Wednesday, May 24, 2023

Austria to Use Hitler’s Birthplace for Police Human Rights Training

THE GUARDIAN: House in Braunau am Inn will become police station and training centre after €20m renovation

In a survey, 53% of those questioned said they would prefer it to become a centre for anti-fascism and tolerance. Photograph: Manfred Fesl/AFP/Getty Images

Austria has announced it will use the house where Adolf Hitler was born to provide human rights training to police officers, in what authorities hope will be the final chapter in a lengthy saga over what to do with the building.

The elegant 17th-century house in Braunau am Inn, near the German border, was bought by the government in 2016 under a compulsory purchase order after a long-running legal battle.
Hitler was born in a rented room on the top floor of the house in 1889.

Development to turn it into a training centre incorporating a police station, expected to cost about €20m, will begin in the autumn, according to authorities. » | Kate Connolly in Berlin | Wednesday, May 24, 2023

WIKIPEDIA: Braunau am Inn.

Democracy Now! Top US & World Headlines — May 24, 2023

Conspiracy Theories, Moggologues and ‘Zombie’ Stats: All in a Week’s Work for GB News

THE GUARDIAN: Deliberately provocative channel – with numerous Tory MP hosts – is planting its flag on the radical right of UK politics

The former cabinet minister Jacob Rees-Mogg has his own show, with one panel including his own sister. Photograph: Stefan Rousseau/PA

Rishi Sunak came to power in an “anti-democratic coup,” and is in hock to a shadowy “globalist elite”; mass migration is “replacing” British culture, and net zero is a “suicide note” – not the rantings of an internet troll, but a snapshot of views espoused by presenters on GB News across seven days last week.

The Guardian watched a week’s worth of output from the upstart rightwing channel in an attempt to understand the worldview at work – and how GB News gets away with sailing so close to the wind.

Since the broadcasting veteran Andrew Neil quit as chair three months after the channel’s launch, complaining that he was in “a minority of one” about its direction, GB News has increasingly planted its flag on the radical right of British politics. » | Heather Stewart | Wednesday, May 24, 2023

We shouldn’t be surprised. Given enough time, cancer metastasizes. – Mark

Tariq Ramadan a été acquitté dans une affaire de viols en Suisse, la partie plaignante fait appel

LE MONDE : Accusé d’avoir agressé une femme dans un hôtel de Genève en 2008, l’islamologue était jugé pour viol « à trois reprises » et « contrainte sexuelle ».

« Le tribunal n’a pas été en mesure de se forger une intime conviction de culpabilité au-delà du doute raisonnable ». Jugé pour viol « à trois reprises » et « contrainte sexuelle » durant la nuit du 28 au 29 octobre 2008, dans un hôtel de Genève, l’islamologue suisse Tariq Ramadan a été acquitté par le le tribunal correctionnel de Genève. L’Etat de Genève a été condamné à lui verser 151 000 francs suisses (environ 154 400 euros) pour ses frais de défense.

La partie plaignante a immédiatement annoncé faire appel. Trois ans de prison dont la moitié ferme avaient été requis la semaine dernière par le procureur. » | Le Monde | mercredi 24 mai 2023

IN ENGLISH:

Tariq Ramadan acquitted of charges of rape and sexual coercion by Swiss court: Judges clear academic and Islam scholar of all charges in case brought by Swiss woman »

Related.

L'Exode

Oct 23, 2021 | En mai 1940, des millions de français prennent le chemin de l'Exode et se retrouvent du jour au lendemain nomades. Dépossédés de tout, ils fuient l'avancée allemande. Tous espèrent que la défaite de l'armée française se transforme rapidement en victoire pour retrouver leurs foyers. Au total, plus de 8 millions de personnes vont prendre le chemin de l'Exode entre le 10 mai, début de la bataille de France et le 17 juin, date à laquelle le Maréchal Pétain annonce la fin des combats. Ce film raconte cette fuite à travers des archives régionales et des témoignages.

Tuesday, May 23, 2023

Donald Trump to Face Criminal Trial on March 25, 2024 - BBC News

May 23, 2023 | Donald Trump will face a criminal trial on March 25, 2024 over charges he falsified business records to conceal money paid to silence porn star Stormy Daniels. The former US president appeared via video call to a court in Manhattan on Wednesday where the judge confirmed the court date. Trump has pleaded not guilty to 34 felony counts of falsifying business record, and will be on trial in the middle of the 2024 US presidential primaries.

Arthur Rubinstein - Grieg - Piano Concerto in A minor, Op 16

Sep 28, 2014 | London Symphony Orchestra André Previn, conductor


Classical Vault 1 can be supported on Patreon here.

Dimitra’s Dishes: Chicken Meatballs in a Creamy Spinach & Feta Sauce

May 22, 2023


Get the recipe here.

Juan Carlos: The Rise & Fall of Spain's Scandalous King | From Francoism to Democracy | Real Royalty

Feb 8, 2023 | In this exclusive documentary, Juan Carlos de Bourbon, for decades one of the most popular and powerful monarchs of Europe, reflects on his life. Born to a royal family in exile, following the proclamation of the second Spanish Republic, his childhood was shrouded in uncertainty. He was educated under the benevolent tutelage of Franco, who selected him to be head of state, bypassing his own father. It was expected he would continue Franco’s own authoritarian regime. Instead, he introduced reforms that began the transition to democracy. In 1981, he played a pivotal role in ending a coup and is seen as one of the founders of Spanish democracy.

But his life has also been controversial. He was implicated in the tragic death of his younger brother, killed in a shooting accident and in recent years, the Spanish royal family has been beset by scandals. What does he think about these events?


Democracy Now! Top US & World Headlines — May 23, 2023

Marie Curie | Doku HD Reupload | ARTE

May 6, 2023 | Mit der Entdeckung der Radioaktivität veränderte Marie Curie unsere Vorstellung des Universums und der Materie grundlegend. Doch trotz ihres Ruhms und ihrer Leistungen sind viele Seiten ihrer Persönlichkeit kaum bekannt. Ihr Leben wurde mehr und mehr verklärt, bis mit der Zeit ein Mythos entstand, der ihren einzigartigen Werdegang überlagerte. Mithilfe von Originalaufnahmen und Schriften wird das Bild der außergewöhnlichen Wissenschaftlerin neu gezeichnet – spannend und authentisch.

Video verfügbar bis zum 31/10/2023



Ce documentaire peut également être visionné en français ici.

Prince Harry Loses Legal Challenge over Security - BBC News

May 23, 2023 | Prince Harry has lost a legal challenge over his bid to be allowed to make private payments for police protection. His lawyers wanted a judicial review of the rejection of his offer to pay for protection in the UK, after his security arrangements changed when the prince stopped being a "working royal”. But a judge has ruled not to give the go ahead for such a hearing. Home Office lawyers had opposed the idea of allowing wealthy people to "buy" security from the police.

Saved by Schindler’s List | Celina Biniaz | Jewish-American Heritage Month | USC Shoah Foundation

May 22, 2023 | Holocaust survivor Celina Biniaz was the youngest female on Oskar Schindler’s famed list. Celina survived the Kraków Ghetto, Nazi labor camps, and Auschwitz-Birkenau concentration camp before being rescued by Oskar Schindler, the German businessman who saved more than 1,000 Jews from the Holocaust.

Celina, 91, is a longtime friend of USC Shoah Foundation. Both Celina and her mother recorded testimony for USC Shoah Foundation’s Visual History Archive in 1996. For many years after the war, Celina was reluctant to share her story because she feared no one could comprehend what she had been through. That changed in 1994, when Steven Spielberg brought Oskar Schindler’s story to the screen with Schindler’s List and established Survivors of the Shoah Visual History Foundation, which later became USC Shoah Foundation.

Celina often says that “Oskar Schindler gave me life, but Steven Spielberg gave me a voice.” Some of Celina’s testimony was included as an extra feature on a DVD release of Schindler’s List, to help fight Holocaust denial. …


Monday, May 22, 2023

E. Jean Carroll Seeks New Damages from Trump for Comments on CNN

THE NEW YORK TIMES: The former president’s repeated denials that he sexually abused Ms. Carroll “show the depth of his malice” and merit heavy damages, her lawyer wrote.

E. Jean Carroll, who this month won $5 million in damages from former President Donald J. Trump, is now seeking a “very substantial” additional amount in response to his insults on a CNN program just a day after she won her sexual abuse and defamation case.

Ms. Carroll’s filing Monday in Manhattan federal court seeks to intensify the financial pain for Mr. Trump. The jury in her civil case found him liable on May 9 for sexual abuse and defamation. It ordered him to pay Ms. Carroll, a former advice columnist and fixture in Manhattan’s media circles, $2 million for the sexual abuse and $3 million for the defamation. » | Benjamin Weiser | Monday, May 22, 2023

Whitney Houston : I Wanna Dance with Somebody | Reupload

Oct 25, 2009 | Views on YouTube: 402,201,921

”Smoking Kills”

So do boring old farts!

Many thanks to Sobranie Cocktails on Pinterest for this image.

Although I no longer smoke, I remember these cigarettes, smoked on celebratory occasions, as being a damn good smoke. They also make a statement. This is what the colourful, quality cigarettes look like.

Will Worsening US Relations with Beijing Affect EU-China Trade? | Inside Story

May 21, 2023

Presenter: Tom McRae

Guests:

Einar Tangen - Senior Fellow at the Taihe Institute think-tank, Beijing.
Vicky Pryce - Chief Economic Adviser at the Centre for Economics and Business Research, London.
Steven Erlanger - Chief Diplomatic Correspondent for Europe at the New York Times in Brussels.


An Indian Priest in Germany | DW Documentary

May 22, 2023 | Germany's Catholic Church has had trouble finding new clergy for years now. Again and again, priests from other countries have taken over German parishes. It's not always easy for them to get on their feet in Germany.

Father Shitjo was sent from a Catholic parish in Kerala, southern India to southern Germany by his bishop as emergency assistance amid Germany's chronic shortage of priests. German churches are losing members en masse and are also finding it increasingly difficult to recruit young pastors. After an online German course in India, Shijo arrived in his new parish in the Trier diocese and immediately found himself in the thick of it: He had to preach sermons, give spiritual guidance and prepare children for their First Communion. And then there were the typical German customs like waste separation - and the unaccustomed hearty food. A report by Almut Röhrl.


Hi Tech of Old!

Circa 1930s, 40s, 50s

Many thanks to Flickr on YouTube for this nostalgic image.

Picard : les secrets des rois du surgelé

Dec 22, 2022 | Numéro 1 des ventes de surgelés en France, Picard réalise chaque année, au moment des fêtes, près de 30% de son chiffre d'affaire annuel. Plats pour tout le monde, simples à préparer et accessibles, Picard booste un peu plus sa croissance chaque années avec l'ouverture de vingt nouveaux magasins en France et même à l'étranger. Quels sont les secrets du roi des surgelés? Réalisateur : Beaurain Julie, Audran Frédéric

Today’s Tories Are TRASH!

They are out for their own ends and their own aggrandizement. Get the bastards OUT!

If you are not convinced, read this

James Cleverly’s use of £10,000 an hour Succession-style jet branded ‘ludicrous’: Exclusive: UK foreign secretary has been using type of private jet featured in hit TV show for Caribbean and Latin America tour »

Wealth may not repel voters, but greed does »

Greece’s Conservative Party Wins Big in National Election

May 22, 2023 | Greece's governing conservatives have won a landslide victory in parliamentary elections. With most votes counted, the New Democracy party has a commanding lead over left-wing rival Syriza. But it has fallen short of the majority needed to form a government on its own, making a run-off election likely in July. Al Jazeera's Stefanie Dekker reports from Athens, Greece.


The Guardian view on the Greek election: the new hegemony: A handsome victory for the centre-right is dismal news for those who have suffered from years of austerity »

Turquie : l’ultranationaliste Sinan Ogan, troisième homme de la présidentielle, soutiendra Recep Tayyip Erdogan au second tour

LE MONDE : Le quinquagénaire, qui a obtenu 5,2 % des voix lors du premier tour de l’élection, était courtisé par M. Erdogan et son opposant, le social-démocrate Kemal Kiliçdaroglu.

Fort de 5,2 % des voix recueillies au premier tour le 14 mai, Sinan Ogan, ancien membre du Parti d’action nationaliste (MHP), une formation d’extrême droite, était courtisé par les deux finalistes de l’élection présidentielle turque dont le second tour se tient dimanche en Turquie.

L’ultranationaliste s’est prononcé, lundi 22 mai, sur un soutien au président sortant, Recep Tayyip Erdogan. « Nous soutiendrons M. Recep Tayyip Erdogan (…) au second tour. J’invite nos électeurs qui ont voté pour nous au premier tour à soutenir M. Erdogan au second tour », a déclaré à Ankara M. Ogan, troisième homme de la présidentielle. » | Le Monde avec AFP | lundi 22 mai 2023

Chopin: Piano Concerto No. 1 In E Minor, Op. 11 - 1. Allegro maestoso | Krystian Zimerman

Nov 10, 2018 | Provided to YouTube by Universal Music Group Chopin: Piano Concerto No. 1 In E Minor, Op. 11 - 1. Allegro maestoso · Krystian Zimerman · Polish Festival Orchestra · Frédéric Chopin

A Painting by Argentinian Artist Fabián Pérez

”His father owned bordellos and nightclubs that were illegal. He also was a gambler. To this day, Fabian remembers the police coming to their home looking for his father who would try to escape through the back door.”

Many thanks to Peadro on Pinterest for this lovely painting.

Please watch this video for exemplars of Fabián Pérez’ works.

Avocado Toast | Akis Petretzikis

Apr 6, 2023


Get the recipe here.

Democracy Now! Top US & World Headlines — May 22, 2023

Orient-Express, le voyage d'une légende | ARTE

May 21, 2023 | Symbole de luxe et d'aventure, l’Orient-Express a ouvert une nouvelle voie entre l’Occident et l’Orient. Mata Hari, Joséphine Baker ou Agatha Christie, qui lui dédia un roman, contribuèrent à sa légende. Plongée dans les secrets d'un train mythique.

Paris, le 4 octobre 1883. L’Orient-Express quitte la gare de Strasbourg (future gare de l’Est) pour son premier voyage vers Constantinople (aujourd'hui Istanbul). Le Tout-Paris est venu assister à l’inauguration en grande pompe de ce palace sur rail. Relier la capitale française à celle de l’Empire ottoman est le pari fou d’un entrepreneur belge, Georges Nagelmackers, fondateur de la Compagnie internationale des wagons-lits, fasciné par les fastueuses voitures-couchettes de l’Américain George Pullman. La création, en 1869, de la première ligne transcontinentale américaine inspire ce train de luxe européen à l'homme d'affaires, qui rêve d’unir les peuples au-delà des frontières. Dans les couloirs feutrés de l'Orient-Express vont se côtoyer diplomates, politiciens, artistes, têtes couronnées, négociants, espions et femmes fatales. Mata Hari, Joséphine Baker ou Agatha Christie, qui lui dédie un roman, contribueront à sa légende. De Paris à Istanbul, en passant par Munich, Vienne et les Balkans, il a été le témoin de l’histoire et des soubresauts géopolitiques des XIXe et XXe siècles. Seul train à pouvoir franchir le rideau de fer, il convoie ainsi pendant la guerre froide les exilés économiques ou politiques fuyant les régimes de l’Est. Mais la démocratisation des voyages en avion lui porte un coup fatal, et le service régulier s'arrête en 1977.

À la recherche du train perdu
Nourri des recherches et des témoignages d’historiens, d'écrivains, de passionnés de trains anciens, ce documentaire retrace une tumultueuse épopée, entre gloire, déclin et ruine. Pour revivre cette longue histoire, le réalisateur suit le parcours d’Arthur Mettetal, historien chercheur en patrimoine industriel, en quête des wagons de l'Orient-Express disséminés à travers l'Europe, et qui parvient à retrouver une rame de treize voitures, abandonnée aux confins de la Pologne et de la Biélorussie. S’appuyant sur des images d’archives, des reconstitutions et des scènes de fiction tournées dans d’authentiques voitures, un voyage passionnant au cœur de la légende, entre mythe et réalité.

Documentaire de Louis Pascal Couvelaire (France, 2018, 1h23mn)
Disponible jusqu'au 19/07/2023



Die deutsche Version dieser Dokumentation können Sie hier ansehen. – Mark

Sunday, May 21, 2023

Brahms Piano Concertos with Krystian Zimerman and Leonard Bernstein

Jan 11, 2013 | Brahms piano concertos nos. 1 and 2 played by Krystian Zimerman with Leonard Bernstein conducting the Wiener Philharmoniker.

CALLEkocht: Bœuf Bourguignon á la Calle. Geschmortes Rindfleisch mit Rotwein.

Feb 10, 2023 | Bestes Fleisch von der Rinderschulter langsam geschmort in Rotwein mit Karotten, Sellerie, Schalotten und Speck. Dieses bäuerliche Gericht ist sehr einfach zu kochen und schmeckt super lecker. Französische Küche


Um das Rezept zu lesen, klicken Sie bitte hier und dann klicken Sie auf ‚Show more‘. Dann finden Sie eine Liste der Zutaten und eine Beschreibung der Kochmethode. – Mark

Ellen Brandt on Nuremberg Race Laws | Jewish-American Heritage Month | USC Shoah Foundation #shorts

Please click here to hear Ellen Brandt talk about how beautiful life was in Berlin before the introduction of the Nuremberg Race Laws.

Das Duell von Napoleon und Metternich | Doku HD Reupload | ARTE

May 21, 2023 | Dresden, 26. Juni 1813: Fast neun Stunden lang liefern sich Metternich und Napoleon ein Duell der Worte. Für den französischen Herrscher geht es um alles. Fast ganz Europa hat er unterworfen. Doch seine Niederlage in Russland macht ihn verwundbar. Entweder Napoleon akzeptiert Metternichs Friedensplan – oder Österreich wechselt ins Lager seiner Gegner.

Dresden, 26. Juni 1813: Im Palais Brühl-Marcolini in der Vorstadt Ostra bei Dresden stehen sich der Diplomat Klemens Graf von Metternich und Kaiser Napoleon I. gegenüber. Ein Schlüsselmoment europäischer Geschichte. Es geht um Krieg und Frieden auf dem Kontinent. Auf der einen Seite: Österreichs Außenminister, engster Vertrauter des Kaisers, ein Meister der Diplomatie. Sein Gegenüber: der französische Jahrhundertherrscher Napoleon Bonaparte – schon zu Lebzeiten eine Legende. Bisher hat er jeden Gegner in die Knie gezwungen. Fast ganz Europa hat er unterworfen und dabei den Mythos militärischer Unbesiegbarkeit erworben. Seine Niederlage in Russland 1812 zeigt ihn erstmals verwundbar.

Metternich stellt den streitbaren Franzosen vor die Wahl: Entweder er akzeptiert Metternichs Friedensplan und zieht sich hinter die Alpen zurück – oder Österreich wechselt ins Lager seiner Gegner. Für Napoleon ist das eine ungeheure Provokation. Er will keinen Teil seines Imperiums kampflos aufgeben – und damit einen wesentlichen Teil seiner Macht über Europa verlieren.

Die beiden Kontrahenten liefern sich einen verbalen Schlagabtausch, bei dem alle Masken fallen. Napoleon, der nur das Gesetz des Stärkeren kennt, ist unwillig, Frieden zu schließen. Und Metternich, der gekommen ist, um Frieden zu schließen, zeigt sein wahres Gesicht. Es ist das Duell zwischen einem Stern, der gerade aufgeht, und einem Stern, der langsam erlischt.

Das Doku-Drama rekapituliert den Machtkampf der Männer mit Rückblicken in die spannende Vorgeschichte und mit einem Ausblick, wie es weiterging. Nur wenige Monate nach dem weltgeschichtlichen Duell von Dresden muss sich Napoleon einer Koalition von Österreich, Russland und Preußen bei Paris geschlagen geben. Am 11. April 1814, neun Monate nach Dresden-Ostra, unterzeichnet er den Vertrag von Fontainebleau und muss zum ersten Mal in die Verbannung, auf die Insel Elba.

Dokumentarfilm von Mathieu Schwartz und Christian Twente (D/F 2021, 90 Min)
Video verfügbar bis zum 21/02/2024



Vous pouvez voir la version française de ce documentaire ici. – Mark

Saturday, May 20, 2023

The Way We Were | Video Montage

Dec 1, 2012 | Credits to BSSpain for most of the photos, and others as well.

The Secrets of Queen Victoria's Life in Her Own Words | A Monarch Unveiled | Timeline

Mar 21, 2019 | Biographer A.N. Wilson uncovers the intriguing personal life of Queen Victoria through her journals and letters in this psychological portrait of Britain's longest reigning monarch. With Queen Victoria's writings read by Anna Chancellor.

L’écrivain britannique Martin Amis est mort

THE MONDE : Le romancier, mort vendredi à l’âge de 73 ans, avait été classé par le « Times » en 2008 comme l’un des meilleurs écrivains britanniques depuis 1945. Il s’était imposé comme un styliste hors pair, avec une œuvre de critique sociale très radicale.

Martin Amis, dont les romans caustiques, érudits et sombrement comiques ont redéfini la fiction britannique dans les années 1980 et 1990 grâce à leur évaluation acerbe de la culture des tabloïds et de l’excès de consommation, est mort, vendredi 19 mai, à son domicile de Lake Worth, en Floride, à l’âge de 73 ans. Selon les déclarations de son épouse, l’écrivaine et journaliste américaine Isabel Fonseca, au New York Times, il a succombé à un cancer de l’œsophage.

Considéré comme « l’enfant terrible des lettres anglaises », Martin Amis est l’auteur de quinze romans, de mémoires très appréciés (« Experience », en 2000), d’essais et de recueils de nouvelles. C’est avec sa trilogie dite de Londres – « Money : A Suicide Note » (1985), « London Fields » (1990) et « L’Information » (1995) qu’il a obtenu la consécration. » | Le Monde | samedi 20 mai 2023

Martin Amis, Acclaimed Author of Bleakly Comic Novels, Dies at 73: In books like “Money” and “The Information,” he created “a high style to describe low things,” as he put it. He found more renown as a critic, and a measure of unease as his famous father’s son. »

Martin Amis, era-defining British novelist, dies aged 73: The celebrated author of Money and London Fields, whose works defined the 80s and 90s literary scene, died of oesophageal cancer on Friday at his home in Florida »

Martin Amis bemoans England's 'moral decrepitude': This article is more than 12 years old Novelist despairs of country with 'philistine' royal family where 'celebrity is the new religion' and 'all is rotten inside' »

Old-Fashioned Greek Burgers - Biftekia | Akis Petretzikis

May 10, 2022 | It's time for the most succulent "biftekia" ever! These all-time favorite Greek burgers are made with fresh herbs and baked with tender potatoes.


Get the recipe here.

How This French Company Takes Butter to Another Level

May 20, 2023 | Butter is a fairly simple product. All you need is good milk, some time and a couple of steps to turn the milk into butter. But how can you make it even better? This is where French company “Le Beurre Bordier” comes into play. Using a special technique, they make a special type of butter which is sought after by gourmets around the world. Here’s how they do it.

The Alhambra Explained

Premiered Oct 13, 2022 | Explore with me the medieval citadel of the Alhambra in Granada, Spain, and its precious Nasrid Palaces seen from an architectural point of view. I'll point out all the details you need to know to understand the Architecture of Islam.


WIKIPEDIA: Alhambra.

Swiss Academic Tariq Ramadan Goes On Trial Accused of Rape

THE GUARDIAN: Islamic studies scholar, who took leave of absence from Oxford University in 2017, is also accused of sexual coercion

Tariq Ramadan arrives at court in Geneva on Monday. Photograph: Pierre Albouy/EPA

The prominent Swiss academic and Islam scholar Tariq Ramadan has gone on trial in Geneva on charges of rape and sexual coercion.

The 60-year-old told the court he denied allegations that he carried out an attack on a Swiss woman in a Geneva hotel in 2008.

Ramadan was a professor of contemporary Islamic studies at the University of Oxford before taking a leave of absence in 2017 when rape allegations were first made against him by French women, in what was seen as the biggest repercussion of the #MeToo movement in France. He has also denied those allegations.

The complainant in the Swiss case, who had converted to Islam in her youth, was 40 at the time of the alleged attack. She says she has faced threats and therefore wishes to be known under the assumed name of “Brigitte” during the trial. » | Angelique Chrisafis in Paris | Monday, May 15, 2023

The End of the Road for Brexit?

May 15, 2023 | In this Federal Trust video, Brendan Donnelly and John Palmer discuss the recent tentative improvement in relations between the EU and the British government. They attribute this improvement to the growing realisation by the British government that Brexit has failed to produce economic or political advantages for the country. Rishi Sunak and his ministers now need the help of the EU to mitigate the damage done by Brexit. There will however be opposition from within the Conservative Party to this more conciliatory approach from London.

SPEAKERS:
John Palmer was the European Editor of The Guardian and subsequently a Founder/Political Director of the European Policy Centre in Brussels. He is a Board Member of the Federal Trust.
Brendan Donnelly is the Director of the Federal Trust and a former Conservative MEP.

ABOUT THE FEDERAL TRUST:
The Federal Trust is a research institute studying regional, national, European and global levels of government. It has always had a particular interest in the European Union and Britain’s place in it. The Federal Trust has no allegiance to any political party. It is registered as a charity for the purposes of education and research.


Michael Lambert: Are They Plotting to Dump Sunak?

May 20, 2023 | On Newsnight last week, Nigel #farage the man who brought us #brexit admitted that it had failed. He blamed British politicians for the failure.

The #conservatives held two conferences, one in Brighton which seemed to favour the return of Boris Johnson as Prime Minister and a second in London where various extremely right-wing politicians spoke. Jacob Rees-Mogg admitted that the introduction of voter ID by the Conservatives in the local elections had been an attempt at #gerrymandering which is illegal.

#rishisunak tried and failed to persuade other European leaders to support his Rwanda policy.

On a flight to Japan for a G7 meeting Sunak was asked what the benefits of Brexit were. He replied that sanitary products (tampons) were now cheaper because VAT is no longer applied and that beer would be a bit cheaper because of a reduction in duty.

Whilst the US are investing £42 billion and the EU £37 billion in the development and manufacture of semiconductors the UK government has proudly announced a budget of £1 billion over ten years.


Obama among 500 Banned from Russia in Retaliation for US Sanctions

THE GUARDIAN: Moscow also denied consular access to detained journalist as US imposes more punitive measures in response to Ukraine invasion

Former president Barack Obama is one of 500 US citizens banned from Russia in response to the denial of visas to Russian media. Photograph: Valda Kalniņa/EPA

Russia’s foreign ministry has said former President Barack Obama is among 500 US citizens who will be banned in response to the latest round of sanctions announced by Washington.

The ministry also said on Friday that Russia had refused the latest US request for consular access to the detained Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich, who was arrested in March on suspicion of spying.

This move was triggered by the US refusal last month to give visas to media traveling with the foreign minister, Sergei Lavrov, to the United Nations, it said in a statement.

“Washington should have learned a long time ago that not a single hostile attack on Russia will go unpunished,” it added. » | Reuters | Friday, May 19, 2023

Cyprus handed 800-page US dossier on Russia sanctions breaches: Report details how local people and firms allegedly helped Alisher Usmanov conceal assets »

Friday, May 19, 2023

Ukraine's Zelenskyy Accuses Arab Nations of Turning [a] Blind [Eye] to [the] Russia[n] Invasion - BBC News

May 19, 2023 | Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky has accused some Arab leaders of "turning a blind eye" to Russia's invasion of his country. Mr Zelensky made a surprise visit to the Arab League summit in Saudi Arabia on Friday. Of the Arab League nations, only Syria has openly supported Russia's invasion. Other member nations have sought to maintain good relations with Moscow.

Saloppe und stilvoll

Casual and stylish / Décontracté et élégant

Besten Dank an Permanent Style auf Pinterest für dieses schöne Bild.

San Francisco Names First 'Drag Laureate' in the U.S.

May 19, 2023 | San Francisco has named D’Arcy Drollinger drag laureate - the first in the U.S. - serving as a cultural ambassador and spokesperson for LGBTQ+ rights in the city.

Boris and Carrie Johnson Expecting Third Child in ‘Just a Few Weeks’

THE GUARDIAN: Former PM’s wife announces pregnancy on Instagram, saying they ‘can’t wait to meet this little one’

The couple already have two children together, Wilfred, born in April 2020, and Romy, who was born in December 2021. Photograph: WPA/Getty Images

Carrie Johnson has announced that she and Boris Johnson are expecting their third child, with the expected delivery date just weeks away.

Johnson announced on Instagram she was eight months pregnant, saying the baby would arrive in “just a few weeks”. The couple have two other children: Wilfred, who was born in April 2020, and Romy, who was born in December 2021.

The baby will be at least the eighth child the former prime minister has fathered, having had four children with his ex-wife Marina Wheeler, and another in 2009 with the arts consultant Helen McIntyre, with whom he had an affair. » | Kiran Stacey | Friday, May 19, 2023

Ne-Yo - Sexy Love | Official Music Video

Dec 14, 2009 | Views on YouTube: 132,845,819

Ne-Yo - Because of You | Official Music Video

Oct 8, 2009 | Views on YouTube: 251,728,353

Orthodox and Gay: “The Kids Don’t Even Know That They’re in Conversion Therapy” | NYT Opinion

May 19, 2023 | In 2015 a jury in New Jersey found that a Jewish group offering sexuality conversion therapy had committed consumer fraud by claiming it could turn gay Orthodox men straight.

In the Opinion video above, one of the plaintiffs in that case, Chaim Levin, describes the struggle of growing up in an Orthodox Jewish community in Brooklyn that offered him no room to come out and thrive as a gay man. In his teens and still deeply in the closet, he sought help from the group Jews Offering New Alternatives for Healing, or JONAH, which employed practices based on the theory that homosexuality could be overcome with therapy. It made matters worse.

“I was in no man’s land,” he recalls.

JONAH was forced to shut down. But the problem of homophobic groups wielding fake science to prey on young gay people — including in the Orthodox Jewish community — persists: Conversion therapy remains fully legal in 20 states. At a time when many states and localities are impeding discussion about gender and sexual identity, conversion therapy is yet another obstacle for people trying to find their place in the world.



WARNING: This video is NOT suitable for children. – Mark

Disney Scraps $867m Florida Plan amid Ron DeSantis Feud – BBC News

May 18, 2023 | The Walt Disney Company has scrapped a plan to invest nearly (£806m) to build a new corporate campus in Florida, it announced. The company made the decision amid an escalating legal battle with Florida Governor Ron DeSantis. Disney and Florida have both sued each other in recent weeks.

Prince Philip's Mother : The Strange, Exciting Life of Princess Alice | Documentary | Reupload

Apr 9, 2021 | …A great granddaughter of Queen Victoria, Prince Philip's mother married into the Greek royal family – only to see the Greek monarchy overthrown by revolution. Fleeing into exile, she suffered a severe nervous breakdown. She was locked away in mental hospitals and subjected to experimental treatments by psychiatrists - including Sigmund Freud himself.

The trauma had a shattering effect on Princess Alice’s marriage and led to a fractured childhood for her only son Prince Philip.

Philip’s mother eventually fought her way back from mental illness and became an unlikely hero of World War Two - risking her life to hide a Jewish family from the Nazis.

When her son married the future Queen Elizabeth in 1948, Alice turned down the option of a cosy royal life. Instead, she chose to dedicate herself to working with the poor in Greece, gave away all her possessions and even founded her own religious order.

Featuring exclusive interviews with family members and previously unseen archive footage, this film sheds new light on one of the royal family's most remarkable but little known personalities.


Hungry Man Kitchen: Turkish Cuisine: Malatya Geleli Kebab

May 19, 2023 | Malatya Geleli Kebap, a traditional Turkish dish that is beloved for its tender and juicy meat, charred eggplants and flavorful spices. Not only is this recipe delicious, but it's also a great way to bring a taste of Turkiye to your dinner table. Impress your guests and give them a taste of this beloved Turkish dish.


Get the recipe by clicking here and then by clicking on ‘Show more’.

'Hungry Man Kitchen' can be supported on Patreon here.

Democracy Now! Top US & World Headlines — May 19, 2023

VERHEERENDE FLUT IN ITALIEN: "Man ist hier wirklich sehr verzweifelt" – Aufräumarbeiten beginnen

May 19, 2023 | "Man ist hier wirklich sehr verzweifelt" – Aufräumarbeiten beginnen

Die Zahl der Todesopfer durch die heftigen Hochwasser in Norditalien ist auf 14 gestiegen. Der Leichnahm eines älteren Mannes wurde am Freitag in der Stadt Faenza gefunden, wie die Nachrichtenagenturen Ansa und Adnkronos berichteten.

Unterdessen werden weiter Menschen in gefährdeten Zonen der Region Emilia-Romagna aufgefordert, ihre Häuser zu verlassen. Die Behörden evakuierten Einwohner vor allem in Teilen der Provinzhauptstadt Ravenna.

Zudem begann es wieder zu regnen, was die Sorge vieler Menschen erhöhte. Allerdings dürften die Niederschläge «nicht vergleichbar» sein mit jenen, die Anfang der Woche historische Ausmaße annahmen und zu den katastrophalen Folgen führten, sagte Irene Priolo, die Vizepräsidentin der Region, im italienischen Fernsehen. Der Regen könne aber vor allem zu weiteren Erdrutschen führen, fürchtete sie.


L’Iran a exécuté trois hommes condamnés à mort en lien avec les manifestations

LE MONDE : Majid Kazemi, Saleh Mirhashemi et Saeed Yaghoubi ont été reconnus coupables de « moharebeh » (« guerre contre Dieu ») et d’avoir été en possession d’une arme.

Trois hommes condamnés à mort en Iran, pour leur implication dans la mort de membres des forces de l’ordre lors des manifestations déclenchées par celle de Mahsa Amini l’année dernière, ont été exécutés vendredi 19 mai, a annoncé l’autorité judiciaire. Majid Kazemi, Saleh Mirhashemi et Saeed Yaghoubi ont été reconnus coupables de « moharebeh » (« guerre contre Dieu ») et d’avoir été en possession d’une arme lors d’une manifestation dans la ville d’Ispahan (centre), selon le site de l’agence d’information de l’autorité judiciaire Mizan Online. » | Le Monde avec AFP | vendredi 19 mai 2023

EXCLUSIVE: Pakistan's Imran Khan Fears Re-arrest | DW News

May 18, 2023 | Pakistan's former Prime Minister Imran Khan, who faces corruption charges, told DW on Thursday there is an "unprecedented crackdown taking place" in Pakistan. Speaking with DW's Anja Kueppers-McKinnon, Khan said he "expect to be re-arrested." Pakistani police surrounded Khan's house in Lahore on Wednesday.

"My entire senior leadership is in jail, they get bail from court as they come out of court they again get re-arrested," he said. Khan said he it was done "in order to crush the party so that we don't contest the election, this is why all of this is happening." He said, "7,500 workers have been arrested, we don't know what is going one, all my leadership has been arrested."

Khan will ignore a summons by the country's anti-graft agency to appear before it on Thursday for questioning, his party spokesman said.


American Psychosis - Chris Hedges on the US Empire of Narcissism and Psychopathy

May 13, 2023

The Village in Syria Where They Speak Jesus' Tongue: Aramaic

May 25, 2016 | Aramaic (2008): In a village in the Syrian countryside, Muslims and Christians live side-by-side and keeping the language of Christ, Aramaic, alive.

Oldest Nearly Complete Hebrew Bible Sells for $38.1 Million

THE NEW YORK TIMES: The Codex Sassoon, believed to date from the late 9th or early 10th century, was bought at Sotheby’s by the American Friends of the ANU — Museum of the Jewish People.

The Codex Sassoon, the oldest nearly complete Hebrew Bible known to survive, dates from the late 9th or early 10th century. It is missing roughly eight leaves. | Eric Helgas for The New York Times

The oldest near-complete Hebrew Bible sold at Sotheby’s for $38.1 million on Wednesday, one of the highest prices for a book or historical document ever sold at auction.

The volume, known as the Codex Sassoon, includes all 24 books of the Hebrew Bible, minus about eight leaves, including the first 10 chapters of Genesis. Researchers have dated it to the late ninth or early 10th century, making it the oldest near-complete Hebrew Bible known to exist. Since 1989, it has been owned by the Swiss financier and collector Jacqui Safra, and has been seen by few scholars. » | Jennifer Schuessler | Wednesday, May 17, 2023

Salman Rushdie Makes Surprise Appearance at PEN America Gala

THE NEW YORK TIMES: The novelist, who was stabbed and gravely wounded at a literary event last year, received an award from the freedom of expression organization.

Salman Rushdie walked onstage at PEN America’s annual gala on Thursday night, his first public appearance since he was stabbed and gravely wounded in an attack last August at a literary event in Western New York.

His appearance at the gala, which had not been announced, was a surprise. But no surprise, to those who know him, was that he began his speech with a joke.

“Well, hi everybody,” Rushdie said, as the crowd at the American Museum of Natural History in Manhattan greeted him with whoops and a standing ovation. “It’s nice to be back — as opposed to not being back, which was also an option. I’m pretty glad the dice rolled this way.” » | Jennifer Schuessler | Thursday, May 18, 2023

Thursday, May 18, 2023

Could I Have This Kiss…

…Forever

Knocks Me…

…off My Feet

Death Toll Mounts in Italy’s Worst Flooding for 100 Years

THE GUARDIAN: Older and disabled people trapped in homes as rescuers battle harsh conditions in Emilia-Romagna region

Older and disabled people were trapped in their homes as rescuers worked under pounding rain throughout the night to save people in the most catastrophic flooding to affect Italy in 100 years.

The floods in the northern Emilia-Romagna region have claimed 13 lives as of Thursday evening. An estimated 20,000 have been left homeless in a disaster that caused 23 rivers to burst their banks and 280 landslides, engulfing 41 cities and towns.

Roads remained blocked, including the A1, after a landslide in Sasso Marconi on Thursday afternoon, and trains were cancelled or disrupted.

Among the dead were an elderly couple trapped inside their home in Cava, a hamlet in the province of Forlì-Cesena. “We heard their cries for help,” a neighbour told Il Messaggero newspaper. “We tried to get them out, but it was useless.” With videos » | Angela Giuffrida in Rome | Thursday, May 18, 2023

Der Orient-Express - Vintage auf Schienen | Doku HD Reupload | ARTE

May 18, 2023 | Als Zug der Könige, Diplomaten, Schriftsteller und legendärer Passagiere wie Mata Hari, Marlene Dietrich und "Mord im Orient-Express"-Autorin Agatha Christie revolutionierte der Orient-Express das Reisen. 1883 begann mit ihm eine neue Verbindung zwischen Okzident und Orient. Die Dokumentation lässt Historiker sowie Sammler und Restauratoren alter Eisenbahnwaggons zu Wort kommen.

Bereits Ende des 19. Jahrhunderts, noch vor der Gründung Europas, verband der Orient-Express den Okzident und den Orient. Seine Passagiere legten in drei Tagen rund 3.000 Kilometer zurück: von Paris über Wien und Budapest bis nach Varna, später auch von den Alpen über Venedig bis zur Donau und ins Pulverfass Balkan. Er galt als Zug der Könige, Diplomaten, Schriftsteller und anderer legendärer Passagiere wie Mata Hari, Josephine Baker, Marlene Dietrich und Agatha Christie, die sich an Bord zu ihrem „Mord im Orient-Express“ inspirieren ließ. Mit seinen Schlaf- und Speisewägen bot er einen für damalige Verhältnisse völlig neuartigen Luxus. Von der Einweihungsfahrt 1883 bis zum Ende der Strecke Paris-Istanbul war der Orient-Express ein prunkvoller und ruhmreicher Zug. Doch er erlebte auch Verfall, Revolutionen und Kriege. Als einziger Zug, der den Eisernen Vorhang durchqueren durfte, wurde er während des Kalten Kriegs zum Transportmittel der Arbeiter und Immigranten.

Der Dokumentarfilm „Der Orient-Express - Vintage auf Schienen“ blickt auf beinahe ein Jahrhundert Eisenbahn-Abenteuer zurück und stützt sich dabei auf Erkenntnisse und Berichte von Historikern, Eisenbahn-Restauratoren und -Sammlern. Der Historiker für industrielles Kulturerbe Arthur Mettetal zeigt nicht nur die Hinterlassenschaften des Luxuszuges in Europa, sondern auch Restaurationswerkstätten und 13 ungewöhnliche Waggons, die an der Grenze zwischen Polen und Weißrussland abgestellt und aufgegeben wurden. ARTE schickt den Zuschauer auf eine grenzüberschreitende Reise zwischen Mythos und Realität.

Dokumentarfilm von Louis Pascal Couvelaire (F 2018, 83 Min)
Video verfügbar bis zum 19/07/2023


Silent Resistance against the Islamic Leadership in Iran | DW News

May 18, 2023 | While mass protests have become less common in Iran, resistance against the Islamic leadership is visible everywhere, and authorities are still struggling to regain control. DW met some of the women defying the laws they say are limiting their freedom.

La Moldavie souhaite entrer dans l’Union européenne « dès que possible », déclare sa présidente

LE MONDE : Chisinau veut intégrer les Vingt-Sept pour se protéger de la menace russe et espère une décision « dans les prochains mois » sur l’ouverture de discussions.

« Nous pensons que nous ne pouvons sauver notre démocratie qu’en faisant partie de l’Union européenne (UE) », a déclaré la présidente moldave, Maia Sandu, dans un entretien à l’Agence France-Presse (AFP), rapporté jeudi 18 mai. La dirigeante moldave qualifie l’adhésion de « projet réaliste ». « Nous souhaitons que cela arrive dès que possible », ajoute-t-elle, espérant avoir « une décision sur l’ouverture de négociations dans les prochains mois », a-t-elle précisé à l’AFP.

Au pouvoir depuis 2020, la dirigeante du pays le plus pauvre d’Europe a appelé à un grand rassemblement en faveur de l’adhésion à l’UE dimanche 21 mai ; avant que le pays accueille son premier grand sommet rassemblant l’Europe élargie, avec les pays de la Communauté politique européenne (CPE) et les principaux poids lourds du continent, le 1er juin. » | Le Monde avec AFP | jeudi 18 mai 2023

Chopin: Piano Concerto No. 1 in E minor, Op. 11 - 2. Romance (Larghetto)

Nov 10, 2018 | Provided to YouTube by Universal Music Group Chopin: Piano Concerto No. 1 in E minor, Op. 11 - 2. Romance (Larghetto) · Krystian Zimerman · Polish Festival Orchestra · Frédéric Chopin | ℗ 1999 Deutsche Grammophon GmbH, Berlin

Democracy Now! Top US & World Headlines — May 18, 2023

May 18, 2023 | Democracy Now! is an independent global news hour that airs on over 1,500 TV and radio stations Monday through Friday. Watch our livestream at democracynow.org Mondays to Fridays 8-9 a.m. ET.

Richard Dawkins Being Outspoken on God #shorts

Please click here. It’s a hoot!

NZZ : Europa trocknet aus #shorts

Klicken Sie bitte hier.

Greek, Baked Giant Beans – Gigantes | Akis Petretzikis

May 24, 2022 | A traditional Greek recipe for today! One of the most famous and heartwarming recipes in Greece... Baked giant beans, known as "gigantes". Α healthy legume dish that is perfectely combined with feta cheese and celery leaves for extra taste!


Get the recipe here.

EU-Regeln und kein Ende

Wirft Premierminister Rishi Sunkak Wortbruch vor: Der Konservative Jacob Rees Mogg auf einem Parteitag vergangene Woche in Bournemouth

TORIES STREITEN ÜBER BREXIT

FRANKFURTER ALLGEMEINE ZEITUNG: „Der Brexit ist gescheitert“, sagt der frühere Ukip-Vorsitzende Nigel Farage. Aber auch immer mehr Tories sehen das mittlerweile so. Der Grund: Viele EU-Richtlinien werden wohl länger gelten als versprochen.

Mehr als zehn Monate nach dem Rückzug Boris Johnsons vom Amt des Premierministers gerät seine Partei wegen der politischen und wirtschaftlichen Folgen des EU-Austritts immer stärker unter Druck. Nigel Farage, der langjährige Vorsitzende der rechtspopulistischen früheren Unabhängigkeitspartei Ukip, die jetzt „ReformUK“ heißt, sagte jüngst, der Brexit sei „gescheitert“, und warf den Konservativen schweres Missmanagement vor.

Labour-Oppositionsführer Keir Starmer, der sich in den vergangenen Monaten kaum oder nur ausweichend zum Brexit geäußert hatte, kündigte an, er werde im Fall seines Wahlsieges die Beziehungen des Vereinigten Königreichs zur EU neu aushandeln. » | Von Johannes Leithäuser, Politischer Korrespondent für das Vereinigte Königreich und Irland in London | Donnerstag, 18. Mai 2023

Sie müssen abonniert sein, um den ganzen Artikel lesen zu dürfen. Dies können Sie bis zum Monatsende für nur 1 € pro Woche als Sonderangebot tun. Um davon zu profitieren, klicken Sie hier.

Mit Brexit haben die Tories Mist gebaut! Wer hätte geglaubt, daß eine wirtschaftsfreundliche Partei so etwas Dummes getan hätte? Jetzt sind sie von allen guten Geistern verlassen, wie sie aus diesem Dreck herauskommen können! – © Mark Alexander

If Macron Doesn’t Know Why He’s Despised, He Hasn’t Been Listening

THE GUARDIAN: The president had no mandate to dismantle France’s social model. His contempt for the people risks opening the door to extremism

Emmanuel Macron at a ceremony marking the 78th anniversary of the victory of 8 May 1945 in Paris. Photograph: Eric Tschaen/Sipa/Shutterstock

As France was commemorating the end of the second world war in Europe this month, Emmanuel Macron cut an isolated figure on a near-empty Champs-Elysées, surrounded by steel security barriers to prevent any member of the public from getting within shouting, let alone pot-banging, distance.

For the first time, and by police order the French people were barrred from a large area ringing the official 8 May remembrance of the liberation. Six years after his first presidential victory and a year after winning a second term in the Elysée, Macron can scarcely show his face in public without being booed, heckled or insulted.

Our youngest-ever president – who once embodied hope, triumphantly defeated the far right and claimed to have broken the political mould by rising above traditional divides – has gone from being admired to being despised. Macron’s decision to push through an increase in the state pension age from 62 to 64, despite a huge groundswell of opposition, has created unprecedented levels of anger across the country – most of it directed at the president himself. » | Rokhaya Diallo | Thursday, May 18, 2023

It’s Time to Guarantee Healthcare to All Americans as a Human Right

THE GUARDIAN: It is time to end the international embarrassment of the US being the only major country that does not guarantee healthcare

Let’s be clear. The current healthcare system in the United States is totally broken, dysfunctional and cruel. It is a system which spends twice as much per capita as any other major country, while 85 million Americans are uninsured or underinsured, one out of four Americans cannot afford the cost of the prescription drugs their doctors prescribe, and where over 60,000 die each year because they don’t get to a doctor on time.

It is a system in which our life expectancy is lower than almost all other major countries and is actually declining, a system in which working class and low-income Americans die at least ten years younger than wealthier Americans.

It is a system in which some 500,000 people go bankrupt because of medically related debt.

It is a system in which large parts of our country are medically underserved, where rural hospitals are being shut down, and where people, even with decent insurance, have to travel hours in order to find a doctor.

It is a system in which, in the midst of a major mental health crisis, Americans are unable to find the affordable mental health treatment they need.

It is a system where, despite our huge expenditures, we don’t have enough doctors, nurses, dentists, mental health professionals, pharmacists and other healthcare professionals – and where we spend less than half as much of our healthcare dollars on primary care as do most other countries. » | Bernie Sanders | Thursday, May 18, 2023

We have had an excellent 'healthcare for all' system here in the shape of the National health Service. Unfortunately, the Tories are doing all they can to deconstruct it, nay destroy it. They want to follow the failed American model and make healthcare the privilege of the élite in society. The Tories don't want the 'wiff-waff' being able to get healthcare. Good heavens, no! To modern-day, far-right Tories, that sounds far too merciful. – © Mark Alexander

Wednesday, May 17, 2023

Where Do LGBTQ People Have Reason to Fear for Their Lives the Most? | DW News

May 17, 2023 | Despite widespread international condemnation, Uganda's parliament has this week passed an amended version of a controversial anti-LGBTQ bill. The first draft was rejected by the President in March - but if he signs this watered down version into law it could see some same sex acts punishable by the death penalty. For Uganda's existing LGBTQ community the debate surrounding the bill has already left many fearing for their lives and questioning whether they need to flee the country.

Events are taking place around the world to mark the International Day against homophobia, biphobia and transphobia. Organisers say the rights of LGBTQ people are increasingly at risk in some places. While many countries HAVE passed legislation recognizing the rights of transgender people or same-sex parents, others are rolling back protections. Protests have taken place across the United States, where campaigners say hundreds of new laws have been passed which attack the rights of LGBTQ people.


Tchaikovsky: Piano Concerto No. 1 | Martha Argerich, Charles Dutoit & the Verbier Festival Orchestra

Mar 12, 2023 | The very first bars of this piano concerto are so distinctive that they will remain in the listener's memory forever. Tchaikovsky's Piano Concerto No. 1 is recognizable and catchy. Charismatic piano virtuoso Martha Argerich lends an elegant lightness to this impressive piece. Conducted by Charles Dutoit, Argerich performed with the Verbier Festival Orchestra at the Verbier Festival in 2014.

The Stomach-churning Things Nazis Did to Gay Men

Feb 28, 2023 | Nazi Terror, Gay Men In Nazi Germany …

Prince Harry and Meghan Say They Were Chased by Paparazzi in New York

THE NEW YORK TIMES: The couple said they were chased in Midtown Manhattan, an incident the police said resulted in no collisions, injuries or arrests.


Mayor Eric Adams described the incident as “reckless and irresponsible.” The couple were in New York City to attend the Women of Vision awards where Meghan was being honored. | Pool photo by Matt Dunham

Prince Harry, his wife Meghan, the Duchess of Sussex, and her mother, Doria Ragland, were involved in a car chase while being followed by paparazzi on Tuesday night in New York City, a spokesperson for the couple said.

The spokesperson did not specify who was driving or where the chase happened, but Meghan had been at the Ziegfeld Ballroom in Midtown Manhattan to attend the Women of Vision awards, where she was one of the honorees.

A spokesman for the New York Police Department said that officers had assisted the couple’s security team Tuesday evening. “There were numerous photographers that made their transport challenging,” the spokesman, Julian Phillips, said in a statement. “The Duke and Duchess of Sussex arrived at their destination and there were no reported collisions, summonses, injuries, or arrests in regard.”

The department did not yet have a report on the incident available.

The spokesperson for the couple described the incident as a “near catastrophic car chase” that had lasted two hours. » | Christine Hauser | Wednesday, May 17, 2023

Rishi Sunak Cites Cheap Beer and Sanitary Products as Benefits of Brexit

THE GUARDIAN: On his way to the G7 summit, the prime minster insists household income is ‘outperforming’ expectations

Rishi Sunak has insisted Brexit is working by citing cheaper beer and sanitary products, as he claimed the economy was looking up and people’s household incomes were “hugely outperforming” expectations.

Despite consumers struggling with high inflation and the cost of living crisis, the prime minister claimed there were “lots of signs that things are moving in the right direction” with the economy.

Rejecting claims from the former Ukip leader Nigel Farage that Brexit had failed under the Tories, he cited freeports, cutting VAT on sanitary products and reforming beer duty as major successes.

“Economic optimism is increasing, consumer confidence is increasing, growth estimates are being raised,” he told reporters on the way to the summit of G7 leaders in Japan. » | Rowena Mason | Wednesday, May 17, 2023

Good God! Which planet is this man living on? Mr. Sunak, you can’t feed your kids on Tampax! – Mark

Ford, Vauxhall owner and JLR call for UK to renegotiate Brexit deal: Carmakers call on Britain to change rules on batteries that they say threaten electric vehicle production »

Greek Chicken and Pasta – Pastitsada | Akis Petretzikis

Mar 21, 2023 | Pastitsada | Παστιτσάδα


For the full recipe, the ingredients and the method of cooking this chicken dish, please click here.

WIKIPEDIA: Pastitsada.

Mindestens acht Tote durch Flut in Norditalien

May 17, 2023 | Nach heftigen Regenfällen mussten in der Region Emilia-Romagna Tausende Einwohner in Sicherheit gebracht werden. Mindestens acht Menschen kamen ums Leben. © REUTERS, DPA


READ THIS ARTICLE IN ENGLISH:

Devastating floods in Italy claim lives and leave thousands homeless: Twenty-one rivers burst their banks after heavy storms across country cause landslides and submerge villages »

Le cœur du bonheur

A real man enjoying a real smoke. That’s all! / Ein echter Mann, der einen echten Rauch genießt. Das ist es! / Un vrai homme appréciant une vraie fumée. C'est ça !

Un grand merci à Tumblr sur Pinterest pour cette jolie photo.

Sécheresse en Europe | ARTE

May 17, 2023 | La sécheresse s’installe en Europe. Les pluies rares, même durant les saisons froides, ont amené les régions du sud de l’Europe à leurs limites en termes de ressources hydriques. A travers plusieurs exemples en France, en Allemagne, en Espagne ou en Roumanie, décryptage d’un phénomène inquiétant, dû au réchauffement climatique mais largement amplifié par nos pratiques.

Après trois années marquées par un climat exceptionnellement chaud, le dessèchement du sol de plusieurs pays européens s’accélère et l’eau vient dangereusement à manquer. Dans les régions méditerranéennes, la saison des feux de forêt s’allonge de plusieurs mois, et le nord du continent − la Suède notamment – n’est plus aussi épargnée par cet inquiétant phénomène, lié au réchauffement climatique et amplifié par nos pratiques agroalimentaires. Comme la "mer de plastique" en Andalousie, qui s’étend sur des centaines de kilomètres et consomme quotidiennement des quantités astronomiques de litres d’eau.

Un enjeu majeur

Analysant les causes de cette catastrophe annoncée, ce documentaire met au jour la responsabilité de l’agriculture intensive et s’interroge sur l’efficacité du Pacte vert et des subventions européennes pour la protection de l’environnement. Au travers des éclairages de militants et de scientifiques sur le terrain en France, en Allemagne, en Espagne et en Roumanie, ce documentaire dresse un bilan très préoccupant de la situation climatique en Europe, mais présente aussi quelques pistes prometteuses – comme le développement de la résistance des plantes à la chaleur, et en particulier des vignes – pour y remédier.

Documentaire de Jens Niehuss et Marcel Martschoke (Allemagne, 2021, 54mn)
Disponible jusqu'au 26/07/2023



Die gleiche Dokumentation über die Dürre in Europa kann man hier auf Deutsch zuschauen. – Mark

Democracy Now! Top US & World Headlines — May 17, 2023

The Lincoln Project: TNN

May 17, 2023 | Rick Wilson said it best, "everything Trump touches dies." First Fox, then the GOP, and now CNN. Advertisers: Don't let your brand die, too.

The Codebreaker | Full documentary | American Experience | PBS

May 10, 2023 | Based on the book "The Woman Who Smashed Codes: A True Story of Love, Spies, and the Unlikely Heroine Who Outwitted America's Enemies," THE CODEBREAKER reveals the fascinating story of Elizebeth Smith Friedman, the groundbreaking cryptanalyst whose painstaking work to decode thousands of messages for the U.S. government would send infamous gangsters to prison in the 1930s and bring down a massive, near-invisible Nazi spy ring in WWII. Her remarkable contributions would come to light decades after her death, when secret government files were unsealed. But together with her husband, the legendary cryptologist William Friedman, Elizebeth helped develop the methods that led to the creation of the powerful new science of cryptology and laid the foundation for modern codebreaking today.

Brigitte Macron Relative Beaten Up at Family’s Chocolate Shop

THE Guardian: French first lady condemns what appears to be politically motivated attack in Amiens

The French president’s wife, Brigitte Macron, has denounced an attack on her great-nephew, who was beaten up outside her family’s chocolate shop in an apparent politically motivated assault.

Jean-Baptiste Trogneux was returning to his apartment on Monday evening above the Trogneux chocolate shop that he runs in Amiens in northern France, when he was set upon by anti-government protesters.

The 30-year-old was hit on the head, arms and legs by his aggressors, who insulted “the president, his wife and our family” before running away, the victim’s father, Jean-Alexandre Trogneux, said on Tuesday.

“They’ve crossed the line. I’m flabbergasted,” Trogneux said, adding that his son was being checked by a doctor and was awaiting the results of a scan.

Brigitte Macron issued a rare statement condemning the “cowardice, stupidity and violence” of the attack.

“I am in complete solidarity with my family and have been in touch constantly since 11pm yesterday,” she said. » | AFP in Lille | Tuesday, May 16, 2023

ALSO READ:

Brigitte Macron’s relative assaulted in apparent politically motivated attack: The attack took place on the sidelines of a protest against Macron’s unpopular pensions reform in his home town of Amiens. »

LIRE AUSSI :

« Je suis révolté » : après l’agression du petit-neveu d’Emmanuel Macron, le père de la victime réagit : Jean-Baptiste Trogneux est le patron d’une célèbre chocolaterie d’Amiens, dans la Somme. Il est aussi le petit-neveu de Brigitte et Emmanuel Macron. Cela lui a valu, lundi 15 mai, d’être violemment agressé par une dizaine d’individus. »

Elon Musk: I Will Tweet What I Want Even If It Loses Me Money

THE GUARDIAN: Twitter owner and Tesla chief defends tweet about George Soros after being accused of antisemitism

Elon Musk has said he will continue sending controversial tweets even it loses him money, as he defended himself against accusations of antisemitism over tweets about George Soros.

The Twitter owner and Tesla chief executive said he is “allowed to say what I want to”, as he defended a tweet posted on Tuesday saying the billionaire financier “reminds me of Magneto” – the Jewish villain in the X-Men series.

In an interview with US broadcaster CNBC on Tuesday, he said: “I’ll say what I want to say and if the consequence of that is losing money, so be it.”

Soros was born into a Jewish family in Hungary in the 1930s and survived the Nazi occupation of his birth country, while the backstory of Magneto, from a German Jewish family, portrays him as a concentration camp survivor.

Soros is a regular target for rightwing conspiracy theorists in attacks that are often flagged as thinly veiled antisemitism. » | Dan Milmo Global technology editor | Wednesday, May 17, 2023