‘A Form of Brainwashing’: China Remakes Hong Kong

THE NEW YORK TIMES: Neighbors are urged to report on one another. Children are taught to look for traitors. Officials are pressed to pledge their loyalty.

HONG KONG — With each passing day, the boundary between Hong Kong and the rest of China fades faster.

The Chinese Communist Party is remaking this city, permeating its once vibrant, irreverent character with ever more overt signs of its authoritarian will. The very texture of daily life is under assault as Beijing molds Hong Kong into something more familiar, more docile.

Residents now swarm police hotlines with reports about disloyal neighbors or colleagues. Teachers have been told to imbue students with patriotic fervor through 48-volume book sets called “My Home Is in China.” Public libraries have removed dozens of books from circulation, including one about the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and Nelson Mandela.

Hong Kong had always been an improbability. It was a thriving metropolis on a spit of inhospitable land, an oasis of civil liberties under iron-fisted rule. A former British colony that returned to China in 1997, the city was promised freedoms of speech, assembly and the press unimaginable in the mainland, in an arrangement Beijing called “one country, two systems.” » | Vivian Wang and Alexandra Stevenson | Tuesday, June 29, 2021

What Neo-Nazis Have Inherited from Original Nazism | DW Documentary (Neo-Nazi Documentary)

Sep 21, 2019 • What resemblance do today’s ethnonationalistic ideologies bear to those which surged during the rise of the Nazis in the Weimar-era? Quite a lot, this documentary shows. Germany’s far-right neo-nazi scene is now bigger than at any time since National Socialism.

History may not repeat itself, but one can still learn from it. The years of the Weimar Republic were scarred by post-war trauma, political extremism, street fighting, hyper-inflation and widespread poverty. But they also saw economic boom, the establishment of a liberal democratic order and a parliamentary party system. Nobody could really imagine that the Nazis would brush aside the achievements of this young democracy just a few years later. But there were signs, warnings even that all was not well.

So how does that resonate today? How do today’s right-wing populist movements and parties achieve their political aims? Which slogans, images and stereotypes played a role then, and which ones are playing a role now?

The film also looks beyond Germany’s borders. How has Europe changed in the last few years and how have far-right movements been able to gain such influence? In the interwar period, democracies across the continent collapsed one after the other like a house of cards. What about today? Riding on the coat-tails of the political party the Alternative for Germany (AfD) the far-right has become a factor in both national and state parliaments, united by nationalist and often racist ideologies directly linked to those of the 1930s. At that time, global economic crisis and mass unemployment drove people straight into the fascists’ arms. So what will happen if crisis strikes now? Are our democracies and their achievements today any more stable than they were in the years before the Second World War?

Deadly Extreme Heatwave in Canada | DW News

Jun 30, 2021 • A slew of sudden deaths is being blamed on a record-breaking heatwave sweeping British Columbia and Alberta. Temperatures hit a record high for a third straight day on Tuesday, reaching 49.5 Celsius (121 Fahrenheit) in the village of Lytton.

Police in Vancouver said they had responded to 65 sudden-death calls between Friday and Tuesday. The deaths were still under investigation and many of the deceased were seniors.

British Columbia closed schools and educational institutions due to the record-breaking temperatures. Prior to the weekend, the historical high in Canada was 45 Celsius, set in Saskatchewan in 1937.

Opinion – Guest Essay: Northern Ireland Is Coming to an End

THE NEW YORK TIMES: BELFAST, Northern Ireland — It was meant to be a year of celebration.

But Northern Ireland, created in 1921 when Britain carved six counties out of Ireland’s northeast, is not enjoying its centenary. Its most ardent upholders, the unionists who believe that the place they call “our wee country” is and must forever remain an intrinsic part of the United Kingdom, are in utter disarray. Their largest party has ousted two leaders within a matter of weeks, while an angry minority has taken to the streets waving flags and threatening violence. And the British government, in resolving Brexit, placed a new border in the Irish Sea.

It’s harsh reward for what Northern Ireland’s first prime minister, James Craig, called “the most loyal part of Great Britain.” But the Protestant statelet is not what it was. Well on its way to having a Catholic majority, the country’s once dominant political force — unionism — now finds itself out of step with the community that traditionally gave it uncritical support. And for all his talk of the territorial integrity of the United Kingdom, Prime Minister Boris Johnson has made clear his government would cheerfully ditch this last little fragment of Britain’s empire if it continues to complicate Brexit. » | Susan McKay* | Wednesday, June 30. 2021

* Ms. McKay is an Irish journalist who writes extensively about the politics and culture of Northern Ireland.

Far-Right Group Was Preparing for "Day X" | "Germany's Neo-Nazis & the Far Right" | FRONTLINE

Jun 29, 2021 • Nordkreuz, a German far-right group, stockpiled weapons and prepped for violence. Its alleged leader wasn’t tried on terror charges. An excerpt from FRONTLINE's "Germany's Neo-Nazis & the Far Right."

“If you had an Islamist, a jihadi, doing the same thing, he would go to jail,” journalist Dirk Laabs tells FRONTLINE's Evan Williams of Nordkreuz's alleged leader.

The documentary includes photos found on a hard drive obtained by investigative journalist Dirk Laabs, showing members of the secret group of soldiers, police and civilians practicing military maneuvers and believed to be preparing for something they called Day X: a future moment when the German state would collapse in chaos, and the far right could step in and take control.

The documentary, which explores the rise of far-right and neo-Nazi violence in modern-day Germany and whether authorities are doing enough to stop it, is supported by "Exploring Hate," a multiplatform public media initiative from The WNET Group in New York aimed at offering an in-depth understanding of the rising tide of hatred, hate crimes, antisemitism and racism.

I Had to De-Gay My Voice for Work. I'm Not Alone.

ADVOCATE: I met my now-husband in 1996 at a time when I never imagined we would be able to get married in the same sense that heterosexual couples do. After the U.S. Supreme Court decision in Obergefell v. Hodges, in 2015 — and a 19-year courtship — we exchanged vows on a mountaintop in Mont-Tremblant, Quebec, in Canada. At that time, we still couldn’t legally marry in our home state of Georgia.

When we adopted our first child in 2011, the State of Georgia did not allow us to adopt him as a couple. We each had to adopt him individually, and separately. Today, and together with my husband and two sons, I live in a neighborhood with no other families with same-sex parents. We proudly fly our rainbow flag in front of our home each June in celebration of Pride Month and how far we’ve personally come, with the support and love of our neighbors and community. » | Rick McMurty | Monday, June 28, 2021

Record-breaking Heatwave Hits Western Canada

Jun 29, 2021 • There are worries about public safety as Western Canada’s dangerous heatwave intensifies, with no relief in sight.

Australien fürchtet sich vor der Delta-Variante

FRANKFURTER ALLGEMEINER ZEITUNG: In dem Land mit den bisher stets besonders niedrigen Infektionszahlen müssen gleich mehrere Regionen in den Lockdown. Jetzt rächt sich, dass Australien mit seiner Impfstrategie so zögerlich war.

Ob Darwin im Norden, Queensland im Osten oder Perth im Westen: In Australien lässt sich gerade beobachten, wie die hochansteckende Delta-Variante fast ein ganzes Land in kurzer Zeit in einen Ausnahmezustand stürzen kann. Australien war dank früher Grenzschließungen und strenger Quarantänemaßnahmen bisher relativ gut durch die Pandemie gekommen. Die meisten Australier konnten trotz Pandemie und punktueller regionaler Ausgangssperren ein vergleichsweise normales Leben führen. Dann kam Delta, und zunächst wurden in der Metropole Sydney vergangene Woche einige zentrale Stadtviertel in den Lockdown geschickt. Doch damit ließ sich die Ausbreitung der zuerst in Indien nachgewiesenen Corona-Variante nicht aufhalten. » | Von Till Fähnders, Singapur | Montag, 28. Juni 2021

Australie : avec le variant Delta, « 100 % de transmission au sein des foyers »

LE POINT : L’île fait face à une résurgence de l’épidémie. Trois États ont décrété des confinements éclairs, dont la Nouvelle-Galles du Sud qui dénombre 130 cas.

Confinement, port du masque, jauge en intérieur et extérieur… Des millions d'Australiens démarrent la semaine sous de nouvelles restrictions sanitaires. En cause, un rebond de l'épidémie de coronavirus – dû au variant Delta – sur l'ensemble du pays. En Nouvelle-Galles du Sud, la métropole de Sydney s'est confinée pour au moins deux semaines. Dix-huit nouvelles contaminations y ont été recensées au cours des dernières 24 heures, portant à 130 le nombre de cas positifs. À l'origine de ce cluster, un chauffeur effectuant la navette entre l'aéroport de Sydney et des hôtels de quarantaine. « Nous devons nous préparer à ce que les chiffres augmentent considérablement. Avec ce variant (Delta, NDLR), nous assistons à près de 100 % de transmission au sein des foyers », s'est inquiétée la Première ministre de Nouvelle-Galles du Sud, Gladys Berejiklian, lors de son dernier point presse tenu lundi midi, heure australienne. » | Marianne Murat, correspondante du Point à Melbourne | lundi 28 juin 2021

Pfizer and Moderna Vaccines Likely to Produce Lasting Immunity, Study Finds

THE NEW YORK TIMES: Immune cells are still organizing to fight the coronavirus months after inoculation, scientists reported.

The vaccines made by Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna set off a persistent immune reaction in the body that may protect against the coronavirus for years, scientists reported on Monday.

The findings add to growing evidence that most people immunized with the mRNA vaccines may not need boosters, so long as the virus and its variants do not evolve much beyond their current forms — which is not guaranteed. People who recovered from Covid-19 before being vaccinated may not need boosters even if the virus does make a significant transformation.

“It’s a good sign for how durable our immunity is from this vaccine,” said Ali Ellebedy, an immunologist at Washington University in St. Louis who led the study, which was published in the journal Nature. » | Apoorva Mandavilli | Monday, June 28, 2021

Democracy Now! Top U.S. & World Headlines — June 28, 2021

Gladiator • Now We Are Free • Hans Zimmer & Lisa Gerrard

Apr 8, 2014 • Soundtrack/theme song from the 2000 Ridley Scott film "Gladiator" with Russell Crowe, Joaquin Phoenix, Connie Nielson, Oliver Reed, Derek Jacobi, Djimon Hounsou & Richard Harris.

It Got Better Featuring Portia De Rossi | L/Studio Created By Lexus

May 13, 2015 • Portia de Rossi battled losing her father, bulimia, and a Hollywood perfection complex before she made it out of her twenties.

Joe Cocker: Up Where We Belong

Will You Marry Me? Australian Politician Proposes in Parliament (2017)

Australian MP Tim Wilson asks his partner to marry him during his speech to parliament on the same-sex marriage bill. Ryan Bolger accepts his proposal with a loud "yes".

This proposal is truly priceless! I hope that these two gentlemen live "happily ever after"! – Mark

Russia in Grips of Third COVID Wave as Delta Variant Takes Hold | DW News

Jun 28, 2021 • Russia is in the grip of a third wave of the coronavirus that is threatening to overwhelm the country's health service. The capital, Moscow, recorded 144 COVID-19 deaths in 24 hours on Sunday – that's the highest rate since the beginning of the pandemic. And an average 20,000 new infections are being reported across the country each day.

Authorities are imposing strict new measures to counter the surge. St. Petersburg's city beach couldn't be busier. With temperatures above 30 degrees Celsius, thousands of Russians have come to the Gulf of Finland to escape the hot weather - and social distancing.

Russia is in the middle of its third coronavirus wave - thanks to the rapidly spreading Delta variant. The authorities are sounding the alarm: The new mutation accounts for almost 90 percent of new cases. Officials are talking about more than 20,000 new infections every day, most of them in Moscow.

To get the situation under control, the Russian capital has re-opened field hospitals and built medical stations especially for coronavirus. All hospitals are quickly being re-equipped to handle COVID-19 patients. But their main goal is to get more citizens vaccinated against COVID-19.

Russia was the first country in the world to get a vaccine to market - with Sputnik Vee. So far, however, only 10 percent of the population has been vaccinated. The government wants that to change - by decree. From now on, all companies in Moscow must have at least 60 percent of their workforce vaccinated.

Restaurants are still open, if only until 11 p.m. But in the future, only people who have been vaccinated, or who have a medical certificate showing they have recovered, or who have a negative PCR test, will be allowed to eat there. They will have to scan a QR code issued by the Moscow health authority. That means all service-sector employees must get the jab. Anyone who refuses will be fired. Those who take part will be rewarded.

But even these unprecedented measures are a far cry from the tough lockdown the government imposed last year as infections began to rise. Virologists say it's a case of too little, too late - and that the third wave could be Russia's most devastating yet. DW's Juri Rescheto reports.

Bangladesh: Tens of Thousands Flee Dhaka amid COVID Surge | DW News

Jun 28, 2021 • Tens of thousands of migrants are fleeing Bangladesh's capital Dhaka amid a surge in coronavirus infections. The spike has prompted the government to tighten restrictions beginning Monday. The lockdown will curtail most economic activity and confine people to their homes.

Now those who moved to Dhaka for work are rushing to return to their home villages before the lockdown takes effect. Thousands are cramming onto ferries hoping for a spot to get home.

Being so close to others in a pandemic isn't ideal, but they face a tough choice - stay in locked down Dhaka with no work or support, or go back to their home villages, to be with family.

Ferries have been operating 24 hours a day, trying to clear the backlog and get people home. Authorities say they try to stop overcrowding, but people's desperation means they don't listen. The exodus from Dhaka was sparked by a surge in coronavirus infections. Case numbers have reached six thousand a day. In response Bangladesh's government is issuing a stay-at-home order with shops, transportation and offices to close, meaning many will lose their jobs with no way to pay for food or rent. That leaves people with few options, other than to cram onto ferries, in an effort to find support in their hometowns.

Lebanon Economic Crisis among World's Worst in 150 Years | DW News

Jun 28, 2021 • Inflation has driven Lebanon's currency to historically low values in recent weeks. The crash of the Lebanese pound is playing its part in the country’s grave economic crisis, which has left half the population living below the poverty line.

Fire and fury have hit the streets of Beirut. Lebanon is descending fast into an economic crisis that the World Bank says will likely rank among the world's worst of the last 150 years. Where some streets witness protests, others host long lines of cars queuing for a share of Lebanon's insufficient supply of gasoline.

Shortages are pushing up the costs of many essentials. The price of subsidized bread has been hiked five times this year alone. Citizens are also getting much less for their money because of record inflation.

The Lebanese pound has been trading at an all-time high on the black market - at over 10 times its official rate against the US dollar.

The crisis is largely the result of three decades of financial mismanagement by successive governments, following Lebanon's civil war. But it's been made even worse by a global pandemic, and the billions of dollars of damage caused by last year's deadly blast in Beirut port.


‘This is the end of times’: Lebanon struggles to find political path through its crisis »

There's No Safe Amount of Alcohol, Study Says (2018)

Aug 24, 2018 • There's no amount of liquor, wine or beer that is safe for your overall health, according to a new analysis of 2016 global alcohol consumption and disease risk. Dr. Richard Haring shares his thoughts on the latest findings.

'Trump Deserves to Go to Jail': Ex-Trump Org. Exec on Looming Criminal Charges

Jun 27, 2021 • Barbara Res, former executive vice president for the Trump Organization, talks with CNN's Jim Acosta about the possibility of New York prosecutors filing criminal charges against her former employer.