Boris Johnson’s ‘Global Britain’ Makes Shaky Start at G7 Summit

THE NEW YORK TIMES: The prime minister’s plan to introduce his vision of a nimble, trade-savvy U.K. was upended by a spat over Northern Ireland.

FALMOUTH, England — With an idyllic view of the Cornish coast as a backdrop, Prime Minister Boris Johnson had an unmatched setting in which to launch his dream of a Global Britain. But as Mr. Johnson drew the Group of 7 meeting to a close, Brexit and the pandemic conspired to cloud its debut.

Rather than extolling global agreements to combat climate change or confront China, Mr. Johnson found himself at a news conference on Sunday dodging questions about a four-week delay in Britain’s reopening of its economy and trying to play down an ugly clash with the European Union over Northern Ireland.

The latter issue dramatizes the long shadow Brexit is casting on Mr. Johnson’s effort to rebrand Britain as a vital player on the global stage. Not only did Northern Ireland poison Mr. Johnson’s talks with President Emmanuel Macron of France, but it also threatens to undermine his relationship with President Biden.

The meeting, which brought together world leaders for the first time in person since the departure of President Donald J. Trump, did achieve a striking change in tone after four years of turbulence. With Mr. Biden a good-natured guest, the United States swung back into alignment with its allies in Europe and elsewhere. » | Mark Landler | Monday, June 14, 2021

A Gay Farmer on Love, Isolation, and Disrupting the Meat Industry in Australia | The New Yorker

In “Alone Out Here,” by Philip Busfield and Luke Cornish, an Australian rancher who is openly gay in a conservative industry fights to reduce carbon emissions through his cattle farming.

A Gay Farmer on Love, Isolation, and Disrupting the Meat Industry in Australia | The New Yorker

Netanjahu als Ministerpräsident abgelöst

SÜDDEUTSCHE ZEITUNG: Der rechtskonservative Politiker hat das Land zwölf Jahre lang ohne Pause regiert - länger als jeder andere Ministerpräsident. Sein Nachfolger Naftali Bennett hat mit acht Parteien nur eine hauchdünne Mehrheit von einem Sitz.

In Israel ist die Ära Benjamin Netanyahu vorläufig zu Ende gegangen. Bei einer Vertrauensabstimmung im Parlament stimmten 60 der 120 Abgeordneten für Naftali Bennett als neuen Ministerpräsidenten, 59 votierten gegen ihn. Ein Abgeordneter enthielt sich.

Bennett wurde bereits als neuer Premierminister vereidigt. Seine Eröffnungsrede im Parlament zeigte, mit welchem Gegenwind er rechnen muss. Sie wurde vom Netanjahu-Lager so massiv durch aufgebrachte Zwischenrufe gestört, dass er kaum einen Satz zu Ende sprechen konnte. Netanyahu gratulierte seinem Nachfolger mit einem kurzen Handschlag. Tausende Gegner Netanyahus feierten den Machtwechsel auf den Straßen des Landes, so zum Beispiel in Tel Aviv. » | © sz.de/dpa/vwu/jael | Sonntag, 13. Juni 2021

Ehud Olmert: 'Netanyahu Is a Great Performer, But Shallow with No Substance'

A vote of confidence in Israel's new coalition has ended the record 12-year rule of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

Ehud Olmert, who was Israeli Prime Minister between 2006 and 2009, discusses Netanyahu's legacy and the state of the peace process as he departs from power.

Sky's Mark Stone spoke to him.

WorldsApart: Faith in Stars? Ft. Avi Loeb, Professor of Science at Harvard University

I know, you know, we all know that the Earth orbits the Sun, but this statement of fact wasn’t always so widely accepted. Four centuries ago, it was so controversial that the Catholic Church considered it a heresy. Now, fast forward to the 21st century debate around extraterrestrials and you’ll see something similar – those who hypothesize their existence are treated as apostates. Why so? To discuss that, I’m now joined by Avi Loeb, Professor of Science at Harvard University and author of Extraterrestrial: The First Sign of Intelligent Life Beyond Earth.

Ten Years after the Arab Spring, Is There Still Hope for Democracy? 2/2 | DW Documentary

A decade after the Arab Spring, this film tells the story of the uprisings known as the "Arabellion." The protagonists describe how it started, what happened and what life is like today in Tunisia, Libya and Egypt.

In despair about the hopelessness of his life, Tunisian street vendor Mohamed Bouazizi set himself on fire on December 10, 2010. His fate moved hundreds of thousands of mostly young people to take to the streets in protest against the regime. The protests not only ousted the dictator Zine El Abidine Ben Ali, they also sparked a series of uprisings that rocked the Arab world. A new era of democracy, dubbed the "Arabellion” or "Arab Spring," seemed to be dawning; it was hoped that authoritarian structures would be swept away. Taking stock a decade on, however, is sobering. All across the Arab world, old regimes have been restored, wars have broken out and people are fleeing their homelands. Yet the Arabellion was not in vain, because the pressure for reform is as great as ever. This documentary gives a comprehensive overview of developments, looking for similarities between the 2011 uprisings and the current unrest in Lebanon and Iraq. The Arabellion is recounted from today’s vantage point and through the eyes of local protagonists. What is life like today in Tunisia, Libya and Egypt, ten years later?

In Fiery Exit, Netanyahu Assails Bennett, Says He Can’t Stand Up to Iran, Biden

THE TIMES OF ISRAEL: ‘We’ll be back soon’: Outgoing premier delivers scathing address on the Knesset floor, vows to work tirelessly to topple the incoming government

In his apparently final speech as prime minister of Israel before a new government is sworn in Sunday evening, Benjamin Netanyahu unleashed his fury on prime minister-designate Naftali Bennett and vowed to work tirelessly to topple the new coalition.

“I will fight daily against this terrible, dangerous left-wing government in order to topple it,” Netanyahu said at the conclusion of his lengthy speech in the Knesset plenum. “With God’s help, it will happen a lot earlier than you think it will.”

In comments warning Iran, Hamas and Hezbollah that he is not going anywhere, he declared in English: “We’ll be back soon!” » | Amy Spiro | Sunday, June 13, 2021


Benjamin Netanyahu: the former commando who became King Bibi »

After Brexit: Can the UK Really Go It Alone? | To the Point

For the first time in its history, a member nation has left the European Union. But can the UK really go it alone? And how will it change the EU? Guests: Tom Nuttall (The Economist), Jon Worth (blogger), Tanja Börzel (political scientist)

Thomas Markle's Message for His Daughter Meghan in Exclusive Interview | 60 Minutes Australia

Brexit Bust-up Torpedoes Johnson’s Bid to Showcase ‘Global Britain’ at G7

THE OBSERVER: Northern Ireland border row hits summit in Cornwall as prime minister tells other leaders UK is ‘a single country’

Boris Johnson was embroiled in an extraordinary public spat with EU leaders over Northern Ireland on Saturday as tensions over Brexit boiled over at the G7 summit in Cornwall.

After a series of tense bilateral meetings at which the French president, Emmanuel Macron, the German chancellor, Angela Merkel and the European commission president, Ursula von der Leyen, told their summit host the UK must implement the Brexit deal in full, an unrepentant Johnson said he had urged his EU colleagues to “get it into their heads” that the UK is “a single country”. » | Heather Stewart& Toby Helm | Saturday, June 12, 2021

Whitney Houston - I Wanna Dance with Somebody

Clamour for Wealth Tax Grows after Revelations about Super-rich’s Affairs

THE OBSERVER: Data leak published by ProPublica fuels calls to tighten up system which sees ultra-wealthy pay little or no tax

The revelation last week that the 25 richest US billionaires have paid very little tax even as their fortunes have soared has reignited demands for wealth taxes on both sides of the Atlantic.

An unprecedented leak of “a vast trove” of 15 years of Internal Revenue Service (IRS) data to the investigative news site ProPublica has provided a staggering insight into the legal strategies the very rich deploy to avoid tax.

It discovered that Jeff Bezos – founder of Amazon and world’s richest person, with a $193bn (£136bn) fortune – paid no federal taxes in 2011 and even claimed $4,000 in tax credit for his children.

The second wealthiest person – the head of Tesla, Elon Musk – paid no tax in 2018 because he took out vast loans against his shareholdings and deducted the interest costs he paid on the loans from his taxes. » | Rupert Neate | Saturday, June 12, 2021

Trooping the Colour: Queen Celebrates Her Birthday with Scaled-back Ceremony at Windsor Castle

The Queen beamed in the sunshine and tapped her feet to music as she celebrated her official birthday on Saturday with a scaled-back military procession at Windsor Castle.

Her Majesty, 95, sat in the castle’s quadrangle to watch the annual Trooping the Colour, this year led by the Scots Guards.

The Queen Meets G7 Leaders at Summit Reception

The Queen, the Prince of Wales, the Duchess of Cornwall and the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge arrived at the G7 summit reception in Cornwall on Friday evening.

The Queen hosted G7 world leaders at an evening reception when a day of political talks gave way to the "soft diplomacy" of the monarchy. There, the Queen met US President Joe Biden for the first time.

Three generations of the royal family were present for the event staged at the Eden Project in Cornwall for presidents and prime ministers and their partners. The Queen was joined by the Prince of Wales, the Duchess of Cornwall, and the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge.

At one point during the photocall the Queen joked: "Are you supposed to be looking as if you're enjoying yourself?'

Brexit : Boris Johnson instrumentalise la xénophobie entre Européens

LE MONDE: Depuis la sortie du Royaume-Uni de l’UE, les Européens sont confrontés au durcissement des règles migratoires britanniques, une revendication de l’extrême droite reprise par le premier ministre. Une situation face à laquelle l’UE se doit de réagir.

Editorial du « Monde » Des jeunes filles au pair italiennes, espagnoles ou françaises interpellées à leur descente d’avion à Heathrow ou Gatwick et placées en centre de rétention, puis renvoyées dans leur pays. Des Polonais, Bulgares et Roumains contraints eux aussi de faire demi-tour car soupçonnés de chercher du travail. Pour les ressortissants de l’Union européenne (UE), le Brexit a désormais les allures d’un implacable poste de douane.

Au cours du seul premier trimestre, 3 294 d’entre eux ont été refoulés à une frontière britannique, soit six fois plus qu’au cours de la même période de 2020. Depuis la mise en œuvre du Brexit, le 1er janvier, travailler et, a fortiori, s’installer au Royaume-Uni nécessite un visa qui n’est délivré qu’aux détenteurs d’une offre d’emploi proposant un salaire d’au moins 2 500 euros par mois. » | Éditorial | mardi 8 juin 2021

A Change of Name

This blog has been going for many years. It was started at a time when Islam was a huge threat to the West. I believe the time has come for a change of name. I have chosen ‘Life. Leben. Vie.’ because this blog, though mainly English, is actually tri-lingual. It is also no longer about Islam and the threat that it poses, but it’s about life in general, including politics, health, changing patterns of life, even music, and much else besides.

I hope that my regular visitors will approve of the name change. Rest assured that content will remain largely the same. No change there. Welcome aboard! ©Mark

An Officer and a Gentleman • Up Where We Belong • Joe Cocker & Jennifer Warnes

Soundtrack/theme music from the 1982 Taylor Hackford film "An Officer and a Gentleman," with Richard Gere, Debra Winger, Louis Gossett Jr. David Keith, David Caruso, Lisa Blount, Lisa Eilbacher & Robert Loggia. The song was written by Jack Nitzsche, Buffy Sainte-Marie & Will Jennings

Stephen Fry Takes On Global Anti-LGBTI Leaders (2013)

This important documentary should be shared with all people. The LGBTI community continues to face oppression, arrest and in some countries death just because of who they are, how they look or who the love. The haters need to be called out and Stephen Fry is doing just that.

New Calls to Replace ‘Empire’ with ‘Excellence’ in UK Honours System

THE GUARDIAN: Campaign has backing of honours-holders including health chief Victor Adebowale and NBA’s John Amaechi

A new push to strip the word “empire” from the British honours system has been launched by dozens of community activists who have accepted gongs but object to them being named after imperialism that caused “harm and trauma”.

They include Victor Adebowale, the chair of the NHS Confederation who accepted a CBE in 2000; John Amaechi, a British-American former NBA player and Dame Elizabeth Nneka Anionwu, a pioneering nurse born to Irish and Nigerian parents.

Last December the Cabinet Office said the names of medals such as the MBE, OBE and CBE would not change, but nearly 100 honours-holders have founded a campaign to replace the word empire with “excellence”. » | Robert Booth, Social affairs correspondent | Friday, June 11, 2021

Eine letzte Zigarette: Aufstieg und Fall des blauen Dunstes (2009)

A Final Cigarette (Swiss documentary) part 1 - Das war einmal: Schweizer TV-Moderatoren mit der Zigarette in der Hand, Swissair-Piloten, die sich nach dem Start mit einem Glimmstengel belohnen, Nationalräte im Tabakdunst: DOK dokumentiert den Aufstieg und Fall des blauen Dunstes. Ist die zunehmende Reglementierung des Rauchens richtig oder falsch?

Auf der Terrasse des rauchfreien Bundeshauses stehen schlotternde Nationalräte im Schneesturm und rauchen trotz beissender Kälte. DOK-Autor Fritz Muri vergleicht diese Szene mit Fundstücken aus Film- und Fotoarchiven aus einer Zeit, als mehr als 50 Prozent der Erwachsenen in der Schweiz noch rauchten.

Ein besonderes Highlight ist die Szene, in der Dichter Friedrich Dürrenmatt und Literaturpapst Marcel Reich-Ranicki während einer Fernsehdiskussion einen Studiobrand verursachten. Besonders die Eliten aus Kultur, Medien und Politik waren dem blauen Dunst zugetan. Kettenraucher gab es aber auch unter Piloten und Chirurgen. Models hüpften mit der Zigarette in der Hand über den Laufsteg, und die Werbung verbreitete omnipräsent den Duft der grossen weiten Welt.

Die weltweiten Kampagnien der Tabakmultis hatten damals ihre Gesichter. Zwei davon gehörten Schweizern: Der Berner George Herriger zog als Camel-Man durch den Dschungel, und Beat Wyss lächelte als Parisienne-Protagonist von den Plakatwänden der Luzerner wurde damals unfreiwillig zum Vorzeigeraucher und erforschte später als Professor der Kunst- und Mediengeschichte die Kulturgeschichte des Rauchens. Im Dokumentarfilm wird er zum Experten im doppelten Sinne.

Zu Wort kommen auch Präventivmediziner, Manager der Tabakmultis, der ehemalige Tabak-Lobbyist Edgar Oehler und der vormalige Tageschau-Chef Heiner Hug. DOK zeigt, wie in Büros, Fernsehstudios, Spitälern und Polizeistationen die Raucherinnen und Raucher immer mehr an den Rand gedrängt werden, aber auch wie eine Handvoll Genussraucher auf ein Zürichseeschiff flüchtet, um ungestört ihrem Laster zu frönen.

Fritz Muri schildert in seinem Film zudem die Geschichte des Bündner Volksmusikkönigs Peter Zinsli. Nach 60 Jahren als Raucher kann er heute nur noch mit einer Sauerstoffmaske überleben. Kann sein Beispiel seinen Sohn und seine Enkelin vom Rauchen abhalten? DOK gibt die Antwort.






Gaby gab auf zu rauchen. Nun verlangt sie, daß alle anderen auch zu rauchen aufhören. Scheinbar will sie nicht allein sein! »