Could Tunisia Fall under a New Dictatorship? | Inside Story

Jul 27, 2021 • Tunisia is often called the only success story of the Arab Spring. But ten years on, its democracy is looking fragile. President Kais Saied has defended sacking the Prime Minister and suspending parliament, saying he acted lawfully under the constitution.

Tunisia's biggest political party, Ennahda, is calling for a national dialogue. While some celebrated the President's decisions, others are warning of a return to authoritarianism. So could Tunisia return to dictatorship?

Presenter: Bernard Smith | Guests: Tarek Kahloui - Political analyst; Sarah Yerkes - Senior Fellow, Carnegie Endowment for International Peace; Salih Yasun - Fellow, Ostrom Workshop, Indiana University Bloomington.

Democracy Now! Top US News & World Headlines — July 29, 2021

Syria: Assad Attacks Former Opposition Stronghold with Missiles and Artillery

A woman walks past a campaign billboard depicting Syrian president Bashar al-Assad before the election, which the local population of Deraa al-Balad declared fraudulent. Photograph: Louai Beshara/AFP/Getty Images
THE GUARDIAN: President attempts to crush simmering insurrection with unprecedented offensive against Deraa al-Balad

Bashar al-Assad has attacked a former opposition stronghold with missiles and artillery shelling in an attempt to crush a simmering insurrection, in an unprecedented development in Syria’s decade-long war.

Deraa al-Balad and its surrounds, a district of Deraa city in the southern province of the same name, was targeted with heavy weaponry in tandem with a ground push on three axes from two Syrian army divisions and allied Iran-backed militias early on Thursday morning, in a large offensive which continued throughout the day.

In response to the shelling, rebel gunmen launched counterattacks across the Deraa countryside, killing at least eight pro-regime fighters and capturing dozens of combatants at several military positions and checkpoints, local sources said. » | Bethan McKernan and Hussein Akoush | Thursday, July 29, 2021

Zur Abwechslung!

For a change! / Pour changer !
Image thanks to World Stock Market.

Over Half of Brazilians Spend More Than They Earn – Survey

THE RIO TIMES: Debts are also a common issue among many Brazilians. A quarter of respondents (25%) have debts exceeding what they can afford to pay.

RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL - A survey of workers in Brazilian companies showed that more than half (or 55%) spend more than their salaries, while another 45% spend "a little less" than they earn.

The survey was conducted by financial consulting fintech Leve. In total, 700 employees from 16 companies were heard.

The goal was to draw a profile of workers' finances. According to Leve, the study drew a worrisome picture of Brazilians' lack of financial control. According to the survey, 35% of workers were only able to maintain their living standards for 3 weeks after ceasing to work. » | The Rio Times | Thursday, July 29, 2021

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Lebanon: Why Is the Country in Crisis and What’s Happening? - BBC Newsnight

Jul 28, 2021 • As Lebanon grapples with a deepening economic crisis, fuel, medicine and food are becoming increasingly scarce. Why and what’s happening?

The country is now in a state of collapse - fuel shortages, power cuts, bare shelves and a plummeting currency. It is a financial crisis with deep roots in a fundamentally flawed political system.

Last year saw the mass resignation of the entire cabinet after the explosion at a port that killed more than two hundred. It was later discovered a storage facility had been holding dangerous chemicals that no one had bothered to move.

The BBC’s Jean Mackenzie reports from and asks how the country can get back to its previous life - booming with optimism, tourism, and confidence.

« Viktor Orban a une technique de stigmatisation désormais bien rodée »

LE POINT : INTERVIEW. Fabienne Keller, eurodéputée Renew, était présente lors de la Gay Pride à Budapest. Elle soutient le bras de fer de la Commission avec le régime d’Orban.

Désormais eurodéputée macroniste, Fabienne Keller a gardé de ses années à la mairie de Strasbourg le réflexe d’aller voir sur le terrain. Elle était le week-end dernier à Budapest lords de la Marche des fiertés pour se tenir aux côtés des LGBT hongrois au moment où le régime de Viktor Orban vient de passer une loi extrêmement contestée et qui lui vaut les foudres de nombreux leaders européens. La Commission a engagé une procédure d’infraction. Le plan de relance hongrois est suspendu jusqu’au 30 septembre. » | Propos recueillis par Emmanuel Berretta | jeudi 29 juillet 2021

Hungary to Hold Referendum on Anti-LGBT Law after EU Legal Action - BBC Newsnight

Jul 27, 2021 • Hungary’s national spokesman speaks to Newsnight to defend its controversial anti-LGBT law which will now face a referendum, weeks after the EU launches legal action against the country.

Hungary’s new law - which limits the teaching of homosexuality and transgender issues to under 18s - will face a referendum in the new year.

Viktor Orbán’s government calls it a 'child protection law' and says it keeps sexual propaganda out of schools, TV shows and adverts.

Critics say the law conflates homosexuality and paedophilia, and the EU has strongly condemned it as discriminatory and launched legal action against Hungary.

Emily Maitlis is joined by Hungary’s Secretary of State for International Communication and Relations, Zoltan Kovacs.

Classic French Recipes: Navarin of Lamb / Navarin d’agneau / French Lamb Stew

This is enough for 4 people.

Ingredients for the Navarin:

800g of lamb shoulder (boneless)
100g of carrots
100g of onions
2 cloves of garlic
20g of tomato paste
20g of flour
20g of butter
5cl of oil (with high smoking point)
1 bouquet garni
small bunch of curly parsley
small pinch of salt
pinch of pepper
6 boiling potatoes

For the caramelized onions:

250g pearl / small pickling onions
10g sugar
20g butter
Enough water to cover the onions.

How to glaze and caramelizedpearl onions – a step-by-step Demonstration

French Cooking Academy

Afghans Leaving the Country as US Troops Withdraw | DW News

Jul 28, 2021 • After two decades, America's longest war is coming to an end in Afghanistan. US and NATO troops are slipping out the door while the Taliban are busting back in. And caught in the middle: The Afghan people. Some who worked with allied forces are being flown out of the country. Thousands upon thousands are fleeing across the border into Iran, headed for Turkey and then Europe. And for the vast majority, the future is as uncertain as it was when the Taliban fell 20 years ago.

China wertet die Taliban auf

FRANKFURTER ALLGEMEINE ZEITUNG: Mit ganz großem Bahnhof hat der chinesische Außenminister einen stellvertretenden Taliban-Führer empfangen. Peking signalisiert damit, dass es in Afghanistan eine größere Rolle spielen will.

Die Amerikaner hatten tagelang hart verhandeln müssen, um Wang Yi zu einem Treffen mit der stellvertretenden amerikanischen Außenministerin zu bewegen. Den afghanischen Taliban hingegen gewährte der chinesische Außenminister am Mittwoch den ganz großen Bahnhof. Zur Begrüßung des stellvertretenden Taliban-Führers Abdul Ghani Baradar führte Wang Yi respektvoll seine rechte Hand an die linke Brust, wie es in Afghanistan üblich ist. Baradar nahm dann in demselben Sessel in einem Hotel in der Stadt Tianjin Platz, in dem am Montag die stellvertretende amerikanische Außenministerin Wendy Sherman gesessen hatte. Solche Protokollfragen spielen in China eine sehr große Rolle. Ein Zufall war das sicher nicht. Die nach diplomatischer Anerkennung strebenden Extremisten wurden von Peking unmissverständlich aufgewertet. Die Frage ist, was China als Gegenleistung verlangte. » | Von Friederike Böge, Peking | Mittwoch, 28. Juli 2021

Quarantaine maintenue pour les Français au Royaume-Uni : «c'est excessif», dénonce Beaune

LE FIGARO : Le secrétaire d'État chargé des Affaires européennes a critiqué la décision britannique et a vanté l'harmonisation européenne.

En annonçant que les voyageurs américains et européens totalement vaccinés n'auraient plus à se mettre en quarantaine à leur arrivée sur le sol britannique, Londres a ouvert ses portes aux touristes étrangers. Mais les Français ne seront pas logés à la même enseigne, a précisé le gouvernement britannique hier, suscitant l'ire de Paris. » | Par Thomas Engrand | jeudi 29 juillet 2021

$1 Trillion Infrastructure Deal Scales Senate Hurdle with Bipartisan Vote

Senator Mitt Romney of Utah and other Republicans who negotiated the deal urged their colleagues to support a measure they said would provide badly needed funding for infrastructure projects. Credit...T.J. Kirkpatrick for The New York Times
THE NEW YORK TIMES: The vote was a breakthrough after weeks of wrangling among White House officials and senators in both parties, clearing the way for action on a top priority for President Biden.

WASHINGTON — The Senate voted on Wednesday to take up a $1 trillion bipartisan infrastructure bill that would make far-reaching investments in the nation’s public works system, as Republicans joined Democrats in clearing the way for action on a crucial piece of President Biden’s agenda.

The 67-to-32 vote, which included 17 Republicans in favor, came just hours after centrist senators in both parties and the White House reached a long-sought compromise on the bill, which would provide about $550 billion in new federal money for roads, bridges, rail, transit, water and other physical infrastructure programs.

Among those in support of moving forward was Senator Mitch McConnell of Kentucky, the Republican leader and a longtime foil of major legislation pushed by Democratic presidents. Mr. McConnell’s backing signaled that his party was — at least for now — open to teaming with Democrats to enact the plan. » | Emily Cochrane and Jim Tankersley | Wednesday, July 28, 2021

A Look at What the Bipartisan Infrastructure Deal Would Do »

Another Pie in the Face for Anita Bryant: Her Granddaughter Is Gay

Sarah Green, who is engaged to marry another woman, spoke about her famously homophobic grandmother on a recent podcast.
ADVOCATE: It’s most likely Anita Bryant’s worst nightmare: Her granddaughter is gay and marrying a woman. Granddaughter Sarah Green talked about her relationship with the notorious antigay crusader on a recent episode of Slate’s podcast One Year, hosted by Josh Levin and focusing on 1977, a year when the nation seemed on the verge of great change.

Bryant, a beauty queen and pop singer, was a spokeswoman for Florida orange growers in the 1970s when she gained new fame with her opposition to gay rights. Miami-Dade County’s government adopted an ordinance in 1977 banning employment and housing discrimination based on sexual orientation, making it one of the first municipalities to do so. Bryant, who had testified against the ordinance, was outraged at its passage and led a campaign dubbed “Save Our Children” to persuade voters to repeal it.

Along the way, Bryant became a darling of her fellow conservative Christians and an enemy of gay people and their allies; at one point, an activist threw a pie in her face. Miami-Dade citizens did repeal the ordinance, with over 70 percent voting to do so. The city-county government restored the ordinance in 1998 and added gender identity to it in 2014. » | Trudy Ring | Tuesday, July 27, 2021

Life is funny: So often in life, the very thing you have criticized others for doing comes back to you so that you yourself must deal with it. Moral and takeaway: Be careful what you criticize others for doing! – Mark

Watch Anita Bryant’s ‘pie-in-the-face’ incident here.

Jared Kushner Set to Move Away from Politics and Launch Investment Firm

Jared Kushner during a visit to Rabat in Morocco in December. The sources had no details about potential investors and said the firm was still in the planning phase. Photograph: Shereen Talaat/Reuters
THE GUARDIAN: Trump’s former adviser to launch firm in Miami, sources say / Kushner to publish book next year about White House role

Jared Kushner, a top adviser to former Donald Trump, plans to launch an investment firm in coming months, a move that will take him away from politics for the foreseeable future, sources familiar with the plan said on Wednesday.

Kushner, the former chief executive of Kushner Companies, who served as the Republican president’s senior adviser in the White House, is in the final stages of launching an investment firm called Affinity Partners that will be headquartered in Miami. » | Reuters | Thursday, July 29, 2021

An Exciting Kiss, Sensual and Erotic

Un baiser excitant, sensuel et érotique / Ein erregender Kuß, sinnlich und erotisch
Image thanks to Google Images and Advocate, its source.
”Some say my loving you is wrong, but I love you because it feels so right.” – Source: 30 Affectionate Gay Love Quotes

‘Terror’: Crackdown after Protests in Cuba Sends a Chilling Message

The July 11 demonstration against the government drew large crowds. An estimated 700 protesters are now being held by the government. Credit...Yamil Lage/Agence France-Presse — Getty Images
THE NEW YORK TIMES: In a remarkable act of defiance, thousands of Cubans took to the streets two weeks ago and chanted “We’re not afraid!” Many are now terrified.

The courage many Cubans showed when they poured into the streets two weeks ago, chanting “Down with the dictatorship!” and “We are not afraid!” has curdled into fear for many. Hundreds have been detained, the police have staked out the homes of activists and, among government critics, there is a widespread sense that the crackdown is far from over.

Maykel González, an independent journalist taken into custody after the July 11 protests, has ventured out of his home rarely in recent days, frightened by the surveillance and harassment that other protesters are enduring.

“At any moment they could show up at my door,” said Mr. González, 37. “It’s a fear that’s with me from the moment I wake up.”

When Cubans, spurred by a severe economic crisis, erupted in a rare wave of public rallies, government critics on the island and abroad hoped the act of defiance would force the island’s authoritarian rulers to embrace political and economic reforms.

Instead, the response by authorities has been draconian. State-run media outlets denounce demonstrators as vandals and looters. Police officers have gone door-to-door making detentions. » | Ernesto Londoño and Daniel Politi | Wednesday, July 28, 2021

Capitol Riot Inquiry Invokes Emotional Police Testimony | DW News

Jul 28, 2021 • A special congressional panel dedicated to investigating the attack on the US Capitol on January 6 held its first hearings on Tuesday. The Select Committee on the January 6th Insurrection heard from four police officers who defended the building from the rioters.

Officer Aquilino Gonell said he and other police experienced "horrific and devastating" physical violence during the riot. Officer Michael Fanone said he was beaten and tased during the Capitol breach. He said he heard rioters say "kill him with his own gunr /> Another Washington D.C. officer, Daniel Hodges, referred to the rioters as "terrorists" and said they are in a "cult." US Capitol officer Harry Dunn, an African-American, said he was met with racial slurs from the rioters.

After the officers gave their testimonies, they were questioned by lawmakers during the hearing. Republican panel member Liz Cheney of Wyoming asked Gonell how it feels to hear former President Donald Trump call the mob a "loving crowd."

Gonell said Trump's remarks are "upsetting" and added that "it's a pathetic excuse for his behavior, for something that he himself helped create."

Some observers believe former President Donald Trump incited the rioters due to his false allegations that the 2020 election was rigged against him. Trump held a rally close to the Capitol before the riot, and urged supporters to "stop the steal" of the election.

Vintage Gay

Leonard Cohen - Dance Me to the End of Love (Official Video)

Views on YouTube: 99,596,777