The Guardian View on the Warming of the Alps: A Challenge for Tourism

THE GUARDIAN – EDITORIAL: Higher temperatures mean less snow snow and ice, more rockfalls and more fatalities on Europe’s overcrowded mountains. This cannot go on

The collision between industrial tourism and the climate crisis is destroying some of the very environments that have attracted so many to the high mountains in the first place.’ Photograph: Westend61/Getty Images
The Victorian writer and mountaineer Leslie Stephen – the father of Virginia Woolf – called the Alps “the playground of Europe”. And so they have been, in winter and summer alike, for many generations. But with excessive warming now placing some of the Alps’ most iconic summits out of bounds, for how much longer can the freedom of Europe’s playground continue?

The basic problem is the warming of the Alps. Snowfall this past winter – especially in the southern Alps – was down by two-thirds from what was once considered normal. The loss of snowmelt is a direct cause of this summer’s brutal drought in the Po valley. Last month, Swiss scientists found that weather balloons were having to rise to 5,184 metres (over 17,000ft), well above the very highest peaks, before they finally reached freezing point. » | Editorial | Monday, August 1, 2022

Keir Starmer and Piers Morgan among New List of Britons Banned from Russia

THE GUARDIAN: Politicians, businesspeople and journalists barred as Russia seeks to control narrative on Ukraine invasion

The Labour party leader, Keir Starmer, and Lisa Nandy, the shadow levelling up secretary, who has also been barred from Russia. Photograph: Richard Saker/The Guardian
Russia has banned 39 senior British politicians, businesspeople and journalists from entering the country, including the Labour party leader, Keir Starmer, the former prime minister David Cameron and the presenter Piers Morgan.

“It was decided to include on the Russian ‘stop list’ a number of British politicians, businessmen and journalists who contribute to London’s hostile course aimed at the demonising of our country and contributing to its international isolation,” the Russian foreign ministry said in a statement published on its website on Monday.

“Given London’s destructive drive to spin the sanctions flywheel on far-fetched and absurd pretexts, work on expanding the Russian stop list will continue,” the ministry added. » | Pjotr Sauer | Monday, August 1, 2022

Death in Venice : Gustav Mahler : Adagietto (from Symphony N°5) | Reupload

Jun 6, 2012 Gustav Mahler (7 July 1860 -- 18 May 1911)

WIKIPÉDIA : La Mort à Venise.

WIKIPEDIA: Death in Venice. / Der Tod in Venedig. / La morte a Venezia. / La muerte en Venecia.

Dimitra’s Dishes: Mizithropitakia: Greek Sweet Cheese Pies

Aug 1, 2022

Get the recipe here.

Putins Weg der Radikalisierung

NEUE ZÜRCHER ZEITUNG: Vor 20 Jahren sah es so aus, als ob sich der russische Präsident Putin dem Westen annähern würde. Was geschah dann? Eine Analyse seiner wichtigsten Reden liefert Antworten.

«Russland ist ein freundlich gesinntes europäisches Land. Für unser Land, das ein Jahrhundert der Kriegskatastrophen durchgemacht hat, ist der stabile Frieden auf dem Kontinent das Hauptziel», sagt der russische Präsident Wladimir Putin. Es ist der 25. September 2001, wenige Wochen nach den Terroranschlägen des 11. Septembers. Putin spricht vor den über 650 Abgeordneten des Bundestags in Berlin.

Er fängt auf Russisch an und geht dann in einwandfreies Deutsch über, wickelt sein Politikerpublikum um den Finger, kokettiert, erntet Applaus. Er nennt die Abgeordneten seine «lieben Freunde», spricht davon, die deutsch-russische Partnerschaft zu einem gemeinsamen «europäischen Haus» auszubauen, erklärt: «Der Kalte Krieg ist vorbei.» Seine Rede mündet in minutenlangem Beifall. Der ganze Bundestag hat sich für den knapp 50-jährigen Putin aus den Sesseln gehievt.

Zwei Jahrzehnte später greift Putin die Ukraine an und zerstört die Hoffnungen, die er damals in seiner Rede in Berlin geweckt hatte, endgültig. Statt auf Zusammenarbeit setzt er auf volle Konfrontation mit dem Westen. Wie konnte es so weit kommen? Putins Reden zur Lage der Nation verraten viel » | Katrin Büchenbacher, Cian Jochem | Dienstag, 26. Juli 2022

« Déporter des enfants ukrainiens et les “russifier”, c’est amputer l’avenir de l’Ukraine »

LE MONDE – TRIBUNE: Le déplacement forcé de mineurs en Russie participe du projet de Vladimir Poutine « d’éradiquer l’identité et la nation ukrainiennes », affirme, dans une tribune au « Monde » un collectif d’intellectuels et de pédopsychiatres, parmi lesquels Bernard Golse et l’anthropologue Véronique Nahoum-Grappe.

Dans sa nostalgie d’une Europe centrale vassalisée où toute contestation était écrasée par un envoi de chars à Budapest ou Prague, le Kremlin ravage l’Ukraine depuis cinq mois sous le couvert de « dénazification » et de négation de la nation ukrainienne, usant d’une stratégie de terreur qui rase les villes, massacre et viole les civils, déplace les populations.

Entre le 24 février et le 18 juin, selon le ministère russe de la défense, plus de 1,9 million d’Ukrainiens, dont plus de 307 000 enfants [200 000 selon le président ukrainien Volodymyr Zelensky, début juin], auraient ainsi été transférés de force vers la Fédération de Russie, sans garantie ni contrôles extérieurs sur leurs conditions de vie et leur avenir. Ce transfert par des couloirs d’évacuation à sens unique, vers des « camps de filtration », puis des lieux aussi retirés que Mourmansk, le Kamtchatka ou la frontière nord-coréenne, fait ressurgir le spectre des déportations perpétrées par la Russie tsariste et l’Union soviétique. » | Collectif | lundi 1 août 2022

Article réservé aux abonnés

Tué par les frappes russes sur Mykolaïv : les derniers jours d’un magnat ukrainien des céréales

LE MONDE : Oleksi Vadatoursky était le président de Nibulon, géant ukrainien des céréales. Il est mort dans les bombardements russes qui ont touché la ville portuaire, dans la nuit de samedi à dimanche. « Le Monde » l’avait rencontré il y a peu, alors qu’il s’efforçait de poursuivre les exportations, malgré la guerre.

Oleksi Vadatursky (à gauche), le 16 juillet 2022. ADRIEN VAUTIER / LE PICTORIUM POUR « LE MONDE »
C’était une rencontre un peu provoquée, même s’il n’en savait rien, dans une petite cité portuaire des bords du Danube, « quelque part dans le sud-ouest de l’Ukraine », comme on dit dans ces cas-là, car il savait qu’il était une cible. Sur les traces du chaos des exportations de céréales ukrainiennes, en grande partie bloquées par la Russie, nous avions rencontré Oleksi Vadatoursky, fondateur et président de Nibulon, devenu en vingt ans le plus gros opérateur sur le marché céréalier ukrainien.

Avant l’invasion russe du 24 février, Nibulon exportait des millions de tonnes de céréales et d’oléagineux vers le monde entier à partir de Mykolaïv, l’un des principaux ports ukrainiens de la mer Noire, réduit depuis au silence et à l’immobilisme par Vladimir Poutine. C’est là, à Mykolaïv, qu’il a été tué avec sa femme, Raisa, dans la nuit du samedi 30 au dimanche 31 juillet, lors du pire bombardement qu’a connu la cité depuis février. » | Par Olivier Truc (Bessarabie (Ukraine), envoyé spécial) | lundi 1 août 2022

Article réservé aux abonnés

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

The Atheist Handbook to the Old Testament: Volume One (with Dr. Joshua Bowen)

Jun 14, 2021 Atheists often speak about the contradictions and atrocities rampant throughout the Bible, but they often enter those conversations without all of the information. Assyriologist Dr. Joshua Bowen is author of the new book, "The Atheist Handbook to the Old Testament: Volume One” (available on Amazon) and he gives prime examples of how we can know more and be better when talking about the Christian scriptures.

Dr. Josh on Twitter: @DJHammurabi1
Dr. Bowen’s website is here.


This is an excellent and very interesting discussion. Be warned, however, that it does contain a little strong language, which some people might object to. – Mark

UK Businesses Slash Investments due to Soaring Prices and Brexit

THE GUARDIAN: As many firms are now planning to cut investment as to increase it, latest polls find

UK business leaders are slashing investment plans as soaring prices, Brexit trading difficulties and political uncertainty all leave bosses pessimistic about the economic outlook.

As many firms are now planning to cut investment as to increase it, according to the Institute of Directors’ latest poll of business chiefs. That is the weakest reading since October 2020, as nervous firms rein in spending.

UK businesses’ investment intentions have been falling steadily since the start of the year, as input costs have soared and the economy has slowed, undermining efforts to lift productivity.

Business leaders are also less upbeat about their own prospects, with over half saying economic conditions in the UK are having a negative impact on their organisation, along with soaring energy costs and skills shortages. » | Graeme Wearden | Monday, August 1, 2022

Brexit is the poison that keeps on poisoning! Brexit is going to turn this once prosperous country into a basket case. I hate to say that ‘I told you so’; but I actually did.

We will now get all the pain and suffering we will deserve. No patriot would have walked away from a single market of 500,000,000 plus consumers. Who can call himself an economist who advocates such a stupid move?

Fact is, we Brits have been led up the primrose path by a bunch of ideologues, by a bunch of people who are nostalgic for our once glorious past and who refuse to come to terms with present-day reality.

The Conservative Party was once the party favorable to business and commerce; it no longer deserves that reputation.

The stark reality is that Brexiteers have been stupid in their pursuit of independence. From the very start, Brexit was a dream that could never come true with a favorable outcome. Fact is, we live in an increasingly interconnected world. It is stupid to think otherwise. Brexiteers have thought otherwise. They were stupid to think so. And as Americans often say: You can’t fix stupid! – © Mark Alexander

As Latin America Shifts Left, Leaders Face a Short Honeymoon

THE NEW YORK TIMES: All six of the region’s largest economies could soon be run by presidents elected on leftist platforms. Their challenge? Inflation, war in Europe and growing poverty at home.

BOGOTÁ, Colombia — In Chile, a tattooed former student activist won the presidency with a pledge to oversee the most profound transformation of Chilean society in decades, widening the social safety net and shifting the tax burden to the wealthy.

In Peru, the son of poor farmers was propelled to victory on a vow to prioritize struggling families, feed the hungry and correct longstanding disparities in access to health care and education.

In Colombia, a former rebel and longtime legislator was elected the country’s first leftist president, promising to champion the rights of Indigenous, Black and poor Colombians, while building an economy that works for everyone.

“A new story for Colombia, for Latin America, for the world,” he said in his victory speech, to thunderous applause.

After years of tilting rightward, Latin America is hurtling to the left, a watershed moment that began in 2018 with the election of Andrés Manuel López Obrador in Mexico and could culminate with a victory later this year by a leftist candidate in Brazil, leaving the region’s six largest economies run by leaders elected on leftist platforms.

A combination of forces have thrust this new group into power, including an anti-incumbent fervor driven by anger over chronic poverty and inequality, which have only been exacerbated by the pandemic and have deepened frustration among voters who have taken out their indignation on establishment candidates. » | Julie Turkewitz, Mitra Taj and John Bartlett | Sunday, July 31, 2022

Andrés & Hugo | Cuatro Lunas | I Feel It Coming

Wyatt & Ramos | Dashing in December | Cowboy Like Me

Louis & Edwina Mountbatten: A Scandalous Family - British Royal Documentaries

The late royal was the great-grandson of Queen Victoria and the third cousin of Queen Elizabeth II. He was also the uncle of the late Prince Philip, the Duke of Edinburgh, and a mentor to his son, Prince Charles. Mountbatten was appointed as the last Viceroy of British India, and also served as an officer in the Royal Navy. The royal was assassinated by IRA terrorists in 1979, as his boat was blown up off the coast of Ireland.

A new Channel 5 documentary, ‘The Mountbattens: A Scandalous Marriage’, was broadcast last night, Saturday, July 30, 2022. Long before the modern royal scandals that were to follow, the couple hit the headlines with their tumultuous relationship. Each of the pair had extramarital affairs, which were once summed up pithily by Mountbatten himself.

Gay Man Overcomes Self-Hatred and Learns to Love Himself

May 9, 2018 He learned as a young boy that being feminine or different was not okay, which planted a seed of self-hatred. Only as an adult - and with the help of therapy - was Hawmi able to overcome his internalized homophobia and live a happy and free life.

Warning: This video contains some strong language. – Mark

After Escaping Certain Death in the Middle East, Gay Man Faces New Challenges in America

May 26, 2021 A young man’s life was in danger. Seen as too gay, too western, or both, his safety and that of his family were constantly threatened - even resulting in death of a family member. Thanks to hard work and a Fulbright scholarship, he was able to enroll in grad school and relocate to the United States. While his new home country offered a more hospitable environment for living an openly gay life, he quickly learned that while his life was no longer in danger, persecution of another kind was ever-present.

Speaking of God, We Don't Know Sh*t" (with Ex-pastor D.B. Ramsey)

Jul 26, 2022 D.B. Ramsey was theologically trained and spent many years preaching Christianity. Today, he's an agnostic, directly challenging the faith he once held dear.

Bach: Concerto in A Minor | Labèque Sisters, Ottavio Dantone, Luca Guglielmi & Il Giardino Armonico

Jul 31, 2022 It is a spectacle for four keyboard instruments: Johann Sebastian Bach's Concerto for four harpsichords, strings and basso continuo in A minor (BWV 1065), here in a version for two fortepiani and 2 harpsichords. Performed by Katia and Marielle Labèque (fortepiani), Ottavio Dantone and Luca Guglielmi (harpsichords), and the Il Giardino Armonico ensemble, conducted by Giovanni Antonini. The concert was held in 2000 at the Musikverein, Vienna.

After Homophobic Assault, Gay Middle Eastern Man Refuses to Hide. “Yes, I Identify as a Gay Man.”

Nov 10, 2021 The last summer before moving from Saudi Arabia to the United States, Jawad Bandar came out to his close friends. They all seemed to take it well - or so he thought. On one of his last nights in Saudi Arabia, Jawad was threatened by a group of men wielding bats. Though he escaped harm’s way, he later found out that his would-be attackers were tipped off by some people he thought were his friends. Rather than hide or retreat to the closet, Jawad took a different approach - upon relocating to Dearborn, Michigan, Jawad began living life as an open and unapologetically gay man.

After 350 Years, Sea Gives Up Lost Jewels of Spanish Shipwreck

THE OBSERVER: Marine archaeologists stunned by priceless cache long hidden beneath the Bahamas’ shark-infested waters

Gold, jewellery and coins from the debris trail of the Maravillas. Photograph: Brendan Chavez
It was a Spanish galleon laden with treasures so sumptuous that its sinking in the Bahamas in 1656 sparked repeated salvage attempts over the next 350 years. So when another expedition was launched recently, few thought that there could be anything left – but exquisite, jewel-encrusted pendants and gold chains are among spectacular finds that have now been recovered, having lain untouched on the seabed for hundreds of years.

The Nuestra Señora de las Maravillas (Our Lady of Wonders) went down on the western side of the Little Bahama Bank, over 70km offshore, but the newly discovered treasures were found across a vast debris trail spanning more than 13km. » | Dalya Alberge | Sunday, July 31, 2022

Bully or Bullied? The New Royal Scandal Surrounding Meghan Markle | 60 Minutes Australia

Jul 31, 2022 Buckingham Palace is full of ornate decor but its most useful treasure is its magnificently woven carpet. It's perfect to sweep royal scandals under. The latest one involves serious allegations the Duchess of Sussex intimidated and belittled her staffers. When the claims were first reported, the palace announced it was conducting an enquiry, but now it's said it won't release the findings. That's left many wondering what was uncovered. Could it be that the facts really reveal instead of being the bully, Meghan is actually the one who's been bullied?

Le roi du Maroc tend une nouvelle fois la main à l’Algérie

LE MONDE : Dans son adresse à la nation, Mohammed VI a « une nouvelle fois » appelé au rapprochement entre les deux pays, qui s’opposent sur le statut du Sahara occidental.

Photo officielle du roi Mohammed VI s’adressant à la nation, depuis le palais royal, le 30 juillet 2022 à Rabat. HANDOUT / AFP
Lors du discours traditionnel marquant l’anniversaire de son accession au trône, le roi du Maroc, Mohammed VI, a tendu « une fois de plus » sa main à l’Algérie, malgré la rupture des relations entre les deux voisins maghrébins. « Nous aspirons à œuvrer avec la présidence algérienne pour que le Maroc et l’Algérie puissent travailler, main dans la main, à l’établissement de relations normales entre deux peuples frères », a affirmé le souverain dans un discours radiotélévisé à la nation, samedi 30 juillet.

« Je souligne une fois de plus que les frontières qui séparent le peuple marocain et le peuple algérien frères ne seront jamais des barrières empêchant leur interaction et leur entente », a-t-il souligné, en exhortant les Marocains à « préserver l’esprit de fraternité, de solidarité et de bon voisinage à l’égard de [leurs] frères algériens ». L’an dernier, il avait déjà choisi de s’adresser à l’opinion algérienne, en pleine crise avec Alger. » | Le Monde avec AFP | dimanche 31 juillet 2022

How the Kremlin Is Forcing Ukrainians to Adopt Russian Life

THE NEW YORK YIMES: In Russian-occupied regions in Ukraine, local leaders are forcing civilians to accept Russian rule. Next come sham elections that would formalize Vladimir V. Putin’s claim that they are Russian territories.

Russian soldiers on the shore of the Black Sea in Skadovsk, a city in the Kherson region in southern Ukraine. | Sergei Ilnitsky/EPA, via Shutterstock
They have handed out Russian passports, cellphone numbers and set-top boxes for watching Russian television. They have replaced Ukrainian currency with the ruble, rerouted the internet through Russian servers and arrested hundreds who have resisted assimilation.

In ways big and small, the occupying authorities on territory seized by Moscow’s forces are using fear and indoctrination to compel Ukrainians to adopt a Russian way of life. “We are one people,” blue-white-and-red billboards say. “We are with Russia.”

Now comes the next act in President Vladimir V. Putin’s 21st-century version of a war of conquest: the grass-roots “referendum.”

Russia-appointed administrators in towns, villages and cities like Kherson in Ukraine’s south are setting the stage for a vote as early as September that the Kremlin will present as a popular desire in the region to become part of Russia. They are recruiting pro-Russia locals for new “election commissions” and promoting to Ukrainian civilians the putative benefits of joining their country; they are even reportedly printing the ballots already. » | Anton Troianovski, Valerie Hopkins, Marc Santora and Michael Schwirtz | Published: Saturday, July 30, 2022; Updated: Sunday, July 31, 2022

Alarm Grows as Orbán Prepares to Take ‘Pure Nazi’ Rhetoric to US

THE OBSERVER: Hungarian leader’s aide who quit over ‘race mixing’ remarks said his words have a chilling potential

Viktor Orbán appeared to backtrack on his comments last week, saying it was ‘a cultural problem’. Photograph: Michael Gruber/Getty Images
A longstanding adviser to Hungarian prime minister Viktor Orbán who resigned last week has warned him that his far-right rhetoric could have tragic consequences.

The Hungarian leader sparked a backlash at home and abroad with a recent speech in which he spoke out against “race mixing”. Soon after, Zsuzsa Hegedüs, a sociologist who has known Orbán for 20 years, handed in her resignation, criticising the prime minister for what she called a “pure Nazi” speech.

“I am a Jew. And our generation’s job is to stop anything like this because we have seen what happened. Not just with Jews. In Rwanda as well. Ethnic hatred leads to genocide,” said Hegedüs in an interview with the Observer.

Orbán’s speech came at a showpiece annual gathering in Romania last weekend, which the Hungarian leader often uses to make important announcements. During his speech, he said mixing between Europeans was acceptable, but Europeans mixing with non-Europeans created “mixed race” people.

“We are willing to mix with one another, but we do not want to become peoples of mixed race,” said Orbán. He added that western European countries where this was seen as acceptable are “no longer nations”. » | Flora Garamvolgyi and Shaun Walker in Budapest | Saturday, July 30, 2022

Entzückend

Delightful / Délicieux
Vielen Dank fürs köstliche Bild an gaykiss.tumblr.com auf Pinterest.

The Month in Brexit: Evidence of Continued Failure

Jul 30, 2022 We are 6 years on from the advisory referendum that was called solely for the purpose of healing the rift in the Tory Party. Not only has the result ironically led to the political death of 3 Tory Prime Ministers and soon undoubtedly a 4th, but it has also polarised England, at the same time as advancing the cause of independence for Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. A disunited Tory party and a disUnited Kingdom. And every month that goes by sees an increasing amount of damage to our country from Brexit. … Is there any hope for those of us wanting to build bridges back to Europe and regain Britain’s reputation as a law abiding, serious nation?

Besten Zwiebelrostbraten, lecker mit Soße - Schnelles Rezept | CALLEkocht

Jul 29, 2022 Zarter Zwiebelrostbraten lecker mit viel Soße und gebackenen Zwiebeln, nach meinem Rezept einfach und lecker selber machen. Beste Rumpsteaks vom Roastbeef - Rinderrücken - sind das Geheimnis.

Zutaten:

2 Rumpsteaks
3 Zwiebeln
5 cl Portwein
1 EL Paprika
1 EL Mehl
300 ml Gemüsebrühe
Öl

Steak richtig braten. Rezept um bestes Rumpsteak zubereiten

Michael Lambert : BREXIT - It's Going to Get a Lot Worse!

Jul 30, 2022 Brexit is about to get a lot worse. Whilst Sunak and Truss battle to see which of them will be the fourth prime minister to have their career ruined by Brexit, the British economy continues to deteriorate. Whilst many other countries have suffered from the effects of Russia's invasion of Ukraine, the UK has the additional and much more damaging effect of Brexit to contend with.

The loss of exports now that small and medium sized businesses can no longer export to the EU combined with the shortage of hundreds of thousands of essential workers who previously came from the EU is seriously damaging the economy.

Would be prime ministers Sunak, Truss and Starmer all claim to have plans to boost the economy but with very little hope of success. The damage done to the UK economy by Brexit is unlikely ever to be undone and our reputation in the world is now much diminished.

Mont Blanc: Gipfel-Streit | Crazy Borders | ARTE

Jul 10, 2022 Welche Nationalität hätte ein Baby, das auf dem Mont Blanc zur Welt käme? "Ein Franzose!", würden die Franzosen antworten. "Ein Italiener!", die Italiener. Denn die beiden Länder streiten sich über den Verlauf der Grenze am höchsten Berg Europas. Eine Geschichte von Königen, Kaisern, Bergsteigern und - wer glaubt's - einem Whirlpool auf dem Gipfel. Willkommen bei Crazy Borders!

The Pope's Health: I Could Step Down - But Not Yet, Says Pontiff

Read the article here.

Bees Gees : Fanny (Be Tender with My Love)

Aug 8, 2018 Provided to YouTube by Universal Music Group | Views on YouTube: 3,810,742

Démission de Boris Johnson : la chute de « M. Brexit »

LE MONDE – ÉDITORIAL : Les trois années du premier ministre britannique à Downing Street, si l’histoire les retient, resteront comme une période de régression politique, économique et sociale lors de laquelle il aura affaibli le Royaume-Uni et le continent européen tout entier.

Il avait commencé sa carrière de journaliste en 1989 en inventant de toutes pièces une citation. Il a dû terminer son mandat de premier ministre, jeudi 7 juillet, après un ultime mensonge public. Boris Johnson aimait se comparer à d’illustres dirigeants britanniques comme Benjamin Disraeli et Winston Churchill. Les trois années qu’il a passées à Downing Street, si l’histoire les retient, resteront comme une période de régression politique, économique et sociale dans l’une des plus vivantes démocraties du monde.

En isolant son pays de l’Europe, en s’accrochant jusqu’au bout au pouvoir en dépit des alertes de ses propres amis et de la perte de confiance des électeurs, M. Johnson aura affaibli le Royaume-Uni, et, partant, le continent européen tout entier.

Que le flamboyant « BoJo » chute pour avoir pris des libertés avec la vérité et méprisé les règles ne devrait surprendre personne. Ces traits saillants de sa personnalité étaient fréquemment relevés bien avant qu’il n’accède au pouvoir, en juillet 2019. Son dilettantisme et son arrogance ont longtemps été masqués par sa tignasse savamment rebelle, son anticonformisme d’enfant gâté, son réel talent d’amuseur et son cynisme sans limites. » | Éditorial « du Monde » | vendredi 8 juillet 2022

Read in English.

Boris Johnson : de la victoire éclatante à la chute chaotique, trois ans de turbulences : Après avoir remporté son pari sur le Brexit et s’être imposé à Downing Street, le premier ministre britannique, en dépit de quelques réussites, s’est retrouvé empêtré dans les scandales à répétition. »

Simon & Garfunkel : The Boxer | Audio

Views on YouTube: 71,812,948

Spain Reports First Death in Europe Related to Monkeypox Outbreak

THE GUARDIAN: Announcement on Friday follows report hours earlier from Brazil of first such death outside Africa

Spain has reported what is thought to be Europe’s first monkeypox-related death in the current outbreak of the disease.

Brazil reported earlier on Friday the first monkeypox-related death outside Africa in the current wave.

According to a World Health Organization report from 22 July, only five deaths had been reported worldwide, all in Africa. » | Reuters in Madrid | Friday, July 29, 2022

En Ukraine, bain de sang dans la prison d’Olenivka, située dans la zone occupée par la Russie

LE MONDE : Plus de 50 membres de forces ukrainiennes ayant défendu l’usine Azovstal de Marioupol jusqu’à la reddition face à l’armée russe étaient détenus dans cette prison, touchée par des tirs de missiles dont la provenance est floue. Ukraine et Russie se rejettent la responsabilité du carnage.

Un massacre s’est déroulé très tôt vendredi 29 juillet, dans la prison d’Olenivka, à 15 km de la ligne de front, côté zone occupée par la Russie. Des explosions ont dévasté un bâtiment de la colonie pénitentiaire où sont détenus depuis mai plusieurs centaines de militaires ukrainiens faits prisonniers lors de la reddition de l’usine sidérurgique d’Azovstal, à Marioupol. Selon les autorités d’occupation russe, qui ont promis de traduire en justice une partie des prisonniers, l’attaque a tué 53 prisonniers et en a blessé 75 autres. Lors de la reddition, le président ukrainien, Volodymyr Zelensky, avait promis d’échanger très rapidement les prisonniers d’Azovstal, considérés par beaucoup d’Ukrainiens comme des héros, contre des prisonniers de guerre russes. » | Par Emmanuel Grynszpan | vendredi 29 juillet 2022

Article réservé aux abonnés

Trump Rages as Fox News Turns on MAGAWorld

Jul 29, 2022 The tug-of-war within Fox News continues as the network ignores a Trump speech to air Ron DeSantis instead. The former President hitting back and reportedly “tracking which hosts he can count on.” MSNBC’s Ari Melber reports on the devastating shift for Trump. Lincoln Project co-founder Rick Wilson joins, adding: “Trump] sits in Mar-A-Lago and throws things at the walls every time he sees DeSantis on Fox, which is about every 35 seconds now. He is the guy Rupert [Murdoch] has picked…"

Bin Salman in Paris: 'Impossible to Host MBS and Have Human Rights on Agenda' • FRANCE 24 English

Jul 29, 2022 French President Emmanuel Macron hosts Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman (MBS) on Thursday, part of increased Western efforts to court the major oil-producing state amid the war in Ukraine and faltering talks to revive a nuclear deal with Iran.

French opposition figures and human rights groups have criticised Macron's decision to invite to dinner at the Elysee a man that Western leaders believe ordered the murder in 2018 of prominent Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi.

'It's impossible to host MBS and have human rights on agenda', ALQST's Lina Al-Hathloul said. #MBS #Al-Hathloul #SaudiArabia



Liens associés /Verwandt.

Macron rollt dem saudischen Kronprinzen in Paris den roten Teppich aus: Der französische Staatspräsident Emmanuel Macron hat Mohammed bin Salman zum Diner im Élysée-Palast empfangen. Die linke Opposition und Menschenrechtsorganisationen sind entsetzt und erinnern an den Mord an Khashoggi. »

Giacomo Puccini : La Bohème | Highlights

Renata Tebaldi; Carlo Bergonzi; Ettore Bastianini;

Moussaka - How One Of Greece's Most Traditional Dishes Is Made | DW Food

Jul 29, 2022 If you've ever been to Greece, you've likely sampled the most Greek of all dishes – moussaka! It’s traditionally made with eggplant, potatoes, ground beef, and béchamel sauce. A cornerstone of Greek cuisine, it’s as popular with visitors as it is with the locals.

Mohammed Ben Salman : une visite embarrassante

LE MONDE – ÉDITORIAL : Jeudi 28 juillet, Emmanuel Macron a accueilli le prince héritier saoudien à l’Elysée, à Paris. Cette rencontre avec « MBS », suspecté d’avoir commandité l’assassinat de Jamal Khashoggi, fragilise la cohérence d’ensemble de la parole de la France sur les sujets internationaux.

La torpeur de l’été n’a pas empêché de braquer les projecteurs sur la visite à Paris du prince héritier saoudien, Mohammed Ben Salman (« MBS »), la première au sein de l’Union européenne depuis l’assassinat, en 2018, du journaliste du Washington Post Jamal Khashoggi. Le fils du roi Salman est suspecté par les services de renseignement américains d’avoir commandité ce meurtre particulièrement sordide, perpétré à l’intérieur du consulat d’Arabie saoudite à Istanbul. L’affaire s’est soldée par une parodie de justice, dont « MBS » est sorti blanchi.

Après un passage par Athènes, le prince héritier a été reçu, jeudi 28 juillet, pour un dîner de travail avec Emmanuel Macron. La rencontre a provoqué un concert d’indignations de la part des organisations de défense des droits de l’homme, que les arguments de realpolitik invoqués par l’Elysée en plein conflit russo-ukrainien n’ont pas réussi à couvrir. » | Éditorial « du Monde » | vendredi 29 juillet 2022

Verwandter Link auf Deutsch.

Liens connexes en français.

Mel Gibson: Vergöttert und verteufelt | Doku HD | ARTE

Jul 28, 2022 Der in Amerika geborene und in Australien aufgewachsene Schauspieler war in den 80er Jahren durch die Filmreihen „Mad Max“ und „Lethal Weapon“ bekannt geworden; für seinen Film „Braveheart“, bei dem er Regie geführt hatte, wurde er mit dem Oscar ausgezeichnet. Gibson gilt als einer der mächtigsten Männer in Hollywood, der Millionengagen einstreicht. In Rankings taucht er immer wieder als einer der einflussreichsten Schauspieler auf. Mit seiner Ehefrau Robyn und seinen sieben Kindern lebt er ein scheinbar glückliches Familienleben auf einer 320 Hektar großen Farm, einige Hundert Kilometer von Melbourne. Das versteckte Haus trägt den Namen „Carinya“ – „glücklicher Ort“ in der Sprache der Aborigines.

Dann gerät mit seinem Film „Die Passion Christi“ seine Karriere ins Wanken. Der Spielfilm ist zwar ein Erfolg, doch es kommt zu heftigen Protesten; dem Drehbuch werden von jüdischen Organisationen antisemitische Untertöne vorgeworfen. Es ist der Beginn eines tiefen Falls: Gibson macht durch antisemitische und diskriminierende Äußerungen, Alkoholsucht, Scheidung und häusliche Gewalt regelmäßig Schlagzeilen, so dass sich Hollywood schließlich von ihm abwendet. Die Oscarnominierung als bester Regisseur 2017 für seinen Film „Hacksaw Ridge – Die Entscheidung“ und eine Fortsetzung von „Leathal Weapon“ scheinen sein Comeback einzuläuten. In seinem neuesten Projekt wendet er sich wieder einer religiösen Thematik zu, obwohl das schon einmal seine Karriere getrübt hat. „Resurrection“, „Auferstehung“, heißt der Film – eine Fortsetzung von „Die Passion Christi“, in der es um das Leben des Messias nach Leidensweg und Kreuzigung gehen soll. Gibson, der Auferstandene? Symbolträchtiger für seine eigene Biografie geht es wohl kaum.

Video auf YouTube verfügbar bis 14/08/2022

Evgeny Lebedev Wanted Private Russia Trip for Johnson When Mayor of London

THE GUARDIAN: Weekend trip was discussed in 2013 at Moscow dinner with London mayor’s chief of staff and Lebedev’s ex-KGB agent father

Evgeny Lebedev and Boris Johnson at an awards ceremony in London in 2009. Photograph: Ian West/PA
The Evening Standard owner, Evgeny Lebedev, sought to organise a private weekend trip in Russia in June 2014 for Boris Johnson when he was London mayor, according to emails newly disclosed under freedom of information laws.

The unusual excursion, at one point discussed over dinner in Moscow by Johnson’s then chief of staff, Edward Lister, and Evgeny’s father, Alexander, would have been tacked on to the end of an official visit to Moscow and St Petersburg.

Ultimately, the proposed trip, with its two-day “personal leg”, did not go ahead. But emails sent the previous autumn show there was enthusiasm on both sides for a holiday that sheds fresh light on the relationship between Johnson, Evgeny Lebedev and his father, a former colonel in the KGB.

Evgeny Lebedev’s chief of staff wrote directly to Lister on 7 August 2013 to begin outlining a trip by Johnson to Russia in June the following year. The email makes clear the two had already discussed the idea.

“He is very happy to agree to a June date for the proposed visit to Russia,” the aide wrote. “In terms of the personal leg of the trip, he [Evgeny] was keen this happened at the tail end – ie the weekend following the ‘formal’ business.” » | Dan Sabbagh | Friday, July 29, 2022

Boris Johnson and the Lebedevs: how I exposed the prime minister’s defining scandal: The ties between the PM and an ex-KGB officer, first revealed in the Observer three years ago, could be Johnson’s lasting legacy »

Das Erbe der Sowjetunion | TRACKS East | ARTE

Jul 26, 2022 "Tracks" wühlt tief – und topaktuell – im Morast der Geschichte. Denn ein Gespenst geht um: Die Sowjetunion! Vor 30 Jahren brach der einst größte Staatenclub der Erde auseinander. Träumt noch jemand – außer Wladimir Putin – von alter Macht und Größe, von Repression und Kontrolle, von Gefängnis für Gegner? Gibt es in Russland auch Leute unter 60, die sich die UdSSR zurückwünschen?

In Russland ist die Erinnerung an vergangene Zeiten allgegenwärtig – ein vom Kreml gewolltes Vehikel für Patriotismus. Am 9. Mai, dem Gedenktag des Sieges über Nazi-Deutschland, zieht Wladimir Putin eine direkte Verbindung zum Angriffskrieg gegen die Ukraine. Eine Oma, die im Donbass mit einer SU-Flagge wedelt, wird zum Symbol der Kriegstreiber und prangt in Sowjet-Manier überlebensgroß auf Häuserwänden. Das Regime weiß um die Macht der Bilder. Die Renaissance des Sowjetischen findet auch in der Gesellschaft statt – KGB-Methoden kehren zurück. Wer offen gegen den Krieg ist, kann verleumdet oder verhaftet werden. Auch das Private ist wieder politisch: Polizisten durchsuchen Smartphones nach kritischen Statements in sozialen Medien. Eltern denunzieren ihre Kinder, der Theaterregisseur Vsevolod Lisovsky führt Stücke inoffiziell auf der Straße auf. Er sagt: “Ein Klima der Angst macht sich breit, das viele an die 70er Jahre des letzten Jahrhunderts erinnert”. Manizha, 2021 noch gefeierte Vertreterin Russlands beim ESC, engagiert sich heute gegen den Krieg. Nach einem Shitstorm rechnet sie mit Auftrittsverbot. Ein Journalist, der anonym bleiben will, zeichnet ein bedrückendes Bild der neuen Realität in Russland.

In der Ukraine möchte man das verhasste Erbe loswerden: Russische oder sowjetische Bauten sollen aus dem Land verbannt werden. Doch selbst in Kriegstagen warnen einige Architekten und Künstler davor, die Geschichte der Ukraine einfach umzuschreiben. Der Gegenentwurf: Transnistrien. Nirgendwo sonst ist die Dichte an Sowjet-Architektur und Lenin-Denkmälern größer als im abtrünnigen Landesteil der Republik Moldau. Andrey Smolenskiy organisiert hier touristische Führungen; trotz der angespannten Situation ist die Nachfrage groß.

Magazin (D 2022, 30 Min)
Video auf YouTube verfügbar bis 22/07/2023

Democracy Now! Top US News & World Headline – July 29, 2022

Macrons herzlicher Händedruck

Der französische Präsident Emmanuel Macron und der saudische Kronprinz Muhamad Bin Salman am Donnerstag in Paris | Bild: Getty
SAUDISCHER KRONPRINZ IN PARIS
FRANKFURTER ALLGEMEINE ZEITUNG: Der saudische Kronprinz Muhammad Bin Salman war in Europa lange geächtet. Er soll die Ermordung des Journalisten Khashoggi gebilligt haben. Emmanuel Macron empfing ihn jetzt ungewöhnlich herzlich in Paris.

Mit einem langen Händedruck vor den Kameras im Innenhof des Elysée-Palastes hat Emmanuel Macron dem saudischen Kronprinzen Muhammad Bin Salman am Donnerstagabend einen ungewöhnlich herzlichen Empfang bereitet. „Wir beglückwünschen uns zum verstärkten Austausch zwischen dem Königreich Saudi-Arabien und Frankreich“, heißt es im Abschlusskommuniqué, das am Freitag veröffentlicht wurde.

Bei ihrer Begegnung in Dschidda Mitte Juli hatten der amerikanische Präsident Joe Biden und Bin Salman nur kurz die Fäuste zur Begrüßung aneinandergestoßen. Biden gab sich sichtlich Mühe, distanziert aufzutreten, während Macron in Paris lange Minuten für die Kameras mit Bin Salman posierte und sich ein zweites Mal für die Fotografen mit dem Gast aus Saudi-Arabien an der gläsernen Eingangstür zum Elysée-Palast aufstellte. Der Kronprinz wurde vom Präsidenten zu einem Abendessen unter vier Augen empfangen, wie das Präsidialamt mitteilte. Zeitgleich fand ein Abendessen der wichtigsten Minister mit ihren saudischen Counterparts statt. » | Von Michaela Wiegel in Paris | Freitag, 29. Juli 2022

Um diesen Artikel weiterlesen zu können, müsste man normalerweise zur Zeitung abonniert sein. Im Moment hat FAZ ein spezielles Angebot: Zugang zu allen F+ Artikeln 2,95 € / Woche jetzt 30 Tage kostenfrei testen Alles ist mit einem Klick kündbar. Um zu profitieren, bitte hier klicken.

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The Rouble Is Soaring and Putin Is Stronger Than Ever - Our Sanctions Have Backfired

THE GUARDIAN: Energy prices are rocketing, inflation is soaring and millions are being starved of grain. Surely Johnson knew this would happen?

Western sanctions against Russia are the most ill-conceived and counterproductive policy in recent international history. Military aid to Ukraine is justified, but the economic war is ineffective against the regime in Moscow, and devastating for its unintended targets. World energy prices are rocketing, inflation is soaring, supply chains are chaotic and millions are being starved of gas, grain and fertiliser. Yet Vladimir Putin’s barbarity only escalates – as does his hold over his own people.

To criticize western sanctions is close to anathema. Defence analysts are dumb on the subject. Strategy thinktanks are silent. Britain’s putative leaders, Liz Truss and Rishi Sunak, compete in belligerent rhetoric, promising ever tougher sanctions without a word of purpose. Yet, hint at scepticism on the subject and you will be excoriated as “pro-Putin” and anti-Ukraine. Sanctions are the war cry of the west’s crusade.

The reality of sanctions on Russia is that they invite retaliation. Putin is free to freeze Europe this winter. He has slashed supply from major pipelines such as Nord Stream 1 by up to 80%. World oil prices have surged and eastern Europe’s flow of wheat and other foodstuffs to Africa and Asia has been all but suspended.

Britain’s domestic gas bills face tripling inside a year. The chief beneficiary is none other than Russia, whose energy exports to Asia have soared, driving its balance of payments into unprecedented surplus. The rouble is one of the world’s strongest currencies this year, having strengthened since January by nearly 50%. Moscow’s overseas assets have been frozen and its oligarchs have relocated their yachts, but there is no sign that Putin cares. He has no electorate to worry him. » | Simon Jenkins | Friday, January 29, 2022

Daniil Trifonov : Barcarolle in F sharp major, Op. 60 [Chopin Competition 2010]

The XVI International Chopin Piano Competition: Second Stage

Ina Garten Makes Perfect Roast Chicken | Food Network

The Barefoot Contessa shares her recipe for perfect roast chicken with vegetables.

Ingredients:

1 (5 - 6 lb) roasting chicken
Kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper
1 large bunch fresh thyme, plus 20 sprigs
1 lemon, halved
1 head garlic, cut in half crosswise
2 tablespoons (1/4 stick) butter, melted
1 large yellow onion, thickly sliced
4 carrots cut into 2-inch chunks
1 bulb of fennel, tops removed, and cut into wedgesr
Olive oil

Directions / Method:

Preheat the oven to 425F [220C].

Remove the chicken giblets. Rinse the chicken inside and out. Remove any excess fat and leftover pin feathers and pat the outside dry. Liberally salt and pepper the inside of the chicken.

Stuff the cavity with the bunch of thyme, both halves of lemon, and all the garlic. Brush the outside of the chicken with the butter and sprinkle again with salt and pepper. Tie the legs together with kitchen string and tuck the wing tips under the body of the chicken.

Place the onions, carrots, and fennel in a roasting pan. Toss wiih salt, pepper, 20 sprigs of thyme, and olive oil. Spread around the bottom of the roasting pan and place the chicken on top.

Roast the chicken for 1 1/2 hours, or until the juices run clear when you cut between a leg and thigh. Remove the chicken and vegetables to a platter and cover with aluminum foil for about 20 minutes. Slice the chicken onto a platter and serve it with the vegetables.

Copyright 1999, The Barefoot Contessa Cookbook, All Rights Reserved

Lionel Richie : Say You, Say Me

Jul 31, 2018 Provided to YouTube by Universal Music Group | Views on YouTube: 20,204,975

Intime, zärtliche Momente

Intimate, tender moments / Moments intimes et tendres
Fürs schöne, ausdrucksvolle Bild bedanke ich mich bei Szymonss auf Pinterest.

Taiwan Prepares for Possible Chinese Invasion (1997)

Jul 29, 2022 The Last Domino (1997): Following the handover of Hong Kong, China has turned its eyes towards the democratic island of Taiwan. It's enough to send a shiver of fear down the spines of all Taiwanese. They know they could be next and military exercises send a clear signal they are prepared to fight.

Xi Jinping a averti Joe Biden de ne « pas jouer avec le feu » à propos de Taïwan

LE MONDE : L’entretien de deux heures entre les deux dirigeants est leur cinquième sommet virtuel depuis l’élection de M. Biden, en novembre 2020. Il a été, selon l’agence Chine nouvelle, « sincère et approfondi ».

Le président américain, Joe Biden, discute avec le président chinois, Xi Jinping, lors d’un précédent sommet virtuel, à la Maison Blanche, à Washington, en novembre 2021. JONATHAN ERNST / REUTERS
Le président américain, Joe Biden, et son homologue chinois, Xi Jinping, ont discuté, jeudi 28 juillet, par téléphone pendant plus de deux heures, et abordé notamment les tensions croissantes entre leurs deux pays au sujet de Taïwan et de leurs différends commerciaux.

Un média d’Etat chinois a rapporté un entretien « sincère et approfondi », au cours duquel le président chinois a averti son homologue américain de ne « pas jouer avec le feu » à propos de Taïwan. « Ceux qui jouent avec le feu finissent par se brûler, a dit M. Xi à M. Biden, cité par l’agence Chine nouvelle. J’espère que la partie américaine comprend parfaitement cela. »

A ce sujet, M. Biden a, de son côté, affirmé que la position américaine n’avait « pas changé », selon la Maison Blanche. Le président américain a ajouté que « les Etats-Unis s’oppos[aient] fermement aux efforts unilatéraux pour modifier le statut ou menacer la paix et la stabilité dans le détroit de Taïwan », a fait savoir l’exécutif américain dans un communiqué. » | Le Monde avec AFP | jeudi 18 juillet 2022

US Supreme Court Justice Mocks Prince Harry and Boris Johnson’s Criticism of Roe v Wade Ruling

THE GUARDIAN: Samuel Alito, who authored the argument overturning the landmark case, dismisses complaints by foreign leaders at conference in Rome

US supreme court justice Samuel Alito on a banner attacking his position on Roe v Wade. He has mocked critics of his stance on abortion. Photograph: Jacquelyn Martin/AP
US supreme court justice Samuel Alito has mocked prominent figures around the world who have criticised last month’s ruling that overturned Roe v Wade, the landmark 1973 abortion rights decision.

In his first public remarks since the decision, which has led to various conservative US states imposing abortion bans, Alito dismissed criticism of the ruling, which has come from the likes of British prime minister Boris Johnson, French president Emmanuel Macron and Canadian prime minister Justin Trudeau.

Alito, a conservative justice, also took aim at Prince Harry who referenced the abortion ruling in a speech at the United Nation’s last week. » | Reuters | Friday, July 29, 2022

Democracy Now! Top US News & World Headlines – July 28, 2022

La visite du prince héritier saoudien « MBS » à l’Elysée provoque la colère des défenseurs des droits de l’homme

LE MONDE : Emmanuel Macron reçoit, jeudi soir, Mohammed ben Salmane, dont c’est la première visite en Europe depuis l’assassinat du journaliste Jamal Khashoggi par des agents saoudiens.

Le prince héritier saoudien, Mohammed Ben Salman, à Athènes, le 26 juillet 2022. LOUISA GOULIAMAKI / AFP
L’entente entre le royaume et la France ne passe pas inaperçue. Pour sa première visite en Europe depuis l’assassinat en 2018 du journaliste Jamal Khashoggi, Mohammed Ben Salman dîne, jeudi 28 juillet, avec Emmanuel Macron, suscitant la colère des défenseurs des droits de l’homme.

Cette venue en France est « une honte », a ainsi réagi sur Franceinfo Abdullah Alaoudh, directeur pour la région du Golfe de l’organisation Democracy for the Arab World Now, une organisation de défense des droits de l’homme américaine, dont Jamal Khashoggi avait eu l’idée, peu avant son assassinat. « Nous pensons que MBS cherche à blanchir ses crimes. Il a soutenu les leaders de la guerre en Libye et ailleurs, et qui a arrêté tant d’activistes, de défenseurs pacifiques et d’humoristes en Arabie saoudite », a-t-il souligné.

« Il y a vraiment une réhabilitation au niveau international de MBS. Et cet individu, c’est un meurtrier », a accusé Agnes Callamard, la secrétaire générale de l’ONG Amnesty International, sur France Inter. Cette dernière avait mené une enquête sur l’assassinat de Jamal Khashoggi, chroniqueur du Washington Post et critique du pouvoir saoudien, lorsqu’elle était rapporteure spéciale de l’ONU sur les exécutions extrajudiciaires. » | Le Monde avec AFP | jeudi 28 juillet 2022

Honneurs et tractations pour la visite à Paris de Mohammed Ben Salman, le prince héritier saoudien : Emmanuel Macron devait précipiter son retour de Guinée-Bissau, jeudi, pour un dîner de travail. Plusieurs paramètres expliquent les honneurs que l’Elysée lui accorde. »

Affaire Khashoggi : plainte à Paris contre le prince héritier saoudien : Deux ONG ont profité de la présence de « MBS » sur le sol français pour saisir le tribunal de Paris, sur la base de la compétence universelle. »

Top Ghanaian Doctors Use Misinformation to Train Nurses in ‘Conversion Therapy’

OPEN DEMOCRACY: Influential mental health figures call LGBTIQ identities ‘disease’ and ‘disorder’ – yet regulators remain silent

Leading Ghanaian doctors provided anti-LGBTIQ health misinformation and promoted controversial ‘conversion therapy’ practices at a workshop for medical professionals, openDemocracy has discovered.

The two-day workshop in the capital, Accra, on providing “treatment, care and support” for LGBTIQ people was run by the Ghana Registered Nurses and Midwives Association and aimed at nurses, psychologists, counsellors and midwives.

LGBTIQ people were described as “persons with sexual orientation and gender identity disorder”, and one speaker asked if homosexuality should be “rejected” as a vice treated “as a disease”. » | Khatondi Soita Wepukhulu | Thursday, July 28, 2022

China Vows ‘Serious Consequences’ If US Politician Nancy Pelosi Travels to Taiwan - BBC News

Jul 28, 2022 China has warned of "serious consequences" if US House of Representatives Speaker Nancy Pelosi were to proceed with her visit.

Second in line to the presidency, after the vice-president, Ms Pelosi would be the highest ranking US politician to travel to the island since 1997.

This has angered China, which sees self-ruled Taiwan as a breakaway province that must become a part of the country, and Beijing has not ruled out the possible use of force to achieve this.

The Lincoln Project : Really, Lindsey?

Jul 27, 2022 Tell us how you really feel, Lindsey.| Views on YouTube: 514,564

British Exporters Report Stagnating Trade as Post-Brexit Delays Blamed

THE GUARDIAN: Customs checks and border queues cited as leading barriers, as only 29% of firms say sales increased in Q2

Lorries queue in Dover, south-east England, on 16 February 2022. A survey of 2,600 exporters found Brexit ‘red tape’ had had a chilling effect on trade. Photograph: Glyn Kirk/AFP/Getty
Britain’s exporters have seen their overseas trade stagnate over the past year despite strong growth in domestic demand for their products and booming export markets, according to a survey.

The British Chambers of Commerce (BCC) said that a survey of 2,600 exporters found a quarter had suffered a fall in exports and another 46% reported no change.

Only 29% reported an increase in sales in the second quarter, down from the 40% that reported an increase in the first quarter.

Firms said Brexit was one of the main barriers to exports, after the introduction of customs checks and delays at the border.

William Bain, the BCC’s head of trade policy, said that since last summer UK exports have stalled to the EU and the rest of the world while many other leading exporting countries have enjoyed a boom. » | Phillip Inman | Thursday, July 28, 2022

Tom Daley Condemns Homophobia across Commonwealth ahead of Games

THE GUARDIAN: Gold-medallist’s comment comes ahead of opening ceremony in Birmingham on Friday

Tom Daley will not compete in the Commonwealth Games this year to spend more time with his family. Photograph: Gareth Cattermole/Getty Images for The National Lottery
The Olympic diver Tom Daley has condemned homophobia across Commonwealth nations ahead of the start of competition in the Commonwealth Games in Birmingham on Friday.

Daley, who won gold at the event in 2018, said: “Thirty-five out of the 56 Commonwealth member states criminalise same-sex relations. That’s half the countries in the world that outlaw homosexuality.

“Every single person should be free to live their true authentic self, no matter where they are born or who they are. We must all keep working until everyone is free and equal.” » | Jessica Murray, Midlands correspondent | Wednesday, July 27, 2022

Senior Tory Urges Liz Truss to Explain Deletion of Abortion Rights from Statement

THE GUARDIAN: Exclusive: Equalities committee chair Caroline Nokes joins international outcry after UK dilutes commitment to women’s rights without consultation

A senior Conservative MP has asked the foreign secretary, Liz Truss, to explain why the UK government appeared to perform a “sudden backtracking on women’s rights” after commitments to abortion and sexual health rights were removed from an official multi-nation statement on gender equality.

Caroline Nokes, who chairs the women and equalities select committee, has written to Truss, who is also the minister for women and equalities and a Tory leadership contender, asking why the key phrases relating to reproductive rights were deleted.

More than 20 countries had signed the original statement that resulted from a UK-hosted conference on freedom of religion and belief earlier this month. That version included a commitment to repeal laws that “allow harmful practices, or restrict women’s and girls’ … sexual and reproductive health and rights, bodily autonomy”. » | Lizzy Davies | Wednesday, July 27, 2022

Donald Trump Role in 2020 US Election Challenge Investigated by Prosecutors - BBC News

Jul 27, 2022 The US Justice department is examining Donald Trump's actions in connection with efforts to overturn the results of the 2020 election, US media say.

Federal prosecutors have reportedly asked witnesses directly about the behaviour of the former president, but so far they have chosen not to open a formal criminal investigation into Mr Trump himself, who denies any personal wrongdoing.

The news coincides with the former president’s first major speech since leaving office, where he addressed supporters in Washington.

Democracy Now! Top US News & World Headlines – July 27, 2022

Simon & Garfunkel : Cecilia | Audio

Views on YouTube: 5,753,647

British Wine Wholesaler ‘Leaves Brexitland for Good’ over Paperwork

THE GUARDIAN: Daniel Lambert, who supplies M&S, Waitrose and 300 independent retailers, to set up in France after £150,000 hole in revenue

Daniel Lambert: ‘People are being in effect barred from importing from Europe unless they pay brokers lots of money’
A British wine wholesaler who last year criticised Brexit as the biggest threat to his business in 30 years has decided to leave the UK after post-Brexit paperwork made a £150,000 hole in revenue.

Daniel Lambert, who supplies Marks & Spencer, Waitrose and 300 independent retailers, is moving to Montpellier in France later this week with his wife and two teenage children.

There he will set up a French company to export back to his own company in Wales.

He said the only way he could get around the “incredibly complicated” paperwork for importing alcohol was to establish a French company to export into the UK, and do the administration in the EU himself. » | Lisa O’Carroll, Brexit correspondent | Tuesday, July 26, 2022

The Conservative Party is bringing the economy to its knees on account of this ridiculous Brexit and all because Nigel Farage & Co were able to whip up anti-EU feeling among the Europhobes and the Brits who live in the past, and all this to give Boris Johnson the keys to Number 10 so that he could enjoy his five minutes of fame and glory—and what a mess he has made of that five minutes of fame and glory!—we all now have to suffer an economy which will continue to shrink far more than it otherwise would have. Moreover, successful companies such as the one written about in the article above are having to relocate from “Brexitland” and an untold number of businesses will have already even gone out of business altogether.

The Conservative Party in its current form has a cheek, a nerve, to call itself the party of business and commerce. It so clearly is no longer a business-friendly party at all. In fact, it seems to me that the party no longer understands modern commerce at all. Does it really deserve to survive? Doesn’t this once great country deserve a more modern, pro-EU party to enable British business to thrive once again and to enable British companies to trade easily with a single market, ‘The Single Market’, a market of 500,000,000+ consumers, the largest and greatest single market in the world, a market which is right on our doorstep?

Economic ignorance in today's Conservative Party beggars belief! – © Mark Alexander

Simon & Garfunkel : America | Audio

Views on YouTube: 4,839,727

Truss v Sunak: A Sorry Spectacle of Playground Bragging from a Party without a Purpose

THE GUARDIAN: When it comes to the most pressing issues for our nation, all this divided Tory party can do is repress, displace and deny

Rishi Sunak and Liz Truss. ‘There is no ballast of gravitas to level out the swagger, so it comes across as the overcompensating neurosis of careerist nerds.’ Photograph: WPA/Getty Images
The two candidates in the race to succeed Boris Johnson represent two parties, although the distinction between them is not acknowledged. Rishi Sunak is the candidate of conservatism as it was until 2019, when Theresa May’s government was still trying to reconcile Brexit ideology with the demands of economic and diplomatic reality. Liz Truss appeals to the successor movement, the “Boris” party, which resolved the tension by denying its existence.

That conflict is buried in a contest that purports to be about other things. Tax policy is the measurable difference between the two candidates and so it dominated Monday night’s TV debate. The lines are by now well-rehearsed: Truss wants immediate cuts; Sunak wants to wait. He says fiscal loosening will stoke inflation; she says it will unleash growth. He frets that lost revenues will mean less money for the NHS; she would borrow the shortfall.

But those positions are proxies for different notions of what it now means to be a Conservative. Sunak embraced the label of “bean counter” when Truss used it as a pejorative. He is styling himself as a frugal Tory of the old school. Truss accused him of sounding like Gordon Brown, wedded to outmoded Treasury rules. She would “take on the orthodoxy” – an appeal to the Johnsonian maverick spirit. » | Rafael Behr | Monday, July 25, 2022

First Truss-Sunak Tory leadership debate: five key takeaways: The rivals did not pull their punches, on the economy or China, as they kicked off a month of debates »

Truss and Sunak trade blows in acrimonious first TV debate: Leadership candidates ignored calls from fellow Conservatives not to ‘tarnish the brand’ as they wrangled over tax cuts, inflation and relations with China »

Succession de Boris Johnson : Liz Truss conforte son statut de favorite : La ministre des affaires étrangères a évité les faux pas lors du premier débat, lundi sur la BBC, avec l’ancien chancelier de l’Echiquier, Rishi Sunak. Les échanges entre les deux candidats au 10 Downing Street se sont concentrés sur la question du pouvoir d’achat au Royaume-Uni. »

Truss und Sunak liefern sich harten Schlagabtausch: Die Bewerber um die Nachfolge von Boris Johnson an der britischen Regierungsspitze streiten sich über die Steuerpolitik und China. Der frühere Finanzminister Sunak bezeichnet die Pläne von Außenministerin Truss als „nicht verantwortungsvoll und sicherlich nicht konservativ“. »

Stevie Wonder : I Just Called to Say I Love You | Reupload

Jul 26, 2018 Provided to YouTube by Universal Music Group | Views on YouTube: 26,901,920

Motion to Oppose Same-sex Marriage Forces Rethink of Anglican Summit

THE GUARDIAN: Division flares in run-up to first meeting of bishops from around world in 14 years

The archbishop of Canterbury, Justin Welby, faces a global Anglican community that is deeply divided on homosexuality. Photograph: Yui Mok/PA
The archbishop of Canterbury has been forced into a last-minute rethink of plans to ask Anglican bishops to oppose same-sex marriage when they meet this week for the first Lambeth conference – held in Canterbury – in 14 years.

Liberal Anglicans and gay rights campaigners in the Church of England voiced outrage after the conference recently circulated a series of “calls” – similar to motions – for the 650 bishops and archbishops from around the world to consider.

They included one that calls for a reaffirmation of a position that “upholds marriage as between a man and a woman”, that “legitimising or blessing of same-sex unions” cannot be advised, and that “it is the mind of the Anglican communion as a whole that same-gender marriage is not permissible”.

The bishop of Los Angeles, the Right Rev John H Taylor, was among those aghast at the call, warning the conference was on course to register support for a position that “divides, hurts, scapegoats and denies”. » | Robert Booth, Social affairs correspondent | Monday, July 25, 2022