Thursday, December 09, 2021

Gig Economy Workers to Get Employee Rights under EU Proposals

THE GUARDIAN: Draft legislation would improve status of millions of workers, with likely knock-on effect on UK despite Brexit

Gig economy companies operating in the European Union, such as Uber and Deliveroo, must ensure workers get the minimum wage, access to sick pay, holidays and other employment rights under plans for new laws to crack down on fake self-employment.

Publishing long-awaited draft legislation on Thursday, the European Commission said the burden of proof on employment status would shift to companies, rather than the individuals that work for them. Until now, gig economy workers have had to go to court to prove they are employees, or risk being denied basic rights.

Nicolas Schmit, EU commissioner for jobs and social rights, told the Guardian and other European newspapers that internet platforms “have used grey zones in our legislation [and] all possible ambiguities” to develop their business models, resulting in a “misclassification” of millions of workers.

In the EU’s 27 member states, about 5.5 million workers are misclassified as self-employed, when they should be treated as employees with benefits and protection, such as accident insurance, according the commission. Firms would only have to pay minimum wages, where they already exist. About 28 million people work for platforms in the EU, but this is expected to reach 43 million by 2025. » | Jennifer Rankin in Brussels | Thursday, December 9, 2021

Brexit may not stop EU’s gig economy reforms from reaching UK: Analysis: UK-based firms may find it easier to fall in with Brussels’ proposals to give casual workers more rights »

Wednesday, December 08, 2021

’The Kiss’ by Gustav Klimt: Great Art Explained

Camille Thomas – Gaetano Donizetti : L'elisir d'amore : Una furtiva lagrima | Le Musée des Arts Décoratifs


Domenico Gaetano Maria Donizetti.

Wedded Bliss

Bonheur conjugal / Eheglück

With thanks to Tumblr on Pinterest for this great photo.

Inside Karl Lagerfeld’s French Home Filled with Wonderful Objects | Vogue

Dec 1, 2021 • In this episode of Objects of Affection, Lady Amanda Harlech takes Vogue on a tour through Karl Lagerfeld’s treasures ahead of a landmark Sotheby's auction. Watch as Amanda shows everything from Karl's beautiful royal blue upholstered Bruno Paul couch to his replica Adolph Menzel paintings.

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

Patel's New Law Removes Your Fundamental Human Rights. | Truth To Power

La vie après la chancellerie: le dilemme d’Angela Merkel

Madame la chancelière – son titre reste inchangé – a toujours gardé secrète sa vie privée. Christoph Soeder/picture-alliance/dpa/AP Images

LE FIGARO : À 67 ans, celle qui va quitter le pouvoir après l’avoir exercé pendant 5860 jours semble hésiter sur son avenir.

Une dernière réunion de son cabinet, une ultime séance au Bundestag, et Angela Merkel quittera le pouvoir, mercredi 8 décembre, après 5860 jours passés à l’exercer. La chancelière transmettra officiellement le témoin à Olaf Scholz et une longue page de l’histoire politique allemande se tournera, même si le record de longévité appartiendra encore, avec neuf jours de plus, à son mentor, feu Helmut Kohl. Les compliments vont pleuvoir. Son successeur social-démocrate a déjà salué une «chancelière qui a réussi» et est «restée fidèle» à elle-même. » | Par Pierre Avril | lundi 6 décembre 2021

Olaf Scholz elected to succeed Angela Merkel as German chancellor: Former Hamburg mayor secures 395 of 736 delegates’ ballots in parliamentary vote »

Steinmeier ernennt Scholz zum Bundeskanzler: Nachdem der Bundestag Olaf Scholz zum neuen Bundeskanzler gewählt hat, ernennt ihn der Bundespräsident formal. Nach der Vereidigung des Kanzlers müssen noch die neuen Minister ernannt werden. »

Germany's Olaf Scholz takes over from Merkel as chancellor: Olaf Scholz has been confirmed as Germany's new chancellor, bringing to an end Angela Merkel's historic 16 years as leader. »

Kühler Pragmatiker mit grosser Mission: Wer ist der neue Kanzler Olaf Scholz?: Nach sechzehn Jahren unter Merkel steht ein SPD-Politiker an der Spitze der Regierung. Scholz startet mit grossem Selbstbewusstsein. Die Pandemie aber, Konflikte mit der FDP und nicht restlos aufgeklärte Vorwürfe gegen ihn könnten den Start erschweren. »

Tuesday, December 07, 2021

One of Suspected Killers of Jamal Khashoggi Held in Paris

THE GUARDIAN: Khalid Aedh al-Otaibi arrested as he was about to board flight to Riyadh

Otaibi (not pictured) was among 17 individuals sanctioned by the US for their suspected role in the killing of Kashoggi (above) at the Saudi consulate in Istanbul in October 2018. Photograph: Mohammed Al-Shaikh/AFP/Getty Images

French police have arrested a former member of the Saudi royal guard who has also served as a personal security official for the Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman for his suspected involvement in the murder of journalist Jamal Khashoggi. Khalid Aedh al-Otaibi was taken into custody at Paris’s Charles de Gaulle airport as he was about to board a plane to the Saudi capital, Riyadh. The arrest marks the first time that any individual accused by international experts of participating in the grisly state-sponsored execution of the Washington Post columnist has been arrested outside Saudi Arabia. Otaibi, 33, has been named as one of the “commando” group in the Saudi Arabia consulate in Istanbul where Khashoggi was killed on 2 October 2018, and was among 17 individuals sanctioned by the US for their suspected role in the murder. » | Kim Willsher in Paris and Stephanie Kirchgaessner in Washington | Tuesday, December 7, 2021

Affaire Khashoggi : un suspect arrêté à Roissy : Il serait impliqué dans l'assassinat du journaliste saoudien. Son identité était mardi en cours de vérification. »

French Police Arrest Man in Connection With Khashoggi Killing: A man with the same name, Khalid Alotaibi, is wanted in connection with the murder of the Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi. A Saudi official says France arrested the wrong man. »

Dernières Nouvelles :

Affaire Jamal Khashoggi : le suspect arrêté mardi soir à Roissy est un homonyme : INFO LE FIGARO - L'homme de 33 ans devrait être libéré au maximum demain matin. »

Lionel Richie : Love Will Conquer All

Provided to YouTube by Universal Music Group

Sufjan Stevens - Mystery of Love (From "Call Me By Your Name" Soundtrack)

Dec 1, 2017 • CALL ME BY YOUR NAME is a sensual and transcendent tale of first love, based on the acclaimed novel by André Aciman, written by Oscar® nominee James Ivory and starring Armie Hammer (The Man from U.N.C.L.E, On the Basis of Sex) and Timothée Chalamet (Lady Bird, Little Women). Its soundtrack is a mix of 80s pop, classical compositions & songs by singer-songwriter Sufjan Stevens, including two songs written specifically for the film. …

Revisiting Call Me By Your Name

Call Me By Your Name - Official Trailer - Starring Armie Hammer and Timothée Chalamet

Aug 14, 2017 • Call Me By Your Name, the new film by Luca Guadagnino, is a sensual and transcendent tale of first love, based on the acclaimed novel by André Aciman.

It’s the summer of 1983 in the north of Italy, and Elio Perlman (Timothée Chalamet), a precocious 17- year-old American-Italian boy, spends his days in his family’s 17th century villa transcribing and playing classical music, reading, and flirting with his friend Marzia (Esther Garrel).

Elio enjoys a close relationship with his father (Michael Stuhlbarg), an eminent professor specializing in Greco-Roman culture, and his mother Annella (Amira Casar), a translator, who favor him with the fruits of high culture in a setting that overflows with natural delights. While Elio’s sophistication and intellectual gifts suggest he is already a fully-fledged adult, there is much that yet remains innocent and unformed about him, particularly about matters of the heart.

One day, Oliver (Armie Hammer), a charming American scholar working on his doctorate, arrives as the annual summer intern tasked with helping Elio’s father. Amid the sun-drenched splendor of the setting, Elio and Oliver discover the heady beauty of awakening desire over the course of a summer that will alter their lives forever.

Armie Hammerbr /> Timothée Chalamet
Michael Stuhbarg
Amira Cesar
Esther Garrel



If you haven’t seen this film yet, you might want to watch it when you have some spare time over the Christmas holidays. I watched it at Christmastime two years ago. I stumbled upon the film by chance. I’m glad I did: I was spellbound by it! I watched it so many times. I lost count how many times in total!

It’s a lovely story; but more than that, it transports one back to a bygone age, a simpler age, when people led less complicated lives. There’s lots of smoking in it, too. Something you don’t see much these days. People actually did smoke a lot back then before people became politically correct and when the notion of secondhand smoke hadn’t been thought of.

But what is particularly enjoyable about this movie, in my opinion, is the fact that one feels as if one is actually in Italy along with the characters. It’s the way it’s been filmed, apparently. The ending of the film is also very good – it’s moving. Very moving!

I was particularly taken by the film because of its setting. It reminded me of the times I spent in Ticino many years ago, in a similar setting. Watching this film was, for me, like a trip down memory lane. Not because of the relationship, because I didn’t have a gay relationship in Ticino, but because of the ambience of the film.

Do yourselves a favour and try and watch it. I’m sure you’ll enjoy it. – © Mark

Democracy Now! US News & World Headlines – December 7, 2021

Gay Wrestler Anthony Bowens Lays the Smackdown on Christian Homophobes with Defiant Kiss

Anthony Bowens kisses boyfriend in front of crowd of homophobic protesters (Anthony Bowens/Instagram)

PINK NEWS: Pro-wrestler Anthony Bowens has received a flood of love and support after kissing his boyfriend in front of a crowd of homophobic protesters.

The All Elite Wrestling star posted a photo where he can be seen kissing his boyfriend, YouTube star Michael Pavano, in front of people holding signs bearing pro-Trump messages and anti-gay slurs.

Posting the photo to Instagram, Bowens said: “Stand up against hate” with the rainbow emoji.

Bowens, who came out as gay in 2019 after previously identifying as bisexual, shared the photo on Monday (6 December) and quickly received several supportive messages.

Fellow wrestling star and Olympic boxer Anthony Ogogo sent several emojis, including the rainbow flag, while producer Anthony Ramos wrote, “That’s right!!!”

Since coming out in 2017, Bowens has campaigned for LGBT+ visibility in sports. » | Emily Chudy | Tuesday, Dece,ber 7, 2021

Jewish in Europe (2/2) | DW Documentary

Jul 11, 2021 • What is life like for Jews in Europe today? What are their stories? How do they combine traditional and modern life? And how do they deal with marginalization and threats?

"There is an everyday Jewish life in Europe that rarely gets shown. Debates about politics, the Middle East and anti-Semitism overshadow the diversity of Jewish life. That's why it was important for us to be able to capture it, just by spontaneously going there and seeing what was happening." This was the mission statement that led Swiss writer Yves Kugelmann and German film producer Alice Brauner, both Jewish, on a journey across Europe.

The second part of this two-part documentary takes Brauner and Kugelmann to Budapest, Warsaw and Venice. In the Hungarian capital, they talk with philosopher Agnes Heller about the anti-Jewish climate that has developed under the Orban government. In Warsaw, they visit the graves of resistance fighters from the 1943 Warsaw Ghetto uprising. In Venice, Italian writer and vice president of the local Jewish community Riccardo Calimani talks about everyday Jewish life in what he calls the "land of disorder".


Part 1 – (1/2) here.

Privatisation of the NHS: Allyson Pollock at TEDxExeter

Apr 29, 2014 • This talk was given at a local TEDx event, produced independently of the TED Conferences. The 1948 Act establishing the NHS gave the Secretary of State for Health the duty to provide universal health care.

The Health and Social Care Act 2012 removes this duty and introduces a market. Allyson Pollock describes why we need to worry. Allyson Pollock is Professor of Public Health Research & Policy at Queen Mary, University of London. She is one of the UK's leading medical intellectuals, and undertakes research and teaching intended to assist the realisation of the principles of social justice and public health, with a particular emphasis on health systems research, trade, and pharmaceuticals.

She trained in medicine in Scotland and became a consultant in public health. Among her previous roles she has been director of the Centre for International Public Health Policy at the University of Edinburgh and director of research & development at UCL Hospitals NHS Trust. She is the author of NHS plc and co-author of The New NHS: a guide.



If you believe in a public NHS, the new health and care bill should set off alarm bells: The government is easing the way for the privatisation of the health service – where is the opposition to their plans? »

UAE Cuts Working Week and Shifts Weekend Back a Day

THE GUARDIAN: ‘National working week’ aimed at improving work-life balance and economic competitiveness

Construction workers in Dubai. Moving to a Saturday-Sunday weekend will bring the UAE into line with most of the non-Arab world. Photograph: Karim Sahib/AFP/Getty Images

The United Arab Emirates is cutting its working week to four-and-a-half days and moving its weekend from Friday-Saturday to Saturday-Sunday in a major shift aimed at improving the country’s competitiveness, officials have said.

The “national working week” will be mandatory for government bodies from 1 January and bucks the regional norm of a full day-off on Friday for Muslim prayers.

While becoming the only Gulf state not to have a Friday-Saturday weekend, the move will bring the resource-rich and ambitious UAE into line with the non-Arab world.

Under the new timetable, the public sector weekend starts at noon on Fridays and ends on Sunday. Friday prayers at mosques will be held after 1.15pm all year round. » | Agence France-Presse in Dubai | Tuesday, December 7, 2021

Jewish in Europe (1/2) | DW Documentary

Jul 11, 2021 • What is life like for Jews in Europe today? What are their stories? How do they combine traditional and modern life? And how do they deal with marginalization and threats?

"There is an everyday Jewish life in Europe that rarely gets shown. Debates about politics, the Middle East and anti-Semitism overshadow the diversity of Jewish life. That's why it was important for us to be able to capture it, just by spontaneously going there and seeing what was happening." This was the mission statement that led Swiss writer Yves Kugelmann and German film producer Alice Brauner, both Jewish, on a journey across Europe.

The first part of this two-part documentary takes Brauner and Kugelmann to Marseille, Strasbourg, Frankfurt and Berlin. They talk about life in the Jewish quarter with Harold Weill, Chief Rabbi of Strasbourg, and ask whether he and his community feel threatened. Alon Meyer, chairman of intercultural soccer club Makkabi Frankfurt and president of the Jewish sports organization Makkabi Germany, describes the hostility his team faces away from the field. In Berlin, Brauner and Kugelmann meet the writer and dramatist Sasha Marianna Salzmann.


Michael Lucas Shows You a Gay Israel Heaven | Gay Documentary | Israel: Gay Men in the Promised Land (2019)

A documentary written by American entrepreneur, columnist, gay activist and gay director Michael Lucas, and co-directed by Lucas and Israeli director Yariv Mozer. In his debut as a documentary filmmaker, Michael Lucas focuses on Israel’s thriving LGBTQ+ community through footage of Tel Aviv’s vibrant nightlife, a gay wedding, and candid interviews with a diverse range of local gay Israeli mean and women.

Monday, December 06, 2021

Israel: Gay Oasis

Mar 18, 2010 • We came to Israel from one of Americas most progressive and accepting cities, San Francisco. In search of common ground, we decided to look at Israel through the lens of the gay community. All we really had starting out was a BlueStar postcard telling us that gay Israelis could serve in the army, a right still not enjoyed by our fellow Americans. The question was, how does a country so wrapped up in religion and conflict exceed our relatively peaceful and secular nation in terms of gay rights. What kind of gay community has grown up in Israel in the last sixty years? And where will it lead. We found that Israels gay community has fought at least as hard as ours to secure its rights. And that even a nation surrounded by enemies can find a place for every one of its citizens to belong.

Gay Orthodox Rabbi

Sep 26, 2010 • This story was shot in October 2009. It focuses on Ron Yosef, an orthodox Rabbi living in the Israeli city of Netanya, who has come out of the closet and shaken his conservative community.

The story was filmed and edited by Yermi Brenner for the Video Journalist Movement


The Competition between China and the US - Global Capitalism with Richard Wolff

Dec 5, 2021 • Prof Wolff takes a look at where the United States and China are competing, and how they are influencing the rest of the world. Only time will tell what strategies will determine the future of this relationship.

"There is a fundamentally different strategy emerging on the part of China versus the United States in their struggle, given their interdependence and given their competition... They are trying to compete around the world by developing a different kind of society." - Richard Wolff


Verliebt, verknallt, verweht!

Madly love and blown away. / Fou amoureux et époustouflé.

Ich bedanke mich beim Guardian für dieses schöne, alte, ausdrucksvolle Foto.

The Pandemic Has Your Blood Pressure Rising? You’re Not Alone.

THE NEW YORK TIMES: Average blood pressure readings increased as the coronavirus spread, new research suggests. The finding portends medical repercussions far beyond Covid-19.

Last year was a tough one. Americans grappled with a global pandemic, the loss of loved ones, lockdowns that splintered social networks, stress, unemployment and depression.

It is probably no surprise that the nation’s blood pressure shot up.

On Monday, scientists reported that blood pressure measurements of nearly a half-million adults showed a significant rise last year, compared with the previous year.

These measurements describe the pressure of blood against the walls of the arteries. Over time, increased pressure can damage the heart, the brain, blood vessels, kidneys and eyes. Sexual function can also be affected.

“These are very important data that are not surprising, but are shocking,” said Dr. Donald M. Lloyd-Jones, president of the American Heart Association, who was not involved in the study.

“Even small changes in average blood pressure in the population,” he added, “can have a huge impact on the number of strokes, heart failure events and heart attacks that we’re likely to be seeing in the coming months.” » | Roni Caryn Rabin | Monday, December 6, 2021

Democracy Now! Top US News & World Headlines — December 6, 2021

Myanmar’s Junta Condemned over Guilty Verdicts in Aung San Suu Kyi Trial

THE GUARDIAN: First verdicts announced in cases against Myanmar’s former leader, who was deposed in a coup in February

Aung San Suu Kyi. Photograph: Christophe Archambault/AFP/Getty Images

A military court in Myanmar has found Aung San Suu Kyi guilty of incitement and breaking Covid restrictions, drawing condemnation from the United Nations, European Union and others, who described the verdicts as politically motivated.

The 76-year-old, who was deposed in a coup in February, is set to serve two years in detention at an undisclosed location, a sentence reduced from four years after a partial pardon from the country’s military chief, state TV reported.

The court in the capital Naypyidaw was delivering its first verdicts in numerous cases brought against Aung San Suu Kyi that have previously been described by her lawyer as absurd.

“The conviction of the state counsellor following a sham trial in secretive proceedings before a military-controlled court is nothing but politically motivated,” UN human rights chief, Michelle Bachelet, said. » | Rebecca Ratcliffe South-east Asia correspondent | Monday, December 6, 2021

En Birmanie, la junte militaire inflige sa première condamnation à Aung San Suu Kyi : Condamnée à quatre ans de prison, l’ancienne dirigeante qui s’était opposée au coup d’Etat militaire du 1er février est sous le coup de nombreuses autres inculpations. »

Myanmars Militärjunta macht Aung San Suu Kyi politisch mundtot: Mindestens zwölf Anklagepunkte liegen gegen die einstige Ikone der myanmarischen Demokratiebewegung, Aung San Suu Kyi, vor. In einem ersten Verfahren ist sie am Montag zu vier Jahren Haftstrafe verurteilt worden. Stunden später wurde die Strafe auf zwei Jahre reduziert. Die Bevölkerung Myanmars versinkt abermals in Armut. »

Birmanie : Aung San Suu Kyi condamnée à 4 ans de prison, la peine réduite de moitié par la junte : Un tribunal birman a condamné lundi l'ex-cheffe du gouvernement civil pour incitation aux troubles publics et violation des règles sanitaires liées au Covid-19. La junte annoncé plus tard dans la journée une réduction de cette peine. »

Trump Attacks Media and Mark Milley in Foul-mouthed Mar-a-Lago Speech

THE GUARDIAN: Insults to press and chairman of joint chiefs of staff recall barbs while Trump was in power

Donald Trump looks on during his first post-presidency campaign rally in Wellington, Ohio, on 26 June 2021. Photograph: Shannon Stapleton/Reuters

In remarks to diners at his Mar-a-Lago resort in Florida on Saturday night,Donald Trump called the American media “crooked bastards” and Gen Mark Milley, the chairman of the joint chiefs of staff, a “fucking idiot”.

The meandering, foul-mouthed speech to Turning Point USA, a group for young conservatives, was streamed by Jack Posobiec, a rightwing blogger and provocateur.

The insult to the press recalled barbs while Trump was in power, including calling reporters and editors “fake news” and the “enemy of the people”, attacks many in the media regarded as dangerous, inviting political violence.

“The country is at a very important, dangerous place,” Trump said, amid familiar lies about his defeat in the 2020 election, which he says was the result of electoral fraud. » | Martin Pengelly | Monday, December 6, 2021

Hamilton Says He's 'Not Comfortable' Racing, Calls Out Saudi Arabia's LGBTQ+ Laws

dpa/SIPA

SPORTS ILLUSTRATED: Lewis Hamilton continues to take a stand on human-rights issues and condemned Saudi Arabia's "terrifying" LGBTQ+ laws ahead of Sunday's Grand Prix.

"Do I feel comfortable here? I wouldn't say I do," the 36-year-old driver for Mercedes told reporters Thursday, per CNN. "But this was not my choice. Our sport has chosen to be here and whether it's fair or not, I think that, while we're here, it's still important to do some work on raising awareness."

Similarly to the Qatar Grand Prix, Hamilton will again wear a helmet with the Pride Progress Flag with the words "We Stand Together" during the Saudi Arabia Grand.

"A lot of change needs to take place and our sport needs to do more," Hamilton said.

This penultimate race marks the first in Saudi Arabia for Formula One, which will be held at the Red Sea port city of Jeddah. The country has been widely criticized for its human-rights record, and per The Guardian, multiple groups wrote to the league, criticizing their decision to compete there. » | Madeline Coleman | Friday, December 3, 2021

Leaving the Ultra-orthodox – Jews Seeking a New Life in Germany | DW Documentary

Feb 16, 2021 • Increasing numbers of Jews have been leaving ultra-orthodox communities in recent years. Surprisingly, Germany has become a popular refuge for them. Rabbi Akiva Weingarten has been helping them.

More than 1.3 million Jews live in ultra-orthodox communities worldwide. It’s a kind of parallel universe — in which only God’s laws count. Every aspect of everyday life is clearly regulated: The women are responsible for the home and for looking after the children while the men devote their lives to religious study. But some ten percent of ultra-orthodox Jews in Israel go on to quit their communities - and that figure is growing. The majority are young adults and, surprisingly, many come to Germany. Akiva Weingarten was one of them. He grew up in an ultra-orthodox Satmar community in New York State but made a radical break in 2014. He left his wife and children and started a new life in Berlin - without a credit card, a bank account or a job, or any relatives to fall back on. He is now surrounded by a free community of former ultra-orthodox Jews - who turn to the rabbi for practical and religious advice. Moshe Barnett and David Lamberger have only been flat mates in Dresden for a few months now. They are not just seeking a new life, but a new relationship with God.


Sunday, December 05, 2021

Far-right French Presidential Candidate Put in Headlock by Protester at Rally

THE GUARDIAN: Éric Zemmour formally declared his candidacy on Tuesday, highlighting his anti-migrant and anti-Islam views

The far-right French presidential candidate Éric Zemmour appeared to be put in a headlock by a protester at his first campaign, a few days after he formally declared his candidacy in a video highlighting his anti-migrant and anti-Islam views.

Videos online appeared to show Zemmour being grabbed by a man at the heated rally near Paris on Sunday, during which anti-racism activists were also reportedly attacked. He was later reported to have suffered light injuries.

The former TV pundit announced on Tuesday that he would run in next April’s election, joining the field of challengers seeking to unseat centrist President Emmanuel Macron.

He held his first event at an exhibition centre in a suburb of Paris where thousands cheered every mention of reducing immigration and booed every reference to Macron loudly.

“The stakes are huge: if I win it will be the start of winning back the most beautiful country in the world,” Zemmour told the crowd. » | Guardian staff and agency | Sunday, December 5, 2021

Meeting d’Eric Zemmour : des militants antiracistes agressés par des participants : Des militants de l’association SOS-Racisme ont été violemment frappés par des participants au meeting après avoir scandé « Non au racisme » dans la salle. Ces militants « n’avaient pas à être là, il ne faut pas venir faire de provocation dans notre salle », a réagi l’équipe de campagne d’Eric Zemmour. »

Immigration, sécurité, identité, haine des médias… Pour son premier meeting, Eric Zemmour décline ses thèmes de prédilection : Le candidat d’extrême droite a officialisé, dimanche, le nom de sa formation politique, « Reconquête », lors d’un discours marqué par de violents affrontements entre des participants au meeting et des militants antiracistes. »

Zemmour agressé à son meeting et blessé au poignet, selon son équipe : L'essayiste et candidat à l'élection présidentielle a été agressé par un individu avant qu'il ne monte sur scène pour prononcer son discours. »

Tumulte und Protest bei Wahlkampfauftritt von Rechtspopulist Zemmour »

Zemmour-Anhänger greifen Aktivisten und Journalisten an: Eric Zemmour wirbt mit einem strammen Law-and-Order-Kurs. Aber die erste Wahlkampfkundgebung des französischen Präsidentschaftskandidaten war von Gewalt und Chaos geprägt. »

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

Sep 17, 2021 • “These remarkable pieces invite you to think and feel whatever you want", says Lisiecki, "There’s no ‘right’ response to them, other than the one you’re having.”

Veteran Republican Leader Bob Dole Dies

GETTY IMAGES

BBC: Bob Dole, a World War Two veteran who went on to be a long-time Republican senator and US presidential candidate, has died aged 98.

His death was announced in a statement from the Elizabeth Dole Foundation: "It is with heavy hearts we announce that Senator Robert Joseph Dole died early this morning in his sleep. At his death, at age 98, he had served the United States of America faithfully for 79 years."

Earlier this year Dole had said that he was receiving treatment for lung cancer.

His political career was marked by a decade-long stint as the top Republican in the US Senate, and running unsuccessfully for the White House against Bill Clinton in 1996.

But decades before his bid for the presidency, on 14 April 1945, Bob Dole was lying on a World War Two battlefield in northern Italy, left for dead. » | BBC | Sunday, December 5, 2021

Bob Dole, Old Soldier and Stalwart of the Senate, Dies at 98: Mr. Dole, a son of the Kansas prairie who was left for dead on a World War II battlefield, became one of the longest-serving Republican leaders. »

L'ex-sénateur Bob Dole, figure de la politique américaine, est mort à 98 ans : L'ancien sénateur avait été le candidat malheureux du Parti républicain face au président démocrate sortant Bill Clinton en 1996. »

Einstiger US-Präsidentschaftskandidat gestorben: Der Republikaner war ein Gegenspieler von Bill Clinton – unterlag ihm aber bei der amerikanischen Präsidentschaftswahl 1996. Nun ist Bob Dole im Alter von 98 Jahren gestorben. »

Bob Dole: ehemaliger amerikanischer Senator und Präsidentschaftskandidat im Alter von 98 Jahren gestorben: Der Weltkriegsveteran hat als einflussreicher Senator Jahrzehnte der amerikanischen Politik geprägt. Um den Chefsessel im Weissen Haus bemühte sich Bob Dole mehrfach vergeblich. »

The Preprandial Expression of Love and Affection.

Der präprandiale Ausdruck von Liebe und Zuneigung. / L’expression préprandiale de l'amour et de l'affection.

With many thanks to Andrew BeauChamp for this delightful photo on Pinterest.

On Syria’s Ruins, a Drug Empire Flourishes

THE NEW YORK TIMES: Powerful associates of Syria’s president, Bashar al-Assad, are making and selling captagon, an illegal amphetamine, creating a new narcostate on the Mediterranean.

BEIRUT, Lebanon — Built on the ashes of 10 years of war in Syria, an illegal drug industry run by powerful associates and relatives of President Bashar al-Assad has grown into a multibillion-dollar operation, eclipsing Syria’s legal exports and turning the country into the world’s newest narcostate.

Its flagship product is captagon, an illegal, addictive amphetamine popular in Saudi Arabia and other Arab states. Its operations stretch across Syria, including workshops that manufacture the pills, packing plants where they are concealed for export and smuggling networks to spirit them to markets abroad.

An investigation by The New York Times found that much of the production and distribution is overseen by the Fourth Armored Division of the Syrian Army, an elite unit commanded by Maher al-Assad, the president’s younger brother and one of Syria’s most powerful men.

Major players also include businessmen with close ties to the government, the Lebanese militant group Hezbollah and other members of the president’s extended family, whose last name ensures protection for illegal activities, according to The Times investigation, which is based on information from law enforcement officials in 10 countries and dozens of interviews with international and regional drug experts, Syrians with knowledge of the drug trade and current and former United States officials. » | Ben Hubbard and Hwaida Saad | Sunday, December 5, 2021

At the Lights? Ft. Werner Patzelt, Emeritus Professor of Comparative Government

Dec 5, 2021 • Like her trademark jackets, Angela Merkel’s political style came in one shape and size but all colours of the rainbow. Measured and at times even dull, she nonetheless managed to steer Germany and Europe through many upheavals. Can the traffic light coalition, now poised to replace her, do the same without running into red at every corner? To discuss this, Oksana is joined by Werner Patzelt, Emeritus Professor of Comparative Government at Dresden Technical University.

Fraudsters of the World, Come to London. And Bring Your Dirty Money

THE OBSERVER: Kleptocrats love this country, knowing full well they’ll be free from proper scrutiny

There is no better representation of the decline of the English upper class into the global rich’s servant class than Ben Elliot. On the one hand, the co-chairman of the Tory party is now a rent collector, hauling in money for the Johnson administration from the Russian rich and native hedge fund bosses.

On the other, he is an actual servant: an upmarket flunkey, to be sure, praised by society magazines for his “puppyish schoolboy charm”, but a flunkey nonetheless. Elliot is a founder of the Quintessentially “concierge” service that gives the super-rich anything they want: luncheon on an iceberg; the Sydney Harbour bridge closed for a wedding proposal. There’s nothing Elliot won’t do for paying customers up to and including arranging a meeting with our future sovereign. Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall, is Elliot’s aunt and it appears that no considerations of good form or good manners have prevented him monetising the connection. Not that the prince appears to mind. A Quintessentially advert interrupts a montage of shots of yachts and celebrities to quote his royal highness as saying he is “particularly grateful” to Quintessentially for organising a party he attended. Members of Elliot’s Quintessentially club donate to the Conservatives. The Conservatives gave Elliot £1.4m of taxpayers’ money in 2016 to “attract the right high-value individual investors to the UK through bespoke programmes”. If on arrival, those high-value individuals went on to show how valuable they were by hiring Quintessentially and donating to the Tories, the circle would be complete.

Upstairs has moved downstairs in the remains of the Tory day and a large segment of British capitalism is now employed as the best servants money can buy. The law, PR, City, estate agency and banking know that easy riches come from serving the large part of the world where it pays to forget Balzac’s warning that the secret of a great fortune no one can explain is invariably an undetected crime. For want of an agreed name I propose “Corruptistan” to cover Russia and the ex-Soviet states, the kleptocracies of Africa and the Middle East and probably soon China as the communist elite learns how to expatriate its wealth. » | Nick Cohen | Saturday, December 2021

Johnson Faces Trust Crisis as Sleaze Shatters Faith in MPs

THE OBSERVER: Poll reveals huge public cynicism, with just 5% of respondents believing politicians work for public good

Boris Johnson campaigning in the North Shropshire byelection, which was called following the resignation of Owen Paterson. Photograph: Andrew Parsons CCHQ/Parsons Media

Trust in politicians to act in the national interest rather than for themselves has fallen dramatically since Boris Johnson became prime minister, according to figures contained in a disturbing new study into the state of British democracy.

The polling data from YouGov for the Institute of Public Policy Research (IPPR) shows a particularly sharp fall in trust in the few weeks since the Owen Paterson scandal triggered a rash of Tory sleaze scandals.

In 2014, when David Cameron was prime minister, 48% of voters believed politicians were “out merely for themselves” as opposed to their country or party. This had increased to 57% by May 2021 after nearly two years of Johnson in No 10, and leapt to 63% last week in the wake of the Paterson affair. In the same poll, just 5% of voters thought politicians were in the job primarily for the good of their country.

While the polls have asked about politicians of all colours, the main opposition parties now believe the Tories are particularly vulnerable on questions of trust and sleaze, offering them a chance to break through. » | Toby Helm and Michael Savage | Saturday, November 4, 2021

Why trust politicians? How UK voters lost faith in our leaders: More people than ever before feel disaffected by our political system. But what are the reasons for this and what risks does it pose? »

One thing is for sure: history will not be kind to Boris Johnson. In years to come, pages in the history books describing his administration will be stamped with the words ‘sleaze and corruption’. In addition, the chapters written on Brexit will be stamped almost certainly with the following words: sleazy, corrupt, undemocratic, ‘financed by foreigners’.

Johnson’s apparent victory is but an illusion. One day, it will be shown to have been pyrrhic. – © Mark

Konsum im Zeitalter der Aufklärung | Geschichte schreiben | ARTE

Dec 5, 2021 • Mit der Kunst- und Wissenschaftshistorikerin Noémi Etienne als Gast wird in der heutigen Folge gezeigt, wie im 18. Jahrhundert bedruckte Stoffe ihren Weg aus Indien nach Europa fanden. Der Handel mit den Stoffen fand schon damals auf globaler Ebene statt und leistete so einen entscheidenden Beitrag zur Globalisierung der heutigen Zeit.

Die sogenannten Indienne-Stoffe sind Baumwollstoffe, die in bunten Farben und Mustern bemalt oder bedruckt sind. Wie der Name schon sagt, stammen sie ursprünglich aus Indien, wobei sich ihr Trend im 18. Jahrhundert bis nach Europa ausbreitete. Dort standen sie hoch im Kurs – sowohl als Kleiderstoff in bürgerlichen Kreisen als auch als Bezüge für verschiedene Möbel. Mit der Kunst- und Wissenschaftshistorikerin Noémi Etienne als Gast wird in der heutigen Folge von "Geschichte schreiben" gezeigt, wie die bedruckten Stoffe ihren Weg nach Europa fanden. Der Handel mit den Stoffen fand schon damals auf globaler Ebene statt und leistete so einen entscheidenden Beitrag zur Globalisierung der heutigen Zeit. Da sie zunächst vordergründig in Asien produziert wurden, um dann nach Europa importiert zu werden, gelten die Indienne-Stoffe als erster Schritt in Richtung der sogenannten Fast Fashion, wie wir sie derzeit kennen. Die französische YouTuberin Manon Bril schlägt an dieser Stelle die Brücke zwischen der Geschichte und dem digitalen Zeitalter der Gegenwart. "Indienne-Stoffe - Konsum im Zeitalter der Aufklärung" veranschaulicht die Geschichte der Indienne-Stoffe und zieht Paralellen zur heutigen Fast-Fashion-Industrie.

Dokureihe, Regie: Tamara Erde (F 2020, 18 Min)


Saturday, December 04, 2021

UK’s Progress on Covid Now Squandered, Warns Top Scientist

THE GUARDIAN: Sir Jeremy Farrar, director of Wellcome Trust, suggests emergence of Omicron variant means pandemic is far from over

Farrar warned that rich countries had ‘a very blinkered domestic focus’ over Covid. Photograph: Nic Bothma/EPA

The emergence of the Omicron variant shows that the world is “closer to the start of the pandemic than the end”, one of Britain’s most senior scientific figures has warned, as he lamented a lack of political leadership over Covid.

Sir Jeremy Farrar, the director of the Wellcome Trust who stepped down as a government scientific adviser last month, said the progress in combatting Covid-19 since its emergence was “being squandered”.

Writing in the Observer, he said rich countries had been taking “a very blinkered domestic focus, lulled into thinking that the worst of the pandemic was behind us”. He said while he was cautiously hopeful that current vaccines would protect against severe illness from Omicron, that may not be true for future variants.

“The longer this virus continues to spread in largely unvaccinated populations globally, the more likely it is that a variant that can overcome our vaccines and treatments will emerge,” he writes. “If that happens, we could be close to square one. » | Michael Savage, Robin McKie | Saturday, December 4, 2021

Autriche : des dizaines de milliers de manifestants contre les mesures prises face au Covid-19

Plusieurs arrestations ont eu lieu pour troubles à l'ordre public. FLORIAN WIESER / APA / AFP

LE FIGARO : Des dizaines de milliers de personnes ont manifesté samedi en Autriche pour le troisième week-end consécutif contre les mesures gouvernementales de lutte contre le coronavirus, notamment la vaccination qui sera obligatoire à partir de février, a annoncé la police.

Plusieurs arrestations ont eu lieu pour troubles à l'ordre public, selon la police qui a recensé «plus de 40.000» manifestants à Vienne, après plusieurs rassemblements dans la capitale. Selon la police, certains manifestants ont jeté des «engins pyrotechniques» sur les forces de l'ordre qui ont répliqué par l'usage de gaz poivre et une contre-manifestation a rassemblé 1500 personnes. » | Par Le Figaro avec AFP | samedi 4 décembre 2021

Le bitcoin s'effondre soudainement, rattrapé par le coup de froid sur les marchés

LE FIGARO : La cryptomonnaie a perdu 10.000 dollars en moins d'une heure, avant de se reprendre un peu.

Le bitcoin a perdu 10.000 dollars en moins d'une heure dans la nuit de vendredi à samedi, soit près de 20%, avant de se reprendre un peu mais restait affecté par la prudence prévalant sur les marchés financiers. Vers 16h GMT samedi, la devise virtuelle s'échangeait à 48.210 dollars, en baisse de 10% par rapport à vendredi soir. Vers 5h GMT, il avait soudainement chuté jusqu'à 42.296 dollars, sans explication particulière a priori. » | Par Le Figaro avec AFP | samedi 4 décembre 2021

Almost $12,000 wiped off value of bitcoin in weekend ‘thumping’: Cryptocurrency settles to just below $50,000 after record-high last month, in continuation of recent volatility »

Dimitra’s Dishes: Greek Mini Olive Pies: Eliopitakia | Vegan (Optional)


Get the recipe here.

Boris Johnson, the 'Clown' - Mistakes, Misjudgments, U-turns and Lies

Dec 4, 2021 • Boris Johnson, surely the worst prime minister ever, is not only dishonest but also incompetent making mistakes, misjudgments and U-turns almost every day.

Brexit, confrontation with the EU and especially with France, failure to resolve the Northern Ireland issue, failing to agree any serious new trade deals and the complete mishandling of the pandemic, whereby we have the second or third highest levels of new cases almost every day amounting to 40 - 50,000 cases per day. In three weeks, that’s a million cases! These are all problems caused, or made worse, by the prime minister.

Unlike countries throughout the EU such as Italy and France, this government half-heartedly brings in a new law making it obligatory to wear a mask in shops and on public transport. The public, seeing how the prime minister and Conservative politicians flout such regulations do the same.

In the past week Johnson has been called a liar in Parliament and the French president has described him as a clown running a circus and a knucklehead.


Wie krank ist Homo-Heilung? | Doku | ARTE

May 19, 2021 • In Deutschland hat das Bundeskabinett am 18. Dezember 2019 einem Gesetzentwurf von Gesundheitsminister Jens Spahn zugestimmt, der sogenannte Konversionstherapien verbietet. Denn bis heute gibt es weltweit Geistliche und Therapeuten, die Menschen von ihrer homosexuellen Orientierung "heilen" wollen - mit gravierenden psychischen und gesundheitlichen Folgen für die Betroffenen

Der investigative Dokumentarfilm spürt Netzwerke auf, die äußerst fragwürdige Konversionstherapien betreiben – mit gravierenden psychischen und gesundheitlichen Folgen für die Betroffenen. Elektroschocks, frontale Lobotomien, Hormonbehandlungen und Aversionstherapien – seit Homosexualität in der WHO-Klassifizierung nicht mehr als psychische Erkrankung geführt wird, gelten diese dubiosen Praktiken eigentlich als verschwunden. Doch an ihre Stelle sind andere, ebenso grausame und menschenverachtende Methoden getreten, die weiterhin weltweit verbreitet werden. Wie es um solche Pseudotherapien steht, haben Bernard Nicolas und sein Journalistenteam zwei Jahre lang in den USA, in Frankreich, Deutschland, Polen und der Schweiz ermittelt. In den Vereinigten Staaten bekennen sich evangelikale Vereinigungen lautstark zu ihren Praktiken. In Frankreich, Deutschland und der Schweiz dagegen verhalten sich Katholiken und Evangelikale zurückhaltender, selbst wenn einige dieser „Heiler“ hohes Ansehen genießen und ein florierendes Geschäft betreiben. Der Dokumentarfilm enthält erschütternde Aussagen von Opfern, die erstmals vor der Kamera über die von ihnen erlittenen Qualen sprechen. So berichtet Benoit, dass ihn seine streng katholischen Eltern vom 15. bis zum 18. Lebensjahr in ein Sommerlager für Homosexuelle schickten, die dort umerzogen werden sollten. Deb, die Tochter eines evangelikalen Paares aus Arkansas, verfiel nach schlimmen Exorzismus-Sitzungen in eine tiefe Depression. Auch Jean-Michel erlitt die verheerenden Auswirkungen von Teufelsaustreibungen; er wähnte sich lange vom Dämon der Homosexualität besessen und lank>seiner Religion hielt. Ewa wiederum musste qualvolle Heilungsmessen, Umerziehungslager und Elektroschocks über sich ergehen lassen, die sie von ihrer Homosexualität „erlösen“ sollten.

Dokumentarfilm von Bernard Nicolas (F 2019, 90 Min)


Das Einbetten dieses Dokumentarfilms ist nicht erlaubt. Deshalb muß er an YouTube selber angesehen werden. Hier ist ein Link dazu. – Mark

In France, a Right-Wing Polemicist Tries Channeling De Gaulle to Win Votes

THE NEW YORK TIMES: Éric Zemmour has adopted imagery reminiscent of Charles de Gaulle, the wartime leader. But his call for reborn glory for France is sharply at odds with the realities of the country today.

PARIS — The retro choreography was heavy-handed, its intent obvious: Éric Zemmour in a dark tie, eyes averted from the camera, reading into an old-fashioned microphone from sheets of paper, just like Charles de Gaulle in his famous speech from London on June 18, 1940, when he called for the liberation of a fallen France.

Mr. Zemmour is not a towering general, and France is not on its knees. But Mr. Zemmour, the far-right polemicist who this week announced his run for next year’s presidential election, understands the power of provocative imagery. Effrontery and scandal have propelled his outsider candidacy.

His campaign-launching video was a nationalistic call for reborn French glory. From Joan of Arc to the singer Johnny Hallyday, from Napoleon Bonaparte to Brigitte Bardot, from Voltaire to Versailles, from Notre Dame to village church bells, it took viewers on a tour of Mr. Zemmour’s imaginary France.

The France that — in the telling of this Jewish journalist of North African descent whose family arrived in France 70 years ago — existed before immigrants, Muslim veils, vandalism and mealy-mouthed elites led the country to its most recent strange defeat. » | Roger Cohen | Saturday, December 4, 2021

Anti-Semitism: 2021 Likely to Be 'the Worst Year on Record'


The related BBC webpage here.

It Is Impossible to Work Seriously with Boris Johnson’s Government

THE GUARDIAN: On refugees, fishing and the NI protocol, we need cooperation. But Britain and France are a long way from an entente cordiale

Macron said of Johnson’s letter tweet: “I am surprised when methods are not serious. One does not communicate on those issues, from one leader to another, via tweets or by a letter made public.” Photograph: Alastair Grant/PA

Britain and France have a long and intertwined history, encompassing great friendship and solidarity as well as war and rivalry. This was evident most recently following terrorist attacks in our respective countries. It’s a relationship that can still be characterised as “sweet enemies”, as Philip Sidney put it in a sonnet in 1591.

We are twin countries, with more or less the same population, similar economies, and the same status on the world stage, as permanent members of the United Nations security council, and nuclear countries with military projection capability. As members of the same international organisations, we have often held the same positions, and coordinated closely. This respect and cooperative spirit have been particularly strong among diplomats from our two nations.

Any prejudices and mockery have remained mostly friendly, or been delivered with a touch of humour – as in 2012, when both Boris Johnson and David Cameron riled François Hollande’s government by saying they would “roll out the red carpet” for French businessmen who were being highly taxed in France. The then French Minister of Labour, Michel Sapin, rejoindered: “Frankly, I don’t understand how you can unfurl a red carpet across the Channel. It could get quite wet.” » | Sylvie Bermann | Saturday, December 4, 2021

Sylvie Bermann is a former French ambassador to the UK

France rejects idea of joint patrols with UK forces on Calais coast: Boris Johnson proposal rebuffed with suggestion he offer legal alternatives to reduce risky Channel crossings »

Emmanuel Macron Accused of Trying to ‘Rehabilitate’ Mohammed bin Salman

THE GUARDIAN: Human rights groups criticise French president’s planned meeting with crown prince in Saudi Arabia

The meeting on Saturday will mark the first one-on-one between the crown prince and a major western leader since the assassination of Jamal Khashoggi. Photograph: Sarah Meyssonnier/Reuters

Human rights groups have criticised Emmanuel Macron’s planned meeting with Mohammed bin Salman in Saudi Arabia on Saturday, which will mark the first one-on-one public meeting of a major western leader with the crown prince since the state-sponsored assassination of the journalist Jamal Khashoggi.

For three years since the 2018 murder, western heads of state have avoided direct one-on-one meetings with the crown prince in the kingdom. The US president, Joe Biden, has even avoided speaking to the future king in what has widely been seen as an attempt to avoid conferring legitimacy on the de facto ruler.

But Macron’s move suggests at least one major western leader is ready to formally re-establish ties to the crown prince directly, less than a year after US intelligence agencies released a report stating they believed that Prince Mohammed had approved the murder of Khashoggi. » | Angelique Chrisafis in Paris and Stephanie Kirchgaessner in Washington | Friday, December 3, 2021

Emmanuel Macron entame une visite contestée en Arabie saoudite : Le président français est l’un des premiers dirigeants occidentaux à rencontrer le prince héritier Mohammed Ben Salmane depuis l’assassinat, en 2018, du journaliste saoudien Jamal Khashoggi. »

Élysée : Depuis Djeddah, le Président Emmanuel Macron répond aux questions de la presse. »

Friday, December 03, 2021

En dix mois, Joe Biden a déçu une grande partie des Américains

Joe Biden quitte la Maison-Blanche, jeudi, pour aller visiter les Instituts de santé américains. NICHOLAS KAMM/AFP

LE FIGARO : RÉCIT - Covid, inflation, immigration, politique étrangère ou réformes intérieures: le président démocrate n’est pas jugé à la hauteur de ses promesses.

De notre correspondant à Washington

Il avait fait campagne sur le retour de la compétence à la Maison-Blanche, le rétablissement d’une certaine normalité et l’apaisement des divisions partisanes. Un an plus tard, Joe Biden n’a guère convaincu, ni par ses qualités de gestionnaire, ni sur sa capacité à tourner la page de la pandémie, et les États-Unis sont plus polarisés que jamais sur presque tous les sujets.

Une récente défaite électorale en Virginie en septembre, et une autre évitée in extremis dans le New Jersey, deux États remportés par Biden en 2020, ont créé un début de panique chez les démocrates. Ces résultats sont de mauvais augure pour les élections de mi-mandat de l’année prochaine, traditionnellement difficiles pour le parti au pouvoir. Détenant une très faible majorité au Congrès, les démocrates craignent de la perdre au Sénat comme à la Chambre. Et l’élection présidentielle de 2024 est aussi dans les esprits. Même si le président, qui vient d’avoir 79 ans, a l’intention de se représenter, la question d’une éventuelle relève se pose. » | Par Adrien Jaulmes | vendredi 3 décembre 2021

Réservé aux abonnés

Fall Osman Kavala: Europarat leitet Strafverfahren gegen die Türkei ein | DW Nachrichten

Dec 3, 2021 • Der Europarat hat wegen der anhaltenden Inhaftierung des türkischen Kulturförderers und Menschenrechtsaktivisten Osman Kavala ein Strafverfahren gegen die Türkei eingeleitet. Das Ministerkomitee mit Vertretern der 47 Mitgliedsstaaten forderte in Straßburg die Regierung in Ankara zugleich auf, bis zum 19. Januar ihren Standpunkt darzulegen, wie das Gremium mitteilte.

Doch die politische Führung unter Präsident Recep Tayyip Erdogan gibt sich hartleibig: Die anhaltende Inhaftierung Kavalas sei eine Sache der "unabhängigen Justiz" in der Türkei, bekräftigte sie jüngst. Ankara ermahnte den Europarat, auf jegliche "Einmischung" in türkische Justizangelegenheiten zu verzichten.

"Im schlimmsten Fall droht der Türkei ein Rausschmiss aus dem Europarat," sagt DW-Korrespondentin Julia Hahn.


Our Persian-American Wedding | Jonathan and Zachary Kiani | @jonkiani

After the outpouring of love and support we've received over the last few days. We felt compelled to share the entirety of what was truly the most special night of both our lives.

It is not lost on us how blessed we've been. To have the full unconditional support of all our loved ones is beyond priceless. Many still yearn for that reality. But in that evening, it was clear; a brighter future, void of ignorance and bigotry, familiar to far too many, is attainable. We love you all and are forever thankful.

(A huge thank you to our godmother and officiant, Ms. Shohreh Aghdashloo)

Instagram: @jonkiani


When a Far-right Candidate Has ‘le buzz’, France Shouldn’t Take Young People for Granted

THE GUARDIAN – OPINION: The youth movement around Éric Zemmour, though small, is an indication that this deeply political generation can also be nihilistic

A placard saying, ‘Stop spreading hatred, Monsieur Zemmour’, at a rally to mark Éric Zemmour’s visit to Geneva last week. Photograph: Fabrice Coffrini/AFP/Getty Images


They all rolled their eyes when I asked them what they thought of Éric Zemmour, the smirking far-right polemicist running for president. My students thought he was racist and wrote him off as a crank. They hated Marine Le Pen of the far-right Rassemblement National (National Rally) but took her seriously. You had to accept that she was part of the political furniture, but this guy was beyond the pale. He had, after all, been convicted of hate speech.

Yet even then he was depressingly mainstream, writing bestsellers containing Vichy apologia and hate-filled screeds against feminism and homosexuality. He had a column at Le Figaro where he penned conspiratorial pieces arguing that Christianity had made France but Islam was trying to break it. Recently, Zemmour has become a semi-permanent TV fixture. A murky infrastructure of donors and online shock troops supporting him has emerged, and he tours France meeting fans.

Zemmour’s politics are horribly nihilistic. His ideas are straight from extremist Renaud Camus’ “great replacement” theory of a concerted demographic annihilation of white Europeans by immigration. Although his new book, La France n’a pas dit son dernier mot (France Has Not Spoken Its Last Word), is tinged marginally with optimism, his conclusion about the supposed renaissance ignores living standards and lapses into a war cry against foreigners and those who dare object to police brutality.

He is frequently compared to Donald Trump, though politically Zemmour is a different beast. He is, in his own words, engaged in a Gramscian struggle over culture. His strategy seems more considered than Trump’s spasmodic demagoguery. » | Oliver Haynes | Thursday, December 2, 2021

This article was highly commended in the Guardian Foundation’s 2021 Hugo Young award, which champions political opinion writing among 18- to 25-year-olds

From Abortion Bans to Anti-Trans Laws, a Christian Legal Army Is Waging War on America

As the Supreme Court looks poised to uphold Mississipi’s 15-week abortion ban and possibly overturn Roe v. Wade we speak to The Nation’s Amy Littlefield about her investigation into the Christian legal army behind the Mississippi law as well as anti-trans laws across the country. She also critiques the mainstream pro-choice movement’s failure to center the poor and people of color. “There is a change coming within the movement because of its reckoning with these past missteps including, frankly, the failure to adequately protect Black women and to stand up for the safety of the people whose rights were eroded first,” says Littlefield.


After nullifying abortion rights in the USA, extreme Christians will come after LGBT rights. You’d better believe it! Get ready for the fight! This side of the Atlantic, I wouldn't trust Éric Zemmour on LGBT rights either. He's also too extreme for comfort. – © Mark

TGF ! And TG It’s Absolut o’Clock Again !

via GIPHY

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

Dimitra’s Dishes: No-Bake Chocolate Biscuit Cake: Greek Mosaiko


Get the recipe here.

Moskau warnt vor „Alptraumszenario einer militärischen Konfrontation“


UKRAINE-KONFLIKT

FRANKFURTER ALLGEMEINE ZEITUNG: Der russische Außenminister Sergej Lawrow wirft der NATO vor, ihre militärische Infrastruktur näher an die russische Grenze zu bringen. Der amerikanische Außenminister Antony Blinken ruft Moskau zur „Deeskalation“ auf.

Russland hat vor dem Hintergrund der Spannungen an der ukrainisch-russischen Grenze vor einer Rückkehr zu einem „Alptraumszenario einer militärischen Konfrontation“ gewarnt. Der russische Außenminister Sergej Lawrow warf der Nato am Donnerstag bei einem OSZE-Treffen in Stockholm vor, „ihre militärische Infrastruktur näher an die russischen Grenzen zu bringen“. Der amerikanische Außenminister Antony Blinken rief Russland zu „Deeskalation“ und „Diplomatie“ auf. » | Quelle: AFP | Donnerstag, 2. Dezember 2021

Ces grands restaurants qui proposent encore un chariot à fromages

Le chariot à fromages bio du Clarence, dans le Triangle d’or (Paris 8e), sous la houlette du chef Christophe Pelé. imagerie

LE FIGARO : LA SÉLECTION DU FIGARO - Si l’époque rime avec repas légers et réduction du gaspillage, certaines grandes tables continuent de proposer cet emblème fastueux de la gastronomie française.

Élodie, 45 ans, Parisienne friande de nouvelles tables, ne résiste pas à l’appel du chariot à fromages: «Je ne vais pas jusqu’à choisir un restaurant pour ça, mais sa présence à la carte me met en joie et influence souvent le reste de mon menu. Je n’hésite pas à renoncer au dessert pour lui faire de la place.» Elle n’est pas séduite par le fromage en soi - qu’elle snobe lorsqu’il n’est servi qu’à l’assiette - mais par le rituel du chariot. «C’est un peu désuet, fastueux et ludique à la fois. Réaliser un chariot de qualité, qui attire l’œil à la manière de la vitrine d’un fromager, demande un vrai travail de la part du restaurateur.» Et apprécie tout particulièrement «le petit voyage à travers les régions de France» mais aussi les accompagnements imaginés par le chef: «Je garde un souvenir ému du chariot de la maison Roellinger à Cancale ; il y avait une multitude de chutneys, une huile pimentée pour accompagner le chèvre… Autant d’associations étonnantes, réfléchies dans la continuité de la cuisine!» » | Par Alice Bosio | vendredi 3 décembre 2021

Réservé aux abonnés

Yuja Wang – Rachmaninov: Prelude in G Minor, Op. 23, No. 5 | Live at Philharmonie, Berlin, 2018

Yuja Wang’s philosophy of music is both simple and profoundly complex. “I want to relate all life to music,” she recently told veteran British critic Fiona Maddocks. The Beijing-born pianist’s latest album for Deutsche Grammophon 'The Berlin Recital' captures the white heat of solo works by Rachmaninov, Prokofiev, Scriabin and Ligeti, a trio of Russians together with one of the late 20th-century’s greatest composers.

Bandenkriminalität in Schweden | ARTE Re:

Während in ganz Europa die Gewaltkriminalität sinkt, steigt ausgerechnet in Schweden die Waffengewalt. 124 Menschen kamen im Jahr 2020 durch Schusswaffen zu Tode. Es handelt sich dabei eher um unorganisierte, nicht um organisierte Kriminalität. "Wir sind als Gang von Freunden unterwegs", erklärt ein Bandenmitglied. "Es gibt keine Big Bosses im Hintergrund."

Jede Woche kommt es in Schweden zu Schießereien. Wiederkehrende Berichte über Waffengewalt in Brennpunktbezirken gehören mittlerweile zum medialen Grundrauschen. Die meisten Fälle werden kaum noch von der Öffentlichkeit registriert. Dabei ist die Statistik alarmierend: In Schweden sterben jedes Jahr mehr Menschen durch Schusswaffen als im Rest Europas – mit steigender Tendenz. In den vergangenen fünf Jahren kam es zu mehr als 2.500 Schießereien, 199 davon endeten tödlich, 588 Menschen wurden verletzt.

Die meisten Opfer, aber auch die Täter, sind junge Männer. Viele von ihnen gehören kriminellen Banden an. Das Problem betrifft das ganze Land, auch abseits der Großstädte. „Arte Re:“ sucht in Helsingborg, einer 150.000-Einwohnerstadt an der Grenze zu Dänemark, nach den Hintergründen.

Hier gibt es Drogenhandel, kriminelle Banden und Problemviertel. Und es kommt immer wieder zu Waffengewalt. Nour Habib war hier früher selbst in einer Gang. Viereinhalb Jahre saß er wegen bewaffneten Raubes im Gefängnis. Danach wollte er nicht wieder zurück in den Teufelskreis der Kriminalität und hat eine Allianz für gefährdete Jugendliche mit der lokalen Wirtschaft gegründet.

Omar El-Almali hat 2020 einen seiner besten Freunde bei einer Schießerei verloren. Omar hat gerade sein Kriminalistik-Studium beendet und ist angehender Sozialarbeiter. Er will sich nicht damit abfinden, dass vor allem junge Männer mit Migrationshintergrund in Gewalt und Kriminalität verstrickt werden. Gemeinsam mit der Polizistin Mona Ammar Persson arbeitet er in seiner eigenen Community gegen die Perspektivlosigkeit.

Reportage (D 2021, 32 Min)


Recipe30: Sicilian Style Spaghetti – A Simple 20-minute Meal

A tasty spaghetti meal with the flavours of Sicily. This recipe uses a mixed variety of olives and cherry tomatoes, resulting in a beautiful and appetising rainbow of colours. It also contains garlic, chili, anchovies and capers for those tasty, delicious flavours.

A quick meal to make, if organized,, it should be done by the time the pasta is cooked, including boiling time, usually under 20 minutes.

I used the beautiful milder white anchovies, if you can’t find them, use the regular ones and halve the amount as they are stronger.

If you season your pasta water correctly (a little less salty than sea water), then no further seasoning is required. The anchovies, olives and cheese are salty enough. Enjoy this Sicilian Style spaghetti today!



To this chef’s website.