English Councils Start Banning Smoking Outside Pubs and Restaurants

THE GUARDIAN: Five local authorities take matters into own hands amid Covid outdoor eating culture

Five local authorities have banned smoking in pavement pubs, cafes and restaurants, and others are considering following suit, before a new push by the government to make England smoke-free in less than a decade.

The Covid outdoor eating culture has given the issue of smokers outside pubs and cafes a new visibility. Last summer there was an attempt to push through an amendment to legislation in the House of Lords to make pavements smoke-free, but it failed.

However, Northumberland county council, Durham, North Tyneside, Newcastle, and the City of Manchester have all banned smoking on stretches of the pavement where bars, restaurants and cafes are licensed to put out tables. Although it does not have a policy, all the licences granted by Gateshead also stipulate that pavement cafes must be smoke-free.

Oxfordshire is also planning to ban smoking from outdoor restaurants as part of a major strategy that aims to make the county smoke-free by 2025, which is five years ahead of the government’s plan for England as a whole. It also plans to take tougher action to stop the sale of tobacco to under-18s and work to discourage smoking in homes, cars, play parks and at the school gates. » | Sarah Boseley | Wednesday, June 2, 2021

These health Nazis are dangerous killjoys! They are totally out of control! They are taking the law into their own hands. Somebody should stop them – NOW! Their time would be better spent trying to tackle the real problem in this country: drug-taking. I speak as a non-smoker. An ex-smoker to be precise. But just because I have given up smoking, I don’t expect the rest of the world to give it up with me. I am not a killjoy! – ©Mark

Cumbrian pub owner Dianne Irving and councillors warn against pavement smoking ban »

Brexit Update - The Chaos and Incompetence Continues

It is now five months since the U.K. finally left the E.U. Since then fishing, farming, small and medium sized businesses, the financial sector, the arts and the vital U.K. tourist industries have all begun to feel the effects of Brexit. Whilst the government desperately searches for trade deals all over the world with little or no success our openly hostile border policy advertises to the world that we are no longer a friendly or welcoming country. The prime minister, ever concerned with his personal image, has announced his intention to buy a £200 million yacht to sail around the world looking for trade deals.

Rishi Sunak Announces ‘Historic Agreement’ by G7 on Tax Reform

THE GUARDIAN: Finance ministers agree deal to force multinationals to pay tax in all countries where they operate

The G7 group of wealthy nations have signed a landmark deal to tackle tax abuses by some of the world’s biggest multinationals and establish a minimum global corporation tax for the first time.

Finance ministers from the world’s richest economies agreed the historic deal on Saturday as part of talks held in London, the chancellor, Rishi Sunak, said.

As part of the plan, finance ministers also agreed to the principle of a global minimum rate that ensures multinationals pay tax of at least 15% in each country in which they operate.

Sunak said: “These seismic tax reforms are something the UK has been pushing for and a huge prize for the British taxpayer – creating a fairer tax system fit for the 21st century. » | Phillip Inman | Saturday, June 5, 2021

DER BOMBE NÄHER DENN JE: Was Trump in Iran geschafft hat

FRANKFURTER ALLGEMEINE ZEITUNG: So viel hochangereichertes Uran wie derzeit hatte Iran noch nie. Das kann es sich in den Atomverhandlungen zunutze machen. Ein neuer Deal ist gefährdet.

Irans Atomprogramm ist eine tickende Zeitbombe. Zwar hat das von der Obama-Biden-Regierung 2015 durchgesetzte Abkommen schmerzlich bewiesen, dass eine Einhegung von Teherans atomaren Ambitionen beileibe nicht alle Probleme löst, welche die Islamische Republik in ihrer Nachbarschaft verursacht. Entscheidend ist aber die Gegenprobe: Jedes Problem, das der Region aus dem Machtkampf zwischen dem schiitischen Iran und den sunnitischen Golf-Arabern erwächst, potenziert sich, wenn die Führung in Teheran über Atomwaffen verfügen könnte. » | Ein Kommentar von Andreas Ross | Samstag, 5. Juni 2021

Meet Israel’s Likely New Prime Minister | The Mehdi Hasan Show

Israel has reached a deal to oust longtime prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu. But is the likely replacement Naftali Bennett much better? Mehdi introduces the right-wing politician.

Opinion: Netanyahu Embodied Dishonest, Divisive Demagoguery. If He’s Gone, Good Riddance

THE GUARDIAN: Although the new coalition taking shape may not agree on much, the prime minister’s downfall is long overdue

It could be over before it starts. As you read this, it may already be unravelling. But a new government has been formed in Israel, thereby removing the man who has ruled that country longer than anyone else. Benjamin Netanyahu has dominated Israeli politics for most of the past quarter-century: first elected as prime minister in 1996, he has ruled Israel uninterrupted for the past 12 years. But now, if the new coalition holds together – a big if – the reign of Bibi, King of Israel, will come to an end. Even if we should have no illusions about what comes next, that itself is a cause for celebration.

It is also the new government’s sole, animating purpose. The motley collection of parties, which runs from the settler hard right through the centre to the liberal left – and which includes a Palestinian Islamist party – has next to nothing else in common. It cannot be described as hawkish or dove-ish, left or right: it is simply the anti-Netanyahu bloc, forged to prise his fingers off the prime ministerial desk once and for all. » | Jonathan Freedland | Friday, June 4, 2021

Right-wing Populists and the EU | DW Documentary (2019)

2019 looks to be a good year for right-wing populists in Europe. Be it Italy, France, Hungary, Poland or Germany, many European countries are experiencing a shift to the right. Right-wing populists are expected to make significant gains in the European Parliament elections this spring.

Right-leaning party representatives have an agenda: they want to dismantle to the European Union. Guido Reil of Germany’s AfD party believes the best way to do that is by going to Brussels. "It is easier to destroy something from the inside than from the outside." Joseph Sauvage, a cafe owner in Denain in northern France, backs Marine Le Pen's Rassemblement National party, because he doesn't want to see people in Denain abandoned. "When the factories closed, the small shops closed. There is nothing here, economically speaking. No work. It’s also changed politically. It used to be communist. But that changed with the end of opportunities for the working class." His view of migration has also changed. "Immigrants are entitled to the same social benefits without ever having worked here." Like Joseph Sauvage, Luca Davide, a member of Italy’s Northern League party, says he's had enough of living in a run-down block in a small city full of foreigners. "We don't need drug dealers, we don't need illegals! We just want to live here in peace and safety." In early February 2018, a right-wing supporter targeted Africans in a drive-by shooting rampage. According to Northern League leader Matteo Salvini, the EU shares "moral responsibility” for the act because it "filled the country with illegal foreigners." Messages like these are met with support. Evidence of just how a state’s society and institutions change when right-wing populists come to power is evident in Hungary. Many judges, organizations that support refugees or human rights, scientists, and journalists speak of massive restrictions in Orban's "illiberal democracy". But a lot of young Hungarians starting to push back.

German Cardinal’s Resignation Offer Sends Shockwaves through the Catholic Church | DW News

Germany's most senior cleric has offered his resignation to Pope Francis. Munich's Cardinal Reinhard Marx said that he wanted to share responsibility for what he called the "catastrophe of sexual abuse" by members of the Catholic church.

Marx has long been a leading voice in the call for church reforms. Those calls have been growing louder as sex abuse investigations revealed a decades-long cover-up by the clergy. Marx said investigations and reports of the past 10 years showed him there had not only been "a lot of personal failure and administrative errors," but "also institutional and systemic failure" within the Catholic Church.

Recent discussions had shown "that some in the church do not want to acknowledge this element of co-responsibility and thus also complicity of the institution and are therefore opposed to any reform and renewal dialogue in connection with the abuse crisis," he wrote in a letter to the pope dated May 21 and published on Friday by his archdiocese in Munich.

The archdiocese said in its press release on the issue that Pope Francis had since responded to Cardinal Marx, telling him that he could make the letter public, and to remain in his role until he received an answer.

Grèce : vrai départ pour la loi anti-tabac ?

Le dispositif législatif était resté jusque-là lettre morte.…

Grèce : vrai départ pour la loi anti-tabac ? »

How Canada Became a Country of Smokers | The Agenda

Daniel Robinson's new book, "Cigarette Nation," draws a link between cigarette marketing strategies of the 1950s and today's global pandemic and examines the history of smoking to discover why Canadians continued to light up despite the health risks. Robinson, a historian and associate professor in the Faculty of Information and Media Studies at the Western University, discusses his research.

Australia’s Mouse Plague

Families and farmers in New South Wales are doing everything they can to fend off a biblical incursion of rodents. Guardian Australia’s Matilda Boseley has spent months reporting on the story – and hearing the experiences of those who have been affected
Listen to the podcast HERE »

Want to Live to 100? Dan Buettner Tells You How | Amanpour and Company

Dan Buettner is a National Geographic fellow and founder of The Blue Zones Project, a well-being improvement initiative launched in over 40 cities across the United States. It also inspired a cookbook called “The Blue Zones Kitchen,” based on the diet of people who live in these zones living long and healthy lives. Buettner tells Hari exactly what makes these places so special to him. Originally aired on January 17, 2020.

3 Dinge die Dein Leben verlängern! - Ein Arzt packt aus und verrät, worauf es wirklich ankommt

Wer möchte es nicht: ein möglichst langes und gesundes Leben führen. Und tatsächlich gibt es einen Haufen Angebote, die das bewerkstelligen sollen. Nur: Welche davon sind sinnvoll, und worauf kommt es wirklich an? Das verrät der Arzt und Bestsellerautor Dr. Gerd Reuther im Gespräch mit Robert Fleischer bei Welt im Wandel.TV.

Israel May Have Avoided a Fifth Election and Ended Up with Two Prime Ministers | ABC News

A deal between rivals announced in the nick of time may have sealed the fate of Israel's longest-serving prime minister, with a power-sharing arrangement announced that would oust him from government.

Israeli Opposition Parties Strike Deal to Form New Government | DW News

An unlikely coalition of disparate Israeli opposition parties struck a deal on Wednesday night to form a government. The agreement could potentially resolve an extended period of political deadlock and force beleaguered Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu from the political stage after 12 years in office. Yair Lapid, a centrist, and Naftali Bennett, an ultranationalist, announced the deal after they succeeded in cobbling together a coalition government with a number of parties from across the political spectrum. Lapid managed to pull together signatures from seven parties signaling their willingness to form a coalition shortly before his mandate to form a new government expired at midnight.

Lapid has officially informed President Rivlin that he has the backing of the majority of the Knesset to form a cabinet — over two months after the March 23 election. The new government could face a vote of confidence in Israel's Knesset parliament sometime before next Wednesday unless Lapid asks for time to negotiate any disagreements before parties sign on to a binding coalition. Such a move would delay the vote by another week and give parties time to iron out any disagreements about the policies and appointments of the new government. It is expected that Netanyahu, the country's longest-serving prime minister, will attempt to bring lawmakers from the coalition over to his side. Unless the newly formed coalition collapses before being sworn in, Netanyahu's 12-year stint in the top job will come to an end.

Die unglaubliche Wahrheit: Das musst Du wissen, wenn Du zum Arzt gehst - Ein Mediziner packt aus!

Der Medizinethiker Prof. Dr. Giovanni Maio fordert einen radikalen Umbruch im Medizinsektor. Denn viele Ärzte sind von wirtschaftlichen Zwängen getrieben - der Mensch, der Patient und seine Krankheit geraten dabei aus dem Fokus. Die Verwirtschaftlichung eines eigentlich sozialen Bereiches - der Medizin - schadet den Patienten. Der Fehler liegt im System: So erhalten Ärzte beispielsweise nur eine Pauschale von etwa 100 € pro Quartal für alle Gespräche mit ihren Patienten. Geld verdienen sie nur durch mehr oder weniger notwendige Behandlungen. Im Gespräch mit Robert Fleischer schildert Prof. Mayo die Abgründe des deutschen Medizinsystems, in dem die Behandlung eines Patienten davon abhängt, wie profitabel seine Genesung ist.

Prof. Dr. Giovanni Maio ist Direktor des Instituts für Ethik und Geschichte der Medizin an der Uni Freiburg, Mitglied der zentralen Ethik-Kommission für Stammzellenforschung, Mitglied des Ausschusses für ethische und juristische Grundsatzfragen der Bundesärztekammer und seit 2010 ständiger Berater der Deutschen Bischofskonferenz.

Psychiatrist: ‘Donald Trump Is Delusional’ Even Out of Office

Dr. Lance Dodes, retired Assistant Clinical Professor of Psychiatry at Harvard Medical School, joins Lawrence O’Donnell to discuss Donald Trump reportedly making false claims that he will be “reinstated” as president by August and why “lack of power is the thing Trump can’t stand and doesn’t acknowledge.”

‘It’s Dehumanizing’: Texas Valedictorian Goes Off Script to Attack Abortion Ban

THE GUARDIAN: Paxton Smith criticizes near-total ban that makes no exception for rape or incest

The valedictorian at a Texas high school went off script while delivering her graduation speech, criticising the state’s extreme abortion ban in an address that has since been widely shared on social media.

School administrators had signed off on Paxton Smith’s pre-written speech on how TV and media have shaped her worldview. But, when it came time to address the graduating class of Lake Highlands high school, she pivoted.

“In light of recent events, it feels wrong to talk about anything but what is currently affecting me and millions of other women in this state,” she said, her voice shaking as she began. » | Maanvi Singh | Thursday, June 3, 2021

Opinion: France Is Becoming More Like America. It’s Terrible.

THE NEW YORK TIMES: PARIS — It’s become a familiar refrain in French political life. From President Emmanuel Macron and his cabinet to the far-right opposition, from print columnists to talking heads, “Americanization” is increasingly held responsible for a whole set of social ills ailing the nation.

For some of these critics, it’s the reason so many young people — adopting the view of Black Lives Matter activists — believe police violence is a problem. For others, it explains why the quality of academic research is in decline, as fanciful ideas concocted on American college campuses like intersectionality and post-colonialism supposedly flourish. To others still, it’s why people can’t speak their mind anymore, suffocated by the threats of “ cancel culture.”

Perhaps the most common gripe is that ideas and practices imported from the United States are making the French obsessed with ethnic , religious and sexual difference at the expense of their shared identity as citizens of the universal Republic.

They’re not wrong: French politics are, in fact, becoming Americanized. But the problem is not left-wing theories or censorious scolds. It is instead the rise of an insular, nationalistic, right-wing discourse driven by a belligerent style of press coverage. Distinctively French in content, the form this discourse takes — grievance-wallowing hosts conjuring embittered conversations about national decline, immigration and religion — follows America’s lead. As in the United States, the result is a degraded political landscape that empowers the far right, dragging mainstream politicians into its orbit. » | Cole Stangler * | Wednesday, June 2, 2021

* Mr. Stangler is a journalist based in France who writes extensively about the country’s politics and culture.

Finding the Cure for Dementia | 60 Minutes Australia

Listet Fehler und Versäumnisse der Medizingeschichte auf | Dr. Gerd Reuther | Radiologe | SWR1 Leute

„Ich bin aus dem Medizinbetrieb ausgestiegen, weil meine Zweifel zunehmend gewachsen sind und ich kein Erfüllungsgehilfe mehr für schlechte Medizin sein wollte!“ Gerd Reuther hat 30 Jahre in verschiedenen Kliniken als Radiologe gearbeitet, um sich dann aus einem System zu verabschieden, das er für grundlegend renovierungsbedürftig hält. Das geht für ihn bei sinnlosen und überflüssigen Operationen los und endet bei einer dramatischen Über-Medikamentierung der Patienten. In seinem neuen Buch „Heilung Nebensache" blickt Reuther kritisch auf 2500 Jahre Europäische Medizingeschichte zurück. Moderation: Wolfgang Heim
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Whitney Houston, Mariah Carey - When You Believe

Whitney Houston - Hold Me

Das Geschäft mit der Krankheit: Das solltest Du wissen, bevor Du zum Arzt gehst - Dr. Gerd Reuther

Der Radiologe Dr. med. Gerd Reuther erklärt im Gespräch mit Sabine Linek, warum Menschen in Gefahr sind, wenn sie sich in medizinische Behandlung begeben. Jährlich sterben in deutschen Kliniken rund 18.800 Menschen durch Behandlungsfehler. Das sind etwa fünfmal so viele Todesfälle wie im Straßenverkehr. Doch Dr. Gerd Reuther, geht noch weiter: Die Dunkelziffer der Todesopfer von Ärzten dürfte sogar noch deutlich höher liegen. Seine Recherchen hat der Arzt in dem vielbeachteten SPIEGEL-Bestseller „Der betrogene Patient“ zusammengefasst und gibt hier im Gespräch wichtige Ratschläge.

Was dieser Spezialist über Medikamente zu sagen hat sollte gar nicht verpaßt sein! Er spricht über Vieles Klartext. Was er über Medikamente für hohen Blutdruck, Blutverdünnungsmittel, Beta Blocker, und vieles Andere zu sagen hat ist maßgebend und ist zudem ein Augenöffner! – ©Mark

USA: Conspiracy Theories Pose a Real Threat

Mehdi explains the nonsense and dangerous conspiracy theories Trump's allies and former White House officials have been pushing. Then, Rep. Adam Smith joins to discuss just how dangerous they could be to the future of the republic.

A Professor Gives the Most Well-researched Analysis of the 1950s

The speaker is a University of Texas at Austin Prof. Steven Mintz, being interviewed in 1990 about families in the 1950s by David Hoffman. The filmmaker. Prof. Mintz is America's leading historian on the history of the American family. He is the author of 14 books on this subject.

Amazon US Customers Have One Week to Opt Out of Mass Wireless Sharing

THE GUARDIAN: Critics raise transparency fears over plan to turn all smart home devices into ‘mesh network’

Amazon customers have one week to opt out of a plan that would turn every Echo speaker and Ring security camera in the US into a shared wireless network, as part of the company’s plan to fix connection problems for its smart home devices.

The proposal, called Amazon Sidewalk, involves the company’s devices being used as a springboard to build city-wide “mesh networks” that help simplify the process of setting up new devices, keep them online even if they’re out of range of home wifi, and extend the range of tracking devices such as those made by Tile. » | Alex Hern, Technology editor | Tuesday, June 1, 2021

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

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.

Seven European Countries Begin Issuing a Digital Covid Certificate for Travel

THE NEW YORK TIMES: A digital Covid certificate system that will facilitate travel within the European Union became operational in seven countries on Tuesday — ahead of schedule — previewing what could become a standard for post-pandemic global mobility.

The document, known as a digital green certificate, records whether people have been fully vaccinated against the coronavirus, recovered from the virus or tested negative within 72 hours. Travelers can move freely if at least one of those three criteria is met.

Bulgaria, the Czech Republic, Denmark, Germany, Greece, Croatia and Poland made the certificates available to their citizens as of Tuesday and are accepting them for visitors. The European Commission, the bloc’s administrative branch, said the system would be used in all 27 E.U. countries as of July 1. » | Matina Stevis-Gridneff | Tuesday, June 1, 2021

Ein sehr interessantes Gespräch über die Gesundheit! Rechnet nach 30 Jahren als Arzt mit seinem Berufsstand ab | Gerd Reuther | Radiologe | SWR1 Leute

Ein langes und glückliches Leben in Gesundheit steht auf der Wunschliste der meisten Menschen ganz oben. Doch wer den Therapieempfehlungen der Mediziner rückhaltlos vertraut, schadet sich häufiger, als er sich nützt. Das sagt Dr. med. Gerd Reuther, Facharzt mit Lehrbefugnis für Radiologie, der nach 30 Jahren als Arzt seinen Berufsstand schonungslos seziert. Er deckt auf, dass die Medizin häufig nicht auf das langfristige Wohlergehen der Kranken abzielt, sondern in erster Linie die Kasse der Kliniken und Praxen füllen soll. Eine bessere Medizin müsste mit einer anderen Vergütung medizinischer Dienstleistung beginnen und Geld dürfte nicht mehr über Leben und Tod bestimmen - so seine Forderung. Moderation: Nicole Köster

BJ Thomas Obituary

THE GUARDIAN: Singer who enjoyed huge success with Raindrops Keep Fallin’ on My Head, written for the film Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid

In 1969, BJ Thomas, who has died of complications from lung cancer aged 78, spent four weeks at the top of the US chart with Raindrops Keep Fallin’ on My Head, from the soundtrack of the popular film Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid. It is the song he will always be synonymous with, but he nearly didn’t get to sing it. » | Adam Sweeting | Monday, May 21, 2021


'Hooked on a Feeling' singer B.J. Thomas dies at 78 »

Macron and Merkel Demand Explanations over US-Denmark Spy Claim

"This is not acceptable between allies, even less so between European allies and partners," Macron said

India Covid Variant Spreading across England, Data Shows

THE GUARDIAN: Scientists say geographical spread ‘entirely predictable’ and window of opportunity has been missed

The coronavirus variant of concern first detected in India is continuing to spread across England, with cases emerging beyond “hotspot” areas, data suggests.

The variant, known as B.1.617.2, is thought to be driving a rise in Covid cases in parts of the UK and is believed to be both more transmissible than the variant first detected in Kent, which previously dominated, and somewhat more resistant to Covid vaccines, particularly after just one dose.

At present up to three-quarters of new Covid cases in the UK are thought to be caused by the India variant. There have also been signs of a slight rise in hospitalisations.

The situation has led some scientists to warn that the country is now in the early stages of a third wave of coronavirus which, despite the vaccination programme, modelling suggests could lead to a rise in hospitalisations and deaths, and that full easing of restrictions in England on 21 June should be reconsidered. » | Nicola Davis, Science correspondent | Monday, May 31, 2021

Israeli Opposition Parties Unite in Bid to Oust Netanyahu | DW News

Political opponents of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu are joining forces - with little in common besides a desire to oust him.

A former Netanyahu aide and right-wing hardliner, Naftali Bennett, says he's looking to form a diverse minority government and avoid another round of elections in Israel and put an end to the Netanyahu era.

Netanyahu has been on the defensive for some time. Israel's longest serving prime minister has been able to brush off public outrage over corruption charges. But after failing to form a majority government after the fourth election in two years, Netanyahu's hold on power had become tenuous.

Former TV Host Yair Lapid is determined to pull together parties from the far right to the left, including Arab-Israeli parties. The commitment by Bennett, who leads the right-wing, pro-settler Yamina party, is crucial to the proposed alliance.

Netanyahu responded by painting the broad coalition as a threat to national security. But he knows that the biggest threat posed by the new government is to current prime minister himself.

Trump Org Was ‘Rotten to Its Core’ Says Deputy Assistant AG

Harry Litman, former deputy assistant attorney general, explains the charges under the New York law, “little RICO”, that Manhattan District Attorney Cy Vance could be considering against Donald Trump’s businesses.

‘Chronic Corruption’ & Neoliberal Capitalism’s Role in Boris Johnson’s Britain’s COVID Disaster

We speak to Prof. Guy Standing. He discusses his new book ‘The Corruption of Capitalism’, the shocking revelations made by Dominic Cummings about disastrous Coronavirus pandemic mismanagement by the Boris Johnson government, arguable neglect and chronic corruption, the revolving door between big finance and politics in the UK, the financial sector’s tremendous control and influence over the British economy, the mainstream media being a part of the rentier economy system, how big financial companies groom people to go into politics to ensure favourable policy, why work doesn’t pay in the UK and how the economy directs most wealth to the capitalist class, why the furlough scheme was fundamentally unfair, the prospect of economic catastrophe coming out of the pandemic for the working class killing more people than Coronavirus in the UK, mass privatisation of public services due to neoliberal economic doctrine and much more!

China's Competition for Living Space | DW Documentary

More than 60 percent of China's population of 1.4 billion currently lives in cities. Within a decade, the share of urban dwellers is expected to increase to 75 percent. Construction is booming and competition for residential land is fierce.

But the right to live in a city in China is conditional. Authorities want their modern cities to be peopled with well-educated, highly-qualified or politically well-connected residents. As a result, certain standards have to be met to be eligible for a modern, urban home. Only members of China's political classes and the financially successful have a hope of qualifying. Yet more than half of the people who live in cities are so-called "migrant workers." They come from rural communities and have no official rights to settle in cities. They are there to work. With no proper rights, they are merely tolerated while they serve as merchants, servants, waitstaff, cleaners, construction workers and tradespeople. But while they are indispensible to daily life in the cities, they are unable to afford their exorbitant rents. This documentary looks at how and where these workers live, and asks whether middle and working class Chinese even figure in the official vision of shiny, high-tech cities. The filmmakers also look at what happens to those who oppose official plans, or stand in the way of the building boom.

New Report Says Denmark Helped US NSA Spy on German Politicians | DW News

New details have come to light in the scandal over the US National Security Agency's surveillance of top European politicians.

Revelations that emerged in 2013 showed that the US intelligence agency had tapped the phones of several leaders – including Germany's Angela Merkel.

Now, a new multi-national media investigation says a Danish military intelligence unit supported the US wiretapping operation. Danish intelligence reportedly worked with the US National Security Agency from here - to eavesdrop on European politicians.

A joint investigation by several European media outlets shows former German chancellor candidate, Peer Steinbrück, was among the espionage targets.

A major problem is that the Danish government didn't inform their German neighbors, though they apparently knew about the eavesdropping as early as 2015. The German government said it only found out about the spying after press inquiries.

Spying on Chancellor Angela Merkel and former Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier was revealed by NSA leaker Edward Snowden and a parliamentary inquiry. It did not reveal that a close European ally was involved.

The NSA, the Danish intelligence service and the Danish government refused to comment on the latest revelations.

Why I Believe In UFOs, and You Should Too... | Ben Mezrich | TEDxBeaconStreet (2016)

Ben discuses the UFO highway located at the 37th Parallel, and the strange phenomenon of cattle mutilations.

Ben Mezrich is the author of 18 books including Bringing Down The House that was made into the movie 21, and Accidental Billionaires that was made into the movie The Social Network.


Robert Bigelow »

Stelter: Right-wing Propaganda Is Taking the Place of Reality

CNN’s Brian Stelter says that comments from Arizona State Senate President Karen Fann is an example of how media outlets who share misinformation are dividing American’s view of the facts.

Warum Ex-Raucher zunehmen

DW: Wer mit dem Rauchen aufhört, wird dicker. Es wurde viel spekuliert, woran das liegen könnte - jetzt scheint die Ursache des Dilemmas geklärt zu sein. Und die hat nichts mit zu viel Schokolade oder Eis zu tun.

Rauchen ist ungesund. Punkt. Das ist so - ohne wenn und aber. Logische Konsequenz? Aufhören. Würden viele Raucher auch gerne, ist aber gar nicht so einfach. Ein Grund für viele, weiterzuqualmen ist die Angst, zuzunehmen. Und die scheint durchaus berechtigt zu sein. Etwa 80 Prozent der Raucher, die sich entschließen aufzuhören, nehmen danach durchschnittlich sieben Kilo zu. Das ist viel und vor allem frustrierend, da es nicht an zu viel Kompensations-Schokolade liegt. Auch Ex-Raucher, die gleichviel oder sogar weniger Kalorien als vor dem Rauchstopp zu sich nehmen, legen an Gewicht zu. » | Judith Harti | Donnerstag, 29. August 2013

Viel Schall um Rauch »

Rauchen gestattet: Wieso die Zigarette zum Film gehört »

Dollars vs Decency: Is China Taking Over New Zealand? | 60 Minutes Australia

In calling out China for its increasing aggression, human rights violations and COVID cover-ups, Australia is paying a hefty price for storming the high moral ground. A furious Beijing is doing everything it can, using trade tariffs to punish us economically. But across the Tasman it’s a completely different story. New Zealand has been much more circumspect – critics say weak – when it comes to its relationship with China. However, the tactic is being rewarded. Trade with China is booming, and the Kiwi economy is flying high. Despite the apparent prosperity, questions are being asked about the ethics of prioritising dollars over decency. And it’s clearly a touchy subject as reporter Tom Steinfort discovered when he tried to discuss the issue with an uncharacteristically sensitive New Zealand Prime Minister, Jacinda Ardern.

Dairy Milk May Lower Cholesterol and Reduce Coronary Heart Disease Risk

MEDICAL NEWS TODAY: A new study suggests that drinking dairy milk may lower cholesterol levels. / The study consists of a meta-analysis of three surveys involving over 400,000 individuals. / The scientists found that even though drinking milk leads to higher body mass index (BMI) and body fat, it still lowers the risk of coronary heart disease.

Dairy milk is a complex substance. For example, it contains 18 out of 20 essential proteins and amino acids, but it also contains saturated fats.

Perhaps this is why attempts to definitively identify its role in cardiometabolic diseases and its effect on cholesterol levels have produced conflicting results.

A newly published study from the University of Reading in the United Kingdom attempts to resolve such contradictions. The study is based on a meta-analysis of three existing large population studies.

The authors conclude that people who consume dairy milk have lower levels of both types of cholesterol and a lower risk of coronary heart disease than people who do not drink milk. » | Robby Berman | Friday, May 28, 2021

An Arms Race in America: Gun Buying Spiked During the Pandemic. It’s Still Up.

THE NEW YORK TIMES: Preliminary research data show that about a fifth of all Americans who bought guns last year were first-time gun owners. Sales usually spike around elections, but the sheer volume is notable.

WASHINGTON — It was another week with another horrific mass shooting. In cities across the country, gun homicides were climbing. Democrats and Republicans argued over the causes. President Biden said enough.

But beneath the timeworn political cycle on guns in the United States, the country’s appetite for firearms has only been increasing, with more being bought by more Americans than ever before.

While gun sales have been climbing for decades — they often spike in election years and after high-profile crimes — Americans have been on an unusual, prolonged buying spree fueled by the coronavirus pandemic, the protests last summer and the fears they both stoked.

In March last year, federal background checks, a rough proxy for purchases, topped one million in a week for the first time since the government began tracking them in 1998. And the buying continued, through the protests in the summer and the election in the fall, until a week this spring broke the record with 1.2 million background checks. » | Sabrina Tavernise | Saturday, May 29, 2021

Americans are stuck on stupid! Unfortunately, you can't fix stupid. – © Mark

Phone Intercepts Shine More Light on Jordanian Prince’s Alleged Coup Attempt

THE GUARDIAN: Discussions took place before Prince Hamzah was put under house arrest

Aides to the former Jordanian heir Prince Hamzah sought pledges of allegiance on his behalf from tribal leaders and former military officers in the weeks before he was detained, conversations caught on phone intercepts and listening devices suggest.

The recordings are key pieces of evidence in the Jordanian government’s case against two men accused of acting as proxies for Hamzah in a failed attempt to oust his half-brother, King Abdullah, as monarch. Both men – Bassem Awadallah, a former envoy to Saudi Arabia, and Sharif Hassan bin Zaid, a cousin of the king – are expected to stand trial in Amman starting on Monday.

The calls and intercepts, which have been heard by the Guardian, took place over three weeks in March, a period in which officials say Hamzah tried to rally support from figures who could elevate what officials describe as a seditious plot into a serious challenge to Abdullah’s reign. » | Martin Chulov and Michael Safi | Sunday, May 30, 2021

Boris Johnson and Carrie Symonds Marry in Secret Ceremony

THE OBSERVER: Pair exchanged vows at Westminster Cathedral on Saturday, according to newspapers

Boris Johnson has married Carrie Symonds at Westminster Cathedral in a ceremony planned in strict secrecy, according to newspapers.

The pair exchanged vows in front of a small group of close friends and family on Saturday, the Mail on Sunday and the Sun newspaper reported.

The ceremony had been planned for six months and a handful of church officials were involved in the preparation, according to the Sun.

The 30 guests invited, the maximum number under current lockdown restrictions, were said to have been informed only at the last minute. » | Nadeem Badshah | Saturday, May 29, 2021

Mail on Sunday: Boris Johnson and Carrie Symonds wed in secret ceremony at Catholic Westminster Cathedral in front of 30 guests – the first Prime Minister to marry while in office for 199 years »

Boris Johnson and Carrie Symonds marry in secret ceremony »

The Observer View on Deadly Government Incompetence>

THE OBSERVER: Dominic Cummings’ account confirmed what many knew – the government was unprepared for the pandemic and has remained that way for its duration

That Boris Johnson lacks the leadership skills, capability and integrity to guide the country through a national emergency is not a new insight: it has been clear for months. But the significance of Dominic Cummings’ testimony to the House of Commons last week was that the prime minister’s former adviser provided more evidence of Johnson’s culpability for decisions that cost countless lives.

Cummings himself is a man lacking in integrity, who will for ever be associated with the electoral deceit and the implicit racism of the Vote Leave campaign during the Brexit referendum. Although he expressed what appeared to be genuine contrition for his role in the policy disasters that caused people to die, he is unlikely to be a wholly reliable narrator. But that does not mean his account of what happened during his time advising Johnson can be dismissed out of hand. Much of what he said last week accords with what we already know in relation to Johnson’s failures and rings true about his well-established character flaws. » | Observer editorial | Sunday, May 10, 2021