French Far-right Presidential Hopeful Likens Himself to Boris Johnson

THE GUARDIAN: Eric Zemmour says foreign leader he feels ‘culturally and intellectually’ closest to is the British PM

Eric Zemmour acknowledges his support at a campaign rally in Lille, northern France.Photograph: Samuel Boivin/NurPhoto/Rex/Shutterstock
The far-right French presidential candidate Eric Zemmour has said of all world leaders he is compared to he feels most like the British prime minister, Boris Johnson.

The former journalist, who is often compared to Donald Trump, was speaking on France Inter’s morning news programme when asked about “populist” foreign leaders. The interviewer mentioned Trump, the Brazilian president, Jair Bolsonaro, and Italy’s former prime minister Matteo Salvini and asked if they were models for Zemmour.

“You have not mentioned Boris Johnson and I am astonished because he is without doubt the leader I feel I am closest to, culturally, intellectually … and he’s obviously a European like me but English,” Zemmour said.

It is not the first time Zemmour has rejected comparisons to Trump and likened himself to the British PM. He has pointed out that both he and Johnson are former journalists, both have written history books – Zemmour on the history of France, De Gaulle and Napoleon, Johnson on Winston Churchill. » | Kim Willsher | Monday, February 7, 2022

Winter in the Podkarpackie I ARTE.tv Documentary

Feb 6, 2022 • Not far from the border with Ukraine, the Lower Carpathians are a region of Poland with a secret and bewitching charm. Nestled between mountains and forests, wooden Orthodox churches are braving the test of time. The few inhabitants live by music, icon painting or creating glass objects.

Winter in the Podkarpackie I ARTE.tv Documentary
Available until the 01/03/2022

More Straight Than Gay People Are Being Diagnosed with HIV for the First Time in a Decade

INDEPENDENT: The number of new HIV diagnoses in heterosexual people are higher than those in gay and bisexual men for the first time in ten years, according to the UK Health Security Agency (HSA).

In the year leading to December 2021, 45 per cent of all new diagnoses were in gay and bisexual men, while 50 per cent were in heterosexual men or women.

Monday 7 February marks the beginning of the UK’s annual National HIV Testing Week which aims to promote regular testing and reduce late diagnoses. » | Saman Javed | Monday, February 7, 2022

Arnie Kantrowitz, Pioneer of Gay Liberation, Dies at 81

THE NEW YORK TIMES: A professor, author and activist, he fought against discrimination because of sexual orientation and for fairness from the media.

Arnie Kantrowitz last year. He was an early advocate for gay rights and fairer depiction of gay people in the media. | Larry Mass
Arnie Kantrowitz, a literature professor and author who was an early champion of gay rights and an indefatigable campaigner for fairer treatment of gay people by the media, died on Jan. 21 at a rehabilitation center in Manhattan. He was 81.

The cause was complications of Covid-19, his life partner, Dr. Lawrence D. Mass, said.

The gay rights movement was ignited in mid-1969 by the uprising provoked by a police raid on the Stonewall Inn in Greenwich Village, which led to the founding several months later of the Gay Activists Alliance. Mr. Kantrowitz became the organization’s vice president in 1970, which was also the year he came to grips with his own homosexuality.

In 1985, he was a founding member of the Gay and Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation (now known as GLAAD), which was established to counter negative media coverage generated by the AIDS crisis.

His memoir, “Under the Rainbow: Growing Up Gay” (1977), exposed to a wide audience the difficulties he and his gay contemporaries faced in the 1950s and ’60s and recalled how he had confronted them — including two suicide attempts. The book also chronicled historical events in the movement, including what was called the first Christopher Street Gay Liberation Day Parade, held in New York City in 1969. » | Sam Roberts | Thursday, February 3, 2022

Queer Students Feel ‘Betrayed’ after Cambridge College Bans Pride Flag

PINK NEWS: To mark the beginning of LGBT+ History Month, the University of Cambridge’s Gonville and Caius College flew the Progress Pride flag. One day later, they banned it.

For the last six years the college, one of the wealthiest at the University of Cambridge, has flown Pride flags from its flagpole, and this LGBT+ History Month seemed to be no different.

The college posted a video to its social media showing the “Progress Pride flag flying above Caius to mark the first day of LGBT History Month”.

But on Wednesday (2 February), a general meeting was held by fellows, who make up the college’s governing body and are responsible for changing statutes, where members voted to ban the flying of any flag other than the college banner. » | Lily Wakefield | Saturday, February 5, 2022

Ghana's Anglican Bishops Condemn Proposed Anti-LGBTQ+ Bill

President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo; Paul Marotta/Getty Images
ADVOCATE: Church leaders say that aspects of the bill are "severe" and that acts of hostility against LGBTQ+ people must be denounced.

Ghana’s Anglican Church leaders have condemned the country’s proposed anti-LGBTQ+ bill and urged lawmakers to reconsider the new legislation that would toughen an already existing anti-LGBTQ+ law.

On Friday, the House of Bishops in Ghana issued a statement saying the draft Promotion of Proper Human Sexual Rights and Ghanaian Family Values Bill — which is currently before the country’s parliament — is “severe and must be reviewed.”

The statement read, “We agreed that, though human dignity is always dominant, LGBTQI+ activities are frowned upon by the Ghanaian ethnicity and therefore, traditions, values, cultural and social frameworks must not also only be regarded but, respected and appreciated,” The Church Times reports.

“Nevertheless, Ghanaian citizens must not use the bill as an avenue to assault persons with homosexual orientation but show love to them as the Church of Jesus Christ is called to demonstrate the love of God by protecting all vulnerable people and groups. Acts of harassment, intimidation and hostilities against LGBTQ+ people should be condemned,” the statement continued. » | Alex Cooper | Friday, February 4, 2022

La Suisse appelle au «calme et à la créativité» pour de meilleures relations avec l'UE

LE FIGARO : Le président suisse Ignazio Cassis a appelé dimanche au «calme» et à la «créativité» pour améliorer les relations de la Suisse avec l'Union européenne. Les liens entre Bruxelles et Berne sont tendus depuis que la Suisse, non membre de l'UE, a soudainement décidé, en mai 2021, de mettre fin à des années de discussions en vue d'un vaste accord de coopération avec ce bloc d'Etats. » | Par Le Figaro avec AFP | dimanche 6 février 2022

What Kind of President Was Ronald Reagan? | The Reagan Presidency | Timeline

Jan 27, 2022 • This landmark documentary offers a historical portrait of America’s 40th President as told through the recollections, observations and opinions of those who knew him and experts who have analyzed the Reagan presidency. The focus of the documentary is the crucial events associated with his two-term presidency and the legacy he left behind.

If you decide to sign up for ‘History Hit’ documentaries, don’t forget to use the code ‘TIMELINE’ for a massive 50% discount:

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Gay and Married: Meet the Blooms I The Feed

Oct 22, 2015 • Steven and Natanya Bloom had been married for nearly 20 years when he realised he was gay and came out to his family. He's now president of the Gay And Married Men's Association, GAMMA.

Die unbekannte Seite der Brüder Grimm | Doku HD | ARTE

Feb 6, 2022 • 1837 erheben sie ihre Stimme gegen den König von Hannover, als er die Verfassung abschafft. Auch ihre Märchen sammeln sie aus politischen Gründen: Jakob und Wilhelm Grimm wollen die Vergangenheit bewahren, um die Gegenwart zu ändern. In der deutschen Sprache sehen sie die Basis für ein geeintes Vaterland. Das Dokudrama erzählt die unbekannte Seite der Brüder Grimm.

Juni 1837. Jacob und Wilhelm Grimm leben als Professoren in der Universitätsstadt Göttingen im Königreich Hannover. Eine Zeit, die vom Aufbegehren der Bürger geprägt ist. Erst wenige Jahre zuvor hatte der amtierende König Wilhelm nach Unruhen eine Verfassung erlassen, die den Bürgern mehr Rechte zusichert. Doch König Wilhelm stirbt, und sein Bruder Ernst August wird neuer König von Hannover. Ein Herrscherwechsel mit weitreichenden Folgen: Ernst August ist ein konservativer und wenig bürgernah. Bereits kurz nach seiner Krönung schafft er die liberale Verfassung wieder ab. Gegen diesen willkürlichen Akt des Königs setzen sich sieben Professoren aus Göttingen zur Wehr – darunter auch die Brüder Grimm. Die Ereignisse um die Verfassung des Königreichs Hannover 1837 machen die Grimm zu politischen Stars in Deutschland.

Anhand von Spielszenen und Interviews mit den beiden Brüdern auf der Grundlage originaler Texte vermittelt das Dokudrama einen intensiven Einblick in das Leben der beiden großen Märchensammler und zeigt, wie eng das Verhältnis der beiden Brüder zueinander war. Jakob und Wilhelm Grimm werden von Jörg Pintsch und Steven Merting dargestellt.

Dokudrama von Gabriele Rose (D 2020, 53 Min)

Russian Invasion of Ukraine 'Could Happen as Soon as Tomorrow': Jake Sullivan | ABC News

Feb 6, 2022 • Martha Raddatz interviews White House National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan on "This Week."

Dans la tête de Boris Johnson | ARTE

Feb 6, 2022 • Beaucoup le prenaient pour un bouffon. Il a pourtant fait gagner le Brexit en 2016 puis a triomphé aux législatives de décembre 2019. Boris Johnson est en train de changer en profondeur le Royaume-Uni, d'y laisser une trace indélébile, pour le meilleur ou pour le pire...

Pris dans la tourmente du "scandale des fêtes" données en violation des restrictions sanitaires, au sein de son gouvernement et jusqu'à Downing Street, mis en cause par son propre camp conservateur, Boris Johnson parviendra-t-il à surmonter la crise qu'il affronte aujourd'hui, la plus grave depuis qu'il a pris, en juillet 2019, les rênes du pouvoir ? Comparé alors à Donald Trump pour ses pitreries et ses prises de position violemment anti-UE, "BoJo" s'est-il démarqué de son homologue américain, une fois devenu Premier ministre, puis avoir gagné quelques mois plus tard, sur un brillant coup de poker, une majorité à sa main ? De sa promesse, tenue, de mettre rapidement le Brexit en œuvre, qui lui a permis de triompher lors de ces élections anticipées de décembre 2019, aux succès et aux impasses de sa gestion parfois chaotique de la pandémie, ce documentaire révèle, derrière le bouffon, un stratège et sa vision, et en pointe les défaillances. Qu'il ait ou non déjà perdu la partie, ce joueur à l'instinct redoutable, qui use de la provocation comme d'une arme, a engagé son pays dans un chemin difficilement réversible. Dans un royaume désuni par le Brexit qu'il a si ardemment promu, et alors que le nombre des décès du Covid-19 y apparaît parmi les plus élevés au monde, malgré une campagne vaccinale éclair, celui qui rêvait de donner à son pays une cohésion nouvelle se voit désormais rattrapé par ses outrances.

Les choix et les silences

De son éducation dans les meilleures écoles de l'establishment britannique à son ascension au sein du parti tory, de ses premières diatribes anti-UE dans la presse de droite à son élection à la mairie de Londres, Alice Cohen retrace le parcours personnel de Boris Johnson pour décrypter les choix et les zones d'ombre de ses deux mandats consécutifs à Downing Street. Avec les témoignages de certains de ses proches (dont sa sœur Rachel), de collaborateurs ou d'adversaires (Tim Montgomerie, son ancien conseiller à la Justice sociale, Michel Barnier, qui a durement négocié avec lui pour l'UE un accord commercial préalable au Brexit...), mais aussi d'observateurs plus distanciés, elle signe le portrait en forme de bilan, nuancé et documenté, d'un animal politique bien de son temps.

Dans la tête de Boris Johnson
Documentaire de Alice Cohen (France, 2021, 53mn)

Queen Backs Camilla to Be Queen Consort on Jubilee

The Queen has spent the anniversary of her accession in Sandringham | PA MEDIA
BBC: The Queen has said she wants Camilla, the Duchess of Cornwall, to be known as Queen Consort when Prince Charles becomes King.

In a message marking the 70th anniversary of her reign, the Queen said it was her "sincere wish" that Camilla would have that title.

The Queen is the first British monarch to celebrate a Platinum Jubilee.

She is spending her day privately on the Sandringham estate, with national celebrations to be held in June.

The Queen's reign began when she was 25 years old, following the death of her father, George VI, on 6 February 1952.

The monarch said that, 70 years on, the day is one which she remembers "as much for the death of my father, King George VI, as for the start of my reign". » | Sean Coughlan, Royal correspondent | Sunday, February 6, 2022

Queen wants Camilla to be Queen Consort when Charles becomes king »

Camilla should be the next queen, says the Queen: The Queen has said she wants the Duchess of Cornwall to be crowned Queen Consort when the Prince of Wales accedes to the throne, in a significant intervention ending years of controversy and confusion over Camilla’s future title. »

Queen Elizabeth Paves the Way for Camilla to One Day Be Called Queen: On the eve of the 70th anniversary of the start of her reign, Elizabeth said she wanted the Duchess of Cornwall to hold the title of Queen Consort once Prince Charles is king. »

Queen Elizabeth, Anchor in a Storm-Tossed Britain, Marks 70-Year Reign: The milestone puts the queen, 95, in rarefied company: Only three other monarchs are documented to have reigned for more than 70 years. »

La reine Elizabeth II souhaite que Camilla soit reine consort quand Charles sera roi : La reine d'Angleterre a adressé un message à la nation en ce sens à la veille du 70e anniversaire de son accession au trône. »

Elisabeth II.: Auch Camilla soll Queen-Titel tragen : Zu ihrem 70-jährigen Thronjubiläum zerstreut die britische Königin Vorbehalte gegen ihre Schwiegertochter. Camilla solle einst den Titel tragen, der ihr zusteht. Zugleich bekräftigte Elisabeth II., sie werde nie vorzeitig abdanken. »

Prince Charles pays tribute to ‘darling wife’ and future queen Camilla: First in line to throne thanks Duchess of Cornwall for support as royal family paves way for her to take title of queen »

‘Partygate’: Johnson’s Removal Is Now Inevitable, Warns Loyalist

THE OBSERVER: More MPs set to submit resignation demands as No 10 rejigs team

Johnson’s plight has been compared to Greek tragedy by the loyalist backbencher Sir Charles Walker. Photograph: Xander Heinl/Photothek/Getty Images
Boris Johnson’s desperate efforts to save his premiership were undermined on Saturday as one of his most loyal backbench supporters said it was now “inevitable” that Tory MPs would remove him from office over the ”partygate” scandal.

In an interview with the Observer, Sir Charles Walker, a former vice-chairman of the 1922 Committee of backbench Conservative MPs, implored the prime minister to go of his own accord in the national interest, and likened events in the Tory party to a Greek tragedy.

“It is an inevitable tragedy,” Walker said. “He is a student of Greek and Roman tragedy. It is going to end in him going, so I just want him to have some agency in that.”

Walker, who announced at the start of the month that he was stepping down as an MP, said that in his view Johnson had got many things right, including the handling of the vaccine rollout, and deserved to be remembered for them, rather than suffer the indignity of losing a leadership challenge.

But he said the succession of parties in Downing Street during national lockdowns had focused the anger of a traumatised country on No 10 in a way that could only be addressed if the prime minister moved aside. “It is just not going to get better,” he said. » | Toby Helm, Mark Townsend and James Tapper | Saturday, February 5, 2022

Queen Holds Reception to Mark Platinum Jubilee

PA MEDIA
BBC: The Queen has cut a cake to mark her Platinum Jubilee as she met members of the Sandringham community on the eve of the 70th anniversary of her reign.

Ahead of Accession Day, she hosted a reception for volunteer groups, pensioners and fellow members of the local Women's Institute (WI) group.

Guests included a former cookery student who helped create the original Coronation chicken recipe.

The Queen was described as being on "sparkling" form at the reception.

On Sunday, she will have reigned for 70 years, excluding Accession Day.

It also marks the day her father George VI died in 1952. With video » | Lauren Turner, BBC News | Saturday, February 5, 2022

Rachmaninov Piano Concerto 2 / Sviatoslav Richter, Stanislaw Wislocki (1959/2015)

Jun 21, 2018 • Sergey Vasil’yevich Rachmaninov (1873 – 1943) Konzert Für Klavier und Orchester, Nr. 2 C-moll, Op. 18.

1 Moderato
2 Adagio Sostenuto
3 Allegro Scherzando

Recorded: #1-3: Warsaw, Philharmonie on 26th to 28th April 1959

How to Make Creamy Mushroom Risotto Like an Italian

May 30, 2021 • My mushroom risotto recipe is a no-fail way to master the creamiest risotto you will ever taste – minus the cream of course! Using wild porcini mushrooms, fresh parsley and a sprinkle of parmigiano cheese you barley need any ingredients to recreate this Northern Italian dish in your own kitchen…and wait until you taste it! Trust me, it’s not hard and once you realise that you’ll never order it out again!

Get the recipe here.

Marie de Roumanie, l'étonnante reine des Carpates - Secrets d'histoire

Jan 25, 2022 • Marie de Roumanie, l'étonnante reine des Carpates - Secrets d'histoire Descendante de Victoria et d'Alexandre II, Marie était vouée à un destin royal. Elle l'accomplira en devenant souveraine de Roumanie après son mariage avec Ferdinand de Hohenzollern. Tombée amoureuse de ce pays et de son peuple, elle l'accompagnera dans les épreuves qu'il traverse au début du XXe siècle.

Capitalism Hits Home: How Americans Cope with Falling Living Standards

Feb 3, 2022 • Declining living standards, joblessness and pronounced inequality are leaving Americans feeling disconnected, helpless and depressed. In this episode of Capitalism Hits Home, Dr. Fraad talks about the 3 Ds - depression, dissociation and denial - Americans are resorting to as coping strategies for their stark decline in health and living standards. Fraad offers examples of more productive and beneficial ways to cope and heal.

What an appalling economic system! A working man should be able to keep his family in relative comfort from the rewards of his labours. Children need mothers at home. (Or at least someone who will substitute for a mother.) Children can't bring themselves up! If a man (one person) cannot support the family, then there is something radically wrong with the economic system. You cannot be pro-family and be pro- this ridiculously anti-family set up. Republicans! Are you listening? – © Mark

Israël et les Émirats arabes unis en pleine lune de miel

Le président israélien Isaac Herzog et le prince héritier des Émirats arabes unis Mohammed Ben Zayed (MBZ), dimanche 30 janvier. EyePress News/EYEPRESS via Reuters Connect
LE FIGARO : ANALYSE - Le président israélien Isaac Herzog a reçu ces derniers jours un accueil fastueux aux Émirats arabes unis.

Correspondant à Jérusalem
La lune de miel entre les Émirats arabes unis (EAU) et Israël perdure malgré la disparition des garants du mariage, Donald Trump et son gendre Jared Kushner, et de l’un de ses protagonistes, Benyamin Netanyahou. Dimanche, le prince héritier Mohammed Ben Zayed (MBZ) a reçu dans son palais monumental le président israélien Isaac Herzog avec un faste particulier.

L’orchestre royal a joué devant les invités la Hatikvah, l’hymne national d’Israël. Puis l’homme fort du richissime pays du Golfe et le chef de l’État hébreu se sont longuement entretenus en tête-à-tête. Les médias locaux ont largement couvert la visite et, sur les réseaux sociaux, les comptes associés au gouvernement émirati ont célébré l’événement. » | Par Thierry Oberlé | mardi 1 février 2022

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Immobilier à la montagne: vent de folie sur les hauteurs

Vue de châlets à Méribel. ronstik - stock.adobe.com
LE FIGARO : Des grands appartements au goût du jour aux studios défraîchis, les biens à la montagne se vendent comme des petits pains.

La crise sanitaire, qui a dopé les envies d’espace des Français, fait souffler un vent de folie sur l’immobilier de montagne. Le marché est en surchauffe depuis des mois, avec un appétit des acheteurs qui ne se dément pas. «Les clients ont de l’épargne de côté et veulent se faire plaisir, après des mois difficiles», constate Bérengère Servat, vice-présidente de la Fnaim Montblanc. Et les prix s’en ressentent. Selon le site d’estimation immobilière meilleursagents.com, le coût du m2 s’est envolé de 9,7 % dans les Alpes du Nord, de 7 % dans les Alpes du Sud et encore 4,1 % dans les Pyrénées. » | Par Jorge Carasso | vendredi 4 février 2022

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Le salafisme, voilà l'ennemi: un ancien responsable de la DGSE brise le silence

Alain Chouet cherche les causes de notre impuissance envers le salafisme en rassemblant les pièces d'un puzzle qui n'est pas seulement hexagonal mais mondial. Hubert Didona/saif images
LE FIGARO : EXTRAITS EXCLUSIFS - Quarante années d'aveuglement ont conduit la France aux limites de la rupture du pacte républicain. Alors que le débat a été longtemps pollué par le politiquement correct, Alain Chouet, ancien chef du service de renseignement de la DGSE, propose un livre clair et net comme une note stratégique adressée au futur président de la République, mais écrite pour le grand public.

Il y a une semaine, un documentaire de M6 révélait la vie quotidienne d'un quartier sous contrôle des salafistes. On y découvrait une réalité qui ne pouvait pas ne pas susciter une phobie sans nuances : « Pas de ça en France ! » La présentatrice de ce documentaire, la journaliste Ophélie Meunier, a été depuis placée sous protection policière après des menaces de mort, tout comme le juriste Amine Elbahi , originaire de la ville et qui dit avoir reçu des centaines de messages de haine sur les réseaux sociaux. C'est tout le propos d'Alain Chouet, déjà auteur de deux livres sur sa vie d'espion et sur La Menace islamiste (La Découverte), que de chercher les causes de notre impuissance en rassemblant les pièces d'un puzzle qui n'est pas seulement hexagonal mais mondial. Dans son viseur, on trouve les commanditaires. Riyad, et d'autres capitales d'un « pétrosunnisme » terriblement funeste aux équilibres planétaires. « Pour empêcher l'eau d'un fleuve de couler, il est plus efficace d'en boucher la source que d'en barrer l'estuaire », écrit Chouet. Qui, dans cette campagne présidentielle, osera proposer une stratégie pour en finir avec le salafisme ? » | Par Charles Jaigu | vendredi 4 février 2022

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Austria's Covid-vaccine Mandate: Can It Be Enforced? | DW News

Feb 5, 2022 • Austria has become the first European country to mandate coronavirus vaccination for all adults. It is also the first country that will now have to enforce a vaccination mandate. Starting next month, Austrian police will carry out random spot-checks to see whether people can produce proof of vaccination. Those who can't face fines of 600 euros or more. Vienna set up mobile vaccination buses to increase that number. The willingness to get a jab is stagnant, despite the new bill.

Even before the controversial bill was passed, security was tight at vaccination centers. No other topic polarizes Austrians as much as mandatory vaccination. Those who administer the vaccines can do so only when security is nearby. There is concern about hostile outbursts by anti-vaxxers.

Tens of thousands of them have been taking to the streets almost every weekend across the country to protest against COVID measures. They are a minority. But Werner Reisinger, who is researching radicalism, says, the protests should not be underestimated.

He says the Austrian government failed to reach this crowd, especially when its declaration last summer that the COVID crisis was over was followed by a political crisis of its own. Austria expects an avalanche of lawsuits by those unwilling to pay possible fines starting at 600 euros and to be enforced from mid-March. Vienna is focusing on those whose opinion could still be swayed: The undecided. The city put up billboards in various foreign languages in their latest effort to counter misinformation.

Johnson Drives Trams in Blackpool whilst His Premiership Collapses

Feb 5, 2022 • Johnson's premiership is now a sinking ship. Senior staff are quitting Downing Street whilst more MP's are submitting letters to the 1922 Committee. In the House of Commons, in responding to the limited and yet damning, findings of Sue Gray, Johnson disgracefully suggested that Keir Starmer as DPP had knowingly failed to prosecute Jummy Savile, the disgraced sexual predator. He then went to Blackpool to be photographed in high viz driving a tram.

The economy is in crisis with huge cost of living increases about to hit everyone. National Insurance is about to be raised by 1.25% to provide funding £12 billion for the NHS. According the the Department of Health £9.9 billion was wasted in the procurement of PPE and £37 billion was budgeted for Test & Trace which was universally seen to be a failure. In addition many tens, possibly hundreds of millions were made by businesses awarded PPE contracts without any previous experience of sourcing PPE simply because they knew someone in government.

Hacked Again!

My sincere apologies for the changed colour of the fonts. That is not my work, but a hacker’s.

Over the months, a pattern has emerged. Each time I have been hacked, it has been when something has been posted about Islam. I recently posted something about Lord Ahmed and an introduction to an article on Salafism, in French. They were not my words, but from articles in reputable British and French newspapers. Clearly, this information has upset someone. Nothing negative must ever be posted about Islam or the behaviour of Muslims! Muslims want a pass on everything!

When a hacker does this, he/she only makes it more difficult for my visitors and followers to read. It is a very anti-social thing to do. It is also childish.

It is too difficult and time-consuming for me to go through all the HTML to try and correct these posts. So I have decided to leave them as they are. It is better for me to use my time more productively and move forward, ignoring what has been done and living with it.

I am sure that you will have realised that I have no agenda: I am not trying to push any particular view on anyone. I have no axe to grind. I simply post a variety of items in three languages to make things interesting for my visitors. Furthermore, I have never asked anyone for any money. I have been doing this, at least so far, for free. It is ‘a labour of love’. All I want is to be left alone to make this blog interesting, aesthetically pleasing, and erudite. For the hacker, it appears that this is too much to ask.

What this person is doing shows us all the nature and mentality of the hacker. I can only apologise to you all for the inconvenience this causes you. Just for you to know, though, if you click on the title of each post, you will be taken to a separate page and the version of that post you will see is as it should be.

Let us all hope for hack-free days.

© Mark Alexander

Türkei im Abseits: Verliert Erdogan die Kontrolle? | Auf den Punkt

Feb 3, 2022 • Der türkische Präsident Erdogan gerät zunehmend in Bedrängnis. Dabei tut er alles, um die Opposition auszuschalten und unliebsame Journalisten und Kritiker mundtot zu machen. Aber die horrende Inflation und seine umstrittene Finanzpolitik lassen selbst unter seinen Anhängern die Zweifel an ihm wachsen. Auch außenpolitisch scheint Erdogan zunehmend isoliert, trotz seiner Suche nach neuen Verbündeten.

Unsere Frage: Türkei im Abseits: Verliert Erdogan die Kontrolle? Unsere Gäste: Erkan Arikan (DW,) Günter Seufert (SWP), Julia Hahn (DW Istanbul)

Marc Roche: Elizabeth II «s’est imposée en mère de la nation»

La reine Elizabeth II. VICTORIA JONES/AFP
Correspondant à Londres depuis 35 ans, Marc Roche a publié récemment un livre passionnant, Elle ne voulait pas être reine (Albin Michel).
LE FIGARO : ENTRETIEN - Selon le correspondant à Londres, la reine du Royaume-Uni, qui passe le cap des 70 ans de règne, «réussit la réconciliation nationale mieux que tout homme politique».

LE FIGARO. - En dehors de sa longueur, en quoi le règne d’Elizabeth II est-il particulier? Marc ROCHE. - En soixante-dix ans, le Royaume-Uni a été plus bouleversé que pendant tous les règnes précédents. Cela vaut pour les changements géopolitiques, avec la décolonisation, l’adhésion à l’Europe puis le retrait de l’UE, les problèmes d’unité nationale avec l’indépendantisme écossais. Il y a eu aussi une accélération des avancées technologiques et scientifiques, ainsi qu’une évolution rapide des mœurs. En 1952, les divorcés étaient toujours interdits à la cour alors qu’aujourd’hui, trois enfants sur quatre de la Reine sont divorcés… L’héritier de la couronne est lui-même divorcé et remarié à une autre divorcée. Tout cela montre le chemin parcouru.

Quand elle est montée sur le trône, elle symbolisait une Angleterre impériale, blanche, anglo-saxonne et protestante. Aujourd’hui, il n’y a plus d’empire, même s’il reste le Commonwealth dont elle a d’ailleurs été l’artisane. La société est devenue plus diverse et multiculturelle, avec symboliquement le premier écuyer noir nommé en 2017. Et le catholicisme et l’islam sont plutôt plus dynamiques que l’Église anglicane. L’Angleterre n’avait jamais autant changé sous un autre monarque[.] » | Pa Arnaud De La Grange | vendredi 4 février 2022

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À LIRE AUSSI :

Elizabeth II, forte et tranquille quelle que soit la crise : PORTRAIT - À l’aube de ses 95 ans, la reine d’Angleterre doit gérer une nouvelle crise. Elle en a vu d’autres, et des plus graves. »

Civil War in Cabinet as Boris Johnson Told to Sack Rishi Sunak

THE TIMES: Sajid Javid joins chancellor in rebuking PM

Cabinet ministers have accused Rishi Sunak of plotting to replace Boris Johnson as prime minister | IAN DAVIDSON/ALAMY
The cabinet descended into rancour over Boris Johnson’s future last night after both Sajid Javid and Rishi Sunak rebuked the prime minister.

One cabinet minister called for Johnson to dismiss Sunak, and two others accused the chancellor of being “on manoeuvres” after he criticised the prime minister for a personal attack on Sir Keir Starmer.

On Monday, as Johnson sought to fend off criticism over Downing Street parties, he accused Starmer, a former director of public prosecutions, of having failed to prosecute the paedophile Jimmy Savile. » | Steven Swinford, Political Editor | Oliver Wright, Policy Editor | Henry Zeffman, Associate Political Editor | Friday, February 4, 2022

Bon retour, Haute Couture!

Ein Design von Glenn Martens für Jean Paul Gaultier, Haute Couture Frühling Sommer 2022. | Bild: picture alliance / Ik Aldama
PARISER MODEWOCHE
FRANKFURTER ALLGEMEINE ZEITUNG: Nach zwei Jahren kehrt die Haute Couture auf die Laufstege zurück. Die Designer wissen ihre alten Bühnen zu nutzen und setzen wieder auf Kollaborationen – sowie auf eine düstere Ästhetik.

Während sich Dänemark diese Woche vorwagte und kurzerhand alle Maßnahmen gegen die Pandemie für beendet erklärte, konnte man in Frankreich immerhin bei der Pariser Couture Week den Eindruck gewinnen, dass alles wieder so ist wie vor zwei Jahren: Bei 15 Schauen vor Publikum zeigten die Designer wieder ihre Frühjahrskollektionen – in der vergangenen Saison waren es noch halb so viele gewesen. Da sich zuletzt jedoch einige durch „bisous“ auf Distanz infiziert hatten, mussten dieses Mal alle geimpft sein. Den neu eröffneten Raum nutzten die Designer: Laufstege wurden wieder aufwendig ausgestattet, es wurde mit Kunstschaffenden kollaboriert, Stars kehrten zurück in die ersten Reihen. » | Von Caroline O. Jebens | Freitag, 28. Januar 2022

À Pékin, Poutine et Xi Jinping accusent l’Occident de «créer l’instabilité»

Le président russe, Vladimir Poutine, et son homologue chinois, Xi Jinping, lors de leur rencontre, vendredi, à Pékin, en marge des Jeux olympiques. SPUTNIK/via REUTERS
À Moscou
LE FIGARO : DÉCRYPTAGE - En marge de l’ouverture des JO d’hiver, et en pleine crise autour de l’Ukraine, les deux présidents ont cosigné une déclaration.

Cela fait deux ans que, pandémie oblige, Xi Jinping n’avait pas reçu d’homologue en visite d’État à Pékin. En 2014, le président chinois s’était rendu à l’ouverture des Jeux olympiques de Sotchi. Vendredi, Vladimir Poutine lui a rendu la politesse en assistant au coup d’envoi des JO d’hiver de Pékin. Mais, en huit ans, les tensions internationales se sont considérablement renforcées, incitant les deux dirigeants - qui se sont déjà rencontrés à trente reprises - à serrer davantage les rangs face à l’adversaire commun, l’Occident, incarné en premier lieu par les États-Unis. La «séquence», comme disent les diplomates, s’inscrit dans un contexte très dégradé: la guerre menace toujours en Ukraine tandis qu’à l’Est, en Asie-Pacifique, les menaces d’une conflagration autour de Taïwan sont latentes et persistantes. Avec, vu de Moscou comme de Pékin, un fauteur de troubles commun, les États-Unis et leurs alliances, l’Otan et Aukus, acronyme désignant l’union face à la Chine des Australiens, des Britanniques et des Américains. » | Par Alain Barluet | vendredi 4 février 2022

Germany, EU Condemn Russia's Move to Ban DW | DW News

Feb 4, 2022 • Authorities have closed DW's office in Moscow and banned DW broadcasts in Russia as of today. This is being seen as retaliation for the decision of the German media regulator to ban the German-language programming of Russian state broadcaster RT.

Related.

Death in Venice : Gustav Mahler – Adagietto | From Symphony N°5

A Gay Mormon Love Story: Elder | Op-Docs | The New York Times

Jul 7, 2015 • This short documentary tells the story of a gay Mormon’s love affair while he served on a mission in Italy. Produced by: Genéa Gaudet

Judith Mehr : I Painted Some of Mormonism’s Most Iconic Art—and I Was Closeted

Oct 24, 2019 • Judith Mehr is arguably one of the most well-known artists commissioned by the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. She has painted prophets, apostles, murals, and some of the most iconic gospel art used within the LDS Church. Behind that talent and her paintbrushes lived a secret. Judith was gay—and feared coming out.

This is her story.

Judy shares her experience growing up closeted, college life at BYU (where she was tasked to spy on women in her dorm to determine if they were lesbians), finding (and hiding) a partner, coming out and finding her authentic self.

Red Wall Tories Irate as Ex-Sky Boss Takes Over at No 10 Policy Unit

THE GUARDIAN: Former banker Andrew Griffith will succeed Munira Mirza in key role shaping government thinking

Andrew Griffith in Whitehall on Friday. His Westminster townhouse was used by Boris Johnson as a base for plotting out his first 100 days in office. Photograph: Dan Kitwood/Getty Images
Conservative MPs have privately been venting their anger at the appointment of a former Sky executive who entered parliament in 2019 as the replacement for Munira Mirza as the head of No 10’s policy unit.

MPs from northern “red wall” areas were particularly vehement about the promotion of Andrew Griffith, a former investment banker representing a safe Tory seat in West Sussex, to a key role in shaping new government ideas.

“What does he know about real life?” asked one new northern Tory MP, who had not yet submitted a letter of no confidence in Boris Johnson but suggested Griffith’s arrival would “probably mean more letters”. Even one MP who spoke highly of Griffith said moving him to replace Mirza “shouldn’t have been done quite so quickly and brutally”.

Griffith is – outwardly at least – a supporter of classic low-tax, deregulatory Conservatism whose appointment could mean a pivot away from the “culture wars” sometimes associated with Mirza. But while they acknowledge his business acumen, many of his colleagues doubt Griffith is sufficiently politically minded to do the job effectively. » | Benn Quinn and Aubrey Allegretti | Friday, February 4, 2022

What do these super-privileged, self-satisfied people know about the lives of ordinary folk? BoJo’s government is completely out of touch with the lives of ordinary people, completely out of touch with the electorate. This has been shown over and over and over again.

This is not a left-right divide, but a divide within the system itself. We are being led by people who have no idea, no understanding of the circumstances of the lives of ordinary people. Therefore, these people are not fit for purpose. They must go if this once great country is to remain a democracy.

We are in dangerous territory. These politicians are creating the conditions for revolution; and no sensible person wants anything like that to happen. – © Mark

In Wales zieht ein Ort vor allem wegen seines ungewöhnlichen Namens die Touristen an | DW Euromaxx

Feb 4, 2022 • In Wales zieht ein Ort vor allem wegen seines ungewöhnlichen Namens jede Menge Touristen an: Llanfairpwllgwyngyllgogerychwyrndrobwllllantysiliogogogoch. Mit 58 Buchstaben der längste zusammenhängende Ortsname in Europa.

Is Trump's House Of Cards Collapsing? …

… Or is this simply another Republican smoke screen? Richard Ojeda breaks it down.

DW's Moscow Bureau Closes after Russian Ban | DW News

Feb 4, 2022 • A decision by the Russian government to shut down Deutsche Welle's Moscow office and withdraw accreditation from the German broadcaster's journalists in Russia came into effect on Friday at 9 a.m. local time (0600 UTC).

The Russian Foreign Ministry announced a day earlier that it was canceling DW's broadcasting license in Russia, calling it a response to the ban of the Russian broadcaster RT DE in Germany.

The Russian Foreign Ministry said authorities might consider putting DW on the list of so-called foreign agents. The label, which has Soviet-era connotations, forces media outlets to publish a disclaimer on their content in Russia that they are "foreign agents."


Dies ist ein verwandter Artikel auf Deutsch zu dieser Geschichte.

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

Spain on a Fork: Spanish Garlic Artichokes | So Good You Won´t Be Able to Resist

Alcachofas al ajillo

Get the recipe here.

Albert Bevia can be supported on Patreon here.

Ukraine Crisis: ‘Few Are Ready to Die for Vladimir Putin and the Motherland’

THE TIMES: Russians are more concerned about rising prices than the prospect of war

In Moscow few people seriously believe that war is on the horizon | ALEXANDER NEMENOV/AFP/GETTY IMAGES
A short walk from the Kremlin a man in a Mickey Mouse costume hands out fliers for a children’s play centre. Near by, tourists pose for photographs next to a life-sized model of Elvis Presley at an American-themed restaurant.

Not far away, at the Ukrainian cultural centre in central Moscow’s bustling pedestrian zone, passers-by barely glance at the blue and yellow flag that is flying at the entrance to the building.

If Russia is steeling itself for a serious conflict with Ukraine, there is very little sense of it here. Despite recent warnings from the White House of an “imminent” Russian attack, few people seriously believe that war is on the horizon. Indeed, the topic is barely discussed. » | Marc Bennetts, Moscow | Friday, February 4, 2022

Currently, The Times has a special offer on for new subscribers. Enjoy unlimited digital access for one month for free. Check out the offer here.

Lord Ahmed: Ex-Labour Peer Jailed for Child Sex Offences

Lord Ahmed, pictured arriving at court in late November, resigned from the House of Lords in November 2020 | DANNY LAWSON/PA WIRE
BBC: A former Labour peer convicted of sexually abusing two children has been jailed for five years and six months.

Lord Ahmed of Rotherham, 64, was found guilty in January of a serious sexual assault against a boy and the attempted rape of a young girl in the 1970s.

The repeated sexual abuse happened in Rotherham when he was a teenager, Sheffield Crown Court heard.

Passing sentence, Mr Justice Lavender said his actions had had "profound and lifelong effects" on the victims.

The court heard Lord Ahmed, who was tried under his real name Nazir Ahmed, attempted to rape the girl in the early 1970s, when he was aged 16 or 17 but she was much younger.

The attack on the boy, who was aged under 11 at the time, also happened during the same period. » | BBC | Friday, February 4, 2022

Ministers Accused of Failing to Stem Flow of Russian ‘Dirty Money’ into UK

THE GUARDIAN: Anti-corruption activists criticise government inaction in face of years of Kremlin provocation

Britain’s efforts to halt the flow of Russian “dirty money” into the UK have been called into question in the aftermath of a threat by the foreign secretary, Liz Truss, to hit Kremlin-linked oligarchs with economic sanctions if Ukraine is attacked.

Labour and anti-corruption campaigners this week accused the government of failing to curtail Russian wealth and influence in Britain, despite years of provocative actions from the Kremlin.

“We’ve seen Russia engage in assassinations and human rights abuses, annexations and invasions – but it has taken 100,000 Russian troops at the border to push Britain towards a change of policy,” said James Nixey, a director at the Chatham House thinktank, which recently published a paper on the UK’s kleptocracy problem. » | Dan Sabbagh, Defence and security editor | Friday, February 4, 2022

Jung, schwul, gläubig - Geht das für Christen, Juden und Muslime? | SWR Doku

Unsere Reportage begleitet drei junge Menschen, die sich entschlossen haben, sich nicht mehr zu verstecken, sondern offen schwul und gläubig zu sein. Vorbehalte, Ressentiments oder Ausschluss aus der Religionsgemeinschaft – diesen Problemen müssen sich gläubige Schwule stellen, wenn sie sich outen. Wie vereinbaren homosexuelle Christen, Juden und Muslime in Deutschland ihren Glauben und ihre sexuelle Ausrichtung in oft repressiven und konservativen Religionsgemeinschaften? Wie kämpfen sie für Anerkennung und Gleichberechtigung?

Die Reportage, gedreht 2019, erzählt die Geschichte dreier junger Menschen, die sich entschieden haben, Glauben und Homosexualität nicht mehr als Widerspruch und unvereinbar hinzunehmen. Alle drei sind Mitbegründer von Selbsthilfegruppen, die Betroffenen ein Sicherheitsnetz geben. Sie zelebrieren gemeinsam ihre Feiertage, leisten Aufklärungsarbeit, scheuen keine Konflikte und suchen selbst den Dialog zu konservativen Gläubigen.

Leo ist Mitbegründer von ‚Keshet‘, dem ersten queeren jüdischen Verein in Deutschland. Auf einer Tagung der jüdischen Gemeinden in Deutschland vertritt er als Pionier zum ersten Mal die jüdische LGBTQ-Gemeinde.

Tugay kämpft für die Rechte queerer Muslime – und wird deshalb bedroht. In der liberalen Ibn-Rushd-Goethe-Moschee in Berlin betet er nicht nur, sondern verfechtet sogar in einer Predigt das Recht, als Muslim lieben zu können, wen er will. Timo brach aus der Enge seiner Wuppertaler Freikirche aus, in der er aufwuchs. Er veröffentlichte das Buch „Nicht mehr Schweigen“, in dem er queere Christen und Christinnen jeder Glaubensrichtung zu Wort kommen lässt. In seinen Lesungen trifft er auf Empathie, aber auch auf Skepsis und Kritik.

Diese Doku von Uri Schneider aus der DAS ERSTE-Reihe "Echtes Leben" trägt den Originaltitel: Jung, schwul, gläubig - Geht das für Christen, Juden und Muslime?,

Ausstrahlungsdatum: 26. April 2020. #swrdoku Alle Aussagen und Fakten entsprechen dem damaligen Stand und wurden seitdem nicht aktualisiert.

Reckless, Trumpian Leadership Is Losing Johnson Allies. It Should Lose Him His Job

THE GUARDIAN – OPINION: The resignations of Munira Mirza and other aides should galvanise Tory MPs to do what they must now do

Illustration by Nate Kitch
In writing about politics you can either try to explain what you think is happening or you can say what you think should happen. Right now, there is a complete convergence between the two. Boris Johnson’s premiership is on the slide, irreversibly so. The question is not whether Johnson will go. It is when and how – and what will come after.

Simultaneously it is increasingly plain that Johnson should go. Some take this view for partisan reasons or because Johnson’s personality appals them. Fair enough. But that’s not my argument here. There is also an extremely powerful Conservative case against him remaining. In the end, this will be decisive, because he will only go only if it is in the Tory party’s interest; no one else’s.

However the main reason why Johnson should depart is now moral, systemic and governmental, rather than political. His increasingly reckless, and even Trumpian, response to it has now led to the resignation of Munira Mirza, No 10’s policy chief, who described a recent attack on Keir Starmer as beyond “the normal cut and thrust of politics”. It’s about the way the current crisis shows how he sees his job, and about the way he does it. He sees himself as above the system. He should not. His approach cannot coexist for much longer with being a prime minister of a stable and healthy parliamentary democracy. There is too much at stake. » | Martin Kettle | Feiday, January 4, 2022

«Il faut avoir le cœur bien accroché» : les épargnants secoués par la chute du Bitcoin

Après une irrésistible ascension, le cours de la plus célèbre des cryptomonnaies a chuté de moitié depuis le mois de décembre, prenant à revers de nombreux petits investisseurs. JOE RAEDLE / AFP
LE FIGARO : DÉCRYPTAGE - La baisse de moitié des cours a pris à revers des millions de particuliers. Aujourd'hui, ils s'interrogent sur leurs investissements.

La chute du bitcoin, dans le sillon des valeurs de la tech américaine, a de quoi questionner les particuliers qui y ont mis une part de leurs bas de laine. La star des cryptomonnaies a perdu plus de 20 % depuis le début de l'année et presque la moitié de sa valeur depuis son record de novembre. Aujourd'hui, elle navigue en basses eaux, autour de 36.000 dollars, soit son cours de juillet dernier. « J'ai l'impression de revenir plusieurs mois en arrière et que mes efforts ont été vains », déplore Tom. Cet étudiant a acheté du bitcoin quand il valait 40.000 dollars, soit plus qu'il ne cote aujourd'hui. Il comptait revendre avec une grosse plus-value à la clé, mais se retrouve à devoir patienter, pour ne pas assumer des pertes. « J'aurais dû vendre quand on a approché les 70.000 dollars. Ce niveau était déjà hallucinant », reconnaît le jeune homme. » | Par Jorge Carasso | jeudi 3 février 2022

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Australian PM to Ban Faith Schools from Expelling LGBT+ Students – and Some Christians Are Furious

Australian prime minister Scott Morrison. (Rohan Thomson/Getty Images)
PINK NEWS: Australian prime minister Scott Morrison has vowed to stop students from being expelled for their sexuality or gender identity by religious schools.

In an unexpected turnaround, the right-wing leader who has long been upfront about his evangelical Christian faith, promised to stop faith-based schools from discriminating against pupils, parents and guardians.

Morrison made the surprise remarks that left fellow lawmakers and religious activists stunned to Brisbane’s B105.3 radio station on Thursday (3 February).

He was asked to share his thoughts on Citipointe College’s now-withdrawn anti-LGBT+ student enrolment contract.

It required families to sign enrolment paperwork that said being LGBT+ is “immoral” and compared it to incest, bestiality and paedophilia.

“No, I don’t support that,” Morrison told the station. “My kids go to a Christian school here in Sydney, and I wouldn’t want my school doing that either.”

Morrison said he will introduce amendments to the Religious Discrimination Bill – which has been a thorny issue for both faith groups and LGBT+ rights campaigners – to prevent religious schools from discriminating in this way. » | Josh Milton | Tuesday, February 1, 2022

Partager l'amour! Y a-t-il quelque chose de plus beau dans la vie que d'exprimer son amour pour une autre personne ? C'est aussi un droit humain !

Share the love! Is there anything more beautiful in life than expressing love for another person? It's also a human right! / Teile die Liebe! Was gibt es im Leben Schöneres als die Liebe für einen anderen Menschen auszudrücken? Zudem ist es ein Menschenrecht!
Je tiens à remercier Bloody Paradize sur Deviant Artpour cette superbe photo.

Skier Gus Kenworthy: ‘My Legacy in Pyeongchang Was That Kiss – to Have It Broadcast to the World Felt Amazing’

THE GUARDIAN: The 30-year-old on the toll of not living as his ‘true self’ before coming out, switching to Team GB and unease at China hosting the Winter Olympics

Gus Kenworthy, who made his name representing the United States in freestyle skiing, will compete for Great Britain at the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics.Photograph: Tom Pennington/Getty Images
INTERVIEW
‘Ithink of that person, or look at photos of that person, and it feels like a lifetime ago,” Gus Kenworthy says as he remembers winning a silver medal for the United States as a freestyle skier at his first Winter Olympics in Sochi in 2014. So much has changed since then. He is now about to compete for Great Britain, the country of his birth, in his third and final Olympics in Beijing and Kenworthy will ski as a gay man, an LGBTQ+ activist and an actor.

The most important facet of his transition is that, as Kenworthy says: “I’m just much happier now than I was back then when I wasn’t living my life authentically. I wasn’t being my true self and it definitely took a toll.”

Kenworthy will soon talk eloquently of his misgivings about competing in China, where there is disregard for some basic human rights, but I ask him first about Sochi. He had not come out then but was he distressed by homophobia in Russia? “It ate away at me. In the buildup to the Games we did lots of media training about the anti-LGBTQ legislation they had in place that foreigners wouldn’t be exempt from. We were told not to talk about it. You couldn’t paint your nails or wear anything rainbow. I remember being really upset – but I was still in the closet and I was scared.”

Even before he returned home in American glory, Kenworthy felt distinctly uncomfortable. “In the media aftermath we had so much emphasis on our lives as young men because it was a US sweep [in the slopestyle] and the other two guys were single. I had a boyfriend but we were deeply in the closet and so to all intents and purposes I was also single. We competed on February 13 and on Valentine’s Day we were on the Today show talking about our celebrity crushes, who we would want as our Valentine and our favourite kind of girl. I just lied. I went on this whole media tour where I felt I was lying the entire time. I was very depressed and absolutely hated myself.” » | Donald McRae | Thursday, February 3, 2022

Dinu Lipatti : Chopin Nocturne Op. 27, No.2 in D Flat Major

Vincento’s Plate: How to Make Neapolitan Pizza Dough Like World Class Pizza Chef

May 31, 2020 • Neapolitan pizza dough is the most recognized in the world, but many get it wrong, so I’ve enlisted world champion pizza maker, Johnny Di Francesco to teach us his secrets to how to make neapolitan pizza dough. True to Italian tradition, Neapolitan pizza dough is made up of very few ingredients, water, salt, yeast and all-important flour. The taste and crunch make all the difference, so watch as we pair it back and respect the simplicity of this fine dough. This is the first episode in a series completely dedicated to pizza. If you aren’t already obsessed with perfecting your version of Neapolitan pizza, you will be with these traditional methods that will ensure you get it right each and every time. This is how to make Neapolitan Pizza dough like a World Best Pizza Chef

Get the recipe here.

The Town That Burned Down in a Day

Feb 3, 2022 • This year, Canada had a record heatwave which scientists say was impossible without climate change. Wildfires engulfed Patrick Michell’s hometown of Lytton after it reached 49.5°C. Now he and his community must plan for an uncertain future. Meanwhile, an environmental protest against the logging industry becomes the largest act of civil disobedience Canada’s ever seen.

On the Campaign Trail with Controversial Politician Pauline Hanson | 60 Minutes Australia

Feb 3, 2022 • She is Australia's most controversial political figure and she is back with a vengeance. Once thought a spent force, Pauline Hanson has returned to centre stage. After the stunning success of her One Nation Party in the West Australian elections, the message for leaders on both sides of the political fence is to be afraid, be very afraid. In a revealing and feisty interview, Hanson hits back at those who wrote her off. As she tells Ellen Fanning, she is not out to keep the bastards honest, she is out to get rid of them. Ellen travelled with the One Nation caravan during its Queensland election campaign. Her report is a real insight into Pauline Hanson's new strategy - the politics of vengeance.

‘Levelling Up’ Has Been Tried Before – So Where Did We Go Wrong?

THE GUARDIAN: Michael Gove’s strategy faces myriad obstacles, as I found to my cost when I tried to tackle regional inequalities

It is now more than 50 years since I first wrestled with the restructuring of local government. After the Conservatives won the 1970 general election, I was sidekick to Peter Walker, secretary of state for the newly created Department of the Environment, and our attempts to change things faced entrenched resistance.

It would be understandable, therefore, if I were to say that I know where the bodies are buried. Michael Gove’s new white paper on “levelling up” makes it clear that, far from being buried, the bodies are alive and very much kicking.

In the white paper, Gove has proposed cautious, evolutionary moves towards greater devolution, achieved by agreement. I cannot criticise him for this. Time and again I faced the same pressures, and was able to persuade colleagues to accept only partial and gradual shifts in the status quo.

The objections came from all directions. The Treasury wants to maintain its tenacious grip on expenditure. The Whitehall barons fight to preserve their functional powers. Local councillors resist the abolition of their jobs, and members of parliament are deeply suspicious of change that creates local figures more powerful than them and deprives them of the foot soldiers they need to hold their seats. » | Michael Heseltine * | Thursday, February 3, 2022

* Lord Heseltine is a former Conservative deputy prime minister and environment secretary

Boris Johnson veut «niveler par le haut» l’Angleterre : Le projet de rééquilibrage économique, en faveur des régions défavorisées d’Angleterre, a été présenté mercredi. Mais l’objectif est avant tout politique. »

Das grosse Brexit-Versprechen: Wie Boris Johnson die englische Provinz aufpäppeln will: Zwei Jahre nach seinem grossen Wahlsieg versucht Boris Johnson die neu gewonnenen Tory-Wähler im englischen Norden bei Laune zu halten. Doch seine Strategie zum Ausgleich der historisch gewachsenen regionalen Ungleichheiten enthält wenig kurzfristige Massnahmen und bloss beschränkte finanzielle Feuerkraft. »

Islamic State Leader Killed during Raid by US Special Forces in Syria

THE GUARDIAN: Joe Biden says military has removed Abu Ibrahim al-Hashimi al-Qurayshi from the battlefield

Abu Ibrahim al-Hashimi al-Qurayshi, the leader of Islamic State and one of the world’s most wanted men, has been killed during an overnight raid by US special forces in north-west Syria.

The pre-dawn attack on a house in the village of Atme, just south of the Turkish border, led to up to 13 casualties, among them women and children. It also resulted in the destruction of a US Apache helicopter, which had been used to carry special forces troops from Erbil in Iraq. » | Martin Chulov, Middle East correspondent | Thursday, February 3, 2022

Daech affaibli après l’élimination de son chef par un raid américain : ANALYSE - Le leader de l’organisation terroriste s’est donné la mort lors d’un raid des Forces spéciales américaines en Syrie. »

‘It Is Soul-destroying’: Lorry Drivers Face Hours Stuck in Queues at Dover

THE GUARDIAN: Emergency traffic controls triggered 20 times this year as extra Brexit checks and freight volumes cause logjams

His lorry loaded with British Airways aircraft parts, Ivo Hradilik was expecting to drive onto a ferry headed to Calais, before delivering his cargo to the outskirts of Paris.

But there’s a problem with the customs paperwork, and the 26-year-old HGV driver from the Czech Republic will have to park up near the Port of Dover while the haulage company sorts everything out.

“From the new year it has got worse with the paperwork,” Hradilik said, clutching a handful of documents. He usually visits Dover five times a month bringing goods between Britain and the EU. » | Joanna Partridge ; photographs: David Levene | Thursday, February 3, 2022

Fresh Revelations about Jennifer Arcuri Affair Threaten to Damage Boris Johnson

THE OBSERVER: Hundreds of pages of notes and documents have been handed to City Hall’s oversight committee

Boris Johnson is facing damaging new revelations about his relationship with the US businesswoman Jennifer Arcuri after hundreds of page of notes and documents were handed to officials at the Greater London Authority (GLA) overseeing two separate investigations into their affair. » | Mark Townsend, Home Affairs Editor | Saturday, January 29, 2022

Russland verhängt Sendeverbot für die Deutsche Welle

NACH BESCHEID GEGEN RT DE
FRANKFURTER ALLGEMEINE ZEITUNG: Russland hat gegen die Deutsche Welle ein Sendeverbot verhängt. Zudem verfügte das russische Außenministerium am Donnerstag die Schließung des Korrespondentenbüros in Moskau und den Entzug der Akkreditierungen der Journalisten.

Russland hat der Deutschen Welle (DW), dem Auslandssender der Bundesrepublik Deutschland, ein Sendeverbot erteilt. Zudem verfügte das russische Außenministerium am Donnerstag, dass das Korrespondentenbüro des Senders in Moskau geschlossen werden muss. Den Journalisten des Senders werden die Akkreditierungen entzogen. Zudem seien Sanktionen vorgesehen gegen „Vertreter deutscher staatlicher und öffentlicher Strukturen, die an der Einschränkung der Ausstrahlung von RT beteiligt sind“, erklärte das russische Außenministerium am Donnerstag. Der Rundfunkempfang der Deutschen Welle über Satellit oder andere Verbreitungswege auf dem Gebiet Russlands werde beendet. Zudem werde geprüft, ob die Deutsche Welle als „ausländischer Agent“ agiere. » | Quelle: FAZ.NET | Donnerstag, 3. Februar 2022

Energy Bills: Rishi Sunak Gives One-off £200 Discount to Households

THE GUARDIAN: Most consumers to get additional support from £150 rebate on their council tax amid cost of living crisis

A one-off £200 discount and a rebate on council tax bills have been announced by Rishi Sunak in a £9bn package designed to “take the sting” out of a £700-a-year rise in the average household’s energy bills in April.

The chancellor said 80% of households would receive £350 in support this year in response to the decision by the energy regulator Ofgem to raise its price cap to just under £2,000.

In an attempt to mitigate Britain’s cost of living crisis, Sunak said all households would receive £200 off their energy bills in October – but then pay the discount back by £40 a year for the subsequent five years.

The chancellor said council taxpayers in England in bands A to D would receive a rebate of £150 from their bills in April, which will not have to be paid back. » | Larry Elliott | Thursday, February 3, 2022

British households face record 54% energy bill rise as price cap is raised: Move by Ofgem means millions likely to be driven into fuel poverty unless government acts to ease cost of living crisis »

Bank of England Raises Interest Rates to 0.5%

THE GUARDIAN: Rise aims to combat soaring inflation despite faltering economic recovery from pandemic and deepening cost of living crisis

The Bank of England has raised interest rates to 0.5% to tackle soaring inflation amid intense pressure on households in Britain’s cost of living crisis. » | Richard Partington, Economics correspondent | Thursday, February 3, 2022

Bundesrat beschliesst weitgehende Lockerungen: Die Corona-Krise ist vorbei

NEUE ZÜRCHER ZEITUNG: Nun geht es schnell: Der Bundesrat hebt per sofort Quarantäne und Home-Office-Pflicht auf. Ab dem 17. Februar wird für Restaurants, Kinos und Theater kein Zertifikat mehr benötigt. Die Regierung hütet sich aber davor, das Ende der Pandemie zu verkünden.

Keine Gebete, sondern klare Stossrichtung – Bundesrat Alain Berset will zurück zur Normalität. | Anthony Anex / Keystone
«Heute ist ein schöner Tag.» Ignazio Cassis wollte sich diesen nicht entgehen lassen und die freudige Botschaft auch gleich selbst überbringen. Der Bundespräsident sekundierte am Mittwoch den Gesundheitsminister Alain Berset bei dessen gewohntem Gang vor die Medien. Diese Medienkonferenz unterscheidet sich jedoch stark von den unzähligen davor – Prädikat: historisch.

Die Regierung kündigt nicht das Ende der Pandemie an. Aber das Ende der Massnahmen. Kein Freedom Day mit Fanfare, sondern die Schweizer Version davon: Die Rückgewinnung eines «guten Stücks Freiheit», wie es Cassis nennt. Man könnte auch ganz einfach sagen: Die Schweiz kehrt zurück zur Normalität, die Krise ist vorbei. » | David Biner, Christof Forster, Bern | Mittwoch, 2. Februar 2022

LESEN SIE AUCH DEN KOMMENTAR:

Heute ist ein schöner Tag: Der Bundesrat im Krisenmodus ist endlich Geschichte: Die Pläne des Bundesrates zum Ausstieg aus der Krise gehen weiter als vor kurzem erhofft. Es ist gut, dass der Bundesrat das euphorische Grundgefühl in der Bevölkerung aufnimmt. »