Rishi Sunak Accused of 'Rolling Out Red Carpet' as Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed Bin Salman to Visit UK

SKY NEWS: Sources have told Sky News the pair could meet in the autumn as the UK seeks to strengthen its ties with the oil-rich nation.

Rishi Sunak met with Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman at the G20 summit in Bali last November
Rishi Sunak has been accused of "rolling out the red carpet" for Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed Bin Salman just five years after the murder of a US-based journalist caused outrage around the world.

Sources have told Sky News that the crown prince has been invited to visit the UK and that the meeting will take place in the autumn.

Prince Mohammed, also known as MBS, was accused of ordering the assassination of the Washington Post writer Jamal Khashoggi at the Saudi consulate in Istanbul in 2018 - a charge he has denied and blamed on rogue agents.

The scheduled visit will be his first to Britain since the murder, which was widely condemned and saw him shunned on the world stage.

A Downing Street spokesperson declined to comment on reports of the meeting with the Saudi leader when approached by Sky News, while a source said there was currently "no date in the diary". » | Alexandra Rogers | Thursday, August 17, 2023

Rishi Sunak and Saudi crown prince hope to meet ‘at earliest opportunity’: Leaders discuss plans to ‘progress UK-Saudi cooperation’ amid reports that Mohammed bin Salman has been invited to UK this autumn »

Sweden Raises Terrorist Threat Level after Qur’an Burnings

THE GUARDIAN: Threat raised to second highest level as Sweden deems itself an ‘increased focus’ for Islamic extremists

Supporters of a radical Islamist party burn the Swedish flag during a rally in Karachi, Pakistan.Photograph: Fareed Khan/AP
Sweden has raised its terrorist threat level to the second highest number possible, amid heightened security fears following a string of Qur’an burnings that have caused outrage around the world.

Raising the threat level from three, meaning “heightened threat”, to four, “high threat” on the five-point scale, the Swedish security service (Säpo) said that in recent months Sweden has shifted from a “legitimate” to a “prioritised” target for acts of terror.

It is the first time since 2016 that the country has changed its threat level to four.

Making the announcement on Thursday in Stockholm, Charlotte von Essen, the director general of Säpo, said that Sweden was becoming an “increased focus” for Islamic extremists. » | Miranda Bryant in Copenhagen | Thursday, August 17, 2023

Profanations du Coran : la Suède relève son niveau d’alerte terroriste : Après que plusieurs profanations du Coran ont eu lieu sur son sol, le pays nordique s’inquiète des réactions qui font du pays une « cible prioritaire ». »

Al-Kaida ruft nach Koranverbrennung in Skandinavien zu Anschlägen auf: Die Terrorgruppe Al-Kaida reagiert auf die öffentlichen Koranverbrennungen: Sie ruft dazu auf, die Botschaften von Schweden und Dänemark zu sprengen. »

Apokalypse - DER ERSTE WELTKRIEG (1): Pulverfass Europa | HD Doku

Premiered May 9, 2021 | 1914: Die Stimmung zwischen den Großmächten Deutschland, Österreich-Ungarn, Frankreich, Großbritannien und Russland ist angespannt. Das Attentat von Sarajevo am 28. Juni bringt das Fass zum Überlaufen. Den Soldaten wird ein kurzer Krieg versprochen, doch er dauert über vier Jahre. Die Dokumentation erzählt mithilfe von aufwendig nachkoloriertem und zum Teil noch nie gesehenem Archivmaterial die Ereignisse von August 1914 bis November 1918 auf eindrucksvolle Weise.

Eine hervorragende Dokumentation über den Ersten Weltkrieg aus der Perspektive der Deutschen. Achtung! Diese Dokumentation enthält Szenen, die für empfindliche Leute und wahrscheinlich auch für Kinder gar nicht zu empfehlen sind. – Mark

Sir Michael Parkinson: Chat Show Host Dies Aged 88

Read the article here.

Michael Parkinson, broadcaster and talkshow host, dies aged 88: Presenter was best known for hosting self-titled talkshow between 1971 and 2007 and interviewing 2,000 celebrities »

Sir Michael Parkinson, broadcaster who won the nation’s affections with his long-running chat show – obituary: An emollient host, he eagerly fed his guests’ self-esteem, describing a talk show as ‘an unnatural act between consenting adults in public’ »

Finnish Politician Could Face Jail Time after Sharing Bible Verse

Aug 10, 2023 | A Finnish politician on trial for sharing her biblical views on sexuality is heading back to court later this month as her four-year legal battle stretches on. Dr. Päivi Räsänen, the embattled member of Finland’s parliament, told CBN's Faithwire [that] a hearing in a prosecutor's appeal after she was cleared of hate speech charges last year is scheduled for Aug. 31. She said she's prepared to defend herself in any and all necessary courts of law.

"It was four years ago in June 2019 when I posted a Twitter post and also to Facebook, and it was about the Pride event that was going on, and the main church, the Evangelical Lutheran Church, decided to support it officially," Räsänen said. "And it was a shock to me, and as a member of that church ... I asked the leadership of my church ... how is it possible that you are supporting something, as a matter of pride, what the Bible calls shame and sin."

Her simple social media post, which included Scripture from the Book of Romans, soon landed her in legal hot water, as a citizen made a criminal complaint. Then other past comments from Räsänen came under scrutiny. Another complaint was reportedly filed over a radio program she was on and another over an old pamphlet she wrote about same-sex relationships. Police interrogated Räsänen over her views and Finnish prosecutors decided to up the ante and file charges.

"I was first interrogated by the police altogether 13 hours," Räsänen said. "And I have to say that the situation was really absurd, because just some years ago I was a minister of interior in charge of police." Räsänen was accused of "inciting against sexual minorities," a charge which could carry two years in jail, or a fine. Listen to her story…


It seems clear to me that we, on this side of the Pond, need to have a written constitution so that we know exactly what can and cannot be said, or written.

I have raised this point before in a newspaper comment in the Telegraph. Here in the UK, there have been so many changes in the make-up of the country and in the nation's value systems, and in a very short time, that it has become very difficult to know exactly what may, or may not, be said or stated without falling foul of the law.

Americans, by contrast, do not have this problem, because they have a written constitution guaranteeing freedom of speech in the First Amendment of the US Constitution. We Brits, however, have no such clear determination or understanding of freedom of speech or expression. In the UK, it is a fudge. Yes, we have freedom of speech and freedom of expression, but with restrictions. (See here). Where there are restrictions, there is no total freedom. So the whole thing is left open to another’s interpretation of what is right and/or fair.

This might have been acceptable and workable in a bygone age, whilst the nation was made up of the indigenous peoples of the UK, who were largely Christian in belief and lifestyle. But today, this is clearly not the case. Today, we have a hotchpotch of beliefs and non-belief, and a hotchpotch of sexual orientations, too. All must somehow live together in total harmony. But for this total harmony to be facilitated, people need to know exactly where they stand and they need to know exactly what can and what cannot be said, or written. A written constitution is the answer. – © Mark Alexander

German Cabinet Approves Bill to Liberalize Cannabis Use | DW News

Aug 16, 2023 | A controversial draft bill on legalizing the recreational use of the drug cannabis was unveiled on Wednesday by German Health Minister Karl Lauterbach after it was approved by the German Cabinet. The draft law would make it legal for people over 18 to possess up to 25 grams (0.9 ounces) of cannabis and to cultivate up to three plants for personal use. There will also be approved so-called cultivation associations. Often referred to as cannabis social clubs, they provide their members with home-grown cannabis products.

Governments have been waging a war on tobacco and cigarette-smoking for years and years; and the war has been relentless and is still in progress. Many governments, especially successive UK governments, have made the smoking of a cigarette so expensive and so difficult that it has gone from being a pleasure that most people could afford to becoming a rich person's pleasure. Successive governments have also made it well-nigh impossible to go anywhere and smoke a cigarette. One cannot smoke a cigarette in cafés, pubs, restaurants, or in any public places or public transport. Virtually the only place that one can smoke a cigarette today is in one's own home. And in some places in the US, especially rented properties, even that is not allowed!

I write here as an ex-smoker; so, having given up smoking in April 2022, I no longer have any skin in the game. But I wish someone could explain to me the logic of waging an all-out war on smoking tobacco and then making a volte-face on the smoking of cannabis. To my way of thinking, this is as illogical as it is crazy. Is society going to be any healthier when people turn away from the smoking of tobacco and take up smoking cannabis instead? That, to me, seems highly improbable. I'd wager that by encouraging people to take up smoking cannabis—its legalisation will give the green light to its consumption—there will be, in the years ahead, a whole host of health issues to be faced, many among them probably being cognitive difficulties — health difficulties which are challenging health systems as it is. I believe I am right in saying that it is an undeniable fact that cannabis can have a deleterious long-term effect on a person's brain function. I guess we're about to find out for definite.

In view of many Western governments' easing up on soft drugs, might I suggest that laws on smoking cigarettes be relaxed again and their prices be sharply reduced? The war on smoking has had a profound effect on people's sense of joie de vivre. Moreover, obesity has increased exponentially and miserableness abounds. – © Mark Alexander

2013 Hagey Lecture: Margaret MacMillan - Choice or Accident: The Outbreak of World War One

Oct 17, 2013 | Thursday, September 19, 2013 at 8:00 pm in the Humanities Theatre, Hagey Hall. Professor Margaret MacMillan is regarded as a leading historian of the British Empire at the turn of the 20th century. She is an officer of the Order of Canada, a member of the Royal Society of Literature, and a professor of history at Oxford University. In addition to numerous articles on Canadian and world affairs, Professor MacMillan has written several award-winning books, including The Uses and Abuses of History and Paris 1919: Six Months that Changed the World.

How Mitch McConnell's Failures Led to the Rise of Donald Trump | The Warning with Steve Schmidt

Aug 16, 2023 | Steve Schmidt breaks down how the cowardice of Mitch McConnell led to the rise of Donald Trump and MAGA extremism in this country.

Dimitra’s Dishes: Balsamic Chicken & Asparagus Sheet Pan Meal

Aug 16, 2023

Get the recipe here.

Donald Trump Given Ten Days to ‘Surrender’ to Authorities in Georgia

Aug 15, 2023 | Donald Trump now has ten days to turn himself in - after a court in Georgia accused him and 18 others of attempting to overturn the result of the 2020 presidential election there - in other words, "knowingly and willingly joining a conspiracy" to subvert the will of voters. Mr Trump has described the charges as a witch hunt - claiming he would be completely exonerated. But this is one case in which he cannot pardon himself - even if he's elected president.

I hope the prison authorities are gussying up that cell for him - post-haste. – Mark

Mr Dawkins: “The God of Abraham Will Die!” | #shorts

Click here to listen to Him being finished off by Richard Dawkins!

Trump Indicted in Fulton County, Georgia; Now Facing 91 Total Charges | The Warning with Steve Schmidt

Aug 15, 2023 | Steve Schmidt reacts to Donald Trump being incited in Georgia for 13 criminal counts centered on his role in trying to overturn the 2020 election. This brings the total charges against the former President to 91 in 4 different districts. Steve breaks down why this is not normal and must be defeated at the ballot box.

What Makes the Georgia Indictment against Trump So Significant?

Aug 15, 2023 | Former US President Donald Trump and 18 others have been indicted with attempting to overturn his 2020 election defeat in the state of Georgia. Democratic strategist Spencer Critchley unpacks how watertight these charges are.

Die Schweizer sind dreimal so reich wie die Deutschen

Die Schweizer sind im Schnitt reicher als die Deutschen. | Bild: AFP
STUDIE ZU GLOBALEN VERMÖGEN
FRANKFURTER ALLGEMEINE ZEITUNG: Die Schweizer sind die reichsten Menschen der Welt. Das liegt nicht zuletzt an ihrem umfassenden Rentensystem.

Die Schweizer sind die reichsten Menschen der Welt. Zu diesem Ergebnis kommt die Credit Suisse (CS) in ihrer jährlichen Studie zur Entwicklung der Haushaltsvermögen in aller Welt. Die Bank hat den seit 14 Jahren erscheinenden „Global Wealth Report“ am Dienstag erstmals gemeinsam mit der UBS vorlegt, unter deren Dach sie vor wenigen Monaten aus der Not heraus schlüpfen musste. Dem Bericht zufolge verfügte jeder erwachsene Schweizer im Jahr 2022 über ein durchschnittliches Vermögen von gut 685.000 Dollar. Darin ist neben dem Finanzvermögen auch der Immobilienbesitz enthalten. Zwar sind die Vermögen gegenüber dem Vorjahr vor allem wegen der deutlich gefallenen Aktienkurse um rund 13.000 Dollar gesunken. Trotzdem behaupteten die Eidgenossen ihre Spitzenposition in der Reichenrangliste, die sie schon seit einigen Jahren innehaben. » | Von Johannes Ritter, Zürich | Dienstag, 15. August 2023

Verfahren in Georgia: Für ihn fast schon Routine

ZEIT ONLINE: Donald Trump wird nun wegen Fälschung und Wahlbehinderung angeklagt. Das erhält weniger Aufmerksamkeit als die bisherigen Klagen, doch es könnte ihm gefährlicher werden.

Der ehemalige US-Präsident Donald Trump © Charlie Neibergall/AP/dpa
Nur einen kurzen Moment lang war das Dokument am Montagnachmittag auf der Website des Gerichts zu sehen. Aber es reichte, dass die Nachrichtenagentur Reuters einen Blick darauf werfen konnte. Aus diesem Dokument war bereits herauszulesen, was in der Nacht zum Dienstag offiziell wurde: Die nächste Anklage gegen Donald Trump ist da, diesmal im Bezirk Fulton County. Dort liegt Atlanta, die Hauptstadt von Georgia.

Verstöße gegen die Korruptionsgesetze des Bundesstaats, Aufforderung eines Amtsträgers zur Eidverletzung, Verschwörung zur Einreichung gefälschter Dokumente: Erneut geht es um Trumps Versuch, den Wahlsieg Joe Bidens 2020 zu untergraben. Georgia war einer der Bundesstaaten, dem Trump und seine Leute besonders viel Aufmerksamkeit zukommen ließen. Hier war der Vorsprung des Herausforderers Joe Biden knapp. Am Ende gewann Biden mit knapp 12.000 Stimmen Vorsprung. Trump wollte das nicht hinnehmen, um selbst an der Macht zu bleiben. » |Eine Analyse von Johanna Roth, Washington, D. C. | Dienstag, 15. August 2023


Related articles.

Three Bulgarians Suspected of Spying for Russia Charged in UK

THE GUARDIAN: Trio detained in February after counter-terrorism investigation are accused of working for Moscow’s security services, BBC reports

(From left) Orlin Roussev, Katrin Ivanova and Bizer Dzhambazov. Composite: BBC/Facebook/LinkedIn
Three Bulgarian nationals suspected of spying for Russia while living in the UK have been arrested and charged, police have said.

The defendants were among five people detained in February following a long-running counter-terrorism investigation. Three of those were then charged with possession of false identity documents with improper intention, the Metropolitan police – which is responsible for espionage cases – said in a statement.

The BBC reported that they are accused of working for Russia’s security services, as part of what appears to be an undercover cell. They reportedly held passports and identity cards from Bulgaria, France, Italy, Spain, Croatia, Slovenia, Greece and the Czech Republic.

The defendants – arrested under the Official Secrets Act by counter-terrorism police – knew the documents were forged and had them with “improper intention”, it is alleged.

The three alleged spies are Orlin Roussev, 45, from Great Yarmouth, Norfolk; Bizer Dzhambazov, 41, of Harrow, north-west London, and Katrin Ivanova, 31, of the same Harrow address.

The trio had lived in the UK for years, working in a variety of jobs, and living in a series of suburban properties, the BBC reported. » | Luke Harding and Matthew Weaver | Tuesday, August 15, 2023

Three suspected Russian spies arrested by counter-terror police: The trio, all Bulgarian nationals and said to have lived in the UK for years, have been charged with identity offences »

Adolf Hitler | He's Really Different from All the Others - Klara Hitler about Her Son | Documentary

Aug 13, 2023

Steve Schmidt: Mitch McConnell's Health Scare Is a Reminder That America Needs a New Generation of Leaders

The West is being led by geriatrics. People who are ripe for the old folks' home.

Donald Trump and Allies Indicted in Georgia over Bid to Reverse 2020 Election Loss

THE GUARDIAN: Ex-president is defendant in fourth criminal case as 41-count indictment accuses him of planning criminal enterprise

Donald Trump and 18 others indicted in Georgia for trying to overturn 2020 election – video
Donald Trump and some of his closest confidantes have been indicted on state racketeering and conspiracy charges over efforts to reverse Trump’s defeat in the 2020 election in Georgia. This indictment makes the former US president a criminal defendant in a fourth case as he campaigns to recapture the presidency.

The sprawling 41-count indictment, handed down by a state grand jury in Atlanta late on Monday night, charges Trump himself with 13 counts and accuses him of orchestrating a criminal enterprise.

In addition to Trump, prosecutors in the office of the Fulton county district attorney Fani Willis charged 18 other defendants, including his former White House chief of staff Mark Meadows as well as his 2020 election lawyers Rudy Giuliani, Sidney Powell, Jenna Ellis and Kenneth Chesebro. » | Hugo Lowell and Jewel Wicker in Atlanta, Georgia | Tuesday, August 15, 2023

Donald Trump election interference. Follow live here.

Full text of indictment here.

Trump’s Georgia charges are a win for voting rights leaders: Victory heralded as a landmark achievement for Democrats, particularly the Black voters who make up much of the party’s base »

What is Trump charged with in Georgia and what is the case about?: Trump and his allies made an aggressive push to invalidate the election results in Georgia as part of an effort to overturn results »

Trump Indicted in Georgia – Prosecutors Accuse Trump of ‘Criminal Enterprise’ to Overturn Election: A grand jury indicted the former president and 18 allies, including Rudolph W. Giuliani and Mark Meadows, with multiple crimes related to a conspiracy to subvert the will of voters. »

Mark Meadows, Trump’s Chief of Staff, Is a Key Figure in Georgia Election Case: The former White House chief of staff was a central player in the efforts to keep Trump in power after the 2020 election. »

Giuliani Targeted in Trump Election Case. What Role Did He Play?: The former mayor of New York City led the legal efforts in several states to keep Donald Trump in power. »

Donald Trump : en Géorgie, une quatrième inculpation menaçante pour l’ancien président américain : L’homme d’affaires est accusé d’avoir tenté de renverser l’élection présidentielle de 2020. La procureure invoque notamment la loi sur l’extorsion et l’association de malfaiteurs, qui s’applique en général à la criminalité organisée. »

Trump inculpé de tentative de manipulation de la présidentielle 2020 en Géorgie : 41 chefs d'accusation différents sont retenus contre l’ancien président et 18 de ses conseillers, dont «fausses déclarations et faux documents, usurpation de fonction publique, faux et usage de faux», pressions sur des témoins, une série de délits informatiques ou encore parjure. »

Trump und seine „kriminelle Vereinigung“: Für Trumps Anklage wegen Wahlbetrugs in Georgia nutzt die Staatsanwaltschaft ein Gesetz, das bislang für organisierte Kriminalität angewendet wurde. Mit ihm sind 18 weitere Personen angeklagt. Allen drohen hohe Haftstrafen. »

Donald Trump : les principales enquêtes judiciaires qui menacent l’ex-président américain : Plusieurs procédures judiciaires, menées aux niveaux local et fédéral, sont en cours, concernant des manipulations fiscales et électorales. »

Banned in Kuwait, ‘Barbie’ Sparks Delight, and Anger, in Saudi Arabia

THE NEW YORK TIMES: Denounced in some Middle Eastern countries for undermining traditional gender norms, the hit movie is finding an audience in Saudi Arabia, illustrating the region’s shifting political landscape.

The “Barbie” movie opened in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, on Thursday. | Ahmed Yosri/Reuters
On Friday night, Mohammed al-Sayed donned a pale pink shirt and denim overalls to join a friend at a movie theater in Riyadh, the capital of Saudi Arabia, where the men settled in to watch a film about a doll on a mission to dismantle the patriarchy.

Similar scenes played out across the conservative Islamic kingdom last weekend, as women painted their nails pink, tied pink bows in their hair and draped pink floor-length abayas over their shoulders for the regional debut of the movie, “Barbie.” While critics across the Middle East have called for the film to be banned for undermining traditional gender norms, many Saudis ignored them.

They watched as the movie imagined a matriarchal society of Barbie dolls where men are eye candy. They laughed when a male character asked, “I’m a man with no power; does that make me a woman?” They snapped their fingers in delight as a mother delivered a monologue about the strictures of stereotypical femininity. Then, they emerged from the darkened theaters to contemplate what it all meant.

“The message is that you are enough — whatever you are,” said Mr. al-Sayed, 21, echoing the Ken doll’s revelation. » | Vivian Nereim, Reporting from Riyadh, Saudi Arabia | Monday, August 14, 2023

Whitney Houston, Mariah Carey : When You Believe | Official HD Video | Reupload

May 10, 2014 | Views on YouTube: 455,271,149

Obama Revealed He Thought about 'Making Love to Men Daily' in Unearthed Letter

THE TELEGRAPH: The former US president wrote about his androgynous mind in previously redacted letters 40 years ago to an ex-girlfriend

Senator Barack Obama before he became president | CREDIT: REUTERS/Jessica Rinaldi
THE TELEGRAPH: The former US president wrote about his androgynous mind in previously redacted letters 40 years ago to an ex-girlfriend

Barack Obama wrote that he made love to men every day “in the imagination” in a letter to an ex-girlfriend that has surfaced 40 years later.

The comments were revealed in correspondences with Alex McNear, in November 1982, which were previously redacted to remove the more salacious parts.

In one letter, a 21-year-old Mr Obama wrote: “In regard to homosexuality, I must say that I believe this is an attempt to remove oneself from the present, a refusal perhaps to perpetuate the endless farce of earthly life. You see, I make love to men daily, but in the imagination.”

He went on to suggest he wanted to train his brain to become more balanced in the approach to men and women. » | David Millward, US Correspondent | Sunday, August 13, 2023

Stuffed Flatbreads | Akis Petretzikis

Aug 14, 2023

Get the recipe here.

Israel lehnt saudisches Generalkonsulat in Jerusalem ab

NAHER OSTEN
FRANKFURTER ALLGEMEINE ZEITUNG: Zuletzt hatte sich das Verhältnis zwischen Riad und Tel Aviv entspannt. Jetzt will Israel jedoch die Einrichtung einer diplomatischen Mission verhindern.

Israel lehnt die Einrichtung eines für die Palästinensische Autonomiebehörde zuständigen Generalkonsulates von Saudi-Arabien in Jerusalem ab. „Wir werden nicht zulassen, dass in Jerusalem irgendeine Art von diplomatischer Mission eröffnet wird“, sagte der israelische Außenminister Eli Cohen am Sonntag dem Radiosender 103 FM. Am Samstag hatte Saudi-Arabien erstmals einen Botschafter für die Palästinensische Autonomiebehörde ernannt. Das Amt wird vom saudischen Botschafter in Jordanien, Najef al-Sudairi, zusätzlich übernommen, denn der Gesandte bleibt Vertreter seines Landes in Jordanien. Die Botschaft in Amman teilte mit, Al-Sudairi werde auch als Generalkonsul in Jerusalem tätig sein. » | Quelle: Reuters | Sonntag, 13. August 2023

What Does Far-right Javier Milei’s Win in Argentina Primaries Mean?

Aug 14, 2023

Far-Right Libertarian Wins Argentina’s Presidential Primary: Javier Milei, who wants to abolish the central bank and adopt the U.S. dollar as Argentina’s currency, is now the front-runner in the fall general election. »

Argentine : avant la présidentielle, l’ultralibéral Javier Milei bouleverse le paysage politique du pays : L’économiste est arrivé en tête des primaires, dimanche, destinées à présélectionner les candidats qui seront en lice le 22 octobre. »

Ultrarechter Kandidat erhält die meisten Stimmen bei Vorwahlen: Javier Milei leugnet die Verbrechen der Militärdiktatur, will das Waffenrecht lockern und Abtreibungen verbieten. Er könnte Argentiniens nächster Präsident werden. »

Hawaii Fires: Tourists Warned against Travelling to Maui in Wake of Disaster

THE GUARDIAN: Officials say hotel rooms needed to house thousands of displaced residents

Officials in Hawaii have urged tourists to avoid traveling to Maui, as many hotels prepared to house evacuees and first responders on the island after wildfires killed more than 90 people and destroyed hundreds of homes.

About 46,000 residents and visitors have flown out of Kahului Airport in West Maui since the scale of the devastation in the historic town of Lahaina became clear on Wednesday, according to the Hawaii Tourism Authority.

“In the weeks ahead, the collective resources and attention of the federal, state and county government, the West Maui community, and the travel industry must be focused on the recovery of residents who were forced to evacuate their homes and businesses,” the agency said in a statement late Saturday. Tourists are encouraged to visit Hawaii’s other islands. » | Associated Press | Monday, August 14, 2023


Incendies à Hawaï : le bilan continue d’augmenter, passant à 96 morts : Seule une petite partie de la zone incendiée (3 %) a été fouillée, et seulement deux victimes ont pu être identifiées. »

Deutsches Video von FAZ übers Beten für die Opfer und für die Vermissten hier.

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Salad Olivier (Russian Potato Salad) | Cooking with Zahra

Aug 14, 2023 | Salad Olivier, a classic and popular dish that originated in Russia in the 19th century. It is a cold salad made with a mix of diced cooked vegetables, eggs, and often meat or poultry, all bound together with mayonnaise. The salad is usually served as an appetizer or side dish during special occasions and gatherings.

Salad Olivier is chilled in the refrigerator for a few hours to allow the flavors to meld together. The salad is served cold and is often garnished with fresh herbs, such as parsley or dill, for an attractive presentation.

It is a dish which is particularly; liked in Russia; but also in many other countries. Indeed, its popularity has spread to many other parts of the world. Its creamy and flavorful combination of ingredients makes it a satisfying and comforting dish, enjoyed on various occasions throughout the year.


Get the full recipe here.

The Guardian View on Liz Truss’s Resignation Honours: This List of Shame

THE GUARDIAN – EDITORIAL: The former prime minister should not be allowed to recommend new peers or give gongs to those involved in her catastrophic time in No 10

‘The very existence of her list is shameless and shaming, both to Ms Truss and to those who are on it.’ Photograph: Zuma Press Wire/Shutterstock
The reverberations from Boris Johnson’s resignation peerages and honours list have not died down. They are likely to continue, especially if the former culture secretary Nadine Dorries, who was spurned for a Johnson peerage, has anything to do with it. But even the political stink surrounding the Johnson list may soon be outdone by Liz Truss’s outrageous proposed resignation honours. Rishi Sunak will deserve every piece of opprobrium that he gets if he nods this latest list through.

From what is known about the names submitted by Ms Truss, which are now being vetted by the House of Lords appointments commission and by the Cabinet Office, her list is a disgrace on two quite separate grounds. The first is that she has submitted a list at all, having been bundled out of No 10 last October after a mere 49 days. The very existence of her list is shameless and shaming, both to Ms Truss and to those who are on it. Mr Sunak and the House of Lords appointment commission should put a stop to it right now. » | Editorial | Sunday, August 13, 2023

The honours sytem is a joke. Honours are dished out like Smarties at a kid's birthday party! For honours to mean anything, they should be given sparingly to truly worthy people. That Liz Truss, a loser by any meaningful definition of the word, should be allowed to dish out honours when her very short time in office and extreme politics were, for many, as appalling as they were painful, and equally disastrous for the country, even at a time of great difficulties for the masses and poverty for the many, is a perversion and makes a mockery of the system. In any case, do we really need to dole out honours in the twenty-first century? The system perpetuates the class system, thus hindering upward mobility for the many. Further, this country is riven by class as it is, so handing out honours divides the nation even more. There is no need to add to the nation's divisions. So do we really need to make people lords and barons and kinights and ladies and baronesses? Come the coffin, in spite of titles and honours, they will soon thereafter turn to ashes anyway! – © Mark Alexander

Nazis, Made in Austria | Geschehen, neu gesehen | ARTE

Aug 13, 2023 | TW: Dieses Programm enthält Inhalte, die für Kinder, Jugendliche und empfindsame Zuschauer verstörend wirken können.

Nach dem Ende des Ersten Weltkriegs zerfiel das Kaiserreich Österreich-Ungarn. Österreich schrumpfte zu einer kleinen Republik. Die Folge: Groll und Enttäuschung in weiten Teilen der Bevölkerung – und ein Nährboden für den sogenannte Pangermanismus, das Streben nach der Einheit aller germanischen Völker. Eine Strömung, die mit Antisemitismus und Fremdenfeindlichkeit gepaart war.

Die im Fahrwasser der deutschen NSDAP gegründete österreichische NS-Partei, die NSDAP-Hitlerbewegung, bekam immer mehr Zulauf. In einem instabilen politischen Umfeld verübte sie eine wachsende Zahl von Gewalttaten. Führende Köpfe waren Ernst Kaltenbrunner, Arthur Seyss-Inquart und Adolf Eichmann. Die später als Kriegsverbrecher verurteilten Männer machten Österreich zum Versuchslabor für den Unterdrückungsapparat der Nazis, bevor sie dessen Mechanismen nach dem „Anschluss“ voll übernahmen.

Unter dem Deckmantel der Euthanasie ermordeten sie Menschen mit körperlichen und geistigen Behinderungen in den Krankenhäusern und waren an der Errichtung des Konzentrationslagers Mauthausen beteiligt. Die österreichische Schwesterpartei der NSDAP wurde zur Vorreiterin bei der Verfolgung von Juden, ihrer systematischen Beraubung und der erzwungenen Emigration bis hin zu den allerersten Deportationen. Die von den Parteimitgliedern in ihrem Heimatland erworbene Erfahrung kam nach Kriegsausbruch im gesamten Deutschen Reich in den besetzten beziehungsweise annektierten Gebieten zum Einsatz.

Nach dem Ende des Zweiten Weltkriegs jedoch sah sich Österreich unter Berufung auf den „Anschluss“ 1938 offiziell vor allem als erstes Opfer Adolf Hitlers und legte großen Wert darauf, die eigene Unschuld zu betonen. Mit dieser Mythenbildung weigerte sich das Land, seine Mitverantwortung für die Verbrechen des Dritten Reiches zuzugeben. Auch über die Beteiligung der österreichischen Bevölkerung am Vernichtungsapparat der Nazis wurde lieber geschwiegen. Erst 1991 erkannte der österreichische Staat offiziell an, dass Österreich eine Mitverantwortung an den bis dahin nur Deutschland zugeschriebenen Verbrechen trage.

Dokureihe, Regie: Barbara Necek (F 2022, 53 Min)
Video verfügbar bis zum 14/10/2023


WARNUNG! Wie es oben darauf geschrieben ist, ist diese Dokumentation für Kinder GAR NICHT geeignet. Auch Jugentliche und empfindsame Leute sollten beim Zuschauen EXTREME VORSICHT üben. – Mark

Arrest of Saudi Scholar and Influencer Another Sign of Social Media Crackdown

THE GUARDIAN: Detaining of public health expert Mohammed Alhajji comes as a shock as he was seen as apolitical

Mohammed Alhajji in 2019. No reason has been given for the arrest of the academic, who got his PhD in the US. Photograph: Muslim World League
A prominent Saudi scholar and Snapchat influencer has been arrested by Saudi authorities in what experts said was evidence of the kingdom’s extreme crackdown on social media users.

The arrest of Mohammed Alhajji, a public health expert who completed his dissertation in the US, follows the disappearance and recent arrests of other prominent influencers for “crimes” that include the perceived criticism of the crown prince, Mohammed bin Salman, and support for women’s rights.

Alhajji’s arrest was confirmed by two sources with close knowledge of the matter.

There was no indication or additional information about why the influencer – who was seen as apolitical and supportive of the Saudi government – was detained. » | Stephanie Kirchgaessner | Sunday, August 13, 2023

Saudis accused of using Snapchat to promote crown prince and silence critics: Critics say app – partly owned by a Saudi investor – promoting image of Mohammed bin Salman while critical voices are punished »

BREXICUTED

An Animation Short Film by Chris Shepherd
Jan 6, 2021

Bangladesh : les pluies torrentielles de la mousson font plus de cinquante morts

LE MONDE : Les autorités comptent plus d’un million de sinistrés depuis début août à cause des nombreuses inondations et glissements de terrain. Le Royaume-Uni annonce fournir une aide humanitaire de 250 000 livres sterling.

Au moins cinquante-cinq personnes ont péri au Bangladesh à la suite d’inondations et de glissements de terrain causés par des pluies torrentielles, qui ont fait, en outre, plus d’un million de sinistrés depuis le début du mois d’août, ont annoncé dimanche 13 août les autorités.

Vingt et un morts ont été décomptés à Cox’s Bazar, dix-neuf à Chittagong, dix à Bandarban, et cinq à Rangamati, selon des responsables des zones les plus touchées par les intempéries. Le Royaume-Uni a annoncé dimanche qu’il débloquait 250 000 livres sterling (289 000 euros) « pour répondre aux besoins urgents. » » | Le Monde avec AFP | dimanche 13 août 2023

Piers Morgan SLAMS Calls for Misgendering to Become a Crime

Aug 10, 2023 | Piers Morgan speaks on the recent debate of whether misgendering people should be a crime as a recent study suggest 44% of millennials believe using incorrect pronouns should be illegal. Piers believes it is ludicrous for people to be arrested for an ideology that not everyone agrees with and believes it sets a dangerous precedent.

Please Help Save Mohammad’s Life and Help Shine a Spotlight on Iran’s Horrific Execution Program

AVAAZ: The world in action

“Mohammad is now on death row, and could be hanged any day. Iran is already under pressure - and global outcries have stopped executions before. There’s no time to waste: share with all your friends now, and when it’s huge, Avaaz will bring our voices to the UN Rights Chief and key governments - and we’ll make Mohammad’s story famous in the media.”

Please help save this young man’ slife and sign the petition here.

The Observer View on Ron DeSantis, Shakespeare and Sex: ‘Man, Proud Man… Most Ignorant of What He’s Most Assur’d’

THE OBSERVER – EDITORIAL: Application of the Florida governor’s ‘don’t say gay’ law has led to the banning of plays such as Romeo and Juliet in some schools

You imagine that Shakespeare might have had some fun with Ronald Dion DeSantis. The Florida governor is attempting to win the Republican nomination for the US presidency by first stoking nasty and divisive “culture wars”. His campaign would no doubt have been fertile ground for a writer who delighted in dramatising the self-destructive fallout of “vaulting ambition” and in ruthlessly exposing the “smile and smile and be a villain” strategies of grinning populists.

The latest application of the governor’s homophobic 2022 “Parental Rights in Education Act” – widely known as the “don’t say gay” law because it prohibits discussion of sexual orientation or gender identity in classrooms – has led some Florida school boards to remove Shakespeare plays from the curriculum and the library, in order to avoid anything “racy or sexual”. Romeo and Juliet has been deemed beyond the pale in this regard (and don’t get the governor and his book-banning minions started on the non-binary shenanigans in Twelfth Night and As You Like It). Floridian students will therefore no longer be free to spend enlightening afternoons pondering the textual notes to Mercutio’s various pieces of amorous advice to his pal, Romeo: “If love be rough with you, be rough with love. Prick love for pricking and you beat love down”; or, that favourite of school students down the ages: “If love be blind, love cannot hit the mark. /Now will he sit under a medlar tree,/ And wish his mistress were that kind of fruit/ as maids call medlars when they laugh alone./ Romeo that she were, O, that she were/ An open-arse, or thou a popp’rin pear.” » | Observer editorial | Sunday, August 13, 2023

Let’s Stop Kidding Ourselves We’re a Rich Nation and Get Real… the UK’s Gone Bust

THE OBSERVER – OPINION: Britain depends on the kindness of strangers to get by in the world. It doesn’t have to be like this

ritain has its back against the wall to an extent unparalleled in its peacetime history. In all the other financial struggles we have faced – the currency crises of 1931, 1949, 1976 and 1992 – we could fight our way out by belt-tightening and devaluing the pound within a structure of secure trading relationships, anchored first by empire and later the EU.

Our international assets exceeded our liabilities by a huge degree. Our national debt was well structured, built on long-term bonds whose servicing requirements were always manageable. We retained great industrial strengths. We were fundamentally creditworthy. Even when the financial crisis broke in 2007/8, the low national debt meant the country could put its balance sheet behind its banks and bail them out.

None of that is true today. The UK has been living beyond its means in every way. Internationally, we are no longer a creditor nation. We depend on the “kindness of strangers”, in the famous words of former Bank of England governor Mark Carney, to support our currency, as our liabilities to foreigners exceed our assets by 30% of GDP and growing. Our fading industrial base produces permanent current account deficits, which since 2000 cumulatively exceed £1.5tn: rather than belt tighten, we have chosen to run up debt and sell our assets to foreigners in vast quantities to maintain our living standards. Nor do we have empire or the EU anchoring our trade. We are alone. » | Will Hutton | Sunday, August 13, 2023

‘The Holocaust Happened on British Soil’: Inquiry into Nazi Camps Creates Bitter Divide on Alderney

THE OBSERVER: An official investigation of claims that many more people than previously thought died during Nazi control of the Channel Island has pleased some, but dismayed others

Michael James at a spot where the bodies of labourers are thought to have been dumped during the war. Photograph: Mark Townsend/The Observer
Their foreboding entrance smothered in ivy, the tunnels gouged out of sheer rock beside Water Lane on the island of Alderney have long terrified generations of the island’s children.

For decades, though, it seemed that was as far as the notoriety of the dank tunnels on the outskirts of St Anne, the capital of the tiny Channel Island, would extend.

That is about to change. An official government inquiry into the full horrors of the Nazi occupation on Alderney, revealed last month by the Observer, has vowed to investigate all new evidence of atrocities, including the grisly Water Lane tunnels where, it is claimed, huge numbers of slave labourers died in their making. » | Mark Townsend | Sunday, August 13, 2023

We Risk Being Seen as the ‘Nasty Party’ Again, Warn Senior Conservatives

THE OBSERVER: Moderate Tories fear the party’s attack on human rights will alienate many voters and damage the UK’s global standing

French lifeboat Notre Dame du Risban arrives in Calais last Friday amid a rescue operation in the Channel. Photograph: Pascal Rossignol/Reuters
The Conservatives risk being seen once again as the “nasty party” by trying to win votes with a divisive attack on human rights, senior party figures have warned.

Rishi Sunak is under increasing pressure from his party this weekend over his pledge to stop the boats crossing the Channel. It follows another week that ended in Channel deaths after the capsizing of a boat, while the total number of people making the dangerous crossing since 2018 rose above the 100,000 mark.

Cabinet ministers are now said to be among those expecting the party to back quitting the European convention on human rights (ECHR) as part of its next election manifesto, should their plan to deport migrants to Rwanda be blocked in court.

Robert Jenrick, the immigration minister, said the government would do “whatever is necessary” to force its plans through. » | Michael Savage, Policy editor | Sunday, August 13, 2023

"Risk being seen as the nasty party?" There’s no “risk” to it! You ARE the bloody nasty party! The irony is this: The nastiest of the nasty are themselves largely immigrants! Today, the party is made up of unfeeling, unChristian people, lacking both compassion and mercy. – © Mark Alexander

‘An Utter Disgrace’: 90% of England’s Most Precious River Habitats Blighted by Raw Sewage and Farming Pollution

THE OBSERVER: Observer investigation reveals the shocking state of the country’s protected freshwater sites of special scientific interest

The River Eden in Cumbria has 35 stretches of water that are protected habitats, but none of them are in favourable condition. Photograph: John Morrison/Alamy
More than 90% of freshwater habitats on England’s most precious rivers are in unfavourable condition, blighted by farming pollution, raw sewage and water abstraction, an Observer investigation reveals.

None of the approximately 40 rivers with protected habitats in England are in overall good health, according to an analysis of government inspection reports. These include the River Avon in Hampshire, the Wensum in Norfolk and the Eden in Cumbria. » | Jon Ungoed-Thomas and Maximilian Jenz | Saturday, August 12, 2023

Should we be surprised? When a government puts profit above all else, why should we be surpised when that government turns the country shitty? There’s one simple solution: Kick the turds out of office! – © Mark Alexander

Margaret MacMillan: The Road to 1914

Nov 12, 2014 | International historian Margaret MacMillan returns to The Agenda to discuss the events that led to the First World War, as chronicled in her book "The War That Ended Peace: The Road to 1914." MacMillan tells Steve Paikin why Europe's major powers made decisions that resulted in The Great War.

A Scholar's Revelation: Bart Ehrman's Reasons for Not Being a Christian | The Rational Roundtable

Jul 23, 2023

Channel Boat Deaths Prompt Fresh Anger over Asylum Policy

THE OBSERVER: Hunt is on for survivors after at least six people die, while activists call for more safe and legal routes

The government’s controversial asylum policy faced renewed criticism on Saturday when at least six people died after a small boat crossing the Channel capsized and sank.

Another two people are still believed to be missing after the sinking, prompting fresh calls for the government to urgently introduce safe routes for asylum seekers to prevent further tragedies.

As the search for survivors continued, anger quickly switched to the Home Office’s reluctance to introduce measures that would deter migrants from risking their lives crossing the world’s busiest shipping lane. » | Mark Townsend | Saturday, August 12, 2023

Naufrage de migrants dans la Manche : six morts, jusqu’à deux disparus : Près de soixante passagers ont pu être secourus, selon la préfecture maritime de la Manche et de la mer du Nord. »

Migranten-Boot kentert im Ärmelkanal : Französische und britische Kräfte konnten Dutzende Menschen im Ärmelkanal retten. Die Suche nach weiteren Vermissten dauert an. »

Hawaii Wildfires: At Least 80 Killed in Maui – BBC News

Aug 12, 2023 | Eighty people are now confirmed to have been killed by wildfires on the Hawaiian island of Maui, officials say. There are fears the numbers will rise further, as hundreds are still uncontactable. Firefighters have been trying to contain fires in several areas, including the historic town of Lahaina which has been utterly devastated.

Hawaii Wildfires: Live updates.

Related.

The Treaty of Versailles: 100 Years Later

Streamed live on Jun 4, 2019 | The Treaty of Versailles was signed in June 1919. Did the treaty lead to the outbreak of World War II? Was the attempt to creat a new world order a failure? A lecture by Margaret MacMillan, University of Toronto

A century has passed since the Treaty of Versailles was signed on 28 June 1919. After WWI the treaty imposed peace terms which have remained the subject of controversy ever since. It also attempted to set up a new international order to ensure that there would never again be such a destructive war as that of 1914-18. Professor MacMillan, a specialist in British imperial history and the international history of the 19th and 20th centuries, will consider if the treaty led to the outbreak of the Second World War and whether the attempt to create a new world order was a failure.

Growing Segregation by Sex in Israel Raises Fears for Women’s Rights

THE NEW YORK TIMES: Ultra-Orthodox members of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s far-right coalition want to expand the powers of all-male rabbinical courts, and to bar women and men from mixing in many public arenas.

An ultra-Orthodox man walking past a sign in Bnei Brak, Israel, that urges men to not look at women in the street. | Avishag Shaar-Yashuv for The New York Times
The trains from Tel Aviv were packed one evening last month when Inbal Boxerman, a 40-year-old mother of two, was blocked by a wall of men as she tried to board. One of them told her that women were not allowed on — the car was for men only.

Ms. Boxerman was stunned. It was a public train operated by Israel Railways, and segregated seating is illegal in the country. The men stopping her appeared to be protesters going home from a rally supporting the governing coalition, which includes extremist religious and far-right parties pushing for more sex segregation and a return to more traditional gender roles.

“I said, ‘For real?’” said Ms. Boxerman, who works in marketing. “And my friend came up and she also said, ‘Are you for real?’ But they just laughed and said, ‘Wait for the next train — you can sit in the way back.’ And then the doors slammed shut.”

Public transportation is the latest front of a culture war in Israel over the status of women in a society that is sharply divided between a secular majority and politically powerful minority of ultra-Orthodox Jews, who frown on the mixing of women and men in public.

Although the Supreme Court has ruled that it is against the law to force women to sit in separate sections on buses and trains, ultra-Orthodox women customarily board buses in their neighborhoods through the rear door and sit in the back. Now, the practice seems to be spreading to other parts of Israel. » | Roni Caryn Rabin, Reporting from Tel Aviv | Saturday, August 12, 2023

After Brexit, Desperate Tories Needed a New Crusade. They Think Dumping ‘Human Rights’ Could Be It

THE GUARDIAN: Rightwingers want a nasty debate about the European convention on human rights to revive nativist passions

The drumbeats get louder as the call of the wild pulses through the blood of the Conservative party again. The front page of the Telegraph on Thursday splashes, “Cabinet call on PM to ditch ECHR”. On their headcount, a third of the British cabinet want to join Russia and Belarus as pariah states outside the European convention on human rights.

Downing Street says no, but others report the prime minister wavering. This is exactly how Brexit happened – and that’s the spirit the Braverman tendency hopes to reprise, with all the nativism, the xenophobia, the British “sovereignty” phantasm and even talk of another referendum, which could slice the country into two broken halves. They imagine this could save their party, or at least their own seats, at the next election. » | Polly Toynbee | Thursday, August 10, 2023

Chicken Parmesan | Akis Petretzikis

Oct 4, 2022

Michael Lambert: Incredibly STUPID Comments from Deluded Brexiteers

Aug 12, 2023 | Brexit has been a disaster for the UK and yet there are still plenty of people who argue that it was the right thing to do despite all of the evidence showing that it has damaged the UK economy as well as the UK's reputation in the world.

In this video I read out some of the comments made to my last week's video in which I criticised Brexit . The comments are from people who still support Brexit and believe it was a good thing for the UK. Many claim that Brexit has not been completed and that we are still in the EU. Others claim that the EU is corrupt and determined to punish the UK for leaving.


My sincerest apologies to our brothers and sisters in Europe for the inane comments that Michael Lambert has read out re-Brexit from some of his delusional, ill-educated, half-literate—dare I say illiterate?—and breathtakingly ignorant people who have commented on his YouTube channel. (Thank the Lord that by far most of his commenters are sensible and educated people.) As you will hear, most of them cannot even string a sentence together. And these people are given the vote in a democracy, thus deciding our future!

What these comments tell me as a person who has spent much of his career in education is this: The inequality in this sinking country is not just in wealth and income, it is also in education. Increasingly in the UK, getting a good education is the preserve of the privileged. Now, one receives a good education if daddy’s pockets are deep and if daddy can afford to send his little darling to one of the élite public schools in the country, the institutions serving the one percenters.

It hurts me to say this because for most of my life, I was a dyed-in-the-wool Conservative voter; indeed, at one time, I wouldn’t have even entertained the possibility of voting for any other party. Then I saw the light! Cameron came along, then Brexit happened – both put paid to the Conservatives’ chances of ever again getting my vote.

The rot in this country started under Thatcher. Many of us thought she was the fairy godmother at the time, me included, but then reality started to sink in. The slide since Maggie has picked up speed.

One can only conclude that we are living through very sad times. – © Mark Alexander

Truth To Power: Brexit Based on LIES Makes "Rejoining" Impossible

Aug 12, 2023 | Anuerin Bevan, the Labour Health Minister instrumental in setting up both the National Health Service and the modern welfare state, said this in 1944. Nye Bevan’s words nearly 80 years later even now seem fresh, pertinent and contemporary, and equally so when applied to Brexit.

The great man’s quote, adapted, here:

“Honest politics and Brexit politics are contradictions in terms. Lying is a necessary part of a Brexitist’s political equipment, for it is essential for him to conceal his political intentions from the people. This is partly the reason for his success in getting and keeping Brexit.”

The political intentions of your Nigel Farrages and Jacob Rees-Moggs, your Boris Johnsons and Rishi Sunaks have nothing to do with the well-being of the country or the well-being of deluded voters who backed their Russia-funded, dishonest and law-breaking Leave campaign, and everything to do with burnishing their own wealth and/or political prospects.

“Together, let's bring this extreme right-wing government to an end.” – Rob Groves

Democracy Now! Native Hawaiian Activist Kaniela Ing on Fires, Colonialism & Banyan Tree

Aug 11, 2023 | We speak with Kaniela Ing, national director of the Green New Deal Network and seventh-generation Kanaka Maoli, Native Hawaiian, about the impact of this week’s devastating wildfires and their relationship to climate change. The catastrophic fires have destroyed nearly all buildings in the historic section of Lahaina, which once served as the capital of the Hawaiian Kingdom. What is now being described as the worst natural disaster in Hawaii’s history was created by conditions such as dry vegetation, hurricane-level winds and developers redirecting water and building over wetlands, which are directly related to the climate crisis. “Anyone in power who denies climate change, to me, are the arsonists here,” says Ing. “We’re living the climate emergency.”

Related here, here, here and here.

Hawaii Fires: Fresh Blaze Prompts Renewed Evacuations as Maui Death Toll Rises

THE GUARDIAN: At least 80 people killed in deadliest disaster in the state’s history, as questions asked about the local warning system

Cars destroyed by wildfires line Lahaina’s seafront main street on Friday. The death toll has risen to 67 and is expected to rise. Photograph: Justin Sullivan/Getty Images
The death toll from the Maui wildfires in Hawaii has risen to 80 as search teams comb through the smouldering ruins of Lahaina and a new fire triggered the evacuation of another community on Friday night.

The Maui police department said the new fire was burning in Kaanapali in West Maui, to the north-east of the area that burned earlier this week. No details of the evacuation were immediately provided in the police post on social media.

The new fire and rising death toll came as Hawaiian officials sought to determine how the initial inferno spread so rapidly through Lahaina, a historic resort town, with little warning. » | Guardian staff and agencies | Saturday, August 12, 2023

Drift…

…Away

I Just Called to Say…

…I Love You

"Are You an ATHEIST?"- Mehdi Hasan Asks Prof. Richard Dawkins | #shorts

Click here to listen to Professor Dawkins’ amusing answer.

Ex-Far Right, Devout Christian Dutchman, Joram van Klaveren, Talks about Why People Are Converting to Islam | #shorts

Click here to find out his surprising answer to the phenomenon.
Far-right Dutch politician converts to Islam: In a move that surprised many of his friends and colleagues, former far-right Dutch politician Joram van Klaveren has converted to Islam. As a former member of Geert Wilders' PPV party he now says he was wrong. »

Volodymyr Zelensky limoge tous les commissaires chargés du recrutement pour la guerre en Ukraine

LE MONDE : Plus de cent enquêtes ont été déclenchées à la suite d’une inspection des bureaux d’enrôlement par des organes anticorruption. Des vétérans prendront la place des commissaires limogés, qui sont incités à « aller au front » pour « prouver leur dignité ».

Le président ukrainien, Volodymyr Zelensky, a annoncé, vendredi 11 août, le limogeage de tous les responsables régionaux chargés du recrutement militaire, pour y éliminer un système de corruption permettant notamment à des conscrits d’échapper à l’armée.

« Enrichissement illégal, légalisation de fonds obtenus illégalement, profits illicites, transport illégal de l’autre côté de la frontière de conscrits. Notre solution : nous limogeons tous les commissaires militaires », a annoncé sur Telegram M. Zelensky, après une enquête anticorruption. Le président a indiqué que 112 enquêtes criminelles avaient été déclenchées après une inspection menée notamment par les organes anticorruption ukrainiens, les services de sécurité (SBU) et le parquet. » | Le Monde avec AFP | vendredi 11 août 2023

Inequality: Jon Stewart Interviews Secretary Yellen and Points Out the Shortcomings of the Economy | #shorts

Jon Stewart nails Janet Yellen. He shows her up, pointing out to her the stupidity and unfairness of the system – a system to which there is a simple, corrective solution.

German Russia Spy Accessed Highly Sensitive Data — Reports | DW News

Aug 11, 2023 | A German man arrested earlier this week for allegedly spying for Moscow had access to highly sensitive information, German media reported on Friday. The man was arrested in the city of Koblenz in the western state of Rhineland-Palatinate. Prosecutors said that the suspect approached the Russian consulate in the city of Bonn in the neighboring state of North Rhine-Westphalia, and also the Russian embassy in Berlin.

The Guardian View on Murder in Ecuador: A Tide of Violence Reaches New Heights

THE GUARDIAN – EDITORIAL: The killing of a presidential candidate has highlighted soaring homicide levels, as the cocaine trade booms in Latin America

The assassination of the Ecuadorian presidential candidate Fernando Villavicencio on Wednesday marked a frightening new moment, even in a country where homicide levels are rocketing. Rising violence and crime are the central issue of the election in which the former journalist fought. The 59-year-old, shot dead as he left an event in Quito, was a courageous whistleblower who campaigned on the slogan: “It’s time for the brave”. » | Editorial | Friday, August 11, 2023

Related.

Legionella Discovery Forces Asylum Seekers Off Bibby Stockholm Days after Arrival

THE GUARDIAN: Bacteria which can cause serious lung infection legionnaires’ disease found in water on Dorset barge

All asylum seekers being housed onboard a controversial barge are being removed because of potentially deadly bacteria in the water system, it has been confirmed.

Home Office sources said legionella had been identified on the Bibby Stockholm, the 222-bedroom hulk hired by the Home Office as part of a £1.6bn immigration deal.

The first asylum seekers boarded on Monday, and by Friday there were 39 onboard the vessel, which is docked in Portland Port, Dorset.

People can get lung infections, such as legionnaires’ disease or Pontiac fever, if they breathe in small droplets of water in the air that contain the bacteria. No one has so far been identified as contracting the disease. » | Rajeev Syal and Diane Taylor | Friday, August 11, 2023

What is legionella and what damage can it cause?: We look at the health hazard of the bacteria discovered on the Bibby Stockholm barge and who is most at risk »

Persian Cabbage Salad (Persian Coleslaw) | Cooking with Zahra

Aug 11, 2023 | Persian cabbage salad is a refreshing and colorful salad which is a popular side dish in Persian cuisine and is often served alongside main courses or as part of a mezze platter.

The main ingredients of Persian cabbage salad are finely shredded cabbage and cucumbers. These fresh vegetables are combined to create a vibrant and crunchy base for the salad.

The dressing for the salad is typically made with a simple mixture of lemon juice, olive oil, salt, and sometimes a little ground black pepper. This dressing enhances the flavors of the vegetables while providing a tangy and refreshing taste.

Additional optional ingredients may include fresh herbs such as mint or parsley, which add an extra layer of freshness to the salad.

Sexy…

…Love.

TGIF

Keep dancing Forever!

Clarence Thomas' SHAMELESS Corruption Continues | The Warning with Steve Schmidt

Aug 11, 2023 | Steve Schmidt reacts to the ProPublica report outlining Clarence Thomas' expansive corruption while serving on the Supreme Court.

Die NS-Justiz: Recht des Unrechts | Doku HD | ARTE

Aug 11, 2023 | Die Zerstörung der traditionellen Rechtsordnung gehört vermutlich zu den weniger bekannten und dennoch wesentlichen Zielen des NS-Staates. Es galt, durch die Unterwerfung des Justizapparates die Vorherrschaft der "Volksgemeinschaft" über den Einzelnen zu etablieren. Die Doku betrachtet die Werdegänge von vier Menschen, die aktiv mitwirkten oder zu Opfern wurden.

Die Zerstörung der traditionellen Rechtsordnung gehört vermutlich zu den weniger bekannten und dennoch wesentlichen Zielen der Nationalsozialisten. Als erbitterte Gegner des herkömmlichen römischen Rechts, der Philosophie der Aufklärung und der von der Französischen Revolution getragenen Werte wollten die Nationalsozialisten ihre Vorstellungen von der Rolle der Justiz um jeden Preis durchsetzen. So wurde die Etablierung einer starken nationalsozialistischen Rechtspflege zur vorrangigen Aufgabe, bildete sie doch die Grundlage der „neuen Welt“, die das Tausendjährige Reich hervorbringen sollte. Die Gleichschaltung der Justiz begann zunächst in Deutschland und hatte die Errichtung einer durch Blut- und Rassegesetze bestimmten Gesellschaft zum Ziel.

Zur atmosphärischen Kulisse von Fritz Langs Film „M“, der in einer deutschen Großstadt spielt und 1931 in die Kinos kam, erzählt die Dokumentation die Geschichte dieser radikalen Umformung der Justiz. An vier Einzelschicksalen werden Triebkräfte und ideologische Hintergründe dieses Bruchs erforscht. Wie gelang es Hitler und seinen Gefolgsleuten, die Rechtsordnung derart auszuhöhlen und durch die schrittweise Unterwerfung des gesamten Justizapparates die Vorherrschaft der „Volksgemeinschaft“ über den Einzelnen durchzusetzen?

Neben dem Werdegang des bayrischen Scharfrichters Johann Reichhart, der weit über 3.000 Todesurteile vollstreckte (darunter auch das der Geschwister Scholl), schildert die Dokumentation das Schicksal der Gerichtsreferendarin und Widerstandskämpferin Elisabeth Gloeden, des hochrangigen NS-Juristen und Polizeichefs Werner Best und des Rechtsanwalts und Nazi-Gegners Hans Litten. In der zwölf Jahre währenden NS-Ära (1933 bis 1945) verhängten Hitlers Gerichte etwa 16.000 Todesurteile. 30.000 weitere wurden von Militärgerichten ausgesprochen. Dieser Justizterror diente zunächst der Ausschaltung und Vernichtung des inneren Feindes und kündigte gleichzeitig die kommenden Eroberungskriege und den Schrecken des Holocaust an. Die Zerstörung von Recht und Justiz endete erst 1946 mit den Nürnberger Prozessen und der Einführung neuer internationaler Regeln.

Dokumentarfilm von Jean-Marie Barrere (F 2023, 103 Min)
Video verfügbar bis zum 22/06/2026