Wednesday, June 16, 2021
Whitney Houston, Mariah Carey - When You Believe (Official HD Video)
Hundreds of Thousands of EU Citizens in UK Risk Uncertain Status from 1 July
THE GUARDIAN: Deadline to apply for settled status two weeks away, as academics warn that vulnerable groups face loss of rights
Academics are sounding the alarm about the hundreds of thousands of EU citizens in the UK who face falling into legal limbo on 1 July with their right to rent a home, work or continue in retirement at risk.
With just 13 days to go before the government’s deadline for EU and EEA nationals and their children to apply for settled or pre-settled status, a report from UK in a Changing Europe warns of the dangers ahead for those who do not apply by 30 June.
The academic campaign group is concerned that some who have applied but are still awaiting a decision from the Home Office – including children and the retired – could face difficulties if they cannot prove their status when they try to access the NHS or travel. » | Lisa O'Carroll, Brexit correspondent | Wednesday, 16 June 2021
Academics are sounding the alarm about the hundreds of thousands of EU citizens in the UK who face falling into legal limbo on 1 July with their right to rent a home, work or continue in retirement at risk.
With just 13 days to go before the government’s deadline for EU and EEA nationals and their children to apply for settled or pre-settled status, a report from UK in a Changing Europe warns of the dangers ahead for those who do not apply by 30 June.
The academic campaign group is concerned that some who have applied but are still awaiting a decision from the Home Office – including children and the retired – could face difficulties if they cannot prove their status when they try to access the NHS or travel. » | Lisa O'Carroll, Brexit correspondent | Wednesday, 16 June 2021
Jared Kushner Agrees Book Deal for ‘Definitive’ Account of Trump Presidency
THE GUARDIAN: The untitled memoir by the president’s son-in-law will be published in 2022
Jared Kushner, the son-in-law of former president Donald Trump and a senior adviser in his administration, has secured a book deal to recount Trump’s presidency.
Broadside Books, a conservative imprint of HarperCollins Publishers, announced that Kushner’s book will come out in early 2022. Kushner has begun working on the memoir, currently untitled, and is expected to write about everything from the Middle East to criminal justice reform to the pandemic. Financial terms were not disclosed.
The signing of the Kushner deal comes amid a debate in the book industry over which Trump officials, notably Trump himself, can be taken on without starting a revolt at the publishing house. Thousands of Simon & Schuster employees and authors signed an open letter this spring condemning the publisher’s decision to sign up former vice-president Mike Pence. » | Associated Press | Wednesday, June 16, 2021
Jared Kushner, the son-in-law of former president Donald Trump and a senior adviser in his administration, has secured a book deal to recount Trump’s presidency.
Broadside Books, a conservative imprint of HarperCollins Publishers, announced that Kushner’s book will come out in early 2022. Kushner has begun working on the memoir, currently untitled, and is expected to write about everything from the Middle East to criminal justice reform to the pandemic. Financial terms were not disclosed.
The signing of the Kushner deal comes amid a debate in the book industry over which Trump officials, notably Trump himself, can be taken on without starting a revolt at the publishing house. Thousands of Simon & Schuster employees and authors signed an open letter this spring condemning the publisher’s decision to sign up former vice-president Mike Pence. » | Associated Press | Wednesday, June 16, 2021
Tuesday, June 15, 2021
Brands Pull Ads from GB News TV Channel over Content Concerns
THE GUARDIAN: Ikea, Grolsch and Kopparberg have suspended adverts due to station’s perceived conflict with their values
GB News, the television channel that launched this week with backing from pro-Brexit tycoons and a mission to produce “anti-woke” US-style news content, is facing an advertiser backlash after big consumer brands including Ikea, Nivea and Grolsch said they would pull their adverts from the network.
Fronted by a clutch of familiar names including the former BBC and Sky presenters Andrew Neil and Kirsty Gallacher, GB News, which launched on Sunday evening, is pitching itself as an alternative to the mainstream media with a focus on generating opinion and controversy, rather than original reporting.
However, activists are already calling for boycotts of brands that advertise on the channel, on the grounds that they believe it is hoping to monetise divisive political issues and to push the boundaries of UK TV news regulations, which require politically balanced broadcasts. » | Jasper Jolly | Tuesday, June 15, 2021
How GB News is bringing US-style opinionated TV news to the UK »
GB News, the television channel that launched this week with backing from pro-Brexit tycoons and a mission to produce “anti-woke” US-style news content, is facing an advertiser backlash after big consumer brands including Ikea, Nivea and Grolsch said they would pull their adverts from the network.
Fronted by a clutch of familiar names including the former BBC and Sky presenters Andrew Neil and Kirsty Gallacher, GB News, which launched on Sunday evening, is pitching itself as an alternative to the mainstream media with a focus on generating opinion and controversy, rather than original reporting.
However, activists are already calling for boycotts of brands that advertise on the channel, on the grounds that they believe it is hoping to monetise divisive political issues and to push the boundaries of UK TV news regulations, which require politically balanced broadcasts. » | Jasper Jolly | Tuesday, June 15, 2021
How GB News is bringing US-style opinionated TV news to the UK »
Hungary Passes Law Banning LGBT Content in Schools
Hungary’s parliament has passed a law banning LGBT content in schools, as Viktor Orbán’s ruling party intensified its campaign against gay rights.
The national assembly passed the legislation by 157 votes to one, after MPs in the ruling Fidesz party ignored a last-minute plea by one of Europe’s leading human rights officials to abandon the plan as “an affront against the rights and identities of LGBTI persons”.
Despite a boycott of the vote by some opposition politicians, the outcome was never in doubt, as Fidesz has a healthy majority and the plans were supported by the far-right Jobbik party.
The measures have been likened by critics to Russia’s 2013 law against “gay propaganda” that independent monitors say has increased social hostility and fuelled vigilante attacks against lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people in the EU country’s eastern neighbour. » | Jennifer Rankin in Brussels | Tuesday, June 15, 2021
Can Brazil Survive Bolsonaro? | The Economist
Toxic ‘Forever Chemicals’ Widespread in Top Makeup Brands, Study Finds
Toxic PFAS “forever chemicals” are widely used in cosmetics produced by major brands in the US and Canada, a new study that tested for the chemicals in hundreds of products found.
The peer-reviewed study, published in Environmental Science & Technology, detected what the study’s authors characterized as “high” levels of organic fluorine, an indicator of PFAS, in over half of 231 makeup and personal care samples. That includes lipstick, eyeliner, mascara, foundation, concealer, lip balm, blush, nail polish and more.
The products that most frequently contain high levels of fluorine include waterproof mascara (82% of brands tested), foundations (63%) and liquid lipstick (62%). » | Tom Perkins | Tuesday, June 15, 2021
NATO Declares China 'A Systematic Challenge to the Global Order' | DW News
NATO leaders had branded China a security risk to the alliance and criticized its "opaque" weapons development programs. "China's stated ambitions and assertive behavior present systemic challenges to the rules-based international order and to areas relevant to alliance security," NATO leaders had said in a communique. The final communique was NATO's first change of focus for an alliance created to defend Europe from the Soviet Union during the Cold War.
China on Tuesday accused NATO of "creating confrontations" after the alliance's members pledged to cooperate to counter "systemic challenges" posed by Beijing's policies. In a statement, the Chinese Mission to the European Union called for NATO to "view China's development rationally, stop exaggerating various forms of 'China threat theory' and not to use China's legitimate interests and legal rights as excuses for manipulating group politics [while] artificially creating confrontations."
NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg spoke about Chinese investment in Western infrastructure, likely referring to Chinese projects in Africa and a row over 5G networks built by Chinese telecoms giant Huawei. "China is coming closer to us. We see them in cyberspace, we see China in Africa, but we also see China investing heavily in our own critical infrastructure," Stoltenberg said. "We need to respond together as an alliance." However, Stoltenberg earlier stressed that: "We're not entering a new Cold War and China is not our adversary, not our enemy."
Joe Biden, who was attending the alliance's summit for the first time as president of the United States, urged his fellow NATO leaders to stand up to China's authoritarianism. Over the weekend, Biden and his fellow G7 leaders also scolded China over its human rights record, called for Hong Kong's high degree of autonomy and demanded a probe into the origins of the coronavirus in China. The G7 also announced a new infrastructure fund which Biden said would be "much more equitable" than China's Belt and Road Initiative.
China on Tuesday accused NATO of "creating confrontations" after the alliance's members pledged to cooperate to counter "systemic challenges" posed by Beijing's policies. In a statement, the Chinese Mission to the European Union called for NATO to "view China's development rationally, stop exaggerating various forms of 'China threat theory' and not to use China's legitimate interests and legal rights as excuses for manipulating group politics [while] artificially creating confrontations."
NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg spoke about Chinese investment in Western infrastructure, likely referring to Chinese projects in Africa and a row over 5G networks built by Chinese telecoms giant Huawei. "China is coming closer to us. We see them in cyberspace, we see China in Africa, but we also see China investing heavily in our own critical infrastructure," Stoltenberg said. "We need to respond together as an alliance." However, Stoltenberg earlier stressed that: "We're not entering a new Cold War and China is not our adversary, not our enemy."
Joe Biden, who was attending the alliance's summit for the first time as president of the United States, urged his fellow NATO leaders to stand up to China's authoritarianism. Over the weekend, Biden and his fellow G7 leaders also scolded China over its human rights record, called for Hong Kong's high degree of autonomy and demanded a probe into the origins of the coronavirus in China. The G7 also announced a new infrastructure fund which Biden said would be "much more equitable" than China's Belt and Road Initiative.
Monday, June 14, 2021
Boris Johnson’s ‘Global Britain’ Makes Shaky Start at G7 Summit
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
A Gay Farmer on Love, Isolation, and Disrupting the Meat Industry in Australia | The New Yorker
Netanjahu als Ministerpräsident abgelöst
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
Sunday, June 13, 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.
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
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 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
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
Saturday, June 12, 2021
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
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
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