Sunday, November 01, 2020

Spain: Anti-Covid Restrictions Rally Descends into Chaos in Madrid

In Spain, protesters have clashed with police in the capital city of Madrid, vandalizing ATMs, as well as breaking and burning trash cans in the city center.

Women Protest New Abortion Restrictions in Poland


Women Converge on Warsaw, Heightening Poland’s Largest Protests in Decades »

Obama Rips into Trump During Drive-in Biden Rally

Macron Criticises Turkey's 'Imperial Inclinations' as Row between Countries Escalates

THE GUARDIAN: In an interview with al-Jazeera, the French president also tried to calm tensions with the Muslims world over caricatures of the prophet Muhammad

The French president Emmanuel Macron has accused Turkey of adopting a “bellicose” stance towards its NATO allies, saying tensions could ease if his Turkish counterpart Recep Tayyip Erdoğan showed respect and did not tell lies.

In an interview with al-Jazeera broadcast on Saturday, Macron condemned Turkey’s behaviour in Syria, Libya and the Mediterranean and said: “Turkey has a bellicose attitude towards its NATO allies.”

He also sought to calm flaring tensions with Muslims around the world after increasingly heated rhetoric following the murder of French school teacher, Samuel Paty, who showed caricatures of the prophet Muhammad alongside other cartoons as part of a discussion on free speech.

Macron said that France’s wish was that things “calm down” but for this to happen, it was essential that the “Turkish president respects France, respects the European Union, respects its values, does not tell lies and does not utter insults”.

He noted that France had offered its condolences to Turkey following the deadly earthquake in the Aegean and had also offered to send help to the scene. » | Agence France-Presse | Sunday, November 1, 2020

Turkey threatens legal action over Charlie Hebdo's caricature of president »

Un prêtre orthodoxe grièvement blessé par balle devant son église à Lyon

LE MONDE: Employé par le ministère grec de l’éducation et des cultes, la victime, Nikolaos Kakavelakis, est âgée de 52 ans et était en poste à Lyon depuis une dizaine d’années, en tant que recteur de la paroisse grecque orthodoxe de l’Annonciation de la mère de Dieu.

Samedi 31 octobre, vers 16 heures, près de l’Eglise orthodoxe grecque située rue Père Chevrier à Lyon, un archiprêtre orthodoxe, qui était en train de fermer son église, a été pris à partie par un homme seul. Celui-ci a ouvert le feu à deux reprises, avant de prendre la fuite, selon une source policière au Monde. Le prêtre a été blessé, son pronostic vital est engagé.

Employé par le ministère grec de l’éducation et des cultes, la victime, Nikolaos Kakavelakis, est âgée de 52 ans et était en poste à Lyon depuis une dizaine d’années, en tant que recteur de la paroisse grecque orthodoxe de l’Annonciation de la mère de Dieu. » | Par Nicolas Chapuis et Richard Schittly | samedi 31 0ctobre 2020

Nice Attack, France Boycott Protests, Covid-19, 2020 US Presidential Election

It was a Thursday the French would just as soon forget. Bottlenecks at the exits of Paris and city dwellers who could raced to get out before Act II of a national lockdown. And if the second wave of Covid was not enough to dampen an already grey autumn mood, another gruesome terror attack, three killed in a stabbing spree inside Notre Dame Basilica in the heart of Nice, a city already targeted during a 2016 Bastille Day rampage. The suspect, a newly-arrived 21-year old from Tunisia's south. It is the third time in just over three months.

Saturday, October 31, 2020

US Election: Will Voters Turn on Trump after COVID-19 Response Catastrophe? | Conflict Zone

“Americans are looking for hope,” the Trump campaign advisor Mica Mosbacher tells Conflict Zone in the final days before election day.

But with over 200,000 people dead and more than eight million confirmed coronavirus cases in the US, will hopeful voters trust an incumbent president who has played down the threat and been accused of botching the country’s response to the pandemic?

Down the line from Texas, Republican strategist Mica Mosbacher joins host Tim Sebastian on Conflict Zone.


German President Steinmeier: 'This Is a Test for Our Democracy' | DW Interview

In an interview with DW, German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier expressed his sympathy with the relatives of the attack in Nice. He warned that democratic societies must not "commit themselves to a course that makes hatred and exclusion the yardstick for state action." Steinmeier spoke about the challenges posed by the coronavirus crisis and warned of the increasing sharpness of the debate on the measures used to contain it. The German President also talked about the significance of the U.S. elections and the relationship with Russia, as well as what Angela Merkel's successor must prepare for. Steinmeier (a member of the SPD since 1975) was a long-time companion of Chancellor Gerhard Schröder and Foreign Minister in Merkel's cabinet. He has been Federal President since 2017. The interview was conducted by Rosalia Romaniec.

Kommentar zum Terror gegen Frankreich: Angriff der Totalitären

TAGES ANZEIGER: Frankreich ist kein Provokateur, es wird von fanatischen Mördern ins Visier genommen. Dass viele wegsehen, ist irritierend.

Der Horror verdichtet sich: Am 25. September wurden zwei junge Mitarbeiter einer Fernsehproduktionsfirma in Paris auf der Strasse mit einem Metzgerbeil angegriffen. Sie machten eine Pause vor dem Gebäude, in dem früher die Redaktion der Satirezeitschrift «Charlie Hebdo» gearbeitet hatte. Am 16. Oktober wurde dem Geschichtslehrer Samuel Paty in Conflans-Sainte-Honorine auf offener Strasse der Kopf abgetrennt. Paty hatte im Unterricht über Meinungsfreiheit gesprochen und Mohammed-Karikaturen aus «Charlie Hebdo» gezeigt.

An diesem Donnerstag nun wurden in einer Kirche in Nizza drei Menschen mit einem Messer getötet, sechs weitere verletzt. Eine Frau betete, als der Täter ihr die Waffe an den Hals setzte. Diese Morde sind nicht isolierte Taten einzelner Irrer. Sie sind Teil des islamistischen Angriffs auf Frankreich.

Begonnen hat die aktuelle Mordserie mit dem «Charlie Hebdo»-Prozess. Wie in einer grausamen zweiten Auflage wird wiederholt, was schon 2015 passierte. Die Zeichner und alle, die im weitesten Sinn als ihre Unterstützer ausgemacht werden, sollen in der Logik der Fanatiker dafür zahlen, dass sie Witze über den Propheten Mohammed machen. Und die Reaktion nicht weniger Leute besteht darin, darauf hinzuweisen, die Karikaturen seien geschmacklos und verletzend. Ob die Franzosen es nicht ein bisschen weit trieben mit ihrem Recht auf Gotteslästerung, wird gefragt. » | Nadia Pantel aus Paris | Donnerstag, 29. Oktober 2020

'Gigantic Baby': Trump Plummets as His Own Execs Back Biden | The Beat with Ari Melber | MSNBC

In a Beat exclusive, top Trump Organization veterans Michael Cohen, Barbara Res and Jack O’Donnell talk to MSNBC’s Ari Melber about why they are all backing Biden, and why Trump’s re-election poses even greater dangers than his first election. (This interview is from MSNBC’s “The Beat with Ari Melber.

Islamisme : Emmanuel Macron va s'exprimer dans une interview à Al Jazeera

LE FIGARO: Des manifestations hostiles à la France et au chef de l'Etat ont eu lieu vendredi dans plusieurs pays du monde musulman.

La contre-offensive est lancée. Alors que son discours contre le séparatisme islamiste a été «tronqué» voire «manipulé» par certains pays arabo-musulmans, Emmanuel Macron a décidé de répondre lui-même à ses détracteurs. Le président de la République a en effet accordé un entretien de 55 minutes à Al Jazeera, qui doit être diffusé samedi 31 octobre à 17 heures, après avoir été enregistré vendredi à l'Élysée. » | Par Arthur Berdah | Samedi 31 octobre 2020

Friday, October 30, 2020

'A Slap in the Face': Keilar Slams Trump Jr. for False Claim

CNN's Brianna Keilar fact checks Donald Trump Jr. after he falsely claimed on Fox News that coronavirus deaths in the US are "almost nothing."

Marc Anthony

A vote for Joe Biden is a vote for Puerto Rico. We must never forget Donald Trump's inactions led to the loss of over 3000 American lives. Thank you, Marc Anthony for being a voice for the Puerto Rican community and a #LincolnLatino.

Nach Anschlag von Nizza: Frankreichs Innenminister sieht „Krieg“ gegen den Islamismus

FRANKFURTER ALLGEMEINE ZEITUNG: Gérald Darmanin bezeichnet den Islamismus als „Form des Faschismus im 21. Jahrhundert“. Nizzas Bürgermeister sagt, dieser „Krieg“ könne nicht mit „den Gesetzen des Friedens“ gewonnen werden.

Nach dem Anschlag von Nizza mit drei Toten sieht Frankreichs Innenminister Gérald Darmanin das Land im „Krieg gegen die islamistische Ideologie“. „Der Islamismus ist eine Form des Faschismus im 21. Jahrhundert“, sagte der 38 Jahre alte Minister am Freitag dem Sender RTL. Frankreich werde mit allen Mitteln des Rechtsstaats gegen die innere und äußere Bedrohung kämpfen.

Nach Darmanins Angaben war der 21 Jahre alte Tunesier, der als Täter festgenommen wurde, weder der Polizei in Frankreich noch in anderen europäischen Ländern bekannt. Der Innenminister sprach von einer möglichen Veränderung des Täterprofils: „Von den letzten 30 Terroristen, die auf unserem Boden gemordet haben, waren 22 Franzosen“, sagte er. Der mutmaßliche Täter von Nizza war erst im Oktober über Italien nach Frankreich gelangt. Seine Mutter äußerte sich am Freitag in einem Interview des Fernsehsenders Al-Arabija schockiert über die Ereignisse. » | Quelle: AFP/dpa | Freitag, 30. Oktober 2020

US Shatters Daily Coronavirus Record with Nearly 90,000 New Infections Thursday

THE GUARDIAN: Country approaches world-topping 9m cases as experts warn death rates could more than double by mid-January

The US has shattered the daily coronavirus record, with almost 90,000 new infections reported on Thursday and close to 1,000 deaths, as the US approached a world-topping 9m cases and experts warned of death rates more than doubling by mid-January.

The sobering data and scientific outlook show a pandemic veering further out of control in America even as the president and his son hammered a public message dismissing the grim realities.

According to figures from Johns Hopkins University, the US had a total of more than 8.9m cases on Friday, and was expected to soon cross the 9m mark. So far 228,677 people have died, the most in the world by a significant margin.

The US recorded its highest one-day total of new coronavirus infections of the pandemic, with 88,521 new cases reported on Thursday – a rise of 9,540 on the previous day. The death toll for the 24-hour period was 971. » | Miranda Bryant in New York | Friday, October 30, 2020

Why Europe Is Praying for Trump to Lose the US Election | DW Analysis

Almost four years of Donald Trump have left America's European allies in a state of shock. He's walked out of important treaties. He's lashed out against America's friends. He has cozied up to authoritarians. He's abandoned the most important international treaties of our time. And he has even threatened NATO — the bedrock of America's global power. It's diplomatic disruption on an unprecedented scale. But even for America's shell-shocked allies, it may not be all bad. So just how much has Trump disrupted transatlantic relations? DW's Chief International Editor Richard Walker explains why Europe is praying for a Joe Biden win in the 2020 US election.


I’m praying for Trump to lose the US election, too. I’m praying for him to lose and be TOTALLY HUMILIATED! – Mark

Anti-France Protests Draws [sic] Tens of Thousands across Muslim World

THE GUARDIAN: Demonstrations held in Pakistan, Lebanon, Palestinian territories and Afghanistan

Tens of thousands of Muslims in Pakistan, Lebanon, the Palestinian territories and elsewhere joined protests on Friday over the French president Emmanuel Macron’s vow to protect the right to caricature the prophet Muhammad.

Demonstrations in Pakistan’s capital, Islamabad, turned violent as 2,000 people who tried to march towards the French embassy were pushed back by police firing teargas and using batons. Crowds of Islamist activists hanged an effigy of Macron from an overpass after pounding it with their shoes.

Several demonstrators were wounded in clashes with police as authorities pushed to evict activists from the red zone, a security area that houses Pakistan’s diplomatic missions. As night fell, demonstrators staged a sit-in on a main road to protest against authorities’ use of force. » | Associated Press in Dubai | Friday, October 30, 2020

Starkes Erdbeben erschüttert türkische Tourismus-Provinz Izmir

Ein starkes Erdbeben hat am Freitag die türkische Provinz Izmir erschüttert. Mehrere Gebäude in der Küstenregion stürzten ein, teilten die Behörden mit. Das Epizentrum des Bebens lag nach Angaben der türkischen Katastrophenbehörde 17 Kilometer vor der Küste im Ägäischen Meer und hatte eine Stärke von 7,0. © REUTERS, DPA

How America Bungled the Plague | NYT Opinion

A year ago, the United States was regarded as the country best prepared for a pandemic. Our government had spent nearly two decades strategizing for a doomsday scenario. So what went wrong?

How is it that America, which wrote the global playbook for pandemic response, accounts for just 4 percent of the world’s population yet more than 20 percent of the world’s coronavirus deaths?

One of the most important functions of journalism is to provide accountability, so in the video above, Johnny Harris dives deep into an exploration of what went wrong and when, and who’s to blame and why.


'Darkest Part of the Pandemic' Is Approaching, Says Public Health Expert

As the coronavirus surges across much of the United States, infection rates are particularly high in some less-populated Western and Midwestern states, including Montana, North Dakota and South Dakota. Amna Nawaz talks to Dr. Michael Osterholm, director of the Center for Infectious Disease Research and Policy at the University of Minnesota about the crisis -- and how to address it.



United States Records Its Worst Week Yet for Virus Cases »