Rutte fordert Orbán heraus: „Viktor, warum bleibst Du in der EU?“

FRANKFURTER ALLGEMEINE ZEITUNG: Mit seiner Politik gegen Homosexuelle steht der ungarische Ministerpräsident im Kreis der Regierungschefs ziemlich allein da. Erstmals wird die Zugehörigkeit seines Landes zur Union offen in Frage gestellt.

Emotional ging es zu, als die Regierungschefs am Donnerstagabend zum Thema Ungarn kamen, so emotional wie selten. Xavier Bettel aus Luxemburg, selbst schwul, erzählte seine eigene Geschichte. Fast jeder habe da Tränen in den Augen gehabt, sagte Mark Rutte, der Niederländer hinterher. Und es ging mit voller Wucht gegen Viktor Orbán. Er hatte das Gesetz, das Kinder vor Homosexualität und anderen Orientierungen „schützen“ soll, noch schnell in Kraft setzen lassen, bevor er in Brüssel eintraf. Rutte selbst ritt die härteste Attacke. Wie Teilnehmer berichten, wandte er sich direkt an den ungarischen Regierungschef: „Viktor, wenn Du das machst, warum bleibst Du dann in der EU?“ Das war ein Einschnitt. Er könnte gravierende Folgen für Orbán nach sich ziehen.

Der belgische Premierminister Alexander De Croo sprach nach der Sitzung, die erst am frühen Morgen zu Ende ging, von einem „entscheidenden Moment“: „Eine solche Konfrontation haben wir noch nicht erlebt.“ Fast einstimmig habe der Europäische Rat gesagt: „Bis hierhin und nicht weiter.“ Auf die Frage, ob es noch einen Platz für Ungarn in der Europäischen Union gebe, antwortete De Croo erst mit ein paar Sekunden Verzögerung: „Ich hoffe, dass Herr Orbán mit dieser Frage heute nach Hause geht oder wenigstens schlafen geht. Ich denke, er hatte nicht damit gerechnet, dass das Treffen diese Wendung nimmt.“ » | Von Thomas Gutschker, Brüssel | Freitag, 25. Juni 2021

L’Etat de droit, meilleure protection pour les droits LGBT en Europe

LE MONDE : Editorial. L’adoption, le 15 juin par le Parlement hongrois, d’un projet de loi assimilant de fait homosexualité, pornographie et pédophilie, et le refus de l’UEFA d’illuminer le stade de Munich aux couleurs arc-en-ciel ont mis en évidence une fracture entre les membres de l’UE.

Editorial du « Monde ». L’arc-en-ciel est dans toutes les têtes, mais l’orage n’est pas près de se dissiper. Les foudres que se sont attirées, depuis mardi 22 juin, le premier ministre hongrois, Viktor Orban, puis, par ricochet, l’UEFA, l’organisation qui supervise le championnat de football Euro 2021, à propos des droits des communautés LGBT, montrent à quel point ce sujet cristallise les fractures sociétales intra-européennes.

Le projet de loi adopté le 15 juin par le Parlement hongrois, contrôlé par le parti nationaliste de M. Orban, a provoqué un profond malaise au sein de l’Union européenne. Ce texte, qui prévoit de rendre inaccessibles aux moins de 18 ans les « contenus qui montrent ou encouragent la sexualité en elle-même, le changement de genre ou l’homosexualité », assimile de fait homosexualité, pornographie et pédophilie. » | Éditorial | jeudi 24 juin 2021

The Standard American Diet Promotes Cancer!

So many Americans fall into what's often known as the 'standard American diet.' (SAD) In this video, Dr. Joel Fuhrman discusses the issues with that common 'diet'. He also explains how Americans can solve their healthcare crisis and reduce medical expenditures by as much as 70 percent! How can this happen, and will it? Watch and decide for yourself!

Blood test that finds 50 types of cancer is accurate enough to be rolled out »

Brexit: It's Been Five Years Since the UK Voted to Leave the EU | DW News

June 23, 2021 – It was five years ago today when voters in the UK decided to leave the European Union. That's the day Brexit began and the end is nowhere in sight. Concern is growing for at least 150,000 Europeans living in the UK and tens of thousands of Britons residing in the EU who are on the verge of being classed as undocumented migrants.

In another post-Brexit fallout, they're expected to lose their citizens' rights, including the right to work, study and rent property, while some could even face deportation. That’s because they haven’t applied for post-Brexit residency in the countries where they're living. The deadline for many of those programs is next week.

Love Letters to Richard Dawkins

April 11th, 2014 - In a candid moment, filmmaker Eric Preston, founder and producer at Fusion Films, rolls his camera as Dr. Richard Dawkins - Author, Professor and Evolutionary Biologist - again reads "fan mail" he has received from some of his not-so-great admirers. (Parental Discretion is Advised!) Copyright 2015 Richard Dawkins Foundation for Reason & Science

Viewer discretion is advised. Not suitable for children! – Mark

Beautiful Minds: Professor Richard Dawkins

Professor Richard Dawkins is one of the most well-known and controversial scientists in Britain. A passionate atheist, he believes science rather than religion offers us the best way to appreciate the wonders of the Universe we live in. In the last 10 years he has become notorious for his outspoken views on religion, but at the heart of his success is his explosive first book -- The Selfish Gene -- which puts forward a radical rewriting of evolutionary theory and has divided the scientific community. Much of the controversy comes from its provocative title. Now, in this uniquely candid programme, Dawkins admits that the title may have been a mistake. In this journey through Dawkins' life we'll discover how The Selfish Gene got its controversial name, how Dawkins became the most influential evolutionary biologist of his generation and what has motivated him to become religion's most ferocious critic ... Broadcast on BBC Four on April 25, 2012.

EU Summit: Disagreements on Hungary and Russia Reveal Rifts in the EU | DW News

EU leaders agreed Friday to plan for sanctions against Russia but rejected a push for a summit with Russian President Vladimir Putin. At the EU summit in Brussels, France and Germany had called for direct talks with Putin. The proposal came after US President Joe Biden held his own meeting with Putin in Geneva, Switzerland, last week. However, EU leaders failed to reach an agreement on such a summit. In a statement, they said that "they will explore format and conditionalities of dialogue with Russia" but did not mention a summit. The statement also called on EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs Josep Borrell "to present options for additional restrictive measures, including sanctions" against Russia.

Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán's government came under fire over legislation that banned LGBTQ content from being handed out in schools. European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen this week branded the bill "a shame" that contradicts the fundamental values of the European Union and threatened to take Hungary to court. Merkel said the EU leaders and Orbán had a "very, very frank discussion." Leaders from 17 EU countries on Thursday signed a letter slamming "threats against fundamental rights, and in particular the principle of non-discrimination on grounds of sexual orientation." The issue has been front and center of European politics this week after UEFA, Europe's football governing body, rejected a plan by Munich to light up its stadium in rainbow colors for a Germany-Hungary match on Wednesday.

Rescue Mission for Collapsed Florida Building Underway | DW News

Rescue teams are searching for nearly 100 people still missing after part of a 12-storey apartment building near Miami, Florida, collapsed in the middle of the night. US President Joe Biden has declared a state of emergency in Florida and authorized federal assistance for the relief effort.

Monaco Bans Smoking and Vaping on Beaches

MONACO LIFE: The government has decided to make all beaches in the Principality non-smoking this summer for the comfort of beach-goers and to protect the environment.

For over a decade, the Principality has run the ‘Monaco Plage Propre’ campaign, providing sun-seeking smokers with free self-service ashtrays to keep the beaches clean.

But on Thursday, the government announced that it will ban smoking altogether on beaches from this Saturday 26th June to Thursday 30th September. » | Cassandra Tanti | Thursday, June 24, 2021

Why God Cares about Homosexuality? - Richard Dawkins

Rudy Giuliani Suspended from Practicing Law in New York State

Rudy Giuliani, the former personal lawyer for former President Donald Trump who once held one of the legal profession's most prestigious jobs, was suspended Thursday from practicing law in New York state by an appellate court that found he made "demonstrably false and misleading statements" about the 2020 election.

In a ruling released following disciplinary proceedings, the court concluded that "there is uncontroverted evidence" that Giuliani, the former Manhattan US attorney, "communicated demonstrably false and misleading statements to courts, lawmakers and the public at large in his capacity as lawyer for former President Donald J. Trump and the Trump campaign in connection with Trump's failed effort at reelection in 2020."

Giuliani's "conduct immediately threatens the public interest and warrants interim suspension from the practice of law," the court wrote.

The suspension of his law license marks a precipitous fall for the former New York City mayor, once considered an accomplished and formidable force in legal circles. In recent years, however, Giuliani's reputation has suffered as he has come under criminal investigation by the office he used to lead, the Manhattan US Attorney's office, for possible illegal lobbying. He has denied wrongdoing.
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Coronavirus Rampant: How Deadly Is Delta? | To the Point

As rates of Covid cases spiral upward and new warnings resound, people in may parts of the world find themselves wondering if the summer respite we’d hoped for could come to an abrupt end. All thanks to a new and especially adaptable strain. First identified in India, it's known as the delta variant and is significantly more contagious than previously thought. After completely overwhelming the Indian health care system and causing mass suffering and death, the variant has spread to more than 80 countries. Vaccines should stop it from spreading, but it's a race against time. With many countries already returning to normalcy, reimposing rules could be hard. Corona mutations - How deadly is delta?

COVID Incompetence, Waste of £37 Billion Test & Trace and the Privatisation of the NHS

The government’s handling of the coronavirus pandemic has been lamentable leaving the U.K. 7th of all nations in total number of cases, total number of deaths and in the current daily total of new cases. Boris Johnson failed to attend the first five COBRA meeting, delayed in introducing the first two lockdowns and allowed flights to continue to come to the U.K. from India in April when it was known that this was a risk.

Test & Trace has been a complete waste of money - a staggering £37 billion. The woman who lead this catastrophic failure, Dido Harding, is favourite to become head of the NHS. Her husband, Conservative MP, John Penrose, is advisor to a think tank which favours the replacement of the NHS with an ‘insurance based’ alternative

Five Years On, We Finally Know What Brexit Means: A Worse Deal for Everyone

THE GUARDIAN: On trade, finance, migration, food standards and more, the UK suffers fresh ignominy on a daily basis

Five years ago today, in the early hours, Britain discovered what it had done – and what had been done to it by the liars, charlatans and rogues who mis-sold Brexit as “taking back control”. The wound is as fresh as ever. Breaking apart political parties and reversing erstwhile red or blue wall seats is a minor matter, but Brexit’s explosive division of the country by social class, geography and a deep sense of personal identity is a lasting injury. » | Polly Toynbee | Thursday, June 24, 2021

Brazil Passes 500,000 Covid Deaths, a Tragedy with No Sign of Letup

THE NEW YORK TIMES: With 2.7 percent of the world’s population, Brazil has suffered 13 percent of the Covid-19 fatalities, and the pandemic there is not abating.

RIO DE JANEIRO — Brazilians were recovering from Carnival in the heady days of February 2020 when the first known carriers of the new coronavirus flew home from Europe, planting the seeds of catastrophe.

In Brazil, Latin America’s largest nation, the virus found remarkably fertile ground, turbocharging the outbreak that has turned South America into the hardest-hit continent in the world.

Brazil recently surpassed 500,000 official Covid-19 deaths, the world’s second-highest total behind the United States. About 1 in every 400 Brazilians has died from the virus, but many experts believe the true death toll may be higher. Home to just over 2.7 percent of the world’s population, Brazil accounts for nearly 13 percent of recorded fatalities, and the situation there is not easing.

President Jair Bolsonaro has led a strikingly lackadaisical, dismissive and chaotic response to a coronavirus crisis that has left Brazil poorer, more unequal and increasingly polarized. Social distancing measures have been spotty and badly enforced, the president and his allies have promoted ineffective treatments, and for months the government failed to acquire a large number of vaccines. » | Ernesto Londoño and Flávia Milhorance | Thursday, June 24, 2021

Indestructible Super Bugs Taking Over Our Hospitals | 60 Minutes Australia

EU Leaders to Confront Hungary’s Viktor Orbán over LGBTQ+ Rights

THE GUARDIAN: Sixteen EU leaders sign open letter vowing to fight discrimination of LGBTQ+ people before summit

European Union leaders including Emmanuel Macron and Angela Merkel have signed a letter vowing to fight discrimination towards lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and intersex people before an expected confrontation with Viktor Orbán over a Hungarian law widely condemned as an assault on the rights of LGBTQ+ people.

The letter published on Thursday does not mention Hungary explicitly, but the timing is no accident and the stage is set for a tense encounter on Wednesday between the Hungarian prime minister and many of his counterparts at an EU summit in Brussels.

Hungary’s parliament last week adopted a bill that will ban gay people from being shown in educational materials, on prime-time TV, or shows and films aimed at children. The government claims the law is intended to protect children, but campaigners and the Council of Europe’s human rights commissioner say those arguments are “misleading and false”. » | Jennifer Rankin in Brussels | Thursday, June 24, 2021

It Gets Better: Apple Employees

Apple employees share a personal message for the It Gets Better Project. If you are considering suicide or need help, call the Trevor Project now: 866-4-U-TREVOR (866-488-7386).

The Trevor Project »

A Culture War between Hungary and Europe Escalates over LGBT Bill

THE NEW YORK TIMES: E.U. leaders say that they will do all they can to thwart a proposed new law in Hungary that would, they say, equate homosexuality with pedophilia.

BRUSSELS — A culture war between Hungary and the European Union escalated Wednesday after a top official from the bloc said she would use all her powers to thwart a new Hungarian law that critics say targets the L.G.B.T. community.

The law, which would ban the depiction or promotion of homosexuality to those under 18 years of age, an addition to legislation targeting pedophiles, has been approved in Hungary’s Parliament but still must be endorsed by the country’s president.

The legislation was sharply criticized on Wednesday by the president of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen.

“This Hungarian bill is a shame,” Ms. von der Leyen said in a statement. “This bill clearly discriminates against people based on their sexual orientation. It goes against the fundamental values of the European Union: human dignity, equality and respect for human rights.”

Prime Minister Viktor Orban of Hungary, who has defended the law, will come under pressure to withdraw it during a European Union meeting of heads of state and government on Thursday and Friday. It is the latest confrontation between the European Union and Mr. Orban, who styles himself as the champion of an “illiberal democracy” that can sometimes run counter to the democratic values of the bloc.

Ms. von der Leyen described the European Union as a place “where you are free to be who you are and love whomever you want,” adding: “I will use all the powers of the commission to ensure that the rights of all E.U. citizens are guaranteed. Whoever they are and wherever they live within the European Union.” » | Steven Erlanger | Wednesday, June 23, 2021

Kenny Rogers & the Bee Gees • You And I (Tradução)