North Korea Will ‘Pay a Price’ If It Supplies Arms to Russia, Says US

THE GUARDIAN: Providing weapons to Moscow for Ukraine war will not ‘reflect well on North Korea’, national security adviser says, amid reports of active talks

North Korean leader Kim Jong-un toasts Russian president Vladimir Putin in Vladivostok, Russia in 2019. The US has said North Korea will pay a price if it supplies arms to Moscow for use in Ukraine. Photograph: 朝鮮通信社/AP
The US warned Kim Jong-un that North Korea would “pay a price” for supplying Russia with weapons to use in Ukraine, saying that arms negotiations between the two states were actively advancing.

Providing weapons to Russia “is not going to reflect well on North Korea and they will pay a price for this in the international community,” US national security adviser Jake Sullivan told reporters at the White House.

The Kremlin said earlier on Tuesday it had “nothing to say” about statements by US officials that Kim planned to travel to Russia this month to meet President Vladimir Putin and discuss weapons supplies to Moscow.

Kim expects discussions about weapons to continue, Sullivan said, including at leader level and “perhaps even in person”. » | Reuters | Wednesday, September 6, 2023

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Cuba Alleges Trafficking Ring Operated from Russia | DW News

Sep 5, 2023 | Cuba says it has uncovered a trafficking ring recruiting people to fight for Russia in Ukraine. The government in Havana believes nationals living in Russia as well as back home are being signed up under false pretenses. Cuba is a close ally of Russia - but after the allegations became known, the foreign ministry felt compelled to stress it is not involved in the war in Ukraine. It added that authorities are working to dismantle the network.

Cuba uncovers ‘human trafficking ring’ recruiting for Russia’s war in Ukraine: Havana says it is dismantling network seeking to recruit Cubans as mercenaries as Moscow attempts to boost its forces »

Slovenian Kitchen by Michelle: Sarma – Stuffed Cabbage Rolls

May 28, 2021

Get the recipe here.

'We Didn't Do Anything': Proud Boy Brags from Jail That Trump Will Pardon Him

Sep 6, 2023 | After receiving a 17-year prison sentence for seditious conspiracy, Proud Boys member Joe Biggs called into Alex Jones’ show from jail to say, “I do believe Donald J. Trump will pardon us—and he should. We didn’t do anything.”

Related.

Legal Expert: Proud Boys Got Lower Sentences due to ‘Seeming Inability to See Ourselves as Threat’

Sep 6, 2023 | Ex-Proud Boys leader Enrique Tarrio was sentenced to 22 years in prison when prosecutors had asked for 33 years. Why Proud Boys convicted for crimes related to the Jan. 6 Capitol insurrection received lower sentences is discussed by our expert guests on The ReidOut on MSNBC.

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Record Numbers of Migrants Arriving in Europe | DW News

Sep 4, 2023 | Sub-Saharan migration across the Mediterranean is on the rise. With Tunisia fast becoming the latest hotspot for departures, the EU has pledged to help avert migrant flows.

Inondations en Europe : des pluies torrentielles font quatre morts en Turquie et un mort en Grèce

LE MONDE : Depuis samedi, le bassin méditerranéen est touché par de fortes pluies. Elles ont causé la mort d’au moins quatre personnes en Turquie, une en Grèce, ainsi que huit en Algérie et trois en Espagne.

Des pluies torrentielles se sont abattues sur la Grèce et la Turquie, lundi 4 et mardi 5 septembre, faisant au moins cinq morts et plusieurs disparus.

A Istanbul, après un été particulièrement sec, qui a vu les réservoirs d’eau de la ville tomber à leur niveau le plus bas depuis neuf ans, des inondations dues aux fortes pluies ont causé la mort de deux personnes en Turquie. Les services d’urgence turcs ont annoncé deux autres morts et quatre disparus à Kirklareli (nord-ouest), mardi 5 septembre.

La tempête nocturne a inondé une station de métro stambouliote et forcé l’évacuation de dizaines de personnes d’une bibliothèque municipale, selon les médias. Des images diffusées à la télévision et sur les réseaux sociaux ont montré des flots balayant des voitures et des étals de marché. » | Le Monde avec AFP | mercredi 6 septembre 2023

Météo-France place 44 départements en vigilance jaune canicule mercredi : Dans son dernier bulletin publié mercredi à 6 heures, l’organisme public de prévision a revu à la baisse le nombre de départements en vigilance. »

L’été 2023 a été le plus chaud jamais mesuré dans le monde, selon l’observatoire européen Copernicus : « L’effondrement climatique a commencé », a réagi mercredi le secrétaire général des Nations unies, Antonio Guterres, dans un communiqué. »

Former Proud Boys Leader to Be Sentenced for Capitol Riot Role

Sep 5, 2023 | The former leader of the far right US militia group, the Proud Boys is about to be sentenced for his role in the 2021 Capitol riot. Enrique Tarrio was found guilty of seditious conspiracy for helping to plan the unrest.

LATEST UPDATES:

Ex-Leader of Proud Boys Sentenced to 22 Years in Jan. 6 Sedition Case: The prison term for Enrique Tarrio was the most severe penalty handed down so far to any of the more than 1,100 people charged in connection with the Capitol attack. »


„Proud-Boys“-Anführer zeigt vor Gericht das Victory-Zeichen: Seine Verteidiger versuchten, ihn als fehlgeleiteten Patrioten darzustellen, das Gericht sah den Kopf einer „aufrührerischen Verschwörung: Der „Proud Boys“-Anführer Enrique Tarrio ist in Washington zu einer Haftstrafe von 22 Jahren verurteilt worden. »

Assaut du Capitole : l’ancien leader des Proud Boys, un groupe d’extrême droite, condamné à vingt-deux ans de prison : Il s’agit de la plus lourde peine prononcée à la suite de l’attaque du 6 janvier 2021. Contrairement aux autres membres de ce groupe déjà condamnés, Enrique Tarrio ne se trouvait pas à Washington ce jour-là, mais le juge a considéré qu’il était un « à l’initiative du complot ». »

En Iran, l’oncle de Mahsa Amini arrêté avant le premier anniversaire de la mort de la jeune femme

LE MONDE : Selon l’organisation de défense des droits humains kurde Hengaw, les forces iraniennes ont investi, mardi, la demeure de Safa Aeli en dehors de tout mandat.

Les autorités iraniennes ont arrêté, mardi 5 septembre, un oncle de Mahsa Amini, la jeune kurde iranienne dont la mort, le 16 septembre 2022, après son arrestation par la police des mœurs, a déclenché des mois de manifestations.

Safa Aeli, 30 ans, a été arrêté par les forces de sécurité dans sa ville natale de Saqqez (Ouest) et détenu dans un lieu inconnu, ont déclaré Hengaw, une organisation de défense des droits humains kurde, et le Réseau des droits de l’homme au Kurdistan, basé en France, dans des communiqués séparés. « Jusqu’à présent, aucune information complète sur les motifs de l’arrestation de Safa Aeli, les accusations portées contre lui et sa localisation actuelle n’est disponible », précise Hengaw. » | Le Monde avec AFP | mardi 5 sptembre 2023

En Iran, les arrestations se multiplient avant la date anniversaire de la mort de Mahsa Amini : Les étudiants qui ont participé au mouvement de protestation il y a un an sont convoqués par la police, et les familles, sous pression, sont incitées à s’abstenir de rendre hommage aux victimes. »

North Korea Finds New Leverage in the Ukraine War

THE NEW YORK TIMES: Kim Jong-un is likely to seek missile and warhead technology in an expected visit to Russia, and he is already getting a public embrace he has long sought.

North Korea leader Kim Jong-un with Russia’s President Vladimir V. Putin in Vladivostok, Russia, in 2019. Russia has long been a crucial ally for the isolated North Korea. | Shamil Zhumatov/Reuters
For Kim Jong-un, the leader of North Korea, a rare trip to Russia this month to discuss military aid for President Vladimir V. Putin’s Ukraine war effort could provide two things the North has wanted for a long time: technical help with its weapons programs, and to finally be needed by an important neighbor.

North Korea has not been used to getting a lot of attention other than global condemnation for its nuclear and intercontinental ballistic missile tests. But Russia’s urgency to make new gains in the war is offering Mr. Kim a bit of the geopolitical spotlight — and a new way to both irk the United States and draw closer to Moscow and Beijing.

Though Russia has long been a crucial ally for the isolated North, relations between the two countries have at times grown tense since the disintegration of the Soviet Union. And Russia accounts for very little of the economic trade that North Korea needs; China alone provides nearly all of that.

Now, common interests and worldview are bringing the neighbors closer. » | Choe Sang-Hun, Reporting from Seoul | Tuesday, September 5, 2023

French Schools Send Home Girls Wearing Banned Abaya Robe - BBC News

Sep 5, 2023 | A number of schoolgirls in France have been sent home, after arriving wearing the abaya – a long Muslim robe which was banned from schools in the country last week.

According to official figures, 298 girls - mainly aged 15 or more - turned up at school in the banned garment, and while most agreed to change and were allowed to attend classes, 67 girls refused to comply and were sent home.

It comes after the education minister announced that pupils would be banned from wearing the loose-fitting full-length robes worn by some Muslim women in France's state-run schools, as part of the nation’s strict ban on religious signs in state schools and government buildings, arguing that they violate secular laws.

The Thinking Atheist: Muhammad Syed: Ex-Muslim | 2015

Sep 22, 2015 | Muhammad Syed is an ex-Muslim and President of the Ex-Muslims of North America. He spent a few minutes with Seth Andrews in conversation about his former faith.

How Dangerous Is Being Queer in Russia? | DW News

May 17, 2023 | A clampdown on the LGBTQ community in Russia has reportedly intensified during the war in Ukraine. A new law was passed banning almost any queer-friendly information there, labeling it as “gay propaganda”. For LGBTQ activist Piotr Voskresensky, it's as if queer people were being deleted from society. Fearing for his freedom, he decided to leave the country.

Homophobie in Berlin: „Alltägliche Diskriminierung ist in allen Teilen der Gesellschaft verbreitet“

May 21, 2023 | „Die Schwulenfeindlichkeit ist weiterhin ein ganz großes Problem“, sagt Politikredakteur Frederik Schindler zu den verstärkten Übergriffen auf queere Menschen in Berlin. Im WELT-Gespräch erklärt er, wer die Täter sind und wie solche Taten eingedämmt werden können.

Ne-Yo : Sexy…

…Love

Pork Curry | Akis Petretzikis

Jun 14, 2022 | Choirino me kari / Χοιρινό με κάρι

Get the recipe here.

Pétain « sauveur » des juifs : la Cour de cassation ordonne un nouveau procès contre Eric Zemmour pour contestation de crime contre l’humanité

LE MONDE : L’homme politique et polémiste d’extrême droite avait réaffirmé sur la chaîne CNEWS que le maréchal Pétain avait « sauvé » des juifs français pendant la seconde guerre mondiale. Il devra donc être rejugé par la cour d’appel.

La Cour de cassation a décidé, mardi 5 septembre, de casser la décision de la cour d’appel de Paris qui avait relaxé Eric Zemmour du délit de contestation de crime contre l’humanité pour ses déclarations datant de 2019, lorsqu’il avait réaffirmé sur la chaîne CNEWS que le maréchal Philippe Pétain avait « sauvé » des juifs français pendant la seconde guerre mondiale. Il devra donc être rejugé par la cour d’appel. » | Le Monde | mardi 5 septembre 2023

Urlaub im Dritten Reich - Kraft durch Freude | Dokumentation, 2000

Kraft durch Freude (KdF) war eine nationalsozialistische Gemeinschaft, welche am 27. November 1933 als Unterorganisation der Deutschen Arbeitsfront (DAF) gegründet wurde. Zu ihren wichtigsten Aktivitäten gehörten das Volkswagen-Projekt sowie Nah- und Fernreisen und durch ihr Wirken sollte vorrangig die Arbeiterschaft in die "Volksgemeinschaft" integriert werden. Es sollte eine klassenlose Gesellschaft im Sinne der nationalsozialistischen Volksgemeinschaft etabliert werden. Die KdF bot ein umfangreiches kulturelles und touristisches Freizeitprogramm wie zum Beispiel Theateraufführungen, Konzerte, Kunstausstellungen oder Vorträge. Die "KdF-Stadt" in Berlin sollte 1936 jedem "deutschen Volksgenossen" die Teilnahme an den Olympischen Spielen ermöglichen. Kraft durch Freude war der größte Reiseveranstalter in der Zeit des Nationalsozialismus und bestand von 1933 bis 1945.

In diesem Video: Reisen in Deutschland, Schiffsreisen ins Nordland und Mittelmeer, Flugreisen nach Barcelona und Italien, Privataufnahmen Eva Braun, Seebad Aurora auf Rügen.

Is Female Circumcision Islamic?

May 25, 2023 | Is FGM cultural? Religious? What, exactly, do Islamic texts say about it? What's the difference between FGM and circumcision? Why is FGM practiced in so much of the Muslim world--and why does it matter?

What You Lose When You Leave Islam

Jan 30, 2023 | Leaving Islam isn't just difficult, it's legally punishable.

John Corvino - What's Morally Wrong with Homosexuality? (2007)

Jul 10, 2013 | In this widely presented lecture (recorded here in 2007), John Corvino dismantles common arguments against same-sex relationships, including those based on nature, harm, and religion. | Views on YouTube: 1,139,315

The Most Remarkable American Most People Have Never Heard Of

Sep 5, 2023 | He remains one of the most powerful writers and speakers of the past several hundred years. His work changed my life. Yet many don't even know his name. Take a few moments, and allow me to introduce you. - Seth

Pakistan : des églises saccagées après des accusations de blasphème • Les Observateurs

Sep 5, 2023 | Une vingtaine d'églises chrétiennes ont été attaquées le 16 août, dans la province du Pendjab, au Pakistan, et ce après que deux chrétiens ont été accusés de profanation du Coran. Après avoir arraché pillé et brûlé plusieurs églises, une foule en colère a mis le feu à des maisons appartenant à des chrétiens. Selon l'ONG Human Rights Focus Pakistan, on estime à 10 000 le nombre de chrétiens ayant fui leur domicile en raison de ces violences. Au Pakistan, les accusations de blasphème sont courantes, selon nos Observateurs. est considéré comme un crime passible de la peine de mort. Dans ce pays, où la religion chrétienne est minoritaire, le blasphème est considéré comme crime passible de la peine de mort.

45 Grad: Athen und die Extremhitze | ARTE Re:

Im Juli 2023 trifft die erste Hitzewelle des Jahres auf Griechenland und die dicht besiedelte Hauptstadt Athen. Temperaturen von bis zu 45 Grad gefährden viele Menschen. Mit Notfallplänen und einem Aktionsplan für mehr Abkühlung will die Metropole gegensteuern. Die Athenerin Lenio Myrivilli ist erste offizielle Hitzebeauftragte und berät im Auftrag der UN-Städte weltweit.

Reportage (Deutschland, 2022, 32 Min) Video auf YouTube verfügbar bis zum 03/09/2024


HEATWAVE FORECAST FOR THE UK:

UK weather: heat health warning upgraded as heatwave forecast: UK upgrades heat health warning from yellow to amber as hottest day of year predicted »

Koranverbrennung in Schweden - Konflikt um die Meinungsfreiheit | auslandsjournal

Sep 4, 2023 | In Schweden verbrennt Salwan Momika seit Wochen einen Koran nach dem anderen. Als Christ sei er in seiner Heimat von der Terrororganisation Islamischer Staat verfolgt worden. Sein tiefer Hass auf den Islam wurde so geschürt. Momikas Ziel ist es, dass der Koran in Schweden verboten wird. Seine Aktionen haben weltweit Proteste ausgelöst, bei denen schwedische Fahnen verbrannt werden.

In Schweden wurde deshalb eine Debatte über die Grenzen der Meinungsfreiheit losgetreten. Viele Schwedinnen und Schweden sehen die Koranverbrennung als unnötige Provokation und wünschen sich ein Verbot. Die muslimische Community spürt, dass die Islamfeindlichkeit im Land zunimmt. Schweden steht vor der Herausforderung, sich gesellschaftlich nicht spalten zu lassen.

Bavaria' s Deputy Leader Keeps Job despite Alleged Far-right Extremist Youth | DW News

Sep 4, 2023 | An antisemitism scandal has rocked Germany's biggest state, Bavaria. Its deputy leader Hubert Aiwanger has admitted to carrying an inflammatory leaflet as a teenager - but denied writing it. He's apologised for mistakes made in his youth - and has been allowed to keep his job.

The Rise of the Right: Populism in Germany - BBC News (2019)

May 8, 2019 | A new wave of far-right politics is sweeping across Europe, promising to smash the ruling elite, end migration and shake-up the EU. But are these parties fuelling hate?

The Nine’s Europe Correspondent Jean Mackenzie travels across the continent, to find out why these movements are surging - meeting the people celebrating their rise and those fighting to stop them.

The first in this series comes from Germany, where the far-right party the AfD is now Germany’s main opposition. We ask whether their place in Parliament is emboldening more extreme groups.

Reported by Jean Mackenzie
Produced by Sara Monetta
Filmed and Edited by Andy Smythe

Disney Heiress Leads Call for Tax on ‘Super-rich’

THE TELEGRAPH: Campaign for minimum global tax aims to address a ‘rise in extreme inequality’

Abigail Disney is one of 300 people who signed a letter calling for ‘international collaboration’ to ‘raise taxes on the richest individuals’ CREDIT: JP Yim/Getty Images
An heiress to the Disney empire has led calls for a tax on the “super-rich”, accusing the world’s wealthiest of creating an “economic, ecological, and human rights disaster”.

Abigail Disney, who has previously said she feels such guilt at being born rich that she struggles to sleep, is among the signatories of a letter sent to leaders of the G20 nations ahead of the summit later this week.

The letter, which has been signed by 300 people including the film director Richard Curtis, US politician Bernie Sanders and Labour MPs, said: “Decades of falling taxes on the richest, based on the false promise that the wealth at the top would somehow benefit us all, has contributed to the rise in extreme inequality.

“Our political choices allow ultra-wealthy individuals to continue to use tax shelters and enjoy preferential treatment to the extent that, in most countries in the world, they pay lower tax rates than ordinary people.” » | Tim Wallace | Tuesday, September 5, 2023
Verwandt.

Citizens of the Reich: Could Germany’s History Repeat Itself? | Foreign Correspondent

Aug 31, 2023 | In December last year an attempted coup in Germany took that nation and the rest of the world by surprise. But the movement behind the coup, the Reichsbürger group, has been fomenting discontent for decades.

This week Foreign Correspondent travels to Germany to take a close look at this far-right ‘sovereign citizens’ movement, many of whom believe they are not bound by German laws. Some are now on trial for shooting police and engaging in acts of terrorism.

Reporter Eric Campbell visits the State of Thuringia, where a self-styled prince allegedly plotted the coup in his royal hunting lodge. He meets intelligence officials who claim the Reichsbürger are now in a dangerous alliance with a far-right political party, the AfD. Its radical policies to end migration and stop action on climate change have made it the second most popular party in Germany.

But State Intelligence chief Stephan Kramer, who is Jewish, describes the AfD as ‘Nazis in suits” and says he’ll take his family out of Germany if they come to power.

This is an intriguing and disturbing look at how the far right is surging in support in the one country that has shunned far right extremists since the end of World War Two.

This documentary is age-restricted; therefore, it cannot be embedded, so it must be viewed on YouTube itself. Please click here to watch it.

Secret Interviews: Inside Iran’s Resistance | Foreign Correspondent

Aug 17, 2023 | A Foreign Correspondent exclusive – secret interviews from inside Iran’s protest movement.

Almost a year since widespread protests erupted on the streets of Iran, young dissidents who continue to defy the country’s repressive regime, have participated in secretly recorded interviews with Foreign Correspondent. …

Dimitra’s Dishes: Greek Spaghetti & Meat Sauce: Macaronia me Kima

Feb 15, 2023

Get the recipe here.

Thomas Piketty im Gespräch über Ungleichheit und Kapitalismus | Sternstunde Philosophie | SRF Kultur

Mar 30, 2023 | Was ist so schlimm an Ungleichheit? Ist sie der wahre Grund für die Krise der Demokratien? Ökonom Thomas Piketty im Gespräch mit Yves Bossart über Kapitalismus und Demokratie.

Der Franzose Thomas Piketty gilt als Rockstar der Ökonomie. In seinem Weltbestseller «Das Kapital im 21. Jahrhundert» zeigte er, warum der Kapitalismus die sozialen Ungleichheiten verschärft.

Das Buch wurde in 40 Sprachen übersetzt und verkaufte sich weltweit über 2,5 Millionen Mal, erntete aber auch scharfe Kritik. Sein neues Buch «Kapital und Ideologie» ist quasi eine Weltgeschichte der Ungleichheiten. Piketty legt dar, Ungleichheit sei weder ein Naturgesetz noch eine wirtschaftliche Notwendigkeit, sondern ideologisch konstruiert und politisch gewollt.

Er stellt radikale Forderungen: Milliardäre und Spitzenverdiener sollen bis zu 90 Prozent ihres Vermögens und Einkommens abgeben und jeder Bürger soll mit 25 Jahren 120'000 Euro vom Staat bekommen, als Startkapital.



Pour la version sous-titrée en français, cliquez ici.

Europe Just Dealt a DEVASTATING blow to FREE SPEECH | Redacted with Clayton Morris

Sep 2, 2023 | Academic Researcher and Freedom of Speech Advocate David Thunder joins redacted to discuss Europes new draconian Digital Services Act. Will it give bureaucrats unbelievable power to censor citizens that speak out against the official narratives? Will it act as a Trojan Horse to give even more power to European governments?

"You Can't BEAR The Truth!" Lord Heseltine Blasts TalkTV Hosts Over Brexit

Feb 14, 2023 | Piers Morgan Uncensored hosted by Richard Tice and Isabel Oakeshott takes a dramatic turn as the pair are joined by former Deputy Prime Minister Lord Michael Heseltine to debate whether the government should accept that Brexit has failed. Remainer Lord Heseltine thinks you only need to look at the newspapers to accept "Brexit is dead" - but Isabel argues that the process of leaving the EU has only been held up because of people like him. Former Brexit MEP Ann Widdecombe and family lawyer Paula Rhone-Adrien also have their say after Heseltine ends his interview by giving Richard and Isabel a good telling-off...

The only person worth listening to in this video is the distinguished Lord Heseltine. By and large, the rest of them talked nonsense. Especially the self-gratifying liar, Richard Tice, the young lady in red sitting beside him, and Ann Widdecombe who always has far too much to say for herself. – © Mark Alexander

The Guardian View on Brexit Borders: A Slow Dawning of Economic Reality

THE GUARDIAN – EDITORIAL: A pattern is emerging of quiet adjustments that recognise the cost of taking Britain out of the EU single market

Cars and lorries queue at Dover. ‘The bilateral structures that might bring the UK and EU into closer political and economic alignment barely even exist.’ Photograph: Gareth Fuller/PA
The government, considering when to impose a costly new customs bureaucracy, announced last week that now is not the right time. Post-Brexit checks on goods entering Britain from the EU were first supposed to be implemented in January 2021. After serial postponements, they were due to begin next month. Now it won’t happen before 2024.

Goods moving in the other direction are already subject to customs paperwork, making life difficult for UK exporters and pushing some out of business altogether. Ministers have recognised that British consumers and businesses could do without the same penalty being applied to imports. The government admits that import checks would stoke inflation. This is a quiet acknowledgment that friction between the UK and the trading bloc on its doorstep is a drag on the economy. But Rishi Sunak, the prime minister, cannot say so aloud because that would concede the folly of quitting the single market in the first place. » | Editorial | Sunday, September 3, 2023

Brexit was, is, and will forever remain a STUPID decision – a decision which has already inflicted, is inflicting, and will forever continue to inflict unnecessary ECONOMIC PAIN on this nation and its people. That Rishi Sunak was, and continues to be, an arch-proponent of this ACT OF ECONOMIC SELF-HARM is as surprising as it is unfathomable. – © Mark Alexander

Twitter Accused of Helping Saudi Arabia Commit Human Rights Abuses

THE GUARDIAN: Lawsuit says network discloses user data at request of Saudi authorities at much higher rate than for US, UK and Canada

The social media company formerly known as Twitter has been accused in a revised civil US lawsuit of helping Saudi Arabia commit grave human rights abuses against its users, including by disclosing confidential user data at the request of Saudi authorities at a much higher rate than it has for the US, UK, or Canada.

The lawsuit was brought last May against X, as Twitter is now known, by Areej al-Sadhan, the sister of a Saudi aid worker who was forcibly disappeared and then later sentenced to 20 years in jail.

It centers on the events surrounding the infiltration of the California company by three Saudi agents, two who were posing as Twitter employees in 2014 and 2015, which ultimately led to the arrest of al-Sadhan’s brother, Abdulrahman, and the exposure of the identity of thousands of anonymous Twitter users, some of whom were later reportedly detained and tortured as part of the government’s crackdown on dissent.

Lawyers for Al-Sadhan updated their claim last week to include new allegations about how Twitter, under the leadership of then-chief executive Jack Dorsey, willfully ignored or had knowledge of the Saudi government’s campaign to ferret out critics but – because of financial considerations and efforts to keep close ties to the Saudi government, a top investor in the company – provided assistance to the kingdom. » | Stephanie Kirchgaessner in Washington | Monday, September 4, 2023

MORE SAUDI NEWS here.

MP Chris Pincher Loses Appeal against Eight-week Suspension

THE GUARDIAN: Development paves way for possible byelection in Tamworth seat of MP found to have drunkenly groped two men

Rishi Sunak faces the prospect of another byelection headache after the former Tory MP Chris Pincher lost an appeal against an eight-week suspension from parliament.

A report in July said Pincher had committed an “abuse of power” by drunkenly groping two men at the Carlton Club in London the previous summer.

Pincher appealed against the suspension but not the findings. On Monday it emerged that he had been unsuccessful. » | Aubrey Allegretti Senior political correspondent | Monday, August 4, 2023

Kitzbühel und der Immobilienboom | ARTE Re:

Aug 30, 2023 | Der Hype um den Luxus-Wintersportort Kitzbühel in Tirol führt dazu, dass viele Einheimische keinen bezahlbaren Wohnraum mehr finden. Der 61-jährige Gemeinderat Martin will dies ändern und zieht mit Gleichgesinnten in den Kampf gegen steigende Immobilienpreise.

Kitzbühel in Tirol ist seit den 1960-er Jahren einer der gefragtesten Wintersportorte und ein Mekka für Luxustouristen. Viele Menschen aus dem nahen EU-Ausland investieren hier und in den umliegenden Gemeinden wie Going und Elmau in Ferienhäuser.

Der Hype um die Gegend hat dazu geführt, dass die Immobilienpreise so sehr angestiegen sind, dass viele Einheimische keine Möglichkeit mehr sehen, hier erschwinglichen Wohnraum zu kaufen. Für den 61-jährigen Gemeinderat Martin ist das besonders schmerzhaft. Der heimatverwurzelte Familienmensch fürchtet, dass seine Kinder gezwungen werden, aus der Gegend weg zu ziehen. Er beschließt, zusammen mit anderen Einheimischen etwas zu unternehmen.

Wie vor 200 Jahren Andreas Hofer gegen die Bayern und Franzosen gekämpft hat, so will er heute auf legalem Weg gegen den – wie er es nennt – „Ausverkauf der Heimat“ in den Kampf ziehen. Die 30-jährige Anna aus Kitzbühel sieht die Situation nicht ganz so dramatisch wie Martin. Nach der Trennung von ihrem Lebensgefährten ist sie im Moment auf der Suche nach einer neuen Immobilie und wird hier von ihrem guten Bekanntem, dem Immobilienmakler Ferdinand unterstützt.

Eine Drei-Zimmer-Wohnung für 1,5 Millionen Euro – für die wohlsituierte Erbin und Designerin kein Problem.

Reportage (D 2023, 33 Min)
Video auf Youtube verfügbar bis zum 29/08/2024

Germany's Troubled Economy Fuels Far-right Rise | DW News

Sept 1, 2013 | Germany's economy is struggling, and important economic indicators are pointing in the wrong direction. Ordinary Germans are worried, causing a loss of faith in the country's traditional parties.

Heavy Rain Hits Spain after Weeks of Drought

Sep 4, 2023 | Forecasts of heavy rain in central Spain have led authorities to shut down train lines, cancel a Spanish league soccer game and order citizens to stay indoors.

Saudi Dissident’s Brother Is Sentenced to Death in Social Media Case

THE NEW YORK TIMES: Under a crackdown on dissent by Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, prosecutors accused a retired teacher of treason after he criticized the ruling family.

Mohammed Nasser al-Ghamdi. | via Saeed Nasser al-Ghamdi
A court in Saudi Arabia has sentenced to death the brother of an exiled dissident, convicting him of disloyalty to the kingdom’s rulers in a case built around anonymous social media accounts where he shared criticism of the government.

The defendant, Mohammed bin Nasser al-Ghamdi, a 54-year-old retired teacher, had almost no public profile before he was arrested last year and accused of treason. One of the main social media accounts cited in his court case, on the platform X — formerly known as Twitter — has eight followers.

The sentence, which was handed down in July, was also based on a confession attributed to Mr. al-Ghamdi after his arrest, in which he said he viewed the king and crown prince as “tyrants” and “agents of the West” who were fighting against Islam, according to court documents reviewed by The New York Times. » | Vivian Nereim * | Sunday, September 3, 2023

* This article is based on court documents reviewed by Vivian Nereim, who reported from Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.

Frankreich verbietet islamisches Gewand an Schulen | ARTE Europa - Die Woche

Sep 3, 2023 | Pünktlich zum Schulstart diskutiert Frankreich über den Umgang mit religiösen Symbolen im Unterricht. Der neue Bildungsminister Gabriel Attal will nämlich die Abaya in Schulen verbieten: Ein langes Gewand, das den Körper bedeckt und bei vielen muslimischen Schülerinnen beliebt ist. Die Regierung sieht in dem Kleidungsstück ganz klar ein islamisches Symbol und damit einen Verstoss gegen die Trennung von Staat und Religion, die in Frankreich eine lange Tradition hat. Doch es gibt auch Kritik von Muslimverbänden und linken Politikern.

Ce rapport est disponible en français ici.

Church of England Parishes Close at Record Rate

THE TELEGRAPH: Startling figures come as dossier accuses bishops and senior clergy of driving through controversial plans to cut costs and vicars

The Church of England has been “dealt a death knell” as parishes close at a record rate, a Telegraph investigation has revealed.

Almost 300 have disappeared in the past five years alone, analysis of church data reveals, the fastest rate since records began in 1960.

The startling figures come as a bombshell dossier accused bishops and senior clergy of “putting a gun to people’s heads” to drive through controversial plans to cut costs, merge parishes and cut vicars.

The claims come against the backdrop of declining congregation numbers, leaving many clergy afraid to speak out for fear of losing their jobs. » | Gabriella Swerling, Social and Religious Affairs Editor and Ben Butcher | Saturday, September 2, 2023

I fear that it is only a matter of time before Islam will become the dominant religion in the UK. Brexit has helped accelerate the process, but so have our PC laws. One dare not speak out anymore, for fear of falling foul of them.

It is a curious phenomenon that, despite Islam being viewed by many rather negatively, it is growing apace. It is an appealing religion to many because it is a muscular and masculine religion.

Like it or not, Islam also offers simplicity and certainty in a complicated and uncertain world.

Saul of Tarsus hijacked the Christian faith; alas, not for the better. If one looks into Christianity’s history, the religion today bears little relation to the beliefs that Jesus taught. That is because Saul, later Paul, made the Church the Pauline Church, and in so doing introduced many myths that many young people are no longer willing to believe.

We are living in, and through, unnerving times. The UK is changing at such a rapid pace now that we Brits are in danger of losing all that we always held dear. – © Mark Alexander

Donald Trump Wants to Be a Dictator; Joe Biden Wants Democracy

Listen to what Steve Schmidt has to say here.

Forbidden Love in Nazi Germany | World War II Documentary | Real Stories

Sep 2, 2023 | World War Two was the most destructive conflict of the 20th Century, with 60 million deaths and more than 7 million people displaced. But nothing can stop love.

Between 1939 and 1945, thousands, perhaps millions of men and women formed intimate relationships. Yet, the Nazi rules were very clear: German men mustn’t have a sexual partner with someone from an ‘inferior race’! Doing so was under penalty of imprisonment, or even death. Homosexuals were also persecuted by the Nazis. 10,000 were sent to the Reich’s concentration camps. And to these prohibitions, one can add the prohibitions of the Allies.

For the first time, survivors who dared to sleep with the enemy during the war, and their children born into the shame of these forbidden unions, have agreed to break the taboo. Through the narration of four illicit stories and emblematic love affairs of the Second World War, this universal documentary sheds new light on the worst conflict in history.


Please be aware that this documentary is totally unsuitable for children. It is also unsuitable for the narrow-minded. – Mark

Prime Minister Posts New Video Telling the Country What a Great Job He’s Doing - Watch in Disbelief!

Sep 2, 2023

Sunak must be living in an alternative universe – a land of make-believe. – Mark

What the Bible Really Says About Sex and Gender (According to Scholars)

Aug 31, 2023 | Bible scholars say the Bible says this about sex and gender.

‘No One Expects Him Back’: What Now for the BBC’s Huw Edwards?

THE GUARDIAN: Suspended presenter remains silent over partly withdrawn claims he paid a young person for explicit images but still faces internal inquiry

It is believed that subsequent complaints about Huw Edwards messaging younger colleagues could cause him more trouble than the original disputed Sun story. Photograph: Chris Jackson/PA
Last September, Huw Edwards sprinted out of a barbershop near his south London home after being summoned to the BBC’s headquarters so he could announce Queen Elizabeth’s death to the nation.

Now the BBC is weighing up whether it can ever reuse footage of Edwards’s historic royal broadcast, with the presenter still suspended in the wake of the Sun’s partly-retracted allegation that he paid a 17-year-old for explicit images.

It has been almost two months since the newspaper sparked both the fiercest and shortest BBC scandal in recent history. Within a week, it went from being a story that could topple the director general to one that was barely meriting a mention in the wider media.

Yet questions remain for the BBC, the Sun and the presenter himself – and it is unclear whether Edwards will ever be able to unwind the knotty mess of public, personal and workplace issues that have him left him off air.

One senior BBC journalist summarised the verdict of large parts of the newsroom when it comes to Edwards’s employment prospects: “No one expects him to come back.” » | Jim Waterson, Media editor | Saturday, September 2, 2023

Canada Issues Travel Advisory for LGBTQ+ Residents Visiting US

THE GUARDIAN: Canadian government issues warning after numerous discriminatory laws passed in Republican-controlled states

LGBTQ+ citizens are at risk when traveling to the US due to numerous discriminatory laws passed at state level, the Canadian government has warned.

“Some states have enacted laws and policies that may affect 2SLGBTQI+ persons. Check relevant state and local laws,” the government’s website reads.

Although no US state or law was singled out, the news comes after a wave of discriminatory laws passed in predominantly Republican-controlled states. They include Florida’s so-called “don’t say gay” law, and bans against drag performances, gender-affirming care bans, transgender sports participation and bathroom use in states such as Kentucky, Texas, and Tennessee. » | Erum Salam | Thursday, August 31, 2023

To find out what LGBTQ2+ means, click here.

Que signifie l’acronyme LGBTQ2+? Cliquez ici.

Canada warning over US travel comes at ‘concerning time’, LGBTQ+ groups say: Canadian advocacy groups alarmed by anti-LGBTQ+ laws in America and say legislation is having an impact across the border »

Mongolei-Besuch: Papst Franziskus warnt vor Korruption und Umweltzerstörung

Sep 2, 2023 | Der mongolische Präsident Khürelsükh empfing das katholische Kirchenoberhaupt in der Hauptstadt Ulan Bator. Franziskus thematisierte die größten Herausforderungen des zwischen Russland und China gelegenen zentralasiatischen Staates in einer Rede. © AFP, DPA

Michael Lambert: World Class INCOMPETENCE - Every Week!

Sep 2, 2023

Mohamed Al Fayed, Former Harrods and Fulham FC Owner, Dies Aged 94

THE GUARDIAN: Egyptian businessman and self-made billionaire dies almost 26 years to the day after his son was killed in Paris car crash

Mohamed Al Fayed standing beside a memorial to Diana, Princess of Wales, and his son Dodi in the Harrods store. Photograph: Eamonn McCabe/The Guardian
Mohamed Al Fayed, the Egyptian-born businessman who owned the department store Harrods, has died aged 94.

His death comes almost 26 years to the day after the car crash in Paris that killed his eldest son, Dodi, and Diana, Princess of Wales, on 31 August 1997.

Fayed was born in Alexandria and was the son of a schoolteacher. In his homeland, he launched his own shipping business, before becoming an adviser to one of the world’s richest men, the Sultan of Brunei, in 1966.

When he arrived in the UK in the 1970s, he joined the board of the mining conglomerate Lonrho in 1975, but left nine months later. In 1979, with his brother Ali, he bought the Paris Ritz Hotel.

The Fayeds’ next target became Harrods and in 1985, the brothers succeeded in clinching a £615m takeover bid of the store in Knightsbridge. » | Nadeem Badshah | Friday, September 1, 2023

Mohamed Al-Fayed, l'énigmatique milliardaire qui s'est brûlé les ailes au contact des Windsor : Le Figaro dresse le portrait d'un homme mystérieux, aux multiples contradictions, décédé à l’âge de 94 ans ce 1er septembre. »

Mohamed Al Fayed: perennial outsider, savvy businessman and grief-broken father: The larger-than-life ex-Harrods owner, who has died aged 94, was never far from the headlines or controversy but was an indomitably bold figure »

Donald Trump's Threat, Vivek Ramaswamy's Lies & Why Mitch McConnell Must Go | The Warning

Sep 1, 2023 | Steve Schmidt breaks down Donald Trump's horrifying claims on Glenn Beck, Vivek Ramaswamy's lies about 9/11 and Mitch McConnell's latest health scare.

Ina Garten's Skillet-roasted Lemon Chicken | Barefoot Contessa | Food Network | Reupload

Apr 10, 2023 | Cook along with Ina as she shows how to make her skillet chicken brushed with a savory herb oil and roasted with lemon and white wine.

Ingredients:

2 teaspoons fresh thyme leaves
1 teaspoon whole fennel seeds
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
1/3 cup good olive oil
1 lemon, halved and sliced
1/4-inch thick 1 yellow onion, halved and sliced 1/4-inch thick
2 large garlic cloves, thinly sliced
1 (4-pound) chicken, backbone removed and butterflied [Br. Eng. spatchcocked]
1/2 cup dry white wine, such as Pinot Grigio
1 fresh rosemary sprig
Juice of 1 lemon

Directions [Method]:

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F.

Place the thyme, fennel seeds, 1 tablespoon salt, and 1 teaspoon pepper in a mini food processor and process until ground. Pour the olive oil into a small glass measuring cup, stir in the herb mixture, and set aside.

Distribute the lemon slices in a 12-inch cast-iron skillet and distribute the onion and garlic on top.

Place the chicken, skin side down, on top of the onion and brush with about half the oil and herb mixture. Turn the chicken skin side up, pat it dry with paper towels (very important!), and brush it all over with the rest of the oil and herb mixture.

Roast the chicken for 30 minutes. Pour the wine into the pan (not on the chicken!) and roast for another 10 to 15 minutes, until a meat thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the breast registers 155 to 160 degrees.

Remove the chicken from the oven, sprinkle it with the lemon juice and the leaves of 1 rosemary sprig, cover the skillet tightly with aluminum foil, and allow to rest for 10 to 15 minutes. Cut the chicken into quarters, and serve hot with the pan juices, cooked lemon, and onion.

Jamón Ibérico - How the Most Expensive Ham in the World Is Made | Food Secrets | DW Food

Jan 9, 2021 | Did you know that a single leg of ham can cost up to $13,000? That’s the world record for the highest price ever paid for one Jamón Ibérico. Iberian ham is one of the most expensive meats in the world. On average, one ham of the highest quality costs around $500,00. It takes three to 14 years for the ham to mature perfectly. But the taste is worth the effort put into it: It’s said that one leg alone of the Spanish delicacy has seven different flavors.

‘A Success for Kremlin Propaganda’: How Pro-Putin Views Permeate Italian Media

THE GUARDIAN: With pro-Russia commentators regularly appearing on TV, Italians are less likely to back Ukraine than people in most other EU states

Russian foreign ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova in an interview on Italian television.Photograph: YouTube
Whenever Nello Scavo returns from Ukraine, he is overcome with frustration. As a war correspondent for the Italian national newspaper Avvenire, he knows the first question people will ask him is: “Is it really as bad as they say?”

“Sometimes I think that only if I come back badly injured will people start taking me seriously,” he told the Guardian. “It’s as if they don’t believe that Russia is massacring civilians. The problem is that Vladimir Putin has always enjoyed wide sympathy in Italian politics and public opinion, with the Kremlin always enjoying effective propaganda here.”

Although Italy’s far-right government is one of Ukraine’s staunchest European supporters, Russian propaganda and disinformation permeates Italian media – something researchers attribute to politics and historical anti-Atlanticism – with openly pro-Russian guests invited on the country’s most popular talkshows. A survey released by Ipsos in April revealed that almost 50% of Italians prefer not to take sides in the conflict. » | Lorenzo Tondo in Palermo | Thursday, August 31, 2023

Biggest House Price Fall for 14 Years - with 'Significant' Further Drop Expected

THE TELEGRAPH: Property values are now down 5.3pc from their peak, as interest rate rises bite

House prices have fallen by close to £15,000 in the biggest annual slump for 14 years.

Property values are down 5.3pc from their peak in August last year, leaving the market in its weakest state since 2009, new figures show.

Economists warned the drop marked the start of further “significant” falls to come.

A typical home has lost £14,600 of its value in the past 12 months, following a sharp rise in mortgage rates and a cooling in the market, according to Britain’s biggest building society Nationwide. » | Tom Haynes | Friday, September 1, 2023

Ust* Abu Taymiyyah Runs into a “Gay Muslim Hijabi” | Southampton

Aug 12, 2023

‘Ust’ is an abbreviation for the Arabic word ‘Ustadh’ (أستاذ). This is a title of respect for a teacher and knowledgeable person in a particular field; in this case, in the field of Islamic affairs and Islamic theology. Here, the teacher gives us the Islamic perspective on LGBTQ+ issues. It is helpful to try and understand the viewpoint of people from other cultures, especially when we must live together in harmony. – Mark

David Pakman: Former Republican Strategist Tells the Truth about Trump Supporters | Steve Schmidt Interview

Jun 11, 2023 | Steve Schmidt, American political strategist, commentator, and founder of The Warning, joins David to discuss the Biden presidency, the state of the 2024 Republican primary, the future of the MAGA movement, and much more...

‘A First in Paris’: City Fumigates for Tiger Mosquitoes as Tropical Pests Spread, Bringing Disease

THE GUARDIAN: Parisian health authorities treat French capital for the first time as Zika and dengue-carrying tiger mosquitoes advance through northeastern Europe

Health authorities in Paris have fumigated areas of the French capital for the first time to kill disease-carrying tiger mosquitoes whose rapid advance through northern Europe is thought to have been accelerated by climate change.

Roads were closed and people asked to stay in their homes in southeast Paris during the early hours of Thursday as pest control contractors sprayed insecticide in trees, green spaces and other mosquito-breeding areas.

Such scenes are a regular occurrence in tropical cities and becoming increasingly common in Europe as the tiger mosquito, which can carry the dengue, chikungunya and Zika viruses, spreads from its native southeast Asia.

“It was a first in Paris, but it’s not the first in France,” deputy Paris mayor Anne Souyris, who is in charge of health policy, told BFM television. “The south of France has been affected by tiger mosquitoes for some years.” » | Agence France-Presse | Friday, September 1, 2023

Australia Bans More Single-use Plastics - BBC News

Sep 1, 2023 | Australia has introduced a ban on thick plastic shopping bags and mass balloon releases to cut down on single-use plastics. Authorities in three states are also banning a range of products including plastic cotton buds.

Conservationists have said that Australia has become a world leader in banning single-use plastics. Scientists say that more than 171 trillion pieces of plastics are estimated to be floating in the world's oceans.

Arzt hält Mitch McConnell für arbeitsfähig

NACH ZWEITEM AUSSETZER
FRANKFURTER ALLGEMEINE ZEITUNG: Der einflussreiche republikanische US-Senator ist 81 und zuletzt zweimal mit plötzlichen Aussetzern aufgefallen. Sein Arzt findet das nicht besorgniserregend.

Nach einem zweiten Aussetzer des republikanischen US-Senators Mitch McConnell während einer Pressekonferenz hat dessen Arzt ihm nach einer Untersuchung am Donnerstag die Arbeitsfähigkeit bescheinigt. „Nach der Auswertung des gestrigen Vorfalls habe ich McConnell darüber informiert, dass er aus medizinischer Sicht in der Lage ist, sein Programm wie geplant fortzusetzen“, erklärte der Arzt Brian Monahan in einem Schreiben, das am Donnerstag (Ortszeit) vom Büro McConnells veröffentlicht wurde. » | Quelle: AFP | Freitag, 1. September 2023

In jener Gerontokratie wäre es für Mitch McConnell viel zu früh, in den Ruhestand zu gehen. Er muß sicherlich viele Jahre Berufsleben vor sich haben, auf die er sich noch freuen kann!

In der Zwischenzeit, freuen wir uns darauf, von seinen frischen, dynamischen und kreativen Lösungen für heikle politische Probleme und von seinen fundierten politischen Urteilen und Entscheidungen zu lesen. – © Mark Alexander

McConnell Releases Letter Declaring Him ‘Medically Clear’ to Work After Episode: The brief statement came from the attending physician of Congress, who said he had reached the conclusion after consulting with the top Republican’s doctors and didn’t say he had examined the senator. »

Saudi Man Sentenced to Death for Tweets in Harshest Verdict Yet for Online Critics

NPR: DUBAI, United Arab Emirates — A retired teacher in Saudi Arabia was recently sentenced to death for his tweets criticizing the country's leadership to his handful of followers, according to rights advocates and his family.

The sentencing of Mohammad Alghamdi, who is in his mid-50s, is the latest in an escalating crackdown on social media users in Saudi Arabia. While others are serving prison terms ranging from 20 to 45 years for their tweets and online criticism of the government, Alghamdi appears to be the first person to be sentenced to death based solely on his posts on X, formerly called Twitter, and YouTube activity.

The wide-scale targeting of critics has unfolded as Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman pushes sensitive reforms that have overhauled life and loosened restrictions for many in the country. These sweeping reforms, like allowing women to drive, ending strict gender segregation rules in public and opening the country to entertainment and tourism, have coincided with a similarly sweeping crush of dissent.

Alghamdi, a father of seven living in Mecca, had gained just 10 followers between the two anonymous accounts he ran on X. According to Human Rights Watch, he used the social media site to rail against alleged government corruption, but was mostly resharing posts by more popular government critics. » | Aya Batrawy | Thursday, August 31, 2023

Proud Boys Lieutenant Sentenced to 17 Years in Jan. 6 Sedition Case

THE NEW YORK TIMES: The penalty for Joseph Biggs is the second longest so far in more than 1,100 criminal cases stemming from the Capitol attack.

Joseph Biggs, a onetime lieutenant in the Proud Boys, was sentenced on Thursday to 17 years in prison after his conviction on charges of seditious conspiracy for plotting with a gang of pro-Trump followers to attack the Capitol and disrupt the peaceful transfer of presidential power on Jan. 6, 2021. » | Alan Feuer and Zach Montague | Thursday, August 31, 2023

FAFO is Right »

Sam Harris - Why Are So Many Young Men Converting to Islam?

Aug 8, 2023

For the sake of clarity, I should like to remind everyone that the views expressed in videos such as this are not my own and therefore do not necessary reflect my own opinions. They are generally posted because I find them interesting and feel sure that many of you will find them interesting as well. – Mark

The Worldwide Offensive against the Rights of the LGBTQ+ Community

EL PAÍS INTERNATIONAL: The community, which is celebrating International Pride Day, has been hit by both the rise of the far right and hate speech in democratic countries and by the wave of religious extremism in authoritarian regimes

Whenever the rights of LGBTQ+ people move forward in the world, be it with laws that recognize same-sex marriage or the administrative identity of trans people, there is backlash, to a greater or lesser degree. The historical struggle of the LGBTQ+ community, which today celebrates Pride Day, is full of advances and setbacks, but now that dynamic is rapidly going backwards. And it is happening all over the world.

The offensive can be clearly seen in several countries of the European Union, fueled by a far right that has found that attacks on LGBTQ+ rights can be a powerful electoral and ideological tool. This is the case in Hungary and Poland, where there are doubts about the administrations’ democratic rigor, and in Italy, where the far-right government of Giorgia Meloni is seeking to block the legal recognition of families with same-sex parents. Spain, which has been consolidating LGBTQ+ rights for almost two decades, recently approved one of the most progressive laws to protect the LGBTQ+ community, but the so-called trans law is now under attack by the conservative Popular Party (PP) and far-right Vox, which have put it in the spotlight ahead of the general elections on July 23. » | Sylvia Blanco | Andrea García Baroja | Wednesday, June 28, 2023

Turkish Islamists Seeking Cultural Dominance Launch Bans on Festivals and Concerts

EL PAÍS INTERNATIONAL: Many artists have been cancelled for their LGBTQ+ support or for criticizing the conservative government

In June 2021, Turkish pop singer Gökçe tweeted, “Love whoever you want. Love is love.” Little did she know that this tweet would have long-lasting consequences. This year, she was scheduled to perform at a festival in the small resort town of Sandikli in western Turkey. However, less than two weeks before the August 11 concert, Islamist Mayor Mustafa Çöl cancelled the concert. Posting several screenshots of Gökçe’s supposedly offensive tweets, Çöl said, “We’ll never accept those who attack our sacred values. People who share these things won’t even be allowed to set foot in our region, let alone appear in Sandikli!”

About 20 concerts by major Turkish rock, pop and folk stars, as well as music festivals, have been canceled in the past three months as a result of pressure from government authorities and Islamist groups. Artists have faced backlash for expressing support for LGBTQ+ rights, condemning violence against women, supporting opposition parties and promoting music in minority languages. Similar events occurred last summer and many see these cancellations as an attempt by Turkish Islamists to extend their influence and promote a culture aligned with their ultra-conservative principles during President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s long tenure in office. » | Andrés Mourenza, Istanbul | Wednesday, August 30, 2023

Coup d’État au Niger : les putschistes ordonnent l'expulsion de l'ambassadeur de France

LE FIGARO : Le régime militaire indique que la décision d'expulsion est «irrévocable» et précise que l'immunité diplomatique a été retirée à l'ambassadeur Sylvain Itté.

Les militaires au pouvoir au Niger ont annoncé avoir «instruit les services de police» afin de procéder à «l'expulsion» de l'ambassadeur de France à Niamey, dans un courrier adressé à Paris consulté jeudi 31 août par l'AFP, après l'expiration d'un ultimatum au diplomate français pour quitter le pays. Selon cette lettre du ministère des Affaires étrangères datée de mardi, l'ambassadeur Sylvain Itté «ne jouit plus de privilèges et immunités attachés à son statut de membre du personnel diplomatique de l'ambassade de France». » | Par Le Figaro avec AFP | jeudi 31 août 2023

Omar of the Orient: The Secret Muslim History of Spanish Culture

Sep 1, 2023 | Islam was a social and political force in Spain for over 800 years; 3 times the entire history of the United States; and yet, the impact the Muslims had on Spain and modern Spanish culture is rarely ever acknowledged.

In this episode, Omar tells us the story of how Islam entered Spain, how the Muslims of that time still have influence on modern Spanish Culture and some possible reasons why Spain's Muslim past is rarely discussed today.

Trump Asks to Dismiss Suit as A.G. Says He Inflated Worth by $2.2 Billion

THE NEW YORK TIMES: Letitia James, the attorney general, asked a judge to find, without a trial, that the former president had fraudulently overvalued his assets.

Doug Mills/The New York Times
Before Donald J. Trump was indicted four times over, he was sued by New York’s attorney general, who said that for years the former president, his business and members of his family had fraudulently overvalued their assets by billions of dollars.

Before any of those criminal trials will take place, Mr. Trump is scheduled for a civil trial in New York in October. During the trial, the attorney general, Letitia James, will seek to bar him and three of his children from leading their family business, the Trump Organization, and to require him to pay a fine of around $250 million.

On Wednesday, Ms. James fired an opening salvo, arguing that a trial is not necessary to find that Mr. Trump and the other defendants inflated the value of their assets in annual financial statements, fraudulently obtaining favorable loans and insurance arrangements.

The fraud was so pervasive, she said in a court filing, that Mr. Trump had falsely boosted his net worth by between $812 million and $2.2 billion each year over the course of a decade. » | Jonah E. Bromwich, Ben Protess and William K. Rashbaum | Wednesday, August 30, 2023

Donald Trump accusé d’avoir « gonflé » son patrimoine de « milliards de dollars » pendant dix ans : La procureure générale de l’Etat de New York accuse le milliardaire républicain et ses enfants d’avoir « délibérément » manipulé les évaluations des actifs de leur groupe pour obtenir des prêts plus avantageux auprès des banques ou pour réduire leurs impôts. »

‘Robinson Crusoe-style Living’: The Australians Turning to Private Islands

THE GUARDIAN: Sale of Temple Island on the Great Barrier Reef for $1.75m reflects trend towards Australians seeking isolation and pristine environments

Temple Island, off the coast of Queensland on the Great Barrier Reef, is up for sale for the third time in 40 years, amid increased interest in the purchase of private islands. Photograph: Richard Vanhoff/Private Islands Online
The way Bill and Barbara Collyer tell it, a private island is just about the best place to raise a family. The middle-income couple (Barbara is a public servant and Bill is a Queensland University of Technology lecturer) bought their own slice of paradise in 1985 after seeing a tiny ad in the Courier Mail listing the island for $120,000. They held on to Temple Island for 30 years.

Now a new family has a chance to buy, with the island near Mackay put up for sale again – although it will set buyers back $1.75m.

“We went there every school holidays,” Barbara says. “It was a great place. The kids just would run wild, you know, they all learned to fish and swim and drive cars.

“It was just the isolation and, you know, being able to do your own thing. We would get a shock if someone pulled up in a boat on the beach.” » | Andrew Messenger | Thursday, August 31, 2023

Mitch McConnell: US Senator Freezes Up Again

Aug 30, 2023 | Top U.S. Senate Republican Mitch McConnell froze up for more than 30 seconds on Wednesday during a public appearance before he was escorted away, the second such incident in a little more than a month, a clip from an NBC News affiliate showed. McConnell, 81, was responding to questions from reporters after an event with the Northern Kentucky Chamber of Commerce in Covington when he froze up, staring into space and not responding to reporters and others nearby. After being approached by a second person, McConnell resumed speaking but needed reporters' questions repeated to him and only answered two more questions. The longest-serving Senate party leader in history, McConnell's voice was shaky and quiet.

With all due respect, I don't think this man ought to run for re-election. Maybe he should think of taking early retirement instead! – © Mark Alexander

This Is a Personal Letter I Received from God! | The Story of Belgian Revert

Jul 6, 2022

Catastrophe for Sale | Planet Finance (5/6)

Aug 26, 2023 | On Planet Finance, there is a market for almost anything. Even for a future disaster that has not yet occurred and may never happen. As the risks of climate change pile up, it appears that money can be made in the Disaster Bond Market on the risk of future wildfires, floods and hurricanes. There is speculation on what the probability is that a catastrophe will occur. And especially on how much damage it might cause. How does this market work? And who are the winners and who are the losers?

In this six-part documentary series, Marije Meerman takes you to Planet Finance. Who live and work there? What language do they speak? What is the use of this planet, and what makes this financial world so attractive to so many people?


Part 1.

Part 2.

Part 3.

Part 4.

Donald Trump Vows to Lock Up Political Enemies If He Returns to White House

THE TELEGRAPH: Former president tells Glenn Beck he would have ‘no choice’ but to lock up opponents ‘because they’re doing it to us’

Donald Trump promised to lock up his Democratic rival Hillary Clinton on the campaign trail in 2016 but did not carry out the threat while in office. Photograph: Carlos Barría/Reuters
Donald Trump says he will lock up his political enemies if he is president again.

In an interview on Tuesday, the rightwing broadcaster Glenn Beck raised Trump’s famous campaign-trail vow to “lock up” Hillary Clinton, his opponent in 2016, a promise Trump did not fulfill in office.

Beck said: “Do you regret not locking [Clinton] up? And if you’re president again, will you lock people up?”

Trump said: “The answer is you have no choice, because they’re doing it to us.”

Trump has encouraged the “lock her up” chant against other opponents but he remains in considerable danger of being locked up himself. » | Martin Pengelly in Washington | Wednesday, August 30, 2023

Julien Drolon: I Walked 1000 Km to Find God! – The Revert Story of a French Singer and Film Producer

Dec 17, 2022

You can follow Julien Drolon on Instagram here.