Xi Jinping reçu en majesté en Arabie saoudite

LE MONDE : A Riyad pour trois jours, le numéro un chinois promeut une « nouvelle ère » dans les relations sino-arabes.

Xi Jinping et Mohammed Ben Salman, lors de la cérémonie d’accueil du président chinois à Riyad, la capitale saoudienne, le 8 décembre 2022. BANDAR AL-JALOUD / AFP
La scène a fait l’ouverture du journal télévisé chinois, jeudi 8 décembre, à 19 heures. On y voit le Boeing 747 d’Air China transportant Xi Jinping, d’abord escorté par quatre avions de chasse dans le ciel saoudien puis, une fois posé sur le tarmac à Riyad, survolé par six autres jets, laissant dans leur sillage une traînée rouge et jaune, les couleurs du drapeau chinois. Dans le même temps, vingt et un coups de canon saluent alors l’arrivée du président chinois.

Même si ni le roi Salman, ni le prince héritier Mohammed Ben Salman (« MBS ») n’étaient présents sur le tarmac pour accueillir le numéro un chinois, l’Arabie saoudite a réservé à celui-ci des honneurs auxquels le président américain Joe Biden n’avait pas eu droit lors de sa visite en juillet. Jeudi, une autre vidéo montre Xi Jinping descendre de sa berline chinoise Drapeau rouge escortée d’une garde d’honneur à cheval jusqu’au palais royal et serrant longuement la main du prince héritier. » | Par Frédéric Lemaître (Pékin, correspondant) | vendredi 9 décembre 2022

Article réservé aux abonnés

La majesté accordée à Xi Jinping par Mohammed bin Salman (MBS) lors de cette visite d'Etat n'augure rien de bon pour l'influence future des Etats-Unis, et par extension de l'Occident, dans le Golfe. L'éclipse future possible de l'influence américaine au Moyen-Orient laisse présager des changements majeurs à venir. – © Mark Alexander

Jeremy Hunt Sets Out Sweeping Reforms to Financial Sector

THE GUARDIAN: Chancellor says plans will ensure City ‘benefits from dynamic, proportionate regulation’

The chancellor has announced plans to reform and repeal a number of City regulations, including rules originally meant to protect the UK from another financial crisis, in order to “unlock” investment and “turbocharge” growth across the UK.

Jeremy Hunt’s package of more than 30 reforms was announced as he travelled to Edinburgh to meet a group of chief executives from banks and insurers, who the government hopes will be in a stronger position to grow and compete with international peers as a result of the deregulation drive.

The package, known as the “Edinburgh reforms”, is wide-ranging, spanning from plans to consult on a new central bank digital currency to changing tax rules for investment trusts involved in real estate, and reforming rules around short selling – where investors bet that the price of an asset will drop.

The government said it also plans to trial a new trading venue that would operate intermittently but allow companies to raise money from investors before officially floating shares on the public market. » | Kalyeena Makortoff, Banking correspondent | Friday, December 9, 2022

Yet more crap from the Tories! As if the financial sector weren’t already deregulated enough! Those regulations were put in place for a purpose! I fear that Hunt is setting us up well for another financial crisis in the not-too-distant future.

The Conservative Party has screwed up on a grand scale with Brexit. Through that catastrophic mistake, it has put this country in the slow lane re-economic growth. And now, the huge problem is being compounded with yet more mistakes.

I despair of this country! I should have fled this sinking ship several years ago. Alas, unfortunate circumstances—the death of my late partner—came in the way.

In my lifetime, British governments of whatever stripe have never been able to get the economy right. There have been some bright spots here and there, but on the whole, our economy has tanked. The pound sterling certainly has during the last century. Successive governments had a strategy. In economics, it is known as 'managed decline'. – © Mark Alexander

Harry and Meghan on Netflix: Royals 'Didn't Understand Need to Protect Meghan'

Some royals questioned why Meghan should be protected from press harassment, Prince Harry has claimed in the couple's new Netflix documentary.

Read the article here.

This whole thing smacks of two things to me: washing your dirty linen in public; and capitalizing on their position to rake in the dough.

With so many people really suffering these days, both at home and abroad, this spilling of the beans sounds rather nasty, petty and childlike. It is also rather unbecoming behaviour for members of the royal family. – © Mark Alexander

Capitalism Hits Home: How Disconnection Harms Us

Dec 8, 2022

Netflix Releases Long-awaited Harry and Meghan Documentary Series [Docuseries]

Dec 8, 2022 | The long-awaited Netflix documentary series about the couple has been released. Netflix is billing the six-part series as "an unprecedented and in-depth" look into their lives. Former Buckingham Palace spokesman Dickie Arbiter discusses what these series are all about.

Millions of Britons have worse grievances than the Sussexes do right now. But their critique of the royal family is damning »

‘A full house of the prince’s public indiscretions!’ What we learned from the Harry & Meghan documentary: From drugs to the Nazi uniform, the prince reveals too much, while Meghan reveals almost nothing – save for the fact that she’s a terrible poet. Largely, though, this is a three-hour teary snoozefest »

Harry & Meghan review – so sickening I almost brought up my breakfast: Although there are sweet moments alongside the vomit-inducing, the overriding message of this royal documentary is: the late Queen was right to keep stumm»

Bill to Protect Same-Sex Marriage Rights Clears Congress

THE NEW YORK TIMES: The House gave final approval to the measure, with lawmakers from both parties voting in favor. It now heads to President Biden to be signed into law.


The House gave final approval to the Respect for Marriage Act with both sides voting in favor of the legislation, which provides federal recognition for same-sex marriages. | Evelyn Hockstein/Reuters
WASHINGTON — The House on Thursday gave final approval to legislation to mandate federal recognition for same-sex marriages, with a bipartisan coalition of lawmakers voting in favor of the measure in the waning days of the Democratic-led Congress.

With a vote of 258-169, the landmark legislation cleared Congress, sending it to President Biden to be signed into law and capping an improbable path for a measure that only months ago appeared to have little chance at enactment.

Speaker Nancy Pelosi announced the tally triumphantly, banging the gavel repeatedly as if to applaud as members of the House cheered.

It was the second time in five months that the House had taken up the Respect for Marriage Act. Last summer, 47 House Republicans joined Democrats in support of the legislation, a level of G.O.P. enthusiasm for same-sex marriage rights that surprised and delighted its supporters. That set off an intensive effort among a bipartisan group of proponents in the Senate — boosted quietly by a coalition of influential Republican donors and operatives, some of them gay — to find the 10 Republican votes necessary in that chamber to move it forward. » | Annie Karni | Thursday, December 8, 2022

Aux Etats-Unis, le Congrès adopte une loi protégeant le mariage homosexuel : Le texte voté jeudi interdit aux agents d’état civil, quel que soit l’Etat, de discriminer les couples « en raison de leur sexe, race, ethnicité ou origine ». »

US-Kongress stimmt für Gesetz zum Schutz gleichgeschlechtlicher Ehen: Das Gesetz verpflichtet die Bundesstaaten zur Anerkennung aller Ehen, die andernorts legal geschlossen wurden. Gegenstimmen kamen ausschließlich von Seiten der Republikaner. »

The Guardian View on Israel’s Threat within: Rightwing Extremism in Government

THE GUARDIAN: – EDITORIAL Benjamin Netanyahu is playing with fire by giving racist politicians control over the police and the occupied territories

The Likud chairman, Benjamin Netanyahu (left), and the Religious Zionist party leader, Bezalel Smotrich, stand behind the Israeli PM, Yair Lapid, in the Knesset. Photograph: Tsafrir Abayov/AP
The crisis in the Holy Land is once again at “boiling point”, with blood being spilled on both sides. Tor Wennesland, the UN’s peace envoy, did not mince his words to the security council this week. The rising death toll in the West Bank, the worst since 2006, is roiling the waters. Since January, about 140 Palestinians have been killed in this territory, nearly all by Israeli forces. Palestinian attacks targeting Israelis have left 30 dead.

Days earlier, Mr Wennesland had been “horrified” by the fatal shooting of an unarmed Palestinian man during a scuffle with an Israeli border police officer. The macabre video of the killing revealed he was right to be alarmed. Yet rather than upbraiding the officer for a public execution, the incoming national security minister, Itamar Ben-Gvir, from the far-right Jewish Power party, hailed him as a hero. » | Editorial | Wednesday, December 7, 2022

What Macron Sees in Putin’s Eyes | 60 Minutes

Dec 5, 2022 | In 2001, President George W. Bush famously said he looked into Putin’s eyes and saw his soul. What does the French president now see in those eyes?

Related video here.

Syed Rizvi - Sixty Years as an Ex-Muslim

Nov 14, 2017 | An ex-Muslim for more than sixty years, Syed Rizvi's path to non-belief is a story as old as the partition of India. With the wisdom of more than eighty years guiding him, Syed Rizvi shares a small party off his journey out of faith.

You can donate to EXMNA here.

Celine Dion Postpones Tour Dates as She Reveals Incurable Health Condition

Celine Dion had a mega hit with the power ballad My Heart Will Go On | GETTY IMAGES
BBC: Celine Dion has revealed she has been diagnosed with Stiff Person Syndrome (SPS), a rare neurological disorder with features of an autoimmune disease.

The French Canadian singer told her 5.2m Instagram followers the condition makes her muscles spasm uncontrollably.

It has also left her with difficulties walking and singing, she said, meaning she will be unable to play planned shows in the UK and Europe next year.

"I've been dealing with problems with my health for a long time," said Dion. (With an emotional video) » | Paul Glynn, Entertainment reporter | Thursday, December 8, 2022

This is sad news! Céline Dion is such a great singer and entertainer. It is to be hoped that she will be able to be very much better soon. Good health! Santé ! – Mark

What Is Stiff Person Syndrome? : Celine Dion canceled her upcoming tour after being diagnosed with this rare neurological condition. Here’s what we know. »

Les préservatifs seront gratuits pour les 18-25 ans en pharmacie à partir du 1er janvier, annonce Emmanuel Macron

LE MONDE : « C’est une petite révolution de prévention », a commenté le président de la République, en déplacement dans la Vienne pour une session du Conseil national de la refondation.

Emmanuel Macron a annoncé jeudi 8 décembre que les préservatifs seront gratuits en pharmacie pour les jeunes de 18 à 25 ans à compter du 1er janvier. » | Le Monde avec AFP | jeudi 8 décembre 2022

En Indonésie, les rapports sexuels extraconjugaux sont devenus illégaux et criminalisés ; en France, le gouvernement va offrir des préservatifs gratuits aux jeunes de 18 à 25 ans à partir du 1er janvier. Naturellement, c'est une approche totalement différente ! Ce n'est pas surprenant puisque la France est une société libre, ouverte, laïque et démocratique. L'Indonésie, en revanche, est tout à fait différente. – © Mark Alexander

Les préservatifs seront également gratuits pour les mineurs, annonce Emmanuel Macron : Jeudi, le président de la République avait déclaré que les 18-25 ans pourraient, dès 2023, s’en procurer gratuitement en pharmacie, sans ordonnance. »

Etats-Unis : Donald Trump, serial loser

LE MONDE – ÉDITORIAL : La nouvelle campagne de l’ancien président américain pour la Maison Blanche en 2024 débute sous les pires auspices. Décisions de justice défavorables, condamnation de la Trump Organization pour fraude fiscale, polémique après un dîner avec Kanye West… Donald Trump collectionne les déboires.

Si, aux Etats-Unis, les républicains les plus obtus en doutaient encore, la réélection du démocrate Raphael Warnock à son poste de sénateur de Géorgie, le 6 décembre, en a apporté une preuve supplémentaire : Donald Trump est bien un poids qui tire le Grand Old Party vers le fond.

Qu’on en juge. Dans cet Etat qui a été au cœur de la bataille conduite par ce dernier pour contester des résultats de la présidentielle de 2020, les candidats républicains sortants aux postes de gouverneur et de secrétaire d’Etat, accablés de reproches pour n’avoir pas alors tordu les résultats en sa faveur, l’ont aisément emporté au cours des élections de mi-mandat, le 8 novembre. » | Éditorial « du Monde » | jeudi 8 décembre 2022

Read in English here.

Emmanuel Macron: The 60 Minutes Interview

Dec 5, 2022 | In a wide-ranging interview, President Macron discusses the impact the war in Ukraine and U.S. domestic policy are having on his country.

Peru's Ousted President Pedro Castillo Detained by Police - BBC News

Dec 8, 2022 | Peru's ex-President Pedro Castillo has been detained, after his efforts to dissolve parliament instead ended in him being thrown out of office. It follows attempts by Castillo to dissolve Congress ahead of a vote to impeach him. His Vice-President Dina Boluarte was later sworn in as his successor. She condemned her predecessor's move to dissolve Congress as an "attempted coup" and pledged to form a new cabinet of all political stripes.

Iran Carries Out First Execution over Anti-government Protests - BBC News

Dec 8, 2022 | Iran has announced the first execution of a protester convicted over the recent anti-government unrest. Mohsen Shekari was hanged on Thursday morning after being found guilty by a Revolutionary Court of "enmity against God", state media reported. He was accused of being a "rioter" who blocked a main road in Tehran in September and wounded a member of a paramilitary force with a machete. An activist said he was convicted after a "show trial without any due process".

ALSO READ THIS GUARDIAN EXCLUSIVE:

Iranian forces shooting at faces and genitals of female protesters, medics say: Exclusive: Men and women coming in with shotgun wounds to different parts of bodies, doctors say »

Democracy Now! Top US News & World Headlines — December 8, 2022

How the Crown Has More Power Than You Think

Dec 1, 2022 | The monarch's role in British politics is supposed to be neutral. In theory at least, she plays no role in government decision-making or the setting of policy. …

Meghan et Harry, la série documentaire évènement sur Netflix

Dec 8, 2022 | Les trois premiers épisodes de la série documentaire consacrée au prince Harry et à Meghan Markle sont sortis ce jeudi sur Netflix.

More Arrests Expected in Wake of the Plot to Overthrow the German Government | DW News

Dec 8, 2022 | A group of "Reichsbürger" allegedly spent months preparing for a "Day X," on which they wanted to overthrow the government. In a large-scale raid on Wednesday morning, several suspects were arrested, including ex-soldiers and a former member of the Bundestag. …

Women of Iran: TIME Heroes of the Year 2022

Dec 7, 2022 | Younger women are now in the streets. The movement they’re leading is educated, liberal, secular, raised on higher expectations, and desperate for normality: college and foreign travel, decent jobs, rule of law, access to the Apple Store, a meaningful role in politics, the freedom to say and wear whatever. They are quite unlike those who came before them; sometimes they feel more like transnational Gen Z than Iranians: they are vegans, they de-Islamicize their names, they don’t want children. I’ve often wondered what has made them so rebellious, because their ferocious character was evident well before 22-year-old Mahsa (Jina) Amini, arrested at a metro station by the morality police who enforce the dress code, died after being held in their custody on Sept. 16, setting off the most sustained uprising in the 43-year history of the Islamic Republic. The average age of arrested protesters is notably low—Iranian officials estimate as young as 15. I can only conclude that when a generation’s aspirations for freedom appear tantalizingly within reach, the more humiliating the remaining restrictions seem, and the less daunting the final stretch of resistance feels.

Iran Hands Down Death Sentences to Protesters as Nationwide Solidarity Strike Continues | DW News

Dec 7, 2022 | Officials in Iran have handed down the death sentence to five people charged with the killing of a member of the security forces. It's the latest in a series of harsh sentences for anti-government protesters. Meanwhile, shopkeepers and truck drivers have announced a nationwide strike in solidarity with the protest movement.

DW spoke with Gissou Nia of the Strategic Litigation Project at the global affairs think tank the Atlantic Council, and Iranian-German filmmaker and activist Siba Shakib about the protesters' reaction.

For…

Chris Brown: Forever
…ever

Deux hommes qui s'appartiennent sans vergogne.

Two men who unabashedly belong to each other. / Zwei Männer, die ungeniert zueinander gehören.
Un grand merci à Enzo pour cette belle image.

City Faces Fresh Post-Brexit Blow as EU Moves to Restrict Certain Trades

THE GUARDIAN: Battle focuses on what EU sees as bloc’s over-reliance on London’s clearing houses handling euro-denominated derivatives

The City of London faces another post-Brexit blow to its dominance after the EU moved to require firms to settle more financial-risk reducing trades within the bloc.

The plan centres on trades in securities known as derivatives, and on financial market clearing houses, the intermediaries that enable the transfer of funds to sellers and financial products to buyers. Handling trillions of transactions each year, they are deemed an essential part of financial market plumbing that reduces risk.

Since Britain voted to leave the EU in 2016, the subject has become a battleground, as Brussels seeks to end what it sees as an over-reliance of European firms on London for euro-denominated derivatives trades. » | Jennifer Rankin in Brussels | Wednesday, December 7, 2022

Lawan: Between Two Narratives – Kurdish and Ex-Muslim

May 1, 2017 | Growing up in Dubai and studying Islam for 12 years, Lawan (now an atheist) shares his thoughts on leaving the faith and forming a sense of identity as a minority within a minority.

If you wish to donate to EXMNA, you can do so by clicking on this link.

Germany Arrests 25 Accused of Plotting to Overthrow the Government – BBC News

Dec 7, 2022 | Police in Germany have arrested 25 people who are accused of plotting to overthrow the government. A group of far-right and ex-military figures are said to have prepared for a "Day X" to storm the Reichstag parliament building in Berlin, and seize power. It is alleged a minor aristocrat, a judge, and military personnel were among those arrested, as 150 police operations were carried out in 11 of Germany’s 16 states. The plotters are also said to include members of the extremist Reichsbürger [Citizens of the Reich] movement, and the QAnon movement.


ZUM LESEN AUF DEUTSCH ÜBER DEN GEPLANTEN PUTSCHVERSUCH, KLICKEN SIE AUF DIESEN LINK:

Wer sind die „Reichsbürger“ und was wollen sie?: Bundesweit haben Polizisten Mitglieder der „Reichsbürger“-Szene festgenommen. Die Bewegung fällt immer wieder durch Gewaltphantasien und einen Hang zum Rechtsextremismus auf. Hier die Antworten auf die wichtigsten Fragen. »

LIRE AUSSI :

Allemagne : un prince, un ancien colonel, une ex-députée… Le profil du réseau terroriste d’extrême droite démantelé : La justice et la presse ont identifié certaines des 25 personnes arrêtées, mercredi. Une cellule « mue par des fantasmes de renversement violent et des idéologies conspirationnistes ». »

Democracy Now! Top US News & World Headlines — December 7, 2022

Volodymyr Zelensky and the Spirit of Ukraine: TIME Person of the Year 2022

Dec 7, 2022 | Zelensky’s success as a wartime leader has relied on the fact that courage is contagious. It spread through Ukraine’s political leadership in the first days of the invasion, as everyone realized the President had stuck around. If that seems like a natural thing for a leader to do in a crisis, consider historical precedent. Only six months earlier, the President of Afghanistan, Ashraf Ghani—a far more experienced leader than Zelensky—fled his capital as Taliban forces approached. In 2014, one of Zelensky’s predecessors, Viktor Yanukovych, ran away from Kyiv as protesters closed in on his residence; he still lives in Russia today. Early in the Second World War, the leaders of Albania, Belgium, Czechoslovakia, Greece, Poland, the Netherlands, Norway, and Yugoslavia, among others, fled the advance of the German Wehrmacht and lived out the war in exile.

There wasn’t much in Zelensky’s biography to predict his willingness to stand and fight. He had never served in the military or shown much interest in its affairs. He had only been President since April 2019. His professional instincts derived from a lifetime as an actor on the stage, a specialist in improv comedy, and a producer in the movie business.

That experience turned out to have its advantages. Zelensky was adaptable, trained not to lose his nerve under pressure. He knew how to read a crowd and react to its moods and expectations. Now his audience was the world. He was determined not to let them down.


Guerre en Ukraine : Volodymyr Zelensky désigné personnalité de l'année 2022 par le Time Magazine : Le magazine américain a également rendu hommage à l'«esprit de l'Ukraine». »

Who Is behind the Plot to Overthrow the German Government | DW News

Prinz Heinrich-Putsch: Razzia - Thüringer Adeliger und Reichsbürger wollte Regierung stürzen

En Allemagne, un projet de coup d’Etat déjoué

LE MONDE : La police a démantelé un réseau terroriste qui préparait plusieurs attaques armées, notamment contre le Bundestag.

Il s’agit d’une des plus vastes opérations de la police allemande depuis de longues années. Le jour n’était pas encore levé, mercredi 7 décembre, quand plus de 3 000 policiers ont mené un vaste coup de filet contre un réseau terroriste d’extrême droite dont les membres sont soupçonnés d’avoir préparé plusieurs attaques armées, notamment contre le Bundestag.

Au total, vingt-cinq personnes ont été interpellées dans onze des seize Länder du pays et plus de 130 logements, bureaux et entrepôts ont été perquisitionnés, parmi lesquels la caserne du commando des forces spéciales de la Bundeswehr, situé à Calw (Bade-Wurtemberg), dans le sud-ouest de l’Allemagne.

Selon les informations du Spiegel, les membres de ce réseau terroriste seraient liées aux Reichsbürger (« citoyens du Reich »), un mouvement apparu dans les années 1980 dont les membres ne reconnaissent pas la légitimité des institutions de l’Allemagne fédérale, prônent le rétablissement de l’empire (le Reich) et refusent d’obéir à la police de l’Etat et de payer impôts, amendes et cotisations sociales. Le groupe – une nébuleuse plutôt qu’une organisation solidement structurée – compterait environ 15 000 membres à travers le pays. » | Par Thomas Wieder (Berlin, correspondant) | mercredi 7 décembre 2022

FROM THE GUARDIAN:

German police raids target far-right extremists ‘seeking to overthrow state’: Thousands of officers search 130 sites across country in operation against Reich Citizens plotters »

AND FROM THE BBC, THIS:

Germany arrests 25 accused of plotting coup: Twenty-five people have been arrested in raids across Germany on suspicion of plotting to overthrow the government. »

Related article.

Verwandter Artikel.

Der Prinz und sein Gefolge: Mutmassliche Terrororganisation plante Umsturz in Deutschland

NEUE ZÜRCHER ZEITUNG: Mit über 3000 Sicherheitsbeamten durchsuchte die Polizei die Wohnungen und Anwesen von rund 50 Angehörigen eines rechtsextremen Netzwerks. Es wollte in der Bundesrepublik mit Waffengewalt eine «Übergangsregierung» installieren.

Der Berliner Reichstag, in dem der Bundestag zusammentritt, war einer der Ziele der Verschwörer. | Imago
Es ist einer der grössten Anti-Terror-Einsätze in der Geschichte der Bundesrepublik: Seit dem frühen Mittwochmorgen durchsuchen aufgrund richterlicher Anordnung rund 3000 Sicherheitsbeamte über 130 Wohnungen und Häuser in ganz Deutschland. Der Einsatz richtet sich gegen ein mutmassliches bundesweites Netzwerk aus Rechtsextremisten und sogenannten Reichsbürgern. Die Bundesanwaltschaft wirft ihnen vor, die bestehende staatliche Ordnung in Deutschland überwinden und durch eine «eigene, bereits in Grundzügen ausgearbeitete Staatsform» ersetzen zu wollen.

Beamte des Bundeskriminalamts, der Bundespolizei, der Landeskriminalämter und der Spezialeinheit GSG9 sind an den Massnahmen beteiligt. Bisher wurden 25 Personen festgenommen. Die Bundesanwaltschaft nennt sie «dringend verdächtig, sich in einer inländischen terroristischen Vereinigung mitgliedschaftlich betätigt oder eine solche Vereinigung unterstützt» zu haben. Die Gründung der Vereinigung habe «spätestens Ende November 2021» stattgefunden. » | Alexander Kissler, Berlin | Mittwoch, 7. Dezember 2022

Germany Arrests Dozens Suspected of Planning to Overthrow Government

THE NEW YORK TIMES: Many of those detained had military training and were believed to belong to a recently formed group that operated on the conviction that the country was ruled by a “deep state.”

Security officers in Frankfurt on Wednesday after raids against 25 people suspected of belonging to a domestic terrorist group. | Tilman Blasshofer/Reuters
BERLIN — Special Forces in Germany have arrested 25 people suspected of supporting a domestic terrorist organization that planned to overthrow the government and form its own state, the federal prosecutor said on Wednesday.

In early-morning raids carried out across the country, some 3,000 police and Special Forces officers detained people believed to be members and supporters of the group, which prosecutors said had been formed in the past year and was operating on the conviction that “Germany is currently ruled by members of a so-called deep state” that needed to be overthrown. Prosecutors said that two other people had been arrested outside Germany, one in Austria and another in Italy.

Among those detained were a member of the far-right Alternative for Germany party who had served in the German Parliament, a member of the German nobility and a Russian citizen accused of supporting the group’s plans. Federal prosecutors said that they were investigating a total of 52 suspects.

The group’s plans included an armed attack on the German Parliament building, known as the Reichstag, the prosecutors said, and members had organized arms training and attempted to recruit personnel from the German security services. The prosecutors added that the group’s members had also formed a sort of shadow government that they intended to install if their plans were successful. It remains unclear, however, how close they were to acting on those ambitions. » | Melissa Eddy and Erika Solomon| Wednesday, December 7, 2022

Weiße Folter in Irans Evin-Gefängnis | DW Nachrichten

Dec 6, 2022 | Stell Dir vor, Deine Mutter sitzt im Gefängnis in Teheran. So geht es der Kölnerin Mariam Claren. Sie kämpft schon seit über zwei Jahren für die Freilassung ihrer Mutter Nahid Taghavi. Die unerträglichen Haftbedingungen zehren an der Gesundheit der 68-jährigen Frau. So wie Nahid Taghavi geht es auch anderen Gefangenen im Iran. Im Zuge der aktuellen Proteste wurden mehr als 18.000 Menschen inhaftiert und über 470 Menschen getötet. Davon gehen iranische Menschenrechtsorganisationen aus. Mariam Claren beobachtet die Entwicklungen genau und sagt, dass für das Land der Point of no Return erreicht sei.

Tod der Theokratie jeglicher Art! – © Mark Alexander

Michael Bolton… | Reupload

Drift …
Away

Steht eine weitere Mobilmachung russischer Soldaten an? | DW Nachrichten

Dec 6, 2022 | Nach einer Reihe mutmaßlich ukrainischer Drohnenangriffe auf russisches Territorium beruft Kreml-Chef Putin den Sicherheitsrat seines Landes ein. Steht eine weitere Mobilmachung russischer Soldaten an? Russland bereite eine neue Angriffswelle vor, meint Oberst a.D. Ralph Thiele. Und: Russische Soldaten würden besser vorbereitet.

Bermuda Becomes First Country in rhe World to Repeal Same-sex Marriage | TIME

Feb 8, 2018 | Legislation replacing same-sex marriage with domestic partnerships in Bermuda was signed into law by the governor Wednesday as critics called it an unprecedented rollback of civil rights in the British island territory.

Ban on Same-sex Marriage in Bermuda Upheld. Click here.

يا حبيبي أحبك | Reupload

My darling, I love you / Schätzlein, ich liebe dich / Mon chéri, je t’aime
شكرًا

« Les hommes en jupes sont aussi sexy… » | Reupload

„Männer in Röcken sind auch sexy..." / "Men in skirts (kilts) are also sexy…"
Je remercie enfemenino sur Pinterest pour cette super photo de ce bel homme en kilt.

KALLEkocht: Geschnetzeltes vom Filet aus der Pfanne mit Käse-Rahmsauce - Rezept

Dec 6, 2022 | Rosa gebratene Filetspitzen vom Rinderfilet in Käsesoße. Dieses Geschnetzeltes ist einfach und schnell zum Selbermachen. Funktioniert auch lecker mit Hähnchenbrust oder Schweinefilet.

Zutaten für 2 Pers.:

400 g Filetspitzen
1 Schalotte
150 g Lauch
200 g Emmentaler
2 TL grüner Pfeffer
Salz und Pfeffer
Muskat
Öl
300 ml Sahne

Die Zubereitung ist wie sie im Video gezeigt wird.

Shopkeepers across Iran Take Part in Mass Walkouts | DW News

Dec 6, 2022 | Iranian shops closed in several cities on Monday following calls from activists for a three-day strike. The protest actions are set to last from Monday to Wednesday. Meanwhile, Iranian authorities said that protesters' sentences will be "carried out swiftly."

Islam is the problem. Islam is always the problem! Islam is a religion written in stone. It will never change. It doesn’t matter which branch of Islam it is. – © Mark Alexander

Man Arrested in Luton after Egg Believed to Have Been Thrown at the King

THE GUARDIAN: Man in his 20s arrested on suspicion of common assault during walkabout by King Charles in Luton

King Charles meets members of the public during a visit to Luton. Photograph: Yui Mok/PA
A man in his 20s has been arrested on suspicion of common assault during a walkabout by King Charles in Luton town centre, Bedfordshire police said, after an egg is believed to have been thrown in the direction of the monarch.

The man is being held in custody for questioning after being arrested in St George’s Square in Luton on Tuesday, Bedfordshire police said.

Charles was temporarily steered away from the crowds outside Luton town hall by his security staff shortly after arriving. He then resumed shaking hands with members of the public after being moved to a different area.

The king was in Luton to ride the new cable-drawn Dart mass passenger transit system. » | Jamie Grierson and agency | Tuesday, December 6, 2022

Dimitra's Dishes: Greek Holiday Cookies That Melt in Your Mouth: Kourabiedes

Dec 3, 2022 | Kourabiedes

Get the recipe here.

SEE ALSO:

WIKIPEDIA: Qurabiya.

Tsunami of Apostasy #ExMuslim

Dec 1, 2020 | World-famous clerics and Muslim scholars are pointing to the same trend: There is a “tsunami” of #exMuslims. They cite our projects directly - they know we are altering the very ground they stand on. Help us continue our work.

Keep on criminalizing all of life’s pleasures as Indonesia has just done and you will find many more sensible Muslims leaving Islam along with all the others.

One of the problems with Islam is that it is stuck in the past; another, is that all is permissible behind high four walls. Do what the hell you like, just don’t get caught in flagrante delicto. Islam is a religion which encourages hypocrisy. Drink all the Johnnie Walker Black Label or Absolut. vodka you want, engage in gay love. Do what the hell you like. But whatever you do, don’t, for heaven’s sake, get caught in the act!

Back in the day, when I worked in the Middle East, I saw more Johnnie Walker Black Label in Saudi Arabia than I had ever seen in the West! (Or since.) In Saudi, those who wish to procure scotch don’t buy it by the bottle, but by the case! Twelve bottles at a time! Such is life under the Shari’ah! Two adult men falling in love and conducting a gay relationship is an offence worthy of execution in many Islamic countries. But they are cool with old men falling in love with young girls! For example, in Iran, a young girl can marry at the tender age of thirteen; and she can marry an old man, too! No worries! But in the very same country, two gay adult, conselnting men are killed. And they call such a system a theocracy. Who the hell would wish to pray to that god? Try and make sense of it all!

Of course our politicians, all of whom lack courage, are bereft of balls, and are more interested in money and contracts. They do and say nothing about these appalling hypocritical inconsistencies. But then, what can we expect? Money and power corrupts. – © Mark Alexander

In Sweeping Legal Overhaul, Indonesia Outlaws Sex Outside Marriage

THE NEW YORK TIMES: Parliament also approved a law that criminalizes criticism of the government, delivering a blow to the country’s progressive reputation.

A protest outside the Indonesian Parliament, in Jakarta, before lawmakers overhauled the criminal code on Monday. | Willy Kurniawan/Reuters
Indonesia has long been known as a widely tolerant nation at the forefront of establishing democratic reforms throughout Southeast Asia. That progressive reputation took a hit on Tuesday when Parliament cleared a sweeping overhaul of the country’s criminal code.

According to the new rules, sex outside of marriage is now illegal in Indonesia, as is defamation of the president. The overhaul also sharply expanded laws against blasphemy in the world’s largest Muslim-majority country. Opponents said the rules posed significant risks to religious minorities by outlawing extramarital sex and tacitly targeting critics of Islam. Extramarital sex criminalization also targets the L.G.B.T. community, as gay marriage is illegal in Indonesia. The new laws could also curtail freedom of expression and assembly.

The new laws are almost certain to revive a debate around democratic backsliding in the nation of 276 million. After the fall of the Indonesian dictator Suharto in 1998, the country had prided itself as a thriving democracy. Most Indonesians held fairly relaxed views about homosexuality, which was never officially banned.

But in recent years, conservative Islam has gained ground in the country, and now some fear its influence is growing, even as its ranks remain a minority in Parliament. In the lead-up to the next presidential election in 2024, few officials appear willing to upset the religious right, which helped paved the way for Tuesday’s overhaul of the criminal code.

“It is a very significant encroachment on rights and liberties in Indonesia,” said Tim Lindsey, director of the Center for Indonesian Law, Islam and Society at the University of Melbourne. Critics warned that the new rules, which also apply to foreigners, will make Indonesia less appealing to investors, tourists and students.

Muhamad Isnur, chairman of the Indonesian Legal Aid Foundation, said the laws run “contrary to international human rights norms. We are in a new paradigm,” he said. » | Sui-Lee Wee | Tuesday, December 6, 2022

Related video.

Democracy Now! Top US News & World Headlines — December 6, 2022

Indonesia Passes Law Banning Sex Outside Marriage – BBC News

Dec 6, 2022 | Indonesia’s parliament has approved a new criminal code that bans anyone in the country having sex outside marriage, including foreigners. Under the new laws unmarried couples can be jailed for up to a year for having sex. They are also banned from living together - an act for which people could be jailed for up to six months. The new laws won't come into effect for another three years, and it's expected there will be court challenges. Rights groups say this disproportionately affects women, LGBT people and ethnic minorities in the country.

Making bonking outside of marriage illegal (and a criminal offence) is bonkers! Evil and bonkers! That's Shari'ah law for you! – © Mark Alexander

Vladimir Putin Signs Chilling ‘LGBT Propaganda Law’ Expansion for All Russian Citizens

Vladimir Putin signed the ‘LGBT propaganda’ law expansion on Monday. (Getty)
PINK NEWS: Russian president Vladimir Putin has signed a bill expanding its ability to suppress LGBT media into law.

The nicknamed ‘LGBT propaganda law,’ originally signed in 2013, forbid media for under-18s to promote what officials deemed “non-traditional values,” including same-sex relationships and gender diversity.

Now, after being approved by the Federation Council on 30 November and signed by Putin on Monday (4 December), the country has effectively banned all LGBTQ+ media for Russian citizens of all ages.

Its effects are already being felt in the country, with authorities reportedly cancelling gay pride events and detaining activists, according to Reuters.

Those found in breach of the law can be fined up to 400,000 roubles (£5,400), while organisations can be fined 5 million roubles (£68,500).

Non-nationals can face up to 15 days in prison and expulsion from Russia.

“This bill deprives LGBTI people their right to freedom of expression and endorses their discrimination, risking a rise in hate crimes,” human rights group Amnesty International wrote in a tweet. » | Amelia Hansford | Monday, December 5, 2022

Christopher Hitchens ~ The Morals of an Atheist

Dec 2, 2012 | Christopher Hitchens talks about the morals of an Atheist from his book 'God is NOT Great'.

«Ich wollte leben!» - mit 13 im KZ Auschwitz

Oct 20, 2015 | Von Schweizer Grenzern abgewiesen wird die Jüdin Liliana Segre 1943 mit ihrem Vater von Mailand nach Auschwitz verschleppt. Sie überlebt.

Mini-budget an ‘International Embarrassment’ Says NatWest Boss

THE GUARDIAN: UK’s reputation ‘scarred’, Howard Davies tells staff, as he also warns of government plans to boost competitiveness

Liz Truss and Kwasi Kwarteng at the Conservative party conference in October 2022. Photograph: Tolga Akmen/EPA
The chairman of NatWest has told staff he “never felt so embarrassed internationally” as he did at the International Monetary Fund meeting in the wake of the UK’s disastrous mini-budget, as he warned about government plans to boost the competitiveness of City firms.

Sir Howard Davies told hundreds of employees at NatWest – which is still 48% owned by the state – that ex-chancellor Kwasi Kwarteng’s package of unfunded tax cuts for the wealthy in late September, which triggered a market meltdown, caused “quite a significant problem” and “scarring” of the UK’s reputation, according to a recording reviewed by the Guardian. » | Kalyeena Makortoff, Banking correspondent | Tuesday, December 6, 2022

Donations to Tory party slump 40% in three months: Just under £3m collected from July to September, as Labour takes more for first time in over a year with £4.7m »

Kirstie Alley, Cheers and Look Who’s Talking Actor, Dies Aged 71

THE GUARDIAN: Actor’s family confirms she died shortly after being diagnosed with cancer, as her former co-stars including John Travolta pay tribute

The film and TV star Kirstie Alley, pictured in 2019. She has died aged 71. Photograph: Monica Almeida/Reuters
Kirstie Alley, the TV and film star known for her roles in Cheers, Veronica’s Closet and Look Who’s Talking, has died at the age of 71.

Alley’s death was confirmed on Monday night in a statement from her children, William “True” Stevenson and Lillie Price Stevenson, which was posted to her social media account. Her manager also separately confirmed her death.

Alley had recently been diagnosed with cancer, and was being treated at the Moffitt Cancer Center in Florida, her family revealed. » | Sian Cain | Tuesday, December 6, 2022

Kirstie Alley, Emmy-Winning ‘Cheers’ Actress, Dies at 71: She also starred in the NBC sitcom “Veronica’s Closet,” which aired from 1997 to 2000. »

Injured Protesters in Iran Scared to Seek Medical Help | DW News

Dec 5, 2022 | Anti-government protesters in Iran are losing their eyesight due to injuries caused by security forces. Many injured demonstrators in the country say they worry about being turned over to the authorities and have been forced to look abroad for help. Iranian-American doctor Kayvan Mirhadi offers medical advice online.

Emmanuel Macron Calls His State Visit to D.C. a Success | 60 Minutes

Dec 5, 2022 | French President Emmanuel Macron called his state visit to Washington, D.C., a success, highlighting “total alignment” on the war in Ukraine and a fruitful discussion on the side effects of the Inflation Reduction Act.

Committed to Each Other. That’s the Point.

Füreinander engagiert. Das ist der Punkt. / Engagés les uns envers les autres. C'est le but.
Many thanks to David Perlman | New York City Wedding Photographer on Pinterest for this great photograph.

Supreme Court Seems Ready to Back Web Designer Opposed to Same-Sex Marriage

THE NEW YORK TIMES: A web designer in Colorado wants to limit her wedding-related services to celebrations of heterosexual unions because of her religious beliefs, but a state law prohibits discrimination against gay people by businesses open to the public.

Andrew Harnik
WASHINGTON — The Supreme Court’s conservative majority seemed prepared on Monday to rule that a graphic designer in Colorado has a First Amendment right to refuse to create websites celebrating same-sex weddings based on her Christian faith despite a state law that forbids discrimination based on sexual orientation.

But several justices leaning in that direction appeared to be searching for limiting principles so as not to upend all sorts of anti-discrimination laws.

They explored the difference between businesses engaged in expression and ones simply selling goods; the difference between a client’s message and that of the designer; the difference between discrimination against gay couples and compelling the creation of messages supporting same-sex marriage; and the difference between discrimination based on race and that based on sexual orientation.

The bottom line, though, seemed to be that the court would not require the designer to create customized websites celebrating same-sex marriage despite the state anti-discrimination law.

The court’s three liberal members expressed deep qualms about the damage a ruling in favor of the designer could do to efforts to combat discrimination. » | Adam Liptak | Monday, December 5, 2022

Darkness is rapidly befalling the Western world! Beware the bigots, the ignoramuses and the demons who pervade the West these days and the ether. They threaten to take us back to a 'New Dark Age' (of which I once wrote many years ago), back to a less enlightened age, to benighted times. – © Mark Alexander

E-Zigaretten +Tabakerhitzer | Nikotin-Falle: Die gefährliche Kampagne der Tabakindustrie | SWR Doku

Dec 5, 2022 | In wenigen Wochen beginnt ein neues Jahr - und damit haben viele wieder gute Vorsätze. Ganz oben auf der Liste: Sport machen, gesünder Essen - und endlich mit dem Rauchen aufhören. Um von der klassischen Zigarette wegzukommen, setzen viele auf E-Zigaretten oder Tabakerhitzer. Ihre Annahme: Diese seien besser für ihre Gesundheit. Doch wie "gesund" sind E-Zigaretten wirklich?

Der SWR-Film deckt Mechanismen auf, mit deren Hilfe sich die Tabakindustrie seit Jahrzehnten Milliardengewinne sichert. Er zeigt neueste wissenschaftliche Erkenntnisse zu Tabakerhitzern und E-Zigaretten sowie zu deren Flüssigkeiten. Wer meint, dass in den sogenannten "E-Liquids" nur einige wenige Substanzen stecken, wie Wasser, Nikotin oder pflanzliches Glycerin, der täuscht: Der Film geht der Frage nach, wie viele chemische Substanzen es tatsächlich sein können und welche Krankheiten der Konsum von E-Zigarettendampf womöglich auslösen kann. Und er verdeutlicht, was passieren kann, wenn sich Wissenschaftler kritisch zu den Studien der Tabakkonzerne äußern.

Laut WHO wollen alleine in Deutschland von den rund 13 Millionen Rauchern etwa 7 Millionen aufhören. Weltweit sollen es sogar rund 780 Millionen Menschen sein. Die Tabakindustrie fürchtet enorme finanzielle Verluste. Seit einigen Jahren gibt es parallel zur klassischen Tabakzigarette elektrische Alternativen zu kaufen, auch in Deutschland. Sogenannte E-Zigaretten und Tabakerhitzer werden von den Konzernen intensiv als schadstoffreduzierte Alternative zu Zigaretten beworben, als Tabakerlebnis für erwachsene Raucher, ohne Feuer, Asche und ohne Zigaretten-Rauchgeruch. Wird mit den elektrischen Geräten der Traum vom "gesünderen Rauchen" wahr? Oder ist das Ganze vielmehr ein Marketingtrick, um Raucher bei der Stange zu halten und neuen Konsumenten den Weg in die Sucht zu ebnen?

Der SWR-Film "Die Nikotinfalle - Die gefährliche Kampagne der Tabakindustrie" deckt Mechanismen auf, mit deren Hilfe sich die Tabakindustrie seit Jahrzehnten Milliardengewinne sichert. Die Dokumentation zeigt neueste wissenschaftliche Erkenntnisse zu Tabakerhitzern und E-Zigaretten sowie zu deren Flüssigkeiten. Wer meint, dass in den sogenannten "E-Liquids" nur einige wenige Substanzen stecken, wie Wasser, Nikotin oder pflanzliches Glycerin, der täuscht: Der Film geht der Frage nach, wie viele chemische Substanzen es tatsächlich sein können und welche Krankheiten der Konsum von E-Zigarettendampf womöglich auslösen kann. Und er verdeutlicht, was passieren kann, wenn sich Wissenschaftler kritisch zu den Studien der Tabakkonzerne äußern.

Der Film sucht nach Alternativen zur E-Zigarette und stellt eine neue Methode vor, die ebenfalls einen Ausstieg aus der Zigarettenabhängigkeit verspricht: eine App zur Rauchentwöhnung - seit kurzem erhältlich als Rezept. Anders als bei der E-Zigarette ist diese tatsächlich frei von Nikotin.

Diese Doku aus der SWR-Reihe "betrifft" trägt den Originaltitel: Die Nikotin-Falle: Die gefährliche Kampagne der Tabakindustrie, Ausstrahlungsdatum: 30.11.23. #swrdoku #swr Alle Aussagen und Fakten entsprechen dem damaligen Stand und wurden seitdem nicht aktualisiert.

Wie ernst meinen es die Mullahs mit dem Ende der Sittenpolizei? | DW Nachrichten

Dec 5, 2022 | Wird die Sittenpolizei im Iran wirklich aufgelöst? Und wie effektiv ist das ohne das Ende des Kopftuchzwangs für iranische Frauen? Aktivistinnen und Aktivisten haben sich skeptisch zur Ankündigung des iranischen Generalstaatsanwalts geäußert, die Sittenpolizei aufzulösen. Unterdessen haben Regimekritiker im Iran zu neuen landesweiten Protesten und Streiks aufgerufen. Von Montag bis Mittwoch sollen Irans Bürger Einkäufe vermeiden, um das islamische System wirtschaftlich zu treffen.

Reversing Brexit Now Would Not Help UK Economy, Says Keir Starmer

THE GUARDIAN: Rejoining single market would create even more uncertainty, says Labour leader, who instead wants a ‘better Brexit’

Rejoining the EU’s single market would not boost UK economic growth, Keir Starmer has argued, saying it would create “years of uncertainty” for UK businesses, which would be worse than the closer trade links that would come.

In another sign of Labour’s extreme reluctance to be portrayed as seeking to dismantle or reverse Brexit, Starmer said that as prime minister he would instead seek to improve the post-departure deal agreed by Boris Johnson.

Asked if he thought single market membership would benefit UK growth, the Labour leader told BBC Radio 4’s Today programme on Monday: “No, at this stage I don’t think it would, and there’s no case for going back to the EU or going back into the single market. I do think there’s a case for a better Brexit. I do think there’s a very good case for making Brexit work.”

Pressed on why he believed this when so many UK firms have said they are suffering because of the significant extra difficulties of exporting to and importing from the EU, Starmer said the single market was not the solution. » | Peter Walker, Political correspondent | Monday, December 5, 2022

This is poppycock! When it comes to economics, Starmer doesn’t know his a*** from his elbow! To help our ailing economy, the single most important things we could do is to rejoin ‘The Single Market’. Starmer is either telling fibs or he has zero understanding of macroeconomics. God Almighty! We really are screwed in this country with the politicians in office. They tell me that the circus will soon be coming back into town; I think these politicians would be better suited to performing in the circus than they are, or could ever be, in Parliament! – © Mark Alexander

Half-timbered Houses and Narrow Alleyways: The Middle Ages in Germany

Nov 26, 2022 | Come and join us as we explore the Middle Ages! Germany has a lot to offer when it comes to this time period: Historic city gates, church towers and half-timbred houses. In German cities and towns, you'll find a lot of well-preserved Medieval architecture, much of it on the UNESCO World Heritage list. From Lübeck in the North to Bamberg in the South – we show you seven cities and towns which will make you feel like you're in a fairytale.

Cold Weather Alert Issued in England as Lows of -10C Possible

THE GUARDIAN: Health agency warns of frost and wintry showers across UK from Wednesday as Arctic airmass hits

The UK health security agency (UKHSA) has issued a cold weather alert for England, as temperatures were expected to plunge to -10C in some places with possible wintry showers and snow.

The severe conditions, brought by an Arctic maritime airmass and expected to start on Wednesday evening and last until Monday 12 December, could lead to disruption and increased health risks for vulnerable people.

The level 3 alert, which requires social and healthcare services to take action to protect high-risk groups, comes as temperatures are expected to drop across much of the UK late on Wednesday. » | Miranda Bryant | Monday, December 5, 2022

Weather tracker: high pressure drags cold Arctic air towards UK: Wintry conditions will arrive this week, with temperatures plummeting and possibility of snow showers »

Kaczynski prangert deutsche „Dominanz“ in Europa an

VORSITZENDER DER PIS
FRANKFURTER ALLGEMEINE ZEITUNG: Als Vorsitzender der Regierungspartei PiS bestimmt Jaroslaw Kaczynski den Ton der polnischen Politik. Einmal mehr kritisiert er Deutschland.

Der Vorsitzende der polnischen Regierungspartei PiS, Jaroslaw Kaczynski, hat eine deutsche „Dominanz“ in Europa angeprangert. Deutschland wolle heute mit friedlichen Methoden die Pläne verwirklichen, die es einst mit militärischen Mitteln habe umsetzen wollen, sagte Kaczynski am Samstag bei einem Auftritt im Südwesten Polens. » | Quelle: AFP | Sonntag, 4. Dezember 2022

En Iran, une répression toujours impuissante

LE MONDE – ÉDITORIAL : L’annonce très ambiguë de la suppression de la police des mœurs, responsable de la mort de Mahsa Amini, semble trahir le désarroi du régime, face à une colère populaire qu’il a été incapable d’anticiper.

Trop peu, trop tard ? Il n’est pas rare qu’un régime impopulaire déstabilisé par une révolte qu’il ne parvient pas à réduire au silence se résigne à une concession qui aurait été considérée comme majeure au moment de son déclenchement, mais qui ne l’est plus guère, alors qu’une répression aussi aveugle qu’impuissante s’est entre-temps abattue.

L’avenir dira si l’annonce très ambiguë de la suppression de la police des mœurs par le régime iranien, le 3 décembre, devra être rangée dans cette catégorie. C’est en effet aux mains de cette police créée en 2005 qu’une jeune Iranienne, dont le nom est devenu tragiquement célèbre, Mahsa Amini, est morte le 16 septembre, après son arrestation pour un foulard porté d’une manière jugée inappropriée, dans les rues de Téhéran. » | Éditorial « du Monde » | lundi 5 décembre 2022

Read in English.

LIRE AUSSI :

Iran : après l’annonce de l’abolition de la police des mœurs, des doutes et des débats : Les déclarations du procureur général sur une supposée abolition de la brigade interrogent, car les arrestations liées au port du voile se poursuivent. De nouveaux appels à manifester ont été lancés pour cette semaine. »

Dimitra’s Dishes: Greek Lamb & Orzo Youvetsi

Dec 5, 2022

Get the recipe here.

WIKIPEDIA: Youvetsi.

Democracy Now! Top US News & World Headlines — December 5, 2022

Christopher Hitchens and Andrew Sullivan - On Gay Marriage and Christianity

Jun 25, 2013

Advice for Europeans: Bundle Up and Get Ready for Outages

THE NEW YORK TIMES: As temperatures drop amid an energy crisis, governments say power blackouts may be necessary to conserve electricity.

Rolling power outages in France could start as soon as next month, the government has said. | Nathalie Mohadjer for The New York Times
Life in some European cities may soon look like this: Staggered electricity outages to save energy. Temporary cuts in mobile phone and internet service. Schools closed for a lack of lighting and heat. Even traffic lights could briefly be powered down.

Europe has spent months preparing for a winter without Russian gas, stockpiling fuel and pushing conservation measures in hopes of maintaining enough energy to keep power grids running.

But as an unseasonable streak of mild weather gives way to freezing temperatures, governments are starting to brace people for the possibility of controlled power cuts in the event that energy supplies are stretched — with a wide-ranging impact on daily life.

The French government last week started instructing officials around the country to plan for potential rolling electricity outages as soon as next month. Britain’s National Grid operator has warned households of possible blackouts from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m. if gas used to produce electricity runs short. Electric car owners in Finland are being advised not to heat their plugged-in vehicles on freezing mornings to avoid straining the grid. » | Liz Alderman, Reporting from Paris | Monday, December 5, 2022

1910s - 1920s : Cities around the World in Colour

Jun 25, 2022 | Time travel back to beautiful and famous cities in the world more than 100 years ago : New York City, London, Berlin, Paris, Amsterdam, Detroit, Toronto, Tokyo, Rio da Janeiro. …

Biden Rebukes Trump for Saying Constitution Should Be ‘Terminated’

THE GUARDIAN: Former president must be ‘universally condemned’ for comments, says White House

Donald Trump speaks in Dayton, Ohio, in November. Photograph: Gaelen Morse/Reuters
The Biden White House rebuked Donald Trump after the former president said the US constitution should be “terminated” over his lie that the 2020 election was stolen[.]

Andrew Bates, a White House spokesperson, said: “Attacking the constitution and all it stands for is anathema to the soul of our nation and should be universally condemned.”

Bates called the constitution a “sacrosanct document”, saying: “You cannot only love America when you win.”

Trump lost to Joe Biden in 2020, by more than 7m votes and by 306-232 in the electoral college, a result he called a landslide when it was in his favour in 2016, against Hillary Clinton. » | Martin Pengelly in New York |Sunday, December 4, 2022

Donnie! How can I put this gently? I guess there is no gentle way to put it. Fact is: You lost! “Bigly.” By going on and on and on about this loss, you give the impression to the world tat you are an embittered old man who can’t come to terms with his inadequacies. My advice to you, Donnie, is this: Accept reality. If you don’t, the men in white coats might come and take you away one day! By the way, magnanimity trumps meanness every time. Please excuse the pun, by the way. – © Mark Alexander

LESEN SIE AUCH:

Trump empört mit Äußerung über Außerkraftsetzung der Verfassung: Der frühere US-Präsident führt angeblichen Wahlbetrug als Rechtfertigung für ein mögliches Aussetzen der Verfassung an. Sowohl Demokraten als auch Republikaner zeigen sich schockiert. »

Au Royaume-Uni, Rishi Sunak à la tête d’un Parti conservateur en mode rebelle

LE MONDE : Le premier ministre britannique doit faire face aux multiples revendications de sa propre majorité alors que les travaillistes continuent à progresser dans les sondages.

Les conservateurs britanniques encaissent les mauvaises nouvelles à un rythme soutenu. Vendredi 2 décembre, ils ont essuyé une brutale gifle électorale, les travaillistes remportant une victoire écrasante lors d’élections parlementaires partielles organisées la veille dans la circonscription de Chester, dans le nord-ouest de l’Angleterre : 61,2 % des voix exprimées, contre 22,4 % pour la candidate locale des tories. Le score le plus bas du parti dans cette localité plutôt rurale et conservatrice depuis… 1832. » | Par Cécile Ducourtieux (Londres, correspondante) | samedi 3 décembre 2022

Article réservé aux abonnés

Read this article in English here.

Ukrainian Refugees Encounter Pro-Russia Oligarchs in France | Focus on Europe

Dec 4, 2022 | Since the war in Ukraine, dozens of pro-Russian Ukrainian oligarchs have been residing in Monaco and on the French Riviera. They are hated by war refugees from Ukraine.

'La Pâte de Dom’ : La tarte Bourdaloue

ov 26, 2022 | voici un classique de la pâtisserie française …

Pour la liste des ingrédients et les instructions, veuillez cliquer ici.

Sittenpolizei im Iran ist aufgelöst worden

Dec 4, 2022 | Die Sittenpolizei im Iran ist etwas mehr als zwei Monate nach Beginn der Proteste, aufgelöst worden. Bis dato kontrollierte sie unter anderem die Einhaltung der Kopftuchpflicht. © AFP, DPA

Related videos in English here and here.

History Will Ask How Long It Took for Brexit to Break Britain

Dec 4, 2022 | We can save our country and even the union but not with this sledgehammer introspective politics we have currently embraced. And if The EU was designed to stop war in Europe we can see clearly how the fracturing of the EU has led most clearly to war in Europe in the Ukraine. We need more unity and less division.

Well said! Brexit was an act of self-harm. Suicide if you will. Nothing good will ever come out of Brexit. I, too, believe that the UK will eventually break up. Westminster's days are numbered. Scotland wants its independence. If that happens, Wales could well follow suit. Ireland should be united in any case. We can blame Cameron, Farage, Hannan et al for this mess.

We need to get back into the EU (if we can) as soon as possible. Walking away from the biggest single market in the world —The Single Market—was stupid. We Brits also lost all our privileges by exiting the club. That was bad enough; but what always seems to be forgotten is the peace that the European Union helped bring to Europe, a continent which had been riven by war for centuries. The Conservative Party has a great deal to answer for. And I write this as a one-time dyed-in-the-wool Conservative voter. After the fiasco of Brexit, never shall I vote for that party again.

Keir Starmer is as good as useless, too. He is delusional. He wants to make Brexit work. Brexit will never work. At least not to our advantage. It will impoverish the nation. It is already doing so at breakneck speed.

The succession of clowns at the top have turned the UK into a circus! – © Mark Alexander

Iran Prosecutor General Signals ‘Morality Police’ Suspended

Dec 4, 2022 | Iran has suspended its morality police as the country continues to deal with two months of protests, the Iranian prosecutor general has suggested. The protests erupted shortly after the death of Mahsa Amini, a 22-year-old woman who was arrested by a unit of the morality police in Tehran for allegedly not adhering to the country’s mandatory dress code for women.

Iran Said to Abolish Morality Police: What Does It Mean? | DW News

Dec 4, 2022 | Local media in Iran are reporting the country has abolished its morality police. The announcement comes after months of nationwide demonstrations triggered by the arrest of Gina Mahsa Amini. The young woman died after being taken to police custody for violating Iran's strict female dress code. Iran's Attorney General told a major state news agency, "Morality police have nothing to do with the judiciary."