Brexit: Michel Barnier's Post-Brexit Warning to UK and EU - "Be Careful" | Interview

With the UK hit by a fuel crisis and labour shortage, many in the country have pointed the finger at Brexit.

Amid the disruption, Michel Barnier, the EU’s former chief Brexit negotiator, sat down with the New Statesman to discuss his new book, My Secret Brexit Diary, an account of his time leading talks with the UK ahead of its exit from the Union.

Barnier, who is seeking the nomination of France’s centre-right Republican party ahead of the 2022 presidential election, told how he fears that Brexit was a warning to the rest of Europe, where Euroscepticism could rise if voters continue to be ignored. “It is too late for the British people, but it is not too late for us,” he said.

He also spoke about his run for the Elysée and the future of international relations in the wake of the US withdrawal from Afghanistan and the US, UK and Australia’s Aukus treaty. On the future of the transatlantic relationship, Barnier noted that the new arms deal had tested the trust between France and the US and UK. “An alliance needs trust and confidence… I recommend that the UK and the US, who are our allies, be careful and [bear in mind] the necessity for us to work together.”

Democracy Now! Top US News & World Headlines — October 19, 2021

Polish PM Morawiecki Takes Defiant Tone in EU Rule of Law Clash | DW News

Oct 19, 2021 • Polish Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki struck a defiant tone as he addressed the European Parliament over a case that's sparked fears his country could be on course to leave the bloc.

It's a cornerstone principle of the EU that European law takes precedence over member states' national laws. But in a ruling earlier this month, Poland's Constitutional Tribunal found that very principle was incompatible with its own constitution. The dispute is really about a number of key issues where Poland is at loggerheads with the EU, above all over controversial judicial reforms. But it's also about media reforms and LGBTQ rights. EU officials have threatened to launch legal action against Poland.


Liens connexes ici, ici et ici.

Im Streit um die Rechtsstaatlichkeit in Polen droht von der Leyen mit Sanktionen der EU: Nach dem jüngsten Entscheid aus Polen, Teile des europäischen Rechts nicht anzuerkennen, ist die Stimmung zwischen Warschau und dem Europäischen Parlament auf dem Tiefpunkt. Die EU-Kommissions-Präsidentin Ursula von der Leyen droht mit der Kürzung von Geldern. Polens Ministerpräsident Mateusz Morawiecki spricht von «Erpressung». »

Editor of BILD Tabloid Sacked after New York Times Exposes Misconduct | DW News

Oct 19, 2021 • The editor in chief of Germany's best-selling newspaper BILD has been removed from his post over revelations of misconduct. Publishing company Axel Springer said Julian Reichelt would be axed from the helm with immediate effect. The 41-year-old was suspended earlier this year as part of a company probe into his management style, and later reinstated. His sacking comes after a New York Times investigation uncovered fresh allegations against him, including an affair with a trainee and financial impropriety.

Related

Trump Files Lawsuit to Block Release of Capitol Attack Records

THE GUARDIAN: Ex-president challenges Biden’s decision to waive executive privilege that protects White House communications

Donald Trump has sought to block the release of documents related to the Capitol attack on 6 January to a House committee investigating the incident, challenging Joe Biden’s initial decision to waive executive privilege.

In a federal lawsuit, the former president said the committee’s request in August was “almost limitless in scope” and sought many records that were not connected to the siege.

He called it a “vexatious, illegal fishing expedition” that was “untethered from any legitimate legislative purpose”, according to the papers filed in a federal court in the District of Columbia.

Trump’s lawsuit was expected – as he had said he would challenge the investigation – and at least one ally, Steve Bannon, has defied a subpoena.

But the legal challenge went beyond the initial 125 pages of records that Biden recently cleared for release to the committee.

The suit, which names the committee as well as the National Archives, seeks to invalidate the entirety of the congressional request, calling it overly broad, unduly burdensome and a challenge to separation of powers. It requests a court injunction to bar the archivist from producing the documents. » | Associated Press in Washington | Tuesday, October 19, 2021

Bannon and other top Trump officials face legal peril for defying subpoenas: Developments in select committee’s move to secure Bannon’s conviction come as Trump files lawsuit blocking the release of his White House records »

It Doesn’t Get Much Better Than This!

A screenshot from the video.
If kissing is your thing, check out THIS video from Tel Aviv.
My regular visitors will probably have watched this ‘kissathon’ before; however, as it is very long, they might well not have watched it all the way through to the end. I have watched it all the way through now, but it took me a while to get to the end because it is 84 minutes long. It is well worth your time, however, since it is so good and it is hard to find anything comparable to it on the Internet, still less anything as good.

It is not possible to embed this video because of age restrictions, so it must be watched on YouTube itself. Do yourself a favour and click on this link to watch it. Fortunately, it can be watched in stages. YouTube will remember where you left off.

I’m sure you will be as delighted by this wonderful video as I have been. It is clean and in no way objectionable (unless one is prejudiced). Enjoy it and have fun! Viel Vergnügen! – Mark

"Angriff auf die Demokratie - Wurde der Brexit gekauft?"

Die britische Wahlkommission ist überzeugt: Es gibt Anhaltspunkte dafür, dass große Teile der Gelder für eine Kampagne vor dem Brexit-Referendum aus dubiosen Quellen stammen.

Im Fokus steht der britische Geschäftsmann Arron Banks, Strippenzieher und enger Freund des ehemaligen Ukip-Anführers Nigel Farage. Über seine Offshore-Konten sollen fast neun Millionen Pfund Spenden geflossen sein.

Die "ZDFzoom"-Dokumentation geht der Frage nach: "War das Brexit-Referendum ein Komplott mit dem Ziel, auch die Grenzen der Demokratie auszutesten?" Die Recherchen legen nahe, dass Wähler verdeckt und so effektiv wie möglich beeinflusst werden sollten. "ZDFzoom"-Autor Dirk Laabs verfolgt nicht nur die Geldströme, sondern redet mit Insidern aus der Kampagne und konfrontiert ihrenNigel Farage,Steve Bannon, Kopf, den ehemaligen Chef der Ukip, Nigel Farage. Farage redet im Interview mit dem ZDF auch darüber, welchen Einfluss US-amerikanische Berater für die Kampagne hatten. Steve Bannon, früherer Berater von US-Präsident Trump, war einer der wichtigen Berater in diesem Spiel.

Konkret geht es um millionenschwere Kredite, die die Pro-Brexit-Kampagne von Banks erhalten haben soll. Demnach stammte das Geld möglicherweise nicht von ihm selbst, sondern von Firmen mit Sitz auf der Isle of Man und in Gibraltar, die sich damit in den Wahlkampf eingemischt hätten. Mittlerweile ermittelt die National Crime Agency. Sie soll die bislang verschleierte Kampagnen-Finanzierung offenlegen.

Nigel Farage spricht im Interview mit dem "ZDFzoom"-Autor Dirk Laabs ganz offen darüber, wie eng die Lager zusammengearbeitet haben und wie wichtig auch der ehemalige Trump-Berater Steve Bannon für die Kampagne in Großbritannien war: "Zuvor hatte ich keinerlei Verbündete in den Medien, keine Stimme. Dann half uns Steve. Wenn Du plötzlich mehrere Stimmen auf Deiner Seite hast, ändert das alles."


All diese Männer sind abscheulich. Sie haben etwas ganz Schmutziges gemacht mit Großbritannien und mit den Briten. Sie haben etwas sehr Unpatriotisches getan. Es ist wirklich eine Schande! - © Mark

Editor of German Tabloid Bild Sacked after Sexual Misconduct Claims

THE GUARDIAN: Julian Reichelt departs after reports that he promoted an employee he had an affair with

Julian Reichelt temporarily stepped aside in March but was reinstalled to a powerful position after less than two weeks. Photograph: Clemens Bilan/EPA
The editor of Germany’s biggest tabloid has been relieved of his duties as its publisher faced allegations that it tried to cover up the full findings of an investigation into sexual misconduct and bullying within its own offices.

Media giant Axel Springer SE, the largest media publishing firm in Europe, recently expanded its global portfolio by acquiring the US political news website Politico for more than $1bn, inviting closer scrutiny of its workplace culture on the other side of the Atlantic.

The New York Times reported on Sunday that Julian Reichelt, the editor of Bild, Axel Springer’s flagship tabloid and Europe’s biggest-selling newspaper, promoted a female junior employee to a high-level newsroom job while having an affair with her.

Axel Springer announced on Monday night that Reichelt had been relieved of his duties with immediate effect. The company said in a statement that after recent revelations, further information regarding the editor’s behaviour had come to light. » | Philip Oltermann in Berlin | Monday, October 18, 2021

«Bild»-Chef Julian Reichelt muss gehen: Die «New York Times» wirft Reichelt Machtmissbrauch gegenüber Mitarbeiterinnen vor. Wegen neuer Erkenntnisse über Fehlverhalten hat ihn der Axel-Springer-Verlag nun von seinen Aufgaben bei der «Bild»-Zeitung entbunden. »

Allemagne : le rédacteur en chef de Bild limogé pour une liaison et un comportement «fautif» : »

Mahler Symphony No 5 | Adagietto | Herbert von Karajan

Slide-show of Venice with contemporary photographs and antique oil paintings. | Berlin Philharmoniker | Deutsche Grammophon

Toto : Africa | Official HD Video

Views on YouTube: 711,953,705,br />

La Pologne et la Hongrie suspendues aux fonds européens

LE FIGARO : DÉCRYPTAGE - Dans leur bras de fer avec Bruxelles sur l’État de droit, les deux pays risquent gros: des milliards de subventions.

Attendu de pied ferme par un Parlement de Strasbourg très remonté, le premier ministre polonais, Mateusz Morawiecki, devrait l’assurer, ce mardi matin, de sa «loyauté» à l’Union européenne. Après l’arrêt du Tribunal constitutionnel du 7 octobre déclarant la primauté du droit polonais sur celui de l’UE, les eurodéputés pressent la présidente de la Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, de déclencher enfin la procédure «État de droit», qui priverait des précieux subsides communautaires les pays membres qui ne respectent pas les règles. » | Par Florentin Collomp | lundi 18 octobre 2021

Réservé aux abonnés

Der Mann für die grossen Überraschungen: Peter Marki-Zay fordert Ungarns Ministerpräsidenten Orban heraus: Der Bürgermeister einer Kleinstadt gewinnt unerwartet klar die oppositionellen Vorwahlen. Sein Konservatismus ist sein grosser Trumpf – und eine Quelle der Spannungen im heterogenen Parteienbündnis, das ihn unterstützt. »

Homosexuality: It's about Survival - Not Sex | James O'Keefe | TEDxTallaght

Nov 15, 2016 • This passionate talk from Dr. James O'Keefe MD gives us a deeply personal and fascinating insight into why homosexuality is indeed a necessary and extraordinarily useful cog in nature's wheel of perfection.

James H O'Keefe MD, is a Board Certified Cardiologist and Director of both the Charles & Barbara Duboc Cardio Health & Wellness Center and the Preventive Cardiology service at Saint Luke’s Mid America Heart Institute. He is also Professor of Medicine at the University of Missouri-Kansas City. His postgraduate training included a cardiology fellowship at Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota. Dr O’Keefe is board-certified in Cardiology, Internal Medicine, Nuclear Cardiology, and Cardiac CT Imaging. He is consistently ranked among the ‘Top Doctor’ lists regionally and nationally as one of America’s Top Rated Physicians in Cardiology. He has been named as one of USA Today’s Most Influential Doctors. Dr O’Keefe has contributed more than 300 articles to the medical literature and has authored best-selling cardiovascular books for health professionals including: The Complete Guide to ECGs (which is used for Cardiology Board Certification), Dyslipidemia Essentials, and Diabetes Essential.

This talk was given at a TEDx event using the TED conference format but independently organized by a local community.


Since this video was made, homosexuality in India has been decriminalised. India's Supreme Court legalised consensual gay sex on September 6, 2018.

These two WIKIPEDIA links on homosexuality in India are very informative: Homosexuality in India amd LGBT rights in India. – Mark

Elegant Chinese Jewish Gay Wedding • Michael & Neil

Jul 24, 2020 • Michael & Neil’s wedding weekend was elegant, sophisticated, and truly special. These two grooms are literally from different corners of the globe. Michael is Turkish – Swiss – Russian and wished to include his Jewish traditions into the ceremony. Neil is Chinese from Shanghai and also wanted to represent his culture on their wedding day. Both men wanted to incorporate their families, their heritage, and traditions into the ceremony, which made it all so meaningful and rich.

The dynamic two met when Michael was visiting the hotel that Neil was managing. They quickly locked eyes, and to say the least, hit it off immediately. With many trips across the ocean to see one another, they fell in love while exploring the world together.

Neil proposed in front of Michael’s family at an intimate dinner with a ring that was custom made. Each of their wedding rings held a ruby because red is lucky in Chinese culture. The start of many traditions.

Michael was really thoughtful with every detail of the planning process keeping his guest’s happiness as his main priority. Every detail was given the utmost attention, from the guest gifts to the menus, to the entertainment, everything was planned to perfection so his friends & family would have an extraordinary experience during their wedding weekend on the Riviera. …

Amazing Gay Wedding | Villa Vizcaya Museum & Garden Miami, FL | Hernan & William

May 27, 2016 • Same-sex wedding video @ Vizcaya Garden in Miami, FL

Colin Powell, Who Shaped U.S. National Security, Dies at 84

THE NEW YORK TIMES: A former chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, secretary of state and national security adviser, Mr. Powell died on Monday of complications of Covid-19, his family said.

Colin L. Powell in 2004, when he was secretary of state under President George W. Bush in the midst of the Iraq war. | Doug Mills/The New York Times
Colin L. Powell, who in four decades of public life served as the nation’s top soldier, diplomat and national security adviser, and whose speech at the United Nations in 2003 helped pave the way for the United States to go to war in Iraq, died on Monday. He was 84.

He died of complications of Covid-19, his family said in a statement. He had been fully vaccinated and was treated at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center, his family said.

Mr. Powell was a path breaker serving as the country’s first African American national security adviser, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff and secretary of state. Beginning with his 35 years in the Army, Mr. Powell was emblematic of the ability of minorities to use the military as a ladder of opportunity.

His was a classic American success story. Born in Harlem of Jamaican parents, Mr. Powell grew up in the South Bronx and graduated from City College of New York, joining the Army through ROTC. From a young second lieutenant commissioned in the dawn of a newly desegregated Army, Mr. Powell served two decorated combat tours in Vietnam. He later was national security adviser to President Ronald Reagan at the end of the Cold War, helping negotiate arms treaties and an era of cooperation with the Soviet president, Mikhail Gorbachev. » | Eric Schmitt | Monday, October 18, 2021

Der Irak machte ihn gross und demütigte ihn – Colin Powell ist im Alter von 84 Jahren gestorben: Colin Powell wurde nach dem ersten Golfkrieg von 1991 als Held gefeiert. Aber seine Rolle bei der Vorbereitung des zweiten Irak-Feldzugs wertete er später selbst als Schandfleck in seiner Karriere. »

Colin Powell, secrétaire d'État sous George W. Bush, est décédé du Covid-19 : Il est décédé à l'âge de 84 ans ce lundi. Connu pour son allocution de 2003 sur les armes de destruction massives prétendument détenues par l'Irak, il avait par la suite qualifié ce moment de «tache» sur sa réputation. »

Democracy Now! Top US News & World Headlines — October 18, 2021

Bank of England Will Have to Act to Curb Inflation, Says Bailey

THE GUARDIAN: Governor signals central bank is preparing to raise interest rates amid surge in energy prices

The Bank of England governor, Andrew Bailey, said he continued to believe the recent jump in inflation would be temporary. Photograph: Hannah McKay/Reuters
The governor of the Bank of England has warned it will “have to act” to curb rising inflation, sending a new signal that it is gearing up to raise interest rates.

Andrew Bailey said he continued to believe the recent jump in inflation would be temporary, but he predicted a surge in energy prices would push it higher and make its climb last longer, increasing the risk of higher inflation expectations.

“Monetary policy cannot solve supply-side problems – but it will have to act and must do so if we see a risk, particularly to medium-term inflation and to medium-term inflation expectations,” Bailey said on Sunday during an online panel discussion organised by the Group of 30 consultative group. » | Guardian staff and agency | Monday, October 18, 2021

Inside Peter Thiel’s Shadowy Political Dealings | The Mehdi Hasan Show

Sep 24, 2021 • Peter Thiel is a tech billionaire with influence in both Silicon Valley and… far-right politics? Max Chafkin, who wrote the biography on the mogul, joins the show.

The Mehdi Hasan Show: Insightful reporting and probing interviews that examine the day's events and provide a deeper level of context for the politics of our interconnected society.

Rachel Maddow: RNC's Openly Gay Speaker Peter Thiel a 'Tough Nut' | MSNBC | 2016

Jul 22, 2016 • PayPal Co-Founder Peter Thiel said he was "proud to be gay" and a Republican on the RNC stage. Rachel Maddow, Eugene Robinson and Steve Schmidt discuss.

Locking Lips

Photo: Adobe Stock