Djihad sur l'Europe (1/3) | ARTE

Sep 6, 2023 | Archives souvent inédites et témoins de premier plan racontent en trois volets denses et précis l'histoire trop longtemps ignorée d'un djihadisme européen toujours à l'oeuvre.

Née dans les années 1980 à la faveur de la guerre contre l'occupation soviétique en Afghanistan, l'idéologie djihadiste a étendu en quatre décennies son influence totalitaire et son empreinte sanglante à tous les continents. Mentor d'Oussama ben Laden, le Palestinien Abdallah Azzam en élabore la théorie à Peshawar, au Pakistan, et y recrute des combattants étrangers dès 1984. En 1989, alors que l'Occident célèbre la fin d'une guerre froide qu'il pense avoir gagnée, ces quelques milliers d'"Arabes afghans" vont allumer les braises de nouvelles guerres, selon des méthodes qui ne seront comprises qu'après le 11 septembre 2001. Certains d'entre eux vont combattre au côté des islamistes algériens contre leur gouvernement, ou des musulmans de Bosnie en butte aux exactions des forces serbes. D'autres trouvent asile à Londres où, au long de la décennie 1990, ils créent en toute quiétude un écosystème djihadiste qui sera baptisé "Londonistan". Des dynamiques semblables s'enclenchent au Danemark et en Belgique. Les premiers attentats suscités par cet activisme encore sous les radars ont lieu aux États-Unis (World Trade Center, 1993) et en France (Paris, 1995), mais ne permettent pas de prendre conscience du phénomène. Le 11 septembre 2001, Al-Qaïda, qui a utilisé ses relais en Europe pour organiser les attentats les plus meurtriers de l'histoire à ce jour (2 977 morts), émerge comme un acteur global en sidérant le monde entier.

Territoire mouvant En trois volets denses, précis et fluides, Hugo Micheron et Magali Serre retracent en profondeur quatre décennies d'une histoire largement méconnue, en dépit de son ultramédiatisation depuis les années 2000. De Londres à Copenhague en passant par Paris, Madrid ou Bruxelles, ils explorent avec une exhaustivité inédite à la télévision le territoire mouvant du djihadisme européen, grâce à des archives saisissantes, dont certaines n’avaient jamais été montrées jusqu’ici, et des entretiens approfondis avec des témoins de premier plan – anciens djihadistes "repentis", mais aussi chercheurs, policiers, journalistes... Cette remarquable synthèse permet de comprendre comment ce phénomène en constante évolution a profité des failles des démocraties européennes. Et rappelle qu'il constitue pour l'avenir un enjeu décisif, non pas seulement sécuritaire, mais aussi politique.

Djihad sur l'Europe Série documentaire (France, 2023, 52mn)
Disponible jusqu'au 10/03/2024

Richard Engel: We Are Preparing for a Ground War Here

Oct 11, 2023 | NBC News Chief Foreign Correspondent Richard Engel reports from near the Gaza border in Israel on Israel's defense minister saying Israel will go into the Gaza Strip in a ground invasion.

New Israeli Strikes on Gaza as Troops Mass on the Border 'to Execute the Mission' - BBC News

Oct 11, 2023 | The Israeli military says hundreds of thousands of troops are near the Gaza border "ready to execute the mission we have been given".

Israel is expected to launch a ground offensive on the Gaza Strip soon - it says the mission is to "make sure Hamas won't have any military capabilities".

The death toll in Israel has reached 1,200 - while more than 900 people have been killed by Israeli air strikes on Gaza.

The head of the Palestinian Energy Authority says Gaza's only power station will run out of fuel today.

… Full Biden Speech Rebuking 'Evil' Hamas Terror Attacks

Oct 10, 2023 | President Biden delivers a speech from The White House calling Hamas' terror attack against Israel "evil” and vowing full support for Israel. Biden confirmed 14 Americans were killed in the terror attacks in Israel. Biden revealed telling Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu that “if the United States experienced what Israel is experiencing, our response would be swift, decisive, and overwhelming.” Biden saying, "In this moment we must be crystal clear: We stand with Israel."

How Conflicts Like the Israel-Hamas War Escalate Hate Speech on Social Media | Amanpour & Company

Oct 10, 2023 | Imran Ahmed, the CEO of the Center for Countering Digital Hate (CCDH), explains how misinformation about Israel’s war with Hamas is being amplified by social media, which is fueling hate speech on both sides. Ahmed tells Hari Sreenivasan why platforms like X (formerly Twitter) are facing a "tipping point,” and accuses its owner Elon Musk of trying to silence his organization under the guise of free speech. Originally aired on October 10, 2023

… Billions Were Lost to Covid Fraud, …

THE GUARDIAN: Given the immense suffering the pandemic brought to so many people, profiteers cannot be allowed to get away with it

EXTRACT:

… A recent report by Transparency International UK says that a fifth of the Covid contracts awarded by the government contained red flags indicating possible corruption.

It is also well known that close contacts of Tory politicians made immense profits through this crisis, while the rest of the country suffered sickness, deaths and economic pain. The New York Times analysed 1,200 contracts worth nearly $22bn and found that roughly half went to companies run by friends and associates of Conservative party politicians, or with no experience in that area.

Read the whole article by Devi Sridhar here.

Hamas Terrorism Echoes Barbaric Playbook from Putin to ISIS, Warns Historian

Oct 11, 2023 | “Hamas terrorists paid no attention to any modern laws of war, or any norms of any kind” in their attacks on Israel, says historian Anne Applebaum, a barbarism that reflects a wider attack on the institutions built to defend human rights after World War II. The Pulitzer winner discusses her essay and the war with MSNBC’s Ari Melber.

Witness Testifies Sam Bankman-Fried Directed Her to Commit Fraud

Oct 11, 2023 | Former Alameda Research CEO Caroline Ellison, the government's star witness against Sam Bankman-Fried, took the stand Tuesday and said the former crypto boss directed her to commit crimes. CBS News national correspondent Errol Barnett was in the courtroom and joins to break down the day's proceedings.

Bankman-Fried’s ex-girlfriend to take stand again after day of dramatic testimony: Caroline Ellison said in her first day of testimony that she committed crimes at Bankman-Fried’s direction »

Revealed: Thousands Who Bought ‘Golden Passports’ through Dominica’s $1bn Scheme

THE GUARDIAN: Former Afghan spymaster, convicted millionaire and former Libyan colonel among those who became Dominican citizens

Photograph: Alamy
The Caribbean state of Dominica has sold citizenship to thousands of individuals including a former Afghan spymaster, a Turkish millionaire convicted of fraud and a former Libyan colonel under Muammar Gaddafi, the first detailed examination of the country’s controversial “golden passports” scheme has found.

The findings are from Dominica: Passports of the Caribbean, an investigation by the Guardian and 14 other international news organisations, in partnership with the Organized Crime and Corruption Reporting Project (OCCRP).

Dominica’s golden passports scheme – one of the world’s biggest – has according to official declarations raised more than $1bn (£822m) through its citizenship by investment scheme since 2009.

Its passports are in demand around the world, and a series of international agreements ensure its citizens travel visa-free to 140 countries, including most EU member states.

However, until now, the names of the individuals who have paid the price tag of at least $100,000 (£82,000) a head to acquire Dominican nationality – in many cases without setting foot on the island – have been difficult to obtain. » | Jasper Jolly | Wednesday, October 11, 2023

A Patois Revival: Jamaica Weighs Language Change as Ties to Britain Fray

THE NEW YORK TIMES: A push is underway to make Jamaica’s Patois an official language, on par with English, as the country weighs cutting ties to the British monarchy.

Walk into any government office, courtroom or classroom in Jamaica, and you’ll be expected to speak the official language, English.

But venture into the street, tune into a radio talk show, or flip through the pages of Di Jamiekan Nyuu Testiment, or step into someone’s home or scroll through the feeds of Jamaican influencers, and another language dominates: the astonishingly vibrant Patois.

Long stigmatized with second-class status and often mis-characterized as a poorly structured form of English, Patois has its own distinct grammar and pronunciation. Linguists say Patois, which is also called Patwa, Creole or, simply, Jamaican, is about as different from English as English is from German. It features a dizzying array of words borrowed from African, European and Asian languages.

Now, as Jamaica moves ahead with plans to cut ties to the British monarchy — a shift that would remove King Charles III as its head of state and make the Commonwealth’s largest country in the Caribbean into a republic — momentum is building to make Patois Jamaica’s official language, on par with English. » | Simon Romero | Photographs and Video by Alejandro Cegarra | Reporting from Kingston, Jamaica | Wednesday, October 11, 2023

How Donald Trump Helped Cause the Crisis in Israel | The Warning with Steve Schmidt

Oct 10, 2023 | Steve Schmidt reacts to Joe Biden’s speech about Hamas’ attack on Israel. He then discusses the societal decay in both the United States and Israel that led us to this point where democracies are in real danger.

EU Warns Elon Musk over ‘Disinformation’ on X about Hamas Attack

THE GUARDIAN: Failing to moderate content such as fake news could incur fine of 6% of X revenues or EU blackout under new laws

Musk quit a voluntary code of practice set up by the EU earlier this year to enable social media companies to put in place systems to comply with the new laws. Photograph: Michel Euler/AP
The EU has issued a warning to Elon Musk over the alleged disinformation about the Hamas attack on Israel, including fake news and “repurposed old images”, on X, which was formerly known as Twitter.

The letter arrives less than two months after sweeping new laws regulating content on social media seen in the EU came into force under the Digital Services Act.

If Musk, the owner of X, does not comply he can face a fine of 6% of his revenues from X or a total blackout in the EU. » | Lisa O'Carroll in Brussels | Tuesday, October 10, 2023

X criticised for enabling spread of Israel-Hamas disinformation: Elon Musk endorsed users who have posted ‘wrong and unverifiable things’ while paid-for accounts spread fake news »

Guerre Israël-Hamas : Elon Musk rappelé à l’ordre par la Commission européenne pour le traitement du conflit sur la plate-forme X (ex-Twitter) : Le commissaire au numérique, Thierry Breton, a menacé, mardi, le réseau social de sanctions, sommant son patron, Elon Musk, de rendre des comptes sous vingt-quatre heures sur la circulation de fausses informations et d’images violentes liées au conflit en Israël. »

EU droht Musk mit Abschaltung von Plattform X: Der EU-Binnenmarktkommissar legt im Streit um die Verbreitung illegaler und terroristischer Inhalte auf X nach und leitet ein Verfahren ein. Auch Tiktok knöpft sich die Kommission vor. »

Children 'Mercilessly' Killed by Hamas in Israel Massacre - as Gaza Is Pummelled

Oct 10, 2023 | The unprecedented response promised by Israel in the wake of the weekend's atrocities has now well and truly clicked into gear. Earlier, the Israeli military said it had secured the border with Gaza, which is now under the heaviest bombardment in its history. Meanwhile, residents in the Israeli city of Ashkelon - close to that border - were warned to take shelter by Hamas militants.

A salvo of rocket fire then followed. The extent of the damage is still unclear. Our Foreign Affairs Correspondent Secunder Kermani has been to the Kfar Aza kibbutz - one of those targeted by the militants on Saturday.

Israel Latest: 'All Hell Will Break Loose’ | Lord Richard Dannatt

Oct 10, 2023 | “This is a really critical moment in world history.” Whatever Israel does “will have huge consequences” and “all hell will break loose” if they provoke an attack from Hezbollah in southern Lebanon, says Lord Richard Dannatt, former head of the British Army.

Zelensky Says Gaza War Furthers Russian Aims

THE NEW YORK TIMES: The Ukrainian president said Moscow was aiming to sow division in the region and the attack on Israel could distract allies from his country’s conflict.

President Volodymyr Zelensky of Ukraine, left, and President Klaus Iohannis of Romania during an honor guard welcoming ceremony on Tuesday in Bucharest. | Daniel Mihailescu/Agence France-Presse — Getty Images
President Volodymyr Zelensky of Ukraine has accused Russia of wanting to precipitate conflict in the Middle East to undermine international support for Ukraine, in comments that reflect concern that the war between Israel and the militant group Hamas could distract attention from Kyiv’s fight.

In remarks released on social media on Monday night, Mr. Zelensky, who has repeatedly expressed support for Israel, also appeared to seek to rally support for his country at a time when Ukraine is facing stiff Russian resistance on the battlefield amid signs of wavering support among a few of its allies. » | Matthew Mpoke Bigg, Reporting from Kyiv | Tuesday, October 10, 2023

NZZ: So lief der Hamas-Überfall auf Israel ab

Oct 10, 2023 | Der Angriff der Hamas vergangenen Samstag traf Israel unvorbereitet. Ohne nennenswerten Widerstand richteten die Terrorbanden der Hamas ein Blutbad an. Über 900 Menschen werden ermordet, ein Grossteil davon Zivilisten. Eine Video-Rekonstruktion des Angriffs.

The Warning with Steve Schmidt: How Donald Trump Benefits Most from the Political Chaos Currently Enveloping America | #shorts

Listen to Steve Schmidt's views on Donald Trump here.

BBC: ’More or Less’: Are Half the Words in English from French?

Are almost half the words in the English language of French origin? It’s a claim one of our loyal listeners found surprising. Tim Harford talks to Dr Beth Malory, lecturer in English Linguistics at University College London, who explains why so many words derived from French have ended up in English.

Presenter: Tim Harford
Producer: Daniel Gordon
Series Producer: Jon Bithrey
Editor: Richard Vadon
Sound Engineer: Graham Puddifoot
(Picture: A French dictionary showing the entry 'Dictionnaire'…)

Click here to listen to the BBC podcast.

Some Thoughts on Smoking & Drinking

You will have noticed that I have recently posted a few items on smoking cigarettes. You will have also noticed that I am totally against Rishi Sunak’s incremental ban on smoking for young people, therewith making it impossible for people under a certain age ever to buy cigarettes in this country. Of course I am against encouraging young people to start smoking, but I view this ban as absurd, anti-democratic, dictatorial, intrusive, illiberal, and fundamentally anti-Conservative.

Conservatives are supposed to believe in small government. That means to say that a good Conservative government is supposed not to interfere in people’s private lives or at least as little as possible. Conservative governments are certainly not supposed to tell people what they should eat, drink, or whether they can smoke a perfectly legal product, or not.

This stupid, intrusive law, if passed, is even more annoying and absurd, because we are living in a time in which many governments around the world are decriminalizing soft drugs such as cannabis, and many governments are encouraging young people to vape, the encouragement of which I absolutely disagree with. Why? Because we don’t yet know what the long-term health consequences of vaping and e-cigarettes are.

Many governments and authorities try and say that vaping is less injurious to health than the smoking of conventional cigarettes; but is it really? Only time will tell. What we do know, however, is that vaping, with the plethora of flavours on offer, appeal to young people in a way which conventional cigarettes never did or could.

Cigarette-smoking is an acquired habit. You cannot smoke one cigarette, your first, and love it. Usually, one’s first cigarette tastes foul! Not so, it seems, vaping. An apricot-flavoured vape, for example, has instant appeal to many a young person. The fact that these devices often resemble hi-tech devices is an added attraction to our young people who want to look ‘cool’. This is surely why there are so many young people today hooked on vaping. Vaping today is ‘cool’ in a way conventional cigarettes no longer are. (At least for the time being.)

I have never vaped; and nor have I any intention of ever doing so. Nor have I ever partaken of any drugs. Not even the softest of them. I say that with pride, because there was plenty of opportunity even way back when I was a student. I stuck to cigarettes and alcohol. But in moderation.

Even though I defend people’s right to smoke and deplore this ongoing, unrelenting war on tobacco and cigarettes, I am pleased to be able to report that today, October 10th, marks one and a half years since I smoked my last cigarette. My last cigarette was on April 10th, 2022.

As it happens, I haven't had a drink of alcohol since early June this year, either; so, that is four months without a drink too! My liver is surely happier. Living without alcohol has also been easy.

Actually, I didn’t decide to stop drinking alcohol. It happened by accident. It is not necessarily my intention never to drink again. With Christmas coming, I probably will. But I am sure that being without alcohol for several months has done my health good, especially my liver. Interestingly, I haven’t missed alcoholic drinks at all. It’s surprising what one can do without and what one can get used to.

© Mark Alexander

All Rights Reserved

Thousands Gather in London for Protests and Vigils as the Israel-Hamas War Enters Third Day

Oct 10, 2023 | Thousands of people gathered across London on Monday to participate in vigils held for Israel in Westminster and pro-Palestine solidarity protests near Israel's embassy in west London. The gatherings took place as the war in Gaza passed its third day, with a heavy toll for civilians on both sides. At least 704 Palestinians have died in Gaza and more than 900 Israelis

People Supporting Hamas in UK Will Be ‘Held to Account’, Says Rishi Sunak

GUARDIAN INTERNATIONAL: PM also says government is ready to support any British citizens in need of help after attacks on Israel

Rishi Sunak has vowed that anyone in the UK supporting Hamas will be “held to account” in the aftermath of the attack on Israel.

The prime minister said the government was ready to support any British citizens in need of help, during a visit in Staffordshire on Tuesday.

A “significant number” of British-Israeli dual nationals have been caught up in the conflict in Israel and Gaza, the foreign secretary, James Cleverly, said earlier.

Sunak confirmed his support for Israel, saying he stood in solidarity with the state and its people “in the face of these barbaric acts of terrorism”. » | Aubrey Allegretti, Political correspondent | Tuesday, October 10, 2023

Hamas-Angriff auf Israel: »Der abscheuliche Feind wollte Krieg, und er wird Krieg bekommen«

Oct 10, 2023 | Luftangriffe auf den Gazastreifen, Menschen, die sich um entführte Angehörige sorgen und eine Warnung des Uno-Generalsekretärs: Israel rüstet sich für einen massiven Schlag gegen die Hamas-Terroristen.

Bedbug Plague Hits Luton, with ‘Alarming’ Number of Infestations

THE TELEGRAPH: Council's pest control service inundated with calls about the blood-sucking parasites following outbreak in France

A council has warned it does not have the resources to tackle an “alarming” number of callouts for bedbug infestations.

Officials at Luton council say they have been inundated by calls about the bugs, after a national panic in France over the insects being found in cinemas, trains, hospitals and schools.

The infestations in Paris have led to fears the insects could invade the UK, with Sadiq Khan, the Mayor of London, saying that the possibility of bedbugs on the capital’s public transport was “a real source of concern”.

Councillors in Luton told residents that the city authority “does not have limitless resources to counter this pest”, prompting fears the bugs could spread further.

Writing on its website, the council said: “The pest control service is currently receiving an alarming number of bedbug jobs on a weekly basis.” » | Ewan Somerville | Tuesday, October 10, 2023

Related videos and articles here.

Bedbugs ‘a real source of concern’ on London transport, says Sadiq Khan: Mayor says ‘there is no complacency’ as video appears to show insect on tube after outbreaks reported in Paris »

IMF Says UK Faces Five More Years of High Interest Rates

BBC: The UK faces another five years of high interest rates to stem rising prices, an influential global group has warned.

The International Monetary Fund expects the UK to have the highest inflation and slowest growth next year of any G7 economy including the US, France, Germany, Canada, Italy and Japan.

However, the Treasury said recent revisions to UK growth had not been factored in to the IMF's report.

The outlook was drawn up before this weekend's developments in Israel. » | Lucy Hooker & Faisal Islam, BBC News | Tuesday, October 10, 2023

Palestinian Activist: The 'Root Cause' Is Israeli Occupation

Oct 10, 2023 | ABC News’ Linsey Davis spoke with Dr. Mustafa Barghouti about whether the Hamas attack has undermined the Palestinian cause.

They Are in My House’: Kibbutz Survivors Tell of Hamas Attack

GUARDIAN INTERNATIONAL: Nahal Oz is just yards from Gaza. The gunmen showed no mercy, killing, kidnapping and starting fires to smoke people from their safe rooms

Eli Dudaei (left) and Nadav Peretz say two entire families were killed at Nahal Oz and two more kidnapped. Photograph: Quique Kierszenbaum
Nahal Oz, a kibbutz in southern Israel which is home to about 400 people, is so close to the Gaza Strip that the nearest Palestinian house in Sajaiya is just 600 metres away. Despite the hi-tech fences and buffer zone that separates them, the neighbours can see each other hanging the washing on the line.

Until the late 1980s, older members of Nahal Oz used to regularly drive a few miles west, to shop in Gaza City’s markets, eat the enclave’s famous seafood, or go for a walk on the Mediterranean coastline. Many still have friends in Gaza. Despite the Israeli blockade imposed in 2007, after the militant group Hamas seized control of the area, they kept in touch with calls and WhatsApp messages.

Recently, the community began work on a visitor centre for those wanting to learn more about the kibbutz ethos of sustainability and a pastoral way of life. A listing on a kibbutzim website wondered whether the neighbours from Sajaiya would one day also be able to visit. After the events of the last three days, in which Hamas militants slaughtered more than 700 Israelis in 20 places across the country’s south, including Nahal Oz, it seems unlikely the old friends will ever be able to meet again. » | Bethan McKernan and Quique Kierszenbaum in Ashkelon | Monday. October 9, 2023

Tomato, Leek and Pasta Bake | Jamie Oliver

Oct 8, 2023

Get the full recipe here.

Spannungen an israelisch-libanesischer Grenze nehmen zu

ISRAEL UND HIZBULLAH
FRANKFURTER ALLGEMEINE ZEITUNG: Die Sorge vor einer weiteren Eskalation an der israelisch-libanesischen Grenze steigt. Die USA warnen die Hizbullah vor dem Kriegseintritt. Qatar versucht einen Gefangenenaustausch zwischen Israel und der Hamas zu vermitteln.

An der israelisch-libanesischen Grenze haben die Spannungen drastisch zugenommen. Die Sorge vor einer weiteren Eskalation wurde durch Meldungen verstärkt, dass sich die mit Iran verbündete Hizbullah und andere von Teheran gelenkte Kräfte sich auch in Syrien auf eine Konfrontation oder einen Angriff auf Israel vorbereiten. Das Pentagon warnte, die Hizbullah und ihre Alliierten sollten sich besser zweimal überlegen, in den Krieg einzugreifen.

Washington hat nach eigenen Angaben den Flugzeugträger USS Gerald R. Ford und weitere Kriegsschiffe ins östliche Mittelmeer verlegt. Dazu zählen der Lenkwaffenkreuzer USS Normandy und vier Zerstörer der Arleigh-Burke-Klasse. Zudem seien Vorbereitungen getroffen worden, um Luftwaffengeschwader der Air Force in die Region zu verlegen, teilte die amerikanische Regierung weiter mit. » | Von Christoph Ehrhardt, Beirut | Dienstag, 10. Oktober 2023

Netanyahu: Israel's Response to Hamas Attacks Will "Change the Middle East" | DW News

Oct 10, 2023 | Israeli media reports say the death toll from Saturday's attacks by the Palestinian militant group Hamas has passed 900 people. That's after some 100 more bodies were found in a small farming community near the Gaza border. Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has said some Palestinian militants are still at large on Israeli territory and that the ongoing airstrikes on the Gaza Strip are just the beginning of a larger operation.

“Das Ergebnis sollte der SPD und dem Bundeskanzler zu denken geben” | DW Nachrichten

Oct 9, 2023 | Nach den Wahlschlappen für die Regierungsparteien bei zwei Landtagswahlen stehen Bundeskanzler Scholz und sein Mitte-links-Bündnis unter Druck. Vor allem in der Asylpolitik zeichnen sich Verschärfungen ab.

Die Drei-Parteien-Regierungskoalition von Bundeskanzler Olaf Scholz verzeichnete bei den Landtagswahlen in Bayern und Hessen ausschließlich Verluste. Besonders bitter waren sie für Scholz und seine Sozialdemokraten: In beiden Bundesländern ist es das schlechteste Ergebnis bei Landtagswahlen in der Geschichte der Bundesrepublik. Und der liberale Regierungspartner FDP schaffte es in Bayern nicht einmal mehr in das Landesparlament.

Gleichzeitig triumphiert die in Teilen rechtsextreme Partei Alternative für Deutschland (AfD). Die vom Inlandsgeheimdienst als verfassungsfeindlicher Verdachtsfall eingestufte Partei erzielte bei beiden Wahlen Rekordergebnisse. In Bayern wurde sie mit 14,6 Prozent Stimmenanteil drittstärkste politische Kraft, in Hessen mit 18,4 Prozent sogar zweitstärkste.

Pro-Palestine Protesters Chant 'Gas the Jews' Outside Sydney Opera House

THE TELEGRAPH: Small group lights flares and chants anti-Semitic slogans in unverified footage of the scene

Around 1,000 pro-Palestinian supporters marched through downtown Sydney on Monday evening to the city’s iconic Opera House CREDIT: Dean Lewins/AAP
Australian police are investigating a pro-Palestinian protest outside the Sydney Opera House, after footage emerged of a small group appearing to chant anti-Semitic slogans at the demonstration.

Around 1,000 pro-Palestinian supporters marched through central Sydney on Monday evening to the city’s Opera House, which the government had illuminated in the colours of the Israeli flag following Saturday’s attacks by Hamas.

More than 900 Israelis were killed in the attacks, Israel reports. Meanwhile, Gaza’s health ministry said at least 687 Palestinians had been killed in Israeli retaliatory air strikes.

Unverified footage shared by the Australian Jewish Association and featured on Sky News appeared to show a small group outside the Opera House lighting flares and chanting “gas the Jews”. » | Telegraph’s Foreign Staff | Tuesday, October 10, 2023

The Attack on Israel Demands Unity and Resolve

OPINION : THE EDITORIAL BOARD
THE NEW YORK TIMES: The brutal terrorist attack on Israel by Hamas is a tragedy, one that may change the course of the nation and the entire region.

Israelis are reeling, in shock over the toll of people killed, wounded and taken hostage, and the world is mourning with them. The militants killed more than 800 Israelis in a series of coordinated rocket attacks and continued fighting. To the world’s horror, they attacked civilians — including older people, women and children — and took them hostage. More than 150 people remain captive in Gaza, in a further atrocity.

The attack was a tragic and painful reminder of how vulnerable Israel has always been — and continues to be, at a time of rising global antisemitism. The terrorists fences without warning or any immediate provocation, landed on Israeli beaches and fired thousands of rockets into Israel early on Saturday, the Jewish Sabbath and a Jewish holiday. Many Israelis have called this attack their 9/11. » | The Editorial Board | Monday, October 9, 2023

UK, US and Allies Offer Israel ‘Steadfast Support’ in Joint Statement

GUARDIAN INTERNATIONAL: Quint group – which also includes France, Germany and Italy – says ‘terrorist actions’ of Hamas must be ‘universally condemned’

The leaders of the UK, US, France, Germany and Italy have released a joint statement expressing “steadfast and united support” for the state of Israel and “unequivocal condemnation” of Hamas.

It follows an unprecedented attack on Israel from Gaza on Saturday by the Palestinian militant group, with Israel responding with airstrikes and a “complete siege” of the Gaza Strip.

The statement was released after a call between the UK prime minister, Rishi Sunak; the US president, Joe Biden; the French president, Emmanuel Macron; the German chancellor, Olaf Scholz; and the Italian prime minister, Giorgia Meloni. Together the five countries comprise the Quint international organisation.

“We make clear that the terrorist actions of Hamas have no justification, no legitimacy, and must be universally condemned,” the statement reads. “There is never any justification for terrorism. » | Hayden Vernon | Monday, October 9, 2023

How Sam Bankman-Fried Fooled the Media, Silicon Valley and the World

Oct 9, 2023 | Finance whiz Sam Bankman-Fried was supposed to be the future of finance. Why did his crypto empire come crashing down and how did his alleged crimes fly under the radar for so long? To explain, CNN's Jon Sarlin spoke with investigative finance reporter Zeke Faux.

Hamas Threatens to Execute Hostages | #shorts

Hamas issues a warning of executions.

Scotland First Minister's Family Stuck in Gaza

Oct 9, 2023 | "My wife and I are sick with worry about whether or not my in-laws will survive." First Minister of Scotland Humza Yousaf says his parents-in-law, who are stuck in Gaza amid the Israeli–Palestinian conflict, may suffer unjustified "collective punishment".

Israel Orders 'Complete Closure' of Gaza

Oct 9, 2023 | Israel's Minister of Defense said he has ordered the "complete siege" of Gaza, cutting off electricity, food, fuel and water to the enclave.

Hamas Made a Critical Miscalculation, Says Israel’s Dermer

Oct 9, 2023 | Israel will do “whatever we have to do” to send a message to all of Israel’s enemies, says Minister of Strategic Affairs Ron Dermer as he discusses Saturday’s surprise attack by Hamas. He speaks on “Bloomberg Surveillance.”

Israel-Gaza Conflict: What Is Hamas? - BBC News

Oct 9, 2023 | Hamas is a Palestinian Islamist militant group which rules the Gaza Strip. It is sworn to Israel's destruction and has fought several wars with Israel since it took power in Gaza in 2007. In between those wars, it has fired or allowed other groups to fire thousands of rockets at Israel, and carried out other deadly attacks.

Israel has also repeatedly attacked Hamas with air strikes, and, together with Egypt, has blockaded the Gaza Strip since 2007 in what it says is for its security.

Hamas as a whole, or in some cases its military wing, is designated a terrorist group by Israel, the United States, the European Union and the UK, as well as other powers.

Hamas is backed by Iran, which funds it and provides weapons and training.

The BBC's Analysis Editor Ros Atkins explains.

Gen. Mark Milley: The 60 Minutes Interview

Oct 9, 2023 | Gen. Mark Milley looked back at his years as chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, including the differences he had with President Trump that nearly caused him to resign.

Across the Mideast, a Surge of Support for Palestinians as War Erupts in Gaza

THE NEW YORK TIMES: The escalation laid bare the limitations of diplomatic deals between Israel and Arab governments as long as the underlying conflict continues. “We told you so,” a Saudi scholar said.

When the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain and Morocco announced that they were establishing relations with Israel in 2020, Emirati officials said the deals were symbols of peace and tolerance, while then President Donald J. Trump declared “the dawn of a new Middle East.”

Those words rang hollow to many in the region, though. Even in the countries that signed the deals, branded the Abraham Accords, support for the Palestinians — and enmity toward Israel over its decades-long occupation of their land — remained strong, particularly as Israel’s government expanded settlements in the Palestinian West Bank after the agreements.

On Saturday, when Palestinian gunmen from the blockaded territory of Gaza surged into Israel, carrying out the boldest attack in the country in decades, it set off an outpouring of support for the Palestinians across the region. In some quarters, there were celebrations — even as hundreds of Israelis and Palestinians were killed and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of Israel threatened a “long and difficult war” ahead.

“This is the first time that we rejoice in this way for our Palestinian brothers,” said Abdul Majeed Abdullah Hassan, 70, who joined a rally with hundreds of people in the island kingdom of Bahrain. In the context of the Israeli occupation and blockade, the Hamas operation “warmed our hearts,” he said, calling his government’s deal to recognize Israel “shameful.” » | Vivian Nereim, Reporting from Riyadh, Saudi Arabia | Monday, October 9, 2023

Sam Bankman-Fried Trial Begins | Bloomberg Television

Oct 3, 2023 | The trial against FTX founder Sam Bankman-Fried has begun with jury selection in downtown Manhattan. Former US Assistant Attorney Josh Naftalis joined "Bloomberg Crypto" co-host Kailey Leinz outside the courthouse to discuss the jury process and prosecution. Plus, Blockchain Association's Kristin Smith on crypto lobbying efforts without FTX; and former Senator Pat Toomey discusses his work on the Coinbase Global Advisory Council.

Criminal Gangs Will Benefit!" Simon Clark HITS OUT At Rishi Sunak's New Smoking Regulations

Oct 5, 2023 | Simon Clark, director of pro-smoking group Forest, criticises Rishi Sunak's pledge to create a 'smoke-free generation.'

The Prime Minister has described his plan to increase the legal smoking age by one year annually as the “biggest public health intervention in a generation”. In his speech at the Conservative Party conference, Sunak said the legal age for buying tobacco should rise every year from 2009 to stop youngsters taking up smoking in a bid to “try and stop teenagers taking up cigarettes in the first place”.

Clark says: "The only people who benefit from this are going to be the criminal gangs happy to sell cigarettes to children."


Chris Thomas is talking through his backside! Only Simon Clark spoke sense. It is an outrage that this unelected prime minister wants to take people's right to smoke away from them. If a young man is old enough to die for his country, he is old enough to smoke. End of story! – © Mark Alexander

Forest: Voice and friend of the smoker.

The HITCH Series | Smoking & Drinking

Dec 4, 2019 | Christopher Hitchens discusses the virtues and vices of smoke and drink, as well as how they can contribute to an early death.

Related here and here.

How Will China and Russia React? | DW News

Oct 8, 2023 | German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock has condemned the assault on Israel and said there was a risk the conflict could spread.

Later on Sunday, the United Nations Security Council will meet in a special session to discuss the attacks by Islamist militant group Hamas.⁣

Smoking David Hockney Is a Truer Conservative than Killjoy Rishi Sunak

THE TELEGRAPH: Compulsory clean living isn’t what people vote Tory for. The party needs to rediscover the spirit of Churchill

If smoking has a bullish face, it is painter Sir David Hockney’s. From his farmstead in Normandy, the great man has surfaced to denounce Rishi Sunak’s proposal to ban the sale of cigarettes gradually. This, he says, “is just madness to me. I have smoked for 70 years. I started when I was 16 and I’m now 86 and I’m reasonably fine, thank you. I just love tobacco and I will go on smoking until I fall over.”

Here, I say, is the authentic Conservative spirit. This is a man who has taken on board the health warnings and decided to ignore them all. He has calculated the risks, set them against the benefits and decided that he’s going to carry on with smoking because he likes it and it helps him paint.

As he says defiantly, “Many artists have smoked. Picasso smoked and died at 91, Matisse smoked and died at 84 and Monet chain-smoked and died at 86. He smoked and painted at the same time. I can’t do that. I don’t smoke while I’m painting. I light a cigarette every 15 minutes when I stop to check what I’ve done … Why can’t Mr Sunak leave the smokers alone?” » | Melanie McDonagh | Sunday, October 8, 2023

Blinken Says US Working to Verify Reports of Several Americans Dead and Missing in Israel

Oct 8, 2023 | Secretary of State Antony Blinken said the US is “working overtime” to verify reports of missing and dead Americans overseas after Hamas launched an unprecedented attack against Israel.

Risking Death to Tell the Truth: Saudi Arabia’s LGBT+ Community

Nove 3, 2021 | With the recent takeover of Newcastle United by The Saudi sovereign wealth fund (PIF) more questions over Saudi Arabia’s attitude towards human rights have arisen. Primarily the treatment of the LGBT+ community. The Athletic’s Adam Crafton has spoken to LGBT+ people in Saudi Arabia about the awful conditions they live in and what they think of Newcastle's takeover. Illustrated by Philippe Fenner.

Religious Roundtable | PBD Podcast | Ep. 306

Streamed live on Sep 21, 2023 | In this episode of the PBD Podcast Patrick Bet-David, the host, hosts a religious roundtable discussing different perspectives of religion. The guests are Daniel Haqiqatjou, Robert Spencer, Brother Rachid, and Jake Brancatella.

Netanyahu Warns of ‘Long and Difficult War’ after Surprise Hamas Attack on Israel

THE GUARDIAN: Israel warns Gaza residents to ‘get out now’ and says it will stop supplying electricity, fuel and goods, vowing unprecedented retaliation

Israel’s prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, has said the country is embarking on a “long and difficult war” after a surprise attack by Palestinian militants from the blockaded Gaza Strip led to hundreds of deaths, the seizure of dozens of Israeli hostages, and sparked fears of a regional escalation.

According to some media reports, as many as 100 Israeli citizens, including women and children, may have been abducted.

On Sunday morning, as Israelis struggled to comprehend the scale of Saturday’s attack, the possibility of a ground invasion into Gaza and wider conflagration with Hezbollah in Lebanon loomed large. Israel announced it had ordered the evacuation of communities bordering Gaza.

Despite the announcement of war by Netanyahu and a call-up of thousands of reservists, Israel’s war aims remained unclear on Sunday, including whether it would seek to remove Hamas from power in Gaza and how long any operation might last. » | Bethan McKernan in Jerusalem, and Peter Beaumont | Sunday, October 8, 2023

Billion-dollar Fraud and Ponzi Schemes | 60 Minutes Full Episodes

Oct 7, 2023

Greek Individual Kataifi | Akis Petretzikis

Oct 2, 2023

Get the recipe here.

Israel kündigt harte Reaktion an | DW Nachrichten

Oct 8, 2023 | Nach den Großangriffen der terroristischen Hamas hat Israels Ministerpräsident Netanjahu das Land in den Kriegszustand versetzt. Israels Armee führte mehrere Schläge gegen Ziele in Gaza aus. Auf beiden Seiten gab es hunderte Tote

'The Nightmare Scenario': Weissmann on Trump Nuke Report and Mar-A-Lago 'Honey Pot'

Oct 7, 2023 | ABC News reports Former President Donald Trump "allegedly discussed U.S. nuclear subs with a foreign national after leaving the White House." MSNBC Legal Analyst, Andrew Weissmann tells Nicolle Wallace if the reporting is accurate, "it is a crime to give over information that is classified...it doesn't have to be a document." Weissmann also reveals why it could be relevant in Jack Smith's classified documents case against Trump. Former FBI Counterintelligence Agent, Pete Strzok adds why it matters that this allegedly happened “post presidency” and why it's “potentially devastating” from a national security perspective.

Lawrence: Australian Billionaire Bought ‘Exactly What He Wanted’ from Trump

Oct 6, 2023 | MSNBC’s Lawrence O’Donnell details the “incriminating” breaking news that Donald Trump reportedly revealed nuclear submarine secrets to an Australian billionaire member of Mar-a-Lago who “purchased his access” to Trump while he was president as Trump moves to dismiss or delay the criminal cases against him.

Israel-Gaza Update: What's behind the Hamas Assault? | DW News

Oct 7, 2023 | Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu says Israel is "at war." The multipronged attack from Islamist militant group Hamas – by land, sea and air – took Israel by surprise. Israel's national rescue service says dozens of people have been killed and hundreds injured. Netanyahu has vowed severe retaliation.

En direct, attaque du Hamas contre Israël : Benyamin Netanyahou s’engage à « détruire » le Hamas ; « des centaines » de combattants toujours infiltrés sur le sol israélien où les combats se poursuivent

LE MONDE : Après l’attaque du Hamas contre Israël, condamnée par l’Union européenne, les Etats-Unis et l’OTAN, le Conseil de sécurité de l’ONU tiendra une réunion d’urgence dimanche. Plus de 200 Israéliens sont morts, tandis qu’au moins 232 Palestiniens ont été tués lors des attaques ripostes d’Israël dans la bande de Gaza. LIVE EN COURS » | samedi 7 octobre 2023

Israel Retaliatory Air Strike Kills At Least 198 Palestinians - BBC News

Oct 7, 2023 | At least 198 Palestinians have been killed in Israel’s retaliatory air strikes in the Gaza Strip, health officials have said. Palestinian officials launched a surprise rocket attack on Israel in the early hours of Saturday, while dozens of gunmen from the militant group Hamas infiltrated the country. At least 40 people in Israel were killed, with hundreds more being treated in hospitals, according to emergency services.

EU Veteran Tusk Heads into Final Week of Battle to Steer Poland from Populism

GUARDIAN EUROPE: Election is contest between Law and Justice party and politician it claims represents malevolent foreign forces

Donald Tusk speaks to residents of Rzeszów. Photograph: Darek Delmanowicz/EPA
“I want this message to reach everybody in Poland,” said Donald Tusk, speaking to a rally of supporters, gathered in a cavernous indoor sports arena in the city of Bydgoszcz. “This is really the last chance.”

As a vicious, bruising campaign comes to its climax ahead of parliamentary elections on 15 October, Tusk, a veteran of Polish and European politics, has sought to make this point with increasing urgency.

The rally was just one stop on a busy campaign trail for Tusk, whose Civic Coalition is seeking to prevent the nationalist, populist Law and Justice (PiS) government from winning a third term. » | Shaun Walker in Bydgoszcz | Saturday, October 7, 2023

Polish elections: who are the key players and what is at stake?: Tusk-led Civic Platform aims to unseat nationalist Law and Justice party in bitterly contested ballot »

Biden Accused of Betrayal of Khashoggi over Push to Deepen Saudi Ties

GUARDIAN INTERNATIONAL: Activists and Democrats condemn rapprochement – aimed at heading off China – with ‘autocratic, sociopathic government’

Biden with the crown prince in Jeddah last summer. Analysts said ‘realpolitik’ had driven Washington to deepen ties with the Saudis. Photograph: Balkis Press/Abaca/Rex/Shutterstock
Joe Biden is facing accusations of betraying a pre-election promise to re-evaluate ties with Saudi Arabia over the murder of Jamal Khashoggi in favour of pursuing a rapprochement with the kingdom aimed at repelling a challenge from China to US primacy in the Middle East.

The charge, from human rights campaigners and some Democrats, follows the fifth anniversary of Khashoggi’s death at the hands of Saudi regime agents and comes amid mounting criticism of a proposed new defence treaty between Washington and Riyadh that could result in Saudi Arabia granting official recognition to Israel.

Biden took office initially intending to downplay the traditional US role in the Middle East, a policy consistent with holding Saudi Arabia at arm’s length following the outcry that greeted Khashoggi’s murder.

But the president has since performed a volte-face by saying on a visit to the region that the US would “remain an active, engaged partner” and adding: “We will not walk away and leave a vacuum to be filled by China, Russia, or Iran.” » | Robert Tait in Washington | Saturday, October 7, 2023

Khashoggi was killed five years ago. Thanks to Trump and Biden, Saudi Arabia is stronger than ever: After the murder of Jamal Khashoggi, the US vowed to hold Saudi Arabia accountable. Biden has done the opposite »

Hillary Clinton Explains Why Donald Trump Fans Need to Be "Deprogrammed" | The Warning

Oct 7, 2023 | Steve Schmidt reacts to Hillary Clinton saying that Donald Trump fans need to be "deprogrammed". Steve said that Secretary Clinton's warnings about Trump should be taken seriously.

How Much of a Neo-Nazi Party Is the German AfD? | DW News

Oct 7, 2023 | How much truth is there to the accusation that Germany's AfD is not just a right-wing extremist party but crosses the line into neo-Nazism?

Unsere Zukunft sieht immer düsterer aus. – © Mark Alexander

Historian Heather Cox Richardson: GOP “Has Become an Extremist Faction” | Amanpour & Company

Oct 6, 2023 | The Supreme Court is just one example of the eroding of public trust in America’s institutions. For decades, an elite majority has weaponized language and promoted false history, according to historian Heather Cox Richardson. Her new book "Democracy Awakening" explores how this process has drawn some Americans into authoritarianism. She joins Michel Martin to discuss. | Originally aired on October 6, 2023

The USA is a bloody mess! It is NOT the USA we foreigners knew and loved: the wellspring of progressive thinking, new ideas, creativity and innovation. It has now become a reactionary country which has turned in on itself. Frankly, the USA has never been the same since 9/11. Osama bin Laden f****d up America good and proper. It has never been able to recover from the 9/11 attack. It’s a sad story. – © Mark Alexander

LIVE UPDATES: Gaza and Israel on War Footing After Militants Launch Surprise Assaults

THE NEW YORK TIMES: The Israeli military said that at least 2,200 rockets had been fired from Gaza. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu ordered a call-up of reservists and said, “We are at war.” At least 23 people have been killed.

srael and Gaza were on a war footing on Saturday after Palestinian militants fired thousands of rockets into southern and central Israel in a surprise morning attack that was among the biggest from Gaza in years.

The Israeli military said that armed gunmen had crossed the border fence in several locations and infiltrated Israeli communities in a ground assault from Gaza, a poor coastal enclave that has been under blockade by Israel and neighboring Egypt for about 15 years.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of Israel said operations were underway to clear the militants from infiltrated towns and that he had issued a call-up of reservists.

“We are at war,” he said in a televised statement. » | Isabel Kershner, Reporting from Jerusalem | Saturday, October 7, 2023

Gary Wang, an FTX Founder, Says Sam Bankman-Fried Steered Misuse of Funds

THE NEW YORK TIMES: Mr. Wang is one of three key witnesses who pleaded guilty and agreed to cooperate against Mr. Bankman-Fried, the onetime crypto mogul on trial for fraud.

Since his firm collapsed, Sam Bankman-Fried has become a symbol of the cryptocurrency industry’s excesses. | Brittainy Newman for The New York Times
Gary Wang, a former top executive of the failed FTX cryptocurrency exchange, testified that Sam Bankman-Fried, the company’s founder, was the final decision maker at the firm and directed a closely related hedge fund to misuse as it pleased billions of dollars in money from FTX customers.

Over more than six hours of testimony in federal court in Manhattan on Thursday and Friday, Mr. Wang said Mr. Bankman-Fried was fully aware that a sister cryptocurrency trading firm, Alameda Research, had siphoned off $8 billion in customer money from FTX. He said Mr. Bankman-Fried had lied in his public statements in November about FTX customer assets being safe and secure.

Mr. Bankman-Fried called the shots on big issues at FTX, Mr. Wang told the jury of nine women and three men. “In the end, it was Sam’s decision,” he said.

Mr. Wang, 30, who was also a founder of FTX and programmed its code base, is a crucial witness in Mr. Bankman-Fried’s high-profile criminal fraud trial. Mr. Wang is one of Mr. Bankman-Fried’s three close advisers who have pleaded guilty and agreed to cooperate against the entrepreneur, who has been charged with orchestrating a conspiracy to use as much as $10 billion of FTX customer money for all manner of personal projects. » | David Yaffe-Bellany, J. Edward Moreno and Matthew Goldstein, Reporting from the Daniel Patrick Moynihan U.S. Courthouse in Manhattan. | Friday, October 6, 2023

Michael Lambert: Lies, Lies and More Lies from Sunak

Oct 7, 2023 | The Conservative Party Conference in Manchester this week was a disgrace. Minister after minister lied to a half-empty hall. Lying has become normal for the Tories.

Suella Braverman spread her vile, racist dogma whilst others warned of non-existent, entirely fictional Labour policies such as taxing meat and controlling access to shops.

But Sunak was the worst and most dishonest speaker. He talked of the Conservative party being the party of small business, of how Brexit had made businesses more competitive when the opposite is the truth. He claimed falsely yet again that reducing inflation was a tax cut. He claimed the Tories are a party concerned to protect the environment whilst water companies continue to tip sewage into our now filthy rivers and the sea. He lied by thanking Kemi Badenoch for sweeping away Brussels 'red tape' and saving British businesses £1 billion per year. He confirmed the cancellation of HS2 beyond Manchester, claiming that the government would spend the £36 billion saved on hundreds of other new projects.


British politics was ruined the day they made politics a career. Once they did that, people without any work experience went straight into politics to make a name for themselves, and to make money. Before that, the people who went into politics were people who had been a success in life and who wanted to go into politics "to give something back". This is why we can observe all the greed in the corridors of power today. It is also why we rarely witness resignations when MPs have disgraced themselves. Our parliamentary system is rotten to the core. – © Mark Alexander

Former Spanish King Wins Bid to Throw Out Ex-lover’s Lawsuit in English Court

GUARDIAN EUROPE: Judge rules £126m harassment case brought by Corinna zu Sayn-Wittgenstein-Sayn outside court’s jurisdiction

Corinna Zu Sayn-Wittgenstein-Sayn was attempting to sue Juan Carlos, the former Spanish king, accusing him of harassment. Photograph: Neil Hall/EPA
A £126m lawsuit brought against the former king of Spain by his ex-lover cannot go to trial in England, a judge has ruled.

Corinna zu Sayn-Wittgenstein-Sayn, a Danish businesswoman with homes in England, was attempting to sue Juan Carlos, who abdicated in 2014, in the high court of England and Wales. On Friday, the judge, Mrs Justice Rowena Collins Rice, said the case was outside the court’s jurisdiction.

Sayn-Wittgenstein-Sayn claims she suffered intrusive, intimidatory and adverse episodes since their relationship came to public attention in 2012 in the aftermath of an elephant-hunting trip to Botswana.

She alleged that this included ordering the then head of Spain’s national intelligence agency to harass and threaten her. Documents submitted to an earlier hearing alleged that a book about the death of Diana, Princess of Wales, was left in her home as a warning. Juan Carlos denied the claims made against him and had sought to have them struck out. » | Haroon Siddique, Legal affairs correspondent, and Sam Jones in Madrid | Friday, October 6, 2023

Un article connexe ici.

‘Bedbugs Don’t Discriminate’: Paris ‘Scourge’ Sparks Fears of International Infestation

GUARDIAN EUROPE: After French capital hosted fashion week and Rugby World Cup there are concerns the problem will spread

Paris is burning its luggage and bed linen as it battles a “scourge” of bedbugs, stoking fears of infestation around the world as pest controllers report an uptick in inquiries and transport operators and hoteliers seek to assuage concerns.

The city of light is reportedly under siege from the nocturnal bloodsuckers, leading the French transport minister, Clément Beaune, to meet transport operators. “It’s a real nightmare,” says Yacine, a schoolteacher in Paris who declined to give his surname. “I’m so afraid to take the Métro, I don’t go to the cinema – it’s very alarmant.”

With the city having just hosted Paris fashion week and the Rugby World Cup, bringing hundreds of thousands of visitors to the city, there are mounting fears of the problem spreading as visitors return home with an unwelcome souvenir. » | Elle Hunt | Friday, October 6, 2023

Related video and articles here.

France closes seven schools over bedbug infestations: Education minister says ‘cases are piling up’ and that ‘an immediate response is needed’ »

Stevie Wonder : Isn’t She Lovely

Aug 8, 2018 | Provided to YouTube by Universal Music Group

Meet Prince Philipp of Hesse, the [Late] Queen’s Third Cousin, a ‘Bisexual Dilettante’ and Hitler’s Art Dealer

Prince Philip of Hesse with his wife Princess Mafalda. (Wikimedia Commons)
PINK NEWS: Most people have never heard of Prince Philipp of Hesse, Queen Elizabeth II’s third cousin and Queen Victoria’s great-grandson, but his life as Adolf Hitler’s bisexual art agent is finally being told in a fascinating new book.

Dean Palmer is a non-fiction TV producer, director and writer who has worked with Netflix, the BBC, ITV and Channel 4.

His new book, Tea With Hitler, tells the stories of the royal family’s Nazi relatives, including Prince Philipp of Hesse, after whom the late Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, was named.

The Hesse family are direct relations of today’s British royal family, with the name “Hesse” having been abandoned by the Duke of Edinburgh’s grandmother in favour of the more English-sounding “Mountbatten” during the First World War.

It is through the Hesse family that Queen Elizabeth II and her late husband are related, and both of them are third cousins of Prince Philipp of Hesse.

Queen Victoria had nine children, but as they married into royal families across Europe, her descendants found themselves “on opposite sides of two World Wars”, Palmer told PinkNews.

Prince Philipp of Hesse was born in Germany and raised at Friedrichshof castle, built by his grandmother, who was Queen Victoria’s eldest daughter. But he was educated in England, attending a prep school in Bexhill-on-Sea, and even had an English nanny. » | Lily Wakefield | Wednesday, June 9, 2023

WIKIPEDIA:

Philipp, Landgrave of Hesse »

Princess Mafalda of Savoy »

Nazi Party Membership Card of Dutch Royal Confirmed as Authentic

GUARDIAN EUROPE: German-born Prince Bernhard, late grandfather of King Willem-Alexander, had denied being a paid party member

A scan of Prince Bernhard’s Nazi party membership card. Bernhard, husband of the former queen Juliana, had insisted until his death in 2004 that he had never been a Nazi. Photograph: Royal Collections, The Hague/AFP/Getty Images
The royal household of the Netherlands has confirmed the authenticity of a Nazi membership card belonging to the Dutch king’s grandfather, bringing an end to the decades-long suspicions that had swirled around Prince Bernhard.

Claims of ties between Bernhard, a German aristocrat who married into the Dutch royal family in the 1930s, and the Nazi party surfaced in the late 1990s after a Dutch historian said he had found a copy of the card in a US archive.

Bernhard, who was prince consort until 1980, adamantly denied being a Nazi. “I can swear with my hand on the Bible: I have never been a Nazi,” Bernhard, then 93, told the national daily newspaper De Volkskrant in an interview shortly before his death in 2004. “I never paid for party membership. I never had a membership card.”

He did, however, acknowledge that he had been a member of several Nazi military units, describing it as a necessity for men of his age at the time. » | Ashifa Kassam, European Community affairs correspondent and agencies | Friday, October 6, 2023

verwandter Artikel.

Juan Carlos, ancien roi d’Espagne, échappe au procès que voulait lui intenter son ex-maîtresse au Royaume-Uni

LE MONDE : Corinna zu Sayn-Wittgenstein-Sayn avait accusé l’ancien monarque de harcèlement. La justice britannique a estimé que la plaignante n’avait pas « suffisament établi » que les faits supposés se soient déroulés en Angleterre.

L’ancien roi d’Espagne Juan Carlos a obtenu gain de cause, vendredi 6 octobre, contre son ex-maîtresse qui lui réclamait près de 150 millions d’euros pour harcèlement, la justice britannique se déclarant incompétente pour juger ce dossier. Dans son jugement, la juge Rowena Collins Rice a conclu que « la Haute Cour d’Angleterre et du Pays de Galles ne dispose pas de la compétence juridictionnelle pour juger » cette procédure. La magistrate a notamment souligné que la plaignante n’avait « pas suffisamment établi » que les faits à l’origine de sa demande se soient produits en Angleterre. » | Le Monde avec AFP | vendredi 6 octobre 2023

Belgian Transgender Deputy PM Urges Sunak Not to Join ‘the Real Bullies’

GUARDIAN EUROPE: Petra De Sutter responds to ‘hurtful’ remarks UK prime minister made at Tory conference

Petra De Sutter: ‘These words are fuelling transphobia and are endangering the lives of many people around the world.’ Photograph: Shutterstock
Belgium’s deputy prime minister, who ranks as one of Europe’s most senior transgender politicians, has urged Rishi Sunak not to join “the real bullies” after remarks made by the British prime minister at the Conservative party conference this week.

Sunak told the audience: “We shouldn’t get bullied into believing that people can be any sex they want to be,” to cheers and loud applause. “They can’t. A man is a man and a woman is a woman. That’s just common sense.”

The prime minister’s comments came as it was revealed that the number of hate crimes committed against transgender people last year in England and Wales had climbed to a record high, with the Home Office suggesting in its report that the 11% rise may have been prompted by comments by politicians and media. » | Ashifa Kassam, European community affairs correspondent | Friday, October 6, 2023

Rachmaninoff: Piano Concerto no.2 op.18 - Anna Fedorova - Complete Live Concert – HD | Reupload

Sep 2, 2013

Víkingur Ólafsson - J.S. Bach: Goldberg Variations, BWV 988: Aria | Official Music Video

Oct 6, 2023 | Celebrated for his visionary interpretations of J.S. Bach, Víkingur Ólafsson, one of the greatest pianists and musical minds of today, now embraces Bach’s monumental Goldberg Variations. Ólafsson devotes his entire next season to touring the work globally across six continents, while October 2023 marks the anticipated album release on Deutsche Grammophon. “I have dreamed of recording this work for 25 years,” says the Icelandic pianist. …

Vatican Documents Show Secret Back Channel between Pope Pius XII and Adolf Hitler

Jun 7, 2022 | A series of recently opened Vatican archives are shedding new light on the relationship between Pope Pius XII and Adolf Hitler as he led Nazi Germany during World War II. A new book takes a deeper look at these revelations. Historian David Kertzer, author of “The Pope At War: The Secret History of Pope Pius XII, Mussolini, and Hitler,” joins Amna Nawaz to discuss.

Trump’s Business Empire Topples: Trump’s Fall from Forbes ‘Long Overdue’ against A.G.’s ‘Solid Case’

Oct 6, 2023 | he judge overseeing Donald Trump’s civil fraud case issued an order requiring Trump disclose all business transactions. Meanwhile, Trump was dropped off the Forbes 400 list of America’s wealthiest people. Law professor Leah Litman and Investigative journalist Johnathan Greenberg join MSNBC’s Melissa Murray to discuss. Greenberg says the move from Forbes is “long overdue,” adding A.G. Letitia James has a “rock solid case.”

It seems to me that this world is swimming in bullshitters and fraudsters! Where the hell have all the honest and honourable people gone? – © Mark Alexander

The Lincoln Project: Appeasement

Oct 6, 2023

Lord Heseltine on Brexit: The Single Market Was Always in Britain's Interest

Sep 21, 2023

Lord Heseltine on Brexit: Cameron and Remain Campaign Didn't Want Me Involved in Referendum

Sep 23, 2023

Lord Heseltine on Brexit: Leave Campaign Was "Shameful" and Stirred Up Race Like Enoch Powell

Sep 22, 2023

Lord Heseltine on Mrs Thatcher: I Never Liked Her...But That Shouldn't Matter in Politics

Sep 21, 2023

Growing Up in Downing Street as Margaret Thatcher's Daughter

Oct 6, 2023 | “Carol, we’re going off to demonstrate against your mum, can you just remind us where her office is?” Margaret Thatcher's daughter Carol talks to Matt Chorley about the highs and lows of growing up with mum in No. 10.