Sunday, August 04, 2019
A Visit to the Holy Mountain Athos, Greece
The Good Struggle: Life In a Secluded Orthodox Monastery
“There were more before but not all could endure and prove their ability to stay in the monastery,” says a member of the Greek Orthodox Christian community. Theirs is a simple life that revolves around religious ceremony and the daily rituals of craft work and growing, picking and preparing fresh food.
Support for Impeachment Surges as Trump Grows More Unstable
Beto O'Rourke Slams Trump in Wake of El Paso Shooting
Labels:
Beto O'Rourke,
Donald Trump,
El Paso,
racism,
Texas
England Would Be Better Off without Scotland, Says Tory Candidate
The Tory candidate for one of the party’s target parliamentary seats has sought to distance himself from a column he wrote accusing Scotland of “fleecing” English taxpayers and claiming that Scotland remaining in the UK would be a “catastrophe” for England.
Ryan Henson was selected last year as the Conservative candidate for Bedford and Kempston, which Labour won from the previous Tory MP, Richard Fuller, in 2017 with a wafer-thin majority of 789 votes.
In a 2014 article for Conservative Home, Henson wrote that, except for its contribution to Britain’s armed forces, “Scotland’s single biggest offering to the union over the past 50 years has been to provide the Labour party with parliamentary lobby fodder.
“In exchange, the people of England have seen their prescriptions and their university fees go up, while in Scotland both have been abolished – using English taxes to pay for it.” » | Chaminda Jayanetti | Sunday, August 4, 2019
Labels:
Conservatives,
Scotland
Saturday, August 03, 2019
Medieval Society
Labels:
Middle Ages
Boris Johnson Is the Last Person Young Brits Would Vote For
The Daily Express is calling it “the Boris effect”. Johnson’s election has reportedly caused a “record jump” in the polls for the Conservative party, with the Telegraph gleefully reporting that its prized former columnist has received the largest bounce of any Conservative leader in the past two decades.
Though Tory hopes were dented by the party’s defeat in Thursday’s Brecon and Radnorshire by-election, supporters still believe Johnson is capable of winning a general election – which could happen within months.
And there are those on the newly energised right who feel that, after three years of the dour Theresa May, the sheer force of Johnson’s “personality” or “charisma” – yet to be convincingly defined – could yet bring young people into the fold and unite the country around a hard Brexit. His time as London mayor is often cited as evidence that a brand of socially liberal, business-friendly leadership can be repackaged and sold to younger voters. » | Lara Spirit | Saturday, August 3, 2019
Labels:
Boris Johnson
Friday, August 02, 2019
Who Sounds Gay? | Op-Docs | The New York Times
Labels:
gay,
homosexuality
Saxe Appeal: King of Belgium Reintroduces German Lineage
A century after emulating the British royals by removing vestiges of its German lineage in the wake of the first world war, the Belgian monarchy has reintroduced the shield of Saxe-Coburg-Gotha, a former surname, to its coat of arms.
The family name was changed in 1920 to van België, de Belgique or von Belgien (“of Belgium”) in the country’s three official languages as a response to fierce anti-German sentiment.
The German army had killed more than 6,000 Belgian citizens during its invasion and occupation in 1914, in what came to be known as the ”viol de la Belgique”, or rape of Belgium.
As well as ridding the Belgian monarchy of its German name – as did the British royal family, who replaced Saxe-Coburg-Gotha with Windsor in 1917 – Albert I removed the shield of his German ancestry from the royal coat of arms. » | Daniel Boffey in Brussels | Friday, August 2, 2019
Boris Johnson Heads to Istanbul to Trace His Political Past | Who Do You Think You Are
Labels:
Boris Johnson,
Turkey
Ex-Health Insurance Exec: Industry Is Using Decades-Old Scare Tactics to Fight Medicare for All
Charming but Dishonest and Duplicitous: Europe's Verdict on Boris Johnson
He is clever, cultivated, charming; witty, self-deprecating, wildly entertaining and oh so terribly British. Also dissembling, dishonest, dark, duplicitous, and a danger to his country and to Europe – a poker player whose bluff is about to be called.
As Boris Johnson settles into his new role, vowing, do or die, to take the UK out of the EU without a deal in 90 days unless the 27 nations ditch an accord that took two years to negotiate, European politicians and commentators are both fascinated and appalled.
“Like many people, I was easily charmed by his demeanour, his self-confidence, his intelligence,” said Han ten Broeke, a former Dutch MP specialising in EU affairs. “He’s a pleasure to listen to. I have a soft spot for Britain, and Boris was one reason why.”
Ten Broeke has since revised his opinion. “The charm, the intellect, the confidence – it all now looks a lot like over-confidence,” he said. “A promise of simple solutions to complex problems. And it could have disastrous consequences.” » | Jon Henley and Guardian correspondents | Friday, August 2, 2019
Labels:
Boris Johnson
Jo Swinson: Lib Dems Winning and on the Up after Byelection Victory
Jo Swinson has declared the Liberal Democrats are “winning and on the up” after reducing Boris Johnson’s majority to one by taking a seat off the Conservatives in the Brecon and Radnorshire byelection.
The Lib Dem leader said her party would consider future electoral pacts with other pro-EU parties after its candidate, Jane Dodds, was aided by the decision of Plaid Cymru and the Greens to stand aside.
“The country doesn’t have to settle for Boris Johnson or Jeremy Corbyn,” she told BBC Radio 4’s Today programme. “There is another positive alternative that is the Liberal Democrats who are winning again and on the up.” » | Steven Morris and Rowena Mason | Friday, August 2, 2019
Labels:
Liberal Democrats,
Wales
Thursday, August 01, 2019
Analysis: Iranian Foreign Minister's Reaction to US Sanctions
Zarif has hit back on Twitter, thanking the Trump administration for considering him a "huge threat" to his agenda, and saying the sanctions have "no effect" on him or his family. Al Jazeera's Dorsa Jabbari reports live from Tehran
Labels:
Iran,
Javad Zarif,
US sanctions
Saudi Women Can Now Travel without Male Guardian's Approval – Report
Women in Saudi Arabia will no longer need the permission of a male guardian to travel, according to local news reports. The policy, if confirmed, would mark a key step in dismantling controls that have made women second-class citizens in their own country.
Saudi women over the age of 21 will be able to apply for a passport and travel outside the country, without approval, Okaz newspaper reported on Thursday. The change would put them on an equal footing with men. They would also reportedly be able to register births and deaths, a right previously restricted to men.
The paper did not say where it got the information, but the country’s official gazette tweeted that amendments to travel rules, labour law and civil status law would be included in its next edition, Bloomberg reported. » | Emma Graham-Harrison | Thursday, August 1, 2019
Labels:
Saudi Arabia
How Much of a Threat Is Brexit to the Unity of the UK? | Inside Story
Boris Johnson started the tour in Edinburgh. He was met with jeers and boos from protesters, which forced him to leave by the back door of Bute House, the official residence of Scotland's First Minister. Inside, his host Nicola Sturgeon expressed her discontent with Johnson's Brexit plans. She spoke about a 'catastrophic, almost inevitable path to a ‘No-deal Brexit'.
Then it was on to Wales, where Johnson was seeking support for his Brexit plans from the country's agricultural sector. The Welsh farmers' union has warned him leaving the EU without a deal would cause 'civil unrest' in rural areas. Many British farmers rely heavily on trade with Europe, and a no-deal scenario could be costly for their business.
In Northern Ireland, his last stop, Boris Johnson didn't receive the warmest welcome either. There's broad consensus that leaving the EU without a deal could be dramatic, because of the land border between Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland, which will become a border into Europe.
If no deal happens, the Sinn Féin party says the government must call a referendum on Irish Unity immediately. However, Northern Ireland has been without a sitting government since 2017. So has Boris Johnson convinced the skeptics, or is the Kingdom fracturing even further?
Presenter: Kamal Santamaria | Guests: Alan Wager, research associate with "The UK in a Changing Europe" initiative at King's College London; Jonathan Lis, Deputy Director of "British Influence", a pro-European think tank; Alasdair Soussi, writer on Scottish political affairs
Trump Attacks Another Black Man After Being Called Racist
Dutch 'Burqa Ban' Rendered Largely Unworkable on First Day
The Netherlands’ “burqa ban” has been rendered largely unworkable on its first day in law after both the police and Dutch transport companies signalled an unwillingness to enforce it.
Under the terms of the Partial Ban on Face-Covering Clothing Act the wearing of ski masks, full-face helmets, balaclavas, niqabs and burqas is prohibited in public buildings, including schools and hospitals, and on public transport.
Wearers of the banned clothing are to be given the option to remove the offending item or face a police fine of between €150 and €415. There is no prohibition on wearing such garments in the street.
But the law appears to have been fatally undermined after police said its enforcement was not a priority and signalled their discomfort with the idea that veiled women could be put off from entering a police station to make unrelated complaints. » | Daniel Boffey in Brussels | Thursday, August 1, 2019
Labels:
burqa ban,
Netherlands
Wednesday, July 31, 2019
Released Tape Features Ronald Reagan Using Racist Slur
Tim Naftali, who directed the Richard Nixon Presidential Library and Museum from 2007 to 2011, writes that Reagan -- who would later become the 40th President of the United States -- called Nixon in October 1971, the day after the United Nations had voted to recognize the People's Republic of China. In the call, he says, Reagan is heard apparently referencing the way the Tanzanian delegation started dancing in the General Assembly when the UN took the vote to seat the delegation from Beijing instead of Taiwan.
Labels:
racism,
Ronald Reagan
Boris Johnson’s Threat of a No-deal Brexit Will Not Break EU Unity
No matter what Boris Johnson or his new Vote Leave cabinet threaten – and the expectation in Brussels is that no-deal planning will be ramped up in an attempt to intimidate other EU countries – be in no doubt: there isn’t time to limit the damage of a sudden severance from the world’s largest trading block this Halloween.
Unless a further extension is requested, or article 50 is revoked by 31 October, when the current extension of UK membership expires, a dramatic shock awaits the global economy and we all stand to lose. The few who may prosper are the wealthy bankers and hedge fund managers who have bet on chaos.
It is fiction to talk of rewards for citizens or mini-deals to mitigate the damage. Faced with a British government intent on ratcheting up talk of no deal, other European governments have no choice but to prepare for the worst, too – but this is far from a desirable path. In the face of such irresponsible posturing, far from feeling threatened, I fully expect EU governments to remain calm and keep their unity. Attempts to put pressure on Ireland will only be met with waves of solidarity from the rest of the EU. » | Guy Verhofstadt* | Wednesday, July 31, 2019
* Guy Verhofstadt is Brexit coordinator for the European parliament
Republicans Largely Silent after Trump's Attacks on Baltimore and Cummings | The 11th Hour | MSNBC
Could a No-deal Brexit Push Wales towards Independence?
In Wales, where he was today, the Tories are out in front in the latest opinion poll. But many in the Welsh independence movement see his premiership as the perfect gift for their campaign.
A no-deal Brexit puts new pressures on Scotland and Northern Ireland, could it change the game in Wales too? Just this weekend thousands gathered to march for independence, so how indy-curious is Wales?
Tuesday, July 30, 2019
Hamed Abdel-Samad | Islam und Islamkritik | NZZ Standpunkte (2017)
Mit Hamed Abdel-Samad unterhalten sich «NZZ»-Chefredaktor Eric Gujer und die Politikphilosophin Katja Gentinetta über seinen «Abschied vom Himmel» des Glaubens, seine Kritik der Lehren des Propheten sowie die Möglichkeiten, den Islam für die heutige Zeit zu reformieren.
Labels:
Hamed Abdel-Samad,
Islam,
NZZ Standpunkte
Helmut Schmidt | Erfahrungen und Einsichten | NZZ Standpunkte (2009)
Labels:
Helmut Schmidt,
NZZ Standpunkte
Johnson and Varadkar Clash over Irish Backstop in Phone Call
Boris Johnson and Leo Varadkar have clashed over the Irish backstop in their first phone call, with the Irish taoiseach saying the EU is united in the view that it cannot be scrapped and the withdrawal agreement will not be reopened.
Johnson finally spoke to Varadkar almost a week after becoming prime minister, telling him the UK would never put physical checks or infrastructure at the border with Northern Ireland after Brexit but demanding the backstop be scrapped.
The British prime minister had been accused of snubbing Varadkar by leaving it so long to speak to him, even though the Irish leader will be central to whether he can agree a new withdrawal deal with the EU.
A spokesman for Varadkar said: “The taoiseach emphasised to the prime minister that the backstop was necessary as a consequence of decisions taken in the UK and by the UK government. » | Rowena Mason, Deputy political editor | Tuesday, July 30, 2019
Monday, July 29, 2019
Boris Johnson et sa compagne emménagent à Downing Street
Le nouveau Premier ministre britannique Boris Johnson emménage lundi dans sa résidence de Downing Street à Londres, où il vivra avec sa compagne Carrie Symonds, a annoncé l'exécutif britannique. «Le Premier ministre emménage officiellement aujourd'hui et, oui, sa partenaire y vivra», a déclaré à la presse un porte-parole du dirigeant conservateur de 55 ans, qui a pris le 24 juillet la succession de Theresa May. » | La Rédaction avec AFP | lundi 29. juillet 2019
Labels:
Boris Johnson,
Carrie Symonds,
Number 10
The Guardian View on Boris Johnson and Scotland: State of Disunion
Boris Johnson is insouciantly reluctant to be seen travelling cap in hand to Berlin, Paris or Brussels in pursuit of new Brexit terms. He has not even bothered to make a phone call to the Irish taoiseach, Leo Varadkar, even though the Irish border is the crunch Brexit issue. His attitude to the European Union is to try to make the foreigners sweat, even if the result is a slump in the value of sterling, as it was on Monday. And yet, like Theresa May before him, Mr Johnson felt the need to go to Scotland at the very start of his prime ministership.
Why did he come? Why the exception? It is, after all, improbable that the prime minister will get a political dividend from his meetings in Edinburgh. The first, with the Scottish Conservative leader Ruth Davidson, was at best an exercise in damage limitation. Mr Johnson’s casual embrace of a possible no-deal Brexit (which he just as casually denied in an interview) has undermined both Ms Davidson and Tory credibility on the issue in Scotland. Meanwhile, although the brutal sacking of the former Scottish secretary, David Mundell, last week may not have received much attention in England, it has been widely seen in Scotland as an act that pulls the rug from under Ms Davidson. » | Editorial | Monday, July 29, 2019
'Dangerous' UK Government Intent on Forcing No Deal, Says Sturgeon
Boris Johnson is pursuing a dangerous hardline strategy with EU leaders, with the intention of forcing a no-deal Brexit, Nicola Sturgeon has said following her first face-to-face meeting with the prime minister.
Speaking to reporters immediately after Johnson had left her official residence in Edinburgh, Scotland’s first minister said: “This is a government that is pursing a no-deal strategy, however much they might deny that in public.”
“Behind all of the bluff and bluster, this is a government that is dangerous. The path that it is pursuing is a dangerous one, for Scotland but for all of the UK. He says that he wants a deal with EU but there is no clarity whatsoever about how he thinks he can get from the position now, where he’s taking a very hard line … to a deal.”
Johnson was greeted by boos and heckles from an assembled crowd of pro-independence and anti-Brexit protesters as he arrived at Bute House on Monday afternoon, and chose to leave after the hour-long meeting by an alternative back entrance. » | Libby Brooks | Monday, July 29, 2019
Nine Years On, Greek MPs Agree to Abide by Own Anti-smoking Law
Until not so very long ago Greek MPs thought nothing of lighting up in the august halls of the Athens parliament.
So common was the habit that a thick fog of cigarette smoke often hovered over the building’s cafe, a few metres from the legislative chamber where deputies had once voted to ban smoking in all public spaces, including the 300-seat House.
Nine years, 10 months and 26 days after that ban came into effect, lawmakers are finally being forced to abide by it too.
“There’s definitely been a change,” said Dimitris Tarantsas, who has waited on MPs from behind the cafe’s bench-top bar for the past 18 years. “The law, for the first time, is being upheld.”
By Monday, he says, even the metal ashtrays still gracing the one place where smoking is allowed – a vestibule off the cafe – will have been relocated to the dustbin of history as the building officially becomes a smoke-free zone. » | Helena Smith in Athens | Monday, July 29, 2019
CrossTalk on Boris Johnson: PM BoJo
Labels:
Boris Johnson,
Brexit,
CrossTalk
Boris Johnson in Scotland as Pound Falls amid No Deal Brexit Fears
Labels:
Boris Johnson,
Brexit,
pound Sterling,
Scotland
Pat Buchanan: 300 Nukes in Israel Yet Iran a Threat? (20120
Labels:
Iran,
Israel,
nuclear arms,
Pat Buchanan
Glyphosate Banned in Austria as More Countries Become Aware of Weed Killer Poison
Labels:
Austria,
glyphosate,
Roundup
Saturday, July 27, 2019
Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif Says 'Nothing Is Inevitable' with US and Iran (July 19, 2019)
Labels:
Iran,
Javad Zarif,
PBS NewsHour,
USA
Todesstrafe auf Wunsch des Präsidenten
Die Liste der nach amerikanischem Bundesrecht zum Tode verurteilten umfasst im Moment 62 Personen. Sie ist in den vergangenen 16 Jahren stetig länger geworden, weil zwar weiter Todesurteile gefällt, aber nicht mehr vollstreckt wurden. Am Donnerstag teilte die Bundesverwaltung der Justizvollzugsanstalten mit, dass sie fünf Exekutionen für Dezember und Januar in einer Haftanstalt in Indiana angesetzt hat. Die fünf Männer waren in getrennten Fällen verurteilt worden, weil sie Kinder ermordet hatten. » | Von Majid Sattar, Washington | Samstag, 27. Juli 2019
Labels:
Todesstrafe,
USA
Un Brexit sans accord pourrait mener à une réunification de l'Irlande
Un Brexit sans accord pourrait mener à une réunification de l'Irlande du Nord et mettre à mal le Royaume-Uni, a déclaré le Premier ministre irlandais Leo Varadkar. "L'une des choses qui pourrait vraiment nuire (au Royaume-Uni), paradoxalement, c'est un Brexit dur, tant pour l'Irlande du Nord que pour l'Ecosse", a déclaré M. Varadkar vendredi lors d'une université d'été dans le comté de Donegal. "C'est un problème qu'il leur faudra affronter", a-t-il ajouté, cité samedi par plusieurs médias dont le quotidien The Irish Independent. » | La Rédaction avec AFP | samedi 27 juillet 2019
Tommy Sheridan: "Don't Unpack Your Bags Boris!"
Labels:
Boris Johnson,
Scotland
Nancy Wake: Gestapo's Most Wanted | French Resistance Documentary | Timeline
Labels:
documentary,
French resistance,
Gestapo,
Nancy Wake,
Timeline
'You’d Have to Be Mad to Think Boris Johnson Is the Answer to Britain’s Problems' – George Galloway
Labels:
Boris Johnson,
George Galloway
Growing Alarm in Germany Following Right-Wing Attacks
Labels:
Germany,
right-wing extremism
Friday, July 26, 2019
Sweden Hits Back at Donald Trump in Row over A$AP Rocky Detention
Sweden has hit back at Donald Trump after the US president reacted angrilyto a decision to press assault charges against the American rapper A$AP Rocky, insisting its independent judicial system must do its work.
“The rule of the law applies to everyone equally and is exercised by an independent judiciary,” tweeted former prime minister Carl Bildt. “That’s the way it is in the US, and that’s certainly the way it is in Sweden. Political interference in the process is distinctly off limits. Clear?”
Trump said on Thursday he was very disappointed in Stefan Löfven for being unable to act. He said “Sweden has let our African American community down in the United States. Give A$AP Rocky his freedom.”
The US president also said: “We do so much for Sweden but it doesn’t seem to work the other way around. Sweden should focus on its real crime problem.” » | Jon Henley | Friday, July 26, 2019
Labels:
Donald Trump,
Sweden
ITV News Exclusive: Jacob Rees-Mogg Issues Style Guide to Staff
Issuing a style guide in the first week of his job, he also bans colleagues from using various words in correspondence with other MPs and the public.
Among the list of bizarre rules, he asks staff not to use the words “got”, “very” or “equal”. » | Paul Brand, Political correspondent | Friday, July 26, 2019
Labels:
Jacob Rees-Mogg
Boris Johnson: 'The Boy Who Wanted to Be World King' – BBC Newsnight
Labels:
BBC Newsnight,
Boris Johnson
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