Friday, August 11, 2023
Hawaii Fires Death Toll on Maui Island Rises - BBC News
Thursday, August 10, 2023
Steve Schmidt Reacts to Donald Trump's UNHINGED Interview on Newsmax | The Warning
Richard Dawkins Talking about Isra and Mi'raj – Prophet Muhammad’s Night Journey to Jerusalem from Mecca and Then Up to the Heavens and Back, Flying on a Winged Horse by the Name of Buraq | #shorts
WIKIPEDIA: Buraq »
Co-founder of Russian Tech Giant Yandex Condemns ‘Barbaric’ War
THE GUARDIAN: Arkady Volozh, who lives in Israel, offers some of strongest criticism yet by a prominent Russian business figure
Arkady Volozh said he is ‘horrified about the fate of people in Ukraine’. Photograph: Maxim Shemetov/Reuters
The co-founder of Russia’s biggest internet firm has condemned Moscow’s “barbaric” invasion of Ukraine, offering some of the strongest criticism to date by a prominent Russian business figure of the Kremlin’s military actions.
Arkady Volozh, who co-founded Yandex in Russia in 1997, said: “Russia’s invasion of Ukraine is barbaric, and I am categorically against it.”
In the statement, published on Thursday, he said: “I am horrified about the fate of people in Ukraine – many of them my personal friends and relatives – whose houses are being bombed every day.” » | Pjotr Sauer | Thursday, August 10, 2023
The co-founder of Russia’s biggest internet firm has condemned Moscow’s “barbaric” invasion of Ukraine, offering some of the strongest criticism to date by a prominent Russian business figure of the Kremlin’s military actions.
Arkady Volozh, who co-founded Yandex in Russia in 1997, said: “Russia’s invasion of Ukraine is barbaric, and I am categorically against it.”
In the statement, published on Thursday, he said: “I am horrified about the fate of people in Ukraine – many of them my personal friends and relatives – whose houses are being bombed every day.” » | Pjotr Sauer | Thursday, August 10, 2023
Presidential Candidate in Ecuador Is Assassinated During Rally
THE NEW YORK TIMES: The candidate, Fernando Villavicencio, had been vocal about ties between the state and organized crime, in a country roiled by violence tied to drug trafficking.
A presidential candidate in Ecuador who had been outspoken about the link between organized crime and government officials was assassinated Wednesday evening at a political rally in the capital, just days before voting begins in an election that has been dominated by concerns over drug-related violence.
The candidate, Fernando Villavicencio, a former journalist, was gunned down outside a high school in Quito after speaking to young supporters. A suspect was killed in the melee that followed, and nine other people were shot, officials said. » | José María León Cabrera, Julie Turkewitz and Genevieve Glatsky, Reporting from Quito, Ecuador, and Bogotá, Colombia | Wednesday, August 9, 2023
Leer en español.
A presidential candidate in Ecuador who had been outspoken about the link between organized crime and government officials was assassinated Wednesday evening at a political rally in the capital, just days before voting begins in an election that has been dominated by concerns over drug-related violence.
The candidate, Fernando Villavicencio, a former journalist, was gunned down outside a high school in Quito after speaking to young supporters. A suspect was killed in the melee that followed, and nine other people were shot, officials said. » | José María León Cabrera, Julie Turkewitz and Genevieve Glatsky, Reporting from Quito, Ecuador, and Bogotá, Colombia | Wednesday, August 9, 2023
Leer en español.
The Brexit Scandal | Corruption in the UK | Documentary | British Political System
Aug 7, 2023 | The Brexit Scandal - What if Brexit was ultimately not about the “will of the people” at all, but about the interests of a small British elite?
The Brexit Scandal (2021) Director: Tom Costello
Genre: Documentary
Country: Germany
Language: English
Also Known As: Power, Profit and Populism: The Battle for Hard Brexit
Release Date: 2021 Germany (Raindance Film Festival)
Synopsis: Brexit was presented as a populist revolution against the elite. But in the years since the referendum, a group of men deep in the heart of the British establishment have been carrying out a coup of a different kind – using Brexit to try and turn Britain into a low-tax, low regulation, high finance utopia. This revolution is funded by dark money – cash from unknown sources – which has been flooding into the British political system through mysterious front groups, opaque offshore firms, clandestine digital campaigns and corporate lobbyists in disguise.
Today dark money and shadowy influence operations continue to push an agenda that is anything but popular, and is deeply undemocratic.
In this film, we follow the dark money trails to find out: who are the men who bought Brexit, and what is their vision for Britain’s future?
The Brexit Scandal (2021) Director: Tom Costello
Genre: Documentary
Country: Germany
Language: English
Also Known As: Power, Profit and Populism: The Battle for Hard Brexit
Release Date: 2021 Germany (Raindance Film Festival)
Synopsis: Brexit was presented as a populist revolution against the elite. But in the years since the referendum, a group of men deep in the heart of the British establishment have been carrying out a coup of a different kind – using Brexit to try and turn Britain into a low-tax, low regulation, high finance utopia. This revolution is funded by dark money – cash from unknown sources – which has been flooding into the British political system through mysterious front groups, opaque offshore firms, clandestine digital campaigns and corporate lobbyists in disguise.
Today dark money and shadowy influence operations continue to push an agenda that is anything but popular, and is deeply undemocratic.
In this film, we follow the dark money trails to find out: who are the men who bought Brexit, and what is their vision for Britain’s future?
Man Who Threatened US President Joe Biden Shot Dead in FBI Raid – BBC News
Why This Year’s Extreme Weather Conditions Have Scientists In Shock | DW News
At Least 36 People Killed as Fire Devastates Lahaina Town in Hawaii
THE GUARDIAN: Wildfires fanned by Hurricane Dora destroy businesses and leave dozens more people injured, officials say
At least 36 people have died in the Lahaina fire in Hawaii, local authorities have said, adding that the fire remained active.
Wildfires, fanned by strong winds from Hurricane Dora, have destroyed businesses in the historic town of Lahaina and left dozens more people injured. There have been 13 evacuations for three fires. (With videos) » | Oliver Holmes and agencies | Thursday, August 10, 2023
Related video.
NYT live updates here.
Les incendies à Hawaï ont fait au moins 36 morts, la ville de Lahaina en grande partie détruite : Les feux ont été alimentés par de forts vents, exacerbés par l’ouragan Dora. Certaines personnes ont été obligées de se jeter dans l’océan Pacifique pour échapper à la fumée et aux incendies. »
Mindestens 36 Tote bei Bränden auf Maui: Starke Wald- und Buschbrände haben Teile der Insel Maui zerstört. Behördenangaben zufolge sind 36 Menschen gestorben. Bisher seien die Brände noch nicht unter Kontrolle. »
‘Like a bomb went off’: Maui wildfires decimate historic town of Lahaina: Flames fanned by Hurricane Dora leap above buildings, leaving residents grappling with loss of life and homes »
At least 36 people have died in the Lahaina fire in Hawaii, local authorities have said, adding that the fire remained active.
Wildfires, fanned by strong winds from Hurricane Dora, have destroyed businesses in the historic town of Lahaina and left dozens more people injured. There have been 13 evacuations for three fires. (With videos) » | Oliver Holmes and agencies | Thursday, August 10, 2023
Related video.
NYT live updates here.
Les incendies à Hawaï ont fait au moins 36 morts, la ville de Lahaina en grande partie détruite : Les feux ont été alimentés par de forts vents, exacerbés par l’ouragan Dora. Certaines personnes ont été obligées de se jeter dans l’océan Pacifique pour échapper à la fumée et aux incendies. »
Mindestens 36 Tote bei Bränden auf Maui: Starke Wald- und Buschbrände haben Teile der Insel Maui zerstört. Behördenangaben zufolge sind 36 Menschen gestorben. Bisher seien die Brände noch nicht unter Kontrolle. »
‘Like a bomb went off’: Maui wildfires decimate historic town of Lahaina: Flames fanned by Hurricane Dora leap above buildings, leaving residents grappling with loss of life and homes »
Wednesday, August 09, 2023
Richard Dawkins on Scientific Truth, Outgrowing God and Life beyond Earth
Iranian Women Continue to Defy Dress Code Laws as Government Promises Crackdown | DW News
Der Bericht auf Deutsch.
Könnten ein Jahr nach dem Tod von Mahsa Amini neue Massenproteste im Iran ausbrechen?
At Least Six People Confirmed Dead in Hawaii Wildfires - BBC News
An Oil-Rich Ally Tests Its Relationship With the U.S.
THE NEW YORK TIMES: The United Arab Emirates, which has translated its wealth into outsize global influence, is diverging from U.S. foreign policy — particularly when it comes to isolating Russia and limiting ties with China.
The marina district in Dubai. The Emirates has thrived on an influx of Russian money, oil and gold, fueling a feeding frenzy in real estate. | Andrea DiCenzo for The New York Times
The ruler of the United Arab Emirates, Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed, is a key American ally who counts on the United States to defend his country.
But he has traveled twice to Russia over the past year to meet with President Vladimir V. Putin, and in June, his country was celebrated as the guest of honor at the Russian leader’s flagship investment forum. Later this month, the Emirati and Chinese air forces plan to train together for the first time, a notable shift for an oil-rich Gulf nation that has long relied on American fighter jets, weapons and protection.
These deepening relationships show how a Middle Eastern leader viewed by the U.S. government as an important partner is increasingly striking out on his own path. American officials have had limited success in persuading Sheikh Mohammed to align with U.S. foreign policy — particularly when it comes to limiting Chinese military ties and isolating Russia after the invasion of Ukraine.
Instead, the Emirates has thrived on inflows of Russian money, oil and gold, fueling a feeding frenzy in real estate in the glittering metropolis of Dubai. The growing ties with both American rivals and expanding economies like India are all in preparation for a world that may someday be no longer dominated by the United States.
“What we’re seeing in the international order is not necessarily a multipolar world, but we’re seeing a more fluid world where things are changing,” Anwar Gargash, a diplomatic adviser to Sheikh Mohammed, told The New York Times recently. In a lecture in Arabic last year, he was much blunter, declaring that Western hegemony was “in its final days.” » | Vivian Nereim, Reporting from Dubai and Abu Dhabi in the United Arab Emirates | Tuesday, August 8, 2023
The ruler of the United Arab Emirates, Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed, is a key American ally who counts on the United States to defend his country.
But he has traveled twice to Russia over the past year to meet with President Vladimir V. Putin, and in June, his country was celebrated as the guest of honor at the Russian leader’s flagship investment forum. Later this month, the Emirati and Chinese air forces plan to train together for the first time, a notable shift for an oil-rich Gulf nation that has long relied on American fighter jets, weapons and protection.
These deepening relationships show how a Middle Eastern leader viewed by the U.S. government as an important partner is increasingly striking out on his own path. American officials have had limited success in persuading Sheikh Mohammed to align with U.S. foreign policy — particularly when it comes to limiting Chinese military ties and isolating Russia after the invasion of Ukraine.
Instead, the Emirates has thrived on inflows of Russian money, oil and gold, fueling a feeding frenzy in real estate in the glittering metropolis of Dubai. The growing ties with both American rivals and expanding economies like India are all in preparation for a world that may someday be no longer dominated by the United States.
“What we’re seeing in the international order is not necessarily a multipolar world, but we’re seeing a more fluid world where things are changing,” Anwar Gargash, a diplomatic adviser to Sheikh Mohammed, told The New York Times recently. In a lecture in Arabic last year, he was much blunter, declaring that Western hegemony was “in its final days.” » | Vivian Nereim, Reporting from Dubai and Abu Dhabi in the United Arab Emirates | Tuesday, August 8, 2023
Lee Anderson’s Vile Anti-migrant Comments Pose This Question: Do We Want Politics Like This?
THE GUARDIAN: Even Thatcher’s governments were above the hateful, toxic rhetoric now being favoured by Sunak and his lieutenants
Does it matter if Lee Anderson, the deputy chair of the Conservative party, thinks disgruntled asylum seekers should “fuck off back to France” and says so?
“If they don’t like barges then they should fuck off back to France,” Anderson said. “These people come across the Channel in small boats … if they don’t like the conditions they are housed in here then they should go back to France, or better, not come at all in the first place.” He was speaking to the Daily Express, with the knowledge that this once-great British newspaper now thrives on printing such things.
One can be dismayed, if not surprised. Anderson likes to see himself as his party’s man of the people. He serves a purpose as the supposed link between a political organisation controlled and given its raison d’etre by the hyper-wealthy and the Friday-night saloon bar of a rundown pub. » | Hugh Muir | Wednesday, August 9, 2023
Related article.
Does it matter if Lee Anderson, the deputy chair of the Conservative party, thinks disgruntled asylum seekers should “fuck off back to France” and says so?
“If they don’t like barges then they should fuck off back to France,” Anderson said. “These people come across the Channel in small boats … if they don’t like the conditions they are housed in here then they should go back to France, or better, not come at all in the first place.” He was speaking to the Daily Express, with the knowledge that this once-great British newspaper now thrives on printing such things.
One can be dismayed, if not surprised. Anderson likes to see himself as his party’s man of the people. He serves a purpose as the supposed link between a political organisation controlled and given its raison d’etre by the hyper-wealthy and the Friday-night saloon bar of a rundown pub. » | Hugh Muir | Wednesday, August 9, 2023
Related article.
Issue 1: Ohio Vote Delivers Win for Abortion-rights Supporters - BBC News
A Ticket Sold in Florida Has Won the $1.58 Billion Mega Millions Jackpot
CNN: One ticket sold in Florida has won Tuesday night’s estimated $1.58 billion Mega Millions jackpot – expected to be the largest in the lottery’s history – according to the lottery’s website.
The winning numbers were 13, 19, 20, 32, 33 with a gold Mega Ball of 14.
The winning ticket was sold at a Publix supermarket in Neptune Beach, Florida, according to the state’s lottery.
A $1.58 billion jackpot – if the prize is confirmed at that level – would exceed the Mega Millions record of $1.537 billion won in South Carolina in 2018, the lottery said. (+ video explainer) » | Jamiel Lynch, CNN | Wednesday, August 9, 2023
Related article here.
The winning ticket was sold at a Publix supermarket in Neptune Beach, Florida, according to the state’s lottery.
A $1.58 billion jackpot – if the prize is confirmed at that level – would exceed the Mega Millions record of $1.537 billion won in South Carolina in 2018, the lottery said. (+ video explainer) » | Jamiel Lynch, CNN | Wednesday, August 9, 2023
Related article here.
Christopher Hitchens Ripping Islam Apart
The Fake Meat Fad Has Finally Been Exposed as a Complete Waste of Money
THE TELEGRAPH: Overhyped industry must stop believing every optimistic idea is the next big thing
Beyond Meat was supposed to be the poster child for the vegan movement, but instead it risks becoming a symbol of the worst excesses of the cheap money era of the last decade | CREDIT: Drew Angerer/Getty Images
Last year, a top executive at one of America’s biggest alternative meat product manufacturers was arrested for sinking his teeth into another man during a road rage incident in Arkansas.
Douglas Ramsey, chief operating officer of Beyond Meat, later pleaded guilty to punching the motorist and biting him on the nose. The confrontation took place in a car park following an American football game after Ramsey accused the victim of bumping one of the front tires of his SUV.
For a company dedicated to weaning people off meat, it’s hard to think of a more unfortunate bit of publicity than one of your top bosses trying to tuck in to a potential customer.
But then this is an outfit with a penchant for fatuous hipster babble such as “help humans eat nutritious” and “eat what you love”, so you can understand if Ramsey thought he was being encouraged to eat meat rather than stop consuming it. Or perhaps, after being forced to consume nothing but faux-flesh made from beetroot juice and methylcellulose for months on end, he craved some real bone and gristle. » | Ben Marlow, Chief City Commentator | Wednesday, August 9, 2023
I was a champion of fake meat: but I’m not surprised people are losing their taste for it: Sales are falling due to nutritional and environmental concerns – but also because it just doesn’t taste that good »
Last year, a top executive at one of America’s biggest alternative meat product manufacturers was arrested for sinking his teeth into another man during a road rage incident in Arkansas.
Douglas Ramsey, chief operating officer of Beyond Meat, later pleaded guilty to punching the motorist and biting him on the nose. The confrontation took place in a car park following an American football game after Ramsey accused the victim of bumping one of the front tires of his SUV.
For a company dedicated to weaning people off meat, it’s hard to think of a more unfortunate bit of publicity than one of your top bosses trying to tuck in to a potential customer.
But then this is an outfit with a penchant for fatuous hipster babble such as “help humans eat nutritious” and “eat what you love”, so you can understand if Ramsey thought he was being encouraged to eat meat rather than stop consuming it. Or perhaps, after being forced to consume nothing but faux-flesh made from beetroot juice and methylcellulose for months on end, he craved some real bone and gristle. » | Ben Marlow, Chief City Commentator | Wednesday, August 9, 2023
I was a champion of fake meat: but I’m not surprised people are losing their taste for it: Sales are falling due to nutritional and environmental concerns – but also because it just doesn’t taste that good »
Prince Harry Title 'His Royal Highness' Finally Removed from Royal Family Website
THE TELEGRAPH: Errors on official royal website fixed as part of revisions
Prince Harry has been stripped of the title “His Royal Highness” on the royal website three years after stepping back from official duties.
The term HRH has been removed from references to the Duke three years after he and his wife Meghan decided to “step back as ‘senior’ members” of the British royal family in January 2020.
The couple stopped using the official titles of His and Her Royal Highness upon their exit, though some web pages on the official site including the bio for the Duke continued to refer to the Prince as HRH. » | Alex Barton | Wednesday, August 9, 2023
Prince Harry has been stripped of the title “His Royal Highness” on the royal website three years after stepping back from official duties.
The term HRH has been removed from references to the Duke three years after he and his wife Meghan decided to “step back as ‘senior’ members” of the British royal family in January 2020.
The couple stopped using the official titles of His and Her Royal Highness upon their exit, though some web pages on the official site including the bio for the Duke continued to refer to the Prince as HRH. » | Alex Barton | Wednesday, August 9, 2023
The Corporate WAR with Democracy
Matt Kennard’s new book: Silent Coup: How Corporations Overthrew Democracy »
Double Down News can be supported here.
Tuesday, August 08, 2023
The Eight Coco Chanel Creations That Changed How Women Dress
THE TELEGRAPH: She was controversial, but became one of the most successful fashion designers of all time thanks to her revolutionary ideas
Chanel in 1936 | CREDIT: Lipnitzki
One of the most challenging aspects for anyone assessing Coco Chanel’s long, productive life is how slippery its facts are. Coco’s genius for all things aesthetic extended to her own past. She couldn’t resist tidying it up. ‘If only you’d stop lying,’ Boy Capel, the first of her wealthy English lovers, once remonstrated with her. (A bit rich coming from a serial adulterer, but still.)
The work, however, doesn’t lie. Chic, revolutionary, original, liberating and instantly recognisable, so much of what Coco Chanel designed in the 1920s, ’30s, ’50s, ’60s and ’70s is still not only relevant, but driving other designers today. Iterations of her bouclé tweed jackets are currently lodged in hundreds of other labels, from high street to haute. Ditto pumps with contrasting coloured tips, extravagant faux-pearl jewels, quilted bags… The list goes on. » | Lisa Armstrong, Head of Fashion | Monday, August 7, 2023
One of the most challenging aspects for anyone assessing Coco Chanel’s long, productive life is how slippery its facts are. Coco’s genius for all things aesthetic extended to her own past. She couldn’t resist tidying it up. ‘If only you’d stop lying,’ Boy Capel, the first of her wealthy English lovers, once remonstrated with her. (A bit rich coming from a serial adulterer, but still.)
The work, however, doesn’t lie. Chic, revolutionary, original, liberating and instantly recognisable, so much of what Coco Chanel designed in the 1920s, ’30s, ’50s, ’60s and ’70s is still not only relevant, but driving other designers today. Iterations of her bouclé tweed jackets are currently lodged in hundreds of other labels, from high street to haute. Ditto pumps with contrasting coloured tips, extravagant faux-pearl jewels, quilted bags… The list goes on. » | Lisa Armstrong, Head of Fashion | Monday, August 7, 2023
Le Danemark veut limiter les manifestations impliquant des profanations du Coran
LE FIGARO : Le gouvernement danois a fait cette annonce dimanche en soulignant que de tels rassemblements faisaient le jeu des extrémistes et semaient la division.
Le gouvernement danois a annoncé dimanche vouloir limiter d'éventuelles nouvelles manifestations prévoyant des profanations du coran, en raison des problèmes de sécurité qu'elles impliquent. Soulignant que de telles manifestations faisaient le jeu des extrémistes et semaient la division, le gouvernement entend «explorer» la possibilité d'intervenir dans des situations «où, par exemple, d'autres pays, cultures et religions sont insultés, et qui peuvent avoir des conséquences négatives importantes pour le Danemark, notamment en matière de sécurité», a écrit le ministère des Affaires étrangères dans un communiqué.
«Cela doit bien sûr être fait dans le cadre de la liberté d'expression protégée par la Constitution», a-t-il ajouté, soulignant qu'il s'agit de l'une des valeurs les plus importantes du Danemark. » | Par Le Figaro avec AFP | Publié : dimanche 30 juillet 2023 ; mis à jour : lundi 31 juillet 2023
Le gouvernement danois a annoncé dimanche vouloir limiter d'éventuelles nouvelles manifestations prévoyant des profanations du coran, en raison des problèmes de sécurité qu'elles impliquent. Soulignant que de telles manifestations faisaient le jeu des extrémistes et semaient la division, le gouvernement entend «explorer» la possibilité d'intervenir dans des situations «où, par exemple, d'autres pays, cultures et religions sont insultés, et qui peuvent avoir des conséquences négatives importantes pour le Danemark, notamment en matière de sécurité», a écrit le ministère des Affaires étrangères dans un communiqué.
«Cela doit bien sûr être fait dans le cadre de la liberté d'expression protégée par la Constitution», a-t-il ajouté, soulignant qu'il s'agit de l'une des valeurs les plus importantes du Danemark. » | Par Le Figaro avec AFP | Publié : dimanche 30 juillet 2023 ; mis à jour : lundi 31 juillet 2023
Nawalnyj wieder in Isolationshaft
FRANKFURTER ALLGEMEINER ZEITUNG: Zur Urteilsverkündung am Freitag wurde Alexej Nawalnyj aus seiner winzigen Zelle gebracht. Gleich danach kam der russische Oppositionelle wieder dorthin.
Alexej Nawalnyj ist gleich nach dem jüngsten Urteil gegen ihn neuerlich in Strafisolationshaft genommen worden. Das teilte Kira Jarmysch mit, die exilierte Sprecherin des russischen Oppositionspolitikers. » | Quelle: frs. | Dienstag, 8. August 2023
Víkingur Ólafsson – Bach: Goldberg Variations, BWV 988: Var. 1 | Official Music Video
Downing Street Backs Tory Deputy Chair over ‘Back to France’ Comments
THE GUARDIAN: Lee Anderson’s remarks on Bibby Stockholm asylum seekers supported by justice secretary, who No 10 says is speaking for government
‘Divisive tactics’: Lee Anderson arriving at the Conservative conference in May. Photograph: Tayfun Salcı/Zuma Press Wire/Shutterstock
Downing Street has backed the Conservative deputy chair, Lee Anderson, after he was criticised for saying people complaining about being housed on the Bibby Stockholm barge after entering the UK illegally should “fuck off back to France”.
Anderson made the comments in an interview with the Daily Express, after the transfer of asylum seekers to the barge was delayed by safety concerns and legal challenges.
He won the backing of Alex Chalk, the justice secretary, who said that while Anderson’s language was “salty” his “indignation is well placed”, and the comments were “not bigotry at all”.
No 10 also said the justice secretary was speaking for the government in backing Anderson. » | Rowena Mason Whitehall editor, Diane Taylor and Sammy Gecsoyler | Tuesday, August 8, 2023
The Tories have reached a new low now! Is Lee Anderson an example of the calibre of today’s Conservative politicians? Of course, he must be. My God! Such a disgraceful man; such a disgraceful way for a man in his position to speak! Sunak should kick this common bully, this bruiser out of the party, not endorse his disgusting outburst. This sort of obscene, obnoxious and intemperate utterance should make all decent Brits feel ashamed of their country. – © Mark Alexander
Downing Street has backed the Conservative deputy chair, Lee Anderson, after he was criticised for saying people complaining about being housed on the Bibby Stockholm barge after entering the UK illegally should “fuck off back to France”.
Anderson made the comments in an interview with the Daily Express, after the transfer of asylum seekers to the barge was delayed by safety concerns and legal challenges.
He won the backing of Alex Chalk, the justice secretary, who said that while Anderson’s language was “salty” his “indignation is well placed”, and the comments were “not bigotry at all”.
No 10 also said the justice secretary was speaking for the government in backing Anderson. » | Rowena Mason Whitehall editor, Diane Taylor and Sammy Gecsoyler | Tuesday, August 8, 2023
The Tories have reached a new low now! Is Lee Anderson an example of the calibre of today’s Conservative politicians? Of course, he must be. My God! Such a disgraceful man; such a disgraceful way for a man in his position to speak! Sunak should kick this common bully, this bruiser out of the party, not endorse his disgusting outburst. This sort of obscene, obnoxious and intemperate utterance should make all decent Brits feel ashamed of their country. – © Mark Alexander
Mega Millions Lottery Balloons to Third-largest Jackpot of $1.55bn
THE GUARDIAN: Prize has inflated because no one has matched the game’s winning numbers since 18 April – but this could all end on Tuesday
The longest run for a Mega Millions jackpot was 36 drawings with a pot of $1.05bn. Photograph: John Angelillo/UPI/Shutterstock
A Mega Millions lottery jackpot has grown to $1.55bn, making it the third-largest ever ahead of Tuesday night’s drawing.
The prize has ballooned because no one has matched the game’s six winning numbers since 18 April, amounting to 31 straight drawings without a big winner.
The nearly four-month-long unlucky streak could be all the sweeter for the person who finally lands the top prize, which is inching toward the record lottery jackpot of $2.04bn won in 2022 by a player in California.
“It’s a fun thing,” said Merlin Smith, a retired real estate appraiser who stopped Monday at a gasoline station in Minneapolis to buy five tickets. “But if you’re depending on winning, you’d be disappointed a lot.” » | Associated Press | Tuesday, August 8, 2023
A Mega Millions lottery jackpot has grown to $1.55bn, making it the third-largest ever ahead of Tuesday night’s drawing.
The prize has ballooned because no one has matched the game’s six winning numbers since 18 April, amounting to 31 straight drawings without a big winner.
The nearly four-month-long unlucky streak could be all the sweeter for the person who finally lands the top prize, which is inching toward the record lottery jackpot of $2.04bn won in 2022 by a player in California.
“It’s a fun thing,” said Merlin Smith, a retired real estate appraiser who stopped Monday at a gasoline station in Minneapolis to buy five tickets. “But if you’re depending on winning, you’d be disappointed a lot.” » | Associated Press | Tuesday, August 8, 2023
Documentaire complet : Les déserteurs de la Wehrmacht
The Donald Trump Prison Collection | AI Made This
Hundreds of Firefighters Tackling Blaze Raging in Southern Portugal
THE GUARDIAN: Fire has scorched thousands of hectares of land and forced precautionary evacuation of 1,400 people
Hundreds of firefighters are scrambling to put out a blaze raging in southern Portugal that has scorched thousands of hectares of land and led to the precautionary evacuation of about 1,400 people.
The wildfire, which is being tackled by more than 800 firefighters, started on Saturday in the municipality of Odemira in the Alentejo region but has since spread south towards the Algarve, one of Portugal’s top tourist destinations. » | Reuters in Odemira | Tuesday, August 8, 2023
Hundreds of firefighters are scrambling to put out a blaze raging in southern Portugal that has scorched thousands of hectares of land and led to the precautionary evacuation of about 1,400 people.
The wildfire, which is being tackled by more than 800 firefighters, started on Saturday in the municipality of Odemira in the Alentejo region but has since spread south towards the Algarve, one of Portugal’s top tourist destinations. » | Reuters in Odemira | Tuesday, August 8, 2023
Monday, August 07, 2023
Will Donald Trump Be Jailed before His Trial?
THE GUARDIAN: The former president continues to threaten witnesses despite warnings not to violate conditions of release
‘Trump is now under the supervision of the court, as would be any criminal defendant after an arraignment.’ Photograph: Ed Jones/United States District Court for/AFP/Getty Images
At Donald Trump’s arraignment last Thursday for trying to overturn the result of the 2020 election, magistrate judge Moxila A Upadhyaya warned him that he could be taken into custody if he violated the conditions of his release, including attempting to influence jurors or intimidate future witnesses.
Calling him “Mr Trump” rather than President Trump – thereby emphasizing that he was being treated as any criminal defendant would be treated – she said:
“I want to remind you that it is a crime to try to influence a juror or to threaten or attempt to bribe a witness or any other person who may have information about your case, or to retaliate against anyone for providing information about your case to the prosecution, or to otherwise obstruct the administration of justice.”
The judge then warned Trump: “You have heard your conditions of release. It is important you comply. You may be held pending trial in this case if you violate the conditions of release.”
She asked Trump: “Do you understand these warnings and consequence, sir? Are you prepared to comply?”
Trump responded: “Yes.”
But not 24 hours later, Trump posted on social media a message that could be understood as an attempt to influence potential jurors or retaliate against any witness prepared to testify against him: He wrote: “IF YOU GO AFTER ME, I’M COMING AFTER YOU!” » | Robert Reich | Monday, August 7, 2023
At Donald Trump’s arraignment last Thursday for trying to overturn the result of the 2020 election, magistrate judge Moxila A Upadhyaya warned him that he could be taken into custody if he violated the conditions of his release, including attempting to influence jurors or intimidate future witnesses.
Calling him “Mr Trump” rather than President Trump – thereby emphasizing that he was being treated as any criminal defendant would be treated – she said:
“I want to remind you that it is a crime to try to influence a juror or to threaten or attempt to bribe a witness or any other person who may have information about your case, or to retaliate against anyone for providing information about your case to the prosecution, or to otherwise obstruct the administration of justice.”
The judge then warned Trump: “You have heard your conditions of release. It is important you comply. You may be held pending trial in this case if you violate the conditions of release.”
She asked Trump: “Do you understand these warnings and consequence, sir? Are you prepared to comply?”
Trump responded: “Yes.”
But not 24 hours later, Trump posted on social media a message that could be understood as an attempt to influence potential jurors or retaliate against any witness prepared to testify against him: He wrote: “IF YOU GO AFTER ME, I’M COMING AFTER YOU!” » | Robert Reich | Monday, August 7, 2023
Slavery in the Bible
Dan Wootton Allegedly Used Martin Branning Pseudonym to Meet Male Model
THE GUARDIAN: OnlyFans performer claims journalist went by same name allegedly used to offer ex-Sun colleagues money for sexual images
Wootton has neither confirmed nor denied that he used the Martin Branning pseudonym and an associated email address. Photograph: Gemma Gravett/GB News/PA
It has been three weeks since allegations against the outspoken broadcaster Dan Wootton emerged.
Since then, he has continued to present his regular show on GB News while the publishers of the Sun and MailOnline have begun separate investigations, and an MP has asked questions about inquiries into the conduct of the rightwing polemicist. A central allegation is that Wootton was using a pseudonym, Martin Branning.
Someone who called themselves Martin Branning has been accused of allegedly offering Wootton’s former Sun colleagues thousands of pounds in return for explicit material.
Now a new witness has come forward to claim “Martin Branning” and Dan Wootton were one and the same man. » | Jim Waterson, Media editor | Monday, August 7, 2023
It has been three weeks since allegations against the outspoken broadcaster Dan Wootton emerged.
Since then, he has continued to present his regular show on GB News while the publishers of the Sun and MailOnline have begun separate investigations, and an MP has asked questions about inquiries into the conduct of the rightwing polemicist. A central allegation is that Wootton was using a pseudonym, Martin Branning.
Someone who called themselves Martin Branning has been accused of allegedly offering Wootton’s former Sun colleagues thousands of pounds in return for explicit material.
Now a new witness has come forward to claim “Martin Branning” and Dan Wootton were one and the same man. » | Jim Waterson, Media editor | Monday, August 7, 2023
Libanon: Krisenstaat am Abgrund | Doku HD Reupload | ARTE
Aug 4, 2023 | Im Oktober 2019 gehen im Libanon zehntausende Menschen auf die Straße und demonstrieren gegen die Korruption. Ein Jahr später wird die Hauptstadt Beirut von einer gigantischen Explosion verwüstet. Wie konnte es passieren, dass das Land, das einst als die Schweiz des Nahen Ostens bekannt war, in eine solche Notlage gerutscht ist?
In den 1960er Jahren galt der Libanon als das wohlhabendste Land des Nahen Ostens. Zwischen Mittelmeer und den schneebedeckten Berggipfeln lebten Muslime, Christen und Drusen friedlich nebeneinander. Doch Bürgerkrieg und der Konflikt mit Israel stürzten das Land in eine Dauerkrise. Die einst so starke Wirtschaft des Landes liegt am Boden.
Im Oktober 2019 gehen Zehntausende Libanesen auf die Straße und demonstrieren gegen den Verfall der Währung und die Korruption im Land. Das Vertrauen der Menschen in die Regierung ist an einem Tiefpunkt angelangt. Im Jahr darauf wird das Land von einer weiteren Katastrophe getroffen: Eine apokalyptische Explosion im Hafen von Beirut verwüstet große Teile der libanesischen Hauptstadt. Tausende Menschen werden verletzt oder getötet und zahlreiche Gebäude zerstört. In dem Land, das einst als die Schweiz des Orients bekannt war, lebt heute die Hälfte der Bevölkerung unterhalb der Armutsgrenze.
Wie konnte es passieren, dass der Libanon in diese Notlage gerutscht ist? Waren die unterschiedlichen Volksgruppen und Religionen nur auf ihren eigenen Vorteil bedacht? Ist der Libanon im Machtkampf zwischen Israel dem Iran und den USA zwischen die Fronten geraten? Im Film „Libanon: Krisenstaat am Abgrund“ erzählt die frankolibanesische Regisseurin Amal Mogaizel die bewegte Vergangenheit des Libanon. Sie begleitet junge Libanesen zwischen Beirut und Tripolis auf ihrer Suche nach einer besseren Zukunft.
Zeitzeugen wie der Schriftsteller Amin Maalouf, die Journalistin Giselle Khoury, der ehemalige Außenminister Nassif Hitti und der Psychiater Chawki Azoury geben den Zuschauern Einblicke in die Seele eines gespaltenen Landes, das seit seiner Gründung vor 100 Jahren immer wieder von schweren Krisen erschüttert wird.
Am zweiten Jahrestag der Revolution ist klar, dass die Spannungen im Libanon noch immer anhalten. Die Bevölkerung ist mit ihren Kräften am Ende. Auch heute ist Amal Mogaizels Bilanz zur Libanonkrise aktuell.
Dokumentation von Amal Mogaizel (F 2020, 52 Min)
Video auf Youtube verfügbar bis zum 31/12/2023
Ce documentaire est disponible en français ici. – Mark
In den 1960er Jahren galt der Libanon als das wohlhabendste Land des Nahen Ostens. Zwischen Mittelmeer und den schneebedeckten Berggipfeln lebten Muslime, Christen und Drusen friedlich nebeneinander. Doch Bürgerkrieg und der Konflikt mit Israel stürzten das Land in eine Dauerkrise. Die einst so starke Wirtschaft des Landes liegt am Boden.
Im Oktober 2019 gehen Zehntausende Libanesen auf die Straße und demonstrieren gegen den Verfall der Währung und die Korruption im Land. Das Vertrauen der Menschen in die Regierung ist an einem Tiefpunkt angelangt. Im Jahr darauf wird das Land von einer weiteren Katastrophe getroffen: Eine apokalyptische Explosion im Hafen von Beirut verwüstet große Teile der libanesischen Hauptstadt. Tausende Menschen werden verletzt oder getötet und zahlreiche Gebäude zerstört. In dem Land, das einst als die Schweiz des Orients bekannt war, lebt heute die Hälfte der Bevölkerung unterhalb der Armutsgrenze.
Wie konnte es passieren, dass der Libanon in diese Notlage gerutscht ist? Waren die unterschiedlichen Volksgruppen und Religionen nur auf ihren eigenen Vorteil bedacht? Ist der Libanon im Machtkampf zwischen Israel dem Iran und den USA zwischen die Fronten geraten? Im Film „Libanon: Krisenstaat am Abgrund“ erzählt die frankolibanesische Regisseurin Amal Mogaizel die bewegte Vergangenheit des Libanon. Sie begleitet junge Libanesen zwischen Beirut und Tripolis auf ihrer Suche nach einer besseren Zukunft.
Zeitzeugen wie der Schriftsteller Amin Maalouf, die Journalistin Giselle Khoury, der ehemalige Außenminister Nassif Hitti und der Psychiater Chawki Azoury geben den Zuschauern Einblicke in die Seele eines gespaltenen Landes, das seit seiner Gründung vor 100 Jahren immer wieder von schweren Krisen erschüttert wird.
Am zweiten Jahrestag der Revolution ist klar, dass die Spannungen im Libanon noch immer anhalten. Die Bevölkerung ist mit ihren Kräften am Ende. Auch heute ist Amal Mogaizels Bilanz zur Libanonkrise aktuell.
Dokumentation von Amal Mogaizel (F 2020, 52 Min)
Video auf Youtube verfügbar bis zum 31/12/2023
Ce documentaire est disponible en français ici. – Mark
Le pape clôture les JMJ de Lisbonne devant 1,5 million de pèlerins
Brexit Is the Villain in Accidental Death of the Economy
THE GUARDIAN: Like characters in Dario Fo’s farce, we complain about, but tolerate, the most damaging political scandal of our time
‘The actors change but the roles remain the same’: Sunak has continued Johnson’s legacy on Brexit. Photograph: WPA/Getty Images
At the beginning of the first Thatcher government (1979-83), the economist John Kenneth Galbraith wrote that Britain was the perfect place to conduct the dubious monetarist experiment recommended by his fellow economist Milton Friedman. This was because although Galbraith (rightly) thought the policy was crazy, British “phlegm” would see us through, and the tolerant nation would not “take to the streets”.
This memory came to mind recently when I was at the revival of that great 1970s classic Accidental Death of an Anarchist. Dario Fo and Franca Rame’s farce has been updated by Tom Basden, and is a five-star triumph. The memory was evoked by the central character, the “maniac”, declaring: “Scandal is to society what confession is to the sinner. It’s a catharsis [that] fixes nothing: the hostile environments, the sewage in the seas, the peerages for political donors. And what’s the result? Do we arrest anyone? Can we change anything? Of course not … In glorious democracies such as ours, we get to moan about it instead.”
The most glaring example of this public tolerance and moaning is of course – wait for it – Brexit. The damage mounts, but there has been nothing in the shape of a public inquiry or a royal commission into what is indubitably the biggest and most damaging political and economic scandal of our time. » | William Keegan | Sunday, August 6, 2023
At the beginning of the first Thatcher government (1979-83), the economist John Kenneth Galbraith wrote that Britain was the perfect place to conduct the dubious monetarist experiment recommended by his fellow economist Milton Friedman. This was because although Galbraith (rightly) thought the policy was crazy, British “phlegm” would see us through, and the tolerant nation would not “take to the streets”.
This memory came to mind recently when I was at the revival of that great 1970s classic Accidental Death of an Anarchist. Dario Fo and Franca Rame’s farce has been updated by Tom Basden, and is a five-star triumph. The memory was evoked by the central character, the “maniac”, declaring: “Scandal is to society what confession is to the sinner. It’s a catharsis [that] fixes nothing: the hostile environments, the sewage in the seas, the peerages for political donors. And what’s the result? Do we arrest anyone? Can we change anything? Of course not … In glorious democracies such as ours, we get to moan about it instead.”
The most glaring example of this public tolerance and moaning is of course – wait for it – Brexit. The damage mounts, but there has been nothing in the shape of a public inquiry or a royal commission into what is indubitably the biggest and most damaging political and economic scandal of our time. » | William Keegan | Sunday, August 6, 2023
Trump’s Assault on American Justice Gives Inspiration to Authoritarians Everywhere
THE OBSERVER: Last week’s outburst against his prosecutors is part of a long campaign that many fear is in danger of subverting democracy
Donald Trump wants to have his supporters dismiss the multiple charges he faces as politically motivated. Photograph: Alex Brandon/AP
American democracy is only as strong as its legal system. The founders of the country created the judiciary as the third branch of the federal government to keep executive power in check and prevent corruption. So it was a cause for deep concern last week when Donald Trump unleashed a verbal tantrum on his Truth Social platform, accusing special counsel Jack Smith of “prosecutorial misconduct” even before he filed four federal criminal counts against the former president over his efforts to overturn the results of the 2020 election in a bid to remain in office.
An identical barrage came last April when a Manhattan grand jury indicted Trump on 34 felony charges for falsifying business records. That time, he also called for defunding the justice department and the FBI, even though the charges did not come from either federal agency. Both reactions were part of a long-running campaign by Trump to undermine the rule of law in the US and dismiss the multiple charges he faces, and has denied, as politically motivated. Even lawyers who once supported Trump have told me that delegitimising the law and the judiciary could destroy the country’s system of government. Yet, even if he is convicted, Trump’s supporters will probably remain loyal to him, convinced that the entire legal system is “rigged” – a favourite Trumpism. » | Jill Abramson | Sunday, August 6, 2023
American democracy is only as strong as its legal system. The founders of the country created the judiciary as the third branch of the federal government to keep executive power in check and prevent corruption. So it was a cause for deep concern last week when Donald Trump unleashed a verbal tantrum on his Truth Social platform, accusing special counsel Jack Smith of “prosecutorial misconduct” even before he filed four federal criminal counts against the former president over his efforts to overturn the results of the 2020 election in a bid to remain in office.
An identical barrage came last April when a Manhattan grand jury indicted Trump on 34 felony charges for falsifying business records. That time, he also called for defunding the justice department and the FBI, even though the charges did not come from either federal agency. Both reactions were part of a long-running campaign by Trump to undermine the rule of law in the US and dismiss the multiple charges he faces, and has denied, as politically motivated. Even lawyers who once supported Trump have told me that delegitimising the law and the judiciary could destroy the country’s system of government. Yet, even if he is convicted, Trump’s supporters will probably remain loyal to him, convinced that the entire legal system is “rigged” – a favourite Trumpism. » | Jill Abramson | Sunday, August 6, 2023
Conservative Calls for Women to Have More Babies Hide Pernicious Motives
THE OBSERVER: Boosting birthrates to protect racial identity has a long and shameful history
Hungary’s Viktor Orbán and Italy’s Giorgia Meloni whose policies protecting ‘traditional families’ variously demonise immigrants and LGBTQ communities. Photograph: Dominika Zarzycka/SOPA Images/Shutterstock
I’ve done my bit by having six children, so now you do yours”, Jacob Rees-Mogg demanded of GB News viewers recently. Not so long ago, politicians were panicking about overpopulation. Now many worry that there are – or will be – too few people in the world. “There is one critical outcome that liberal individualism has completely failed to deliver and that is babies,” one of the rising stars of the Tory party, MP Miriam Cates, told the National Conservatism conference in May.
The resurgence of such natalism has been provoked by falling birthrates across the globe. In 1950, according to a study in the Lancet, women were having an average of 4.7 children in their lifetime. By 2017, that had fallen to 2.4 and is predicted to fall below 1.7 by 2100. England and Wales are almost at that figure now, the birthrate having dropped from 2.9 in 1964 to 1.61 in 2021, marking, in Cates’ view, a “population collapse”. » | Kenan Malik | Sunday, August 6, 2023
It is indeed true that the birthrate needs to go up significantly. But how are we going to achieve this in the West with current values? For women to give birth to more children, we need to return to the values of yesteryear, maybe the 50s – a time in which women, wives, wanted, even expected to stay at home to be good housewives and mothers. To achieve that state of affairs again, much would have to change, not least attitudes. It is hard to imagine how the West can ever expect to increase birthrates significantly when most women insist on going out to work, either because of necessity or out of choice. There was a lot to be said for the status quo ante. Not only did it feed the needs of commerce and industry without the need for droves of immigrants, but it was also conducive to cohesive communities. It is an undeniable fact that we have lost much that was good in our quest for modernity. – © Mark Alexander
I’ve done my bit by having six children, so now you do yours”, Jacob Rees-Mogg demanded of GB News viewers recently. Not so long ago, politicians were panicking about overpopulation. Now many worry that there are – or will be – too few people in the world. “There is one critical outcome that liberal individualism has completely failed to deliver and that is babies,” one of the rising stars of the Tory party, MP Miriam Cates, told the National Conservatism conference in May.
The resurgence of such natalism has been provoked by falling birthrates across the globe. In 1950, according to a study in the Lancet, women were having an average of 4.7 children in their lifetime. By 2017, that had fallen to 2.4 and is predicted to fall below 1.7 by 2100. England and Wales are almost at that figure now, the birthrate having dropped from 2.9 in 1964 to 1.61 in 2021, marking, in Cates’ view, a “population collapse”. » | Kenan Malik | Sunday, August 6, 2023
It is indeed true that the birthrate needs to go up significantly. But how are we going to achieve this in the West with current values? For women to give birth to more children, we need to return to the values of yesteryear, maybe the 50s – a time in which women, wives, wanted, even expected to stay at home to be good housewives and mothers. To achieve that state of affairs again, much would have to change, not least attitudes. It is hard to imagine how the West can ever expect to increase birthrates significantly when most women insist on going out to work, either because of necessity or out of choice. There was a lot to be said for the status quo ante. Not only did it feed the needs of commerce and industry without the need for droves of immigrants, but it was also conducive to cohesive communities. It is an undeniable fact that we have lost much that was good in our quest for modernity. – © Mark Alexander
‘These People Are Diehard’: Iowa Trump Supporters Shrug Off Indictments
THE OBSERVER: Many in the state see prosecution of Trump as a Democratic political move – and they say it will backfire
From his corner of rural Iowa, Neil Shaffer did more than his fair share to put Donald Trump in the White House and to try to keep him there.
Shaffer oversaw the biggest swing of any county in the US from Barack Obama to Trump in 2016, and increased the then president’s share of the vote four years later. But the chair of the Howard county Republican party is not enthusiastic at the prospect of yet another Trump presidential campaign, and he blames the Democrats for driving it.
“Honestly, the Democrats are shooting themselves in the foot with these prosecutions,” he said. “Why is Trump doing so well? Because people feel like they are piling on him. If this is the Democrats’ effort to make him look bad, it hasn’t. It’s probably going to make him the [Republican] nominee and, honestly, he may win the general election again. And then whose fault would it be?”
After pleading not guilty on Thursday to federal charges over his attempts to steal the 2020 presidential election, Trump denounced the indictment as “a persecution of a political opponent”.
“If you can’t beat him, you persecute him or you prosecute him,” he said.
There are plenty who buy that line in Iowa and the rest of Trump-sympathetic America. » | Chris McGreal in Cresco, Iowa | Sunday, August 6, 2023
‘We Fight On’: Fears for France’s Sunday Paper over Editor with Far-right Ties
THE OBSERVER: Bitter strike at Journal du Dimanche ends with staff exodus – and arrival of Geoffroy Lejeune, a supporter of leading xenophobe Eric Zemmour
France’s only standalone Sunday newspaper Journal du Dimanche. Photograph: Blondet Eliot/ABACA/Shutterstock
More than half the journalists at France’s only standalone Sunday newspaper have resigned after failing to prevent the arrival of an editor with far-right ties in a bitter dispute that has fanned fears of a further US-style polarisation of the country’s media.
“We didn’t win,” said Antoine Malo, a roving foreign correspondent at the Journal du Dimanche (JDD) and member of its editorial association. “We didn’t stop him, and now there’s a mass exodus. But the bigger fight will go on – from outside.”
The mainstream paper’s 100-odd journalists ended a 40-day strike – the longest media strike in France since the 1970s – on Tuesday after Geoffroy Lejeune, previously editor of the far-right weekly Valeurs Actuelles, took up his post as editor-in-chief.
The 34-year-old is a leading supporter of the xenophobic polemicist Eric Zemmour, who ran for the French presidency in 2022, promotes the racist “great replacement” theory, and has been investigated 16 times – and convicted on three occasions – for hate speech.
Lejeune is also a close friend of Marion Maréchal, the niece of far-right leader Marine Le Pen and another Zemmour ally. Under his editorship, Valeurs Actuelles was fined for racist insults after depicting the black MP Danièle Obono as a slave in chains. » | Jon Henley | Sunday, August 6, 2023
More than half the journalists at France’s only standalone Sunday newspaper have resigned after failing to prevent the arrival of an editor with far-right ties in a bitter dispute that has fanned fears of a further US-style polarisation of the country’s media.
“We didn’t win,” said Antoine Malo, a roving foreign correspondent at the Journal du Dimanche (JDD) and member of its editorial association. “We didn’t stop him, and now there’s a mass exodus. But the bigger fight will go on – from outside.”
The mainstream paper’s 100-odd journalists ended a 40-day strike – the longest media strike in France since the 1970s – on Tuesday after Geoffroy Lejeune, previously editor of the far-right weekly Valeurs Actuelles, took up his post as editor-in-chief.
The 34-year-old is a leading supporter of the xenophobic polemicist Eric Zemmour, who ran for the French presidency in 2022, promotes the racist “great replacement” theory, and has been investigated 16 times – and convicted on three occasions – for hate speech.
Lejeune is also a close friend of Marion Maréchal, the niece of far-right leader Marine Le Pen and another Zemmour ally. Under his editorship, Valeurs Actuelles was fined for racist insults after depicting the black MP Danièle Obono as a slave in chains. » | Jon Henley | Sunday, August 6, 2023
Ukraine: Woman Detained in Plot to Assassinate Zelensky
'Retire!': Mitch McConnell Heckled during Speech in His Home State
No wonder the Western world is in a mess! It is being led by geriatrics – old folks who should be contemplating their future in old folks’ homes rather than contemplating our future!
There is such a thing as knowing when to give up, when to call it a day. – © Mark Alexander
Sunday, August 06, 2023
Boris, the Lord & the Russian Spy | Dispatches | Channel 4 Documentaries
The Observer View on the Latest Charges against Donald Trump: America Needs to See the Ex-President Brought to Justice
THE OBSERVER – EDITORIAL: The former Republican leader’s claims about the 2020 election have done great harm to US democracy. They must be exposed for the blatant lies they are
The prospect of Donald Trump finally facing justice for the most serious of his many alleged crimes – conspiring to subvert the 2020 US presidential election – is cheering. Unfortunately, it has taken more than two and a half years to call the disgraced former president to account for his actions after his loss to Joe Biden. This delay has enabled Trump and his supporters to link last week’s criminal indictment to the 2024 election campaign. They denounce it as a politically motivated bid to torpedo the Republican frontrunner’s attempted comeback.
Like so much of what Trump says, this is a blatant lie – though sadly, many Americans believe it. Biden has scrupulously distanced himself from the multiple investigations into his predecessor’s conduct. For too long, the attorney general, Merrick Garland, whose justice department operates independently of the White House, failed to act – hoping, perhaps, that the Trump-Maga phenomenon would fade. That did not happen. Even so, special counsel Jack Smith was not appointed until last November. » | Editorial | Saturday, August 5, 2023
The prospect of Donald Trump finally facing justice for the most serious of his many alleged crimes – conspiring to subvert the 2020 US presidential election – is cheering. Unfortunately, it has taken more than two and a half years to call the disgraced former president to account for his actions after his loss to Joe Biden. This delay has enabled Trump and his supporters to link last week’s criminal indictment to the 2024 election campaign. They denounce it as a politically motivated bid to torpedo the Republican frontrunner’s attempted comeback.
Like so much of what Trump says, this is a blatant lie – though sadly, many Americans believe it. Biden has scrupulously distanced himself from the multiple investigations into his predecessor’s conduct. For too long, the attorney general, Merrick Garland, whose justice department operates independently of the White House, failed to act – hoping, perhaps, that the Trump-Maga phenomenon would fade. That did not happen. Even so, special counsel Jack Smith was not appointed until last November. » | Editorial | Saturday, August 5, 2023
Saturday, August 05, 2023
Could Donald Trump Be America’s First President from behind Bars? ‘It’s Legal and It’s Possible’
Taliban Calls Music Immoral, Torches Instruments in Crackdown
Ukraine "Peace Plan" Talks Kick Off in Saudi Arabia | DW News
Talks begin in Saudi Arabia on how to end Russia-Ukraine war: Kyiv seeks support of publicly neutral countries as China sends envoy and Moscow says it will ‘keep an eye’ on meeting »
Steve Schmidt Explains the 1 Thing That Would Allow Trump to Get Away with January 6 | The Warning
The Lincoln Project: VP Harris’ Speech on Revisionist History in Florida (FL)
What the Bible Really Says about Death, Afterlife, and Resurrection?
The relevant chapter of James D. Tabor’s book is here: What the Bible Really Says.
NZZ: Divided Country – Why Is the US So Polarized? | In German with English Subtitles
NZZ: Gewaltwelle in Schweden: Das sind die Gründe für die Bandenkriminalität | With English Subtitles
Donald Trump Calls Criminal Charges 'Ridiculous' at Campaign Rally - BBC News
In the USA, the poor are incarcerated swiftly and unceremoniously for their misdeeds; not so the rich, it seems. In the States, as elsewhere, a good, skilful, expensive lawyer can often work wonders. If this happens in Trump’s case, and Trump manages to get re-elected POTUS, the world will be thrust into turmoil. – © Mark Alexander
Former Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan Sentenced to Three Years in Jail
THE GUARDIAN: Khan arrested in Lahore after court also bans him from politics for five years for illegally selling state gifts
Pakistan’s former prime minister Imran Khan has been arrested after a court in Islamabad sentenced him to three years in jail and disqualified him from politics for “corrupt practices” involving the sale of state gifts.
Khan, 70, was picked up by police from his home in Lahore on Saturday after a court ruled on the Toshakaha case, in which he was accused of illegally selling gifts from heads of state worth hundreds of millions of rupees.
The judge found Khan had “deliberately submitted fake details” of the gifts to the court and had been involved in corruption. After expressing his displeasure that Khan’s lawyers were not in court, he sentenced him to three years in prison and ordered him to be banned from politics for five years. » | Hannah Ellis-Petersen and Shah Meer Baloch | Saturday, August 5, 2023
Au Pakistan, l’ex-premier ministre Imran Khan condamné pour corruption et arrêté : M. Khan, aujourd’hui leader du parti Pakistan Tehrik-e-Insaf (PTI), fait l’objet de plus de 150 poursuites judiciaires depuis son éviction du pouvoir, des accusations qu’il affirme être motivées par des considérations politiques. »
Pakistan’s former prime minister Imran Khan has been arrested after a court in Islamabad sentenced him to three years in jail and disqualified him from politics for “corrupt practices” involving the sale of state gifts.
Khan, 70, was picked up by police from his home in Lahore on Saturday after a court ruled on the Toshakaha case, in which he was accused of illegally selling gifts from heads of state worth hundreds of millions of rupees.
The judge found Khan had “deliberately submitted fake details” of the gifts to the court and had been involved in corruption. After expressing his displeasure that Khan’s lawyers were not in court, he sentenced him to three years in prison and ordered him to be banned from politics for five years. » | Hannah Ellis-Petersen and Shah Meer Baloch | Saturday, August 5, 2023
Au Pakistan, l’ex-premier ministre Imran Khan condamné pour corruption et arrêté : M. Khan, aujourd’hui leader du parti Pakistan Tehrik-e-Insaf (PTI), fait l’objet de plus de 150 poursuites judiciaires depuis son éviction du pouvoir, des accusations qu’il affirme être motivées par des considérations politiques. »
Michael Lambert: The Whole World Can See Brexit Is a Disaster
Aug 5, 2023 | In a radio call-in on LBC this week the Prime Minister, Rishi Sunak, lied about his record, inflation and his decision to grant 100 licences for North Sea oil exploration.
He and colleagues, Priti Patel, Suella Braverman and Kemi Badenoch, all children of immigrants, have done much to change the character of UK society by the introduction of Draconian new restrictions and by promoting hostility towards foreigners and, above all, asylum seekers .
The British economy continues to suffer with a further delay in import controls, another interest rate rise, massive delays at Dover and the abandonment of the UK's new product standard UKCA mark.
The country continues to slide into poverty whilst those such as Sunak enjoy massive wealth. In response to being told by the fire service that the government's new prison ship, the Bibby Stockholm, is a major fire risk, the Deputy Prime Minister, Oliver Dowden, says their assessment is politically motivated.
The Secretary of State for Work & Pensions, Mel Stride, suggests that old people who are struggling financially should get work delivering pizzas.
He and colleagues, Priti Patel, Suella Braverman and Kemi Badenoch, all children of immigrants, have done much to change the character of UK society by the introduction of Draconian new restrictions and by promoting hostility towards foreigners and, above all, asylum seekers .
The British economy continues to suffer with a further delay in import controls, another interest rate rise, massive delays at Dover and the abandonment of the UK's new product standard UKCA mark.
The country continues to slide into poverty whilst those such as Sunak enjoy massive wealth. In response to being told by the fire service that the government's new prison ship, the Bibby Stockholm, is a major fire risk, the Deputy Prime Minister, Oliver Dowden, says their assessment is politically motivated.
The Secretary of State for Work & Pensions, Mel Stride, suggests that old people who are struggling financially should get work delivering pizzas.
Friday, August 04, 2023
The Dan Wootton Allegations Explained | ITV News
Dan Wootton’s MailOnline column paused amid ‘series of allegations’: GB News star, who is accused of offering colleagues money in exchange for explicit material, insists any ‘criminal allegations’ are untrue »
MailOnline suspends Dan Wootton as allegations investigated: Journalist denies claims he used pseudonym to secretly offer colleagues tens of thousands of pounds for sexual material »
Martha Argerich: Chopin - Piano Concerto No. 1 in E minor, Op. 11 | Sinfonia Varsovia Orchestra
L’opposant russe Alexeï Navalny condamné à dix-neuf ans de prison supplémentaires à l’issue d’un procès pour « extrémisme »
LE MONDE : Le procès s’étant déroulé à huis clos, aucun journaliste n’a pu assister aux audiences. M. Navalny est détenu depuis juin 2022 dans une colonie pénitentiaire après s’être vu infliger neuf ans de prison pour « fraude », dans une autre affaire qu’il dénonce comme étant une vengeance politique.
Alexeï Navalny, le principal opposant au Kremlin, déjà emprisonné et régulièrement puni dans sa colonie pénitentiaire, a été condamné à dix-neuf ans de prison supplémentaires à l’issue d’un procès pour « extrémisme », vendredi 4 août, a annoncé sa porte-parole Kira Iarmych.
Dans cette nouvelle affaire où il était question de « réhabilitation du nazisme », le parquet avait requis vingt ans d’emprisonnement pour cet opposant de longue date à Vladimir Poutine et infatigable militant anticorruption. Le charismatique militant de 47 ans est détenu depuis juin 2022 dans la colonie pénitentiaire IK-6 à Melekhovo, à 250 kilomètres à l’est de Moscou, après s’être vu infliger neuf ans de prison pour « fraude », dans une autre affaire qu’il dénonce comme étant une vengeance politique. Les audiences se sont exceptionnellement déplacées dans la prison de l’opposant, procédure d’habitude réservée aux prévenus gravement malades, et se sont déroulées à huis clos, excluant ainsi les journalistes qui désiraient y assister. » | Le Monde avec AFP | vendredi 4 août 2023
Russian court sentences Alexei Navalny to further 19 years in prison: Opposition critic decries extended jail term as ‘Stalinist’ and calls on Russians to resist Putin regime »
Russischer Oppositioneller Nawalny zu 19 Jahren Haft verurteilt: Ein Moskauer Gericht hat den prominenten Putin-Kritiker Alexej Nawalny zu einer weiteren Haftstrafe verurteilt. Kritiker hielten den Prozess für inszeniert. »
Alexeï Navalny, le principal opposant au Kremlin, déjà emprisonné et régulièrement puni dans sa colonie pénitentiaire, a été condamné à dix-neuf ans de prison supplémentaires à l’issue d’un procès pour « extrémisme », vendredi 4 août, a annoncé sa porte-parole Kira Iarmych.
Dans cette nouvelle affaire où il était question de « réhabilitation du nazisme », le parquet avait requis vingt ans d’emprisonnement pour cet opposant de longue date à Vladimir Poutine et infatigable militant anticorruption. Le charismatique militant de 47 ans est détenu depuis juin 2022 dans la colonie pénitentiaire IK-6 à Melekhovo, à 250 kilomètres à l’est de Moscou, après s’être vu infliger neuf ans de prison pour « fraude », dans une autre affaire qu’il dénonce comme étant une vengeance politique. Les audiences se sont exceptionnellement déplacées dans la prison de l’opposant, procédure d’habitude réservée aux prévenus gravement malades, et se sont déroulées à huis clos, excluant ainsi les journalistes qui désiraient y assister. » | Le Monde avec AFP | vendredi 4 août 2023
Russian court sentences Alexei Navalny to further 19 years in prison: Opposition critic decries extended jail term as ‘Stalinist’ and calls on Russians to resist Putin regime »
Russischer Oppositioneller Nawalny zu 19 Jahren Haft verurteilt: Ein Moskauer Gericht hat den prominenten Putin-Kritiker Alexej Nawalny zu einer weiteren Haftstrafe verurteilt. Kritiker hielten den Prozess für inszeniert. »
British Royal Connections to the NSDAP
How Britain’s Nazi-loving press baron made the case for Hitler: The Daily Mail was once the country’s highest selling newspaper, but owner Lord Rothermere was more concerned with ‘Bolshevik troublemakers’ than an impending genocide »
Heat Wave Grips Portions of South America in the Middle of Winter
THE NEW YORK TIMES: An unusual winter heat wave has brought record high temperatures to cities across Argentina, Chile and Paraguay this week, triggering concerns about the impacts of climate change.
Residents of Buenos Aires were wearing shorts and fanning themselves as they struggled to cope with unusual heat on Tuesday. By Thursday, they were back in the jackets and scarves that they would normally wear at this time of the year.
The sudden change in wardrobe was the result of a heat wave gripping portions of South America, including Argentina, Chile and Paraguay, that are supposed to be experiencing winter.
Argentina’s capital city broke an 81-year-old daily temperature record on Tuesday, when the high reached 86 degrees Fahrenheit (or 30 degrees Celsius), according to the national weather service. Normally, highs in Buenos Aires this time of year are in the 60s.
“Climate change is not a distant scenario,” the service said in a Facebook post on Tuesday. “It is here, and it is urgent to act.”
This week’s heat wave in South America is part of a recent trend of abnormally high temperatures in the middle of the continent’s winter and also comes as countries in the Northern Hemisphere have faced record heat this summer. » | Jesus Jiménez and Natalie Alcoba (Natalie Alcoba reported from Buenos Aires.) | Thursday, August 3, 2023
Residents of Buenos Aires were wearing shorts and fanning themselves as they struggled to cope with unusual heat on Tuesday. By Thursday, they were back in the jackets and scarves that they would normally wear at this time of the year.
The sudden change in wardrobe was the result of a heat wave gripping portions of South America, including Argentina, Chile and Paraguay, that are supposed to be experiencing winter.
Argentina’s capital city broke an 81-year-old daily temperature record on Tuesday, when the high reached 86 degrees Fahrenheit (or 30 degrees Celsius), according to the national weather service. Normally, highs in Buenos Aires this time of year are in the 60s.
“Climate change is not a distant scenario,” the service said in a Facebook post on Tuesday. “It is here, and it is urgent to act.”
This week’s heat wave in South America is part of a recent trend of abnormally high temperatures in the middle of the continent’s winter and also comes as countries in the Northern Hemisphere have faced record heat this summer. » | Jesus Jiménez and Natalie Alcoba (Natalie Alcoba reported from Buenos Aires.) | Thursday, August 3, 2023
Thursday, August 03, 2023
Ina Garten's 5-Star Mocha Chocolate Icebox Cake | Barefoot Contessa | Food Network
Get the recipe here.
Bank of England Says Interest Rates Will Remain High for At Least Two Years
THE GUARDIAN: Policymakers vote for quarter-point rise to 5.25%, the 14th increase in a row, as Bank rules out prospect of recession
The Bank of England has warned businesses and households that the cost of borrowing will remain high for at least the next two years as it raised interest rates for the 14th consecutive time to 5.25%.
Ruling out the likelihood of a recession over the next two years, policymakers blamed strong wages growth in recent months for the need to increase interest rates by 0.25 percentage points to the highest level for 15 years.
Officials on the Bank’s monetary policy committee (MPC) said the economy had proven more resilient during a period of high interest rates than they expected when they last made an assessment of the UK economy in May. (+ video) » | Phillip Inman | Thursday, August 3, 2023
The Bank of England has warned businesses and households that the cost of borrowing will remain high for at least the next two years as it raised interest rates for the 14th consecutive time to 5.25%.
Ruling out the likelihood of a recession over the next two years, policymakers blamed strong wages growth in recent months for the need to increase interest rates by 0.25 percentage points to the highest level for 15 years.
Officials on the Bank’s monetary policy committee (MPC) said the economy had proven more resilient during a period of high interest rates than they expected when they last made an assessment of the UK economy in May. (+ video) » | Phillip Inman | Thursday, August 3, 2023
Rachmaninoff: Piano Concerto No. 2 in C Minor, Op. 18 | Khatia Buniatishvili
WIKIPEDIA: Khatia Buniatishvili.
Anatomy of Love | Dr. Helen Fisher | Talks at Google
Dec 7, 2016 | Dr. Helen Fisher joined us at Google New York to talk about the neuroscience behind falling in love, why we love who we love, and the future of romantic love.
Dr. Helen Fisher is Senior Research Fellow at The Kinsey Institute, Indiana University, Member of the Center for Human Evolutionary Studies in the Department of Anthropology, Rutgers University, and Chief Scientific Advisor to Match.com. She has written six internationally best-selling books on the evolution and future of romantic love and attachment, including her newest book, ANATOMY OF LOVE (2nd Ed). Helen is also studying the biological basis of personality and is a pioneer in examining the neuroscience of leadership and innovation.
A related video by the same person here.
Dr. Helen Fisher is Senior Research Fellow at The Kinsey Institute, Indiana University, Member of the Center for Human Evolutionary Studies in the Department of Anthropology, Rutgers University, and Chief Scientific Advisor to Match.com. She has written six internationally best-selling books on the evolution and future of romantic love and attachment, including her newest book, ANATOMY OF LOVE (2nd Ed). Helen is also studying the biological basis of personality and is a pioneer in examining the neuroscience of leadership and innovation.
A related video by the same person here.
Kochen im Tal: Steak mit Pfeffersoße – Stephan Schnieder kocht!
Oct 21, 2021 |
„Ein leckeres Steak mit pikanter Pfeffersoße ist kein Hexenwerk. Unser Juniorchef Stephan Schnieder zeigt euch, wie euch der französische Klassiker auch zuhause gelingt. Viel Spaß und guten Appetit!“
Zutaten:
2 Rumpsteak 250g o.ä.
1 Schalotte
250g Champignons
1 EL grüner Pfeffer in Lake
1/2 EL Tomatenmark
1EL Senf mittelscharf
3 EL dunkle Grundsoße
200ml Sahne
Zutaten:
2 Rumpsteak 250g o.ä.
1 Schalotte
250g Champignons
1 EL grüner Pfeffer in Lake
1/2 EL Tomatenmark
1EL Senf mittelscharf
3 EL dunkle Grundsoße
200ml Sahne
Should Trump Go to Jail? The 2024 Election Could Become a Referendum On That Question
THE ASSOCIATED PRESS: NEW YORK (AP) — The 2024 election will determine whether Donald Trump returns to the White House. It could also decide if he’ll face time behind bars.
For Trump, who’s now facing his third criminal indictment — this time for his efforts to overturn the 2020 election and block the transfer of presidential power — winning is about more than ego, redemption, score-settling or the future of the country.
“This election may very well be about Donald Trump’s personal freedom,” said Ari Fleischer, a longtime Republican strategist. “It’s not an exaggeration to say, if convicted, he could be sentenced to prison unless he wins and he uses the levers of justice to reverse it or stop it or drop it.”
The deeply personal stakes for Trump add to what is already an election unlike any other in modern history. It’s now not only a debate over the country’s challenges, but a partisan fight over whether the 77-year-old former president and GOP frontrunner should spend time in prison. Putting that issue out front, Trump ally Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, R-Ga., tweeted that she “will still vote for Trump even if he’s in jail.” » | Jill Colvin | Wednesday, August 2, 2023
For Trump, who’s now facing his third criminal indictment — this time for his efforts to overturn the 2020 election and block the transfer of presidential power — winning is about more than ego, redemption, score-settling or the future of the country.
“This election may very well be about Donald Trump’s personal freedom,” said Ari Fleischer, a longtime Republican strategist. “It’s not an exaggeration to say, if convicted, he could be sentenced to prison unless he wins and he uses the levers of justice to reverse it or stop it or drop it.”
The deeply personal stakes for Trump add to what is already an election unlike any other in modern history. It’s now not only a debate over the country’s challenges, but a partisan fight over whether the 77-year-old former president and GOP frontrunner should spend time in prison. Putting that issue out front, Trump ally Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, R-Ga., tweeted that she “will still vote for Trump even if he’s in jail.” » | Jill Colvin | Wednesday, August 2, 2023
UK Brexit Checks on Fresh Food from EU Delayed for Fifth Time, Reports Say
THE GUARDIAN: Government source reportedly says there are concerns extra red tape could fuel further inflation
Brexit checks on fresh farm produce coming to the UK from the EU have been delayed for the fifth time, according to reports.
The decision to suspend plans to enforce the controls, which have been applied in the other direction to British exports to the EU since January 2021, is due to be announced imminently, according to the Financial Times.
The delay is intended to give the government and exporters in the EU more time to prepare for the checks, setting Rishi Sunak on a collision course with domestic UK food producers who have long argued that it gives a free pass to continental rivals while they have to endure checks on all fresh food exports to the bloc.
According to reports, there are concerns the extra red tape would increase the cost of food imports to consumers and fuel further inflation. » | Lisa O’Carroll, Brussels correspondent | Thursday, August 3, 2023
Brexit checks on fresh farm produce coming to the UK from the EU have been delayed for the fifth time, according to reports.
The decision to suspend plans to enforce the controls, which have been applied in the other direction to British exports to the EU since January 2021, is due to be announced imminently, according to the Financial Times.
The delay is intended to give the government and exporters in the EU more time to prepare for the checks, setting Rishi Sunak on a collision course with domestic UK food producers who have long argued that it gives a free pass to continental rivals while they have to endure checks on all fresh food exports to the bloc.
According to reports, there are concerns the extra red tape would increase the cost of food imports to consumers and fuel further inflation. » | Lisa O’Carroll, Brussels correspondent | Thursday, August 3, 2023
Russia ‘Systematically’ Forcing Ukrainians to Accept Citizenship, US Report Finds
THE GUARDIAN: Ukrainians in occupied territories who refuse Russian passports face threats, intimidation and possible detention or deportation, Yale study says
Ukrainians living in Russian-occupied territory are being forced to assume Russian citizenship or face retaliation, including possible deportation or detention, a new US report has said.
Yale University researchers found that residents of the Luhansk, Donetsk, Kherson and Zaporizhzhia regions were being targeted by a systematic effort to strip them of Ukrainian identity.
Ukrainians who do not seek Russian citizenship “are subjected to threats, intimidation, restrictions on humanitarian aid and basic necessities, and possible detention or deportation, all designed to force them to become Russian citizens,” the report said. » | Helen Sullivan | Thursday, August 3, 2023
Ukrainians living in Russian-occupied territory are being forced to assume Russian citizenship or face retaliation, including possible deportation or detention, a new US report has said.
Yale University researchers found that residents of the Luhansk, Donetsk, Kherson and Zaporizhzhia regions were being targeted by a systematic effort to strip them of Ukrainian identity.
Ukrainians who do not seek Russian citizenship “are subjected to threats, intimidation, restrictions on humanitarian aid and basic necessities, and possible detention or deportation, all designed to force them to become Russian citizens,” the report said. » | Helen Sullivan | Thursday, August 3, 2023
How the Sexual Revolution Affected Men | Louise Perry
Aug 3, 2023 | In this clip, Louise outlines the impact that the sexual revolution had on men, in particular. She makes the case that although some men benefited, or at least had a greater ability to live as they pleased; on the whole, this came at the cost of the majority of men.
Louise Perry is a journalist and author based in London, UK. She is a columnist for UnHerd, a featured writer for the Daily Mail, and hosts Maiden Mother Matriarch, a podcast about sexual politics.
Louise is the author of the landmark book, The Case Against the Sexual Revolution: A New Guide to Sex in the 21st Century, published by Polity."
Conversations feature John Anderson, former Deputy Prime Minister of Australia, interviewing the world's foremost thought leaders about today's pressing social, cultural and political issues. John believes proper, robust dialogue is necessary if we are to maintain our social strength and cohesion. As he puts it; "You cannot get good public policy out of a bad public debate."
Louise Perry is a journalist and author based in London, UK. She is a columnist for UnHerd, a featured writer for the Daily Mail, and hosts Maiden Mother Matriarch, a podcast about sexual politics.
Louise is the author of the landmark book, The Case Against the Sexual Revolution: A New Guide to Sex in the 21st Century, published by Polity."
Conversations feature John Anderson, former Deputy Prime Minister of Australia, interviewing the world's foremost thought leaders about today's pressing social, cultural and political issues. John believes proper, robust dialogue is necessary if we are to maintain our social strength and cohesion. As he puts it; "You cannot get good public policy out of a bad public debate."
Aung San Suu Kyi's Partial Pardon Means 'Nothing,' Says Son
Myanmar junta's partial pardon of Suu Kyi means 'absolutely nothing', says son »
Related video here.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)