Wednesday, July 06, 2022

Royaume-Uni : la pression s’accroît sur Boris Johnson, après une série de démissions au sein de son cabinet

LE MONDE : Le départ surprise, mardi, des ministres britanniques de l’économie et de la santé, deux figures importantes du Parti conservateur, affaiblit considérablement le chef du gouvernement, touché par un nouveau scandale.

Le premier ministre britannique, Boris Johnson, entouré de Sajid Javid et de Rishi Sunak, à Londres, le 7 septembre 2021. TOBY MELVILLE / AFP

Jusqu’à présent, Boris Johnson semblait pouvoir résister à tous les scandales. Le dernier en date – un mensonge, au mieux par omission, au sujet des agissements déplacés d’un député conservateur – lui portera-t-il le coup fatal ?

Après la démission presque simultanée du chancelier de l’Echiquier, Rishi Sunak, et du ministre de la santé, Sajid Javid, deux poids lourds de son gouvernement, mardi 5 juillet, le premier ministre britannique lutte désormais pour sa survie. Chaque jour risque d’être le dernier, surtout si les départs se multiplient. Mercredi matin, de nouveaux responsables, à l’instar du secrétaire d’Etat à la famille, Will Quince, ont annoncé leur démission, alors que M. Johnson devait affronter deux périlleux rendez-vous dans la journée : la séance des questions au premier ministre, à la Chambre des communes, et une audition programmée de longue date devant la « commission de liaison » du Parlement, chargée de surveiller l’activité du gouvernement. » | Par Cécile Ducourtieux (Londres, correspondante) | mercredi 6 juillet 2022

Article réservé aux abonnés

The Beach Boys : California Saga (On My Way To Sunny Californ-i-a) | Visualizer

Jul 6, 2022 The official visualizer for “California Saga (On My Way To Sunny Californ-i-a)” from ‘Sounds of Summer: The Very Best of The Beach Boys’ Expanded Edition.

Democracy Now! Top US News & World Headlines – July 6, 2022

Sir! The Gig Is Up, Methinks

By the way BoJo, when retired, I suggest you eat smaller steaks, go easy on the chips, and eat fewer doughnuts! You’ll have plenty of time in your retirement to plan your meals better! Bonne chance !

With many thanks to the Daily Mail for this most unflattering photo of our ‘Duce’.

L’amour en cuir

Liebe in Leder / Love in leather

Mes remerciements vont à Carling Black Leather sur Pinterest pour cette superbe photo.

Phil Collins : Can't Stop Loving You | Official Music Video

Views on YouTube: 37,260,679

Was gibt es an diesem süßen Foto nicht zu lieben?

What's not to love about this cute photo? / Qu'est-ce qu'il n'y a pas à aimer dans cette jolie photo ?

Fürs schöne, liebe Foto bedanke ich mich bei Akaya auf Pinterest.

"Armani Was Awesome"

Who does style better than Giorgio Armani?

With many thanks to styleforum on Pinterest for this great image.

Alastair Campbell: Tory MPs 'Need to Find a Spine'

Jul 6, 2022 Conservative MPs who support Boris Johnson are "propping up a crook, a liar and a charlatan" says former Downing Street Director of Communications under Tony Blair, Alastair Campbell.

He said that Sajid Javid and Rishi Sunak had realised that their reputations were being tarnished the longer they served in a Johnson government, and that their only option was to step down.



Alexander Boris de Pfeffel Johnson is a clown, and it is high time that he along with his circus leave London town! He is not only a clown, but a buffoon too. He is dangerous. He has already done untold damage to this nation, both in terms of economics and in terms of social cohesion. All because he insisted on getting a job he is unqualified to do, and ill-equipped for.

The man is without any understanding of economics. He is also without principle. He has screwed around all his life, leaving a trail of devastation behind him. The UK economy is no exception.

One truly has to ask oneself some serious questions when one is talking about a man so puffed up and self-absorbed that he grew up believing that he would one day become “king of the world”! Go figure!

However, instead of becoming king of the world, he had to settle for second best: becoming prime minister. And what a mess he is making of the job!

De Pfeffel’s antics re Brexit, along with his cohorts’, have ensured that this once proud United Kingdom, admired throughout the world especially for its integrity, has been turned into the Disunited Kingdom, ready to break up in a heartbeat, and having lost so much respect throughout the world.

To our European brethren and ‘Sistren’, BoJo has become a laughing stock. He is not the admired man he thinks he is. So, it really is time for him to consider his position in the interests of the nation and its people. – © Mark Alexander

Jacob Rees-Mogg Dismisses Calls for PM to Leave Downing Street

Jul 5, 2022 Jacob Rees-Mogg has dismissed calls for the Prime Minister to resign following the resignations of his Chancellor and Health Secretary.


Jake is such a man of the people, don’t ya think? I wonder how many plums he had for breakfast yesterday before this interview?

It’s hard to believe that his recent family ancestry is Welsh. They were dairy folk who went to London to make a bob or two, to improve the family fortunes. Didn’t they do well?

He's doing his level best to return us to the Victorian era. He is anti-abortion, even after rape, and anti-gay marriage, naturally. They weren’t into gay marriage in the Victorian era. Gosh! The man is such a fossil.

Check out these articles to get to know this fossil a little better:

Jacob Rees-Mogg opposed to gay marriage and abortion – even after rape: Conservative MP tipped to succeed Theresa May says he is against same-sex marriage and abortion in all circumstances »

Rees-Mogg’s roots tell a true Conservative tale – just not the one he wants us to hear: The MP’s grandfather worked as a dairyman and lorry driver, but this does not fit his carefully cultivated public image »

Mark Alexander

The Queen Mother: ”I'm Not as Nice as People Think I Am”

Aug 2, 2018 Documentary made in 2001 for Channel 5 about the Queen Mother | Views on YouTube: 1,630,911

Tuesday, July 05, 2022

BoJo’s Chickens Are Coming Home to Roost!

Mr. Johnson weaseled his way to Downing Street by betting on Brexit at the last minute, thinking that he would have more chance of being handed the keys to Number 10 that way; but he was never a committed Brexiteer. Brexit was just a convenience for him to achieve his lifelong ambition: becoming prime minister.

Boris played a dishonorable game to achieve his goal and now, he is paying the price: his administration is falling apart.

We the people, the hapless electorate, were lied to about Brexit. We Remainers didn’t buy into the lies; alas, the Brexiteers did. However, ithe following must be said: the electorate was lied to about the benefits of Brexit and the prosperity it would bring. In addition, we had no robust national debate on this most important of decisions – the most important decision taken by the British people since the end of World War II.

The result of this ill-judged decision to leave the European Union has come with a very high price: a high price for the nation, especially in terms of much slower economic growth and enormous ongoing cost to the economy; and a high price for the people, especially because we Brits have lost all our rights as citizens of Europe: the right to live, work, or retire to Europe; the right to set up businesses there; the right to free health care based on reciprocity; the right to marriage and being able to love across borders, and much else besides.

Boris achieved his ambition by foul means; and now it looks as though, very soon, he might well have to pay the ultimate price himself. Boris’s chickens are coming home to roost.

© Mark Alexander
All Rights Reserved

Tuesday, July 5, 2022

The Guardian View on the Cabinet Resignations: Endgame for Boris Johnson

THE GUARDIAN – EDITORIAL: The departure of Rishi Sunak and Sajid Javid should herald the end of a discredited premiership

‘Other members of Mr Johnson’s cabinet must now follow the example of Mr Sunak and Mr Javid.’ Photograph: Toby Melville/PA

The prime minister’s dissembling, his taste for obfuscation and self-serving half-truths, and his willingness to mislead are by now sadly familiar. To that extent, it came as no surprise on Tuesday to learn that Boris Johnson had indeed – despite multiple assertions to the contrary – been told of specific sexual misconduct allegations prior to appointing Chris Pincher as deputy chief whip. But sooner or later a tipping point was coming for ministers obliged to trash their own reputations to defend a dishonest, delinquent prime minister. On Tuesday night it came.



Britain deserves better than a prime minister who has become a laughing stock, presiding over a rudderless administration at a time of economic crisis. In the interests of preserving their own self-respect, other members of Mr Johnson’s cabinet must now follow the example of Mr Sunak and Mr Javid. The prime minister needs to be confronted with the truth: his time is up. » | Editorial | Tuesday, July 5, 2022

EU Scraps 115 Grants for UK Scientists and Academics amid Brexit Row

THE GUARDIAN: Move follows dispute over Northern Ireland protocol, as one academic says UK is going down a ‘dark path’

British scientists and academic researchers have been dealt a blow after 115 grants from a flagship EU research programme were terminated because of the continuing Brexit row over Northern Ireland.

One academic said he was “relieved” to be exiting the country and feared the UK was going down a “dark path” like Germany in the 1930s. » | Lisa O'Carroll Brexit correspondent| Tuesday, July 5, 2022

A Poor Country Made Bitcoin a National Currency. The Bet Isn’t Paying Off.

THE NEW YORK TIMES: It brought El Salvador’s president, Nayib Bukele, the adulation of the tech community, but reduced scarce funds and moved the nation closer to default.

President Nayib Bukele of El Salvador at an event in June to mark his third year in office.Credit...Jose Cabezas/Reuters

Bitcoin was meant to transform El Salvador’s economy, catapulting the poor Central American nation into an unlikely harbinger of a financial revolution.

But nearly a year after the country’s president, Nayib Bukele, shocked the financial world by making its most popular digital coin a national currency, his bet appears to be backfiring, highlighting the gap between the utopian promises of cryptocurrency’s proponents and economic realities.

The government’s bitcoin holdings have lost about 60 percent of their presumed value during the recent market plunge. The use of bitcoin among Salvadorans has collapsed and the country is running out of cash after Mr. Bukele failed to raise fresh funds from cryptocurrency investors. » | Anatoly Kurmanaev and Bryan Avelar | Tuesday, July 5, 2022

Sajid Javid and Rishi Sunak Quit – Throwing Boris Johnson’s Future into Doubt

THE GUARDIAN: ealth secretary and chancellor resign in what appears to be coordinated move

Sajid Javid, Rishi Sunak said they had lost confidence in Boris Johnson. Photograph: Leon Neal/Getty Images

Rishi Sunak and Sajid Javid have dramatically resigned from the cabinet in what appeared to be a coordinated move, throwing the prime minister’s future in doubt.

Boris Johnson apologised on Tuesday evening, for appointing Chris Pincher as deputy chief whip, despite belatedly admitting having known that Pincher was found to have behaved inappropriately in 2019.

In their resignation letters, both men pointed to a lack of grip in Downing Street, with Sunak saying the public expected government to be conducted, “properly, competently and seriously”.

The double blow to Johnson’s authority followed an extraordinary intervention from former Foreign Office permanent secretary Simon McDonald, who made clear Johnson had been briefed about an investigation into Pincher in 2019.

Cabinet minister Michael Ellis told shocked MPs that Johnson “did not immediately recall”, that he had previously been informed about an investigation into Pincher, who resigned on Friday evening after admitting getting drunk, and being accused of groping young men. » | Heather Stewart, Political editor | Tuesday, July 5, 2022

Rishi Sunak and Sajid Javid’s resignation letters in full: Read chancellor and health secretary’s full letters explaining why they are leaving cabinet »

Reality is finally dawning on the cabinet: Boris Johnson is NOT your friend: Rishi Sunak and Sajid Javid have decided they’re finally done with 2022’s full-scale debasement of public life. Who’s next? »

Related articles.

Two Senior UK Cabinet Ministers Resign to Force Out PM

THE NATIONAL NEWS: Sajid Javid and Rishi Sunak both announce they will quit to force out Boris Johnson

Sajid Javid and Rishi Sunak, two senior members of the UK cabinet, resigned on Tuesday, piling more pressure on the embattled Prime Minster Boris Johnson to step down.

British Health Secretary Sajid Javid resigned from Prime Minister Boris Johnson's government on Tuesday, he said in a statement. » | Neil Murphy | Tuesday, July 5, 2022

Britischer Gesundheits- und Finanzminister treten zurück: Sajid Javid und Rishi Sunak haben heute ihre Ämter niedergelegt »

Zwei britische Minister treten zurück: In London treten aus Protest gegen Boris Johnson zwei seiner Minister zurück. Großbritannien stürzt in eine Regierungskrise. »

Sajid Javid and Rishi Sunak resign from government: Chancellor Rishi Sunak and Health Secretary Sajid Javid have resigned from government saying they no longer have confidence in Boris Johnson to lead the country. / Mr Sunak said the public expected government to be conducted "properly, competently and seriously"./ Mr Javid echoed this in his resignation letter, saying the government was not "acting in the national interest". »

The Remarkable Strength of The Queen Mother | A Century of The Queen Mother | Timeline

Jul 11, 2020 This one-of-a-kind documentary examines The Queen Mother, her love for her husband and daughters, her support for the institution of monarchy, her animosity towards Mrs. Simpson and Princess Diana and her extravagant lifestyle and love of racing, gardens and fashion.

Democracy Now! Top US News & World Headlines – July 5, 2022

Eine deutsche Eigenheit | Karambolage | ARTE

Jul 5, 2022 Jeanette Konrad stellt uns eine deutsche Eigenart vor, den Buchstaben „ß”.

Text: Jeanette Konrad
Bild: Bérangère Lallemant
Video auf YouTube verfügbar bis 21/05/2035


Très simple, très élégant, très flatteur, très beau

Ganz einfach, ganz elegant, ganz schmeichelhaft, ganz schön / Very simple, very elegant, very flattering, very beautiful

Very many thanks to Martha Lynn Millinery for the photo of this stunning hat.

Rupert Everett's Shades of Gay | Full Documentary | LGBTQIA+

Jun 24, 2022 2017 marks the fiftieth anniversary of the legalisation of homosexuality in the UK (the 1967 Sexual Offences Act was given royal assent on 27th July of that year) - a great leap forward for tolerance and equality. But while the country basks in self-congratulation, one gay man - Rupert Everett - wants to ask some uncomfortable questions about what was lost, as well as gained, when gay men and women could finally step out from the closet. In this documentary, Rupert is going to meet a cast of LGBT men and women to chart some of the changes that have taken place in gay life and gay culture over the last fifty years. From the men in their eighties who frequented the underground gay clubs of Soho and cottaged with palace guards, to young transgender people coming out as the 'only trans in the village' in rural Britain, the cast will exemplify something about the gay experience in the different eras of LGBT visibility, from gay bashing to the AIDS crisis to the first 'gaybies'.


“Somewhat recently, the Pride acronym has adopted more letters. Many sources now refer to the LGBTQIA+ community, which stands for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, intersex, and asexual. While some of those words are often discussed, others may need some further explanation.” [Source]

Viewer discretion is strongly agvised. Please note that this documentary is NOT suitable for children.

I should like to add that this is a whole new world for me. The lewdness, drug-taking, free sex is totally abhorrent to me. I have never had any part in such a debauched way of life; and nor will I ever.

I placed this documentary up before I had watched it all the way through. Had I done so first, which I usually do, I probably wouldn't have posted it at all. But now that it is up, I suppose it should stay up. But it portrays a way of life that is totally alien to me. For me, having same-sex attraction means something far, far purer than this.

Even before coming out, when I still lived a straight life, I never believed in free sex. I never believed in bed-hopping. Straight or gay, we all need standards in life. Watching this debauchery makes me want to climb right back into the closet! – © Mark Alexander

Is It Time to Give Julian Assange His Freedom? | Media Watch

Julian Assange appeals to London’s High Court to block his extradition to the United States as calls grow for the WikiLeaks founder to be finally freed.


Joe Biden is said to be a devout Christian. Surely, then, as a devout Christian, he cannot possibly justify allowing Assange to be treated in this despicable, inhumane and unChristian manner. It is high time that President Biden show us all his true Christian colours and Christian compassion and order this poor man be released. Clearly, Julian Assange has suffered enough already. Let him return to Australia, to his family. It is the only truly Christian thing to do. – © Mark Alexander

Marco : A Short Film by Saleem Haddad

Un excellent court métrage pour pimenter votre journée ! | Views on YouTube : 3,328,276


Viewer discretion is strongly advised. This excellent short film is not suitable for children. – Mark

Saleem Haddad.

About Saleem Haddad.

Book: Guapa.

Elie, Lebanon

Apr 16, 2018 "I'm a normal person, I'm just attracted to members of the same sex."


For more stories of self-discovery from LGBT activists across the Middle East and North Africa, click here.

Monday, July 04, 2022

God Is Not Great | Christopher Hitchens | Talks at Google | 2007

Aug 17, 2007 Author Christopher Hitchens discusses his book "God Is Not Great: How Religion Poisons Everything" as a part of the Authors@Google series. The author of Why Orwell Matters and Letters to a Young Contrarian, Christopher Hitchens is a Vanity Fair contributing editor, a Slate columnist, and a regular contributor to The Atlantic Monthly. He has also written for The Nation, Granta, Harper's, The Washington Post, and is a frequent television and radio guest. Born in England, Hitchens was educated at Balliol College, Oxford, where he received a degree in philosophy, politics, and economics. He now lives in Washington, D.C., and he became a U.S. citizen in 2007. This event took place on August 16, 2007 at Google headquarters in Mountain View, CA.

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

Views on YouTube: 389,058,776

Donald Tusk wirft Polens Regierung „katastrophale“ Wirtschaftspolitik vor

Der Vorwahlkampf ist eröffnet: Donald Tusk am 2. Juli 2022 in Radom. | Bild: IMAGO

VORWAHLKAMPF IN POLEN

FRANKFURTER ALLGEMEINE ZEITUNG: In Polen ist der Vorwahlkampf eröffnet und Donald Tusk zu alter Form aufgelaufen. Der PiS-Regierung wirft er vor, die Verarmung breiter Schichten zu riskieren.

Die nagelneue Sporthalle in der polnischen Stadt Radom war voll. Polens größte Oppositionskraft, die liberale Bürgerplattform (PO), hatte am Samstag zu einem Konvent geladen, der das „größte Event“ der Partei seit Jahren werden sollte. 5000 Teilnehmer waren aus dem ganzen Land gekommen und richteten ihre Blicke auf die Saalmitte, wo der Parteisprecher das Ereignis im Stil eines Boxkampfmoderators eröffnete, „von dem ihr noch euren Kindern und Enkeln erzählen werdet“. Dann war die Bühne frei für den Hauptredner.

Donald Tusk eröffnete eine Art Vorwahlkampf; von 2007 bis 2014 war er Polens Ministerpräsident und damit der am längsten amtierende Regierungschef nach dem Ende der Diktatur. Anschließend war Tusk EU-Ratspräsident und EVP-Chef. Parlamentswahlen sind zwar erst im Herbst nächsten Jahres. Aber die Parteien trommeln bereits, als werde in drei Monaten gewählt. Außerdem weiß man bei der rechten PiS, der von Tusks Intimfeind Jarosław Kaczyński geführten Regierungspartei, nie so genau, ob sie nicht doch vorzeitige Wahlen aus dem Hut zaubert. » | Gerhard Gnauck, Politischer Korrespondent für Polen, die Ukraine, Estland, Lettland und Litauen mit Sitz in Warschau. | Sonntag, 3. Juli 2022

Um diesen Artikel weiterlesen zu können, muß man abonniert sein. Man kann sich hier zu einem sehr günstigen Preis abonnieren.

Près de Chicago, une fusillade lors d’une parade du 4-Juillet fait au moins six morts

LE MONDE : Vingt-quatre personnes ont par ailleurs été blessées, selon la police d’Highland Park. Les autorités sont toujours à la recherche du suspect, « considéré comme armé et dangereux ».

La police recherche le tireur qui a tué au moins six personnes et blessé vingt-quatre autres personnes lors d’une parade à l’occasion de la fête nationale américaine du 4-Juillet, à Highland Park, au nord de Chicago, le 4 juillet 2022. TYLER PASCIAK LARIVIERE / AP

Au moins six personnes ont été tuées et vingt-quatre autres blessées dans une fusillade, lundi 4 juillet, lors d’une parade à l’occasion du 4-Juillet, la fête nationale américaine, à Highland Park, ville cossue au nord de Chicago (Illinois). Précédemment, la municipalité avait déclaré que seize personnes avaient été transportées à l’hôpital.

Le suspect, décrit par la police comme un homme blanc âgé entre 18 et 20 ans, est en fuite et « considéré comme armé et dangereux ». Selon le bureau du shérif, l’homme a tiré au fusil du toit d’un bâtiment. Les autorités sont toujours à sa recherche.

D’après le quotidien Chicago Sun-Times, la parade a commencé autour de 10 heures (17 heures, heure de Paris), mais n’a duré qu’une dizaine de minutes avant que des coups de feu ne se fassent entendre. Un témoin a affirmé à la chaîne américaine CNN avoir entendu entre vingt et vingt-cinq coups de feu. Des vidéos, filmées par des témoins, ont enregistré les coups de feu et le mouvement de panique qui s’est ensuivi. » | Le Monde | lundi 4 juillet 2022

Mehrere Tote nach Schüssen während Feiertags-Parade: In einem Vorort von Chicago sind mehrere Menschen erschossen worden. Der Tatverdächtige befindet sich auf der Flucht. Laut den Behörden soll die Region Highland Park gemieden werden. »

‘This isn’t freedom’: Fourth of July shooting rocks Chicago and shocks US: Shooting strikes symbolic note as shooter targets Highland Park parade celebrating Independence Day »

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.

Sunday, July 03, 2022

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.


Saturday, July 02, 2022

‘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

Friday, July 01, 2022

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