Im Kopf eines Nazis: "Die Wohlgesinnten" | Doku HD | ARTE

Nov 26, 2023 | Im Jahr 2006 erschien der Tatsachenroman "Die Wohlgesinnten" von Jonathan Littell. Es handelt sich um die fiktiven Lebenserinnerungen eines SS-Offiziers und eine ungeschönte Schilderung der brutalen NS-Verbrechen aus Täterperspektive. Die Doku befasst sich auch mit der Rezeptionsgeschichte dieses Romans, der einen empfindlichen Nerv der Erinnerungskultur traf.

Der 2006 erschienene Roman „Die Wohlgesinnten“ von Jonathan Littell erzählt die Lebenserinnerungen des fiktiven SS-Offiziers Maximilian Aue, der im Zweiten Weltkrieg Teil der NS-Vernichtungsmaschine war. Das Werk markierte insofern einen literarischen Tabubruch, als es auf mehr als tausend Seiten ungeschönt und brutal das Nazi-Grauen aus Täterperspektive schildert. Die fiktive Biografie wird dabei mit gründlich recherchierten realen Ereignissen und Personen des Holocaust verbunden. Provokant, abstoßend, skandalös – „Die Wohlgesinnten“ ist all das, aber tatsächlich noch viel mehr.

Das Werk des 1967 geborenen französischen Schriftstellers amerikanischer Herkunft wurde in Frankreich mit den begehrten Literaturpreisen Prix Goncourt und Grand Prix de l'Académie française ausgezeichnet und sorgte sofort bei seinem Erscheinen für Polemik. Die einen empörten sich über den „pornografischen“ Aspekt der Erzählung, die anderen lobten das literarische Genie und die Tatsache, dass endlich ein Autor die Courage aufbrachte, den Holocaust aus einer Warte zu behandeln, an die sich noch kein Historiker herangetraut hatte.

„Im Kopf eines Nazis - Die Wohlgesinnten von Jonathan Littell“ nimmt die gespaltene Rezeption des Buchs zum Anlass, mehrere wesentliche Fragen zu beleuchten: Wie spricht man heute, nach unzähligen Büchern, Filmen und Erzählungen und dem Tod der letzten Zeitzeugen, über die Nazi-Barbarei? Wo liegen die Grenzen der Kunst im Allgemeinen und der Literatur im Besonderen, wenn es um den Holocaust geht?

Mit Hilfe von Archivmaterial, Begehungen der Schauplätze der Judenvernichtung, Auszügen aus dem Buch und Gesprächen mit renommierten Historikern, Schriftstellern und Publizisten zeichnet der Film die Entstehungs- und Rezeptionsgeschichte dieses Ausnahmewerks nach, das das Konzept der Menschlichkeit hinterfragt und einen empfindlichen Nerv der Erinnerungskultur traf.

Dokumentation von Jean-Christophe Klotz (F 2023, 56 Min)
Video auf YouTube verfügbar bis 06/05/2024

'Get Out from Here': Dutch PM Probable Geert Wilders Tells Muslims in New Viral Video

Nov 26, 2023 | Dutch anti-Islam populist and PM probable Geert Wilders undated speech -- wherein he targets Islam and Muslims -- has gone viral. The speech is said to be after his far-right party's surprise victory in Netherlands. But HT cannot independently verify the date and location of the video. In his speech, Wilders pledges crackdown on Muslims, their mosques and Islamic centres as he brands Islam a religion of "hate and terror"

Geert Wilders speaks very tough words here. They will surely rock Europe. My guess is, though, that he is saying what many people think but wouldn't dare utter. Is Geert Wilders' victory at the polls the beginning of the end of political correctness in Europe, I wonder? – Mark

Israeli Military Reservist Says He Witnessed "Slaughters and Massacres"

Oct 13, 2023 | Rudy Rochman, one of more than 360,000 IDF reservists called on after the Hamas attack, joined CBS News New York live from Israel.

May God protect Rudy. Rudy is so impressive; impressive in every way. – Mark

En direct, guerre Israël-Hamas : 14 otages israéliens et 3 thaïlandais ont été libérés en ce troisième jour de trêve

LE MONDE : Après deux premières séries de libérations vendredi et samedi, un nouvel échange a eu lieu dimanche. Alors que les otages libérés ont quitté Gaza, trente-neuf détenus palestiniens sont sortis de prisons israéliennes. LIVE EN COURS » | dimanche 26 novembre 2023

Der verstorbene Helmut Schmidt über Zuwanderung in Deutschland | #shorts

„Deutschland ist dabei sich gewaltig zu verändern.“ Dem deutschen Volke war diese Veränderung vorher völlig unvorstellbar.

The Mauthausen Resistance | ARTE.tv Documentary

Nov 26, 2023 | Mauthausen shows the full horror of the Nazi regime, a concentration camp where 120,000 people died. But a group of Spanish republican prisoners managed, not only to survive their terrible incarceration, but also to reveal to the world what really happened there by saving from destruction thousands of official photographs taken by the SS. This is the little known story of how young photojournalist Francisco Boix, and others, proved the guilt of major Nazi figures with their acts of bravery.

Bundespräsident: Solidarität auch mit einem „Israel, das sich wehrt“

Bundespräsident Frank-Walter Steinmeier im März 2021 während einer Pressekonferenz mi dem israelischen Präsidenten Reuven Rivlin in Berlin | Bild: DPA
STEINMEIER UND BAS IN ISRAEL:
FRANKFURTER ALLGEMEINE ZEITUNG: Vor seinem Israelbesuch distanziert sich Frank-Walter Steinmeier von der zunehmend schärferen Kritik an Israels Vorgehen im Gazastreifen. Der Bundespräsident bekräftigt das Recht auf Selbstverteidigung.

Die beiden höchsten Vertreter Deutschlands reisen an diesem Sonntag nach Israel. Bundespräsident Frank-Walter Steinmeier und Bundestagspräsidentin Bärbel Bas führen dort politische Gespräche, treffen aber auch mit Angehörigen der Geiseln zusammen, die von der Hamas bei ihrem terroristischen Überfall auf Israel am 7. Oktober genommen wurden und deren Freilassung langsam vorankommt. Steinmeier sagte vor seinem Abflug, er fahre „gerade jetzt“ nach Israel, um das Land der fortgesetzten Solidarität Deutschlands zu versichern „nicht nur mit Israel als Opfer des Terrors, sondern auch als Israel, das sich wehrt“. » | Von Eckart Lohse | Sonntag, 26. November 2023

Ne-Yo : Link Up | Official Music Video

Sep 29, 2023 | Views on YouTube: 1,491,782

‘They Feel They Are Being Neglected’: Why Voters Turned to ‘Dutch Trump’ Geert Wilders

THE OBSERVER: In a pretty waterside town, residents applaud the veteran rightwinger’s stance on immigration, calling his success a ‘vote against the established order’

PVV leaders Geert Wilders is riding a wave of concern about immigration, housing and the cost of living. Photograph: Remko de Waal/ANP/AFP/Getty Images
In a shopping centre in Volendam, a fishing port north of Amsterdam, on Friday, there was satisfaction about far-right politician Geert Wilders having dominated last Wednesday’s Dutch elections. “It’s a really good thing,” said Pieter, who didn’t want to give a last name. “There’s a shortage of houses, people are still coming. The borders have to shut.”

In pretty Volendam, long a Wilders stronghold, the Party for Freedom (PVV) won 18.6% of votes. The jaws of politicians, political scientists and Wilders himself dropped open when early forecasts suggested a win of 37 seats – around a quarter of parliament and his largest share ever.

This blond politician sometimes called “the Dutch Trump” and known for his inflammatory comments on Islam, a criminal record for insulting Dutch Moroccans and being refused entry to Britain, has shocked the nation. According to provisional results, the veteran MP, who lives with 24-hour security after receiving death threats, is riding a wave of concern about immigration, housing, the cost of living and mistrust in governments after a string of scandals.

In a nearby cafe, Arjen, 57, said: “It’s a vote against the established order. They have made a mess of things.”

…

The Netherlands is known for low corruption, press freedom and moderation, but for the past two decades another current has been present: support for far-right parties. Anti-Islam Pim Fortuyn, murdered just before elections in 2002, created an eponymous party that won 26 seats and took part in government before falling apart. The far-right Forum for Democracy did well in provincial elections and became the biggest party in the Senate in 2019 before meeting a similar fate. According to Prof Tom Louwerse of Leiden University’s Institute of Political Science, the Dutch far right has polled on average 15% to 20% for the past decade. » | Senay Boztas in Volendam | Saturday, November 25, 2023

Geert Wilders is right about the dangers of Islam to the West, but he is wrong about Nexit.

Anyone who is not fearful of the growth of Islam in the West is either a naïve fool or is not paying attention. I have been warning about the dangers of Islam for very many years; for about thirty years to be more precise. I was warning of the dangers of Islam to the West back in the 90s! I have written a book on the dangers of Islam to the West — The Dawning of a New Dark Age — and I have blogged on the dangers of the religion/way of life for more than twenty years. This blog was originally called A New Dark Age Is Dawning. So, let me be absolutely clear: Islam IS a danger to our Western way of life. So don’t be too quick to condemn Geert Wilders! He is right on this matter. He is more extreme than I am. I am not far right; my politics is moderate. But being moderate and liberal does not mean that I am unaware of the dangers of Islam to the way of life I was raised to enjoy; and to the way of life most of you people were raised to enjoy, too.

Unless one has lived in an Islamic country, it really is difficult to explain clearly what is at stake here, to draw people attention to the dangers we face.

Having contact with the Islamic world has cost me dear. I went to the Middle East, to Saudi Arabia, to make money, but I lost money there! I left there having been cheated out of even the money the system owed me. Saudi Arabia pays gazillions to sports stars sports-washing. I wish they’d pay me back the millions they owe me first! I have suffered greatly as a result of what was done to me by the system.

Islam is tightening its grip on the West. It is subtle, but it is happening. However, our politicians are letting it happen; and in so doing, they are letting us down. The Conservatives are every bit as bad as the Socialists. Show both sides a few bob, and blind eyes are turned! And this is one of the main reasons why islam is gaining ground. Muslims know that Westerners will prostitute themselves and sell off all assets to make a quick buck. Preserving their heritage means nothing to them, especially when money can be made. Muslims, however, are different. Muslims love money, of course; but the proliferation of Islam and growing the influence of their prophet must always come first. Put simply, that is one of the main reasons why the Islamic world is far stronger than the so-called Judæo-Christian West.

Wake up! – © Mark Alexander

Smoking Is Sexy. Smoking Is Cool. Smoking Is Pleasurable. Cigarettes Are Not Cocaine.

Many thanks to Pinterest for this great photo of this handsome smoker.
STOP this war on smoking. Smoking is still one of the daily pleasures of life for so many people. And bring those taxes on tobacco and cigarettes down precipitously! A.S.A.P.

A Couple of Stylish Flappers in the 20s

Un couple de lesbiennes s'amusant et profitant également de la belle vie dans les années 1920
With many thanks to Etsy on Pinterest for this delightful photo from the past.

Rudy Rochman: Healing Palestinian Hate (Coming from Jews)

Feb 7, 2023 | Moments before the first rockets hit Jerusalem in May initiating the summer conflict of 2021, The Home (HaBayit) activists were engaging with different voices on the streets of Jerusalem about the future of the Land and its inhabitants.

A passionate conversation was sparked with young Israeli teenagers as they were challenged on their perspective on the conflict and future. Unfortunately, both the Israeli & Palestinian youth have been brought into a world with an ongoing conflict forcing both peoples to often see the other side as the enemy. Xenophobia usually stems from misinformation, negative experiences, or even a lack of positive experiences with another group. This is why it is so important to begin humanizing both sides, engaging with each other, and learning the other narrative/identity/experience/aspirations in order to have a more inclusive vision of what the future must look like.

Israelis who hate Arabs/Palestinains are a minority, but they very much so do exist. It is the responsibility of both peoples to also look within and to heal the elements of rejection that prevent or delay the unification of the Land and its inhabitants. The conversations had with Israelis who reject Palestinians are usually internal, but in this moment we were able to capture the conversation and upload it for all to understand how deep the trauma runs, and how much we can grow out of this reality if we begin to invest our energies in healing and building, rather than rejecting and attacking.

The Mystery Surrounding the Suspicious Deaths of Russian Oligarchs | 60 Minutes Australia

Nov 26, 2023 | Russian oligarchs and prominent politicians are suddenly dying - falling out of windows, getting poisoned or being involved of a plane crash. Before their deaths, they happen to have spoken out against Russian leader Vladimir Putin. But their deaths have not been traced back to the regime.

Ne-Yo : One In A Million | Official Music Video

Sep 3, 2010 | | Views on YouTube: 333,361,027

The Way Things Were

True love
With many thanks to Pinterest for this truly beautiful picture of two men in love. Steamy memories of the heat of summer.

Tory Concern Grows over Potential Sale of Telegraph Titles to Abu Dhabi

THE OBSERVER: Former Telegraph editor Charles Moore among those to condemn bid for the Conservative party’s paper of choice

The Daily Telegraph, along with the Sunday Telegraph and the Spectator, has been targeted by Abu Dhabi’s royal family. Photograph: Martin Godwin/The Guardian
Tory MPs are used to poring over the pages of the Telegraph titles for evidence of whose political fortunes are up or down in the party’s papers of choice. Now, however, senior Conservatives are more worried about the increasingly fraught battle for the publications’ ownership than with what appears on their pages.

There is growing backbench unease over an Abu Dhabi-backed bid that appears to be the leading contender to seize the newspapers and the weekly Spectator.

And this weekend the grand figure of Lord (Charles) Moore entered the fray. In an urgent plea issued on the radio and in an opinion piece in the Daily Telegraph itself, Moore, who has edited all three of the British titles now on sale, argued that a media purchase of such significance by a Gulf state would be dangerous.

“The Telegraph and the Spectator are great British institutions. They should not be controlled by a foreign power,” he wrote. Moore added that the deal would in effect give control to Abu Dhabi’s ruling family, which is very different from the simple sale of a commercial asset to an individual owner.

…

But in the run-up to Thursday’s Cop28 climate change summit in Dubai – like Abu Dhabi, one of the United Arab Emirates (UAE) – Rishi Sunak’s government clearly sees greater financial links with the UAE as an aim, rather than a risk. So tomorrow the prime minister is to host financiers from Abu Dhabi for a global investment summit at Hampton Court Palace. » | Vanessa Thorpe and Michael Savage | Sunday, November 26, 2023

If this sale goes ahead, it will be a case of TWATS AT THE TOP! Only a fool would sell off our media to the anyone in the Islamic world! If this sale goes ahead, the Islamisation of the United Kingdom will be turbo-charged! Are these people who are contemplating this ridiulous and dangerous sale right in the head? One of the first ways of gaining control of the narrative of a nation is by gaining control of its media. This is elementary. Doesn't Rishi Sunak understand this basic fact? Is the acceleration of the Islamisation of the UK going to be Sunak's legacy? The man is a fool! He worries about and wants to put a stop to young people being able to buy a fag, but he doesn't care about the country he is supposed to love so much being Islamised!

If this sale goes ahead, this country will have reached the point of no return. As a nation, we will have crossed the Rubicon! UNDER NO CIRCUMSTANCES SHOULD THIS SALE GO AHEAD. Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan will be the buyer and that will be the beginning of the end of press freedom in this country. The beginning of the end of press freedom and the beginnning of the Islamisation of this country in earnest. Gay rights will become a thing of the past. Muhammad will become this nation's prophet and Jesus will be relegated to prophethood. Allah will become our god. Sunak is already determined to take people's right to smoke away. If this sale goes ahead, people's right to drink alcohol and eat pork will be next on the list to be taken away!

This country, post-Brexit, has taken leave of its senses! It is losing its mind! Jesus Christ Almighty! Help! – © Mark Alexander

Rishi Sunak Goes It Alone on Smoking as New Zealand Ditches Nanny State Gigarette Ban

YAHOO! SPORT: Rishi Sunak is facing fresh demands to axe his “nanny state” smoking ban after the flagship policy that it followed was torn up by the New Zealand government.

The Prime Minister announced a phased ban on cigarettes last month, with the age of sale rising by one year every year from 2027 onwards under the plans.

But Conservative MPs urged him to change course after New Zealand’s recently elected coalition government tore up the country’s own proposals to prohibit anyone born after 2008 from ever buying tobacco.

Christopher Luxon, the incoming prime minister, confirmed he would abolish legislation passed by Jacinda Ardern, one of his Left-wing predecessors, in December last year, shortly before Ms Ardern’s unexpected departure from politics.

While Downing Street insisted it was “committed” to pressing ahead with the smoking ban – which it now looks set to become the only country in the world to introduce – senior Tory backbenchers called on Mr Sunak to think again.

Seeing common sense

Philip Davies, the MP for Shipley, said: “I commend the New Zealand government for seeing common sense, and I very much hope the UK Government will follow suit. » | Dominic Penna | Friday, November 24, 2023

It is encouraging to see that New Zealand is ditching Jacinda Adern's silly smoking ban for the young. It was a hare-brained idea from the very start. It was also undemocratic and a policy typical of policies a Nanny State would introduce. It is socialist and meddlesome at its very core.

The politically-naïve Rishi Sunak will also have to abandon this stupid policy. It is totally unworkable. Especially in an international world. What, for example, would happen if one of these young people went abroad to work or vacation and took up the smoking habit whilst abroad, then returned to the UK? Does Rishi Sunak have plans to jail such people for enjoying a puff? Or what other plans does he have for them in his health Utopia? Moreover, what will happen if a person marries someone from abroad who already smokes and where smoking is legal for a person of that age? Sunak clearly hasn't properly thought through this ludicrous policy. Further, introducing such a stupid ban will bring with it no end of policing and enforcing difficulties. Stupid is as stupid does. – © Mark Alexander

In Conversation with John Anderson: The Russian Psyche | Konstantin Kisin

Apr 29, 2022 | John is joined by Konstantin Kisin, himself Russian by descent, for a conversation about the Russian mindset, popular support for President Putin, the Western response to and coverage of the conflict in Ukraine, Western resilience, the role of satire in public discourse, and much more.

Konstantin Kisin is a Russian-British comedian, podcaster, writer and social commentator. He made international headlines in 2018 by refusing to sign a university “behavioural agreement form” which banned jokes about religion, atheism and insisted that all humour must be “respectful and kind”.

Rupert Everett Explores 50 Years of LGBT Progress in Great Britain | Absolute Documentaries

May 4, 2023 | Fifty years after the decriminalization of homosexuality in Great Britain, actor Rupert Everett examines the evolution of both the gay community and public opinion toward gay people.

BEWARE: This documentary is not suitable for the faint-hearted, narrow-minded, or for the overly religious. Furthermore, and more importantly, it is NOT suitable for children. I’m asking even myself if I am old enough to watch it!– Mark

Mosab Hassan Yousaf: “Hamas Is a Disease” | #shorts

Hamas is bad news.
Hamas: Shits with billions! – Mark

Dimitris Dishes: Spinach & Feta Pull-apart Bread Rolls (Spanakopita-flavored)

Nov 16, 2021

Get the recipe here.

En direct, Gaza : 13 otages israéliens et 7 étrangers, ainsi que 39 prisonniers palestiniens, seront libérés ce soir, affirment le Hamas et le Qatar

LE MONDE : Un peu plus tôt, la branche armée du mouvement islamiste avait annoncé retarder la libération d’otages « jusqu’à ce qu’Israël respecte l’accord », lui reprochant en particulier des manquements dans l’acheminement de l’aide humanitaire. LIVE EN COURS » | samedi 25 novembre 2023

It Would Be Unforgivable to Allow Abu Dhabi to Nationalise the Telegraph and Spectator

THE TELEGRAPH: Rishi Sunak might fear upsetting Arab friends, but these are great British institutions whose future is now in doubt

joined this newspaper in 1979 and have subsequently edited all the three titles in its stable – The Spectator, The Sunday Telegraph and The Daily Telegraph. I remain on the staff. I have therefore reached that stage in life when kind younger people, trying to make conversation, say, “You must have seen a few changes, then!”

I have. They include the defeat of the print unions in the 1980s, the consequent new technology and business success, the rise of the internet and the conquest of print by digital. This has involved frequent meetings with triumph and disaster of the sort Kipling recognised in his famous poem.

As the editor at most of these junctures, I have also seen changes of ownership. I am familiar with the process by which one commanding and successful owner gets into difficulties and finds that he (it has always been men) must cede control to another.

This has happened with the ownership of the Telegraph Group by the Barclay family. From the editorial point of view, they were good proprietors, in that they did not tell their editors what to write.

They also did not tell their editors, however, that they had put up their titles as collateral against big debts. This summer, in a controversial move, Lloyds Bank, angry that the Barclays’ debt to them was not being repaid, put the papers (which are profitable) into receivership. That was a change I had not seen before. » | Charles Moore | Friday, November 24, 2023

This is an excellent article. I agree with Charles Moore’s sentiments absolutely.

It is an outrage that these newspapers and publications could be sold to the UAE. First of all, is every damn thing in the UK now for sale to the highest bidder? Is nothing sacred? Can’t we Brits keep anything British anymore?

Secondly, and every bit as important: selling our press to the Islamic world is a sure fire way of getting rid of press freedom. It is also a fast track to the Islamisation of the UK.

To use Margaret Thatcher’s famous words: No! No! No! – © Mark Alexander

A related article here with a further comment from me.

Billion Dollar Fraud on the Internet | DW Documentary

Nov 24, 2023 | Interest-based investment portals on the Internet are one of the biggest scams of our time. People sign up, hoping to invest. Instead, they are cheated out of billions. In Germany alone, thousands of victims have fallen victim to their own gullibility.

Filmmakers Niklas Resch and Caroline Uhl meet with victims and investigators, then track down some of the perpetrators behind the scams. They discover that trying to put a stop to this kind of fraud is like tilting at windmills. Moreover: Victims and perpetrators may have more in common than they think.

Ulrike Schneider was cheated out of a lot of money. Ironically, she lost over 10,000 euros because she tried to do a good job investing her savings. She invested money with an online financial portal called TradeInvest90 because it promised good profits in a short time. What Schneider did not suspect: The portal was run by an international gang of fraudsters.

In the film, we also meet Adrian. In his late 20s, he was living in Kosovo with hardly any money. So when he received an offer for a well-paid call center job, he jumped at it. But he quickly realized that his job was illegal. His job was to pretend to be a financial market expert for portals such as TradeInvest90 - and thus to take money from German-speaking investors such as Ulrike Schneider over the phone.

Adrian and his colleagues bilked their victims out of millions - and earned enormous sums themselves. The head of this gang of fraudsters has become a multi-millionaire. He shamelessly squanders the savings of his victims.

The fraud continued for several years until investigators from the State Criminal Police Office in Saarbrücken put a stop to the gang - following a complex investigation. But others continue to steal vast sums of money using the same scam to this day.

The filmmakers have succeeded in providing a deep insight into the innermost workings of a highly organized gang of fraudsters. For the first time, the film shows original material from inside the call center. The documentary contrasts the views and motives of victims, perpetrators and investigators - and shows the psychological mechanisms at work in both the deceived and the deceivers.

Erbe Österreich - Die Habsburg-Connection - Das geheimnisvolle Königshaus bei Wiener Neustadt

Sep 23, 2023 | Das Netzwerk der Habsburger reichte weit, auch tief in die Herrscherfamilien an sich verfeindeter Länder hinein. Die "Habsburg Connection" hinterließ ihre Spuren im Süden von Wien, im Raum Wiener Neustadt. Denn hier in Frohsdorf residierten die Angehörigen von französischen Exil-Königen, etwa der Thronprätendent Henri d'Artois, der in diesem Schloss zum neuen französischen König erzogen wurde, eine geplante Karriere, die dann allerdings der Lauf der Geschichte vereitelte.

Think Style! Think 80s Armani!

Quintessentially Armani
With many thanks to permanentstyle.com on Pinterest for this superb exemplar of cool elegance from the 80s.
Permanent Style »

Hypocrisy! Greta Thunberg: “I Own 100 Private Jets” | #shorts

That’s very environmentally friendly, I must say! Don’t do as I do; do as I say!

Does Israel Have a Right to Exist? | #shorts

Rudi Rochman explains why it does.

Spanish and Belgian Prime Ministers Call for Permanent Ceasefire in Gaza at Rafah Crossing

Nov 24, 2023 | Spain and Belgium's prime ministers called for a 'permanent ceasefire' on Friday at the Rafah border crossing, welcoming a four-day truce that paused fighting between Israel and Hamas. 'It is absolutely necessary to establish a lasting humanitarian ceasefire to reverse the catastrophic situation that the people of the [Gaza] Strip are going through,' said Spain’s prime minister, Pedro Sánchez. Alexander De Croo, Belgium's prime minister, echoed Sánchez, saying: 'The destruction of Gaza is unacceptable. We cannot accept that a society is being destroyed the way it is being destroyed'

Michael Lambert: Net Immigration Reaches 754,000 as Taxes Are Highest since the 1950's

Nov 25, 2023 | In 2022 immigration into the UK reached 1.2 million whilst 508,000 people left giving a net immigration total of 754,000. This compares with a total 0f 226,000 in 2019 which Boris Johnson promised to reduce in the Conservative Party manifesto. 91% of these immigrants are from non-EU countries headed by India, Nigeria and China.

Jeremy Hunt , the chancellor of the exchequer, in his autumn statement, announced a cut in the rate of National Insurance of 2p which will cost approximately £19 billion. He also confirmed that government departments with the exception of Defence and Health will have their budgets frozen thereby saving around £19 bilion.

Income tax thresholds are also being frozen which will result in most people paying more tax and the Treasury benefitting to the tune of around £10 billion per annum.

This was all hailed as the biggest tax cut since the 1980's and Hunt claimed that the UK economy had turned a corner.

Rishi Sunak has told the Covid19 enquiry that scientist were consulted including Chris Witty and Patrick Vallance before he announced his Eat Out To Help Out scheme which is believed to have been responsible for thousands on unnecessary deaths.

Willy, Vallance and Jonathan Van Tam have all given evidence under oath that they were not advised in advance and would have opposed the scheme had they been asked.

Ein kurzer Blick ins Paradies | #shorts

Nachdem Gott die Schweiz erschaffen hatte, warf er die Form weg!

‘A Brexit Moment’: Dutch Voters Digest Geert Wilders’ Shock Election Win

GUARDIAN EUROPE: We hear from across the political spectrum as far-right populist begins talks to form government

The far-right PVV leader, Geert Wilders, attends a meeting with other party leaders for coalition talks on Friday. Photograph: Remko de Waal/EPA
The party of the Netherlands’ outgoing prime minister, Mark Rutte, has said it will not go into government with the anti-Islam populist Geert Wilders after this week’s shock election result.

Wilders’ far-right Freedom party (PVV) won 37 seats, more than doubling its representation in parliament to become the largest party.

As coalition talks begin, six voters in the Netherlands from across the political spectrum share their hopes and concerns for the future. » | Clea Skopeliti | Saturday, November 25, 2023

Rudy Rochman: On the Front Lines against Hamas and Antisemitism | Manhattan Jewish Experience (MJE)

Oct 22, 2023 | As we await the next steps in Israel's war against Hamas, Rabbi Wildes is joined by activist, filmmaker, and IDF reservist Rudy Rochman from an undisclosed location to discuss whether this war is going to end differently than past wars with the final destruction of Hamas, whether the Palestinian civilians are truly innocent, how Diaspora Jews can fight back against Hamas supporters on college campuses, and what we as Jews can do to finally alleviate the world of antisemitism.

Israeli Hostages Released by Hamas | BBC News

Nov 24, 2023 | Twenty-four hostages have been released by Hamas and are now back in Israel. Among them are 13 Israelis, 10 Thais and one Filipino, says Qatar, which has been mediating negotiations between Israel and Hamas.

The Israelis include four children - aged two, four, six and nine - as well as an 85-year-old woman.

Palestinian women and teenagers held by Israel have also been released to the West Bank as part of the deal.

Der nette Herr Wilders

Geert Wilders am Freitag in Den Haag | Bild: REUTERS
WAHLSIEGER IN DEN NIEDERLANDEN
FRANKFURTER ALLGEMEINE ZEITUNG: Geert Wilders will jetzt die Niederlande regieren. Er zeigt sich plötzlich moderat. Aber kann er aus seiner Haut heraus?

Wenn man regieren wolle, sagte Geert Wilders Ende Oktober, müsse „man Wasser in den Wein kippen“. Der Vorsitzende der Partei für die Freiheit, kurz PVV, träumte davon, in einem rechten Kabinett „mitzuregieren“. Drei Wochen später hat er die Parlamentswahl in den Niederlanden gewonnen. Nicht einfach so, sondern haushoch. Jetzt geht es nicht mehr ums Mitmachen. Der Rechtspopulist, sechzig Jahre alt, will Ministerpräsident werden.

„Wir werden nicht über Moscheen, Korane und islamische Schulen sprechen“, kündigte er am Wahlabend an. „Wir werden über unsere Agenda der Hoffnung sprechen und über einen Asylstopp verhandeln.“ Also: Wasser in den Wein. Damit will er jetzt die Rechtsliberalen von Dilan Yeşilgöz und die neue Partei des abtrünnigen Christdemokraten Pieter Omtzigt für sich gewinnen. Gemeinsam hätten sie eine klare Mehrheit in der Abgeordnetenkammer. Doch beide Parteiführer haben Vorbehalte. Sie kennen den Kollegen lange genug, um ihm zu misstrauen. Yeşilgöz legte sich am Freitag fest: Ihre Partei werde nicht in ein Kabinett unter Wilders eintreten, sei aber bereit, eine Mitte-Rechts-Regierung zu tolerieren. » | Von Thomas Gutschker, Brüssel | Samstag, 25. November 2023

Um weiter lesen zu dürfen, muß man abonnierten sein. Zur Zeit, gibt es ein Black Week Sonderangebot. Um davon zu profitieren, klicken Sie hier »

En direct, guerre en Ukraine : Kiev a subi cette nuit « l’attaque de drones russes la plus massive » depuis le début du conflit, selon les autorités ukrainiennes

LE MONDE : L’armée de l’air ukrainienne et le président, Volodymyr Zelensky, ont dénoncé l’envoi de plus 70 engins lancés du territoire russe. « La majorité des drones ont été abattus, mais pas tous », a précisé M. Zelensky. Au moins cinq personnes ont été blessées, selon le maire de la capitale. LIVE EN COURS » | samedi 25 novembre 2023

I Thought I Knew Royal Greed – but King Charles Profiting from the Assets of the Dead Is a Disgusting New Low

THE GUARDIAN: For decades, parliament has been far too lenient about the royal family’s finances. This avaricious practice needs to end

‘Over the centuries, the royals have continually bleated poverty and demanded more money from the taxpayer.’ Photograph: Reuters
As a royal author, I have come across plentiful examples of royal greed. It is standard practice for the royals to seek to minimise their personal expenditure while maximising their income from other sources, normally the public purse.

But the revelation that King Charles III’s personal slush fund, the Duchy of Lancaster, is having its already bulging coffers augmented by the estates of people who die in parts of England with historical links to the royal estate plumbs new depths of disgusting avarice.

Like many so-called traditions, the feudal hangover that is bona vacantia should have been consigned to the dustbin of history centuries ago, but it has been all too tempting for successive royals to preserve this royal fruit machine that pays out again and again. Over the past 10 years, it has collected more than £60m.

Under this system, the Duchy of Cornwall, owned by Prince William, can claim the assets of people who die in Cornwall intestate – without a will – if no relatives can be found. Charles’s Duchy of Lancaster does the same when their last known residence is within what was historically known as Lancashire county palatine. » | Norman Baker | Friday, November 24, 2023

As I have said before, it’s a case of gold, diamonds, emeralds, rubies and sapphires for the royal family, and millions upon millions and millions per annum in pounds, but for the people, a few crumbs will have to do. And you’re lucky to get a few of those! Scratch around under your master’s table; collect what you can! According to French legend, at least Marie Antoinette had the generosity of spirit to tell the French peasants to eat cake!

Many years ago, I had the privilege of living for four years in Zürich, Switzerland. And what a great privilege that was! And what an eye-opener, too! A far superior way of life; and a far superior mentality as well. I so wish that this country could be run like Switzerland is run. There, it is taken for granted that it is not only the privileged few who deserve to live the good life. La dolce vita is afforded the many.

I have never heard of the working poor in Switzerland having to go to food banks to put food on the table for their young children. Nor have I heard of people being homeless and sleeping rough on the streets. So, if the Swiss are able to achieve such high standards, why can’t we?

There is something so grotesque and repulsive seeing a few people at the top of our society being able to live in grand splendour whilst the rest of us are expected simply to look on, fawn, and be grateful for small mercies.

One would have thought that in the twenty-first century, things would have turned out differently. I am not actually a republican, but when it comes to royalty, the government (of whatever stripe and hue) can find no end of money; yet when it comes, for example, to the triple lock, it is said to be unsustainable. Unsustainability is not a problem, however, when it comes to the finincing of the super-privileged lifestyles of the royal family.

This is the sad state of our once proud, Imperial nation. – © Mark Alexander

The Night of Long Knives - Hitler's Rise to Power | Parts 1 & 2 | Free Documentary | History

Dec 16, 2022 | The Night of the Long Knives is considered the first act of horror committed by the Nazis. What happened in Germany, and in Hitler's rise to power, that led to this organized purge in 1934? Caught between the conservative tendency and the revolutionary aspirations dividing the country, the Chancellor had to choose a side. Hitler intended to send a clear message to calm the rumors of a military coup against him.


Es erstaunt mich immer wieder, daß das deutsche Volk, welches so hochintelligent und kultiviert war, dazumal von diesem Scheusal aufgenommen worden war. – © Mark Alexander

'Extraordinary Demonisation' of the Public in Dublin Following Riots over Stabbings

Nov 24, 2023 | Author Douglas Murray slams the “extraordinary demonisation” of the public by politicians and others following riots in Dublin over the stabbing of five people, allegedly by an illegal immigrant.

“It’s appalling watching people riot like this and burning down cars and buses, particularly in Dublin where everyone has a memory of that sort of thing happening in not too distant memory,” Mr Murray told Sky News host Rita Panahi.

“Ireland, by the way, doesn’t seem to be a country which needed a fresh ethno-religious conflict to be inserted into it. “But there we go, the brilliance of the politicians in this generation have managed just that.

“The demonisation of the public reminds me of just so many times this has happened before.”

Rudy Rochman: What a Somali Thinks of Jews

May 11, 2023 | On a trip to Dubai and while recording some street interviews, two Somalians yelled across the street that they wanted to be a part of our video, even though they didn’t know the subject matter of the video.

When we got closer, only one wanted to participate, and he was not expecting to meet the first Jew of his life!

It’s clear that his views on Jews comes from deep ‘manipulations’ and years of misinformation, but the reality that must be faced is that this is the norm in many countries like Somalia.

Of course, this doesn’t represent all Somalians, but many societies have made it part of their popular culture to demonize the Jews. This video shows the problem we face as a people. Now it’s time to find a solution.

This video was recorded by Eliran Ben Yair.


If you like Rudy Rochman’s work, you can support him, his work and his team here.

Dublin Stabbings: Mass Immigration 'Without the Consent of the Irish People' | Kevin Meagher

Nov 24, 2023 | Kevin Meagher: A million migrants, there or thereabouts, have come and settled in Ireland over that last decade. It's been a massive social change, very, very quickly... Done without the electoral consent of the Irish people and it's created a very big backlash.

Sow the wind and reap the whirlwind!

Two very important changes in society spring immediately to mind here: one, the quality of our politicians; and two, women preferring to work and have careers instead of marrying and having babies.

Feminism has so much to answer for! So it must shoulder a lot of blame for the mess we see in society today. Fact number one is you can’t have both babies and careers; you either make babies or you make careers. It’s as simple as that. Fact number two is if you decide not to give birth, then the nation has to ‘import’ the workforce necessary to feed the economy with labour. We can see the rising tensions this causes. However nice foreigners are, these people have different values. If people’s values differ too much, tensions and sometimes violence ensue.

Fact number two is that the calibre of our politicians these days leaves much to be desired. So many politicians are elected to parliament in spite of a total lack of work experience. Many enter parliament straight from university. Moreover, the reason they go into politics is so often to make money for themselves and also to make a name for themselves, instead of making a contribution to the well-being of the nation. The other thing that is so glaringly wrong is the taking of second jobs whilst still an MP. How can a politician do his/her job as an MP properly when so much of their time is taken up by their commitments to their secondary employment? – © Mark Alexander

Muslime nach dem Wahlsieg Wilders: »Dies ist nicht das Land, in das ich mich verliebt habe«

Nov 24, 2023 | Tausende Niederländer sind gegen den rechtsnationalen Wahlsieger Geert Wilders auf die Straße gegangen. Muslime sorgen sich um ihre Zukunft, falls er Ministerpräsident wird. Das aber bleibt offen.

Hitler's Jewish Soldiers

Aug 23, 2021 | Many men who were partly of Jewish ancestry served in the German armed forces during WW2 - find out how and why they ended up in Hitler's army.

Dr. Mark Felton is a well-known British historian, the author of 22 non-fiction books, including bestsellers 'Zero Night' and 'Castle of the Eagles', both currently being developed into movies in Hollywood. In addition to writing, Mark also appears regularly in television documentaries around the world, including on The History Channel, Netflix, National Geographic, Quest, American Heroes Channel and RMC Decouverte. His books have formed the background to several TV and radio documentaries.

Smoking Pleasure

Rauchvergnügen / Le plaisir de fumer
With many thanks to Salvador on Pinterest for this great photo.

Ina Garten on Success, Home Cooking, and Internet Fame | BBC News

Nov 24, 2023 | Ina Garten – also known as the Barefoot Contessa – is an iconic American cook, author, and television personality.

The BBC’s Katty Kay visits Garten’s home in New York for a conversation about success, failure, and how Garten became one of the most influential figures in the culinary world.

You’re watching Influential with Katty Kay.

Dimitra’s Dishes: Keftedes Youvetsi: One-pan Baked Meatballs & Orzo Pasta

May 1, 2019 | Κεφτέδες γιουβέτσι

Get the recipe here.

WIKIPEDIA: Giouvetsi »

Here’s What We Know About the Israel-Hamas Deal

THE NEW YORK TIMES: Officials in Qatar, which helped broker the deal, said 13 hostages were expected to be released on Friday. An Israeli official said Palestinians in Israel’s custody would be freed first.

Flour being distributed in Khan Younis, in southern Gaza, on Wednesday. A temporary cease-fire between Israel and Hamas was expected to take effect on Friday. | Samar Abu Elouf for The New York Times
A deal between Israel and Hamas for a temporary cease-fire appeared to take effect on Friday. Here is a closer look at the agreement, mediated in part by Qatar, and how it is expected to play out.

What’s in the deal?

The agreement is for at least a four-day pause in hostilities. During that time, at least 50 women and children — from the roughly 240 people that Israeli officials say were abducted on Oct. 7 — were expected to be exchanged for 150 Palestinian women and minors imprisoned in Israeli jails.

The deal also includes an increase in humanitarian aid for Gaza, but Qatar’s foreign ministry did not release details. Hamas said Thursday that 200 trucks carrying relief supplies and four fuel trucks would enter the territory each day during the four-day pause. Israeli officials did not immediately comment.

Israel said its warplanes would not fly over southern Gaza for the duration of the cease-fire, and would not fly over the northern part of the territory for six hours each day.

How is it being carried out?

The pause had been scheduled to begin at 7 a.m. Gaza time (midnight Eastern) on Friday, Qatar’s foreign ministry spokesman, Majed al-Ansari said Thursday, which Hamas confirmed. Mr. al-Ansari said a first group of 13 hostages would then be released starting at 4 p.m., in exchange for an undisclosed number of Palestinian prisoners. » | Karen Zraick, Aaron Boxerman and Isabel Kershner | Published: Thursday, November 23, 2023; updated: Friday, November 24, 2023

Read in Simplified Chinese 阅读简体中文版 »

Read in Traditional Chinese 閱讀繁體中文版 »

Riots in Dublin Bring ‘Shame’ on Ireland, Prime Minister Says

THE NEW YORK TIMES: Officials have condemned violence that broke out in the capital after a knife attack. The police said 34 people were arrested and a police officer was seriously injured.

Riot police in Dublin on Thursday. | Clodagh Kilcoyne/Reuters
A violent clash between rioters and police in central Dublin on Thursday injured several police officers, one seriously, and prompted the arrests of 34 people, according to the Garda Síochána, the Irish police force.

Rioters set fire to police vehicles, destroyed public buses and looted or damaged more than a dozen shops, the Garda said. A mob had gathered in the city center following a knife attack that had seriously injured a female schoolteacher and three young children.

The escalating unrest appalled the authorities, who blamed a far-right faction for fueling tensions by spreading misinformation about the knife attack.

Unconfirmed speculation about the nationality of the knife-wielding attacker spread online in the hours after the stabbings, with one protester telling the Agence France-Presse news service that “Irish people are being attacked by these scum.” » | Isabella Kwai | Reporting from London | Friday, November 24, 2023

Die Holocaust-Überlebende Friedländer zu ihrer Rückkehr nach Deutschland | Markus Lanz vom 8.12.2021

Dec 9, 2023 | „Es gibt kein christliches Blut, kein jüdisches Blut, kein muslimisches Blut. Es gibt nur menschliches Blut!“ Diese Weltansicht versucht die mittlerweile 100 Jahre alte Margot Friedländer den Schülerinnen und Schülern in deutschen Schulen zu vermitteln. Sie ist eine der letzten Zeitzeugen des Zweiten Weltkriegs und dem damit tragisch verbundenen Holocaust.

Bei Markus Lanz erzählt sie ihre Erlebnisse der letzten Tage ihrer Gefangenschaft in dem Konzentrationslager Theresienstadt, bevor der Zweite Weltkrieg von den Alliierten Kräften beendet wurde. Erst in den letzten Tagen wurde den dort inhaftierten Juden klar, was in den Vernichtungslagern wie Auschwitz wirklich passiert ist. Bis dato sei das Wissen um die Massenermordung an den Juden ein großes Geheimnis gewesen. Die Nationalsozialisten hatten in den letzten Tagen versucht, ihre Gräueltaten vor den sowjetischen Truppen zu verbergen, indem die in Auschwitz Gefangenen nach Theresienstadt deportiert wurden.

„Niemals kann man vergessen, wie schrecklich diese Leute da ankamen.“ Teils nur in Lumpen kamen die Überlebenden aus Auschwitz an, wo nun auch den Gefangenen in Theresienstadt klar wurde, welches Schicksal sie erwartet hätte. Leid und Trauer seien ein täglicher Begleiter gewesen.

Doch in diesem Leid hatte sie auch ihren Mann kennengelernt, mit dem sie nach dem Ende des Zweiten Weltkriegs in die USA ausgewandert ist. Ein geteiltes Leid ließ die beiden eine Zukunft aufbauen, in der nicht immer Liebe dabei gewesen sei, aber eine tiefe Freundschaft sie für immer verbunden hatte.

Umso mehr verwundert es die jungen Schüler, dass Margot Friedländer mit ihren schlimmen Erzählungen doch den Entschluss gefasst hatte, wieder zurück nach Berlin zu ziehen. „Ich war zu Hause, als ich nach Berlin gekommen bin“, erklärt sie die Liebe zu ihrer Heimatstadt, die sie so lange Zeit nicht mehr gesehen hatte. Zusammen mit ihrem Umzug kam auch ihr Wunsch den Kindern ihre Geschichten zu erzählen und sie vor den Menschen zu warnen, die ein derartiges Gedankengut wie die Nationalsozialisten vertreten. „Ich will nicht, dass einer von euch so etwas erlebt!


Den gesamten Talk findet ihr hier.

Dublin Riots: Police Say More than 30 Arrested - BBC News

Nov 24, 2023 | Ireland's police chief says over 30 people were arrested during riots in Dublin on Thursday, following an earlier knife attack in the city centre which left four people injured.

More than a dozen shops were damaged or looted, Garda Commissioner Drew Harris said, and several police vehicles and three buses were destroyed. One police officer was seriously injured in the rioting and many more were hurt, Harris added.

The Commissioner described "huge destruction from a riotous mob", which police have blamed on a "lunatic, hooligan faction driven by far-right ideology".

Earlier on Thursday, police said a five-year-old girl was in emergency care following the knife attack. A woman in her 30s and two other children aged five and six were also injured.

Geert Wilders’ Victory Confirms Upward Trajectory of Far Right in Europe

THE GUARDIAN: Dutch general election results show how populist and far-right parties are advancing into political mainstream

Geert Wilders has softened his more hardline anti-Islamic language, apparently in hopes of his PVV party entering a coalition. Photograph: Hollandse Hoogte/Shutterstock
Geert Wilders’ shock victory in the Dutch general election confirms the upward trajectory of Europe’s populist and far-right parties, which – with the occasional setback – are continuing their steady march into the mainstream.

There is no guarantee that Wilders, whose anti-Islam Party for Freedom (PVV) won 37 seats in Wednesday’s ballot – more than twice its 2021 total – will be able to form a government with a majority in the Netherlands’ 150-seat parliament.

Even if he can, the coalition process of endless compromise and concession by three, four or more parties means the most extreme parts of his manifesto, from banning the Qur’an to holding a Nexit referendum, are not about to become government policy.

But there is now a fair chance that a party shunned by the mainstream for more than a decade because of its radically nativist views could, some time next year, join the ranks of the far-right parties advancing across much of Europe.

From Helsinki to Rome and Berlin to Brussels, far-right parties are climbing steadily up the polls, shaping the policies of the mainstream right to reflect their nativist and populist platforms, and occupying select ministerial roles in coalition governments. » | Jon Henley, Europe correspondent | Friday, November 24, 2023

The Guardian view on the Dutch election: Europe must learn from a lurch to the far right: Geert Wilders’ unforseen victory will not necessarily make him prime minister. But it is another wake-up call for progressive parties across the continent »

The Telegraph, the Autocracy and Free Speech: Can RedBird IMI Calm Media Fears?

THE GUARDIAN: One of the investors bidding for the paper is the vice-president of the UAE, which is ranked far down the press freedom index

The Daily Telegraph is more than 100 years older than the United Arab Emirates. Photograph: Luke MacGregor/Reuters
The United Arab Emirates has a mixed record on free speech. Detention of journalists is not uncommon and the nation ranked 145th out of 180 countries included in a press freedom index compiled by Reporters Without Borders.

Now a member of the ruling elite has set his sights on a UK newspaper whose roots can be traced back more than 100 years before the official creation of the Gulf state.

Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan, the UAE’s vice-president, best known in the UK for his ownership of Manchester City football club, has thrown his considerable financial heft behind RedBird IMI, an investment consortium looking to take control of the Telegraph and its stablemate, the Spectator magazine. » | Rob Davies | Friday, November 24, 2023

The prostitution and submission of the effete West to Islam and its ever-tightening grip on European nations will become increasingly felt if and when our press is sold off to über-rich potentates, to men who are in thrall to the power and influence of their version of the Almighty, to men who believe the final Messenger of God is Muhammad – a man whose apostleship has always been denied by the Christian West.

When a nation is no longer in control of its media and is sold off to Islamic powers, it won’t be long before press freedom will become a distant memory.

If this sale goes ahead, the acid test of press freedom will be criticism of Islam itself or of its prophet. – © Mark Alexander

Aux Pays-Bas, manifestations à Utrecht et Amsterdam contre l’extrême droite après la victoire de Geert Wilders

LE MONDE : Mercredi, le Parti pour la liberté (PVV), formation populiste et islamophobe conduite par M. Wilders, a remporté 37 sièges de députés sur les 150 de la Seconde Chambre, lors des législatives.

En scandant « Vous n’êtes pas seuls », un millier de personnes se sont rassemblées jeudi à Utrecht, dans l’ouest des Pays-Bas, pour protester contre la victoire surprise du candidat d’extrême droite Geert Wilders aux élections législatives néerlandaises mercredi. Une autre manifestation contre le parti d’extrême droite avait également lieu en soirée à Amsterdam.

Les membres des partis de gauche ont organisé la manifestation d’Utrecht « pour montrer aux Néerlandais que nous n’abandonnons jamais personne et que nous nous battons pour les droits de chacun », selon les organisateurs. » | Le Monde avec AFP | jeudi 23 novembre 2023

Revealed: King Charles Secretly Profiting from the Assets of Dead Citizens

THE GUARDIAN: Exclusive: Assets of thousands of people in north-west England used to upgrade king’s property empire via archaic custom

The diversion of bona vacantia funds has proven a financial boon to the king’s estate. Composite: Guardian Design/Francis Dias/Newspix International
The king is profiting from the deaths of thousands of people in the north-west of England whose assets are secretly being used to upgrade a commercial property empire managed by his hereditary estate, the Guardian can reveal.

The Duchy of Lancaster, a controversial land and property estate that generates huge profits for King Charles III, has collected tens of millions of pounds in recent years under an antiquated system that dates back to feudal times.

Financial assets known as bona vacantia, owned by people who died without a will or known next of kin, are collected by the duchy. Over the last 10 years, it has collected more than £60m in the funds. It has long claimed that, after deducting costs, bona vacantia revenues are donated to charities.

However, only a small percentage of these revenues is being given to charity. Internal duchy documents seen by the Guardian reveal how funds are secretly being used to finance the renovation of properties that are owned by the king and rented out for profit. » | Maeve McClenaghan, Rob Evans and Henry Dyer | Thursday, November 23, 2023

‘He would turn in his grave’: the dead whose assets went to King Charles’s estate: For those who die with no will or heirs in parts of England, the king’s estate claims their assets. Here are some of their stories »

How royal estates use bona vacantia to collect money from dead people: Latin term meaning ‘vacant goods’ relates to people who die without a will or known heirs »

Netherlands General Election: Anti-Islam Populist Wilders Seeks Coalition Partners after Shock Win

Nov 23, 2023 | Anti-Islam populist Geert Wilders said Thursday he is ready to join the next Dutch coalition government after he surged to a huge election victory that marked a stunning lurch to the far right for a nation once famed as a beacon of tolerance. FRANCE 24's European Affairs Editor Armen Georgian tells us more.

Finland Steps Up Border Closings in Dispute With Russia

THE NEW YORK TIMES: The escalation comes as Finland tries to address a rise in the arrivals of migrants and asylum seekers that officials blame on Moscow.

Finnish border guards escorting migrants at the international crossing with Russia near Salla, Finland, on Thursday. | Jussi Nukari/Lehtikuva, via Associated Press
Finland is closing all but one of its land border crossings with Russia, escalating a standoff between the two countries over an influx of migrants that Finnish officials blame on Moscow.

Starting on Friday, only the Raja-Jooseppi crossing in northern Lapland will stay open to travelers, while all seven other land crossings will be closed. Last week, Finland closed four of the entry points.

“Russia has sought for years to cause discord, to shake unity in Europe and to weaken the Western alliance and international rules-based order,” the Finnish prime minister, Petteri Orpo, said in a televised address to Parliament on Thursday. “Our national response must be clear and strong.”

He had previously said the situation at the border was deteriorating amid signs that the Russian authorities were helping asylum seekers make their way to the country.

“Finland cannot be influenced,” he said. “Finland cannot be shaken.” » | Johanna Lemola and Emma Bubola | Johanna Lemola reported from Helsinki, Finland, and Emma Bubola from London. | Thursday, November 23, 2023

1959 : Coco Chanel : "Les femmes sont toujours trop habillées" | Archive INA

Sep 16, 2020 | RTF | 06/02/1959 Première interview à la télévision de Mademoiselle Coco CHANEL sur la mode, sa prochaine collection, l'élégance, son don, son style et les imitations. A celle-ci succède une présentation des modèles de la collection 1959 par le mannequin vedette de Chanel, Marie-Hélène ARNAUD, et d'autres mannequins. Phrase finale de Mlle CHANEL dans l'escalier sur la collection présentée : "elle est déjà démodée, elle a une semaine".

Cocaine for Germany | DW Documentary

Nov 23, 2023 | Germany is flooded with cocaine. Since 2017, cocaine residue in Berlin's sewage has doubled. Since the pandemic, sales of cocaine across Germany have rocketed. The addictive potential of the drug is often underestimated and legal prohibitions do little to deter dealers or users.

This documentary sheds light on new international smuggling routes and methods that are causing ever greater problems for law enforcement agencies. One indication of the rising wave of cocaine: although the number of controls in Germany has stagnated, the amount seized has doubled in recent years. In early 2021, customs investigators in the port of Hamburg made the largest cocaine find in Germany and Europe to date: 16 tons. Where does the cocaine come from and who is profiting from its smuggling and sale?


I wish Rishi Sunak would watch this alarming documentary. All Sunak worries about is people enjoying a relatively harmless cigarette made of tobacco. The scourge of hard drugs like this is what I call problematic, not whether a person enjoys the occasional cigarette, or not. The man needs to get some perspective.

WARNING: Under no circumstances is this documentary suitable for children; unquestionably, it is suitable only for adults. – © Mark Alexander

Ich bin schwul und ich bin Christ | Timo bricht das Schweigen

Jun 30, 2019 | Timo hat lange ein Doppelleben geführt. Aus Angst, abgelehnt und ausgegrenzt zu werden. Nach außen hat er sich angepasst, engagierte sich als gläubiger Christ aktiv in der Gemeinde. Aber in seinem Inneren tobte ein Kampf: Zwischen Angst und Sehnsucht, zwischen christlicher Norm und seinen wahren Gefühlen. Erst mit 40 Jahren bricht Timo das Schweigen. Krasse Geschichten – Gottes Handschrift. Im Gespräch mit ungewöhnlichen Menschen. Schreib uns auf: info@openarms.ch

Ein verwandtes Video über Timo und seinen Kampf mit seiner sexuellen Orientierung befindet sich hier.

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

Oct 6, 2017 | Views on YouTube: 2,970,236

NZZ Format: Make-up, der grosse Bluff? (2002)

Nov 23, 2023 | Auf den Spuren der Schminkkunst: ein Blick hinter die Kulissen und Gedanken über die Bedeutung von Make-up in Beruf und Privatleben von Maria Becker, der grossen alten Dame des Schauspiels. Kosmetik und Medizin wachsen immer enger zusammen. Produkte im Schönheitsbereich sollen nicht nur der Verschönerung dienen, sie sollen die Haut pflegen und sogar medizinisch wirksam werden. Stichwort dazu ist eine Wortkreation der Schönheitsindustrie: Cosmeceuticals.

Was aber, wenn anstelle der Schönheit Pusteln aufblühen? Durch Schönheitsprodukte hervorgerufene Allergien und Intoleranzen gehören zum Alltag in der dermatologischen Abteilung jedes Spitals. In «NZZ Swiss made»: Nur die Kuh, die schweigt. Darf sie oder darf sie nicht? Kuhstyling in der Schweiz.

"He's Very Ambitious" - Can Saudi Crown Prince MBS Help Stabilize the Middle East?

Nov 19, 2023 | Patrick Bet-David and the Crown Prince of Iran, Reza Pahlavi, discuss the role of Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman (MBS) in fostering stability in the Middle East.

Number of Palestinians Killed Is ‘Truly Unbearable’, Says Spanish PM

THE GUARDIAN: Pedro Sánchez says all civilians must be protected in Israel-Hamas war and reiterates call for two-state solution

Spain’s prime minister, Pedro Sánchez, has urged Israel to rethink its offensive in Gaza, telling its president and prime minister the number of dead Palestinians is “truly unbearable”, and that the response to Hamas’s terrorist attacks last month cannot include “the deaths of innocent civilians, including thousands of children”.

Sánchez’s blunt pleas came during a visit to the Middle East with the Belgian prime minister, Alexander de Croo, during which he called for a peace conference and reiterated that the creation of a Palestinian state remained the best way to bring peace and security to the region.

Israel says 1,200 people were killed and 239 taken hostage when Hamas fighters crossed the border from Gaza on 7 October. According to the Hamas-run health ministry in Gaza, more than 14,100 people have been killed in Israel’s retaliatory strikes. (With video) » | Sam Jones | Thursday, November 23, 2023

Place Names and Their Etymological Link with Hebrew | #shorts

Some interesting facts about place names and their connection with Hebrew.

Farah Pahlavi (Official): Alireza Pahlavi 1966 – 2011 | با کمال تاسف و اندوهی جانگداز درگذشت شاهپور علیرضا پهلوی را به آگاهی هم میهنانمان می رسانیم

Jan 5, 2011 | It is with immense grief that we would like to inform our compatriots of the passing away of Prince Alireza Pahlavi. (با کمال تاسف و اندوهی جانگداز درگذشت شاهپور علیرضا پهلوی را به آگاهی هم میهنانمان می رسانیم) "His Imperial Highness Prince Ali Reza Pahlavi of Iran, son of the late Shah of Iran and Empress Farah Pahlavi, passed away in the early hours of January 4th, in Boston. He is survived by his mother, Empress Farah Pahlavi, his older brother Reza, his sister Farahnaz, and his half-sister Shahnaz.

Born in Tehran on July 28th 1966, Ali Reza attended schools in Iran before traveling to the United States during the Iranian revolution in 1979. He obtained a BA from Princeton University in 1984, a Masters Degree from Columbia University in 1992 and attended Harvard University in pursuit of a PhD. in Ancient Iranian Studies. Prince Ali Reza was intelligent, sensitive, loyal, and dedicated to Iranian civilization, as well as to his family and friends. His counsel, wisdom and sense of humor will be profoundly missed and always cherished.


R.I.P.

Halloumi Nuggets with Sweet & Sour Sauce | Akis Petretzikis

Nov 23, 2023

Get the recipe here.