The Sun’s Splash, Huw Edwards and the Drama That Gripped Britain and Shook the BBC

Huw Edwards is a household name, who made an enticing target for the tabloid. Photograph: BBC
THE OBSERVER: In one week, the allegations and responses to them have plunged the national broadcaster into yet another crisis – and raised serious questions about the Murdoch tabloid

It was a grim sort of guessing game played across Britain last week: who was the mystery BBC broadcaster who had reportedly paid £35,000 to a young person in exchange for sexual images? By Tuesday the field of suspects had narrowed, as horrified presenters, misidentified in social media posts, attempted to distance themselves. Then on Wednesday came the revelation: the hidden man at the centre of this tabloid newspaper accusation was Huw Edwards, the BBC’s lead news anchor, whose calm and authoritative voice had announced the death of the Queen.

The astonishing allegations carried in the Sun newspaper last weekend have split the nation and put many leading commentators at loggerheads, to say nothing of pitting an endangered BBC against Rupert Murdoch’s news empire.

“The idea a big public figure has a double life is going to excite huge interest, but we don’t know the facts yet,” said one former senior BBC news chief. “The BBC must work out if it has been brought into disrepute. The claims could certainly be construed as very undermining of Edwards’ role as the face of the BBC’s coverage of state occasions. He has a special relationship of trust with the public.” » | Vanessa Thorpe and Jon Ungoed-Thomas | Saturday, July 15, 2023

Huw Edwards: Huge pressure to name presenter amid allegations, BBC chair says: The BBC was under "huge pressure" to reveal that Huw Edwards was the presenter facing media allegations last week, its acting chairwoman has said. »

Chris Brown : Forever | Official HD Video | Reupload

Oct 25, 2009 | Views on YouTube: 324,981,287

Public Order vs. Civil Rights: Is Liberal Britain Under Threat? | DW News

Jul 16, 2023 | Civil liberties and human rights - are they under threat in Britain? The United Kingdom sees itself as a champion of democracy. But new laws that criminalize some forms of protest and limit workers' right to strike are worrying human rights organizations. The right to asylum is also in the spotlight. What's happening to liberal Britain? How free and fair is Britain today?

Carlos Alcaraz Beats Novak Djokovic to Win Wimbledon Title in Final for the Ages

THE GUARDIAN: Spaniard’s second major title in 1-6, 7-6(6), 6-1, 3-6, 6-4 win / Djokovic endures first Centre Court defeat in over 10 years

Carlos Alcaraz holds the famous trophy aloft on Centre Court. Photograph: Glyn Kirk/AFP/Getty Images
Over the past few years of men’s tennis, as his great rivals have retreated from view, Novak Djokovic has spent his time destroying the hopes and dreams of nearly all younger challengers at the major tournaments. Not only has continued to hold off the next generation, but he has relished his supremacy over them.

It has been clear for a long time, though, that Carlos Alcaraz is just different. Both in terms of his on-court talents and the supreme mental strength that underpins his success. A month after his body crumbled under the sheer tension of facing Djokovic at a major, Alcaraz recovered from a set deficit to perform at a remarkable level for five sets as he toppled Djokovic 1-6, 7-6 (6), 6-1, 3-6, 6-4 to win his first Wimbledon title. » | Tumaini Carayol at Wimbledon | Sunday, July 16, 2023

Wimbledon 2023 : Carlos Alcaraz renverse Novak Djokovic et remporte Wimbledon pour la première fois : En dominant le Serbe Novak Djokovic (1-6, 7-6 [8-6], 6-1, 3-6, 6-4), l’Espagnol a décroché son premier titre à Wimbledon, et le deuxième Grand Chelem de sa carrière. Une victoire épatante, qui lui permet de rester au sommet du classement ATP. »

Der junge König von Wimbledon: Carlos Alcaraz erobert das Heiligtum des Tennissports. In einem mitreißenden Endspiel ringt der Spanier den großen Novak Djokovic nieder. Dank seiner Weltklasse übersteht er jede Drucksituation. »

Anger as Gendered Pronouns Stripped from All of Arts Body's Literature

THE TELEGRAPH: Taxpayer-funded Arts Council Wales is set to purge male and female pronouns like ‘he/him’ and ‘she/her’ from its official documentation

First Minister Mark Drakeford warns that ‘a need for constant vigilance remains’ with regard to the rights of ‘LGBTQ+ communities’ CREDIT: Dominic Lipinski/PA Wire
Gendered pronouns will be purged from official documentation by the Welsh government’s primary arts body, The Telegraph can reveal.

The Arts Council of Wales, the taxpayer-funded body responsible for supporting the arts on behalf of the devolved government, is set to purge male and female pronouns like “he/him” and “she/her” from the body’s official documentation, The Telegraph understands.

In place of gendered pronouns, the Arts Council will use the gender-neutral pronouns “they/them”.

News of the policy arts comes after the Welsh government this year rolled out an LGBTQ+ Action Plan for Wales, which pledged to ensure public bodies were “sensitive to gendered language”.

Information from the Arts Council of Wales states that the public body is “currently undertaking a general update across our policies amending any specific references to gender (eg she/he/his/her) to ‘they/them’”.

A statement from the Council confirmed that documentation would be changed “as part of our continuous review process”, and that “if we come across gendered pronouns, we’ll be replacing them for the words ‘they/them’. » | Craig Simpson | Saturday, July 15, 2023

What a load of bollocks! This is woke bullshit! Left-wing, socialist crap! What on earth is Drakeford trying to do to Wales? And more to the point, what is he trying to do to the English language? To say nothing of wasting taxpayers' money. Enough already! – © Mark Alexander

Liebesspiele zwischen Kunst und Leben

Jane Birkin im Mai 1970 auf einer Wiese | Bild: DPA
ZUM TOD VON JANE BIRKIN
FRANKFURTER ALLGEMEINE ZEITUNG: Sie war eine Ikone der Mode und der Popkultur. Nur wenige erkannten ihr Talent für Zwischentöne der Trauer und des Überschwangs. Zum Tod der Filmschauspielerin und Sängerin Jane Birkin.

Jetzt wird jeder an ihre Stimme denken – die Stimme, mit der sie 1969 im Duett mit Serge Gainsbourg „Je t’aime ... moi non plus“ gesungen hat, die Hymne der sexuellen Revolution und den Engtanz-Klassiker jeder seither gefeierten Party. Dabei war sie nur die Zweitbesetzung für die Rolle der stöhnenden und gurrenden Geliebten; die erste Version des Songs hatte Gainsbourg mit Brigitte Bardot eingespielt, aber nach dem Einspruch von Bardots Ehemann Gunter Sachs auf die Veröffentlichung verzichtet. » | Von Andreas Kilb | Sonntag, 16. Juli 2023

Weitere Artikel und Fotos finden Sie hier

Jane Birkin dies: Macron leads tributes to 'French icon': British star was found dead at her home in Paris, the French Culture Ministry said on Sunday »

Jane Birkin est morte à l’âge de 76 ans

LE PARISIEN : La chanteuse avait récemment annulé des concerts pour des raisons de santé. Jane Birkin reste l’Anglaise préférée des Français, indissociable de Serge Gainsbourg dont elle fut la muse et l’ambassadrice.

Jane Birkin est décédée à l’âge de 76 ans. Selon nos informations, elle a été retrouvée sans vie à son domicile parisien ce dimanche[.], à 11 heures par sa femme de vie. La chanteuse avait récemment annulé des concerts pour des raisons de santé. « J’ai toujours été une grande optimiste, et je me rends compte qu’il me faut encore un peu de temps pour être de nouveau capable sur scène et avec vous », écrivait-elle dans un communiqué en mai annonçant les annulations. » | Par Jean-Michel Décugis | dimanche 16 juillet 2023

Singer and actress Jane Birkin dead at 76: The singer and actress Jane Birkin has died at the age of 76, according to French media. »

Jane Birkin: Artist and style icon's life in pictures »

Boris Johnson and Liz Truss Are Raking It In

Jul 16, 2023

The Observer View on Nato Summit’s Failure to Offer Ukraine Membership

THE OBSERVER – EDITORIAL: While leaders dined out on a half deal with Turkey’s Erdoğan, Volodymr Zelenskiy was left looking like a poor man at a feast

Volodymyr Zelenskiy had to put a brave face on it, after being petulantly accused of ingratitude by British defence secretary Ben Wallace, but last week’s Nato summit was a disappointment for Ukraine’s president and the embattled country he leads. Nato’s repeated failure to offer an unambiguous timetable for Kyiv’s full membership will be seen by the Kremlin as a weak hedging of bets. It will probably be exploited in any future talks to end the war.

To be sure, Ukraine received pledges of long-term support, more weaponry and G7 assistance, and the halfway house of a Ukraine-Nato council. “We’re not going anywhere. You’re stuck with us,” US president Joe Biden joked. But Zelenskiy’s dutiful laughter seemed a little forced. Sincere though he is, Biden cannot be sure of keeping his promise. In 18 months’ time, US policy under a less supportive Republican successor could be very different. » | Observer editorial | Sunday, July 16, 2023

Heatwave: Extreme Heat across US and Europe - BBC News

Jul 16, 2023 | Extreme heat and high temperatures are making their way across the US and Europe. Nearly a third of Americans - about 113 million people - are currently under heat advisories - including in Florida, California and up to Washington state. Meanwhile, sweltering temperatures are showing no signs of abating in southern Europe. The Italian health ministry issued a red alert for 16 cities including Rome, Bologna and Florence for the weekend

Nigella's Slow-roasted Garlic & Lemon Chicken | Forever Summer with Nigella

Mar 2, 2019 | Nigella Lawson shows us how to make her glorious slow-roasted garlic and lemon chicken.

Der Islam der Frauen | Doku HD Reupload | ARTE

Jul 15, 2023 | Keine Religion ist mit so vielen Vorurteilen behaftet wie der Islam. Doch begründet er die Benachteiligung der Frau? Regisseurin Nadja Frenz stellt muslimische Frauen vor, die sich das Ziel gesetzt haben, einen eigenen Weg der Emanzipation zu finden. Mit ihnen untersucht sie die Rolle der Frau im Islam und erkundet die Suren des Korans.

Kann Feminismus islamisch sein? Die Rolle der Frau im Islam löst immer wieder Kontroversen aus. Ist das Kopftuch wirklich ein klares Zeichen der Unterdrückung? Erlaubt der Koran den Männern, über Frauen zu bestimmen und sie zu schlagen? Steht ein modernes Frauenbild im Gegensatz zu den Texten des Korans? Muss sich eine Frau also entscheiden, ob sie gläubige Muslimin oder selbstbestimmte Feministin sein will? In der Dokumentation kommen Islamwissenschaftlerinnen zu Wort, für die nicht der Islam oder der Koran frauenverachtend sind, sondern bestimmte Interpretationen und patriarchalische Traditionen. Sie setzen sich für eine geschlechtergerechte Auslegung des Korans ein und versuchen, Religion und Feminismus zu verbinden. Frauenrechtlerinnen wie Zineb El Rhazoui, ehemalige Mitarbeiterin von „Charlie Hebdo“, stehen ihren religiösen Wurzeln dagegen unversöhnlich gegenüber und halten den Islam für nicht reformierbar. Regisseurin Nadja Frenz taucht in diesen Diskurs ein und liefert überraschende Erkenntnisse, abseits gängiger Vorurteile. Der Islam und die Frauen – eine Beziehung, die nach vielen hundert Jahren männlicher Interpretation neu definiert werden muss.

Dokumentation von Nadja Frenz (D 2019, 56 Min)
Video auf Youtube verfügbar bis zum 14/08/2023


Ce documentaire est disponible en français ici.

The Abuse Scandal Leaving a Trail of Destruction across Christianity

THE TELEGRAPH: The evangelical world is in uproar after musical superstar Matt Redman claimed he was the ‘victim’ of preacher Rev Canon Mike Pilavachi

If you are not an evangelical Christian, then he is almost certainly the most influential music superstar that you’ve never heard of. Yet this week, the British artist Matt Redman became known for something other than his internationally-best-selling “praise music” when he took on another global titan of the conservative Christian world – and his former mentor – Rev Canon Mike Pilavachi.

Pilavachi is a captivating, magnetic preacher. For young Christians aspiring to a life in ministry, worship leading or prayer, the talented British evangelist, of Greek Cypriot descent, has been revered as a gifted man with “an amazing connection to the Holy Spirit’’, “a direct dial to God” and “the gifts to enable it all”.

Avowedly celibate – repeatedly telling crowds how he has never slept “with anyone, animal, vegetable or mineral and I’m okay” – he has travelled around the world giving sermons, wearing colourful tie-dye kaftans, speaking the word of God and converting thousands of people to the faith with his radical “Soul Survivor” summer youth festivals known by some as “the Christian Glastonbury”.

Yet beneath the veneer of his chaste Christian superstardom, preaching in front of a giant crucifix lit up on stage, it is claimed that a “conveyor belt” of young, attractive men – many of whom were vulnerable and had difficult childhoods – were encouraged to receive full-body oil massages in their underwear in their vicar’s bedroom.

Victims have also told of vigorous wrestling matches that could last as long as 20 minutes at a time – sometimes in church. » | Gabriella Swerling, Religious Affairs Editor | Saturday, July 15, 2023

Tora- und Bibelverbrennung in Schweden abgesagt

REAKTION AUF KORAN-VERBRENNUNG
FRANKFURTER ALLGEMEINE ZEITUNG: Eigentlich wollte ein Muslim mit seiner Aktion auf die Verbrennung eines Korans reagieren. Nun sagt er jedoch, wenn heilige Bücher verbrannt würden, gebe es Bürgerkrieg. Man müsse einander respektieren.

Eine geplante Verbrennung von Exemplaren der Bibel und der Tora in Schweden ist kurzfristig abgesagt worden. Mit der Ankündigung habe er diejenigen verurteilen wollen, die in dem skandinavischen Land Bücher wie den Koran verbrennen, sagte der 32 Jahre alte muslimische Anmelder einer Demonstration in Stockholm am Samstag. Laut der Anmeldung bei der Polizei hatten bei der Versammlung Exemplare der heiligen Schriften der Christen und Juden in Brand gesteckt werden sollen. » | Quelle: AFP | Samstag, 15. Juli 2023

Nigella's Moroccan Roast Lamb & Turkish Cacik | Forever Summer with Nigella

Feb 22, 2019 | Nigella Lawson shows us her delicious Moroccan roast lamb and Turkish cacik

‘I’ve Never Seen Heat This Bad. It’s Not Normal’: Italy Struggles as Temperature Tops 40C

THE GUARDIAN: Anticyclone Caronte could send thermometer to 48C/118F as Mediterranean heatwave intensifies

A fierce anticyclone named after Cerberus, a three-headed monster-dog that features in Dante’s Inferno, had not even ended before Italians were warned that a more intense one called Caronte, or Charon, who in Greek mythology was the ferryman of the dead, was on its way.

Italy sweltered in temperatures reaching highs of 38C over the weekend, while Caronte will grip the country from Monday, sending the mercury beyond 40C in central and southern regions, with the islands of Sicily and Sardinia possibly hitting a peak of 48C.

Italians are used to hot summers. But not this hot, especially as the consecutive heatwaves struck abruptly, and followed a spring and early summer marked by storms, flooding and below average temperatures. » | Angela Giuffrida in Rome | Saturday, July 15, 2023

Acropolis closes to protect tourists as Greece faces unprecedented heatwave: First-aid workers drafted in to treat visitors suffering effects of 48C – 118F –temperatures at the country’s most visited monument »

Die nächste Hitzewelle rollt schon an: Von Spanien über Griechenland bis in den Westen der Türkei – die Temperaturen erreichen neue Rekorde. Auf La Palma mussten wegen eines Waldbrandes 2500 Menschen in Sicherheit gebracht worden. Meteorologen warnen derweil vor der nächsten Hitzewelle. »

Canicule : de l’Italie à la Californie, le monde suffoque : Acropole fermée, mort de footballeurs amateurs italiens, incendies violents en Californie... Depuis le début de l’été, les épisodes caniculaires se succèdent et s’intensifient. »

Italia Squisita: Quiche Lorraine in a French Michelin Restaurant with Massimo Tringali - Armani

Jul 7, 2023 | It is the most famous savory pie in France. An ancient dish that has become a symbol of transalpine cuisine, also protected by a real trade union. Massimo Tringali, executive chef of the Armani restaurant, one Michelin star in the Saint-Germain Paris, tells the story and the recipe of the classic Quiche Lorraine, without forgetting its Italian heritage and contemporary cooking touch.

Click here and then click on ‘show more’ for a full list of the ingredients and the method of preparation.

The Massive Tide of British Nationals Leaving Brexit Island

Jul 15, 2023 | As the UK suffers the economic and cultural consequences of the failed Brexit project, we heard this week that the rich and powerful are spending a proportion of their wealth to effectively buy EU citizenship by investing millions of euros in certain EU member countries.

As always in Tory Britain, it’s one rule for us and another rule for them. Thanks to Brexit, most of us without the necessary ancestry have had our rights to live, work and retire in 27 other countries taken away from us. But if you’re rich and powerful, it’s not a problem, just invest some of your spare change within the EU, and you’ve bought yourself back all those freedom of movement rights that the Brexit referendum took away from most of us. But perhaps even more importantly, the post-Brexit brain drain is now next level..


The Tories, the bastards, have robbed us of our full rights as EU citizens and have made us subjects of the king instead. Wow! What a trade off already! It is to be hoped that Wales and Scotland will secede from this Union and join the European Union as independent countries asap. Westminster has little to offer either the Scots or the Welsh. – © Mark Alexander

Diabète, une addition salée | ARTE

Jul 15, 2023 | Comment mieux prendre en charge les patients atteints de diabète, une maladie chronique qui touche de plus en plus de personnes dans le monde ? Menée sur trois continents, une enquête fouillée sur une situation alarmante.

C'est un fléau qui touche déjà plus de 430 millions de personnes dans le monde et devrait frapper un adulte sur dix en 2040. Maladie auto-immune pour celui de type 1, liée à la malbouffe et à la sédentarité pour le type 2, le diabète se déclare sans prévenir. Malgré des promesses renouvelées de remèdes miracles depuis la découverte en 1922 du rôle de l'insuline dans la stabilisation du taux de glucose dans le sang, le traitement de cette maladie chronique du pancréas pâtit d'une obsession partagée par la communauté médicale et les laboratoires : celle du contrôle glycémique, qui pousse à accumuler les traitements médicamenteux en négligeant leurs effets secondaires parfois fatals. Les patients sont poussés dans une escalade thérapeutique, qui n'empêche en rien la progression d'une maladie entraînant amputations, cécité et accidents cardio-vasculaires. Alors que les arrêts de travail, les invalidités et le coût des traitements pèsent lourd sur les finances publiques, l'industrie pharmaceutique, elle, continue de prospérer grâce à la maladie : le diabète représente en effet un marché colossal de 46 milliards de dollars annuels.

Explosion

Aux États-Unis, le coût élevé des traitements, laissé à la charge des malades, voit nombre d'entre eux privés de soins adaptés ou contraints à des arbitrages douloureux pour les financer. Si, en Allemagne, on commence à privilégier pour les diabétiques de type 2 un sevrage médicamenteux associé à une meilleure hygiène de vie, l'explosion des cas dans un pays comme le Sénégal fait craindre le pire pour l'avenir. Fruit d'une enquête sur trois continents, cet état des lieux approfondi et alarmant donne la parole à des patients, parmi lesquels le musicien Bertrand Burgalat, diagnostiqué à l'adolescence diabétique de type 1 et cofondateur de l'association Diabète et Méchant, ainsi qu'à des experts de la santé, des chercheurs et des médecins. Il ouvre aussi des pistes prometteuses pour améliorer la prise en charge des malades.

Documentaire de Dorothée Frénot et Benoît Rossel (France, 2020, 1h26mn)
Disponible jusqu'au 22/11/2023

Lebanon Wildfires: Firefighters Hampered by Government Budget Freeze

Jul 15, 2023 | Unusually high temperatures in Lebanon are being blamed for a surge in wildfires. Firefighters are struggling to cope because the government is almost bankrupt. Al Jazeera’s Zeina Khodr reports from Akkar, northern Lebanon.

Abschiebung statt Asyl: Wie Großbritannien Geflüchtete nach Ruanda schicken will | auslandsjournal

Jul 15, 2023 | Der Plan der britischen Regierung: weniger Flüchtlinge ins Land aufnehmen. Dazu unterschrieb die britische Innenministerin Suella Braverman den „Ruanda Deal“. Was dieser beinhaltet? Flüchtlinge, die illegal in Großbritannien ankommen, sollen festgenommen und sofort nach Ruanda geflogen werden. Erst dort können sie dann einen Antrag auf Asyl stellen. Die Methode der Regierung: Abschreckung.

Oppositionelle Stimmen in Großbritannien und auch der Europäische Menschenrechtshof entgegnen, dass die neue Regelung unmoralisch sei. Sie kritisieren, dass Großbritannien seine internationale Hilfe verweigert. Viele Flüchtlinge riskieren ihr Leben auf der Flucht nach Großbritannien. Dort angekommen, werden sie bestraft und kriminalisiert. Da die rechtliche Lage einiger Flüchtlinge weiterhin ungewiss ist und Auffangzentren zu voll werden, werden einige auf unbestimmte Zeit in Hotels untergebracht. Das wiederum ist mit hohen Kosten verbunden.

Der Umgang mit Flüchtlingen und die britische Asylpolitik ist umstritten und polarisiert das Land. Doch der britische Premierminister Rishi Sunak kämpft weiter zusammen mit Ruandas Präsident für die Umsetzung ihrer Abschiebepläne.

Dieser Bericht kann leider nicht auf externen Websites eingebettet werden. Das Video muss auf YouTube selbst angeschaut werden. Hier ist ein Link dazu.
Es ist eine Schande, daß wir diese armen Leute so schäbig behandeln. Viele der Konservativen stammen selber aus Familien, die einmal in der jüngsten Vergangenheit Großbritannien als Zufluchtsort benötigt haben.

Ich sage nicht, daß alle Asylbewerber echt sind, aber mit dieser sehr teuren und unmenschlichen Lösung wird Nichts gelöst. Zudem wird unseren Ruf in der Welt kaputt gemacht. – © Mark Alexander

The Guardian view on migration: this bill is proof of the government’s failure: By pledging to deport asylum seekers, ministers are trying to make political capital out of desperate people »

Disposable Vapes: Councils Call for Total Ban by 2024

BBC: Disposable vapes cause litter problems, are a fire hazard and appeal too strongly to children, according to local councils in England and Wales.

The Local Government Association says 1.3m vapes are thrown away each week and wants them banned by 2024.

Single use varieties have surged in popularity, driven by Chinese brands such as Elfbar and Lost Mary.

The UK Vaping Industry Association says they help smokers quit and can be recycled.

Disposable vapes offer a few hundred puffs of nicotine-containing vapour, often with an added flavour of fruit or sweets, in bright plastic packaging – which are thrown away when empty.

They are easier to use than conventional vapes, or e-cigarettes, which need to be refilled with pods or liquid.

Disposable ones also contain a small lithium battery, which can increase in temperature when crushed, causing fires in bin lorries, the Local Government Association (LGA) warns. » | Ben King, Business reporter, BBC News | Saturday, July 15, 2023

This is clearly the result of the unrelenting war that has been waged on the smoking of conventional cigarettes. There are probably more young people vaping today than there ever were young smokers of conventional cigarettes. Meddlesome politicians have a lot to answer for. By the way, many of those young vapers will quite probably go on to become smokers of real cigarettes in years to come. Politicians have solved nothing by encouraging people to vape. Moreover, as vaping is still in its infancy, we still do not know the long-term deleterious effects on health that come about as a result of vaping. In my opinion, the encouragement of vaping as a cigarette substitute is both reckless and irresponsible. – © Mark Alexander

Alcohol Poisonings Rise in Iran, Where Bootleggers Defy a Ban

THE NEW YORK TIMES: Iran’s prohibition of the drinking and selling of alcohol has led to a flourishing underground market. But even officials have acknowledged a wave of hospitalizations and deaths in recent months.

Illicit alcohol being served at a party in Tehran. Iran’s theocratic government has banned the consumption and sale of alcohol for decades, but a bootleg industry has survived. | The New York Times
When a renowned Iranian artist hosted friends at his apartment in Tehran last month, he served, as he did often, a bottle of homemade aragh, a traditional Iranian vodka distilled from raisins, that he had secured from a trusted dealer.

His guests and his partner did not drink that evening, so he raised shot glasses to them and drank alone.

Within a few hours, the artist, Khosrow Hassanzadeh, 60, felt his vision blur. By the next morning, his sight was gone, he was delirious and short of breath. He was rushed to a hospital, where doctors diagnosed him with methanol poisoning from the aragh, according to his partner, Shahrzad Afrashteh.

Mr. Hassanzadeh fell into a coma that night and died two weeks later, on July 2. His death, from something as innocuous as having drinks with friends, shocked and infuriated many Iranians who have found ways around the Islamic Republic’s longstanding ban on the sale and consumption of alcohol, which is punishable by a penalty of up to 80 lashes and fines.

Rather than stopping drinking, the ban over time has led to a flourishing and dangerous bootleg market. In the past three months, a wave of alcohol poisonings has spread across Iranian towns big and small, with an average of about 10 cases per day of hospitalizations and deaths, according to official tallies in local news reports.

The culprit is methanol, found in homemade distilled alcohol and counterfeit brand bottles, apparently circulating widely, according to Iranian media reports and interviews with Iranians who drink, sell and make alcohol.

To many Iranians, the deaths are an example of how the Islamic Republic’s religious rules oppress ordinary citizens and meddle in their personal lives. » | Farnaz Fassihi and Leily Nikounazar | Friday, July 14, 2023

That prohibition isn't going too well, is it? People will have their fun. Governments are very slow to learn this. – Mark

See GOP Confronted over 'Straights Only' Discrimination, after Scotus Echoes Parts of Jim Crow

Jul 13, 2023 | Over 400 anti-LGBTQ bills have been introduced this year. It comes as the Supreme Court backtracks on decades of precedent in a new discrimination ruling. Chasten Buttigieg joins MSNBC Chief Legal Correspondent Ari Melber on “The Beat” to discuss protecting LGBTQ rights.

Macron Booed during Bastille Day Parade in Paris

Jul 14, 2023 | Members of the public booed the French president during the annual military parade in Paris as he travelled down the Champs Élysées in a military car, commemorating the storming of the Bastille prison in 1789, one of the most important events of the French Revolution. Macron's decision to raise the retirement age sparked months of protests and has damaged his popularity ratings.

Daniil Trifonov – Chopin: Fantaisie-Impromptu In C-Sharp Minor, Op. 66 | Reupload

Oct 6, 2017 | Views on YouTube: 2,828,340

The BBC Aired Saturation Coverage of Anchor’s Behavior. Was It Too Much?

THE NEW YORK TIMES: The BBC is no ordinary media outlet and its presenter is no ordinary journalist. But the network’s wall-to-wall coverage has raised questions of its own.

Huw Edwards in London in March. | Ian West/Press Association, via Getty Images
There were urgent NATO meetings about the war in Ukraine, raging floods from India to Vermont, and a record heat wave across America. But this week the BBC wound up airing wall-to-wall coverage of a different story: itself.

The confirmation that Huw Edwards, a prominent BBC anchor, was the unnamed person at the heart of allegations of sexual misconduct ended days of breathless speculation that consumed Britain’s public broadcaster. Yet it left a lingering sense of unease about the role of the British news media — and its even more intrusive cousin, social media — in the unmasking of a public figure.

Mr. Edwards, his wife said on Wednesday, has been hospitalized with a mental breakdown aggravated by a tabloid newspaper report that he paid tens of thousands of pounds to a teenager for sexually explicit images. The police said they found no evidence that Mr. Edwards had committed a crime, raising questions about why the BBC devoted hours of airtime, or the papers acres of newsprint, to what turned out to be the private life of one of the broadcaster’s stars.

The allegations were salacious, to be sure — catnip for the British press — and the BBC was trying to show journalistic integrity by not shying away from embarrassing news about a member of its own staff. » | Mark Landler | Thursday, July 13, 2023

‘I hope Huw Edwards is shown the same kindness that saved me when I first came clean about my problems’: Following the BBC star’s wife describing the newsreader’s mental health, one writer shares his own story about dealing with depression »

Andy Coulson advising Huw Edwards’s family on crisis management: Ex-News of the World editor takes on old News UK colleagues over Sun’s allegations against suspended BBC presenter »

Huw Edwards: the unanswered questions hovering over presenter’s future: The Sun and the BBC have both come under criticism over the paper’s coverage and the broadcaster’s handling of the scandal »

Sind wir alle bisexuell? | 42 -Die Antwort auf fast alles | ARTE

Jul 14, 2023 | Ob wir auf Männer oder auf Frauen stehen - das scheint bei vielen von uns schon ziemlich früh festzustehen. Für den Rest unseres Lebens. Aber ist das wirklich so? Was, wenn unser Begehren doch nicht so festgelegt ist, wie wir denken?

Viele erinnern sich vielleicht an den Skandal-Kuss zwischen Madonna und Britney Spears, der Popgeschichte geschrieben hat. Bei den MTV-Awards von 2003 knutschten die beiden auf der Bühne. Madonna war damals noch mit Guy Ritchie verheiratet. Heute wäre das wahrscheinlich nichts Besonderes mehr. Jede Menge Stars nennen sich bisexuell, sie fühlen sich also zu mehreren Geschlechtern hingezogen. In den gefeierten Serien und Filmen kommen immer mehr bisexuelle Charaktere vor. Auch die neuesten Studien zeigen: Die Menschen betrachten ihre Sexualität mit jeder Generation als weniger festgelegt. In Deutschland, USA und Israel sagt heute ein Drittel der jungen Leute, dass sie nicht nur auf ein Geschlecht stehen. Ist da gerade etwas im Wandel? Eigentlich ist das kein neues, sondern im Gegenteil ein ziemlich altes Phänomen. Wenn man weit zurückblickt, findet man historische Belege: Schon immer begehrten die Menschen divers. Im pharaonischen Ägypten, in der griechischen Antike oder im China des 17. Jahrhunderts. Der Begründer der Psychoanalyse Sigmund Freud glaubte, dass alle Menschen bisexuell auf die Welt kommen. Und die Sexualforscherin Charlotte Wolff nahm in den 1970er-Jahren an: Der Mensch bleibt sein Leben lang bisexuell. Wenn das so ist, warum legen sich so viele fest? Liegt es an der Natur? Oder an der Kultur – und in Wirklichkeit wäre der Mensch prinzipiell fähig, auf alle Geschlechter zu stehen?

Wissenschaftsdoku-Reihe (D 2023, 25 Min)

MPs Demand Dentistry Overhaul as Patients Resort to DIY Treatment

THE GUARDIAN: Report calls for urgent reform to NHS services with some people unable to access care said to be using pliers to extract teeth

NHS dental services are not fit for purpose and need urgent reform, according to MPs who have warned that people are resorting to DIY treatment using pliers.

A report published on Friday by the health and social care select committee said it was “totally unacceptable in the 21st century” that large numbers of patients had to experience pain and distress because they could not see an NHS dentist.

Fundamental changes were vital if people were to receive the dental care they were entitled to, the report concluded. » | Anna Bawden, Social affairs correspondent | Friday, July 14, 2023

Democracy Now! Top US News & World Headlines — July 14, 2023

UK Invites Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman to Visit

THE GUARDIAN: Saudi heir’s official visit would be first since he was accused of being behind killing of Jamal Khashoggi

Prince Mohammed visiting Paris last month, where he attended a climate finance summit. Photograph: Ludovic Marin/AFP/Getty Images
The Saudi crown prince, Mohammed bin Salman, has been invited to the UK on an official visit in late autumn, the first such visit by the heir to the Saudi throne since he was accused of masterminding the killing of Jamal Khashoggi, the Washington Post columnist and dissident.

Numerous UK ministers have been to Saudi Arabia in the interim, and senior Saudi ministers have also come to the UK, including the foreign minister, Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud.

Prince Mohammed also spent nearly a week in Paris last month meeting the French president, Emmanuel Macron, and attending a climate finance summit.

News of the UK visit, first reported by the Financial Times, comes as Saudi Arabia tries to end the war in Yemen, and has opened up diplomatic relations with Iran. The US is seeking to persuade Saudi Arabia also to normalise diplomatic relations with Israel, but Riyadh, unlike its Gulf Arab allies the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain, is resisting until there is progress on the Palestinian issue. » | Patrick Wintour, Diplomatic editor | Friday, July 14, 2023

Rishi Sunak 'invites Mohammad bin Salman to visit UK': The Crown Prince, Saudi Arabia’s de facto ruler, would be visiting for the first time since the murder of Jamal Khashoggi »

"This Is Climate Change and We Just Have to Get Used to It Somehow” | DW News

Jul 14, 2023

Health alerts issued as blistering heat scorches southern Europe: Tourists collapse in Greece and Italy and worker killed near Milan amid heatwave worsened by carbon pollution »

Aspartame Is a Possible Cause of Cancer in Humans, a W.H.O. Agency Says

THE NEW YORK TIMES: The F.D.A. and the powerful beverage industry protested the new findings, and a second W.H.O. group stood by its standard that the sweetener is generally safe.

A World Health Organization agency declared on Thursday that aspartame, an artificial sweetener widely used in diet drinks and low-sugar foods, could possibly cause cancer.

A second W.H.O. committee, though, held steady on its assessment of a safe level of aspartame consumption. By some calculations using the panel’s standard, a person weighing 150 pounds could avoid a risk of cancer but still drink about a dozen cans of diet soda a day.

The declaration by a W.H.O. agency of a cancer risk associated with aspartame reflects the first time the prominent international body has weighed in publicly on the effects of the nearly ubiquitous artificial sweetener. Aspartame has been a contentious ingredient for decades. » | Christina Jewett | Thursday, July 13, 2023

I am not surprised. But doesn’t everything cause cancer these days? Here’s a list of foods that are said to cause cancer: canned tomatoes, refined sugar, alcohol, French fries and potato chips (crisps), processed meat, mass-produced bread, artificial colours, microwave popcorn, hydrogenated oils, charred meats, farmed salmon, sodas (pop), red meat, pasta, milk, and GMOs. [Source: Miles Spar MD. ]

And that’s just in the food section. Add to that, smoking—Could we ever forget?—and just about every other pleasure besides, and by now you must be wondering what you could possibly have for lunch!

Back in the day, people must have been so much happier. They could eat whatever the hell they liked, oblivious of all the dangers, they could have a drink with impunity, and they could puff away to their hearts’ content, unaware of the dangers of everything. Bliss, it must have been, in that dawn to be alive! (Please excuse the play on William Wordsworth’s words.)

These days, it seems that we know the dangers in everything, but the pleasures in nothing. – Mark.

Italia Squisita: Cordon Bleu and Mashed Potatoes in a French Michelin Two-Star Restaurant with Giuliano Sperandio

Jul 14, 2023 | After a year-long journey into mother sauces, Giuliano Sperandio is back on ItaliaSquisita to illustrate two other French classics, two timeless comfort foods: cordon bleu and puree. The Taillevent chef's execution techniques and choice of ingredients fully enter the story of two recipes that have put generations of chefs to the test all over the world.

Click here for the full recipe and then click on ‘show more’.

Fran Drescher’s Fiery Speech against Hollywood Studios Goes Viral as Actors Strike

Jul 14, 2023 | The Nanny star blasts Hollywood studios after talks between the actors’ union and studios fail to avert a strike, calling them 'disgusting' for claiming they’re losing money while 'giving hundreds of millions of dollars to their CEOs'.

Fran Drescher is president of Hollywood's biggest union, Sag-Aftra. About 160,000 of its members are joining the Writers Guild of America in a strike, marking the biggest shutdown of Hollywood since both unions last went on strike together in 1960.

The unions are fighting for better terms with the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers, which represents major studios and streamers, including Amazon, Apple, Disney, NBCUniversal, Netflix, Paramount, Sony and Warner Bros Discovery


Read the accompanying Guardian article here.

Les acteurs d'Hollywood rejoignent les scénaristes dans un mouvement de grève inédit : Les tournages, déjà ralentis, sont complètement à l’arrêt depuis l’échec des négociations entre syndicat et studios concernant une revalorisation des salaires. »

„Wir sind hier die Opfer. Wir laufen Gefahr, durch Maschinen ersetzt zu werden“: Hollywood im Stillstand: Nach gescheiterten Verhandlungen mit den US-Filmstudios legt die Schauspielergewerkschaft ihre Arbeit nieder. Auch die Drehbuchautoren streiken seit Wochen. Das gab es seit 60 Jahren nicht. »

Hungarian Bookstore Fined for Selling LGBTQ+ Novel in Youth Section

THE GUARDIAN: Heartstopper by Alice Oseman was on shelves for young people and did not have closed packaging as required by controversial law

A government office in Hungary has levied a hefty fine against a national bookseller over a LGBTQ+ graphic novel series, saying it violated a contentious law that prohibits the depiction of homosexuality to minors.

The bookseller, Líra Könyv, is Hungary’s second-largest bookstore chain. It was fined 12m forints ($36,000 or £27,400) for placing Heartstopper by the British author Alice Oseman in its youth literature section, and for failing to place it in closed packaging as required by a 2021 law.

The Heartstopper webcomics and graphic novels were adapted for television and the subsequent series was a huge hit for Netflix, with a second season due in August.

The Budapest metropolitan government office, which issued the fine, told the state news agency MTI that it had conducted an investigation into the store selling the title.

“The investigation found that the books in question depicted homosexuality, but they were nevertheless placed in the category of children’s books and youth literature, and were not distributed in closed packaging,” the office said. » | Associated Press in Budapest | Thursday, July 13, 2023

Southern Europe Gripped by Cerberus Heatwave with Record Temperatures - BBC News

Jul 13, 2023 | A heatwave is sweeping across parts of southern Europe and north-west Africa, with potential record-breaking temperatures in the coming days. Temperatures are expected to surpass 40C (104F) in parts of Spain, France, Greece, Croatia and Turkey. In Italy, temperatures could reach as high as 48.8C (119.8F). A red alert warning has been issued for 10 cities, including Rome, Bologna and Florence. On Tuesday, a man in his forties died after collapsing in northern Italy.

Related.

Here Comes the Next Phase of Brexit – and It Will Be Bad for Our Diet, Health and Wealth

THE GUARDIAN: Should we care whether we will have less access to artisan sheep’s milk cheese? When it makes the quality of life worse, then yes

‘The quality of our lives will be diminished.’ Illustration: Sarah Tanat-Jones/The Observer
They keep telling us to move on; to accept that Brexit is done. The problem is, Brexit isn’t done with us. It isn’t a single disabling event. It’s a degenerative disease, and here comes the next stage. On 31 October, after four postponements to get infrastructure in place, the UK will finally introduce checks on fresh and chilled food imports. The EU has already introduced its checks, which come with a vast amount of paperwork and significant costs. The impact on the export of fruit from the UK to the EU has been dramatic, reducing the value from £248.5m in 2021 to £113.8m by 2023, a drop of more than 50%.

Now it’s going to work the other way. EU producers of meat products wishing to export to the UK will have to employ a vet to certify their goods, which will cost up to €700 a time. All sectors will have to employ agents for data entry compliance which could add another €200. They will have to train themselves on the paperwork. Then, come January, there’s the border inspection charge of up to £43 for each consignment regardless of whether it’s physically inspected or not. Faced by all of this, thousands of small producers from across Europe who have kept this country supplied with a fabulously diverse range of quality products will simply decide it’s not worth the trouble. They’ll sell elsewhere. The quality of our lives will be diminished. » | Jay Rayner | Thursday, July 13, 2023

The 1940 Nazi Invasion of Paris | Holocaust Survivor Paulette Shaw | USC Shoah Foundation

Jun 14, 2023 | Paulette Shaw was born in London, England in 1916. Paulette grew up in Paris, where her father worked as a tailor.

On June 14, 1940, Nazi Germany invaded Paris. Jews were removed from their places of work, banned from entering many public spaces, and forced to wear yellow Star of David badges on their clothing to identify themselves. Over 13,000 Jews were later sent to concentration camps.

Paulette was imprisoned in the Besançon and Vittel internment camps in France. She was eventually released as part of a trade for the release of German citizens imprisoned abroad.

Huw Edwards Named by His Wife as BBC Presenter Involved in Explicit Photo Scandal

Jul 13, 2023 | Sky News Australia host Piers Morgan says Huw Edwards’ wife released an emotional statement confirming he’s the BBC Presenter involved in the explicit photo scandal. “I know him a bit, I feel sorry for the situation he’s in, but I also need to know more about what’s been going on,” Sky News Australia host Piers Morgan said.

Cerberus Heatwave: Hot Weather Sweeps across Southern Europe

BBC: A heatwave is sweeping across parts of southern Europe and north-west Africa, with potential record-breaking temperatures in the coming days.

Temperatures are expected to surpass 40C (104F) in parts of Spain, France, Greece, Croatia and Turkey.

In Italy, temperatures could reach as high as 48.8C (119.8F). A red alert warning has been issued for 10 cities, including Rome, Bologna and Florence.

On Tuesday, a man in his forties died after collapsing in northern Italy.

Italian media reported that the 44-year-old worker was painting zebra crossing lines in the town of Lodi, near Milan, before he collapsed from the heat. He was taken to hospital where he later died.

"We are facing an unbearable heatwave," Italian politician Nicola Fratoianni tweeted.

"Maybe it's the case that in the hottest hours, all the useful precautions are taken to avoid tragedies like the one that happened today in Lodi."

People have been advised to drink at least two litres of water a day and to avoid coffee and alcohol, which are dehydrating. » | BBC | Thursday, July 13, 2023

UK told to prepare for possible 30% increase in uncomfortably hot days: Britain and Switzerland among countries that need to adapt most for heating, says research looking at impact of 2C global rise »

Democracy Now! Top US News & World Headlines — July 13, 2023

Evangelische Kirche erstmals mit Truck bei CSD dabei

UMZUG IN FRANKFURT
FRANKFURTER ALLGEMEINE ZEITUNG: Flagge für die Rechte queerer Menschen zeigt die Evangelische Kirche in Frankfurt und Offenbach schon lange. Jetzt bringt sie etwas ins Rollen.

Mit einer großen Regenbogenfahne sind seit Jahren auch Vertreter der Evangelischen Kirche in Frankfurt und Offenbach bei der Demonstration zum Christopher Street Day (CSD) dabei, um für die Rechte von Homosexuellen, queeren und transsexuellen Menschen einzutreten. Zu den bekanntesten gehört der Pfarrer der Friedens- und Versöhnungsgemeinde im Gallus, Nulf Schade-James. Jetzt hat die Evangelische Kirche zum ersten Mal einen Truck für den Zug durch die Stadt am Samstag, 15. Juli, finanziert, auf dessen Ladefläche die Akteure mitfahren können. » | Von Bernhard Biener | Montag, 10. Juli 2023

BBC in Shock as There Are Now Seven Allegations against Huw Edwards | Oliver Whitfield Miocic

Jul 13, 2023 | “Even though almost everybody in the building knew, to have that name confirmed still came as a shock to many here.”

Huw Edwards: BBC to focus on ‘fact finding’ as police say no criminal case: Broadcaster resumes investigation as Sun faces questions over its suggestion presenter had bought explicit images from 17-year-old which the young person denied »

Top News Anchor Is Identified as Person Suspended by the BBC: The wife of Huw Edwards, one of the BBC’s most prominent figures, said in a statement that her husband suffered from mental health issues. The police said there was no evidence of a crime. »

Huw Edwards will now be remembered in a very different way: The newsreader who told the world of Queen Elizabeth II's death is now known for being the presenter at the heart of the latest BBC scandal »

Huw Edwards Named as ‘Sex Picture Scandal’ BBC Presenter by Wife

Jul 12, 2023 | The BBC presenter Huw Edwards is being treated in hospital, as his wife says he's suffered another serious episode of depression after what she called "five extremely difficult days" for their family.

Vicky Flind confirmed Mr Edwards was the household name at the centre of a series of recent allegations and said her husband would respond to the claims when he was well enough.

Meanwhile Scotland Yard said it had found no evidence that a criminal offence had been committed and would take no further action.

Huw Edwards Named as Suspended BBC Presenter by His Wife

Jul 12, 2023 | Huw Edwards has been named by his wife as the suspended BBC presenter facing allegations of sexual misconduct.

Wife of Huw Edwards Names Him as BBC Presenter at Centre of Allegations

THE GUARDIAN: News comes shortly after Met says there is no evidence suspended presenter committed criminal offence

Huw Edwards has been named as the BBC presenter facing allegations over payments for sexually explicit images. Photograph: Chris Jackson/PA
Vicky Flind, the wife of newsreader Huw Edwards, has named him as the BBC presenter suspended after allegations he paid for sexually explicit images.

She said her husband was “suffering from serious mental health issues” and is currently “receiving inpatient hospital care, where he’ll stay for the foreseeable future”.

Her statement came shortly after the Metropolitan police said there was no evidence that Edwards committed a criminal offence, and the force would end its inquiries relating to the case.

The Sun had alleged the presenter paid a young person for explicit photos, starting when the individual was 17 – a potentially serious criminal offence. Officers have now concluded there is no evidence to support this allegation.

Flind, who has five children with the presenter, said in a statement: “In light of the recent reporting regarding the ‘BBC presenter’ I am making this statement on behalf of my husband, Huw Edwards, after what have been five extremely difficult days for our family. I am doing this primarily out of concern for his mental wellbeing and to protect our children. » | Jim Waterson, Media editor | Wednesday, July 12, 2023

Huw Edwards’ wife says BBC presenter in hospital for mental health care after allegations in the Sun – live »

Huw Edwards latest: Presenter at centre of BBC sex scandal named by wife »

Huw Edwards' wife's statement in full: Presenter is suffering from 'serious mental health issues': Vicky Flind reveals her husband is receiving 'in-patient hospital care' after suffering a 'serious episode' of depression in recent days »

Dimitra’s Dishes: Mediterranean Chicken, Olives & Feta Skillet

Jul 11, 2023

Get the recipe here.

Russland: Waren die Sanktionen umsonst? | NZZ

Jul 12, 2023 | Russland ist eines der am stärksten mit Sanktionen belegten Länder der Welt ist. Rund 750 Sanktionspakete haben westliche Staaten seit dem Angriff auf die Ukraine verhängt. Doch als Privatperson in Russland merkt man davon nur wenig. Unser Russland-Korrespondent Markus Ackeret in Moskau erklärt, warum die Sanktionen dennoch nicht spurlos an Russland vorbeigehen: «Die Sanktionen treffen das Land weniger in dem Sinne, dass jetzt plötzlich die Wirtschaft zusammenbricht oder dass im Alltag die Regale in den Geschäften leer sind. Vor allem ist diese Wirkung aber mittel- und längerfristig. Sie verlangsamen Russlands Entwicklung.»

Democracy Now! Top US News & World Headlines — July 12, 2023

EDGE OF WAR Putin ally warns ‘World War 3 is edging closer’ and slams ‘completely mad West’ as Nato backs huge Ukraine security deal: A DERANGED ally of Vladimir Putin today warned "World War 3 is getting closer" as Nato leaders signed off on a security package for Ukraine that Rishi Sunak hailed as a "new high" in Western support. »

How a Peaceful Country Became a Gold Rush State for Drug Cartels

Men detained during a police raid in suburb of Guayaquil.
THE NEW YORK TIMES: In Ecuador, an intelligence official said: “People consume abroad, but they don’t understand the consequences that take place here.”

A total of 210 tons of drugs seized in a single year, a record. At least 4,500 killings last year, also a record. Children recruited by gangs. Prisons as hubs for crime. Neighborhoods consumed by criminal feuds. And all this chaos financed by powerful outsiders with deep pockets and lots of experience in the global drug business.

Ecuador, on South America’s western edge, has in just a few years become the drug trade’s gold rush state, with major cartels from as far as Mexico and Albania joining forces with prison and street gangs, unleashing a wave of violence unlike anything in the country’s recent history.

Fueling this turmoil is the world’s growing demand for cocaine. While many policymakers have been focused on an epidemic of opioids, like fentanyl, that kills tens of thousands of Americans every year, cocaine production has soared to record levels, a phenomenon that is now ravaging Ecuador society, turning a once peaceful nation into a battleground.

“People consume abroad,” said Maj. Edison Núñez, an intelligence official with the Ecuadorean national police, “but they don’t understand the consequences that take place here.”

It’s not that Ecuador is new to the drug business. Squeezed between the world’s biggest cocaine producers, Colombia and Peru, it has long served as an exit point for illicit products bound for North America and Europe. » | Julie Turkewitz | Photographs by Victor Moriyama | Reporting from Guayaquil, Ecuador | Wednesday, July 12, 2023

En Côte d’Ivoire, le garba, plat des pauvres, s’embourgeoise

LE MONDE : « L’Afrique passe à table » (3). Prisé des étudiants et des ouvriers, ce mets nourrissant a séduit les classes moyenne et supérieure par sa simplicité, son goût et son mélange de textures.

L’un des « garbadromes » du rond-point Neuf-Kilos, fréquenté par les étudiants, à Cocody, une commune d’Abidjan, le 4 juillet 2023. MARINE JEANNIN
Il faut trois ingrédients pour faire un garba : du thon frit, de l’attiéké et du piment. La boule d’attiéké, à base de semoule de manioc, est servie émiettée, « mouillée » d’une louche d’huile de friture, puis garnie d’un morceau de thon et de piments hachés. Le vendeur peut ajouter des condiments à la demande : des tomates et des oignons coupés en petits dés, de l’ail, un cube de préparation pour bouillon Maggi à effriter sur le plat, de la mayonnaise… On mange le garba à la main, et plutôt en fin de matinée, car il est le carburant des travailleurs et des étudiants. Nécessairement roboratif – on ne dit pas simplement « un garba », mais plutôt « un bon garba », avec l’emphase sur l’adjectif –, il doit tenir au corps jusqu’à la tombée de la nuit. » | Par Marine Jeannin (Abidjan, correspondance) | mercredi 12 juillet 2023

WIKIPEDIA: Acheke (attiéké) »

Bronze Age Wooden Comb Could Be Oldest Discovered in UK

THE GUARDIAN: Comb and gold hair-ring dating back more than 3,000 years unearthed near Barry in south Wales

The bronze age comb was found in a small burial pit. Photograph: Red River Archaeology Group
They are sometimes depicted as unkempt and wild-haired but the discovery of what is being billed as possibly the UK’s oldest wooden comb suggests prehistoric people liked to take care of their appearance.

The comb and a beautifully crafted hair-ring, dating back more than 3,000 years to the bronze age, were unearthed near the seaside town of Barry in south Wales.

Discovered in a small burial pit where the cremated remains of a human had been placed, archaeologists suggest it shows bronze age people may have been fond of keeping their hair looking good. » | Steven Morris | Wednesday, July 12, 2023

Le Coran : aux origines du Livre | ARTE

Mar 23, 2023 | Livre sacré de l’Islam, le Coran est considéré dans la tradition musulmane comme immuable et inchangé depuis sa création. Pourtant, la découverte de manuscrits très anciens au Yémen démontre que le Coran aurait une histoire. Versions concurrentes, lectures variables, organisation différente des sourates… Ce documentaire remonte aux origines du livre saint des musulmans.

Disponible jusqu'au 20/09/2023


Diese Dokumentation ist hier auf Deutsch verfügbar.

Ina Garten's "Grown Up" Macaroni and Cheese (Mac 'n' Cheese) | Barefoot Contessa | Food Network

Mar 10, 2020 | The Barefoot Contessa transforms this childhood classic into a comforting dinner with the addition of crispy bacon, blue cheese and bread crumbs!

One of America's favourite foods.

"Another Nail in the Coffin for the BBC" Piers Morgan SLAMS Presenter Scandal

Jul 12, 2023 | Piers Morgan reflects from `New York on the latest developments in the BBC presenter scandal. The BBC presenter at the centre of this scandal allegedly paid thousands of pounds for intimate pictures.

Now the presenter is facing new allegations that he broke lockdown rules and sent "creepy" texts to someone he met on a dating site.

Moreover, the BBC is coming under increasing pressure to explain why it took seven weeks for the corporation to contact the presenter after it was made aware of the first set of allegations.

Mr Morgan says: "Whatever the truth about these allegations, BBC leaders have managed to put another nail in the coffin of our trust in the BBC."

"Do You Think All RELIGION Is Equally Bad?" - Interviewer to Richard Dawkins | #shorts

Click here to hear Richard Dawkins’ opinions.

UNHRC Holds Urgent Meeting on Quran Burning in Sweden

Jul 11, 2023 | United Nations Human Rights Council holds urgent meeting on the burning of Quran in Sweden in June. The urgent meeting at the UN Human Rights Council about Quran burning follows a request from Pakistan. Police protected the man while he burned the Quran outside a mosque in Stockholm on June 28.

Bart D. Ehrman: Creation Myths in the Ancient World

Jul 11, 2023 | Readers of the Bible are familiar with the stories of creation in Genesis 1-2, but far less familiar with similar tales from much earlier times in the world surrounding Israel. In this special edition of the podcast Bart interviews Dr. Joseph Lam, an expert on the languages, religions, and cultures of the Ancient Near East (and Bart's colleague at UNC), who has just produced a Wondrium Course on the Creation Stories in the Ancient World. Among other things they talk about the reasons for thinking Genesis contains two very different creation stories (side by side) and how other older stories from Mesopotamia appear to have influenced the author(s) of Genesis.

Finnish Far-right Finance Minister Accused of Racist Online Comments

THE GUARDIAN: Riikka Purra says she will not resign after being linked to racial slurs and threats of violence made in 2008

Finland’s new rightwing government has been plunged into fresh controversy after the discovery of racist and sometimes violent blogpost comments apparently written by the far-right Finns party leader and finance minister, Riikka Purra.

Purra, whose nationalist, anti-immigration party finished second in April’s elections and holds nine cabinet posts, has neither confirmed nor denied writing the posts, which date mostly to 2008, and said she had no intention of resigning – although on Tuesday she issued a broad apology for “stupid social media comments”.

The comments, made under the username “riikka” on the blog of Purra’s predecessor as Finns party leader, Jussi Halla-aho, included uses of the Finnish equivalent of the N-word, other racial and anti-immigrant slurs, and threats of violence. » | Jon Henley, Europe editor | Tuesday, July 11, 2023

BBC Latest: Presenter Faces Claim from Second Young Person

THE TELEGRAPH: A second young person has come forward with allegations about the BBC presenter at the centre of a sex scandal, BBC News has said.

The individual, in their early 20s, claimed that they were contacted anonymously by the presenter via a dating app, who put them “under pressure” to meet up.

It is alleged that they did not meet but when the young person hinted online that they might name the presenter, they received “abusive, expletive-filled messages” which left them frightened. (with video) » | The Telegraph | Tuesday, July 11, 2023

The BBC’s refusal to name Mr X is just the beginning of its sordid, toxic culture: It is illegal for the media to identify the presenter – but however expensive his legal team, it will all come out soon »

BBC presenter sent abusive and menacing messages to second young person: A young person has told BBC News they felt threatened by the BBC presenter at the centre of a row over payment for sexually explicit photos. »

"A Historic Mistake": Swedish Peace Activist Decries Move to Join NATO & Abandon Neutrality

Jul 11, 2023 | Sweden will soon join NATO after over a year of negotiations with Turkey over its bid for accession to the transatlantic military alliance. Turkey’s right-wing President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan had staunchly opposed Sweden’s bid due to the country’s strong presence of Kurdish exiles, including members of the outlawed Kurdistan Workers’ Party, which Turkey considers a “terrorist” organization. Erdoğan attributed his unexpected change of heart to Turkey’s own bid to join the European Union, which has been stalled for years, suggesting he will open the doors to Sweden in NATO if Turkey is in turn granted entry to the EU. We hear from Swedish peace activist Kerstin Bergeå in Stockholm, who says the decision to join NATO has lacked sufficient public debate in the country and who calls the move “a historic mistake.” Bergeå is president of the 140-year-old Swedish Peace and Arbitration Society, one of the oldest peace groups in the world.

Sweden’s giant-killer military is built for one thing: fighting Russia: Its forces will now deny Russia access to the Arctic and Baltic regions »

Carrie and Boris Johnson Announce Birth of Baby Boy Named Frank

THE GUARDIAN: Wife of ex-PM posts pic on Instagram of Frank Alfred Odysseus Johnson saying ‘can you guess which name my husband chose?’

Frank is the third child for Carrie and Boris Johnson. Photograph: Kirsty O’Connor/PA
Carrie and Boris Johnson have announced the birth of their third child, a second son.

In the caption of an Instagram post with a picture of her holding the newborn, Carrie Johnson joked: “Welcome to the world Frank Alfred Odysseus Johnson born 5th July at 9.15am. (Can you guess which name my husband chose?!)”

The former prime minister Boris Johnson is keen to be thought of as a scholar of the classics. In Greek mythology, Odysseus leaves behind his wife and child to seek adventure, encountering many other women along the way. » | Kevin Rawlinson | Tuesday, July 11, 2023

Democracy Now! Top US News & World Headlines — July 11, 2023

The Guardian View on Supplying Cluster Bombs: Not Just a ‘Difficult’ Decision, But the Wrong One

THE GUARDIAN: The US is to transfer the devastating weapons to Ukraine. Kyiv is in a desperate struggle – but Joe Biden should not have approved this

Twenty-thousand Laotians, almost half of them children, have been killed or injured by unexploded ordnance since the Vietnam war ended. It is half a century since the US stopped bombing Laos, having dropped more than 2m tons of cluster munitions; decades on, people then unborn are still paying the price. On one estimate, it will take another 100 years to fully clear the country.

This is the true cost of cluster munitions. They are not only indiscriminate in showering dozens or hundreds of bomblets over a large area, but also have a lethal legacy because so many fail to explode, only to later be trodden on or picked up – often by curious children. For these reasons, more than 120 countries have signed the convention prohibiting their use, production, transfer and stockpiling.

The US, Russia and Ukraine, however, have never been signatories. Russia has used them extensively in Ukraine, including in populated areas where no military personnel or infrastructure were evident. Kyiv has also employed them, more sparingly, but reportedly at the cost of civilian lives in Izium (though it denies they were used there). Now the US will supply more as part of a $800m (£625m) military aid package, at Kyiv’s request. Thankfully, the UK, which has signed the convention but still holds some of the munitions, has ruled out following suit. Joe Biden has said he made a “difficult decision”. No doubt. But the president has made the wrong one. » | Editorial | Monday, July 10, 2023

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