THE GUARDIAN: Controversial vaccine to be given only by request later this year when Moderna and Pfizer will dominate
The federal government has announced it will shelve the controversial AstraZeneca vaccine by October, suggesting it will have enough supplies of other vaccines to meet “allocation horizons” for vaccinating the population by the end of the year.
The government released a revised planning document on Wednesday outlining how it intended to direct supplies over the rest of the year.
At the same time, the chief health officer, Prof Paul Kelly, said he was “worried” about the growing Bondi cluster and declared seven local government areas in Sydney would be recognised as national hotspots.
The vaccination document, titled National vaccination allocation horizons, suggests in July and August AstraZeneca will continue to dominate the vaccination program, with up to 2.6m doses being administered each week, predominantly to those over the age of 60, through state and territory clinics and the primary care network.
But as the vaccination of this age group nears completion, it is anticipated AstraZeneca will be used only “subject to request” from October.
The commonwealth last week announced changed health advice for the AztraZeneca shot restricting it to over-60s because it has been linked to an extremely rare blood clotting condition. » | Sarah Martin, Chief political correspondent | Wednesday, June 23, 2021
Wednesday, June 23, 2021
Hitting Rock Bottom, Gay Man Adopts Dog. “I Have a Great Life with an Amazing, Little, Bitchy Dog.”
Monaco: Princess Stephanie Vows to End AIDS by 2030
End inequalities, end AIDS. An ambitious goal, but one the United Nations aim to meet by 2030, as discussed in the high level meeting held by the Joint UN Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS) this week.
Taking place from the 8 to 10 June, Isabelle Picco, the permanent representative of Monaco at the United Nations in New York, chaired the meeting, whilst Princess Stephanie addressed the group. During the two-day long discussions, Princess Stéphanie shared a video message with the participants. In her speech, she claimed that the HIV and Covid-19 epidemics are very real examples of the need for stronger healthcare systems.
She also took a moment to praise the new global strategy devised by UNAIDS, which focuses on prevention and reducing inequalities, particularly amongst key populations. » | Alexis Gertaldi | Wednesday, June 16, 2021
La Princesse Stéphanie veut mettre fin au sida d’ici 2030 »
They Might Have Got More Brexit Sense Out of Frosty the Snowman
You win some, you lose some. We’re still nowhere near finding out if the government has a coherent plan for tackling social care – only late on Monday the prime minister cancelled a meeting with Rishi Sunak and Matt Hancock due to take place on Tuesday afternoon to discuss the issue. So we can probably assume not. But we are a little better informed as to why the negotiations with the EU over the Northern Ireland protocol have started to unravel badly. And that’s because every time he speaks, the UK’s lead Brexit negotiator, David Frost, doesn’t seem to be quite as bright as he would like us all to believe.
Tuesday’s appearance before the foreign affairs select committee was a case in point. Having established his credentials as being rather more important than a minister for Europe, Lord Frost then did his best to prove why he wasn’t really up to the job. He got off to a bad start by saying that the decision not to fully accredit the EU ambassador to the UK had been “over-interpreted” and that petty point scoring had been the last thing on the government’s mind. For some reason, the EU had seen it differently and taken offence. » | John Crace | Tuesday, June 22, 2021
Moving On: Why the EU Is Not Missing Britain That Much
THE GUARDIAN: On the 5th anniversary of Brexit, commentators reflect on the EU’s success at rallying together after Britain’s exit
On the night of 23 June 2016 a storm broke out over Brussels. Rain poured, thunder rolled and lightning flashed over the headquarters of the European Union’s institutions.
Then in the small hours came a political thunderbolt almost no one had forecast: the UK had voted to leave the union. Five years on, the Brexit tempest has subsided – in Brussels, if not in London.
“Not only did the EU survive the storm, but it also moved on,” said Georg Riekeles, of the European Policy Centre thinktank, and formerly an adviser to the EU’s Brexit negotiator, Michel Barnier
Referring to the agenda of Marine Le Pen, Geert Wilders and other leaders of far-right anti-EU parties, Riekeles said that ahead of the Brexit vote “there was very clearly a populist, disintegrationist drive, let’s break it up”.
“Now,” said Bernd Lange, a German social democrat MEP, “even the rightwing populists aren’t discussing leaving the European Union, the Frexit [threat of French exit] is gone. They are saying we need to change the European Union.” » | Jennifer Rankin in Brussels | Wednesday, June 23, 2021
On the night of 23 June 2016 a storm broke out over Brussels. Rain poured, thunder rolled and lightning flashed over the headquarters of the European Union’s institutions.
Then in the small hours came a political thunderbolt almost no one had forecast: the UK had voted to leave the union. Five years on, the Brexit tempest has subsided – in Brussels, if not in London.
“Not only did the EU survive the storm, but it also moved on,” said Georg Riekeles, of the European Policy Centre thinktank, and formerly an adviser to the EU’s Brexit negotiator, Michel Barnier
Referring to the agenda of Marine Le Pen, Geert Wilders and other leaders of far-right anti-EU parties, Riekeles said that ahead of the Brexit vote “there was very clearly a populist, disintegrationist drive, let’s break it up”.
“Now,” said Bernd Lange, a German social democrat MEP, “even the rightwing populists aren’t discussing leaving the European Union, the Frexit [threat of French exit] is gone. They are saying we need to change the European Union.” » | Jennifer Rankin in Brussels | Wednesday, June 23, 2021
Interview: Brexit Has Weakened and Isolated the UK, Says EU Vaccine Chief
THE GUARDIAN: Thierry Breton, who is also single market commissioner, believes downsides of leaving bloc are exposed by pandemic
Brexit has proved an “aberration that has weakened and isolated the UK”, the EU’s single market commissioner, Thierry Breton, has said, with any concrete benefits for Britain “hard to see” and multiple downsides cruelly exposed by the pandemic.
Breton, a former French finance minister in charge of the bloc’s Covid vaccination programme, now outpacing Britain’s, said that five years after the referendum, Brexit’s promised outcomes were “far from reality”.
Brexit was “supposed to ‘take back control’ and protect UK citizens, to offer the country more economic and commercial room for manoeuvre, and to boost Britain’s global standing,” he said. “What we see is pretty much the opposite.”
British calls for more “pragmatism” on the implementation of the withdrawal agreement – particularly the Northern Ireland protocol – were odd, he said: “Pragmatism was for the negotiations. Now the deal has to be applied, in full, just as agreed. I’m sure the British made sure they could implement it before they signed it. » | Jon Henley | Wednesday, June 23, 2021
Brexit has proved an “aberration that has weakened and isolated the UK”, the EU’s single market commissioner, Thierry Breton, has said, with any concrete benefits for Britain “hard to see” and multiple downsides cruelly exposed by the pandemic.
Breton, a former French finance minister in charge of the bloc’s Covid vaccination programme, now outpacing Britain’s, said that five years after the referendum, Brexit’s promised outcomes were “far from reality”.
Brexit was “supposed to ‘take back control’ and protect UK citizens, to offer the country more economic and commercial room for manoeuvre, and to boost Britain’s global standing,” he said. “What we see is pretty much the opposite.”
British calls for more “pragmatism” on the implementation of the withdrawal agreement – particularly the Northern Ireland protocol – were odd, he said: “Pragmatism was for the negotiations. Now the deal has to be applied, in full, just as agreed. I’m sure the British made sure they could implement it before they signed it. » | Jon Henley | Wednesday, June 23, 2021
Tuesday, June 22, 2021
Ryan Oldroyd (I'm From Glenwood, UT) - True Gay Stories
Who Sounds Gay? | Op-Docs | The New York Times
This short documentary explores the reasons that some men sound stereotypically gay, whether they are or not.
Stereotypes surround all of us. In the LGBTQ community people expect some to fit into certain stereotypes. The one we explore in this video is sounding gay.
Stereotypes surround all of us. In the LGBTQ community people expect some to fit into certain stereotypes. The one we explore in this video is sounding gay.
Death in Venice – Gustav Mahler – Adagietto (from Symphony N°5)
A Gay Mormon Love Story: Elder | Op-Docs | The New York Times
Read the story HERE »
Brexit Frustration – Five Years after the Brexit Referendum | DW Documentary
Trade with Great Britain has been severely disrupted since the Brexit agreement came into force. Fish traders and clothing sellers are struggling to cope with new customs and health regulations. Companies often bear the burden of the extra costs.
Nerys Edwards is a shellfish wholesaler from Wales. Her family has been in the business for generations, but since the start of the year, trading has become more complicated than ever before. Her company buys shellfish such as shrimps and lobster from local fishermen and exports them to the EU, chiefly to Spain. Requirements for new health certificates have delayed deliveries to the extent that some sea creatures, which are transported live, have perished en route. Each truckload is worth 50,000 pounds (about 58,400 euros). The financial losses for her family and the fishermen are considerable. Tensions are running high and Nerys Edwards worries about every shipment.
There are problems in continental Europe, too. German-British truck driver Colin Francis has been struggling with his schedule since Brexit. He transports goods through the Eurotunnel, in both directions, for a German logistics company. Like many other drivers, he has been held up for long periods at the new customs checkpoints in the UK. When Colin Francis sets off in the morning, he hopes to make it home to his family in the evening, instead of having to sleep in his truck. Now, he can’t be sure where he will spend the night. The logistics firm and their customers now often need to plan three times as long for trips that used to take a day.
Brexit has also forced entrepreneurs like Edzard van der Wyck from London to rethink their business strategy. His company produces clothing from New Zealand wool. Since January, it’s become more expensive to export to the EU than to the United States. Like many other British exporters, he now wants to set up a new distribution center and move parts of his business to continental Europe.
Nerys Edwards is a shellfish wholesaler from Wales. Her family has been in the business for generations, but since the start of the year, trading has become more complicated than ever before. Her company buys shellfish such as shrimps and lobster from local fishermen and exports them to the EU, chiefly to Spain. Requirements for new health certificates have delayed deliveries to the extent that some sea creatures, which are transported live, have perished en route. Each truckload is worth 50,000 pounds (about 58,400 euros). The financial losses for her family and the fishermen are considerable. Tensions are running high and Nerys Edwards worries about every shipment.
There are problems in continental Europe, too. German-British truck driver Colin Francis has been struggling with his schedule since Brexit. He transports goods through the Eurotunnel, in both directions, for a German logistics company. Like many other drivers, he has been held up for long periods at the new customs checkpoints in the UK. When Colin Francis sets off in the morning, he hopes to make it home to his family in the evening, instead of having to sleep in his truck. Now, he can’t be sure where he will spend the night. The logistics firm and their customers now often need to plan three times as long for trips that used to take a day.
Brexit has also forced entrepreneurs like Edzard van der Wyck from London to rethink their business strategy. His company produces clothing from New Zealand wool. Since January, it’s become more expensive to export to the EU than to the United States. Like many other British exporters, he now wants to set up a new distribution center and move parts of his business to continental Europe.
Petition Urges Jeff Bezos to Blast into Space – and Stay There
A growing group of earthlings is banding together in an effort to keep Jeff Bezos off the planet, after he leaves it in late July.
By Monday morning, more than 77,000 had signed a petition on Change.org demanding the Amazon founder be kept from returning to Earth after participating in the first human space flight launched by his company Blue Origin.
“Billionaire’s [sic] should not exist … on earth, or in space, but should they decide the latter they should stay there,” read the description accompanying the petition, which was addressed “to the proletariat”.
In May, Bezos was named the second-richest person in the world, with a net worth of $186bn. » | Sarah Betancourt | Tuesday, June 22, 2021
Sign the petition
Sold! Bidder pays $28m for spare seat on space flight with Jeff Bezos »
Global Gay: The Next Frontier in Human Rights - Documentary (2018)
A global revolution is underway to obtain what UN Secretary General Ban Ki Moon and Barack Obama call ‘the final frontier in human rights’: the universal decriminalization of homosexuality.
Homosexuality is forbidden in almost half of the world. Out of 196 UN member states, there are 7 where it is punishable by death.
In 84 others, it can merit prison and physical punishment. But today, momentum is building and the debate on gay rights is omnipresent - whether it be regarding legalization in the Middle East and Africa or the focus of gay marriage laws in the West.
After years of long diplomatic struggle, several world leaders have declared themselves in favor of the universal decriminalization of homosexuality. But victory won’t come easily. The countries that still punish homosexuality refuse to give in to international pressure. Global acceptance and equality will take time to achieve.
‘Global Gay’ follows this battle for decriminalization through the lives and work of some of its fearless pioneers, providing a vibrant chronicle of the growing global social movement. In the words of Ban Ki Moon, “The time has come”.
Filmed in Russia, Cuba, Cameroon, Nepal and South Africa.
Homosexuality is forbidden in almost half of the world. Out of 196 UN member states, there are 7 where it is punishable by death.
In 84 others, it can merit prison and physical punishment. But today, momentum is building and the debate on gay rights is omnipresent - whether it be regarding legalization in the Middle East and Africa or the focus of gay marriage laws in the West.
After years of long diplomatic struggle, several world leaders have declared themselves in favor of the universal decriminalization of homosexuality. But victory won’t come easily. The countries that still punish homosexuality refuse to give in to international pressure. Global acceptance and equality will take time to achieve.
‘Global Gay’ follows this battle for decriminalization through the lives and work of some of its fearless pioneers, providing a vibrant chronicle of the growing global social movement. In the words of Ban Ki Moon, “The time has come”.
Filmed in Russia, Cuba, Cameroon, Nepal and South Africa.
Dear Sir David Attenborough: Homosexuality in the Animal Kingdom (2013)
Activists Discuss Being LGBTQ+ in the Arab World | NowThis (2018)
‘There was nothing wrong with me. It was the people around me that were wrong.’ — These LGBTQ+ Arabs want others like them to know there is hope.
These LGBT activists want other Arabs who happen to be gay, lesbian, transgender or trans, bisexual, queer, pansexual, intersex, gender non-conforming, non-binary, or questioning their gender or sexuality in general, to know that they are not alone.
These LGBT advocates encourage others to take pride in their sexuality and gender, providing LGBT advice, and reminding all people that LGBT rights matter because they are HUMAN rights.
These LGBT activists want other Arabs who happen to be gay, lesbian, transgender or trans, bisexual, queer, pansexual, intersex, gender non-conforming, non-binary, or questioning their gender or sexuality in general, to know that they are not alone.
These LGBT advocates encourage others to take pride in their sexuality and gender, providing LGBT advice, and reminding all people that LGBT rights matter because they are HUMAN rights.
Hungary’s Classrooms Have Become the New Battleground for the War on ‘LGBT Ideology’
Last week, the Hungarian parliament banned any portrayal of homosexuality or transgenderism to minors, in educational material or on television. Appending this to a law protecting children from child abuse, the country’s president, Viktor Orbán, drew an explicit connection between homosexuality and paedophilia. In so doing, he resorted to a canard that much of the world has long dispensed with, but that is enjoying a troubling new emergence in the global battles against “gender ideology”: the danger posed by homosexuals and trans people to children.
“The logic of the government is to find an enemy and pretend that they are saving the country from this enemy,” said the Hungarian LGBTQ+ leader Tamás Dombos in a presentation to the United States Congress last week. Dombos described the new law as “a conscious and diabolic political strategy” by the government to divert public attention from its messy response to the Covid crisis. The law is also a salvo in a tough upcoming election, and an effective way of staking what I term a “pink line”: a nativist boundary protecting, in this case, Hungarian “values” against the immoral imperialism of George Soros and Brussels. » | Mark Gevisser | Tuesday, June 22, 2021
Stonewall risks all it has fought for in accusing those who disagree with it of hate speech »
Monday, June 21, 2021
CNN's Christiane Amanpour Shares Ovarian Cancer Diagnosis
James Michael Tyler: Friends' Gunther Reveals Cancer Diagnosis
In an interview with NBC's Today show, the 59-year-old revealed he was diagnosed in September 2018 after a routine physical examination.
The cancer has since spread to the actor's bones and he can no longer walk. He is undergoing chemotherapy.
"Eventually, you know, it's gonna probably get me," he told host Craig Melvin.
Speaking about his diagnosis, he said: "I was 56 years old at the time, and they screen for PSA, which is prostate-specific antigen. » | BBC | Monday, June 21, 2021
‘I Am Very Shy. It’s Amazing I Became a Movie Star’: Leslie Caron at 90 on Love, Art and Addiction
Leslie Caron and her companion, Jack, greet me at the front of their apartment. They make a well-matched couple – slight, chic, immaculately coiffured. Caron, the legendary dancer and actor, is 90 in two weeks’ time. Jack, her beloved shih tzu, is about nine.
Caron heads off to make the tea, with Sidney Bechet’s summery jazz playing in the background. I am left alone with Jack to explore the living room. It feels as if I am tunnelling through the history of 20th-century culture. Here is a photo of a pensive François Truffaut; below is a smirking Warren Beatty. The centrepiece on the wall is a huge watercolour of Caron’s great friend Christopher Isherwood, painted by his partner, Don Bachardy. To the left is Louis Armstrong, to the right Rudolf Nureyev, with whom she starred in 1977’s Valentino, and further along is Jean Renoir, who she says was like a father to her. And we have barely started.
Caron leads me into her magnificent garden, long and thin as a cricket wicket. “What do you think?” she says, with undisguised pride at her handiwork. She points out the petunias, geraniums, forget-me-nots and a solitary rose trailing on the wall. The pots, some of them almost as big as she is, line up like a military tattoo. “The rose came out in the night. Fabulous.” She licks her lips. » | Simon Hattenstone | Monday, June 21, 2021
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