Daniel Kawczynski MP Speaks in a Westminster Hall Debate on LGBT Acceptance and Education

'It Was News I Was Scared to Tell': Shrewsbury MP Daniel Kawczynski Calls for Understanding of Same-sex Relationships

SHROPSHIRE STAR: Shrewsbury MP Daniel Kawczynski has told about the nerves he suffered when 'coming out' to his constituency association - as he led a Westminster debate on LGBT issues.

Mr Kawczynski revealed how he had travelled back to Shrewsbury from Parliament, with some big news for his constituents.

"It was news I was scared to tell, even to my closest supporters in the local Conservative Association – so much so that I was quietly praying the train would break down so I would not have to impart it. The news was that I was now in a same sex relationship."

The MP for Shrewsbury and Atcham will this year enter into a civil partnership with his long-term partner Fernando. And he says the supportive reaction he got from his constituency party six years ago will stay with him all his life.

"Full of apprehension, I looked up at the faces of the people I had spoken to, 50 of the most senior members of my local party and awaited their reaction," he recalls.

"Almost immediately, a gentleman in the front row stood up and said, 'I think that’s marvellous news, well done' and began clapping. » | Mark Andrews, Shrewsbury | Wednesday, September 4, 2019

Divorced Conservative MP: 'I’ve fallen in love with a man’ »

EU's Juncker Says Brexit Deal Agreed

European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker announces new Brexit deal between Britain and the European Union. The president of the European Commission, Jean-Claude Juncker, has announced that Brussels had come to an agreement with Britain on a Brexit withdrawal agreement to be presented to EU leaders. "Where there is a will, there is a deal - we have one! It's a fair and balanced agreement for the EU and the UK and it is testament to our commitment to find solutions," Juncker tweeted. "I recommend that EUCO endorses this deal," he said, referring to the European Council of the leaders of member states that was to meet later on Thursday. British Prime Minister Boris Johnson said: "We have a great new deal that takes back control." Al Jazeera's Rory Challands reports.

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

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?

Fourteen Weddings and a Divorce | British Royal Family Documentary | Timeline

Chronicling the romantic life of Britain's royal family in the 20th century, this documentary explores the history of royal marriages and asks what's next for a royal family increasingly battered by media pressures and whose business is shared with the whole world.

Nachkriegszeit in Deutschland - Die Stunde Null | Geschichte

Ende des Zweiten Weltkriegs in Europa | Geschichte

Überfall auf die Sowjetunion | Vernichtungskrieg | Geschichte

tagesschau 20:00 Uhr, 14.10.2019

Themen der Sendung: EU ruft Mitglieder zum Einstellen der Waffenverkäufe an Ankara auf, Politische Aufarbeitung des Anschlags in Halle, Queen verliest Regierungserklärung von Johnson, Parlamentswahl in Polen: Klare Mehrheit für Regierungspartei PiS, Oberstes Gericht in Spanien verurteilt neun katalanische Separatistenführer zu langjährigen Haftstrafen, Kais Saied wird neuer Präsident von Tunesien, Hauptstadt von Ecuador wird nach gewalttätigen Protesten aufgeräumt, Wirtschaftsnobelpreis geht an drei Armutsforscher, Gewerkschaft UFO ruft Flugbegleiter von Lufthansa zu Warnstreiks auf, Saša Stanišić erhält Deutschen Buchpreis 2019, Das Wetter

Democracy Now! Top US News & World Headlines — October 14, 2019

Réduit National: Ein Film über die Schweiz im zweiten Weltkrieg

Maturaarbeit von Marco Grünenfelder und Jan Baumgartner an der Kantonsschule Zug

Beginn des Zweiten Weltkriegs | Geschichte Hitlers Blitzkrieg

History File: Life in Nazi Germany

The Unlikely Romance of a Black Nurse and a German POW in World War II

In this edition of Maryville Talks Books, author Alexis Clark and host Paul Schankman have a conversation about her remarkable new "stranger than fiction" book, Enemies in Love, which tells the true story of a black nurse and a German Prisoner of War, who fell in love during World War Two, and eventually married. Though their story began more than 70 years ago, it feels very relevant today as America continues to wrestle with issues of racism and hate.

Enemies in Love: A German POW, a Black Nurse, and an Unlikely Romance »

Pete Buttigieg: I Would Keep Troops in Syria If Needed

During an interview with CNN's Jake Tapper, 2020 Democratic candidate Mayor Pete Buttigieg responded to President Trump's decision to pull troops out of northern Syria, a move Buttigieg says "makes America worse off."

The Battle of Passchendaele | 100th Anniversary of The Great War – Documentary (July 2017) | Timeline

Support Grows for a New Brexit Poll amid Fears over Johnson’s Plan

THE OBSERVER: DUP raises doubts on customs union, while Labour says it will whip MPs to support a second referendum

Pro-remain MPs predicted on Saturday that they were gaining sufficient cross-party support to secure a second Brexit referendum as fresh doubts were raised over whether Boris Johnson can secure a deal with the EU that can pass through parliament.

The push for a second vote appeared to be gaining momentum before what promises to be a dramatic “super Saturday” showdown in parliament next weekend. That emergency House of Commons sitting, called by Johnson, will be held after a critical EU summit in Brussels on Thursday and Friday. It will coincide with a pro-referendum march through London, which organisers say a million people could join. » | Toby Helm and Michael Savage | Saturday, October 12, 2019

No-deal Brexit will wreck Tories’ reputation as party of business, says Lidington »

A speedy referendum would be a far better alternative than a general election »

Goldman Sachs Tells Trump Administration that Americans Are Paying 100% of His China Tariffs

Goldman Sachs has confirmed that the tariffs Trump has put in place on China are actually being paid by American consumers and businesses. But not just “some” of the tariffs – 100% of the tariffs are being paid by American citizens. Trump falsely claims that China is paying for it, but the truth refuses to remain hidden. Ring of Fire’s Farron Cousins discusses this.

David Sinclair: "Lifespan: Why We Age and Why We Don't Have To" | Talks at Google

David Sinclair, professor of genetics at Harvard Medical School, discusses his new book "Lifespan", which distills his cutting-edge research findings on the biological processes underpinning aging. Sinclair describes lifestyle hacks we can undertake now to combat aging, as well as future scientific breakthroughs that promise to slow down—and even reverse—the aging process. Moderated by: Sam Phippen

Shepard Smith Steps Down from Fox News

Fox News and Shepard Smith jointly announce that he will be stepping down from his role as chief news anchor and managing editor of the network's breaking news unit and anchor of 'Shepard Smith Reporting.

Shepard Smith leaves Fox News with hope that 'facts will win the day' »

Liberals love Fox News's Shepard Smith. Is he the network's voice of reason? »

Cities At War - Berlin: The Doomed City | WW2 Documentary | Timeline

Cities At War: London | World War 2 Documentary | Timeline

Cities At War - Paris: The Enraged City | WW2 Documentary | Timeline

Susan Rice on Trump: What Is He Smoking?

Former national security adviser to President Obama Susan Rice responds to President Donald Trump's comments claiming Kurdish forces haven't helped US forces throughout history.

Robert De Niro on Donald Trump: 'I Can't Wait to See Him in Jail'

THE GUARDIAN: The Irishman actor tells the Guardian that Trump and the Republicans ‘have to know they can’t get away with bullying us’

Robert De Niro has renewed his criticism of Donald Trump, calling the US head of state a “gangster president” and saying he “can’t wait” to see him jailed.

De Niro was speaking to the Guardian ahead of the London film festival premiere of The Irishman, Martin Scorsese’s new film, in which he plays mafia killer Frank Sheeran, now generally presumed to have been responsible for the murder of celebrated union boss Jimmy Hoffa in 1975.

De Niro said: “We have a real, immediate problem in that we have a gangster president who thinks he can do anything he wants … the problem is, if he actually gets away with it, then we all have a problem. » | Andrew Pulver and agencies | Friday, October 11, 2019

Helmut Schmidt übers Rauchen

Helmut Schmidt: Ein Auszug aus dem Interview zum Thema Vorbilder - von Thomas J. Nagy: "Rauchen". Bilder: Rainer Friedl

Helmut Schmidt wollte sich von seinen Ärzten nicht überreden lassen, aufs Rauchen zu verzichten. „Würde ich das tun, gehe ich ein“, sagte er im Vorbilder-Interview und zündete sich die nächste Zigarette an.

Elizabeth Warren's Answer to Marriage Question Gets Laughs at Los Angeles Townhall

Elizabeth Warren's deadpan quip in LGBT debate wins plaudits »

Trump Insults Opponents, Promises to Win in 2020 in His First Campaign Rally

President Donald Trump has held his first campaign rally since Democrats launched an impeachment inquiry against him.

An angry, energized Trump whipped his supporters into a frenzy on Thursday at a rally in Minneapolis as he sought to use the Democrats' two-week-old impeachment inquiry as a campaign weapon, and predicted a 2020 election "backlash" against any attempt to unseat him.

In a speech lasting one hour and 40 minutes, Trump bathed in supporters' adulation, homing in on his favourite talking points with a mix of jokes, insults and populist exaggeration. Trump told a crowd in Minnesota that he has done nothing wrong. He is accused of pressuring Ukraine's leader into investigating his Democratic rival, Joe Biden.

Al Jazeera's John Hendren reports.

Testosterone – New Discoveries about the Male Hormone | DW Documentary

Testosterone has long been seen as a metaphor for aggression, but is there really anything to the idea of the testosterone-driven male? Prominent scientists explain how subtle the hormone’s effects actually are.

Men with a lot of testosterone have long been accused of violent and competitive behavior. Now the image of the sex hormone is changing. Unlike in the animal world, the general statement "testosterone makes one aggressive" cannot be confirmed in humans, and recent studies suggest that it can actually even promote selfless behavior. One of the leading experts in this field is Jean-Claude Dreher from Lyon. He says his laboratory experiments show that testosterone does not make men aggressive but instead allows them to act in a strategic manner. Those who are more testosterone-charged tend to be friendlier towards others in order to bolster their own social status. British behavioral psychologist Simon Baron Cohen demonstrates how testosterone determines our gender characteristics when we are still in the womb. Meanwhile, his colleague Oliver Schultheiss from Erlangen has found out how testosterone can improve our learning abilities.

Evangelical Leaders Say God Wants Them to Protect Trump

Disgraced evangelical leader Ralph Reed has become the most recent member of the “religious right” to come forward and say that God wants us to protect Donald Trump. Reed has a new book coming out that allegedly makes the moral case for Christians to support Trump, but his pleas might be falling on deaf ears, as Ring of Fire’s Farron Cousins explains.

Who’d want to be an American Evangelical Christian? They have such a crazy (mis)understanding of Christianity!

Erdoğan Threatens to Send 3.6m Refugees to Europe

Recep Tayyip Erdoğan warns he will ‘open the gates’ if Syria assault is called an ‘occupation’ »

Trump Alters US Under the Radar While Impeachment Is Pursued

The Trump administration is undermining our nation from immigration to the environment, while his tweets and impeachment distract us. Add it all up, says our guest, we can see how he threatens what remains of U.S. democracy.

Turkey Invades Syria: Who Are the Players and What Do They Want? | DW News

Civilians are fleeing northern Syria as Turkish troops advance in Kurdish-controlled areas. The offensive was made possible by the withdrawal of US troops. It has opened a new front in Syria's eight-year-old war. So, who are the key players in this particular conflict and what are their goals? Let's begin with Turkey: Ankara wants to establish a so called "safe zone" along its border stretching about 30 kilometers into Syria territory. This area is currently controlled by Kurdish militias. Turkey wants to clear it of Kurds – and then resettle some two million Syrian refugees there who are currently living in Turkey. Then there are the Syrian Kurds. Groups like the Kurdish People’s Protection Units or YPG want autonomy. The latter fought alongside the US AND Turkey against the so-called Islamic State. But Ankara's offensive could now force Kurdish militias to throw in their lot with the Syrian government and its Russian and Iranian allies. And there is the US. The main goal of the United States and its allies was to defeat Islamist forces in Syria, like ISIS. Washington says ISIS has now been defeated and has started withdrawing its troops from north-eastern Syria, clearing the way for the Turkish offensive.

Britain’s against Brexit, So Why Is It Still Happening? Plus Are Extinction Rebellion Being Heard?

Brexit Is a Necessary Crisis – It Reveals Britain’s True Place in the World

THE GUARDIAN: A determined ignorance of the dynamics of global capitalism is bringing about a long-overdue audit of British realities

Who backs Brexit? Agriculture is against it; industry is against it; services are against it. None of them, needless to say, support a no-deal Brexit. Yet the Conservative party, which favoured European union for economic reasons over many decades, has become not only Eurosceptic – it is set on a course regarded by every reputable capitalist state and the great majority of capitalist enterprises as deeply foolish.

If any prime minister in the past had shown such a determined ignorance of the dynamics of global capitalism, the massed ranks of British capital would have stepped in to force a change of direction. Yet today, while the CBI and the Financial Times call for the softest possible Brexit, the Tory party is no longer listening. » | David Edgerton | Wednesday, October 9, 2019

Turkey Launches Airstrikes on Syrian Kurdish Territory | DW News

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has announced the start of Turkish military action in northern Syria. Turkish television reports that jets are carrying out airstrikes on Syrian Kurdish positions in the border town of Tal Abyad. Early video footage shows strikes hitting fields. But reports from the Kurdish-led Syrian democratic forces say the air strikes are causing "huge panic among the people." Before the strikes, Erdogan announced offensive "Operation Peace Spring" in two tweets.

Sachsen-Anhalt: Tödliche Schüsse in Halle - Bundesanwaltschaft ermittelt

In Halle (Saale) sind zwei Menschen erschossen worden. Mehrere bewaffnete Täter seien auf der Flucht. Die Polizei fordert die Menschen auf, in ihren Wohnungen zu bleiben.

ÉDITORIAL : La diplomatie irresponsable de Donald Trump

LE MONDE : Editorial. Le président américain a annoncé, lundi 7 octobre, le retrait des troupes américaines au nord de la Syrie, avant de rétropédaler face au tollé provoqué par cette décision. Mais le mal est fait.

Depuis son arrivée à la Maison Blanche, Donald Trump a souvent agi sur des coups de tête, a multiplié les revirements soudains et les décisions à l’emporte-pièce. Mais la confusion qu’il a semée à propos du retrait des forces américaines de certains secteurs du nord de la Syrie convoités par la Turquie est inouïe et inédite. Provoquant la sidération non seulement de la part des alliés des Etats-Unis, de sa propre administration, mais aussi, une fois n’est pas coutume, de son propre camp politique, le président américain a affaibli la parole de la première puissance mondiale. » | Editorial du « Monde » | mardi 8. Octobre 2019

Brexit Deal Is Now ‘Essentially Impossible’, Says Downing Street Source

Tonight, the chances of a Brexit deal appear to be slim or none.

American Germany

GI's in Rubbleland - by Mathias Haentjes"

Frankly, I had very little sympathy for the Germans. After all they were the ones who started the damn war, not us." These sentiments as expressed by US Press Officer Gene Mater are shared by many former GIs who came to Germany at the end of the war. The years 1945-1949 were for many of these young soldiers the most important time of their lives.

'American Germany' tells the stories of German-American rapprochement from the perspective of former occupying troops. The Americans, who had previously only known the Germans from the battlefield or from propaganda, found that their opinion of the local population changed as a result of living in close quarters with them.

At the time, they were undertaking a task that was the first of its kind, i.e. to re-educate politically the population of a conquered country, to put that country back on its feet economically and to help its population achieve a whole new attitude to life.

In this documentary, Gene Mater and other occupying soldiers discuss their experiences in Germany. They tell us of the misery of post-war Germany, of distrust between the Americans and the Germans, of the black market and of the hunt for hidden Nazis. And they tell us of great emotions. Love amid the rubble - at that time this was no cliché but a reality a thousand times.

'Reckless, Dangerous, Pathetic': Key Players React to No 10 Briefing

THE GUARDIAN: Leaders on both sides of Channel react angrily to suggestion Brexit deal looks impossible

A No 10 source who said the German chancellor Angela Merkel’s demands for Northern Ireland after Brexit had made a deal “essentially impossible” has sparked furious exchanges on social media between prominent politicians.

Donald Tusk, the president of the European council, criticised Johnson directly, tweeting it was not about “winning some stupid blame game”. » | Martin Belam | Tuesday, October 8, 2019

Boris Johnson Ready to Give Up on Brexit Deal

THE GUARDIAN: No 10 source says agreement looks ‘essentially impossible not just now but ever’

Boris Johnson is poised to give up on Brexit deal talks with the EU after speaking to the German chancellor, Angela Merkel, with a No 10 source briefing that an agreement looked “essentially impossible not just now but ever”.

The prime minister appears to be heading for a more explicit no-deal strategy after speaking to Merkel to discuss his Brexit proposals, which have been given a frosty reception by the EU.

An anonymous No 10 source briefed broadcast journalists, saying Merkel “made clear a deal is overwhelmingly unlikely and she thinks the EU has a veto on us leaving the customs union”. Downing Street did not deny the contents of the statement and Berlin is yet to give its side of the conversation. » | Rowena Mason, Deputy political editor | Tuesday, October 8, 2019

THE GUARDIAN: The Guardian view on Boris Johnson: let no such man be trusted » | Editorial | Monday, October 7, 2019

The Brexit Deal Is Dead »

The Hidden World of the Harem | Suleiman the Magnificent Documentary | Timeline

The Guardian View on a Changing EU: Leaving Britain Behind

THE GUARDIAN: Brexiters routinely underestimate the resilience of the European project and overstate their own importance on the continent

There is a common misperception among British Eurosceptics that the EU is as obsessed with obstructing Brexit as they are with completing it. That is untrue in two ways. First, the priority in Brussels is to facilitate the UK’s orderly departure. There was a phase of grief, but that has mostly given way to frustration at British politicians’ collective ineptitude – remainers as well as leavers. » | editorial | Sunday, October 6, 2019

Macron Gives Johnson Until End of Week to Overhaul Brexit Plan

THE GUARDIAN: French president’s insistence that UK should give way raises chances of talks imploding

The French president has given Boris Johnson until the end of the week to fundamentally revise his Brexit plan, in a move that increases the chances of the negotiations imploding within days.

The UK proposals tabled last week are not regarded in Brussels as being a basis for a deal and Emmanuel Macron emphasised that it was up to the UK to think again before an upcoming EU summit.

After declining to meet with the prime minister in person, Macron further insisted during a phone call on Sunday that the talks would only be advanced through Michel Barnier, the EU’s chief negotiator. » | Daniel Boffey in Brussels | Sunday, October 6, 2019

Health Matters: The Truth about Heart Disease & Cholesterol — Dr. Dwight Lundell

Watch this MOST informative and educational presentation.

Saudi Arabia to Allow Unmarried Foreign Couples in Hotel Rooms

THE GUARDIAN: Kingdom relaxes rules as it turns to tourism to bolster economy for post-oil era

Saudi Arabia has announced it is to allow unmarried foreign couples to rent hotel rooms together as the ultra-conservative kingdom begins offering tourist visas for the first time.

The tourism authority said in a statement on Twitter on Sunday that Saudi women travelling alone would also be able to check into a hotel by presenting valid ID. In the past, couples wanting to stay in a hotel had to prove they were married.

“This is no longer required for tourists,” the statement said.

Saudi Arabia announced on 27 September it was opening its doors to holidaymakers with the goal of diversifying its oil-dependent economy. » | Agence France-Presse in Riyadh | Sunday, October 6, 2019