THE OBSERVER: As public trust falls, No 10 insists on dictating a national response to coronavirus; local leaders believe that they can do better
When he addressed the nation on 23 March to announce a national lockdown, Boris Johnson knew he had most of the British people with him. “Each and every one of us is now obliged to join together to halt the spread of this disease,” the prime minister said in his TV broadcast. “We will beat the coronavirus and we will beat it together.”
Six and a half months on, as he prepares to announce the introduction of more restrictions and a new three-tier system across the country – at what ministers say is a “critical” moment – hospitals are filling up and death rates are rising once more.
Unlike March, however, calls for the British people to unite behind a response directed from No 10 no longer command the attention or respect they did then. The many changes in rules and regulations have left people confused and choosing to rely on their own instincts as much as on what politicians tell them. » | Toby Helm, Political editor | Sunday, October 11, 2020
Sunday, October 11, 2020
Portugal's Islamic/Moorish Influence
In this documentary, we uncover the influence that 500 years of Muslim occupation had on Portugal and Portuguese culture. We visit some important sights and hear from Portuguese people regarding their views on this significant part of their history. Despite being overlooked at times, the Islamic occupation, known as its Moorish past, has had a huge impact on Portugal.
While in Spain, the seven centuries of Muslim rule is very well-known, in Portugal it typically goes unnoticed. Despite being overlooked at times, the Islamic occupation, known as its Moorish past, has had a huge impact on Portugal.
The Muslims invaded present-day Portugal in the year 711 and established their capital in what is modern day "Silves". A significant part of this documentary takes us to Silves, which is still one of the best places in Portugal to see the influence of the Muslim period. Silves was the main access route to the inland areas of the Algarve, and the Silves castle, which was built by the Almoravid Arabs in the 11th century, is the best preserved and most significant castle in the region. One of Portugal's main tourist attractions are its the beautiful beaches in the Algarve region. The name Algarve itself is derived from the Arabic word "al-Gharb", meaning the West. Portugal was the most Western part of the Muslim Empire and it was officially referred to as al-Gharb al-Andalus, meaning West of Al-Andalus. Nowadays Al-Andalus is often referred to as Muslim Spain, or Islamic Iberia.
It is not just the physical monuments which make Portugal’s Muslim past evident, but you can also find it in the country’s language and culture, even though the entire Reconquest centred around getting rid of Islamic influence altogether. Some Arabic words have permanently entered the Portuguese language, words for sugar, rice, olive oil, lettuce, village, the West and many others. Even Portugal’s most popular holiday spot, Albufeira, gets its name from Arabic, having then been called (Albuhayra) which means the lake in Arabic. The journey also takes us to Sintra, among other places, where the massive Moorish Castle stands. It was built by Muslims between the 9th and 10th centuries, the castle was vital in order to protect its population.
The southernmost region of Portugal was finally conquered by Christians and taken away from the Muslims in 1249, and in 1255 the capital shifted to Lisbon. Neighbouring Spain would not complete its Reconquista until 1492.
While in Spain, the seven centuries of Muslim rule is very well-known, in Portugal it typically goes unnoticed. Despite being overlooked at times, the Islamic occupation, known as its Moorish past, has had a huge impact on Portugal.
The Muslims invaded present-day Portugal in the year 711 and established their capital in what is modern day "Silves". A significant part of this documentary takes us to Silves, which is still one of the best places in Portugal to see the influence of the Muslim period. Silves was the main access route to the inland areas of the Algarve, and the Silves castle, which was built by the Almoravid Arabs in the 11th century, is the best preserved and most significant castle in the region. One of Portugal's main tourist attractions are its the beautiful beaches in the Algarve region. The name Algarve itself is derived from the Arabic word "al-Gharb", meaning the West. Portugal was the most Western part of the Muslim Empire and it was officially referred to as al-Gharb al-Andalus, meaning West of Al-Andalus. Nowadays Al-Andalus is often referred to as Muslim Spain, or Islamic Iberia.
It is not just the physical monuments which make Portugal’s Muslim past evident, but you can also find it in the country’s language and culture, even though the entire Reconquest centred around getting rid of Islamic influence altogether. Some Arabic words have permanently entered the Portuguese language, words for sugar, rice, olive oil, lettuce, village, the West and many others. Even Portugal’s most popular holiday spot, Albufeira, gets its name from Arabic, having then been called (Albuhayra) which means the lake in Arabic. The journey also takes us to Sintra, among other places, where the massive Moorish Castle stands. It was built by Muslims between the 9th and 10th centuries, the castle was vital in order to protect its population.
The southernmost region of Portugal was finally conquered by Christians and taken away from the Muslims in 1249, and in 1255 the capital shifted to Lisbon. Neighbouring Spain would not complete its Reconquista until 1492.
Spain Becomes Cannabis Hub as Criminals Fill Tourism Void
THE OBSERVER: With high profit margins and low risk of long jail time, Catalonia is now the marijuana capital of Europe, police warn
The decor is nightclub chic meets Turkish opium den. The lighting, soft pink and electric blue. And, were it not for the sweet waft of marijuana, it could be the lobby of a Las Vegas boutique hotel. In fact, it’s one of Barcelona’s 156 cannabis clubs, known as asociaciónes.
The idea was a quiet place where you could buy and smoke marijuana, often grown by members, and only on the premises, but many are now businesses and, police say, fronts for drug mafias. With the collapse of tourism, the cannabis business is one of very few thriving in Catalonia, but beyond the low lights and chilled vibe of the associations, darker forces are in play. An internal report by the Mossos d’Esquadra, the Catalan police, claims “Catalonia is the epicentre of Europe’s illegal marijuana market” and has become a net exporter of cannabis to other European countries. » | Stephen Burgen in Barcelona | Sunday, October 11, 2020
The decor is nightclub chic meets Turkish opium den. The lighting, soft pink and electric blue. And, were it not for the sweet waft of marijuana, it could be the lobby of a Las Vegas boutique hotel. In fact, it’s one of Barcelona’s 156 cannabis clubs, known as asociaciónes.
The idea was a quiet place where you could buy and smoke marijuana, often grown by members, and only on the premises, but many are now businesses and, police say, fronts for drug mafias. With the collapse of tourism, the cannabis business is one of very few thriving in Catalonia, but beyond the low lights and chilled vibe of the associations, darker forces are in play. An internal report by the Mossos d’Esquadra, the Catalan police, claims “Catalonia is the epicentre of Europe’s illegal marijuana market” and has become a net exporter of cannabis to other European countries. » | Stephen Burgen in Barcelona | Sunday, October 11, 2020
Republicans Express Fears Donald Trump Will Lose Presidential Election
THE GUARDIAN: Ted Cruz says he’s afraid of ‘bloodbath of Watergate proportions’ as John Cornyn slams Trump for ‘creating confusion’ over Covid
Ted Cruz fears an election “bloodbath”. His fellow top Republican senator Thom Tillis is talking in terms of a Joe Biden presidency. And even Mitch McConnell, the fiercely loyal Senate majority leader, won’t go near the White House over Donald Trump’s handling of coronavirus protocols.
Individually, they could arguably be seen as off-the-cuff comments from Trump’s allies attempting to rally support for the US president just days ahead of a general election that opinion polls increasingly show him losing.
But collectively, along with pronouncements from several other Republicans appearing to distance themselves from Trump, his administration and its policies, it reflects growing concern inside the Republican party’s top tier that 3 November could be a blowout win for Joe Biden and the Democrats.
“I think it could be a terrible election. I think we could lose the White House and both houses of Congress, that it could be a bloodbath of Watergate proportions,” Cruz, the junior senator for Texas and former vocal critic of Trump, said in an interview on CNBC’s Squawk Box on Friday. » | Richard Luscombe | Sunday, October 11, 2020
Ted Cruz fears an election “bloodbath”. His fellow top Republican senator Thom Tillis is talking in terms of a Joe Biden presidency. And even Mitch McConnell, the fiercely loyal Senate majority leader, won’t go near the White House over Donald Trump’s handling of coronavirus protocols.
Individually, they could arguably be seen as off-the-cuff comments from Trump’s allies attempting to rally support for the US president just days ahead of a general election that opinion polls increasingly show him losing.
But collectively, along with pronouncements from several other Republicans appearing to distance themselves from Trump, his administration and its policies, it reflects growing concern inside the Republican party’s top tier that 3 November could be a blowout win for Joe Biden and the Democrats.
“I think it could be a terrible election. I think we could lose the White House and both houses of Congress, that it could be a bloodbath of Watergate proportions,” Cruz, the junior senator for Texas and former vocal critic of Trump, said in an interview on CNBC’s Squawk Box on Friday. » | Richard Luscombe | Sunday, October 11, 2020
Berliner Barbetreiber klagen gegen Sperrstunde
Bernie Sanders: Our Healthcare System Is 'Dysfunctional, Cruel and Wasteful’ | MSNBC
Donald Trump's Guide to American History | NowThis
President Donald Trump claims to have a high IQ and is among the smartest presidents ever, so let's go through his American history lessons and see how incorrect they are.
In US news and current events today, President Donald J. Trump has claimed to be the smartest, most intelligent president in US history, though his knowledge of the country's past leaves somewhat to be desired. From his defense of Andrew Jackson, complete misunderstanding of the Confederacy and why the Confederate Army was fighting in the Civil War history, and numerous other inaccuracies about world history and U.S. history, this President Trump history lesson will no doubt leave you dumber about the state of history. For President Trump, smart is a state of mind, and while many have cast doubts on the President's intelligence, we'll let this Trump history lesson speak for itself.
In US news and current events today, President Donald J. Trump has claimed to be the smartest, most intelligent president in US history, though his knowledge of the country's past leaves somewhat to be desired. From his defense of Andrew Jackson, complete misunderstanding of the Confederacy and why the Confederate Army was fighting in the Civil War history, and numerous other inaccuracies about world history and U.S. history, this President Trump history lesson will no doubt leave you dumber about the state of history. For President Trump, smart is a state of mind, and while many have cast doubts on the President's intelligence, we'll let this Trump history lesson speak for itself.
Saturday, October 10, 2020
Fmr. CIA Director Brennan on Why He Will Not ‘Relent in His Criticism’ of Trump | Deadline | MSNBC
Trump Falsely Claims He's Cured and Plans New Campaign Events | The 11th Hour | MSNBC
There's a Social Pandemic Poisoning Europe: Hatred of Muslims
THE GUARDIAN: If anti-Muslim prejudice is not targeted, steps to counter racism in Europe in the wake of BLM protests will be meaningless
Rarely does the EU act so swiftly. Less than four months since the killing of George Floyd in police custody and the Black Lives Matter campaign that spilled into Europe and galvanised continent-wide protests, the EU is appointing its first ever anti-racism coordinator. This brilliant idea will make little sense, however, if anti-Muslim hatred is not part of their portfolio. Because instead of building a “truly anti-racist union”, as the president of the European commission, Ursula von der Leyen, would wish, we have so far built an anti-Muslim one.
Prejudice against Muslims exists in every corner of Europe. Not only do we collectively devalue and discriminate against Europeans who follow Islam, but the incidence of violence against Muslims is increasing.
We have known since the refugee and migration crisis of 2015 and the jihadist terrorist attacks in France, Spain and Germany that Muslims suffer from an exceptionally bad reputation in our societies. In 2019, research conducted for the Bertelsmann Stiftung’s Religion Monitor yet again confirmed widespread mistrust towards Muslims across Europe. In Germany and Switzerland, every second respondent said they perceived Islam as a threat. In the UK, two in five share this perception. In Spain and France, about 60% think Islam is incompatible with the “west”. In Austria, one in three doesn’t want to have Muslim neighbours.
The Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) confirms these findings in its most recent paper on the rise and meaning of hate crimes against Muslims. So does Europe’s police coordinating body Europol: in 2019, far-right terrorism soared.
What is more surprising is how quickly anti-Muslim racism has turned violent. » | Patrycja Sasnal and Yasemin El Menouar | Monday, September 28, 2020
Rarely does the EU act so swiftly. Less than four months since the killing of George Floyd in police custody and the Black Lives Matter campaign that spilled into Europe and galvanised continent-wide protests, the EU is appointing its first ever anti-racism coordinator. This brilliant idea will make little sense, however, if anti-Muslim hatred is not part of their portfolio. Because instead of building a “truly anti-racist union”, as the president of the European commission, Ursula von der Leyen, would wish, we have so far built an anti-Muslim one.
Prejudice against Muslims exists in every corner of Europe. Not only do we collectively devalue and discriminate against Europeans who follow Islam, but the incidence of violence against Muslims is increasing.
We have known since the refugee and migration crisis of 2015 and the jihadist terrorist attacks in France, Spain and Germany that Muslims suffer from an exceptionally bad reputation in our societies. In 2019, research conducted for the Bertelsmann Stiftung’s Religion Monitor yet again confirmed widespread mistrust towards Muslims across Europe. In Germany and Switzerland, every second respondent said they perceived Islam as a threat. In the UK, two in five share this perception. In Spain and France, about 60% think Islam is incompatible with the “west”. In Austria, one in three doesn’t want to have Muslim neighbours.
The Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) confirms these findings in its most recent paper on the rise and meaning of hate crimes against Muslims. So does Europe’s police coordinating body Europol: in 2019, far-right terrorism soared.
What is more surprising is how quickly anti-Muslim racism has turned violent. » | Patrycja Sasnal and Yasemin El Menouar | Monday, September 28, 2020
As Virus Surges in Europe, Resistance to New Restrictions Also Grows
THE NEW YORK TIMES: Public health officials say “pandemic fatigue” presents a real challenge to countries trying to enforce new measures meant to slow the virus while avoiding national lockdowns.
LONDON — France has placed cities on “maximum alert” and ordered many to close all bars, gyms and sports centers on Saturday. Italy and Poland have made masks compulsory in public. The Czech Republic has declared a state of emergency, and German officials fear new outbreaks could soon grow beyond the control of their vaunted testing and tracing.
Across Europe and beyond, Covid-19 has come roaring back, and, as happened last spring, officials are invoking restrictions to try and suppress it. But this time is different.
Still reeling from the economic, emotional and physical toll of nationwide lockdowns that brought the Continent to a virtual standstill, government officials are finding that the public might not be so compliant the second time around.
In some places new restrictions are accepted, albeit grudgingly, because the alternative — new nationwide lockdowns — would only be worse. But there is widening skepticism that the public would even go along with such a drastic step. » | Marc Santora and Isabella Kwai | Friday, October 9, 2020
LONDON — France has placed cities on “maximum alert” and ordered many to close all bars, gyms and sports centers on Saturday. Italy and Poland have made masks compulsory in public. The Czech Republic has declared a state of emergency, and German officials fear new outbreaks could soon grow beyond the control of their vaunted testing and tracing.
Across Europe and beyond, Covid-19 has come roaring back, and, as happened last spring, officials are invoking restrictions to try and suppress it. But this time is different.
Still reeling from the economic, emotional and physical toll of nationwide lockdowns that brought the Continent to a virtual standstill, government officials are finding that the public might not be so compliant the second time around.
In some places new restrictions are accepted, albeit grudgingly, because the alternative — new nationwide lockdowns — would only be worse. But there is widening skepticism that the public would even go along with such a drastic step. » | Marc Santora and Isabella Kwai | Friday, October 9, 2020
Friday, October 09, 2020
We All Deserve the Health Care Trump Received at Walter Reed
Trump Boasts He Is 'Perfect Physical Specimen' and Claims to Be 'Immune' to Covid
INDEPENDENT: 'When you catch it, you get better and then you're immune,' the president falsely claimed
Donald Trump made a series of claims regarding his health after he was hospitalised for three days due to the coronavirus, and the claims included calling himself the “perfect physical specimen”.
The president went on a phone call with Fox Business on Thursday morning when he was asked if other Americans would have access to the coronavirus treatments he received while at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center for three days.
“Yeah they’re going to get it,” he said about the treatments, adding: “I’m back because I am perfect physical specimen and I'm extremely young, and so I am lucky in that way.”
Mr Trump went on to state other aspects of his health that he claims helped him fight the novel virus, including having no “heart problems” and no “diabetes”. » | Danielle Zoellner | Thursday, October 8, 2020
Donald Trump made a series of claims regarding his health after he was hospitalised for three days due to the coronavirus, and the claims included calling himself the “perfect physical specimen”.
The president went on a phone call with Fox Business on Thursday morning when he was asked if other Americans would have access to the coronavirus treatments he received while at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center for three days.
“Yeah they’re going to get it,” he said about the treatments, adding: “I’m back because I am perfect physical specimen and I'm extremely young, and so I am lucky in that way.”
Mr Trump went on to state other aspects of his health that he claims helped him fight the novel virus, including having no “heart problems” and no “diabetes”. » | Danielle Zoellner | Thursday, October 8, 2020
Mahler: Symphony No. 5 in C-Sharp Minor - IV. Adagietto. Sehr langsam
Jewish Community Fears Rise of Anti-Semitic Violence in Germany | DW News
One year after an attack on a synagogue in the eastern city of Halle, the head of Germany's domestic security service, the Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution (BfV), has warned that Germany is experiencing a "steep rise" in anti-Semitism.
On October 9, 2019, an armed 27-year-old man attempted to shoot his way into a packed synagogue on Yom Kippur, the holiest day of the year in Judaism. A well-secured door prevented him from carrying out an attack inside. The man then killed two bystanders before fleeing and later being taken into custody. Last week, a man dressed in military fatigues attacked a Jewish man outside a synagogue in Hamburg.
DW talks to Marina Weisband, member of the German Green Party and also a member of the Jewish community in Berlin.
On October 9, 2019, an armed 27-year-old man attempted to shoot his way into a packed synagogue on Yom Kippur, the holiest day of the year in Judaism. A well-secured door prevented him from carrying out an attack inside. The man then killed two bystanders before fleeing and later being taken into custody. Last week, a man dressed in military fatigues attacked a Jewish man outside a synagogue in Hamburg.
DW talks to Marina Weisband, member of the German Green Party and also a member of the Jewish community in Berlin.
Trump Insider Cohen Exposes Plan to Jail Rivals in 2020 | The Beat with Ari Melber | MSNBC
Trump Unmoored Calls for Indictment of His Political Opponents | Morning Joe | MSNBC
John Brennan Reacts to Trump's Call to Have Biden Jailed | The 11th Hour | MSNBC
Donald Trump Has No Understanding of What Service Is': Gold Star Father | Rachel Maddow | MSNBC
'Flood the Streets': Scientist Reveals the White House Note That Made Him Speak Out
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