuclear submarines in alliance with the United Kingdom and United States.

‘Throwing Toothpicks at the Mountain’: Paul Keating Says Aukus Submarines Plan Will Have No Impact on China

THE GUARDIAN: Former Australian prime minister also says Britain ‘like an old theme park sliding into the Atlantic’ compared to modern China

The former Australian prime minister Paul Keating has denounced the US- and UK-backed plan for nuclear-powered submarines as “like throwing a handful of toothpicks at the mountain”, declaring Australia should avoid being drawn into a war with China.

The former Labor leader on Wednesday accused the major Australian political parties of losing their way on foreign policy, while dismissing the credibility of the UK’s “tilt” to the Indo-Pacific region.

“Britain is like an old theme park sliding into the Atlantic compared to modern China,” said Keating, who was Australia’s prime minister from 1991 to 1996.

Keating also played down criticism of China’s militarisation of disputed features in the South China Sea by saying “big powers are rude”, and said it would be wrong to insist the increasingly dominant economic power could be only “a stakeholder” in a US-led system. » | Daniel Hurst | Wednesday, November 10, 2021


Australian foreign minister seeks to allay south-east Asia fears that nuclear submarines will stir up conflict: Marise Payne is visiting four countries in the region, including Malaysia and Indonesia, which have both raised concerns over Aukus deal »

Half of Britons Do Not Know 6m Jews Were Murdered in Holocaust

THE GUARDIAN: Survey also finds majority of UK respondents believe fewer people care about Holocaust today than used to

The Holocaust Memorial Garden in Hyde Park, London. Photograph: Anthony Harvey/Rex/Shutterstock
Just over half of Britons did not know that 6 million Jewish people were murdered during the Holocaust, and less than a quarter thought that 2 million or fewer were killed, a new survey has found.

The study also found that 67% of UK respondents wrongly believed that the government allowed all or some Jewish immigration, when in fact the British government shut the door to Jewish immigration at the outbreak of the war.

When respondents were asked about the Kindertransport, an initiative set up between 1938 and 1939 to rescue nearly 10,000 Jewish child refugees and bring them to Britain, 76% said they did not know what the historic effort was. » | Aamna Mohdin and Rachel Hall | Wednesday, November 10, 2021

Tory Party Vice-chair Andrew Bowie Resigns in Protest over Sleaze

THE GUARDIAN: MP for West Aberdeenshire and Kincardine becomes first party figure to step down as a matter of conscience over scandal

The Conservative MP Andrew Bowie has announced he will resign as a vice-chair of the party in the wake of the sleaze scandal engulfing Boris Johnson.

Bowie said he requested to step down but agreed to stay in post until a successor has been appointed. He believed he could not continue to defend the government after the prime minister’s botched bid to save a colleague from suspension and overhaul the standards system. » | Aubrey Allegretti, Political correspondent | Wednesday, November 10, 2021

Emmanuel Macron : Adresse aux Français

Kenny Rogers : Crazy

Provided to YouTube by Universal Music Group. | Views on YouTube: 2,132,713

Crise des migrants : Bruxelles durcit l’octroi de visas pour les officiels biélorusses

LE MONDE : Cette décision des Vingt-Sept entérine une proposition soumise par la Commission européenne à la fin de septembre.

La présidente de la Commission européenne, Ursula von der Leyen, a appelé les Etats membres à approuver de nouvelles sanctions contre les autorités biélorusses, le 8 novembre 2021. ALBERTO PEZZALI / AP
En réaction à « l’attaque hybride » lancée par Minsk, accusé d’organiser un afflux de migrants aux frontières de l’Union européenne (UE), celle-ci a suspendu, mardi 9 novembre, des dispositions visant à faciliter la délivrance de visas pour les fonctionnaires du régime biélorusse.

Cette décision des Vingt-Sept entérine une proposition soumise par la Commission européenne à la fin de septembre. Elle intervient au moment où la tension monte à la frontière avec la Pologne, qui bloque le passage de groupes de migrants venus de Biélorussie et a déployé des milliers de soldats, et alors que l’UE envisage de nouvelles sanctions à l’égard du régime d’Alexandre Loukachenko. » | Le Monde avec AFP | mardi 9 novembre 2021crise des migrants,UE,

How Coming Out Heals Your Life

Jul 19, 2012 • After Anderson Cooper and Frank Ocean came out, I got to thinking about my own coming out at age 12 and how it affected my life. I found it to be an extremely healing experience that wasn't easy at first, but led me toward greater peace and wholeness. Telling the truth can challenging for many, but it will bring your destiny closer to you; it will ignite your life and give your struggle greater meaning and purpose. It will set you free.

Daniil Trifonov - Chopin: Concerto for Piano and Orchestra No. 2 In F Minor, Op.21 (Arr. by Pletnev)

Chopin’s “Concerto For Piano And Orchestra No. 2 In F Minor, Op. 21, 2. Larghetto” (Arr. By Mikhail Pletnev) played by Daniil Trifonov and the Mahler Chamber Orchestra under the direction of Mikhail Pletnev. Daniil Trifonov’s album “Chopin Evocations” contains Chopin’s two beautiful piano concertos in fascinating new orchestrations by pianist-conductor-composer Mikhail Pletnev.

GQ Deutschland: The Making of #Mundpropaganda

Dec 10, 2013 • Mit der Aktion #Mundpropaganda kämpft(e) GQ gegen Intoleranz. Mit dabei: Männer wie Herbert Grönemeyer und August Diehl, Moses Pelham und Thomas D, Fettes Brot, Revolverheld, Kostja Ullmann, Ken Duken und die Beachvolleyball-Olympiasieger Julius Brink und Jonas Reckermann. Das Making-of zum Knutschen für den guten Zweck sehen Sie hier.

For your information, the men in this video are straight men who were doing this to help fight homophobia and intolerance. Kudos!– Mark

"Place Royale" : Farah Pahlavi – un destin impérial

Nov 8, 2015 – Un entretien de M. Thomas de Bergeyck de la télévision belge avec Sa Majesté Farah Pahlavi.

Democracy Now! Top US News & World Headlines — November 9, 2021

Bitcoin Price Surges to Record High of More Than $68,000

THE GUARDIAN: Other cryptocurrencies such as ethereum also reach records as investors hedge against inflation

Bitcoin’s price is predicted to rise further in the coming weeks. Photograph: Hollandse Hoogte/Rex/Shutterstock
The bitcoin price has reached a new record high, breaking through $68,000 (£50,000), and analysts predict that the world’s best-known cryptocurrency will rise further in the coming weeks.

This beats the previous record high set in late October, when bitcoin reached nearly $67,700 before falling back again when investors discovered a new cryptocurrency, shiba inu. Other cryptocurrencies have also risen to record highs, such as ethereum, which soared to $4,837.

Bitcoin has always been volatile but remains the world’s largest digital currency, with a market value of more than $1.1tn. Five years ago, a single bitcoin was worth about $700. Investors are buying it because they are worried about rising inflation – as an alternative to gold, a traditional inflation hedge – and as bond yields are falling. » | Julia Kollewe | Tuesday, November 9, 2021

Poland-Belarus Border Tensions Intensify | DW News

Nov 9, 2021 • Polish officials closed the crossing with Belarus at the border town of Kuznica on Tuesday morning, a day after thousands of migrants arrived in the area. Poland's Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki described the incident as a "hybrid attack" conducted by the regime of Belarus strongman Alexander Lukashenko. "Sealing the Polish border is our national interest. But today the stability and security of the entire EU is at stake," Morawiecki wrote on Twitter. "We will not be intimidated and will defend peace in Europe with our partners from NATO and EU." Belarus denied the Polish accusations, labeling them as "unfounded and unsubstantiated," and claimed Warsaw was deliberately escalating tensions.

Hundreds of migrants are believed to still be near the border on Tuesday, with videos showing tents and fireplaces on the Belarusian side. The Polish Interior Ministry said the night was quiet, save for a rock being thrown at a police car. Videos from the scene on Monday showed a large group of migrants attempting to breach the border. Polish border guards and military claim Belarus troops were controlling and directing the group. Polish government spokesman Piotr Muller told reporters that another 3,000 to 4,000 migrants were massing in the area. "We expect that there may be an escalation of this type of action on the Polish border in the near future, which will be of an armed nature," he added.



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Weissrussland: Lukaschenko schickt Migranten-Gruppe zur EU-Aussengrenze, Polen reagiert mit einer Schliessung der Grenze: Als Reaktion auf Sanktionen der EU ermuntert Lukaschenko Migranten, über Weissrussland die EU-Aussengrenze zu passieren. EU-Staaten mit einer Grenze zu Weissrussland regieren mit dem Ausnahmezustand und Grenzschliessungen. »

Migrants à la frontière Biélorussie-Pologne : Poutine et Loukachenko se sont téléphoné »

Sharing the Love Is Good Wherever You Are! On Dry Land, in the Water, or in the Air!

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Die Liebe zu teilen ist gut, wo immer Sie sind! Auf dem Trockenen, im Wasser oder in der Luft! / Partager l'amour est bon où que vous soyez ! Sur la terre ferme, dans l'eau ou dans les airs !

Alexander Meadows | I'm From Miami, FL | True Gay Stories (2009)

Whitney Houston, Mariah Carey - When You Believe | Official HD Video

Views on YouTube: 348,831,849

Poland Warns of ‘Armed’ Attempts on Its Border as Germany Urges EU to Act

THE GUARDIAN: Poland says thousands more migrants are waiting near Belarusian border, and German minister says Warsaw and Berlin ‘can’t handle this alone’

Migrants gather on the Belarusian-Polish border Photograph: Leonid Shcheglov/BelTA/TASS
Poland has warned of an “armed” escalation of conflict involving migrants massed near the border with Belarus, as the global community reacted to the latest grim chapter in Europe’s migrant crisis.

Having blocked hundreds of people from entering the country, Polish government spokesperson Piotr Muller said a further 3,000 to 4,000 migrants were gathering near the border. “We expect that there may be an escalation of this type of action on the Polish border in the near future, which will be of an armed nature,” he said.

Poland and other EU countries have accused Belarus of trying to provoke a new refugee crisis in Europe in revenge for their criticism of Alexander Lukashenko’s brutal crackdown on opposition. The situation has been simmering for months and worsened on Monday when Belarus authorities escorted an estimated 1,000 people to the Polish border. With video » | Andrew Roth in Moscow with agencies | Tuesday, November 9, 2021

„Lasst uns unseren Blick nicht von der Tragödie abwenden!“ »

„Das können Polen oder Deutschland nicht allein bewältigen“: Bundesinnenminister Horst Seehofer fordert die EU-Kommission auf, Polen bei der Sicherung der Außengrenze zu unterstützen. Die Regierung in Warschau hatte zuvor die Ankunft tausender Migranten gemeldet. »

‘Unacceptable’: Outrage as Air Canada Chief Gives Quebec Speech in English

THE GUARDIAN: Michael Rousseau’s decision not to speak French in Quebec address inflames longstanding grievances over linguistic rights

The head of Canada’s largest airline is facing public outrage and calls for his resignation after giving a speech in English to business leaders in Quebec – a misstep that has inflamed longstanding grievances over linguistic rights and protections in the country’s lone Francophone province.

The row began last week, when in his first major public appearance as head of Air Canada, Michael Rousseau chose to address the city’s chamber of commerce without speaking French.

Rousseau’s gaffe comes as the Quebec government attempts to dramatically strengthen protections for the French language amid fears English is overtaking it, especially in large cities. » | Leyland Cecco in Toronto | Monday, November 8, 2021

Géorgie : l'ex-président Saakachvili dit être maltraité en prison, craint pour sa vie

LE FIGARO : L'ex-président géorgien emprisonné Mikheïl Saakachvili, en grève de la faim depuis plusieurs semaines, a affirmé lundi 8novembre craindre pour sa vie après avoir été maltraité physiquement par ses gardiens. » | Par Le Figaro avec AFP | lundi 8 novembre 2021

La France, terre de liberté pour les LGBT Arabes

Nov 29, 2019 • À Marseille, un imam franco-algérien bénit des unions de couples du même sexe, bien souvent des fidèles d'origine arabe voulant concilier identité sexuelle et foi. À Paris, un couple d'hommes libanais s'apprêtent à se marier dans l'Hexagone, loin des interdits de leur pays d'origine. Depuis la légalisation du mariage pour tous en 2013, la France représente un espoir pour ces couples LGBT originaires des pays arabes.

The French Have a New Donald Trump in Eric Zemmour, the Far-right Firebrand

VANITY FAIR: A onetime fixture of an ultraconservative TV network, the would-be candidate is stoking fear and loathing across France.

A screenshot from the photo accompanying the article.
A media star with no political experience throws his hat into the ring and soars in the presidential polls. Hurling crude insults at his critics, bashing the elites, vilifying the press, and lavishing praise upon Russia, he rides a wave of populist anger, fear, and xenophobia as he promises to restore his demoralized country to its former glory. No wonder many pundits are calling Eric Zemmour the French Donald Trump. Zemmour, 63, who aides say is about to announce his candidacy, freely acknowledges Trump’s rise to power as a blueprint for his own potential run. He even modeled the cover of his latest book, France Has Not Said Its Final Word, on Trump’s 2015 manifesto, Great Again.Both men pose like patriotic saviors in front of their national flag. Both men have been accused of sexual misconduct by multiple women. (Zemmour has declined to respond to the allegations.)

Beyond the obvious similarities, however, the differences between Trump and Zemmour are substantial. Trump is an uncultivated vulgarian. Zemmour, in contrast, is an articulate, well-read intellectual whose speeches are peppered with literary and historical references. Trump succeeded by taking over the Republican Party; Zemmour, who belongs to no party, is scrambling to improvise a movement of his own. With his height, girth, and outlandish coiffure, Trump is physically imposing; Zemmour is balding, of modest stature and slight build, with a reedy voice—the kind of guy Trump would make fun of if he were in the opposing camp.

Perhaps the main thing the two men share is their status as outsiders that no one took seriously until they began to get traction in national polls. In Zemmour’s case, the rise has been meteoric: Credited in June with a 5.5% share of the theoretical vote, he has more than tripled that margin and now has a serious chance of facing off against President Emmanuel Macron in the runoff of France’s two-round election next April. Until recently, conventional wisdom had pointed to a replay of the 2017 matchup between Macron and Marine Le Pen, of the far-right anti-immigrant National Rally (R.N.) party, who has been trying to moderate her image. But by outflanking her on the radical right—and relentlessly insisting that “Marine can’t win”—Zemmour could lure a substantial number of Le Pen’s 2017 voters to his camp. » | Tom Sancton | Monday, November 8, 2021

Allah weiß, daß ich schwul bin | Homosexuelles Leben für Muslime in Deutschland | Reportage

Mar 1, 2021 • Schwul zu sein, ist in vielen muslimischen Ländern noch ein großes Problem. Die Betroffenen müssen ihre sexuelle Neigung oft verborgen halten. Wird sie von anderen entdeckt, kann es sogar gefährlich werden.

Der Film begleitet den Libanesen Hadi, der nach Deutschland geflohen ist, weil er von seiner eigenen Familie gedemütigt und mit dem Tode bedroht wurde. Nachdem sein Asylantrag in Berlin gewährt wurde, war er noch lange nicht sicher. Die Familie verfolgt ihn auch hier.

Weitere Informationen zur Sendung: rbburl.de/awdisb

Democracy Now! Top US News & World Headlines — November 8, 2021

«Sie warten, bis es stirbt oder etwas anfängt. Wenn nicht, muss ich mit einer Blutvergiftung rechnen»: Wut und Trauer in Polen nach dem Tod einer Frau, die keine Abtreibung erhalten durfte

NEUE ZÜRCHER ZEITUNG: Ein Jahr nach der Einführung eines faktischen Verbots von Schwangerschaftsabbrüchen stehen die Ärzte unter Druck, Abtreibungen zu verweigern. Aber in der Bevölkerung verlieren die Fundamentalisten an Unterstützung.

Der Tod einer Frau nach der unterlassenen Abtreibung eines sterbenden Fötus hat in Polen am Wochenende Zehntausende auf die Strassen getrieben. In Dutzenden von Städten versammelten sich die Menschen unter dem Slogan «Keine Einzige mehr». Manche trugen das Porträt der ums Leben gekommenen Izabela S., andere entzündeten Kerzen oder marschierten mit den Symbolen des Frauenstreiks. » | Ivo Mijnssen, Wien | Montag, 8. November 2021

La tension monte au Sahara occidental

Les tensions se ravivent entre le Maroc et l’Algerie. RYAD KRAMDIFADEL SENNA/AFP
LE FIGARO : Le Maroc aurait tué trois Algériens sur ce territoire qui nourrit l’animosité entre les deux pays.

Nouveau cap dans l’escalade des tensions entre l’Algérie et le Maroc: mercredi 3 novembre, la présidence de la République algérienne a condamné dans un communiqué le «lâche assassinat» de trois de ses ressortissants, en accusant «les forces d’occupation marocaines».

Les trois hommes, décrits comme des routiers assurant la liaison entre Nouakchott (en Mauritanie) et Ouargla (dans le Sud algérien) à bord de leurs camions de transport de marchandises, auraient, selon des médias proches du Front Polisario (mouvement indépendantiste du Sahara occidental) été tués par «des armes sophistiquées» - en clair, une frappe de drone - sur la route entre Ain Ben Tili, à l’extrême nord de la Mauritanie, et Bir Lalhlou, au Sahara occidental, territoire sur lequel le Maroc considère qu’il est souverain. Sur les réseaux sociaux, les images de deux poids lourds calcinés ont bien circulé, mais sans pouvoir être vérifiées de manière indépendante. » | Par Adam Arroudj | mercredi 3 novembre 2021

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Après neuf mois d'absence et de mystère, Charlène de Monaco est de retour sur le Rocher

La princesse Charlène de Monaco arrive à la cathédrale de Monaco (le 19 novembre 2020, Monte-Carlo.) | Getty Images
MADAME FIGARO : Le retour tant attendu d'Afrique du Sud. En effet, c’est ce lundi 8 novembre que la princesse Charlène a foulé la terre monégasque et a enfin retrouvé son époux, Albert II de Monaco et ses enfants, Jacques et Gabriella.

Le Rocher a enfin retrouvé Charlène de Monaco, absente depuis février dernier. C'est via le compte Instagram du palais princer que l'on a appris la nouvelle : on peut y voir trois clichés de la princesse, en compagnie de ses deux enfants Jacques et Gabriella, et de son époux, Albert II de Monaco. Dans une interview accordée au magazine Point de vue le 4 novembre, ce dernier s'était prononcé sur le retour de sa compagne, en mentionnant qu'elle reviendrait probablement avant la fête nationale monégasque, soit le 19 novembre. Un souhait qui s'est donc réalisé. » | Alice Mascher | lundi 8 novembre 2021

Dimitra’s Dishes : Kreatopita: Greek Beef & Phyllo Pie

Get the recipe here.

In Romania, Hard-Hit by Covid, Doctors Fight Vaccine Refusal

THE NEW YORK TIMES: An anti-vaccine clarion call by leading religious figures, echoed by prominent politicians and social media, helps explain why Romania now has the world’s highest Covid death rate.

The emergency unit of Bucharest University Hospital. Short of beds, the hospital erected a big treatment tent in the parking lot and turned the lobby into a new Covid ward. | Cristian Movila for The New York Times
COPACENI, Romania — As a new wave of the coronavirus pandemic crashed over Eastern Europe last month, devastating unvaccinated populations, an Orthodox Church bishop in southern Romania offered solace to his flock: “Don’t be fooled by what you see on TV — don’t be scared of Covid.”

Most important, Bishop Ambrose of Giurgiu told worshipers in this small Romanian town on Oct. 14, “don’t rush to get vaccinated.”

The bishop is now under criminal investigation by the police for spreading dangerous disinformation, but his anti-vaccine clarion call, echoed by prominent politicians, influential voices on the internet and many others, helps explain why Romania has in recent weeks reported the world’s highest per capita death rate from Covid-19.

On Tuesday, nearly 600 Romanians died, the most during the pandemic. The country’s death rate relative to population is almost seven times as high as the United States’, and almost 17 times as high as Germany’s. » | Andrew Higgins | Monday, November 8, 2021

The U.S. Allows Vaccinated International Travelers in and Bars Unvaccinated Travelers from Abroad.

THE NEW YORK TIMES: The United States reopened its borders for fully vaccinated travelers from dozens of countries on Monday, ending more than 18 months of restrictions on international travel that left families separated from loved ones and cost the global travel industry hundreds of billions of dollars in tourism revenue.

Under the new rules, fully vaccinated travelers will be allowed to enter the U.S. if they can show proof of vaccination and a negative coronavirus test taken within three calendar days of travel. Unvaccinated Americans and children under the age of 18 are exempt from the requirement, but must take a test within one day of travel. » | Ceylan Yeginsu, Niraj Chokshi and Concepción de León | Monday, November 8, 2021

Europeans express relief as the American travel ban ends. »

L’Amérique rouvre ses portes aux Français : L’obtention d’un visa de travail ou d’une «green card» relève toutefois encore du parcours du combattant. »

Crypto Rally Lifts Ether to New Record, Bitcoin at Near 3-week High

THE GUARDIAN: Meanwhile in the cryptocurrency world, bitcoin rallied toward its all-time high on Monday and ether has climbed to a fresh record.

Bitcoin is over 6% overnight to reach $66,357, approaching the previous record around $67,000 set on October 20.

Ether - which underpins the ethereum network - has risen to a fresh record at a record top of $4,767.55 on Coindesk.

Reuters says that “momentum, flows, favourable news and inflation fears” are all lifting crypto assets: » | Graeme Wearden | Monday, November 8, 2021

George Michael : Father Figure

Views on YouTube: 80,727,295

Chopin - 12 Études, Op. 25 - Daniil Trifonov

A screenshot from the video.
Jun 2, 2011 • Daniil Trifonov performs Chopin - 12 Études Op. 25 at the Arthur Rubinstein Piano Master Competition (May, 2011, Tel Aviv).
This cannot be embedded on external websites . It must be listened to on YouTube itself. It's wonderful.This is a link to it.

Angela Merkel - Die Kanzlerin im DW-Interview | DW Nachrichten

Nov 7, 2021 • Angela Merkel ist nicht mehr lange Bundeskanzlerin Deutschlands. Nach 16 Jahren wird es bald eine neue Regierung und einen neuen Kanzler geben. Angela Merkel wurde mehrfach zur mächtigsten Frau der Welt gekürt. Ihre Kanzlerschaft war von vielen Krisen geprägt: Finanzkrise, Klimakrise, Corona-Pandemie. Legendär ihr Satz "Wir schaffen das." von 2015 in der Frage, wie sich Europa und insbesondere Deutschland zu syrischen Flüchtlingen verhalten soll.

Im DW-Interview stellt sich Angela Merkel den Fragen von Max Hofmann. Er will wissen: Was ist ihr politisches Vermächtnis? Worauf ist Angela Merkel besonders stolz? Was kommt als Nächstes?

Mit diesem eleganten Lodencape / -poncho werden Sie diesen Winter stilvoll und cool, aber warm und bequem.

Avec cette élégante cape / poncho en loden, vous serez élégant et ‘cool’ cet hiver, mais chaud et confortable. / With this elegant loden cape / poncho you will be stylish and cool this winter, but warm and comfortable.
Dank an Pinterest für dieses schöne Bild.

David Cicilline | I'm From Providence, RI | True Gay Stories

Feb 24, 2011 • US Representative David Cicilline made sure the media mentioned his sexuality

Le jeu dangereux de la Pologne, ex-élève modèle devenu un mouton noir de l’UE

Zbigniew Ziobro, ministre de la Justice polonais. Varsovie, le 4 mai 2021. Czarek Sokolowski/AP
LE FIGARO : À la tête de ce pays majoritairement europhile, qui incarna longtemps la réussite de l’élargissement de 2004, les dirigeants nationaux-conservateurs du PiS s’opposent à Bruxelles sur le terrain de l’État de droit et laissent agiter le spectre d’un Polexit.

Le chemin européen de la Pologne n’a pas toujours été un long fleuve tranquille. Depuis que le pays est dirigé par le PiS, le parti Droit et Justice, les conflits entre Varsovie et Bruxelles se sont multipliés, de la crise migratoire de 2015 à celle des travailleurs détachés en passant par les restrictions imposées aux LGBT et les questions environnementales. Mais en affirmant, le 7 octobre dernier, que certains éléments du droit européen n’étaient «pas compatibles» avec la Constitution du pays, la Cour constitutionnelle a poussé à son paroxysme des années de guerre larvée entre la Pologne et l’Union européenne sur la réforme du système judiciaire. » | Par Isabelle Lasserre | dimanche 7 novembre 2021

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À LIRE AUSSI : La Pologne et la Hongrie suspendues aux fonds européens : DÉCRYPTAGE - Dans leur bras de fer avec Bruxelles sur l’État de droit, les deux pays risquent gros: des milliards de subventions. »

A Moving, Heartfelt, Sincere Coming Out Story: A 30-Year-Old Man, Married with Kids

Jan 12, 2020 • Hello! My name is Nathan and this is the story of why it took me 31yrs, a 9-year marriage to a women, and 2 children, before coming out.

This is how I came to terms with my sexuality, figured out what was holding me back, and how I gained the strength and courage to finally set myself free.

I am creating a series of videos to address individual parts of my journey, in hopes other people like me can waste fewer years of their lives and start living free. Today! Thanks for watching, Nathan V

Katar: Millionen für Europas Islam | Doku | ARTE

Sep 18, 2019 • Ein Whistleblower spielte zwei französischen Journalisten Tausende von vertraulichen Dokumenten der NGO Qatar Charity zu. Sie enthüllen ein Programm zur Stärkung der Einflussnahme des politischen Islam in ganz Europa mit der Finanzierung von 140 Moscheebauten, Kulturzentren und Schulen, die alle mit der Muslimbruderschaft zusammenhängen. Recherche über eine hermetische Institution.

Alles begann mit einem mysteriösen USB-Stick, den ein anonymer Whistleblower den beiden französischen Journalisten Georges Malbrunot und Christian Chesnot zuspielte. Darauf befanden sich Tausende vertraulicher Dokumente der größten NGO der Golfstaaten, der Qatar Charity: unter anderem Spenderlisten, E-Mail-Korrespondenzen und Informationen zu Banküberweisungen. Die Unterlagen enthüllen Einzelheiten über ein Missionierungs- und Finanzierungsprogramm zur Stärkung des politischen Islams in ganz Europa, mit 140 Moscheebauten, Kulturzentren und Schulen, die alle auf die eine oder andere Art mit der Muslimbruderschaft zusammenhängen. Doch die Behörden in der Hauptstadt Doha bestreiten jegliche religiöse Aktivität im Westen. Das Filmteam wollte es genauer wissen und recherchierte über das Programm. Am Beispiel des europaweit größten Vorhabens für ein Islam-Zentrum im elsässischen Mulhouse, eines im Jahr 2016 in La Chaux-de-Fonds in der Schweiz eingeweihten Museums der Zivilisationen des Islam, einer mit dubiosen Mitteln finanzierten Ausbildungseinrichtung für Imame im zentralfranzösischen Département Nièvre und eines Flüchtlingszentrums auf Sizilien, das auf dem Höhepunkt der Syrienkrise Migranten aufnimmt, wird mit den Finanzierungsströmen auch die dahinterstehende Ideologie aufgedeckt. Sind diese Vorhaben Teil eines viel weitreichenderen Projekts oder ist das Programm lediglich der europäische Ableger einer Strategie Katars, mit der das Land seit dem Arabischen Frühling durch die Stärkung der Muslimbruderschaft seine Führungsposition in der arabischen Welt weiter auszubauen versucht? Die investigative filmische Recherche gibt Einblicke in die ebenso finanzstarke wie hermetische Organisation, deren Verbindungen bis in die Spitze des Staates Katar und die Herrscherfamilie Al-Thani reichen.

Dokumentarfilm von Jérôme Sesquin (F 2019, 90 Min)

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George Michael : One More Try

Views on YouTube: 132,888,925

Harvey Milk: US Navy Launches Ship Named for Gay Rights Leader

The USNS Harvey Milk was launched in San Diego on Saturday | GETTY IMAGES
BBC: The US Navy has launched a ship named after a gay rights activist forced to resign from the service because of his sexuality in the 1950s.

The USNS Harvey Milk was launched in San Diego on Saturday in a service attended by Navy Secretary Carlos Del Toro and Milk's nephew, Stuart.

It is one of six new ships to be named after famed US civil rights leaders.

Others include former Chief Justice Earl Warren and slain presidential candidate Robert Kennedy.

Milk served as a diving officer and Lieutenant aboard the submarine rescue ship USS Kittiwake during the Korean War. But he was forced out of the service following two weeks of interrogation about his sexuality in 1955.

He later became one of America's first openly gay politicians, elected in 1977 to the San Francisco Board of Supervisors.

But a year later he was shot and killed by Dan White, a former city supervisor with whom he had frequently clashed. » | BBC | Sunday, November 7, 2021

The Observer View on No 10’s Handling of the Owen Paterson Affair

THE OBSERVER – EDITORIAL: Sleaze has become a defining aspect of Boris Johnson’s politics. Britain deserves better

Boris Johnson: ‘A man utterly lacking in integrity, with no regard for standards in public life.’Photograph: Christopher Furlong/AFP/Getty Images
THE OBSERVER – EDITORIAL: Sleaze has become a defining aspect of Boris Johnson’s politics. Britain deserves better

Former prime ministers tend to avoid engaging in personal criticism of their successors, particularly if they served as leader of the same party. Sir John Major’s verdict on Boris Johnson’s handling of the Owen Paterson affair – “shameful and wrong” and “politically corrupt” – is an extraordinary and devastating intervention that shows how low the prime minister’s reputation has sunk with senior members of his party. Major has even gone so far as to say that he would face a dilemma were he to have to consider voting for Johnson at the next general election.

…

Johnson faces other questions over his personal integrity, including over the value of a free luxury holiday he accepted as a gift in recent weeks in Spain. His attitude infects standards right across government. When an investigation found Priti Patel had broken the ministerial code by bullying civil servants, it was not she who resigned, but the independent adviser on ministerial standards. The National Audit Office found last year that those with personal ministerial contacts were far more likely to win lucrative, pandemic-related contracts for personal protective equipment. » | Observer editorial | Sunday, November 7, 2021

Related »

Boris suffers sleaze backlash »

Owen Paterson: Boris Johnson's actions corrupt - Starmer (with video) »

Prof. Wolff Responds: Elon Musk's Billionaire BS

Nov 6, 2021 • In tis, Prof. Wolff responds to Elon Musk's opposition to the proposed billionaire's tax. Wolff highlights the ways in which billionaires have consistently utilized their wealth to manipulate the political system and shift the burden of tax onto the people.

It's Time to Boogie! Justin Timberlake : Can't Stop the Feeling

It’s That Time of the Day Again: It’s Absolut o’Clock!

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‘Shameful’: John Major Hits Out at Handling of Owen Paterson Scandal

THE GUARDIAN: Former PM said trying to shield MP from punishment suggested Johnson’s government was ‘politically corrupt’

John Major said the government’s actions had ‘the effect of trashing the reputation of parliament’. Photograph: Jeff Overs/BBC/PA
Sir John Major has launched a searing attack on the government over its handling of the Owen Paterson lobbying scandal, condemning its actions as “shameful and wrong”.

The former prime minister said it suggested Boris Johnson’s administration was “politically corrupt”, and that Major would be posed with a dilemma if he had to consider voting for Johnson to remain PM at the next election.

The comments came after the government briefly tried to shield Paterson from punishment for what the standards committee called an “egregious case” of breaching lobbying rules.

Major told BBC Radio 4’s Today programme: “I think the way the government handled that was shameful, wrong and unworthy of this or indeed any government. It also had the effect of trashing the reputation of parliament.” » | Nicola Slawson | Saturday, November 6, 2021

Once upon a time, this country used to have decent and honourable Conservative governments and decent prime ministers like Sir John Major. Now, however, we are stuck with BoJo and his administration made up of people of questionable integrity. Sleaze and corruption abound, to say nothing of the questionable way BoJo entered Number 10 by duping the public. – © Mark

Boris Johnson sleaze crisis deepens amid pressure on Covid deals: Sir John Major attacks PM’s actions as ‘shameful’ while poll shows slump in Tory support »

Brigitte Bardot condamnée à 20.000 euros d'amende pour injures publiques envers les Réunionnais

Lors du procès, le 7 octobre, le parquet avait requis une amende de 25.000 euros à l'encontre de Brigitte Bardot. PATRICK DOYLE / AFP
LE FIGARO : L'ex-actrice avait notamment comparé La Réunion à «l'île du diable» avec «une population dégénérée encore imprégnée (...) des traditions barbares qui sont leurs souches».

Brigitte Bardot, qui avait qualifié en 2019 les Réunionnais à d'«autochtones ayant gardé leurs gènes sauvages», a été condamnée jeudi 4 novembre par le tribunal judiciaire de Saint-Denis à 20.000 euros pour injures raciales.

Poursuivi pour complicité d'injures publiques, Bruno Jacquelin, l'attaché de presse de l'ancienne actrice de 87 ans, a été condamné à 4000 euros d'amende. À la demande de son employeuse, il avait transmis le courrier litigieux à plusieurs médias, dont l'AFP.

Le 7 octobre, lors du procès, le parquet avait requis 25.000 euros d'amende à l'encontre de l'ancienne star qui défend la cause animale et 5000 euros contre son collaborateur Créatrice d'une fondation portant son nom et œuvrant à la protection des animaux, l'ex-actrice avait adressé en mars 2019 une lettre ouverte à Amaury de Saint-Quentin, alors préfet de La Réunion. Se disant «envahie par des lettres (...) dénonçant la barbarie que les Réunionnais exercent sur les animaux», Brigitte Bardot avait affirmé que «les autochtones ont gardé leurs gènes de sauvages». Elle avait aussi comparé La Réunion à «l'île du diable» avec «une population dégénérée encore imprégnée (...) des traditions barbares qui sont leurs souches». » | Par Le Figaro avec AFP | jeudi 4 novembre 2021

Why Are Autocrats Popular? - Assault on Democracy | DW Documentary

Nov 6, 2021 • A wave of authoritarianism is churning from East to West and assailing civil society. Autocrats are threatening democracy, while their regimes portray NGOs as Trojan horses for foreign interference.

The resurgence of authoritarianism is impacting countries across the globe, no matter what their form of government. "In the Crosshairs of the State" documents this worldwide phenomenon using the examples of India, Russia, and Poland and shows how civil society is being repressed, and what impact this can have on the future of democracy.

When populists and autocrats wield power, the first victims are civil liberties. However, regimes aren’t stopping at attacking and imprisoning activists - they go as far as criminalizing entire groups and freezing their funds. These governments are increasingly targeting NGOs and other players in civil society that demand democracy and assert human rights or protest about social grievances and environmental destruction. The methods of choice are defamation campaigns, repression, and criminalization.

In the past few years, certain countries have passed over 60 laws specifically aiming to systematically impede NGOs’ work or completely put an end to it. The root causes are wide-ranging, but it all boils down to rulers’ desire to remain in power and protect their economic interests. Beyond authoritarian wielders of power, democratic governments are increasingly clamping down on independent and critical players, too.

Are we experiencing a full-on global assault on civil society? What happens when the driving force of democracy - the people themselves - is silenced? How can we counter this development? Film director Sebastian Weis investigates these question, relating the situations in India, Russia, and Poland chapter by chapter, with each country representing an overarching issue. India faces environmental destruction, Russians are seeing human rights be eroded, and in Poland women’s rights are under attack.

Julio Iglesias : When I Need You

Performed in Jakarta, December 1994 | Views on YouTube: 20,809,375