LE MONDE : Le président ukrainien, en route pour le sommet de l’OTAN à Vilnius, a dénoncé mardi « l’indécision » et « la faiblesse » de l’Alliance atlantique, dont les hésitations sur l’adhésion de l’Ukraine encouragent, selon lui, la « terreur » russe contre son pays.
Le président ukrainien, Volodymyr Zelensky, en route pour le sommet de l’OTAN à Vilnius, a dénoncé mardi « l’indécision » et « la faiblesse » de l’Alliance atlantique, dont les hésitations sur l’adhésion de l’Ukraine encouragent, selon lui, la « terreur » russe contre son pays. « Il semble qu’il n’y ait aucune volonté ni de donner à l’Ukraine une invitation à l’OTAN ni d’en faire un membre de l’Alliance », a déclaré M. Zelensky sur Twitter.
Il a jugé « absurde » que son pays n’ait pas de calendrier d’adhésion. Plus tôt dans la journée, devant des journalistes, le conseiller à la sécurité nationale de la Maison Blanche, Jake Sullivan, avait dit ne pas pouvoir « donner de calendrier » quant à cette adhésion. » | LIVE EN COURS | mardi 11 juillet 2023
Ukraine to be offered ‘Nato-lite’ protection: Major powers commit to ‘Israel-style’ security guarantees for Kyiv, but stop short of timetable for full alliance membership »
Tuesday, July 11, 2023
Morocco: A Country of Captivating Colors and Cultures | Somewhere On Earth
Thousands of Anti-LGBTQ+ Protesters Storm Georgia Pride Festival
Jul 9, 2023 | A Pride event in Georgia's capital, Tbilisi, was cancelled after up to 2,000 anti-LGBTQ+ protesters stormed the event and destroyed the stage.
Footage showed protesters holding Georgian flags scuffling with police moments before the event was broken up. Organisers accused the authorities of actively colluding with the demonstrators to disrupt the festival, which had been held in private for a second consecutive year to reduce the risk of violent protests. A government minister said it was a difficult event to police as it was held in an open area, near a lake. Georgia has passed laws against discrimination and hate crimes, but LGBTQ+ rights groups say there is a lack of adequate protection by law enforcement officials and homophobia remains widespread in the socially conservative South Caucasus nation.
Footage showed protesters holding Georgian flags scuffling with police moments before the event was broken up. Organisers accused the authorities of actively colluding with the demonstrators to disrupt the festival, which had been held in private for a second consecutive year to reduce the risk of violent protests. A government minister said it was a difficult event to police as it was held in an open area, near a lake. Georgia has passed laws against discrimination and hate crimes, but LGBTQ+ rights groups say there is a lack of adequate protection by law enforcement officials and homophobia remains widespread in the socially conservative South Caucasus nation.
Géorgie : l’absurde persécution de Mikheïl Saakachvili
LE MONDE – ÉDITORIAL : Les Européens doivent faire du sort de l’ancien président géorgien une question de principe. La persécution pseudo-judiciaire que lui inflige son pays pour complaire à la Russie va à rebours des aspirations d’une grande partie de la population.
Quel visage veut se donner la Géorgie ? Celui, fantomatique, offert le 3 juillet sur un lit d’hôpital par l’ancien président Mikheïl Saakachvili ? Emprisonné depuis son retour dans son pays, en septembre 2021, après un exil de huit ans en Ukraine, poursuivi pour de multiples chefs d’accusation qu’il conteste, ce dernier est désormais méconnaissable, comme rongé par sa détention. La dégradation de son état de santé, en un peu plus de vingt mois, est impressionnante. » | Éditorial | mardi 11 juillet 2023
Quel visage veut se donner la Géorgie ? Celui, fantomatique, offert le 3 juillet sur un lit d’hôpital par l’ancien président Mikheïl Saakachvili ? Emprisonné depuis son retour dans son pays, en septembre 2021, après un exil de huit ans en Ukraine, poursuivi pour de multiples chefs d’accusation qu’il conteste, ce dernier est désormais méconnaissable, comme rongé par sa détention. La dégradation de son état de santé, en un peu plus de vingt mois, est impressionnante. » | Éditorial | mardi 11 juillet 2023
Monday, July 10, 2023
Turkey Backs Sweden's Nato Membership - Stoltenberg
BBC: Turkey's President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has agreed to support Sweden's bid to join Nato, the military alliance's chief Jens Stoltenberg says.
He said the Turkish leader would forward Sweden's bid to the parliament in Ankara and "ensure ratification".
Meanwhile, Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson said: "I am very happy, it is a good day for Sweden."
Turkey had previously spent months blocking Sweden's application, accusing it of hosting Kurdish militants.
As one of Nato's 31 members, Turkey has a veto over any new country joining the group.
Reacting to the news, US President Joe Biden said he welcomed the commitment by President Erdogan to proceed with "swift ratification". » | BBC | Monday, July 10, 2023
Glücklich über das Ende der „Basarverhandlungen“: Erleichterung in Stockholm: Der türkische Präsident Erdogan hat seine Blockadepolitik aufgegeben. Die Regierung in Stockholm betont, man habe keine neuen Zugeständnisse gemacht, um den NATO-Beitritt möglich zu machen. »
He said the Turkish leader would forward Sweden's bid to the parliament in Ankara and "ensure ratification".
Meanwhile, Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson said: "I am very happy, it is a good day for Sweden."
Turkey had previously spent months blocking Sweden's application, accusing it of hosting Kurdish militants.
As one of Nato's 31 members, Turkey has a veto over any new country joining the group.
Reacting to the news, US President Joe Biden said he welcomed the commitment by President Erdogan to proceed with "swift ratification". » | BBC | Monday, July 10, 2023
Glücklich über das Ende der „Basarverhandlungen“: Erleichterung in Stockholm: Der türkische Präsident Erdogan hat seine Blockadepolitik aufgegeben. Die Regierung in Stockholm betont, man habe keine neuen Zugeständnisse gemacht, um den NATO-Beitritt möglich zu machen. »
‘No Truth to It’: Young Person at Centre of BBC Presenter Scandal Denies Claims
Jul 10, 2023
A letter from a lawyer representing a young person at the heart of allegations against an unnamed BBC presenter has described the claims, reported in the Sun newspaper as "rubbish".
The Sun, which based its report on claims by the young person's parents - said they had seen evidence to support those concerns.
The Metropolitan Police said they were assessing information from the BBC - after a virtual meeting this morning.
The Sun, which based its report on claims by the young person's parents - said they had seen evidence to support those concerns.
The Metropolitan Police said they were assessing information from the BBC - after a virtual meeting this morning.
Erdogan Says E.U. Must ‘Clear the Way’ for Turkey Before It Will Support Sweden’s NATO Bid
THE NEW YORK TIMES: The Turkish president’s surprising new demand was bound to frustrate other leaders in the military alliance one day before a high-profile summit.
“Nobody should expect compromise nor understanding from me,” said President Recep Tayyip Erdogan of Turkey. | Umit Bektas/Reuters
ISTANBUL — President Recep Tayyip Erdogan of Turkey said on Monday that the European Union should open the way for Turkey to join the bloc before Turkey allows Sweden to join NATO, adding a surprising new condition that could further stall the military alliance’s efforts to expand.
Mr. Erdogan’s latest demand came a day before the opening of NATO’s two-day annual summit, where leaders, including President Biden, had hoped to secure unanimous approval from member states to allow Sweden to become the 32nd member.
That outcome now appears increasingly unlikely, with Mr. Erdogan posing the main obstacle to Sweden’s membership.
“First, clear the way for Turkey in the European Union, then we will clear the way for Sweden as we did for Finland,” Mr. Erdogan told reporters before traveling to the NATO summit. » | Ben Hubbard | Monday, July 10, 2023
‘You Are the Future of Europe,’ Erdogan Tells Turks: Calling Turks the “future of Europe,” Turkey’s president on Friday implored his compatriots living on the Continent to have multiple children as an act of revenge against the West’s “injustices.” »
Erdoğan Builds Another Mega-Mosque, This Time in Germany: The City Council of Wuppertal, a municipality in western Germany with a substantial Muslim population, has voted to approve the construction of a controversial new mega-mosque that will be controlled by the government of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, a tireless propagator of political Islam in Europe. »
Erdogan is like Janus: His face looks in two directions! One minute he looks West; the next, East.
If Europe wants to be Islamized, its leaders need to pave the way for Turkey’s accession to the European Union. If, however, they want Europe to remain largely Judæo Christian, …
Tough choices lie ahead. – © Mark Alexander
ISTANBUL — President Recep Tayyip Erdogan of Turkey said on Monday that the European Union should open the way for Turkey to join the bloc before Turkey allows Sweden to join NATO, adding a surprising new condition that could further stall the military alliance’s efforts to expand.
Mr. Erdogan’s latest demand came a day before the opening of NATO’s two-day annual summit, where leaders, including President Biden, had hoped to secure unanimous approval from member states to allow Sweden to become the 32nd member.
That outcome now appears increasingly unlikely, with Mr. Erdogan posing the main obstacle to Sweden’s membership.
“First, clear the way for Turkey in the European Union, then we will clear the way for Sweden as we did for Finland,” Mr. Erdogan told reporters before traveling to the NATO summit. » | Ben Hubbard | Monday, July 10, 2023
‘You Are the Future of Europe,’ Erdogan Tells Turks: Calling Turks the “future of Europe,” Turkey’s president on Friday implored his compatriots living on the Continent to have multiple children as an act of revenge against the West’s “injustices.” »
Erdoğan Builds Another Mega-Mosque, This Time in Germany: The City Council of Wuppertal, a municipality in western Germany with a substantial Muslim population, has voted to approve the construction of a controversial new mega-mosque that will be controlled by the government of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, a tireless propagator of political Islam in Europe. »
Erdogan is like Janus: His face looks in two directions! One minute he looks West; the next, East.
If Europe wants to be Islamized, its leaders need to pave the way for Turkey’s accession to the European Union. If, however, they want Europe to remain largely Judæo Christian, …
Tough choices lie ahead. – © Mark Alexander
Summer Heat Waves Killed 61,000 in Europe Last Year, Study Says
THE NEW YORK TIMES: Researchers suggest that strategies to cope with higher temperatures aren’t keeping pace with global warming.
More than 61,000 people died because of last year’s brutal summer heat waves across Europe, according to a study published on Monday in the journal Nature Medicine.
The findings suggest that two decades of efforts in Europe to adapt to a hotter world have failed to keep up with the pace of global warming.
“In an ideal society, nobody should die because of heat,” said Joan Ballester, a research professor at the Barcelona Institute for Global Health and the study’s lead author.
This summer is likely to be even worse: On top of climate change, the Earth has entered a natural El Niño weather pattern during summer for the first time in four years, bringing about conditions that will turn up the heat in many parts of the world. The season is already shattering various global temperature records. » | Delger Erdenesanaa | Monday, July 10, 2023
More than 61,000 people died because of last year’s brutal summer heat waves across Europe, according to a study published on Monday in the journal Nature Medicine.
The findings suggest that two decades of efforts in Europe to adapt to a hotter world have failed to keep up with the pace of global warming.
“In an ideal society, nobody should die because of heat,” said Joan Ballester, a research professor at the Barcelona Institute for Global Health and the study’s lead author.
This summer is likely to be even worse: On top of climate change, the Earth has entered a natural El Niño weather pattern during summer for the first time in four years, bringing about conditions that will turn up the heat in many parts of the world. The season is already shattering various global temperature records. » | Delger Erdenesanaa | Monday, July 10, 2023
Peter Oborne EXPOSES Nigel Farage Banking Bigotry
Peter Oborne’s new book, Fate of Abraham, here.
The Billion Dollar Scam - BBC World Service
Apr 13, 2023 | The billion-dollar scam: How companies used Premier League sponsorship to target unsuspecting football fans.
Investigative reporter Simona Weinglass leads a BBCEye investigation into a criminal network, believed to have scammed more than a billion dollars from victims across the globe.
The organisation sponsored a top-tier football club to promote its online trading platform, promising investors the chance of astonishing returns. But what lies behind the claims? The search – from a mansion in London, to a forest in Scandinavia and a call centre in Georgia – reveals a web of deceit. We hear from victims, undercover agents and police, in a bid to track down who’s in charge.
Investigative reporter Simona Weinglass leads a BBCEye investigation into a criminal network, believed to have scammed more than a billion dollars from victims across the globe.
The organisation sponsored a top-tier football club to promote its online trading platform, promising investors the chance of astonishing returns. But what lies behind the claims? The search – from a mansion in London, to a forest in Scandinavia and a call centre in Georgia – reveals a web of deceit. We hear from victims, undercover agents and police, in a bid to track down who’s in charge.
Threads App Signs Up 100m Users in Less Than a Week
BBC: Threads, the social media app aimed at rivalling Twitter, has signed up more than 100 million users in less than five days, according to new data.
It means Threads, launched by Instagram-owner Meta, has beaten a record set by Open AI's ChatGPT app.
Threads went live on Apple and Android app stores in 100 countries last Wednesday.
But it is not available in Europe yet because of uncertainty over EU data privacy legislation.
Mark Zuckerberg, chief executive of Meta, which also owns Facebook, said the app had 10 million users within the first seven hours of launch and more than 30 million by Thursday morning.
Around 24 hours later, that figure had more than doubled. » | Shiona McCallum, Technology reporter | Monday, July 10, 2023
Related.
It means Threads, launched by Instagram-owner Meta, has beaten a record set by Open AI's ChatGPT app.
Threads went live on Apple and Android app stores in 100 countries last Wednesday.
But it is not available in Europe yet because of uncertainty over EU data privacy legislation.
Mark Zuckerberg, chief executive of Meta, which also owns Facebook, said the app had 10 million users within the first seven hours of launch and more than 30 million by Thursday morning.
Around 24 hours later, that figure had more than doubled. » | Shiona McCallum, Technology reporter | Monday, July 10, 2023
Related.
Dutch PM Mark Rutte to Leave Politics after Collapse of Government
THE GUARDIAN: Netherlands’ longest serving PM announces decision after his coalition resigned on Friday
The Dutch prime minister, Mark Rutte, the Netherlands’ longest serving premier, said on Monday he would leave politics after a general election sparked by his government’s resignation.
His decision means the end of more than 13 years in power for the conservative leader sometimes called Teflon Mark because scandals that plagued his four different administrations did not stick to him. » | Associated Press in The Hague | Monday, July 10, 2023
Related video here.
The Dutch prime minister, Mark Rutte, the Netherlands’ longest serving premier, said on Monday he would leave politics after a general election sparked by his government’s resignation.
His decision means the end of more than 13 years in power for the conservative leader sometimes called Teflon Mark because scandals that plagued his four different administrations did not stick to him. » | Associated Press in The Hague | Monday, July 10, 2023
Related video here.
Sunday, July 09, 2023
BBC Suspends Presenter Accused of Paying Teenager for Explicit Images
THE GUARDIAN: Unnamed star, who allegedly gave young person £35,000 which they spent on drug habit, has also been reported to police
The BBC has suspended a prominent male presenter and reported them to the police over allegations that he paid a teenager for sexually explicit images.
The BBC confirmed on Sunday that it was investigating allegations that the presenter had given £35,000 over three years to a young person who used the money to fund their crack cocaine habit.
The young person, who was allegedly only 17 years old when they began talking to the presenter, is said to have sent the BBC employee explicit images and performed on video calls. » | Jim Waterson and Ben Quinn | Sunday, 9 July 2023
BBC Suspends Male Staff Member After Report of Payments for Sexual Images: A report in The Sun newspaper said that an unnamed male presenter at the BBC had paid tens of thousands of pounds to a teenager in exchange for “sexually explicit photographs.” »
The BBC has suspended a prominent male presenter and reported them to the police over allegations that he paid a teenager for sexually explicit images.
The BBC confirmed on Sunday that it was investigating allegations that the presenter had given £35,000 over three years to a young person who used the money to fund their crack cocaine habit.
The young person, who was allegedly only 17 years old when they began talking to the presenter, is said to have sent the BBC employee explicit images and performed on video calls. » | Jim Waterson and Ben Quinn | Sunday, 9 July 2023
BBC Suspends Male Staff Member After Report of Payments for Sexual Images: A report in The Sun newspaper said that an unnamed male presenter at the BBC had paid tens of thousands of pounds to a teenager in exchange for “sexually explicit photographs.” »
US Religious Right at Center of Anti-LGBTQ+ Message Pushed around the World
THE GUARDIAN: American groups have helped to establish global web who share ideas and funding in bid to restrict gay and trans rights
When the US evangelical preacher and anti-LGBTQ+ crusader Scott Lively landed in Uganda in 2009 to warn of the “gay agenda”, he was arriving after a series of culture-war defeats at home.
More and more US states were recognizing same-sex marriage, and opinion polls were showing fewer and fewer Americans objected. Lively was there to offer Uganda’s lawmakers some advice on how to drum up outrage. “Emphasize the issue of the homosexual recruitment of children,” he advised.
Five years later, Ugandan president Yoweri Museveni signed a law that made same-sex relationships punishable by death, asserting that western groups and gay people were “coming into our schools and recruiting young children into homosexuality”.
As wave of anti LGBTQ+ legislation sweeps the US, some may hear echoes of Lively’s messaging. Fine-tuned in Africa and elsewhere, arguments used to attack rights overseas have been re-imported to the US as the religious right warns again that the left and gay people are “grooming seven-year-olds” and “promoting pedophilia”.
The spread across the world illustrates how America’s evangelical and Catholic right has globalized over the past 15 years by helping establish a vast web of anti-LGBTQ+ zealots who share ideas, messaging and funding. » | Tom Perkins | Sunday, July 9, 2023
Gosh! It’s so amazing how ignorant the Evangelical right are in America and around the world. They want to be able to live their own lives freely, lives based largely often on myth and fable, yet want to deny others the right to pleasure and self-fulfilment.
I really hope that these women, these throwbacks, are giving serious consideration to returning to the home to procreate, look after their children, do the housework and bake cookies. For isn’t that the life that the Bible expects of these women? Kinder, Küche, Kirche and all that! – © Mark Alexander
When the US evangelical preacher and anti-LGBTQ+ crusader Scott Lively landed in Uganda in 2009 to warn of the “gay agenda”, he was arriving after a series of culture-war defeats at home.
More and more US states were recognizing same-sex marriage, and opinion polls were showing fewer and fewer Americans objected. Lively was there to offer Uganda’s lawmakers some advice on how to drum up outrage. “Emphasize the issue of the homosexual recruitment of children,” he advised.
Five years later, Ugandan president Yoweri Museveni signed a law that made same-sex relationships punishable by death, asserting that western groups and gay people were “coming into our schools and recruiting young children into homosexuality”.
As wave of anti LGBTQ+ legislation sweeps the US, some may hear echoes of Lively’s messaging. Fine-tuned in Africa and elsewhere, arguments used to attack rights overseas have been re-imported to the US as the religious right warns again that the left and gay people are “grooming seven-year-olds” and “promoting pedophilia”.
The spread across the world illustrates how America’s evangelical and Catholic right has globalized over the past 15 years by helping establish a vast web of anti-LGBTQ+ zealots who share ideas, messaging and funding. » | Tom Perkins | Sunday, July 9, 2023
Gosh! It’s so amazing how ignorant the Evangelical right are in America and around the world. They want to be able to live their own lives freely, lives based largely often on myth and fable, yet want to deny others the right to pleasure and self-fulfilment.
I really hope that these women, these throwbacks, are giving serious consideration to returning to the home to procreate, look after their children, do the housework and bake cookies. For isn’t that the life that the Bible expects of these women? Kinder, Küche, Kirche and all that! – © Mark Alexander
What Impact Will Threads Have on Twitter and Social Media? | Inside Story
Jul 8, 2023 | An alternative to Twitter is launched by Meta Threads. It hopes Threads will profit from unpopular changes made to the platform under Elon Musk's ownership. So, is it just a clone - or is it a revolution in social media? And what does it mean for users around the world?
Presenter: Adrian Finighan
Guests:
Elaine Burke, Science and Technology journalist, host of For Tech's Sake podcast.
Sherilyn Naidoo, Lawyer and Policy Adviser to Big Tech Accountability Team, Amnesty International.
Sarah Kreps, Founder and Director of the Technology Policy Institute at Cornell University, and Author of 'Social Media's International Relations'
Threads Takes on Twitter: How Meta did what no other Twitter competitor could. »
Presenter: Adrian Finighan
Guests:
Elaine Burke, Science and Technology journalist, host of For Tech's Sake podcast.
Sherilyn Naidoo, Lawyer and Policy Adviser to Big Tech Accountability Team, Amnesty International.
Sarah Kreps, Founder and Director of the Technology Policy Institute at Cornell University, and Author of 'Social Media's International Relations'
Threads Takes on Twitter: How Meta did what no other Twitter competitor could. »
Saturday, July 08, 2023
We Need More EU Workers, Admits Leading Tory Brexiter
THE OBSERVER: George Eustice, the former environment secretary, is calling for a reciprocal visa scheme so that under-35s can work across the EU and Britain
George Eustice suggests the post-Brexit immigration system has failed. Photograph: Anadolu Agency/Getty Images
A leading Tory Brexiter has called on ministers to reopen the UK’s borders to tens of thousands of young workers from EU nations in order to tackle acute post-Brexit labour shortages that he says are driving up inflation.
In an extraordinary admission of the failures of immigration policy since the UK left the EU, former Tory environment secretary George Eustice said Rishi Sunak’s government should begin bilateral negotiations with EU nations immediately, with a view to offering young Europeans under 35 the right to two- year visas to work in this country.
Eustice, who was secretary of state for the environment, food and rural affairs under Boris Johnson, said the deals should be reciprocal so that young UK citizens under 35 would be able to live and work for two years in the same EU member states with which deals were struck. This, he said, would be part of a much-needed “post-Brexit reconciliation” with our European neighbours. » | Toby Helm, Political Editor, and Jon Henley | Saturday, July 8, 2023
What we need is no fancy visa scheme, but to rejoin the EU. We should never have left it in the first place. The British electorate were lied to by Brexiteers; so they were duped into voting for a hare-brained idea. Brexiteers are now beginning to see just how silly their idea of leaving the Union was. As the old saying goes: ‘You never miss the water till the well runs dry!’ – © Mark Alexander
A leading Tory Brexiter has called on ministers to reopen the UK’s borders to tens of thousands of young workers from EU nations in order to tackle acute post-Brexit labour shortages that he says are driving up inflation.
In an extraordinary admission of the failures of immigration policy since the UK left the EU, former Tory environment secretary George Eustice said Rishi Sunak’s government should begin bilateral negotiations with EU nations immediately, with a view to offering young Europeans under 35 the right to two- year visas to work in this country.
Eustice, who was secretary of state for the environment, food and rural affairs under Boris Johnson, said the deals should be reciprocal so that young UK citizens under 35 would be able to live and work for two years in the same EU member states with which deals were struck. This, he said, would be part of a much-needed “post-Brexit reconciliation” with our European neighbours. » | Toby Helm, Political Editor, and Jon Henley | Saturday, July 8, 2023
What we need is no fancy visa scheme, but to rejoin the EU. We should never have left it in the first place. The British electorate were lied to by Brexiteers; so they were duped into voting for a hare-brained idea. Brexiteers are now beginning to see just how silly their idea of leaving the Union was. As the old saying goes: ‘You never miss the water till the well runs dry!’ – © Mark Alexander
Dutch PM Rutte Resigns after Coalition Splits over Migration | DW News
BBC Presenter Accused of Paying Teen for Explicit Photos - Report
BBC: A BBC presenter has been accused of paying a teenager for sexually explicit photographs, beginning when they were 17, according to The Sun.
The newspaper reported that the unnamed male presenter had paid the alleged victim tens of thousands of pounds.
It is understood that the BBC is looking into the allegations, and that the star is currently not scheduled to be on air in the coming days.
The Sun said the young person's family complained to the BBC on 19 May.
The family is reported to have become frustrated that the star remained on air and approached the newspaper, but said they wanted no payment for the story.
The mother told the paper that the anonymous individual, now aged 20, had used the money from the presenter to fund a crack cocaine habit. » | BBC | Saturday, July 8, 2023
The newspaper reported that the unnamed male presenter had paid the alleged victim tens of thousands of pounds.
It is understood that the BBC is looking into the allegations, and that the star is currently not scheduled to be on air in the coming days.
The Sun said the young person's family complained to the BBC on 19 May.
The family is reported to have become frustrated that the star remained on air and approached the newspaper, but said they wanted no payment for the story.
The mother told the paper that the anonymous individual, now aged 20, had used the money from the presenter to fund a crack cocaine habit. » | BBC | Saturday, July 8, 2023
Michael Lambert: 69.5% of Daily Express Readers Would Like to Undo Brexit
Jul 8, 2023 | Post-Brexit the British economy is in decline. Businesses are struggling with falling sales, as discretionary spending is hit by higher interest rates and higher taxes. Tobias Elwood, the Conservative MP stated publicly that Brexit has been a mistake and that the UK should seek to rejoin the EU Single Market. A poll carried out by the Daily Express revealed that 69.5% of their readers believed Brexit had been a mistake.
Rishi Sunak appeared before the House of Commons Liaison Committee, although he could only stay for a limited time because he had to attend a photo shoot at a hospital later. Sunak does not like being questioned and seemed uncomfortable before the Committee.
I suggest the Tories may well try to remove Sunak before long and possibly replace him with Penny Mordaunt. This Tory government are mired in sleeze and incompetence. However, for many voters they could well offer a way of eventually returning to the EU via the Single Market and Customs Union since this is now clearly what the majority of voters would like.
Keir Starmer has however made it impossible for the Labour Party to offer a return to the CU, SM or the EU having specifically ruled it out for the duration of his leadership. He is, therefore, now determined and committed to making a success of Boris Johnson's hard Brexit despite a large and ever-growing majority of the British voters being opposed to this.
Rishi Sunak appeared before the House of Commons Liaison Committee, although he could only stay for a limited time because he had to attend a photo shoot at a hospital later. Sunak does not like being questioned and seemed uncomfortable before the Committee.
I suggest the Tories may well try to remove Sunak before long and possibly replace him with Penny Mordaunt. This Tory government are mired in sleeze and incompetence. However, for many voters they could well offer a way of eventually returning to the EU via the Single Market and Customs Union since this is now clearly what the majority of voters would like.
Keir Starmer has however made it impossible for the Labour Party to offer a return to the CU, SM or the EU having specifically ruled it out for the duration of his leadership. He is, therefore, now determined and committed to making a success of Boris Johnson's hard Brexit despite a large and ever-growing majority of the British voters being opposed to this.
Friday, July 07, 2023
US Plans to Send Controversial Cluster Munitions to Ukraine - BBC News
‘Terrible mistake’: human rights groups decry sending cluster bombs to Ukraine: Joe Biden faces backlash from organizations and from within his own party for greenlighting transfer of the weapons »
Guerre en Ukraine, en direct : les Etats-Unis confirment la fourniture d’armes à sous-munitions à Kiev : Jake Sullivan, le conseiller à la sécurité nationale de la Maison Blanche, a défendu le projet américain d’envoi d’armes à sous-munitions : « Nous ne laisserons pas l’Ukraine sans défense », a-t-il déclaré. Une décision toutefois « très difficile » à prendre, a avoué le président Joe Biden. »
Was ist Streumunition und wieso ist sie umstritten?: Die Vereinigten Staaten liefern der Ukraine zum ersten Mal Streumunition. Doch wie genau funktioniert diese Munition und warum haben die Amerikaner so lange bei der Entscheidung zur Lieferung gezögert? »
Peruvian Chicken Rice – Arroz con pollo | Rodrigo Fernandini
Aristotle Onassis
May 3, 2013 | Aristotle Socrates Onassis (Greek: Αριστοτέλης Ωνάσης, Aristotelis Onasis; 15 January 1906 -- 15 March 1975), commonly called Ari or Aristo Onassis, was a prominent Greek shipping magnate.
Onassis was born in Karatass, a suburb of Smyrna (now İzmir, Turkey) to Socrates and Penelope Onassis (née Dologu), who married Socrates at the age of 17. Onassis had one full-sister, Artemis, and two half-sisters, Kalliroi and Merope, by his father's second marriage following Penelope's death at the age of 33. Socrates Onassis came from the village of Moutalasski (now named Talas), near Cappadocia in Asia Minor, which is the present-day Kayseri province, in central Turkey. In 1923, Aristotle Onassis left for Buenos Aires, Argentina, by Nansen passport and got his first job with the British United River Plate Telephone Company.
He was one of the world's richest men, but it was the glamour of the women in his life, such as Maria Callas and Jackie Kennedy, which brought him real fame.
Onassis's childhood was dominated by the principles of the Orthodox Church. Unsurprisingly, this upbringing influenced him throughout his life.
While not an openly religious man, Onassis retained many of the qualities imparted to him through the church.
He left Smyrna in 1922, travelling to Argentina, where he revived the family tobacco business by building a new market for the product there. In a few years the business flourished and Onassis had made his first million.
The tobacco business was too limited for a man of Onassis' dreams and, in the early 1930s, he purchased his first ships.
It took him only a few days to expand his fleet and, by the end of the decade, he had entered the tanker business, which was potentially far more profitable.
In 1946, Onassis married Tina Livanos, the daughter of Stavros Livanos, an important Greek shipowner. Tina had American citizenship and they set up home in New York.
Later, Onassis became brother-in-law to Stavros Niarchos, another shipowner and with that, the three men, Onassis, Livanos and Niarchos, formed the most powerful shipping group in the world. Rivalry would later develop, but it remained a powerful force.
In 1957, Onassis turned his attention skywards and took over the failing Greek National Airline, making it into a private business, Olympic Airways of Greece.
Onassis divorced his wife in 1961. He had a long relationship with the singer, Maria Callas, but in 1968 married the most famous woman in the world at that time, Jacqueline Bouvier Kennedy, the widow of President John F. Kennedy.
Tragedy struck in 1973, when Alexander Onassis, Onassis's son from his first marriage, died in a plane accident. Onassis was devastated. Not long after, on 15 March 1975, Onassis died. He was buried on his island near his son Alexander.
Onassis was born in Karatass, a suburb of Smyrna (now İzmir, Turkey) to Socrates and Penelope Onassis (née Dologu), who married Socrates at the age of 17. Onassis had one full-sister, Artemis, and two half-sisters, Kalliroi and Merope, by his father's second marriage following Penelope's death at the age of 33. Socrates Onassis came from the village of Moutalasski (now named Talas), near Cappadocia in Asia Minor, which is the present-day Kayseri province, in central Turkey. In 1923, Aristotle Onassis left for Buenos Aires, Argentina, by Nansen passport and got his first job with the British United River Plate Telephone Company.
He was one of the world's richest men, but it was the glamour of the women in his life, such as Maria Callas and Jackie Kennedy, which brought him real fame.
Onassis's childhood was dominated by the principles of the Orthodox Church. Unsurprisingly, this upbringing influenced him throughout his life.
While not an openly religious man, Onassis retained many of the qualities imparted to him through the church.
He left Smyrna in 1922, travelling to Argentina, where he revived the family tobacco business by building a new market for the product there. In a few years the business flourished and Onassis had made his first million.
The tobacco business was too limited for a man of Onassis' dreams and, in the early 1930s, he purchased his first ships.
It took him only a few days to expand his fleet and, by the end of the decade, he had entered the tanker business, which was potentially far more profitable.
In 1946, Onassis married Tina Livanos, the daughter of Stavros Livanos, an important Greek shipowner. Tina had American citizenship and they set up home in New York.
Later, Onassis became brother-in-law to Stavros Niarchos, another shipowner and with that, the three men, Onassis, Livanos and Niarchos, formed the most powerful shipping group in the world. Rivalry would later develop, but it remained a powerful force.
In 1957, Onassis turned his attention skywards and took over the failing Greek National Airline, making it into a private business, Olympic Airways of Greece.
Onassis divorced his wife in 1961. He had a long relationship with the singer, Maria Callas, but in 1968 married the most famous woman in the world at that time, Jacqueline Bouvier Kennedy, the widow of President John F. Kennedy.
Tragedy struck in 1973, when Alexander Onassis, Onassis's son from his first marriage, died in a plane accident. Onassis was devastated. Not long after, on 15 March 1975, Onassis died. He was buried on his island near his son Alexander.
L’explosion de la rue Saint-Jacques à Paris fait un deuxième mort
LE MONDE : Une femme a succombé à ses blessures à la suite de l’explosion survenue le 21 juin, en fin d’après-midi, dans un immeuble situé rue Saint-Jacques. Après six jours de recherches, un corps avait été retrouvé sous les décombres.
Une femme, qui était soignée après avoir été grièvement blessée dans l’effondrement de l’immeuble rue Saint-Jacques à Paris, a succombé à ses blessures, a-t-on appris vendredi 7 juillet, de source proche du dossier confirmant une information du Parisien.
Il s’agit du deuxième décès enregistré après l’explosion survenue le 21 juin, en fin d’après-midi, dans un immeuble situé rue Saint-Jacques. Après six jours de recherches, un corps avait été retrouvé sous les décombres. Il s’agirait d’une femme, professeure à l’école de mode privée Paris American Academy, située dans le bâtiment, un pavillon du XVIIe siècle classé monument historique bordant la cour d’honneur de l’ancienne abbaye du Val-de-Grâce. » | Le Monde avec AFP | vendredi 7 juillet 2023
Une femme, qui était soignée après avoir été grièvement blessée dans l’effondrement de l’immeuble rue Saint-Jacques à Paris, a succombé à ses blessures, a-t-on appris vendredi 7 juillet, de source proche du dossier confirmant une information du Parisien.
Il s’agit du deuxième décès enregistré après l’explosion survenue le 21 juin, en fin d’après-midi, dans un immeuble situé rue Saint-Jacques. Après six jours de recherches, un corps avait été retrouvé sous les décombres. Il s’agirait d’une femme, professeure à l’école de mode privée Paris American Academy, située dans le bâtiment, un pavillon du XVIIe siècle classé monument historique bordant la cour d’honneur de l’ancienne abbaye du Val-de-Grâce. » | Le Monde avec AFP | vendredi 7 juillet 2023
Is Brexit Pulling the Conservative Party Apart?
Rachmaninov Piano Concerto No 2, Evgeny Kissin HD
Israël vire à droite | ARTE Regards
Jul 6, 2023 | Depuis quelques mois, Israël est dirigé par un gouvernement incluant la droite ultra-orthodoxe. Benyamin Netanyahou a formé une coalition avec des partis représentant les colons radicaux, qui s’imaginent déjà à la tête d’un Grand Israël, "Eretz Israel". Avec quelles répercussions sur le conflit sanglant qui oppose l’État israélien aux Palestiniens en Cisjordanie et à Jérusalem-Est ?
Naomi Linder Kahn fait partie de ces quelque 700 000 colons juifs israéliens qui vivent sur les terres conquises par Israël pendant la guerre des Six-Jours en 1967 - des territoires palestiniens occupés de manière illégale au regard du droit international. Née aux États-Unis, elle vit depuis les années 1980 en Cisjordanie, dans la colonie de Givat Zeev qu'elle désigne par l'appellation biblique "Judée et Samarie". Elle travaille pour Regavim, une ONG fondée par des personnalités d'extrême droite, dont Bezalil Smotrich, l'actuel ministre des Finances. Sa mission : observer les constructions dans la "zone C", la partie de la Cisjordanie sous contrôle israélien. Regavim porte plainte dès que des Palestiniens construisent un garage, un cimetière ou une école. Ces procédures mènent souvent à la destruction de telles infrastructures, comme pour le village bédouin de Khan al-Ahmar, menacé de démolition. Depuis le changement de gouvernement, la violence s'est intensifiée en Cisjordanie. Les colons radicaux répondent aux attentats palestiniens par la vengeance. En février, la mort de deux Israéliens tués par balles à Huwara, petite ville palestinienne, a déclenché un véritable pogrom. Un Palestinien a été tué. L'armée a laissé faire, tandis que le ministre des Finances a appelé à "raser" Huwara...
Reportage (Allemagne, 2023, 32mn)
Disponible jusqu'au 24/05/2028
Diese Dokumentation ist hier auf Deutsch verfügbar.
Naomi Linder Kahn fait partie de ces quelque 700 000 colons juifs israéliens qui vivent sur les terres conquises par Israël pendant la guerre des Six-Jours en 1967 - des territoires palestiniens occupés de manière illégale au regard du droit international. Née aux États-Unis, elle vit depuis les années 1980 en Cisjordanie, dans la colonie de Givat Zeev qu'elle désigne par l'appellation biblique "Judée et Samarie". Elle travaille pour Regavim, une ONG fondée par des personnalités d'extrême droite, dont Bezalil Smotrich, l'actuel ministre des Finances. Sa mission : observer les constructions dans la "zone C", la partie de la Cisjordanie sous contrôle israélien. Regavim porte plainte dès que des Palestiniens construisent un garage, un cimetière ou une école. Ces procédures mènent souvent à la destruction de telles infrastructures, comme pour le village bédouin de Khan al-Ahmar, menacé de démolition. Depuis le changement de gouvernement, la violence s'est intensifiée en Cisjordanie. Les colons radicaux répondent aux attentats palestiniens par la vengeance. En février, la mort de deux Israéliens tués par balles à Huwara, petite ville palestinienne, a déclenché un véritable pogrom. Un Palestinien a été tué. L'armée a laissé faire, tandis que le ministre des Finances a appelé à "raser" Huwara...
Reportage (Allemagne, 2023, 32mn)
Disponible jusqu'au 24/05/2028
Diese Dokumentation ist hier auf Deutsch verfügbar.
Israël : sous la pression des ultra-orthodoxes
Dec 2, 2020 | Dans les rues de Jérusalem, on les reconnaît à leurs longs costumes et grands chapeaux noirs. Leurs épouses portent perruques et jupes sous les genoux. Ces ultra-orthodoxes juifs prônent une lecture fondamentaliste de la Torah et refusent la société moderne. Ils forment une petite communauté radicale, très fermée, hermétique même, dont l’influence pèse de plus en plus sur la société israélienne.
Pour la première fois, une journaliste a réussi à pénétrer cet univers fermé, avec une caméra. Elle en rapporte un témoignage troublant. Un document rare, un portrait d’hommes, de femmes et de leurs très nombreux enfants, dont les projets sont une menace contre les principes démocratiques de l’état d’Israël.
Un film de Bethsabée Zarka
Première Diffusion : 06/06/16
Pour la première fois, une journaliste a réussi à pénétrer cet univers fermé, avec une caméra. Elle en rapporte un témoignage troublant. Un document rare, un portrait d’hommes, de femmes et de leurs très nombreux enfants, dont les projets sont une menace contre les principes démocratiques de l’état d’Israël.
Un film de Bethsabée Zarka
Première Diffusion : 06/06/16
The Ruble Hits Early War Lows, Extending a Slide That Began After Prigozhin’s Mutiny.
THE NEW YORK TIMES: The ruble fell as low as 94 rubles per dollar on Thursday before making a slight recovery by the end of the trading day.
The Russian ruble slid to lows unseen since the weeks after Moscow launched its invasion of Ukraine, amid fallout from the mercenary boss Yevgeny V. Prigozhin’s aborted insurrection and declining Russian oil and gas revenues.
The currency fell as low as 94 rubles per dollar on Thursday before making a slight recovery by the end of the trading day, jolting confidence among Russians, who often interpret the exchange rate as an indicator of the nation’s financial well-being.
The ruble hasn’t seen such lows since March 2022, the month after President Vladimir V. Putin ordered Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine and triggered a raft of Western sanctions that briefly sent the country’s economy into a tailspin. » | Paul Sonne | Thursday, July 6, 2023
The Russian ruble slid to lows unseen since the weeks after Moscow launched its invasion of Ukraine, amid fallout from the mercenary boss Yevgeny V. Prigozhin’s aborted insurrection and declining Russian oil and gas revenues.
The currency fell as low as 94 rubles per dollar on Thursday before making a slight recovery by the end of the trading day, jolting confidence among Russians, who often interpret the exchange rate as an indicator of the nation’s financial well-being.
The ruble hasn’t seen such lows since March 2022, the month after President Vladimir V. Putin ordered Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine and triggered a raft of Western sanctions that briefly sent the country’s economy into a tailspin. » | Paul Sonne | Thursday, July 6, 2023
Zwischen Bergen und Seen: Vom Lago Maggiore zum Gardasee | SWR Doku
Jun 18, 2023 | Palmen und Zitronen; romantische Städte und verwunschene Bergdörfer: die Oberitalienischen Seen bezaubern mit besonderem Flair.
Lago Maggiore, Comer See, Gardasee: für viele das „erste Italien“ nach der Überquerung der Alpen. Das milde Klima, die üppige Vegetation mit Palmen und Zitronen, das Licht, romantische Städte und verwunschene Bergdörfer schaffen ein besonderes Flair an den Oberitalienischen Seen. In den 1950er und 1960er Jahren haben viele Deutschen hier ihren ersten Urlaub in Italien verbracht. Bis heute hat sich die Region den Charme einer längst vergangenen Zeit bewahrt. Trotz der langen touristischen Tradition gibt es unbekannte, paradiesische Flecken zu entdecken und Abenteuer zu erleben. Im Lago Maggiore, ganz im Westen liegt die Isola Bella. Die schönste der drei Borromäischen Inseln ist berühmt für ihre barocken Gärten. Mario Mirani ist Gärtner in diesem kleinen Paradies und verteidigt es tapfer - zum Beispiel gegen Sturmschäden. Etwas in Vergessenheit geraten: Die Seen sind reich an Fischen. Gabriella Rigiani möchte das wieder ins Bewusstsein rufen und lädt Freunde und Touristen zum Fischessen am Luganer See. Rund um den Comer See ist alles ein bisschen exklusiver: Dörfer und Städtchen wie aus dem Bilderbuch, edle Villen und exklusive Hotels zieren die Ufer. Die Region verdankt ihren Reichtum der Seidenindustrie. Aber auch die edlen Riva-Motorboote, seit den 50er Jahren Jet-Set-Symbol und Inbegriff italienischer Lebensfreude, kommen von hier. Auch der Gardasee lockt mit mildem Klima, das Oleander, Kapern und Zitronen in prächtigen Gärten wachsen lässt.
Diese Doku von Emanuela Casentini trägt den Originaltitel „Vom Lago Maggiore zum Gardasee“ Ausstrahlungsdatum: 15. Mai 2022 im SWR Fernsehen. Alle Aussagen und Fakten entsprechen dem damaligen Stand und wurden seitdem nicht aktualisiert.
Lago Maggiore, Comer See, Gardasee: für viele das „erste Italien“ nach der Überquerung der Alpen. Das milde Klima, die üppige Vegetation mit Palmen und Zitronen, das Licht, romantische Städte und verwunschene Bergdörfer schaffen ein besonderes Flair an den Oberitalienischen Seen. In den 1950er und 1960er Jahren haben viele Deutschen hier ihren ersten Urlaub in Italien verbracht. Bis heute hat sich die Region den Charme einer längst vergangenen Zeit bewahrt. Trotz der langen touristischen Tradition gibt es unbekannte, paradiesische Flecken zu entdecken und Abenteuer zu erleben. Im Lago Maggiore, ganz im Westen liegt die Isola Bella. Die schönste der drei Borromäischen Inseln ist berühmt für ihre barocken Gärten. Mario Mirani ist Gärtner in diesem kleinen Paradies und verteidigt es tapfer - zum Beispiel gegen Sturmschäden. Etwas in Vergessenheit geraten: Die Seen sind reich an Fischen. Gabriella Rigiani möchte das wieder ins Bewusstsein rufen und lädt Freunde und Touristen zum Fischessen am Luganer See. Rund um den Comer See ist alles ein bisschen exklusiver: Dörfer und Städtchen wie aus dem Bilderbuch, edle Villen und exklusive Hotels zieren die Ufer. Die Region verdankt ihren Reichtum der Seidenindustrie. Aber auch die edlen Riva-Motorboote, seit den 50er Jahren Jet-Set-Symbol und Inbegriff italienischer Lebensfreude, kommen von hier. Auch der Gardasee lockt mit mildem Klima, das Oleander, Kapern und Zitronen in prächtigen Gärten wachsen lässt.
Diese Doku von Emanuela Casentini trägt den Originaltitel „Vom Lago Maggiore zum Gardasee“ Ausstrahlungsdatum: 15. Mai 2022 im SWR Fernsehen. Alle Aussagen und Fakten entsprechen dem damaligen Stand und wurden seitdem nicht aktualisiert.
Rechts-außen im Fokus: Begriffe, Anziehung und Ziele | ARTE Info Plus
Lukashenko Says He Could Launch Russian Nuclear Weapons - BBC News
Jul 7, 2023 | The President of Belarus has suggested that he could use tactical nuclear weapons, which are being deployed in his country by Russia. Alexander Lukashenko is a close ally of the Russian President Vladimir Putin and his country served as a launchpad for Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in 2022.
Recently President Putin announced that Russian nuclear weapons had been deployed in Belarus. He said they would only be used if the Russian state or its territory was threatened.
Speaking to the BBC’s Russia Editor Steve Rosenberg, the Belarus President Lukashenko insisted that he could launch the weapons if he chose to. He said: “In Ukraine a whole army is fighting with foreign weapons, with NATO weapons. So why can’t I fight with someone else’s?” Mr Lukashenko also said that the leader of the Wagner mercenary group Yevgeny Prigozhin was in Russia. The Wagner leader hasn’t been seen since he staged a mutiny against Russia’s military leadership.
Clive Myrie presents BBC News at Ten reporting by Steve Rosenberg in Minsk and Gordon Corera in Kyiv.
Recently President Putin announced that Russian nuclear weapons had been deployed in Belarus. He said they would only be used if the Russian state or its territory was threatened.
Speaking to the BBC’s Russia Editor Steve Rosenberg, the Belarus President Lukashenko insisted that he could launch the weapons if he chose to. He said: “In Ukraine a whole army is fighting with foreign weapons, with NATO weapons. So why can’t I fight with someone else’s?” Mr Lukashenko also said that the leader of the Wagner mercenary group Yevgeny Prigozhin was in Russia. The Wagner leader hasn’t been seen since he staged a mutiny against Russia’s military leadership.
Clive Myrie presents BBC News at Ten reporting by Steve Rosenberg in Minsk and Gordon Corera in Kyiv.
Florida Suffers Consequences of DeSantis Political Games with Public Health
Yellen, in Beijing, Criticizes China’s Treatment of U.S. Companies
THE NEW YORK TIMES: Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen’s concerns reflected continuing tensions between the two countries.
Of all the economic rifts between the United States and China, one felt personally by American executives is what they describe as the difficult, even hostile, conditions they face doing business in China.
Treasury Secretary Janet L. Yellen laid bare those concerns on Friday by leveling a forceful objection in Beijing to punitive measures the Chinese government has taken against foreign firms, as tension between the two nations has escalated.
Surrounded by executives from some of the most powerful American companies, Ms. Yellen criticized the Chinese government’s harsh treatment of companies with foreign ties and its recent decision to impose export controls on certain critical minerals. She suggested that such actions justify the Biden administration’s efforts to make U.S. manufacturers less reliant on China.
Ms. Yellen’s comments, made to a group of executives from American businesses operating in China, underscored the challenges that the world’s two largest economies face as they struggle to reconcile their deep differences. » | Alan Rappeport, Alan Rappeport, who covers the Treasury Department, reported this article from Beijing. | Friday, July 7, 2023
Read in Chinese.
Of all the economic rifts between the United States and China, one felt personally by American executives is what they describe as the difficult, even hostile, conditions they face doing business in China.
Treasury Secretary Janet L. Yellen laid bare those concerns on Friday by leveling a forceful objection in Beijing to punitive measures the Chinese government has taken against foreign firms, as tension between the two nations has escalated.
Surrounded by executives from some of the most powerful American companies, Ms. Yellen criticized the Chinese government’s harsh treatment of companies with foreign ties and its recent decision to impose export controls on certain critical minerals. She suggested that such actions justify the Biden administration’s efforts to make U.S. manufacturers less reliant on China.
Ms. Yellen’s comments, made to a group of executives from American businesses operating in China, underscored the challenges that the world’s two largest economies face as they struggle to reconcile their deep differences. » | Alan Rappeport, Alan Rappeport, who covers the Treasury Department, reported this article from Beijing. | Friday, July 7, 2023
Read in Chinese.
‘The Status Quo Doesn’t Work’ - Wes Streeting MP on Child Poverty, Coming Out and Reforming the NHS
Jul 7, 2023 | Brought up on a council estate in the East End of London, the son of a single mother whose own father was a bank robber and whose mother once shared a prison cell with Christine Keeler, Wes Streeting MP owes his life to a fry up.
His working class background and the challenges he experienced growing up in poverty now inform the Shadow Health Secretary’s mission in politics, to ensure others like him have similar opportunities.
Today on Ways to Change the World, Wes Streeting joins Krishnan Guru-Murthy to talk about his journey from a Stepney council estate to the Labour frontbench in Westminster, his optimism that poverty is a trap we can escape and his vision for an NHS ‘fit for the future’ on the eve of the 2024 UK general election.
Produced by Silvia Maresca
Warning: The following contains language that some viewers might find offensive.
His working class background and the challenges he experienced growing up in poverty now inform the Shadow Health Secretary’s mission in politics, to ensure others like him have similar opportunities.
Today on Ways to Change the World, Wes Streeting joins Krishnan Guru-Murthy to talk about his journey from a Stepney council estate to the Labour frontbench in Westminster, his optimism that poverty is a trap we can escape and his vision for an NHS ‘fit for the future’ on the eve of the 2024 UK general election.
Produced by Silvia Maresca
Warning: The following contains language that some viewers might find offensive.
Thursday, July 06, 2023
FTSE 100 Falls to Lowest Closing Level in 2023 as Interest Rate Fears Grip Markets
THE GUARDIAN: Markets suffer on both sides of Atlantic as Fed signals more rate hikes and recession fears grow in UK
Global financial markets fell sharply on Thursday as investors braced for central banks driving interest rates up further to combat high inflation across the world’s leading economies.
Share prices fell on both sides of the Atlantic with the FTSE 100 tumbling by 161 points, or 2.2%, to finish the day at 7,280 – its lowest level since last November – while stocks fell by a similar amount across Europe and by more than 1% in New York.
UK government borrowing costs rose further, extending an increase seen in recent weeks amid concern that the Bank of England may need to engineer the conditions for a recession in order to squeeze high inflation out of the British economy. » | Richard Partington, Economics correspondent | Thursday, July 6, 2023
Global financial markets fell sharply on Thursday as investors braced for central banks driving interest rates up further to combat high inflation across the world’s leading economies.
Share prices fell on both sides of the Atlantic with the FTSE 100 tumbling by 161 points, or 2.2%, to finish the day at 7,280 – its lowest level since last November – while stocks fell by a similar amount across Europe and by more than 1% in New York.
UK government borrowing costs rose further, extending an increase seen in recent weeks amid concern that the Bank of England may need to engineer the conditions for a recession in order to squeeze high inflation out of the British economy. » | Richard Partington, Economics correspondent | Thursday, July 6, 2023
Chicago: If You Leave Me Now
I Only Have Eyes for You
Silvio Berlusconi Leaves €100m to Partner Marta Fascina in His Will
THE GUARDIAN: Three-time Italian prime minister leaves overall control of family holding company to two eldest children
The late Silvio Berlusconi left €100m (£85.4m) to his partner, Marta Fascina, in his will and control of the family holding company, Fininvest, to his two eldest children, a source has confirmed.
The three-time Italian prime minister, who died last month and whose empire is estimated to be worth more than €6bn, also left €100m to his brother, Paolo, and €30m to Marcello Dell’Utri, a former senator with his Forza Italia party who served jail time for association with the mafia.
Marina and Pier Silvio – his children with his first wife, Carla Elvira Dall’Oglio – will hold a combined stake of 53% in Fininvest, according to details of the will which was unsealed on Wednesday night and first reported by Ansa, an Italian news agency.
Fascina, 33, a Forza Italia deputy, began a relationship with Berlusconi in 2020. The pair held a “symbolic” marriage ceremony in March 2022 and Berlusconi reportedly referred to her as his “wife” on his deathbed. » | Angela Giuffrida in Rome | Thursday, July 6, 2023
The late Silvio Berlusconi left €100m (£85.4m) to his partner, Marta Fascina, in his will and control of the family holding company, Fininvest, to his two eldest children, a source has confirmed.
The three-time Italian prime minister, who died last month and whose empire is estimated to be worth more than €6bn, also left €100m to his brother, Paolo, and €30m to Marcello Dell’Utri, a former senator with his Forza Italia party who served jail time for association with the mafia.
Marina and Pier Silvio – his children with his first wife, Carla Elvira Dall’Oglio – will hold a combined stake of 53% in Fininvest, according to details of the will which was unsealed on Wednesday night and first reported by Ansa, an Italian news agency.
Fascina, 33, a Forza Italia deputy, began a relationship with Berlusconi in 2020. The pair held a “symbolic” marriage ceremony in March 2022 and Berlusconi reportedly referred to her as his “wife” on his deathbed. » | Angela Giuffrida in Rome | Thursday, July 6, 2023
Attackers Cut Ponytails from Iranian 10-year-old Girls Who Refuse to Wear Hijab
THE TELEGRAPH: Youngsters threatened with ‘big knife’ by unknown assailants, as police demand daughters should not ‘defy our religious values’
Iranian girls are having their hair hacked off by unknown assailants, in what police suggested could be punishment for refusing to wear the hijab.
Girls as young as 10 have had their ponytails chopped off by assailants who threatened them with a “big knife”. The hijab is mandatory from the age of seven in Iran.
The attacks are being carried out by someone who stops girls while driving a car around the streets of Damavand province, according to Arman Melli Online, an Iranian news website.
He is said to move from neighbourhood to neighbourhood and reportedly has been carrying bags filled with hair braids, some of them in multiple colours.
A spokesman for Tehran’s police chief, Babak Namakshenas, said the attacks were “the result of ignoring the Islamic social codes”. » | Ahmed Vahdat | Thursday, July 6, 2023
I spent many years working in the Middle East in years gone by. When I worked in Saudi Arabia, girls as young as ten were not required to wear hijab at all. I was informed on good authority, by a knowledgeable Saudi, that girls were only required to wear hijab upon reaching the age of puberty. Before that, there is no requirement for them to wear it. However, at puberty, the wearing of hijab becomes mandatory. So why are the Iranian authorities insisting that Iranian children wear hijab? Prior to puberty, a girl is but a child. When I worked in Saudi, I often saw little girls playing with each other with the wind blowing through their hair. It seems to me that the Iranians might perhaps have a distorted understanding of the strictures of Islam. – © Mark Alexander
Iranian girls are having their hair hacked off by unknown assailants, in what police suggested could be punishment for refusing to wear the hijab.
Girls as young as 10 have had their ponytails chopped off by assailants who threatened them with a “big knife”. The hijab is mandatory from the age of seven in Iran.
The attacks are being carried out by someone who stops girls while driving a car around the streets of Damavand province, according to Arman Melli Online, an Iranian news website.
He is said to move from neighbourhood to neighbourhood and reportedly has been carrying bags filled with hair braids, some of them in multiple colours.
A spokesman for Tehran’s police chief, Babak Namakshenas, said the attacks were “the result of ignoring the Islamic social codes”. » | Ahmed Vahdat | Thursday, July 6, 2023
I spent many years working in the Middle East in years gone by. When I worked in Saudi Arabia, girls as young as ten were not required to wear hijab at all. I was informed on good authority, by a knowledgeable Saudi, that girls were only required to wear hijab upon reaching the age of puberty. Before that, there is no requirement for them to wear it. However, at puberty, the wearing of hijab becomes mandatory. So why are the Iranian authorities insisting that Iranian children wear hijab? Prior to puberty, a girl is but a child. When I worked in Saudi, I often saw little girls playing with each other with the wind blowing through their hair. It seems to me that the Iranians might perhaps have a distorted understanding of the strictures of Islam. – © Mark Alexander
Zuckerberg Uses Threads to Say Twitter Has Missed Its Chance
THE GUARDIAN: Meta founder says rival platform will ‘focus on kindness’ as it claims 10 million users hours after launch
Mark Zuckerberg has taken a swipe at Elon Musk’s Twitter as his competitor to the platform, Threads, announced 10 million sign-ups within hours of its launch.
The chief executive and founder of Meta used his new Threads account to say Twitter had not “nailed” its opportunity to become a mega app and that his copycat version would be “focusing on kindness”.
Zuckerberg’s competitive move against Twitter has already resulted in Musk challenging his fellow billionaire to a cage fight, with the Meta boss appearing to accept the offer of a bout. Appropriately, Zuckerberg said in an exchange with a mixed martial arts fighter on Threads that Twitter had not taken its chance to become a leading platform. » | Dan Milmo, Global technology editor | Thursday, July 6, 2023
We can’t trust the Government to protect your privacy, says Signal boss: Interview: Meredith Whittaker warns new law would allow regulators to read private messages at will »
Mark Zuckerberg has taken a swipe at Elon Musk’s Twitter as his competitor to the platform, Threads, announced 10 million sign-ups within hours of its launch.
The chief executive and founder of Meta used his new Threads account to say Twitter had not “nailed” its opportunity to become a mega app and that his copycat version would be “focusing on kindness”.
Zuckerberg’s competitive move against Twitter has already resulted in Musk challenging his fellow billionaire to a cage fight, with the Meta boss appearing to accept the offer of a bout. Appropriately, Zuckerberg said in an exchange with a mixed martial arts fighter on Threads that Twitter had not taken its chance to become a leading platform. » | Dan Milmo, Global technology editor | Thursday, July 6, 2023
We can’t trust the Government to protect your privacy, says Signal boss: Interview: Meredith Whittaker warns new law would allow regulators to read private messages at will »
Saudi Designer Mohammed Ashi Makes History as First Gulf Arab at Paris Haute Couture Week | AN
Frauen dürfen in Zürcher Hallenbädern oben ohne schwimmen
TAGES ANZEIGER: Oben ohne ist in Zürcher Badis ebenso wie in Hallenbädern erlaubt, hält der Stadtrat fest. Vier Parlamentarierinnen hatten beklagt, dass die Praxis in Hallenbädern für Frauen strikter sei.
Der Zürcher Stadtrat sieht keinen Handlungsbedarf, was die Oben-ohne-Regeln in den städtischen Bädern angeht. Das Schwimmen mit nacktem Oberkörper sei allen Gästen erlaubt, ob in Freibädern oder im Hallenbad, stellt er in seiner Antwort auf eine Anfrage aus dem Parlament klar. » | Lorenzo Petrò | Mittwoch, 5. Juli 2023
Der Zürcher Stadtrat sieht keinen Handlungsbedarf, was die Oben-ohne-Regeln in den städtischen Bädern angeht. Das Schwimmen mit nacktem Oberkörper sei allen Gästen erlaubt, ob in Freibädern oder im Hallenbad, stellt er in seiner Antwort auf eine Anfrage aus dem Parlament klar. » | Lorenzo Petrò | Mittwoch, 5. Juli 2023
Theresa May Gets Booed Arriving at Luxury NHS Anniversary Dinner
All politicians are in it for themselves! The bloody lot of them! Especially the corrupt Tories.
This is such an irony! On the one hand, the Tories are doing their level best to destroy the National Health Service; yet on the other, they attend a luxury dinner celebrating its success. Go figure! By the way, almost all of those attendees will almost certainly be availing themselves of private healthcare. – Mark
In France and Germany, They’re Seizing Super-yachts. | #shorts
UK Edges Closer to Rejoining EU’s £85bn Horizon Science Programme
THE GUARDIAN: Talks on returning as an associate member after Brexit row are close to agreement, say diplomatic sources
The UK is on the brink of doing a deal to return to the EU’s £85bn science research programme Horizon Europe.
Diplomatic sources say negotiations to become an associate member will continue over the weekend and the two sides are close to agreement after three months of talks, largely over the cost of re-entry.
The UK was locked out of Horizon in 2020 in a tit-for-tat dispute over the failure to implement the Northern Ireland protocol trade arrangements in the original Brexit withdrawal agreement.
But the door to associate membership was reopened when the replacement Windsor framework was sealed in March, with the European Commission chief, Ursula von der Leyen, declaring a deal could be done “swiftly”. » | Lisa O'Carroll and Ian Sample | Wednesday, July 5, 2023
Meno male! But if it hadn't been for the donkeys, asses, fools and clowns in the Tory Party, we wouldn't have left the programme in the first place. This is one step closer to sanity, I suppose. Many more steps to go, though. What we really need to do is REVERSE BREXIT itself! We Brits are Europeans and our destiny lies in Europe. – © Mark Alexander
The UK is on the brink of doing a deal to return to the EU’s £85bn science research programme Horizon Europe.
Diplomatic sources say negotiations to become an associate member will continue over the weekend and the two sides are close to agreement after three months of talks, largely over the cost of re-entry.
The UK was locked out of Horizon in 2020 in a tit-for-tat dispute over the failure to implement the Northern Ireland protocol trade arrangements in the original Brexit withdrawal agreement.
But the door to associate membership was reopened when the replacement Windsor framework was sealed in March, with the European Commission chief, Ursula von der Leyen, declaring a deal could be done “swiftly”. » | Lisa O'Carroll and Ian Sample | Wednesday, July 5, 2023
Meno male! But if it hadn't been for the donkeys, asses, fools and clowns in the Tory Party, we wouldn't have left the programme in the first place. This is one step closer to sanity, I suppose. Many more steps to go, though. What we really need to do is REVERSE BREXIT itself! We Brits are Europeans and our destiny lies in Europe. – © Mark Alexander
UK Banks to Meet Finance Regulator as Anger Grows over Savings Rates
THE GUARDIAN: NatWest, Lloyds, HSBC and Barclays bosses expected to attend FCA meeting and justify disparity between loan and savings rates
The chief executives of the UK’s largest high street banks will face the City watchdog today amid accusations they are ‘profiteering’ as savings rates offered to customers lag well behind surging borrowing costs.
Bosses including NatWest’s Alison Rose, HSBC UK’s Ian Stuart, Barclays UK’s Matt Hammerstein, and Lloyds Banking Group’s Charlie Nunn, will meet the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) as they come under pressure to justify their decision to keep easy access savings rates low, while the cost of loans and mortgages has soared. » | Kalyeena Makortoff, Banking correspondent | Thursday, July 6, 2023
The chief executives of the UK’s largest high street banks will face the City watchdog today amid accusations they are ‘profiteering’ as savings rates offered to customers lag well behind surging borrowing costs.
Bosses including NatWest’s Alison Rose, HSBC UK’s Ian Stuart, Barclays UK’s Matt Hammerstein, and Lloyds Banking Group’s Charlie Nunn, will meet the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) as they come under pressure to justify their decision to keep easy access savings rates low, while the cost of loans and mortgages has soared. » | Kalyeena Makortoff, Banking correspondent | Thursday, July 6, 2023
Wednesday, July 05, 2023
How the Iranian Regime Targets and Intimidates Its Critics | DW News
The Warning with Steve Schmidt | #shorts
Lung Cancer Diagnoses of UK Women to Outnumber Men’s for First Time
THE GUARDIAN: Exclusive: Women urged to study symptoms and be as vigilant as they are for breast cancer
The number of women diagnosed with lung cancer in the UK is expected to overtake men this year for the first time, according to projections that have prompted calls for women to be as vigilant about the disease as they are about breast cancer.
Lung cancer is the most common cause of cancer death in the UK, accounting for one in five of the total. It has one of the worst cancer survival rates, which is largely attributed to diagnoses at a late stage, when treatment is less likely to be effective.
Analysis by Cancer Research UK for the Guardian suggests women will overtake men for lung cancer diagnoses in 2022-24. The projections suggest that this year, female cases will eclipse male cases for the first time, with 27,332 and 27,172 cases respectively. » | Andrew Gregory, Health editor | Wednesday, July 5, 2023
Cancers : leur incidence a doublé en France depuis 1990 : Selon les chiffres publiés le 4 juillet par Santé publique France et l’Institut national du cancer, la hausse s’explique d’abord par l’évolution démographique. Les autres causes sont liées aux modes de vie (alcool, tabac, surpoids, etc.) et à l’environnement. »
The number of women diagnosed with lung cancer in the UK is expected to overtake men this year for the first time, according to projections that have prompted calls for women to be as vigilant about the disease as they are about breast cancer.
Lung cancer is the most common cause of cancer death in the UK, accounting for one in five of the total. It has one of the worst cancer survival rates, which is largely attributed to diagnoses at a late stage, when treatment is less likely to be effective.
Analysis by Cancer Research UK for the Guardian suggests women will overtake men for lung cancer diagnoses in 2022-24. The projections suggest that this year, female cases will eclipse male cases for the first time, with 27,332 and 27,172 cases respectively. » | Andrew Gregory, Health editor | Wednesday, July 5, 2023
Cancers : leur incidence a doublé en France depuis 1990 : Selon les chiffres publiés le 4 juillet par Santé publique France et l’Institut national du cancer, la hausse s’explique d’abord par l’évolution démographique. Les autres causes sont liées aux modes de vie (alcool, tabac, surpoids, etc.) et à l’environnement. »
"Bad for Religion": Gay Baptist Minister with Interfaith Alliance on SCOTUS LGBTQ Rights Ruling
Mick Lynch Rails against "Oligarch" Tories Destroying the Country
What have I been saying all along? That this country is rotten and corrupt at its very core. The Tories have a lot to answer for. And please do not think that I am a socialist; I am most certainly not. I have never voted socialist in my life. In fact, all my life, I have been a dyed-in-the-wool Conservative voter. But that all changed with that ridiculous Brexit. I shall never vote Conservative again. But I should add not only because of Brexit at this time; but also because the Conservative Party is no longer what it used to be: it cannot be trusted. Modern Conservatives have TRASHED this country. Moreover, they are continuing to trash it. Further, the country is no longer run for the benefit of ALL people, the many; rather, it is run for the benefit of the few – the very rich few. The 0.0001%. As far as the Tories are concerned, the rest of the people can eat the crumbs that fall under their tables. – © Mark Alexander
King Charles III: Thousands on Edinburgh's Royal Mile for Thanksgiving Celebration
Scottish minister leads protest at King Charles coronation event: Partick Harvie, co-leader of Scottish Greens, addresses protesters as Charles is presented with Scotland’s medieval crown jewels / A ceremony in Edinburgh marking King Charles III’s coronation has been targeted by politically significant republican protests led by a Scottish government minister. »
Istanbul’s Bellydancers and DJs Fight for Survival as Turkey’s Night-time Economy Takes a Hit
THE GUARDIAN: With inflation at more than 100%, and a ruling party hostile to Istanbul’s vibrant nightlife culture, performers and bar owners are facing severe struggles
It’s 11pm at a rooftop restaurant overlooking Istanbul and the patrons are ready to party. In a corner, neon lights illuminate a DJ pumping Turkish pop music to long tables of patrons increasingly loose on raki, Turkey’s aniseed-flavoured national drink. Some have already got out of their chairs to dance, when suddenly the music shifts: the bellydancers have arrived.
A male bellydancer in a pink crop top dances, followed by a blond bellydancer in a rhinestone bra, and then Aslı Can, who enters the room in a storm of high kicks and hair flips.
It’s a typical meyhane night – the name for a traditional restaurant where people spend hours drinking listening to music and watching bellydancing, a staple of Turkish social life for centuries.
As the trio move between the different tables, jostling and wiggling with patrons, they begin their tricks – Can at one point does a full backbend over a table as she dances. Within half an hour, her top is stuffed full of 100 lira notes. » | Ruth Michaelson and Deniz Barış Narlı. Photography by Bradley Secker for the Guardian | Wednesday, July 5, 2023
Home-made Grilled Peach Salad with Rocket Leaves | Cooking with Zahra
Jul 5, 2023 | 'Grilled Peach Salad with Rocket Leaves' is a perfect blend of sweet, savory, and tangy flavors that come together in a harmonious symphony of taste. This salad is a celebration of summer, showcasing the natural sweetness of peaches and the vibrant freshness of rocket leaves.
The grilled peaches are then combined with a bed of peppery rocket leaves, also known as arugula, which provides a delightful contrast to the sweetness of the fruit. Rocket leaves offer a distinct and slightly spicy flavor that adds depth to the salad, making it an exciting culinary experience.
The grilled peaches are then combined with a bed of peppery rocket leaves, also known as arugula, which provides a delightful contrast to the sweetness of the fruit. Rocket leaves offer a distinct and slightly spicy flavor that adds depth to the salad, making it an exciting culinary experience.
Taliban ordnen Schließung von tausenden Schönheitssalons an
FRANKFURTER ALLGEMEINE ZEITUNG: Sie waren einer der letzten Zufluchtsräume für Frauen: Nun müssen Schönheitssalons in Afghanistan innerhalb eines Monats schließen. Für viele Frauen bricht damit ihre einzige Einnahmequelle weg.
In Afghanistan müssen tausende Schönheitssalons auf Anordnung der radikalislamischen Taliban-Regierung innerhalb eines Monats schließen. Den Geschäften werde Zeit eingeräumt, damit Lagerbestände ohne Verluste aufgebraucht werden könnten, sagte der Sprecher des Ministeriums für die Förderung der Tugend und die Verhütung des Lasters auf Anfrage der Nachrichtenagentur AFP am Dienstag. Gründe für die Schließung nannte er allerdings nicht. » | Quelle: AFP | Dienstag, 4. Juli 2023
Taliban order closure of beauty salons in Afghanistan: Morality ministry decrees another reduction of Afghan women’s access to public spaces »
In Afghanistan müssen tausende Schönheitssalons auf Anordnung der radikalislamischen Taliban-Regierung innerhalb eines Monats schließen. Den Geschäften werde Zeit eingeräumt, damit Lagerbestände ohne Verluste aufgebraucht werden könnten, sagte der Sprecher des Ministeriums für die Förderung der Tugend und die Verhütung des Lasters auf Anfrage der Nachrichtenagentur AFP am Dienstag. Gründe für die Schließung nannte er allerdings nicht. » | Quelle: AFP | Dienstag, 4. Juli 2023
Taliban order closure of beauty salons in Afghanistan: Morality ministry decrees another reduction of Afghan women’s access to public spaces »
French Government Could Cut Off Social Media during Unrest, Says Macron
THE GUARDIAN: Comments came as ministers blame young people using platforms like TikTok to incite violence after shooting of teenager
Emmanuel Macron has said the French government should consider controlling and cutting off social media networks “when things get out of hand” in the country.
The president’s comments came as ministers blamed young people using platforms such as Snapchat and TikTok for organising and encouraging rioting and violence after the shooting last week of a teenager during a police traffic stop in a Paris suburb.
“We need to think about how young people use social networks … when things get out of hand, we may have to regulate them or cut them off. » | Kim Willsher in Paris | Wednesday, July 5, 2023
Emmanuel Macron has said the French government should consider controlling and cutting off social media networks “when things get out of hand” in the country.
The president’s comments came as ministers blamed young people using platforms such as Snapchat and TikTok for organising and encouraging rioting and violence after the shooting last week of a teenager during a police traffic stop in a Paris suburb.
“We need to think about how young people use social networks … when things get out of hand, we may have to regulate them or cut them off. » | Kim Willsher in Paris | Wednesday, July 5, 2023
Doctor EXPOSES Plan to DESTROY NHS
Keep the American healthcare system well away from Britain. The American healthcare system is the last thing we need here. I speak from experience – a lot of experience. My late partner was an American, a well-heeled American; so he was well-insured. But I could write a book on the flaws of that healthcare system. God help the Americans who are down-at-heel!
American healthcare is the privilege of the rich. It is not a right enjoyed by everyone. It is also a very expensive healthcare system. Expensive to run and expensive for the patient. Outcomes are poor in relation to the cost of the healthcare system as well.
The Tory Party is obsessed with all things American. Fact is, there are far better healthcare systems in Europe than the American model. The irony is that at the very time that many Americans are clamouring for universal healthcare, the Tories are busy dismantling the NHS.
Tories have trashed this country in so many ways; now, they want to trash the National Health Service, too. Don't let them do it! Once it's trashed, destroyed and gone, we will never get it back. Under the Tories, this country is rotting at the core; and Maggie started that rot (even though many, even I, couldn't see it at the time). Maggie bedazzled many of us, but she really did start the downward spiral. – © Mark Alexander
The Guardian view on the NHS at 75: pride mixed with disappointment: Underfunding and a lack of planning have undermined the health service, but the public is still behind it »
Most doctors think ministers want to destroy NHS, BMA boss says: Philip Banfield says health service is in state of ‘managed decline’ and may not survive next ‘five or 10 years’ »
Tories, hear this: the public still believes in the NHS on its 75th birthday – and we know you don’t: It has suffered years of cuts but the service will recover, because British people understand what it means for our way of life »
Tuesday, July 04, 2023
Severe Weather Disrupts Fourth of July Travel Plans across the US
THE TELEGRAPH: International and domestic flights were delayed or cancelled as heavy storms with hail stones ‘the size of dimes’ pummelled the east coast
Travel chaos is affecting thousands of Americans as severe weather disrupts Fourth of July plans throughout the United States.
More than 100 million Americans are under extreme weather warnings, with storms threatening swathes of the country’s east while millions in the south and west swelter amid a heatwave.
Storms will be active across large parts of the east and south from Tuesday afternoon until Tuesday evening, forecasters predicted.
Areas from near New York City to eastern Arkansas and northeastern Louisiana are expected to be affected. Some of the thunderstorms may become severe with heavy downpours, high winds and hail. » | Maighna Nanu | Tuesday, July 4, 2023
Wishing all my American visitors a Very Happy Fourth of July. Enjoy the celebration! – Mark
Travel chaos is affecting thousands of Americans as severe weather disrupts Fourth of July plans throughout the United States.
More than 100 million Americans are under extreme weather warnings, with storms threatening swathes of the country’s east while millions in the south and west swelter amid a heatwave.
Storms will be active across large parts of the east and south from Tuesday afternoon until Tuesday evening, forecasters predicted.
Areas from near New York City to eastern Arkansas and northeastern Louisiana are expected to be affected. Some of the thunderstorms may become severe with heavy downpours, high winds and hail. » | Maighna Nanu | Tuesday, July 4, 2023
Wishing all my American visitors a Very Happy Fourth of July. Enjoy the celebration! – Mark
Trump Gets Caught…
Italy, Spain, France: The Rise of Far-right across Europe | ARTE Europe Weekly
Dieser Bericht ist hier auf Deutsch verfügbar.
France Riots Latest as Tensions Begin to Ease – BBC News
Stormy Daniels Questioned by Oxford University Students
WARNING: This video is ABSOLUTELY NOT suitable for children, both because of the topics discussed and often the STRONG LANGUAGE used. I am leaving the video up because it shows us all how unsuitable for high office Donald Trump is. – Mark
Amsterdam Tries to Dim the Glare on Its Red-Light District
THE NEW YORK TIMES: The mayor wants to improve the neighborhood for residents, but sex workers oppose measures recently put in place. Now the city is looking to set up legal prostitution elsewhere.
The red-light district is one of Amsterdam’s oldest neighborhoods. | Ilvy Njiokiktjien for The New York Times
It has been a goal sought after by Amsterdam for years: dissuading rowdy, brawling tourists from overtaking the red-light district.
The Dutch city announced new measures this spring to crack down on noise and substance abuse, which residents have long complained about in the district. But sex workers, bartenders and entrepreneurs say the new rules haven’t been effective in making the area safer or quieter.
Now the city is pushing a more drastic move: setting up a location for legal prostitution in another neighborhood to spread out demand — an idea that has set off mixed reactions from the industry.
The new rules introduced this spring set earlier closing times for bars (2 a.m., and no new entry after 1 a.m.), stopped sex workers from working after 3 a.m. instead of 6 a.m. and banned marijuana smoking in the street. But many sex workers say the regulations make them less safe because they have less time to earn enough money to cover the cost of their rooms, pressuring them to accept clients they would otherwise turn down. » | Claire Moses, Reporting from the red-light district in Amsterdam | Tuesday, July 4, 2023
It has been a goal sought after by Amsterdam for years: dissuading rowdy, brawling tourists from overtaking the red-light district.
The Dutch city announced new measures this spring to crack down on noise and substance abuse, which residents have long complained about in the district. But sex workers, bartenders and entrepreneurs say the new rules haven’t been effective in making the area safer or quieter.
Now the city is pushing a more drastic move: setting up a location for legal prostitution in another neighborhood to spread out demand — an idea that has set off mixed reactions from the industry.
The new rules introduced this spring set earlier closing times for bars (2 a.m., and no new entry after 1 a.m.), stopped sex workers from working after 3 a.m. instead of 6 a.m. and banned marijuana smoking in the street. But many sex workers say the regulations make them less safe because they have less time to earn enough money to cover the cost of their rooms, pressuring them to accept clients they would otherwise turn down. » | Claire Moses, Reporting from the red-light district in Amsterdam | Tuesday, July 4, 2023
”Ron DeSantis Has Had a Humiliating Collapse and Shown He’s Not Ready for Prime Time" | #shorts
Monday, July 03, 2023
Isabella of Castile: Reconquista - Full History (All Parts)
Ursula von der Leyen Says ‘Direction of Travel’ Is EU Membership for Ukraine
THE GUARDIAN: European Commission head is seeking to curb Russian influence in central and eastern Europe
The EU has said it will be impossible to envisage a future for the bloc without Ukraine and Moldova as members, in part to reduce Russian influence in east and central Europe.
While other countries such as Romania and Bulgaria took 11 years to become members of the EU, joining in 2007, the president of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, hinted the future of the new accession candidates will be swiftly decided.
“Can you imagine the European Union will be without Ukraine, without Moldova without the western Balkans? And those parts of Europe are under the influence of Russia or China?
Impossible. So the direction of travel is clear,” she said at the launch of the Spanish presidency of the Council of the EU in Madrid. » | Lisa O’Carroll in Madrid | Monday, July 3, 2023
The EU has said it will be impossible to envisage a future for the bloc without Ukraine and Moldova as members, in part to reduce Russian influence in east and central Europe.
While other countries such as Romania and Bulgaria took 11 years to become members of the EU, joining in 2007, the president of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, hinted the future of the new accession candidates will be swiftly decided.
“Can you imagine the European Union will be without Ukraine, without Moldova without the western Balkans? And those parts of Europe are under the influence of Russia or China?
Impossible. So the direction of travel is clear,” she said at the launch of the Spanish presidency of the Council of the EU in Madrid. » | Lisa O’Carroll in Madrid | Monday, July 3, 2023
Donald Trump Wants to Throw President Biden in Jail | #shorts
Pétrole : l’Arabie saoudite prolonge la réduction de sa production pour tenter de soutenir les prix
LE MONDE : La réduction, qui a pris effet en juillet, se poursuivra en août et peut-être au-delà. Cette décision maintient à environ 9 millions de barils par jour la production du royaume.
L’Arabie saoudite a annoncé lundi 3 juillet qu’elle prolongeait la réduction de sa production de pétrole d’un million de barils par jour pour soutenir le prix du baril en baisse. La réduction, qui a pris effet en juillet, se poursuivra en août et « peut être prolongée » au-delà de cette période, a fait savoir l’agence de presse du royaume, citant une source au ministère de l’énergie. » | Le Monde avec AFP | lundi 3 juillet 2023
L’Arabie saoudite a annoncé lundi 3 juillet qu’elle prolongeait la réduction de sa production de pétrole d’un million de barils par jour pour soutenir le prix du baril en baisse. La réduction, qui a pris effet en juillet, se poursuivra en août et « peut être prolongée » au-delà de cette période, a fait savoir l’agence de presse du royaume, citant une source au ministère de l’énergie. » | Le Monde avec AFP | lundi 3 juillet 2023
Saudi-Arabien bestellt schwedischen Botschafter ein
ZEIT ONLINE: Wegen der Koranverbrennung in Schweden hat Saudi-Arabien den Botschafter vorgeladen. Zu Toleranz im Widerspruch stehende Handlungen sollten gestoppt werden, hieß es.
Saudi-Arabien hat nach der Koranverbrennung vor einer Moschee in Stockholm den schwedischen Botschafter einbestellt. Mit dem Schritt des saudi-arabischen Außenministeriums solle Schweden aufgefordert werden, Handlungen zu stoppen, die im Widerspruch zu Werten wie Toleranz stünden, meldete die staatliche Nachrichtenagentur Saudi Press Agency.
Das Königreich, in dem die heiligen islamischen Orte Mekka und Medina beheimatet sind, hat den Vorfall vor der Großen Moschee in Stockholm bereits direkt nach dem Vorfall deutlich verurteilt. » | Quelle: ZEIT ONLINE, AFP, kzi | Montag, 3. Juli 2023
French Parents Could Go to Prison If Their Children Are Taking Part in Riots
Saudi Crown Prince on THE LINE
France Protests Spread to Switzerland
THE TELEGRAPH: Police say violence has begun following calls on social media as young people 'inspired by situation in France'
Days of unrest and rioting in France have spread overnight to neighbouring Switzerland, after spilling over into Belgium earlier in the week.
In the Swiss city of Lausanne, there were clashes between police and groups of protesters, most of them young – an echo of the profile of many of the rioters in France. Seven people were detained, most of them teenagers, after several shop windows in Lausanne were smashed.
Around 100 people gathered on Saturday night in the centre of the city, which is located in the mainly French-speaking western part of Switzerland. Young people threw paving stones and at least one Molotov cocktail at officers, police said in a statement.
“Echoing the events and riots raging in France, more than a hundred youths gathered in central Lausanne and damaged businesses,” the Lausanne police said in a statement. » | Nick Squires | Sunday, July 2, 2023
Days of unrest and rioting in France have spread overnight to neighbouring Switzerland, after spilling over into Belgium earlier in the week.
In the Swiss city of Lausanne, there were clashes between police and groups of protesters, most of them young – an echo of the profile of many of the rioters in France. Seven people were detained, most of them teenagers, after several shop windows in Lausanne were smashed.
Around 100 people gathered on Saturday night in the centre of the city, which is located in the mainly French-speaking western part of Switzerland. Young people threw paving stones and at least one Molotov cocktail at officers, police said in a statement.
“Echoing the events and riots raging in France, more than a hundred youths gathered in central Lausanne and damaged businesses,” the Lausanne police said in a statement. » | Nick Squires | Sunday, July 2, 2023
When Muslim Women Love a Non-Muslim | Hidden Heart | Full Documentary
Homosexuality, Marriage, and Islam
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