For Francis, a Papacy Complicated by the Shadow of Resignation

THE NEW YORK TIMES: Benedict’s exit changed expectations that the papacy would always be a lifetime assignment, fueling speculation the current pope has tried to push away.

Pope Francis led Mass for the Congolese community in Rome at the Vatican last week. In an interview published on Monday, Francis dispelled rumors of his resignation. | Remo Casilli/Reuters
ROME — Over the last few weeks, close watchers of the Roman Catholic Church have carefully studied shadows on the Vatican walls for proof that Pope Francis is about to retire.

They pointed at an unexpected move to create new cardinals in August as a sign that Francis, 85, was stacking the college that will pick his successor before an early exit. They read deep into his planned visit to an Italian town with a connection to a medieval pope who called it quits. They saw the pope’s use of a wheelchair and his cancellation of a trip to Africa as evidence of his papacy’s premature ending, despite Vatican explanations about a healing right knee.

But in an interview published on Monday, Francis dispelled the rumors, calling the supposed evidence mere “coincidences” and telling Reuters that the idea of resignation “never entered my mind. For the moment no. For the moment, no. Really.”

The only shadow that seemed real then was the one cast by Francis’s predecessor, Pope Benedict XVI, who in 2013 became the first pontiff to retire in nearly 600 years. In doing so, he changed the nature, and perception, of the papacy from a lifetime mission assigned by the Holy Spirit to a more earthly calling, subject to political pressures, health assessments and considerations about the church’s best interests. » | Jason Horowitz | Monday, July 4, 2022

Labour Says It Would Not Unpick Brexit as Starmer Vows to Cut Red Tape

THE GUARDIAN: Leader will condemn Tories’ approach and pledge to cut back on trade- and travel-based bureaucracy

Labour has denied it wants to “unpick” Brexit, ahead of a speech on the issue by Keir Starmer on Monday evening in which he will pledge to cut back on trade- and travel-based red tape with the EU.

Engaging with a subject his party has largely sought to avoid since he took over as leader, Starmer will stress that Labour has no plans to try to get the UK back into the EU’s single market or customs union.

Detailing a plan first outlined by David Lammy, the shadow foreign secretary, on the sixth anniversary of the Brexit vote in June, Starmer will reportedly condemn the current situation as a “mess”. » | Peter Walker, Political correspondent | Monday, July 4, 2022

Keir Starmer has just lost the next election! Brexit "unpicked"? Brexit doesn't need unpicking; it needs scrapping! It was a half-baked idea put forward by half-baked people from the very start. No politician in his right mind would have proposed a referendum on Brexit! Leaving the Single Market was an exercise in self-harm. Asking the British electorate to vote for Brexit was rather like asking turkeys to vote for Christmas!

Mr. Starmer: Fortune favours the brave. There is nothing brave about informing the electorate that you have no intention of "unpicking" the results of a flawed referendum. That referendum wasn't democratic in the first place. The British electorate were sold a bill of goods; further, they have been played like marionettes – by Putin&Co. Follow the money; follow the motives! Putin wanted to weaken the European Union for reasons which should now be clear to all.

We Brits need to get back into the EU asap. We should scrap Brexit, not unpick the damn thing. – © Mark Alexander

Labour-Chef zieht Strich unter die Vergangenheit: Noch immer träumen viele in der Labour Party vom Wiedereintritt in die EU oder wenigstens in den Binnenmarkt. Diese Debatte will Keir Starmer nun beenden. »

Au Burkina Faso, au moins 27 morts dans deux attaques djihadistes présumées

LE MONDE – AFRIQUE: Deux villages du nord et le nord-ouest du pays ont vu l’assaut d’hommes armés qui ont tiré sur les populations au hasard.

Au moins 27 personnes ont été tuées dans le week-end au Burkina Faso, lors de deux attaques distinctes djihadistes présumées qui ont visé des civils dans le nord et le nord-ouest du pays, a appris l’AFP de sources sécuritaire et locale.

Dans la nuit de dimanche 3 juillet au lundi 4 juillet, « des individus armés ont attaqué les populations civiles de Bourasso, une localité située près de Dédougou », chef-lieu de la province de la Kossi, a indiqué une source sécuritaire. « On dénombre une quinzaine de victimes décédées, des hommes, femmes et enfants, selon un bilan provisoire », a ajouté cette source.

Une source locale, contactée par l’AFP, a confirmé l’attaque, évoquant de son côté « une vingtaine de morts ». « Les individus armés ont d’abord fait un tour aux environs de 17 heures [heure GMT et locale] dans le village tirant des coups de feu en l’air. Ils sont revenus plus tard dans la nuit et ont ouvert le feu aveuglément sur les populations », a expliqué cet habitant. « Priorité » » | Le Monde avec AFP | lundi 4 juillet 2022

Apfelstrudel: The Secret Behind How Original Viennese Apple Strudel Is Made | Food Secrets Ep. 10

Apr 28, 2021 Viennese apple strudel is probably the most popular dessert among the many great pastries Austria has to offer. It takes special skills and ingredients to make an original apple strudel by hand. We went to Vienna, Austria to see how an original apple strudel is made.

Viennese apple strudel:

Ingredients for ten people

Dough:

• 210 g plain flour
• 42,5 g table oil
• 95 g lukewarm water
• 2 g salt
• one small egg

Filling

• 1.7 kg tart apples (e.g.: Golden Delicious), cut into flakes
• 25 g lemon juice
• 65 g cinnamon sugar
• 35 g chopped walnuts
• 35 g rum raisins
• 65 g granulated sugar
• a pinch of cinnamon
• some melted butter

Butter crumbs

• 100 g breadcrumbs
• 50 g butter
• 50 g granulated sugar
• 5 g vanilla sugar

Preparation

To make the dough, place the flour in a food processor with the oil, water, a pinch of salt and the egg - if you decided on using one - and process with the dough hook until a smooth dough is formed. Form the dough into a ball, wrap in plastic wrap, and refrigerate for at least an hour.

In the meantime, cut the apples into slices and mix them with lemon juice and prepare the butter crumbs.

For the butter crumbs, heat the butter in a saucepan and toast the crumbs in it, sweeten with sugar and vanilla sugar. After resting, sprinkle the dough well with flour and roll it out in an oblong shape with a rolling pin.

Sprinkle a large cloth with flour and stretch the strudel dough as thinly as possible to a size of 60 x 70 cm. (The dough should be so thin that you can read a newspaper through it.) Use the backs of your hands, not your fingers, so as not to poke holes in the dough. Drizzle the dough with melted butter and spread the butter crumbs on a strip of dough. Put the sliced apples on top, then the cinnamon sugar, the walnuts and finally the rum raisins.

With the help of the cloth roll up the dough and put it on a baking tray covered with baking paper and brush it again with melted butter. Bake in the preheated oven at about 200 degrees Celsius for about 30 minutes until golden brown. Let the strudel cool down, cut it open and serve it sprinkled with powdered sugar and a dollop of whipped cream.

Vape Haze – The Thriving Black Market of Vaping | Four Corners | ABC News

Jun 28, 2022 | Vaping was hailed as a new way to quit smoking. But now there are serious concerns it’s hooking a new generation on nicotine. An investigation by Four Corners has found there is a thriving black market, fueled by rising demand among young people and a failure to police the rules. We delve into the fierce battle about the harms of vaping, in what’s become a multi-billion-dollar global industry. Vaping advocates claim any harms caused by e-cigarettes pale in comparison to the dangers of smoking - and that vaping can be an effective quit tool. But public health experts say there’s limited evidence they help to quit smoking, and warn that vaping poses a significant long-term public health risk.
What a surprise! Vaping has become a problem in Australia, especially for young people. Well I never!

Politicians of every stripe, but particularly left-wing politicians, are engaged in social engineering; they are trying to change people’s preferences and habits, and in so doing are causing distortions in the marketplace and are engaging in social engineering. Sometimes things are better left alone. the vowel of your choice—leave things alone?

First of all, there is absolutely nothing wrong with a conventional cigarette as long as one’s smoking is kept within limits and it is done in moderation. I have smoked for most of my adult life; though I have given up now. (With ease, I hasten to add.) Smoking is not an addiction; rather, it is a habit.

They try and say that nicotine is “the most addictive substance known to man”. TOSH! POPPYCOCK! NONSENSE! Nicotine is hardly addictive at all! It is only addictive if you let it be so. I smoked twenty cigarettes a day for most of my adult life and when I gave up, I suffered no withdrawal symptoms whatsoever. Not one! Nor have I had any cravings since giving up. (It will be three months on July 10th since giving up.)

Smoking has become the bête noire of our day; but it is actually a very pleasurable habit. The secret is not letting it control you. Many things can become addictive if you allow them to become so: chocolate, alcohol, sugary foods, gambling, and many other things besides. Self-control and self-discipline are called for.

Governments have been pushing vaping as an alternative to smoking for several years. I find this totally and utterly irresponsible, because we do not know the long-term effects of the habit. Fact is, too, they are very appealing to young people, because they are often high-tech, and because they can be purchased in all sorts of weird and wonderful flavours. So these young people are becoming dependent on them and they are convincing themselves that they are addicted to nicotine. Young people are young are often impressionable, weak-willed, and lacking in discipline.

What needs to be done is for governments to put pressure on the cigarette manufacturers to take the crap out of real cigarettes. Make them take out all those nasty chemicals, make them manufacture safer real cigarettes; and governments should bring the price of real cigarettes right down by taking all that excessive tax off them.

Don’t get me wrong. I am all for bringing down the incidence of smoking; but it should be done by education and gentle persuasion. Social engineering is not only wrong; it is also very dangerous. Because people will get their kicks in life, one way or another. Take one pleasure away from them and they will find another pleasure to replace the one taken away. Moreover, that pleasure denied to people may well turn out in the long-run to be far less injurious to health than the new-fangled habit used to replace it.

Further, while we are on the subjects of smoking and vaping. Smoking a cigarette can look extremely sexy when done by an attractive person. That’s why they have been used to good effect in movies/films over the decades to make handsome actors and beautiful actresses look sexy. Vaping will never be used to replace cigarettes for this purpose. It just doesn’t have that allure. There is hardly anything about vaping which increases one’s sex appeal. Forget it! When I have seen people vaping, cloud-chasing, they look as though there’s a locomotive ahead! Furthermore, putting a hard piece of plastic onto one’s lips is hardly a sensual experience. – © Mark Alexander

Marokko: Die Jahre des Flower Power | Stadt, Land, Kunst | ARTE

Jul 4, 2022 Ende der 1960er Jahre zog es viele westliche Besucher an marokkanische Gestade, um es den großen Rocklegenden Janis Joplin und Jimi Hendrix gleichzutun und dort ihren ganz persönlichen Psychotrip zu erleben. Ganze Heerscharen von Hippies strömten in den Hafen von Essaouira und lebten in dieser wildromantischen Landschaft ihren Traum von Freiheit und Exotik weit entfernt vom Kapitalismus des Westens.

Sweden's Gun Crime Epidemic

Jul 4, 2022 Sweden, once seen as a safe and progressive nation, is now the epicentre of gun violence in Europe. With 342 shootings last year, many of these deadly shootings don’t make the news, leaving it to citizens to document these cases. With gangs and drugs driving the bloodshed, we explore the radical solutions proposed that could change Sweden forever.

Camerons Vermächtnis: Ein gespaltenes und immer ärmeres Vereinigtes Königreich

Der Tag in dem David Cameron den Entscheid getroffen hat, ein Referendum über Großbritanniens Mitgliedschaft der Europäischen Union zu halten, wird in die Geschichtsbücher als einer der schwärzesten Tage Großbritanniens eingehen. Er wollte den Riss in seiner Partei heilen; stattdessen hat er den Riss seiner Partei ans ganze Land projiziert. In der Tat ist Großbritannien seit dem Referendum in so vielen Weisen zerbröckelt. Leider ist es nun schwierig zu sehen, wie einer das ehemalige vereinte Land wieder zusammenbringen kann.

Nun gibt es natürlich einen großen Riss zwischen den Brexitern und den Remainern; aber nicht nur das. Es gibt große Risse auch zwischen den Regionen. Noch mehr: Es gibt auch noch Risse zwischen Familienmitgliedern.

Alles nur weil Cameron versuchen wollte in seiner Partei endlich dem Gezänk um Großbritanniens Mitgliedschaft in der Europäischen Union ein Ende bereiten.

Der Weg zur Hölle ist mit guten Vorsätzen gepflastert!

Man muß aber doch sagen, daß David Cameron mehr als ein wenig Naivität und politische Einfältigkeit gezeigt hat, in dem er so einen Entscheid getroffen hat. Er hätte besser wissen sollen.

Dann auf die Bühne marschieren Nigel Farage und die andere Mitglieder seines Lumpenpacks. Er und seine Bande waren extrem laut und hatten viel zu viel zu sagen. Sie hatten mehr zu sagen als sie gesunden Menschenverstand hatten. Aber sie hatten auch viel zu profitieren von einem Austritt.

Im letzten Akt der Farce kommt Boris Johnson, der Mann, der „König der Welt“ werden wollte, aber feststellte, dass er sich stattdessen mit Prime Minister zufrieden geben mußte. Es war ihm eigentlich egal, ob wir in der Europäischen Union blieben oder aus ihr herauskamen, solange er der Anführer und Premier Minister sein konnte.

Das Ergebnis all dessen ist, dass wir in einem höllischen Schlamassel stecken!

Die Inflation ist hoch und steigt noch weiter, schnell. Produkte in Hülle und Fülle sind aus den Supermarktregalen verschwunden. Viele Unternehmen haben den Handel mit Europa eingestellt. Die Exporte nach Europa sind in vielen Fällen so gut wie versiegt, weil es seit dem Austritt aus dem Binnenmarkt zu kompliziert und zu teuer ist, dort zu verkaufen. Es gibt frustrierend lange Schlangen von Lastwagen, die versuchen zu dem Kontinent zu fahren und den Ärmelkanal zu überqueren. Aufgrund der Unnachgiebigkeit von Boris Johnson zeichnet sich ein Handelskrieg mit Europa ab, insbesondere wegen der Probleme mit Nordirland, die Boris und sein Team verursacht haben. Und das Wirtschaftswachstum in Großbritannien hat sich bis auf einen Stillstand verlangsamt. Und daneben gibt es noch viele andere Probleme.

Willkommen in der Post-Brexit-Dystopie, die Großbritannien heute darstellt. Die Brexiters haben eine Shitshow geschaffen. Es wird Jahre dauern, dieses Chaos zu beseitigen.

Wir Briten werden von wirtschaftlich-unwissenden Narren geführt!

© Mark Alexander
Alle Rechte vorbehalten

Sonntag, 3. Juli 2022

Michael Bolton : Drift Away | Reupload

Provided to YouTube by Columbia | Views on YouTube: 3,631,767

En Inde, les musulmans sous la menace des fondamentalistes hindous

LE MONDE : ENQUÊTE | A deux ans des élections générales, les extrémistes proches du parti du premier ministre Narendra Modi mènent une guerre judiciaire contre les mosquées et multiplient les exactions envers la principale minorité religieuse.

JOHANN ROUSSELOT POUR « LE MONDE »
Le corridor de Kashi Vishwanath, à Bénarès, la ville la plus sacrée de l’hindouisme, dans le nord de l’Inde, est l’un des lieux les plus surveillés du pays. Des hommes en armes sont postés à chaque entrée, à chaque rue et sur les toits des immeubles environnants. De lourdes barrières métalliques filtrent les visiteurs qui doivent décliner leur identité et se délester des caméras, appareils photo ou smartphones à la consigne.

A l’intérieur, malgré la fournaise – il fait 45 °C à l’ombre –, les pèlerins, pieds nus, se pressent pour fouler le tapis rouge, brûlant, qui relie désormais le temple d’or consacré au dieu Shiva aux rives occidentales du Gange en contrebas des ghats, ces gradins qui descendent jusqu’au fleuve. Tous suivent le chemin qu’avait emprunté le premier ministre Narendra Modi lors de l’inauguration du corridor, en décembre 2021, avant de s’immerger dans le fleuve, selon le rituel de purification des hindous. La cérémonie avait été retransmise en direct, des heures durant, par toutes les chaînes de télévision indiennes. » | Par Sophie Landrin (Bénarès (Uttar Pradesh), envoyée spéciale) | vendredi 1 juillet 2022

Réservé aux abonnés

Partout où vous regardez ces jours-ci, vous trouvez des fondamentalistes : des chrétiens fondamentalistes, des musulmans fondamentalistes, des hindous fondamentalistes, etc. Ils sont ici, ils sont là, ils sont partout. Que sont devenus les modérés ? Qu'est-il arrivé aux gens normaux ? Où ont-ils tous disparu ? – © Mark Alexander

Kaiserschmarrn: How the Original Austrian One Is Made

Apr 23, 2022 Kaiserschmarrn is perhaps Austria's most popular dessert – and rightly so!

There are various legends around its origins, but they all agree on one thing: The name refers to Kaiser Franz Joseph I.

His wife, Empress Elisabeth – known to most as Sisi – was reportedly the first person to be served Kaiserschmarrn. We traveled to the Austrian capital of Vienna to find out how the imperial dish is prepared.


Ingredients for 4 servings

Kaiserschmarrn:

270g flour
40g sugar
A pinch of salt
8 eggs
400ml milk
50g clarified butter (for the pan)
A pinch of powdered sugar for sprinkling

Plum roast:

800g plums
144g sugar
120ml water
1 stick of cinnamon
4 cloves lemon peel (grated)

Preparation

Kaiserschmarrn:

1. In a bowl: mix flour, sugar, salt, and 5 eggs. Add the milk, beat until smooth and thick.

2. In another bowl, beat the whites of 3 eggs, a pinch of salt and sugar and whip to a firm peak. Then fold it into the thick batter.

3. Heat the clarified butter in a large, shallow pan so that it is very hot. Slowly pour in the batter. Using a spatula, make sure it turns brown on both sides.

4. Then bake the pan in a preheated oven at moderate heat (hot air approx. 180°C) for 10-12 min. until the Kaiserschmarrn is light golden brown.

5. Then remove the pan from the oven and tear the finished dough into irregular pieces with two forks.

Stewed Plums:

1. Bring water to a boil with sugar, the cinnamon stick, cloves, the halved, pitted plums, and some grated lemon zest, stirring, then continue to boil gently, about 20 minutes. The plums should not have broken down yet – they shouldn’t be mushy!

2. Fill small jugs with stewed plums.

3. Arrange the Kaiserschmarrn on plates, sprinkle with powdered sugar and serve with the stewed plums.

Zu Tisch ... Alpujarra - Spanien | ARTE

Jul 3, 2022 In den Bergen der Alpujarra in Südspanien versucht Juan Peña die Region mit einer umstrittenen Pflanze wiederzubeleben. Er baut Hanf an und lässt die Samen zu Öl und Mehl verarbeiten. Seine Frau Yolanda Godoy experimentiert in der Küche mit geschälten Hanfsamen als Hähnchenpanade, bereitet ein vegetarisches Carpaccio mit Zucchini zu und kocht Mandelsuppe.

In den Bergen der Alpujarra im Süden Spaniens versuchen einige Pioniere die Region mit einem alten Kraut wiederzubeleben. Juan Peña baut auf den steilen Hängen der Sierra Nevada Hanf an. Die Samen werden zu Öl gepresst und der Trester anschließend zu Mehl gemahlen. Hanf gehört zu den Cannabisgewächsen, enthält im Gegensatz zum verwandten Marihuana aber weniger als 0,2 Prozent des Wirkstoffs THC und hat keine psychoaktive Wirkung.

Die Region bietet auch ideale Bedingungen für den Mandelanbau. Die Äste der Bäume werden seit Jahrhunderten mit Stöcken geschlagen, damit die Früchte zu Boden fallen. Juans Frau Yolanda Godoy verarbeitet die Produkte auf kreative Weise: Sie bereitet Carpaccio mit Zucchini zu, experimentiert mit geschälten Hanfsamen als Hähnchenpanade und kocht Mandelsuppe.

Esskulturreihe, Regie: Alba Vivancos (D 2021, 27 Min)
Video auf YouTube verfügbar bis 01/10/2022

Khatia Buniatishvili Plays Liebestraum No. 3 from Franz Liszt | Verbier Festival 2011 | Reupload

May 6, 2021 The ‘Dream of Love’ that is Liebestraum No. 3 in A-flat major is not only the most recognizable work for solo piano by Franz Liszt (1811 - 1886), it’s also one of the most famous piano pieces of all time. Liszt published it in 1850, alongside two more such ‘love dreams’ (S. 541).

The Unsaid : Short Film About Difficult Choices in Relationships | LGBT & Queer | SlangShorts

Nov 11, 2016 – Sameer & Arjun are in a fulfilling relationship, until Arjun decides that he wants more. Will Sameer be able to accommodate his wishes or will the relationship crumble under the strain of selfishness?

"Selfishness is not living as one wishes to live, it is asking others to live as one wishes to live" [And unselfishness is letting other people's lives alone, not interfering with them.] - Oscar Wilde [Source]

China's New Target in the Battle to Control the Pacific | 60 Minutes Australia

July 3, 2022 At its closest point the distance between Australia and the Solomon Islands is just under two thousand kilometres. Being so near is why Canberra is so worried about the deals the small Pacific nation is signing with China. It means the once inconceivable idea of a Chinese military base being built right on our doorstep has become a very real possibility. And now there’s another potential threat that must be considered - Beijing is also cosying up to Papua New Guinea, a country of immense strategic significance. As Tom Steinfort reports, at its closest point PNG is less than five kilometres from us.

Why Australia could face first military threat since World War II | 60 Minutes Australia

The Long Path to Reclaim Abortion Rights

THE NEW YORK TIMES: The Supreme Court decision to reverse Roe, far from settling the matter, instead has launched court and political battles across the states likely to go on for years.

In the week since the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade, litigators for abortion rights groups have rolled out a wave of lawsuits in nearly a dozen states to hold off bans triggered by the decision. | Shuran Huang for The New York Times
Attempting to recover from their staggering loss in the Supreme Court, abortion rights groups have mounted a multilevel legal and political attack aimed at blocking and reversing abortion bans in courts and at ballot boxes across the country.

In the week since the court overturned Roe v. Wade, litigators for abortion rights groups have rolled out a wave of lawsuits in nearly a dozen states to hold off bans triggered by the court’s decision, with the promise of more suits to come. They are aiming to prove that provisions in state constitutions establish a right to abortion that the Supreme Court’s decision said did not exist in the U.S. Constitution.

Advocates of abortion rights are also working to defeat ballot initiatives that would strip away a constitutional right to abortion, and to pass those that would establish one, in states where abortion access is contingent on who controls the governor’s mansion or the state house.

And after years of complaints that Democrats neglected state and local elections, Democratic-aligned groups are campaigning to reverse slim Republican majorities in some state legislatures, and to elect abortion rights supporters to positions from county commissioner to state supreme court justices that can have influence over the enforcement of abortion restrictions. » | Kate Zernike | Saturday, July 2, 2022

Kamala Harris Calls Supreme Court Ruling on Abortion 'Outrageous'

Jul 3, 2022 Kamala Harris said the Supreme Court's decision to overturn Roe vs Wade was "outrageous".

The US Vice President made the comments during a conversation with actress Keke Palmer at the 28th Essence Festival of Culture in New Orleans.

"What essentially has happened is the statement has been made that the government has a right to come in your home and tell you as a woman... what you should do with your body," she said.

Hitler privat: Der Kriegsherr (1) | SPIEGEL TV

Jul 3, 2022 Angstzustände und Darmprobleme: während des Krieges begibt sich Adolf Hitler in Behandlung von Dr. Morell, dem "Reichsspritzenmeister". Morell wird zum Leibarzt des "Führers". Die nächste Folge der Dokumentationsreihe "Hitler privat."

Siehe auch andere Teile dieser Serie:

Hitler privat: Der Soldat

Hitler privat: Der Führer

Hitler privat: Der Künstler

The Queer Revolution in the Middle East: 'One Good Song Can Do More Than 5,000 Protests'

Jun 22, 2022 Mashrou’ Leila were one of the biggest bands in the Middle East, with a lead singer, Hamed, who is the most prominent openly gay rock star in the Arab world.

Known globally, their gigs were regular sell-out successes until an event at their 2017 Cairo concert changed everything. Playing to 35,000 people, the band looked out at a sea of swaying flickering lights, including an Egyptian fan flying a rainbow flag. This simple act would later be described by authorities as ‘inciting debauchery’, and ultimately catapulted the band, the fan and others into a tragic series of events.

While this violent repression against the LGBTQ+ community in the Middle East mirrors a global trend, creatives on the frontline are unified in their resistance.

If you have been affected by the issues raised in this film, help and support is available. In the UK, Hopeline UK, call 0800 068 4141, papyrus-uk.org. In the US, the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline is 1-800-273-8255. In Australia, the crisis support service Lifeline is 13 11 14. Other international helplines can be found at www.befrienders.org.

‘It Feels Amazing’: Revellers Young and Old Celebrate Pride in London

THE GUARDIAN: The parade, celebrating its 50th anniversary, is led by the Gay Liberation Front, which organised the first UK protest in 1972

Noah Colton, 18, in his drag persona Eva More. Photograph: Amy Walker
Clad in seven-inch metallic silver stilettos, a shimmery gold bodycon dress, flame-shaped glasses and a multi-tonal weave as his drag persona Eva More, 18-year-old Noah Colton was ready to party as tens of thousands of people marched – and danced – through the capital for Pride in London, the UK’s biggest LGBTQ+ parade.

“I’m trying to focus on enjoying it, and seeing it as a coming together of the community where you can be who you want to be,” he said.

After following the parade for a few hours, the plan for his first Pride was to head to Trafalgar Square for live music and on to a drag night in Clapham, south London. “I have got more comfortable shoes in my bag,” he admitted.

With the parade led by the Gay Liberation Front, which organised the first UK protest in 1972, the event was celebrating its 50th anniversary – it was also the first Pride for two years after a Covid-forced hiatus. » | Amy Walker | Saturday, July 2, 2022

PRIDE in Pictures.

Drei Männer wegen Homosexualität zum Tod durch Steinigung verurteilt

NIGERIA
FRANKFURTER ALLGEMEINE ZEITUNG: Die Männer, darunter ein 70-Jähriger, hätten ihre Vergehen gegenüber der Religionspolizei gestanden, hieß es. Jedes von einem Scharia-Gericht gefällte Todesurteil muss vom Gouverneur des jeweiligen Bundesstaates gebilligt werden.

In Nigeria sind drei Männer wegen homosexueller Kontakte zum Tod durch Steinigung verurteilt worden. Das Urteil sei von einem islamischen Scharia-Gericht gefällt worden, teilte der Chef der Religionspolizei der regionalen Verwaltung in Ningi im Bundesstaat Bauchi, Adam Dan Kafi, am Freitag mit. Die drei am 14. Juni festgenommenen Männer, darunter ein 70-Jähriger, seien geständig. Gegen das Urteil könne während einer 30-Tage-Frist Widerspruch eingelegt werden. Jedes von einem Scharia-Gericht gefällte Todesurteil muss vom Gouverneur des jeweiligen Bundesstaates gebilligt werden. » | Quelle: Reuters | Samstag, 2. Juli 2022

Why Capers Are Such a Delicacy in Italy

Jul 2, 2022 One of the oldest cultivated plants in the Mediterranean region thrives in the south of Italy: the caper shrub. Apart from its fruit, the flower buds are eaten, too - and they're a real delicacy. The best capers traditionally come from the volcanic island of Pantelleria, south of Sicily. Capers are the flower buds of the caper shrub native to the entire Mediterranean region. They are pickled in salt or oil and fermented for several months. Before sunrise, workers begin harvesting the buds by the light of their work lamps. Later, the flowers might open, at which point they are worthless. Gabriele Lasagni of the traditional caper manufactory "Bonomo & Giglio" is considered the "revolutionary of capers", because he transforms the traditional capers into innovative products.

Dinu Lipatti Plays Schubert Impromptu in G-Flat Major (with Preluding)

Sep 16, 2017 A recording of Dinu Lipatti's playing Schubert's Impromptu in G-Flat Major D.899 (Op.90) No.3 at his legendary final recital at the Besançon International Music Festival on September 16, 1950. …

Seth Andrews: “I Miss Christopher Hitchens”: Remembering Hitch on the 10th Anniversary of his Death

Dec 17, 2021 We lost Hitch on December 15th, 2011. In this broadcast, we hear his voice, enjoy his mastery of language, and remember.

I post this today to give you all some food for thought. Am I an atheist? No I am not. But like sfor o many people, the strength of my faith varies rather ike a radio signal on a windy day: sometimes the signal is strong; sometimes it is weaker. In short, I vacillate. Why? Because one is forced to make up one’s mind on a concept we simply know next to nothing about.

Religion is nothing more than faith. Faith is nothing more than belief. Belief is nothing more than hope, when it is all boiled down.

There is much to be said for the idea that religions are man-made constructs of the rich and powerful to control the poor and weak – the masses. There is also much to be said for the idea that religions have been thought up to give people hope for a better life in the Hereafter, when they have suffered from poverty, ill health, hard work and misery in this life. In fact, perhaps they have been thought up as a way to appease and assuage troubled souls.

But there is a third option between belief and disbelief in an omnipotent, omniscient, all-caring, merciful, and compassionate God. And that is a god who neither knows nor cares what we do, what we eat, whom we love, and with whom we make love. Our understanding of God appears always to be based on anthropomorphism, namely the ascription to God of human qualities, the qualities of knowing and caring and beneficence. It is perfectly possible that God does indeed exist, but as a Being who does not share our human qualities and characteristics. It is possible that God is a powerful force which has brought the world into existence and just lets us get on with living life as best we can.

That there might well not be an Afterlife is indicated in the Christian faith itself. In the Book of Common Prayer, in the burial service, it states the following: “we therefore commit this body to the ground, earth to earth, ashes to ashes, dust to dust; in sure and certain hope of the Resurrection to eternal life.”

Please notice the use of the word ‘hope’ of resurrection and eternal life. There is no certainty about it. That hope could well be vain.

As I said, just some food for thought. – © Mark Alexander

Boris Johnson, the WORST Prime Minister and the WORST Government Ever?

Jul 2, 2022 Boris Johnson heads what must surely be the worst government ever in the United Kingdom. From the very start, it has been a government of incompetence.

Brexit, which Johnson backed because he saw it as the best way for him to become prime minister, was always certain to be a disaster. Only eighteen months after the UK left, exports to the EU are 15% down. Small and medium businesses find it almost impossible to sell to the EU any longer.

Taking back control of our borders and making it almost impossible for low-skilled and low-paid Europeans to come and work in the UK has resulted in severe shortages in many business sectors.

Dithering at the outset and the confused handling of Covid resulted in the UK having one of the highest death rates in the world. Billions were wasted on ‘Test & Trace‘ and on buying unsuitable, faulty PPE often from friends of ministers and other high-ranking Tories.

The economy is doing badly at a time when prices and taxes are rising. Strikes are beginning and many more are expected. All further damaging the UK economy.

The NHS is in chaos as are the Courts. Graduates are leaving university with massive debts whilst the government is encouraging foreigners to come to the UK to compete with UK graduates for better paid high skilled jobs.

Boris Johnson treats this all as a joke. His party and government are disorganised, undisciplined and without any real plan. Sleaze and corruption continue to divert attention from much more serious issues. London thrives as the world capital of money laundering whilst foreign-owned water companies are free to dump sewage in the rivers and seas.

This is surely the worst government under the worst prime minister ever.

Johnson: Europe Should Be Modeled after the Roman Empire

Jul 2, 2022 French President Macron is making plans for new European cooperation beyond the EU. British Prime Minister Johnson reacted enthusiastically.

BoJo is a tosser! Bringing Turkey into any European community would be an absolute and utter disaster, especially when it is governed by the Islam-leaning, truculent Erdogan. Under Atatürk, it might have been a slightly different story; but Erdogan has been busy over the years unpicking Atatürk’s secular legacy.

But more than this: The European Union needs to remain a Judæo-Christian community, even though it is largely (and correctly) secular. To introduce a country such as Turkey into any form of European community would be asking for trouble. The population of Turkey is approximately 86 million. Does Europe really want to be taken over by Muslims and Islam? Listening to this video talking about BoJo’s crackpot idea of bringing Turkey into the European fold, one really has to ask oneself a fundamental question about Boris: How much of a grip on geo-politics does this man have?

Am I against Islam? No, certainly not! But, having spent years studying Islam and writing on the subject, I do understand it.

We refer to Islam as a religion, but the English word 'religion' does not correctly or accurately capture its meaning. More accurately, it should be called a deen (sometimes din or dean). This is the word that is used in Arabic to describe Islam. One often hears Arabs refer very proudly to the Deen (الْدِّين). Whereas the word 'religion' deals with the private spirituality of the adherent of the the faith, deen encapsulates all aspects of life, the private and the collective. The deen is a religious/spiritual, social, political and economic coherent whole.

Concerning BoJo's half-baked idea... it is little wonder that he wants to bring Turkey into the European family. Turkish blood courses through his veins. Ali Kemal, a newspaper editor, poet and politician, was Boris's great-grandfather. There is an interesting article in Reuters about the Turks welcoming the 'Ottoman grandson' as British leader. These facts should be borne in mind when we listen to the silly ideas that Boris spouts. For your information, BoJo also has Russian blood coursing through his veins; so, does Boris—a quintessential Russian first name if ever I heard one—want to bring Russia into this new-fangled European community as well? What a clown BoJo truly is! – © Mark Alexander

Deutsche Welle in Türkei gesperrt

AUSLANDSSENDER
FRANKFURTER ALLGEMEINE ZEITUNG: Nachdem er unter dem verschärften Medienrecht keine Lizenz beantragt hatte, sperrt die türkische Aufsichtsbehörde den deutschen Sender. Das gleiche Schicksal trifft einen amerikanischen Anbieter.

Die türkische Aufsichtsbehörde für den Rundfunk (RTÜK) hat den Zugang zur Deutschen Welle in der Türkei gesperrt. „Der Zugang zum türkischsprachigen Dienst der Deutschen Welle, DW Turkce, und Voice of America, die keine Genehmigungen beantragt haben, wurde auf Antrag des RTÜK-Vorstands vom Strafgerichtshof in Ankara blockiert“, teilte Ilhan Tasci, Vorstandsmitglied von RTÜK, am Donnerstag auf Twitter mit. » | Quelle: Reuters | Freitag, 1. Juli 2022

Meet the Dutch Doctor Helping Expand Abortion Access by Mailing Safe & Legal Pills Worldwide

Jul 1, 2022 As activists across the U.S. are mobilizing to defend reproductive rights, we speak to the Dutch physician Dr. Rebecca Gomperts, who has dedicated her life to circumventing anti-abortion laws, including providing abortions on ships in international waters and sending abortions pills around the world. She also discusses navigating censorship on social media platforms, telemedicine, the future of contraception and more. "This is not the moment anymore to stay within the law," says Dr. Gomperts, referring to the end of Roe v. Wade. "This is the moment to make sure that women have access to safe abortions despite the law, because this is such an unjust law that is creating so much social inequality and that will affect, really, the most poor women in the country."

New Zealand Designates Proud Boys a Terrorist Group

THE NEW YORK TIMES: The far-right Proud Boys are not known to operate in the country, but the designation makes it illegal for New Zealanders to support them.

New Zealand has declared the Proud Boys, the far-right American group that played a key role in the deadly storming of the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021, to be a terrorist organization, making it illegal for New Zealanders to participate in or support its activities.

There was no evidence that the group was operating in New Zealand, but its activity has been observed in Australia and Canada, which designated the group a terrorist organization last year.

New Zealand’s prime minister can designate groups terrorist entities if they have carried out at least one terrorist act, and the government believed the Proud Boys’ involvement in the Jan. 6 attack was “consistent with the definition of a terrorist act,” it said in a statement from June 20. It said that the group’s “extreme right-wing ideology was founded on racist and fascist principles” and that it had shown a consistent fondness for violence. » | Daniel Victor | Friday, July 1, 2022

'China Is Turning into a Police State' Says Lord Patten

Jul 1, 2022 - Lord Patten, the UK's last governor of Hong Kong, back in 1997 speaks to Sky's Mark Austin.

Pride at 50: The LGBT Revolution Sparked in a Basement

Stuart Feather (left), in drag, is bundled into a police car during a gay-rights protest, in 1971 | ALAMY/MIRRORPI
BBC: It's 1972 - the swinging '60s are over, the miners' strike has turned off the lights and Donny Osmond is topping the charts with Puppy Love.

It will be another 20 years before same-sex attraction is declassified as a mental illness and, despite homosexual acts being decriminalised, in 1967, the age of consent remains five years older than for heterosexual couples.

But, in a basement room at the London School of Economics, a revolution is brewing.

Fresh from protests calling for the age of consent to be lowered, the year before, members of the Gay Liberation Front are planning a new march - not only demanding change and equality but celebrating who they are.

And, although they do not yet know it, the ripple effects will still be felt decades later.

The UK's first Pride protest is about to be born. » | Lauren Moss, LGBT correspondent, and Josh Parry, LGBT producer | BBC News | Friday, July 1, 2022

Britain's Own Anti-Abortion Conservatives

OTAN-Russie : le retour à la logique de guerre froide

LE MONDE : L’Alliance atlantique, qui décrit désormais la Russie comme une « menace », renforce son flanc est en Europe.

Le président américain, Joe Biden, et le secrétaire général de l’OTAN, lors du sommet de l’Alliance à Madrid, le 29 juin 2022. SUSAN WALSH / AP
Le climat de guerre froide, ressuscité par l’attaque russe de l’Ukraine, a trouvé une nouvelle traduction. Présentée comme un « partenaire » depuis la fin des années 1990, la Russie est redevenue une « menace » pour les trente pays membres de l’Organisation du traité de l’Atlantique Nord (OTAN). Moscou représente « la menace la plus significative et directe pour la sécurité des alliés », a affirmé le secrétaire général de l’Alliance, Jens Stoltenberg, lors du sommet de l’organisation, qui se tenait à Madrid du 28 au 30 juin et au cours duquel les capitales européennes et nord-américaines ont affiché un front uni.

Signe de ce changement de ton, l’OTAN a annoncé lors du sommet un renforcement de son système de défense sur le flanc est de l’Europe. Les forces mises à la disposition de l’Alliance par les pays membres et capables d’être rapidement projetées vont être portées « bien au-dessus » de 300 000 militaires, a annoncé M. Stoltenberg, sans toutefois préciser leur répartition. Ce nouveau plan doit permettre à l’organisation, en cas d’agression de l’un des pays membres, de déployer 100 000 hommes en moins de dix jours, puis 200 000 supplémentaires sous trente jours, contre 40 000 mobilisables en moins de quinze jours actuellement. » | Par Elise Vincent (Madrid, envoyée spéciale) et Cédric Pietralunga (Madrid, envoyé spécial) | vendredi 1 juillet 2022

Article réservé aux abonnés

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Met Says Its Officers Will Not March in Uniform at London Pride Event

THE GUARDIAN: Move comes after Peter Tatchell and other LGBTQ+ campaigners raise concerns about homophobia

The Metropolitan police have said its officers will not march in uniform at Pride in London after LGBTQ+ campaigners voiced concern about “institutional homophobia” within the force.

Scotland Yard said on Friday that officers who wish to join the celebrations should do so in civilian clothes rather than police uniform after listening to the “legitimate concerns” of activists.

Uniformed officers will still police the annual parade, which celebrates its 50th anniversary on Saturday with performances by the American singer-songwriter Ava Max and the British star Emeli Sandé.

The decision comes after the human rights campaigner Peter Tatchell raised concern about the Met’s “homophobic” handling of the investigation into the serial killer Stephen Port. Tatchell said the case showed that “institutional homophobia is alive and kicking in the Metropolitan police” and that it would not be right for uniformed officers to march in the parade.

The official organisers of Pride in London later said the police uniform “undermines” the balance between listening to the concerns of members and being as welcoming as possible. » | Josh Halliday and David Batty | Friday, July 1, 2022

Sternstunde Philosophie - Helmut Schmidt im Gespräch

Nov 16, 2015

WIKIPEDIA: Alt-Bundeskanzler Helmut Schmidt (1918 – 2015) : [Englisch], [Französisch]

A Gay Son’s Difficult Relationship with His Devout Pakistani Muslim Father

Oct 13, 2017 Filmmaker Arshad Khan talks about the challenges of migration and especially of coming out to his devout father. Logic and religion can seem like they're at war, says Khan, whose new film is called Abu.

Democracy Now! Top US News & World Headlines – July 1, 2022

Crispy, Juicy and Tender - The Secrets of the Genuine Wiener Schnitzel | Food Secrets | Ep. 4

Sep 4, 2020 Schnitzel is eaten all around the world and prepared differently in every locality. But what makes for a genuine Wiener schnitzel? Our series "Food Secrets" delves into the secrets of the one and only Wiener Schnitzel.

Microbiote, les fabuleux pouvoirs du ventre | ARTE

Apr 23, 2022 Et si l’avenir de la médecine se jouait dans notre ventre ? Aux avant-postes de la recherche, cette nouvelle enquête des auteurs de "Mâles en péril" et "Le jeûne, une nouvelle thérapie ?" explore notre flore intestinale.

Tapis au creux de nos entrailles, quelque 100 000 milliards de micro-organismes ont signé un pacte avec nous : "le gîte et le couvert" en échange de la santé. Ces bactéries, phages et champignons essentiels à notre équilibre nous sont transmis à la naissance et constituent notre microbiote, ou flore intestinale. Longtemps méconnu, ce microbiote dévoile peu à peu ses secrets et mobilise des milliers de chercheurs dans le monde. Il laisse espérer une révolution scientifique. Non seulement les microbes qui le composent s'avèrent indispensables à notre bien-être, mais ils ouvrent un nouveau champ thérapeutique : le transfert d'excréments humains se révèle ainsi efficace dans le traitement de certaines pathologies intestinales.

À la recherche des microbes perdus

En Occident, on estime que le microbiote d'une personne sur quatre est appauvri, avec à la clé des troubles de gravité variable, tels que l'asthme, les affections intestinales inflammatoires, l'obésité et le diabète de type 2. La recherche dresse la cartographie de bactéries stars, dont la disparition est associée à ces maladies : Faecalibacterium prausnitzii, Roseburia, Akkermansia muciniphila... Comme d'autres espèces, notre flore intestinale pâtit de divers facteurs liés à l'industrialisation et à nos modes de vie : une alimentation de mauvaise qualité, déficiente en fibres, bourrée d'additifs chimiques, un recours grandissant aux césariennes de confort et un usage précoce des antibiotiques. Pour récupérer ces microbes perdus, diverses pistes se dessinent, dont la spectaculaire "transplantation fécale", qui suscite des espoirs, y compris pour le traitement de certains cancers. D'une start-up américaine qui mise sur le don de selles au régime alimentaire des Hadza, chasseurs-cueilleurs tanzaniens "microbiotiquement" prospères, Sylvie Gilman et Thierry de Lestrade (Mâles en péril), avec l'aide des chercheurs les plus à la pointe, signent un tour d'horizon limpide, empreint d'humour et de pédagogie.

Microbiote, les fabuleux pouvoirs du ventre
Documentaire de Sylvie Gilman et Thierry de Lestrade (France, 2019, 59mn)
Disponible jusqu'au 12/10/2022

Alice Greczyn: Sex, Shame, and the Harms of Purity Culture

Jul 1, 2022 Alice Greczyn is a Hollywood actress, author, speaker, and activist. She escaped fundamentalist Christianity, and she tells her story.

Johnson Risks Breakup of UK over Northern Ireland Protocol, Says Varadkar

THE GUARDIAN: Ireland’s deputy PM accuses No 10 of making ‘shocking’ blunders with protocol bill

Leo Varadkar, pictured with Boris Johnson in 2019: ‘It is not normal for a democratic government in a respected country to sign a treaty and then try to pass domestic legislation to override it.’ Photograph: Getty Images
Leo Varadkar, Ireland’s deputy prime minister, has accused the British government of risking the break-up of the United Kingdom and making “shocking” blunders over Northern Ireland.

Varadkar said Boris Johnson’s administration had been undemocratic and disrespectful and tacitly accused it of being dishonest and dishonourable.

The tánaiste made the sharp attack in a BBC interview on Thursday night, days after the Northern Ireland protocol bill – which could override the Brexit deal – cleared its first hurdle in the House of Commons.

“I think that’s a strategic mistake for people who want to maintain the union because if you continue to impose things on Northern Ireland that a clear majority of people don’t want, that means more people will turn away from the union. It’s a peculiar policy coming from a government that purports to want to defend the union,” he said. » | Rory Carroll Ireland correspondent | Friday, July 1, 2022

Wildfires Rage Close to Machu Picchu Archaeological Site

Jul 1, 2022 A forest fire that has been burning since Tuesday engulfed more than 20 hectares (49 acres) of grassland and the remains of the Peruvian Llamacancha archaeological site inside Machu Picchu's sanctuary. Footage showed forest brigades fighting the fire which, according to officials, has been difficult to control because of strong winds and the inaccessibility of the area Peru wildfire threatens Machu Picchu as remote location hampers efforts to control blaze

Peru wildfire threatens Machu Picchu as remote location hampers efforts to control blaze: Twenty hectares near Inca ruins affected in blaze started by farmers burning grass before sowing crops »

‘Crook’: Anxious Trumpworld Preps for ‘Worst-Case’ as Star GOP Lawyer Says Trump Will Be Indicted

Jul 1, 2022 Following former White House aide Cassidy Hutchinson’s bombshell testimony before the Jan. 6 committee, Donald Trump’s top lawyer during the insurrection, Pat Cipollone, has been subpoenaed by the House panel. Pat Cipollone had warned Trump aides of possible crimes regarding the Jan. 6 insurrection. Meanwhile, Trump is on defense, denying Hutchinson’s grave claims as some MAGA vets turn on him. MSNBC’s Ari Melber reports on the escalating investigation.

Germany’s Move to Legalise Cannabis Expected to Create ‘Domino Effect’

THE GUARDIAN: Coalition government consults health experts, economists and growers in race to clear legal hurdles within two years

The German government’s official motivation for legalisation is to break up the illegal cannabis trade. Photograph: Lisi Niesner/Reuters
Germany is mulling over the consequences of soon becoming the world’s largest potential market for legally sold cannabis, as the country’s left-liberal government presses ahead with plans to allow the controlled distribution of the drug among adults.

Olaf Scholz’s coalition government has in recent weeks reiterated its 2021 coalition-deal vow to legalise for recreational use what its Green and liberal party minister have taken to referring to as Bubatz, a slang word for weed popular among German rappers.

A consultation process consisting of five public hearings with health experts, economists and cannabis growers concluded this week, firing the starting gun for a race to clear legal and regulatory hurdles within one to two years. A draft bill is expected within the second half of 2022.

Europe’s largest economy joining Canada and California in legalising cannabis for recreational use could create momentum to change the UN convention that restricts the cultivation of the plant and also puts pressure on neighbouring European states to follow Germany’s lead. » | Philip Oltermann in Berlin | Friday, July 1, 2022

The world is going stark, staring mad! Governments across the West have been waging a war on tobacco and the smoking of cigarettes—though not, you notice, on cigars, because the one percenters enjoy puffing on those and would not tolerate their luxury habit being curtailed—and the UK Health Secretary, Sajid Javid, and the First Minister of Wales, Mark Drakeford, have declared that they want to make England and Wales smoke-free by 2030. Now this crap from Germany!

So, someone please correct me if I am wrong, but the message of this is clear as far as I can tell: It will soon be acceptable to be stoned out of one’s mind and will not only be allowed, but encouraged; but to enjoy a few puffs on a cigarette will not only be discouraged and made so expensive that ordinary folk won’t be able to afford the habit, but it will also be illegal. Go figure! Talk about a topsy-turvy world, this is it! These politicians, wusses all, make me sick!

The official motivation for legalizing cannabis is to break up the illegal cannabis trade. This is tosh! Absolute tosh! Let me tell you the two main motivations as I see them: The authorities have lost control of the illegal cannabis market and are finding it too expensive to police; and then, in addition, the German government sees an opportunity to make the proverbial killing from its legalization. Money aplenty will be made by the German government, especially in the form of taxes. This proposal is cynical, to say the least. This is Geldmacherei if ever I saw it!

The UK government will eventually inevitably follow suit, of course.

So, in the name of fairness, if drug addicts and junkies can get their kicks and fixes, why can’t smokers get some pleasure, too? I trust, therefore, that the high taxes on cigarettes will be brought down soon. If governments are going to let people smoke pot, they should certainly allow them to smoke cigarettes. There will be a domino effect alright! Be sure of that! Oh, and while we are on the subject, can someone in high places contact Philip Morris in Switzerland and demand that they stop sending us their inferior quality cigarettes: their crap. I know this is happening for two reasons: First of all, until early April, I was a smoker of Marlboro Reds (made by Philip Morris). It was clear to me that the quality of these cigarettes, in spite of their very high price, was very inferior to Marlboro Reds in years gone by. Secondly, not so long ago, in a German documentary on Philip Morris on YouTube, one of the directors of Philip Morris stated loud and clear that all the best quality cigarettes these days are exported to the Orient. Ironically, in the Orient, cigarettes are much cheaper than in the Occident. We have to pay the highest of prices for them, yet we are sold the most inferior of cigarettes in exchange.

Make smoking cool again! Make smoking cheaper! Better a whiff than a spliff! – © Mark Alexander

EU Moves to Rein in ‘Wild West’ of Crypto Assets with New Rules

THE GUARDIAN: MiCA law contains measures to guard against market abuse and manipulation

Cryptocurrency prices have slumped recently, with the total value of the market falling from $3tn last year to less than $900bn. Photograph: Dado Ruvić/Reuters
The EU has moved to rein in the “wild west” of crypto assets by agreeing a groundbreaking set of rules for the sector.

Representatives from the European parliament and EU states thrashed out an agreement on Thursday that contains measures to guard against market abuse and manipulation, as well as requiring that crypto firms provide details of the environmental impact of their assets.

“Today, we put order in the wild west of crypto assets and set clear rules for a harmonised market,” said Stefan Berger, the German MEP who led negotiations on behalf of the parliament.

Referring to the recent slump in cryptocurrency prices – the total value of the market has fallen from $3tn (£2.5tn) last year to less than $900bn – Berger added: “The recent fall in the value of digital currencies shows us how highly risky and speculative they are and that it is fundamental to act.” » | Dan Milmo Global technology editor | Friday, July 1, 2022

Tories Pressed to Withdraw Whip from Chris Pincher after Misconduct Claims

THE GUARDIAN: Pincher resigned as deputy chief whip after reports he drunkenly groped two men at a private club

Chris Pincher resigned as deputy chief whip on Thursday night after admitting he had ‘embarrassed myself and other people’. Photograph: UK Parliament/PA
Pressure is mounting on the Conservative party to withdraw the whip from Chris Pincher following allegations he groped two men on a drunken night out

. Labour’s Yvette Cooper said that removing the whip from the former Conservative deputy whip needed to be the “first step that takes place” but did not call for his resignation as an MP.

Pincher, 52, resigned from his role as deputy chief whip on Thursday night after admitting he had “embarrassed myself and other people” following reports that he drunkenly groped two men at the Carlton Club in Piccadilly, London, on Wednesday.

Cooper told BBC Radio 4’s Today programme: “We need to know the full truth about what has happened and what the allegations are.

“But I think that’s [removing the whip] the first step that needs to take place. And I think the idea that the Conservatives can try and simply dismiss this is just unacceptable.

“They have to show they take this kind of thing more seriously. Time and again Boris Johnson just doesn’t. That is not good enough. This is about standards in public life. » | Jane Clinton | Friday, July 1, 2022

Tory deputy chief whip resigns after ‘drunkenly groping two men’: Chris Pincher’s resignation is latest in a series of allegations of sexual misconduct by Conservative MPs »

Under BoJo, it appears that the Houses of Parliament might now more accurately be called the ‘Houses of Iniquity’! – © Mark Alexander

Scandal after scandal: timeline of Tory sleaze under Boris Johnson: PM’s tenure has been characterised by disrepute, from lockdown breaches to serious sexual assaults »

The Beach Boys : Do It Again | Visualizer

Jun 24, 2022 The official visualizer for “Do It Again” from ‘Sounds of Summer: The Very Best of The Beach Boys’ Expanded Edition..

NATO Prepares for Dangerous New World - as Russia Warns of New Iron Curtain

Jun 30, 2022 The Nato summit has been thick on unity and defiance.

A message to President Putin, and President Xi of China, that this alliance is stronger than ever - and ready to defend itself and its values.

In a symbolic lift mentioned by both the Prime Minister and the American President - one of Ukraine's symbols of resilience, Snake Island in the Black Sea, has now been abandoned by Russia.

But this war is far from over. Its economic and military costs are bound to climb - and this summit has not given Ukraine enough heavy weapons ro win the war, only enough not to lose it in the near term.

Homo sapiens | Doku HD Reupload | ARTE

Jun 28, 2022 Die Entdeckung 300.000 Jahre alter Homo-sapiens-Fossilien in Marokko stellt die Geschichtsschreibung auf den Kopf. Der Dokumentarfilm begibt sich auf eine wissenschaftlichen Abenteuerreise, die die Vorstellung vom Ursprung und Entwicklungsprozess der menschlichen Spezies revolutioniert.

Im Juni 2017 erschütterten zwei Veröffentlichungen in der angesehenen Zeitschrift „Nature“ die Wissenschaft. In Marokko hatten Forscher die Überreste von fünf Homo-sapiens-Individuen entdeckt. Sie datierten die Knochen auf ein Alter von etwa 315.000 Jahren – damit war die menschliche Spezies rund 100.000 Jahre älter als bislang angenommen. Mit Hilfe virtueller Paläontologie können neue Informationen aus diesen Fossilien gewonnen werden. Ein Schädel war bereits in den 1960er Jahren gefunden, damals jedoch falsch interpretiert worden. Die jüngsten Funde stellen die bisher gültige Geschichte des Homo sapiens auf den Kopf und machen die marokkanische Fundstätte Jebel Irhoud zum Schauplatz eines der größten wissenschaftlichen Abenteuer des 21. Jahrhunderts.

Dokumentarfilm von Olivier Julien (F 2020, 87 Min)
Video auf YouTube verfügbar bis zum 24/08/2022

Küssen: Eifrig, liebevoll, ausgelassen, erschöpfend

Kissing: Eager, loving, frolicking, exhausting / Embrasser : désireux, aimant, gambader, épuisant

via GIPHY

Luxembourg PM’s Same-sex Husband Seated Next to Viktor Orbán at Summit

THE GUARDIAN: Hungarian leader was criticised by Xavier Bettel in 2021 for introducing homophobic law

Nato leaders’ spouses including Gauthier Destenay (centre), husband of Luxembourg’s PM, in Madrid. Photograph: Ballesteros/EPA
The dozens of invitees were carefully seated along the lengthy table, flanked by columns fashioned out of Bagnères marble and surrounded by paintings from Spain’s Francisco de Goya.

As photos of the Nato dinner at Spain’s royal palace filtered out, many were swift to spot what one Spanish news site described as the image of the summit: the Hungarian prime minister, Viktor Orbán, seated next to Gauthier Destenay, the first same-sex spouse of a leader of an EU member state.

Amid speculation as to whether the seating arrangement was intentional – perhaps a nod to this month’s Pride celebrations – or whether it was simply the mysterious hand of protocol working its magic, Spain’s royal palace did not respond to a request for comment.

The eye-catching seating arrangement came one year after Destenay’s husband, Luxembourg’s prime minister, Xavier Bettel, blasted Orbán over a Hungarian law banning any portrayal of LGBT people in materials meant for children.

“To be nationally blamed, to be considered as not normal, to be considered a danger for young people – it’s not realising that being gay is not a choice,” said Bettel, who in 2015 became the first EU leader to marry someone of the same sex.

“But being intolerant is a choice,” Bettel continued. » | Ashifa Kassam in Madrid | Thursday, June 30, 2022

Where Has This Little S*** Gone?

This loud-mouthed tosser created the shitshow, otherwise known as Brexshit; now, however, he is nowhere to be found. Typical of shit-stirrers! All mouth and no trousers. He has probably gone back under the rock from which he emerged.
With thanks to BBC iPlayer on Pinterest for this image.

Andy Burnham Destroys Boris Johnson: 'He's Worse Than Margaret Thatcher'

F*** the Tories! And I write as a one-time, lifelong Conservative voter! This country needs a healthy dose of redistribution! Tax the people at the top "until the pips squeak", to borrow Denis healey's famus phrase. Share the spoils! We, the people, are being raped. Put up with it no longer! – © Mark Alexander

Faith, Power, Manipulation: The Secrets of the Opus Dei Sect | DW Documentary

Jun 30, 2022 For many critics, the arch-conservative Catholic community Opus Dei is a diabolical sect. However, Opus Dei (which translates to "Work of God”) sees itself in a very positive light. Even today, it’s very difficult to look into the inner world of the sect.

That's because its 90,000 members worldwide have taken a vow of secrecy - and those who have left report persecution if they break that vow. Meanwhile, Opus Dei is working to become the most influential player in the Catholic Church. To this end, it maintains a secret network - including branches in Germany.

It is no coincidence that the German headquarters are located in Cologne - Germany‘s most powerful Catholic archdiocese. In Germany, Opus Dei is focused on trying to gain a foothold in the field of education, by running daycare centers and schools.

The examination of a daycare center in Munich shows that Opus Dei deliberately conceals its involvement in these institutions. Another component of the network is IESE, the business school of Opus Dei, which also has an offshoot in Germany. It is considered one of the best schools of its kind in the world.

In Spain, where Opus Dei originated, sect members are active in parts of the judicial and educational sectors. The documentary tries to uncover these connections in both Spain and Germany, and lets both victims and experts have their say. It also includes an interview with the head of Opus Dei, Christoph Bockamp.

For the first time, a former member from Germany reports on her ordeal in Opus Dei and the harassment she experienced after she broke away from the sect. Spaniard Carmen Charo developed mental health problems during her time in Opus Dei, due to brainwashing and psychological pressure. Today, she helps others in their journey out of Opus Dei. Dietmar Scharmitzer is trying to do the same thing with German-speaking people who want to leave, and runs an Internet platform to help inform them. Finally, Marco Politi, an author and Vatican expert from Rome, takes stock of the influence Opus Dei has exerted since the time of Pope John Paul II.

Best of Swiss Made: Kinder, Käse und Kunstflügel | 2001

Jun 30, 2022 Das Kinderdorf Pestalozzi im Appenzell – Ein Schweizer Beitrag zur hohen italienischen Käsekunst – Laufenburg: die Stromzentrale Europas – Die Flugshow des Bartgeiers - Die Armbrust. Mit Entspannung, Konzentration und Muskelkenntnissen ins Schwarze treffen – Süsse Kunst, zauberhafte Figuren aus Schokoladeguss.

WIKIPEDIA: Johann Heinrich Pestalozzi.

Schumann: Piano Concerto in A Minor, Op. 54 – Dinu Lipatti & Herbert von Karajan (Conductor) | 1948 | シューマン ピアノ協奏曲 リパッティ

Attentats du 13-Novembre : contre la terreur, un procès exemplaire

LE MONDE – ÉDITORIAL: Au terme d’un procès exceptionnel, c’est un relatif soulagement de constater que la gageure d’appliquer la justice ordinaire à des faits extra-ordinaires a été, pour l’essentiel, tenue.

Conduire le procès « hors norme » des responsables d’une tuerie aveugle qui a traumatisé la France et marque son histoire, selon le strict « respect de la norme » judiciaire, c’est-à-dire la procédure pénale et le respect des droits de chacune des parties. Cette exigence, posée dès l’ouverture des débats, le 8 septembre 2021. Jean-Louis Périès, le président de la cour d’assises spéciale de Paris chargée de juger les responsables des attentats terroristes du 13 novembre 2015, traduisait ainsi une ambition terriblement élevée.

Au terme de ce procès, marqué par l’énoncé du verdict, mercredi 29 juin, après dix mois d’audience, c’est un relatif soulagement de constater que cette gageure – appliquer la justice ordinaire à des faits extra-ordinaires – a été, pour l’essentiel, tenue.

Cela n’allait nullement de soi a priori : le procès des vingt hommes, dont quatorze présents dans le box, accusés de crimes pour avoir semé la terreur et causé la mort de cent trente personnes au Stade de France, au Bataclan et à plusieurs terrasses de cafés parisiens aurait pu dérailler ou décevoir pour de multiples raisons – incidents, silence des accusés, etc. – liées à sa gravité, à sa complexité et à sa démesure. » | Éditorial « du Monde » | jeudi 30 juin 2022

LIRE AUSSI :

Procès des attentats du 13-Novembre : un verdict pour l’histoire, rigoureux et nuancé : RÉCIT | Salah Abdeslam a été condamné, mercredi, à la perpétuité incompressible. Des peines allant de quatre ans dont un an ferme à la perpétuité ont été prononcées contre les dix-neuf autres accusés. »

Meet the Aussie Men Challenging Gender Stereotypes | 60 Minutes Australia

It's a revolution. You won't see it on the news. It's quiet, it's happening in the suburbs, but it's still a significant social upheaval. Now, more women are out working and more are in high-powered, highly-paid jobs. So, more and more men find they have to adapt too. To give up all they've been brought up to believe in. To forget ambition, career and their traditional role as bread winner. Dad's been left holding the baby, literally. He's the new male, the man many women want. But how does this new domestic creature cope when the wife holds the purse strings, and he's the one in the apron?

When I learn about how the world is changing like this, it makes me glad that I am gay! And unattached! Who on earth would want to be a house husband? How demeaning! How emasculating! How depressing! Men need to get a grip! I am a modern man; but not that modern! Can anyone please direct me to the nearest monastery? – © Mark Alexander

Helmut Schmidt | Erfahrungen und Einsichten | NZZ Standpunkte 2009

Ein Rückblick auf den verstorbenen Alt-Bundeskanzler Helmut Schmidt, auf einen Politiker mit Charisma und Gravitas. Ein Rückblick auf einen Politiker, der sich weniger um sein Image kümmerte und vielmehr um seine Politik und darum, die richtigen Entscheidungen zum Wohle seines Landes zu treffen. – © Mark Alexander
Sep 23, 2015 Er gilt als einer der herausragendsten Politiker in der Nachkriegsgeschichte Deutschlands und Europas, und er hat wie kein zweiter in den letzten Jahrzehnten die politische und gesellschaftliche Debatte seines Landes als Minister, Regierungschef, Intellektueller, Publizistik und Herausgeber der Hamburger Wochenzeitung „Die Zeit“ geprägt: Alt-Bundeskanzler Helmut Schmidt.

Mit Helmut Schmidt, der im Dezember 91 Jahre alt wird, unterhalten sich NZZ-Chefredaktor Markus Spillmann und Marco Färber über die deutsche Wiedervereinigung, die Rolle und die Begrenzung Deutschlands in Europa und der Welt, über Freundschaften und ihren Stellenwert in der internationalen Politik und über die Bedrohung und Herausforderungen der Zukunft. Und über das Altern und Gott.