Mahler Symphony No 5 Adagietto – Herbert von Karajan

Greek Islands: Santorini, Mykonos, and Rhodes

Ursula von der Leyen qualifie de « honte » la loi hongroise interdisant la « promotion » de l’homosexualité

LE MONDE: Bruxelles enverra une lettre à Budapest pour exprimer ses « préoccupations » sur le plan légal avant l’entrée en vigueur d’une loi qui « discrimine les personnes sur la base de leur orientation sexuelle », a déclaré la chef de l’exécutif européen.

« Une honte. » C’est ainsi que la présidente de la Commission européenne, Ursula von der Leyen, a qualifié, mercredi 23 juin, la loi hongroise interdisant la « promotion » de l’homosexualité auprès des mineurs. Bruxelles enverra une lettre à Budapest pour exprimer ses « préoccupations » sur le plan légal avant l’entrée en vigueur de cette loi qui « discrimine les personnes sur la base de leur orientation sexuelle », a précisé devant la presse la chef de l’exécutif européen.

Une déclaration, soutenue à l’heure actuelle par quinze Etats membres, a appelé la Commission à agir après l’adoption de ce texte, le 15 juin, à Budapest.

La loi, à l’initiative du parti souverainiste du premier ministre, Viktor Orban, prévoit que « la pornographie et les contenus qui représentent la sexualité ou promeuvent la déviation de l’identité de genre, le changement de sexe et l’homosexualité ne doivent pas être accessibles aux moins de 18 ans ». » | Le Monde avec AFP | mercredi 23 juin 2021

Gove Rules Out ‘Foolish’ Scottish Independence Vote before Election

THE GUARDIAN: Minister says prime minister’s focus is recovery from pandemic ‘for lifetime of this parliament’

Michael Gove has said he “can’t see” Boris Johnson granting a new referendum on Scottish independence before the next general election.

The Cabinet Office minister – who is responsible for countering the push for independence – said the prime minister’s focus was completely focused on recovery from the pandemic “for the lifetime of this parliament”.

His comments – which are likely to infuriate the SNP – appear to go further than other ministers who have said this is the wrong time for another referendum.

Under the Fixed Term Parliaments Act, the next general election is not due until May 2024 – although Johnson is committed to repealing the act, which could allow him to go to the country before then. » | PA Media | Wednesday, June 23, 2021

Hong Kong’s Apple Daily, Symbol of Pro-democracy Movement, to Close

THE GUARDIAN: Tabloid founded by Jimmy Lai and targeted by police raid last week will print final edition on Thursday

Hong Kong’s largest pro-democracy newspaper, Apple Daily will shut down online at midnight on Wednesday and print its final edition on Thursday, in a move observers fear signals the death-knell for press freedom in the territory.

The paper and its activist founder, Jimmy Lai, had become symbols of the pro-democracy movement and a thorn in the side of Hong Kong’s government and police, making it a prime target in the government’s efforts to stifle Hong Kong’s media.

National security police raided its offices last week as part of a crackdown that also included the freezing of its assets and accounts, crippling the company and guaranteeing its demise. » | Helen Davidson | Wednesday, June 23, 2021

Australia Plans to Shelve AstraZeneca Covid Vaccine by October

THE GUARDIAN: Controversial vaccine to be given only by request later this year when Moderna and Pfizer will dominate

The federal government has announced it will shelve the controversial AstraZeneca vaccine by October, suggesting it will have enough supplies of other vaccines to meet “allocation horizons” for vaccinating the population by the end of the year.

The government released a revised planning document on Wednesday outlining how it intended to direct supplies over the rest of the year.

At the same time, the chief health officer, Prof Paul Kelly, said he was “worried” about the growing Bondi cluster and declared seven local government areas in Sydney would be recognised as national hotspots.

The vaccination document, titled National vaccination allocation horizons, suggests in July and August AstraZeneca will continue to dominate the vaccination program, with up to 2.6m doses being administered each week, predominantly to those over the age of 60, through state and territory clinics and the primary care network.

But as the vaccination of this age group nears completion, it is anticipated AstraZeneca will be used only “subject to request” from October.

The commonwealth last week announced changed health advice for the AztraZeneca shot restricting it to over-60s because it has been linked to an extremely rare blood clotting condition. » | Sarah Martin, Chief political correspondent | Wednesday, June 23, 2021

Hitting Rock Bottom, Gay Man Adopts Dog. “I Have a Great Life with an Amazing, Little, Bitchy Dog.”

In the midst of addiction and in the aftermath of a violent attack and HIV diagnosis, Rob Garofalo decided to adopt a dog - despite never having even had a pet. And while this adorable little Yorkie didn’t solve all his problems, he did help Rob get his life back on track.

Monaco: Princess Stephanie Vows to End AIDS by 2030

MONACO TRIBUNE: Princess Stephanie has once again shown her support, and Monaco’s determination, in the fight to end this disease.

End inequalities, end AIDS. An ambitious goal, but one the United Nations aim to meet by 2030, as discussed in the high level meeting held by the Joint UN Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS) this week.

Taking place from the 8 to 10 June, Isabelle Picco, the permanent representative of Monaco at the United Nations in New York, chaired the meeting, whilst Princess Stephanie addressed the group. During the two-day long discussions, Princess Stéphanie shared a video message with the participants. In her speech, she claimed that the HIV and Covid-19 epidemics are very real examples of the need for stronger healthcare systems.

She also took a moment to praise the new global strategy devised by UNAIDS, which focuses on prevention and reducing inequalities, particularly amongst key populations. » | Alexis Gertaldi | Wednesday, June 16, 2021

La Princesse Stéphanie veut mettre fin au sida d’ici 2030 »

They Might Have Got More Brexit Sense Out of Frosty the Snowman

THE GUARDIAN: The UK’s chief negotiator with the EU did his best to prove why he isn’t really up to the job

You win some, you lose some. We’re still nowhere near finding out if the government has a coherent plan for tackling social care – only late on Monday the prime minister cancelled a meeting with Rishi Sunak and Matt Hancock due to take place on Tuesday afternoon to discuss the issue. So we can probably assume not. But we are a little better informed as to why the negotiations with the EU over the Northern Ireland protocol have started to unravel badly. And that’s because every time he speaks, the UK’s lead Brexit negotiator, David Frost, doesn’t seem to be quite as bright as he would like us all to believe.

Tuesday’s appearance before the foreign affairs select committee was a case in point. Having established his credentials as being rather more important than a minister for Europe, Lord Frost then did his best to prove why he wasn’t really up to the job. He got off to a bad start by saying that the decision not to fully accredit the EU ambassador to the UK had been “over-interpreted” and that petty point scoring had been the last thing on the government’s mind. For some reason, the EU had seen it differently and taken offence. » | John Crace | Tuesday, June 22, 2021

Moving On: Why the EU Is Not Missing Britain That Much

THE GUARDIAN: On the 5th anniversary of Brexit, commentators reflect on the EU’s success at rallying together after Britain’s exit

On the night of 23 June 2016 a storm broke out over Brussels. Rain poured, thunder rolled and lightning flashed over the headquarters of the European Union’s institutions.

Then in the small hours came a political thunderbolt almost no one had forecast: the UK had voted to leave the union. Five years on, the Brexit tempest has subsided – in Brussels, if not in London.

“Not only did the EU survive the storm, but it also moved on,” said Georg Riekeles, of the European Policy Centre thinktank, and formerly an adviser to the EU’s Brexit negotiator, Michel Barnier

Referring to the agenda of Marine Le Pen, Geert Wilders and other leaders of far-right anti-EU parties, Riekeles said that ahead of the Brexit vote “there was very clearly a populist, disintegrationist drive, let’s break it up”.

“Now,” said Bernd Lange, a German social democrat MEP, “even the rightwing populists aren’t discussing leaving the European Union, the Frexit [threat of French exit] is gone. They are saying we need to change the European Union.” » | Jennifer Rankin in Brussels | Wednesday, June 23, 2021

Interview: Brexit Has Weakened and Isolated the UK, Says EU Vaccine Chief

THE GUARDIAN: Thierry Breton, who is also single market commissioner, believes downsides of leaving bloc are exposed by pandemic

Brexit has proved an “aberration that has weakened and isolated the UK”, the EU’s single market commissioner, Thierry Breton, has said, with any concrete benefits for Britain “hard to see” and multiple downsides cruelly exposed by the pandemic.

Breton, a former French finance minister in charge of the bloc’s Covid vaccination programme, now outpacing Britain’s, said that five years after the referendum, Brexit’s promised outcomes were “far from reality”.

Brexit was “supposed to ‘take back control’ and protect UK citizens, to offer the country more economic and commercial room for manoeuvre, and to boost Britain’s global standing,” he said. “What we see is pretty much the opposite.”

British calls for more “pragmatism” on the implementation of the withdrawal agreement – particularly the Northern Ireland protocol – were odd, he said: “Pragmatism was for the negotiations. Now the deal has to be applied, in full, just as agreed. I’m sure the British made sure they could implement it before they signed it. » | Jon Henley | Wednesday, June 23, 2021

Ryan Oldroyd (I'm From Glenwood, UT) - True Gay Stories

A young Mormon is excommunicated then outed to his parents after he comes out to his Mission President.

Who Sounds Gay? | Op-Docs | The New York Times

This short documentary explores the reasons that some men sound stereotypically gay, whether they are or not.

Stereotypes surround all of us. In the LGBTQ community people expect some to fit into certain stereotypes. The one we explore in this video is sounding gay.

Death in Venice – Gustav Mahler – Adagietto (from Symphony N°5)

Gustav Mahler (7 July 1860 -- 18 May 1911 ) / Luchino Visconti (2 November 1906 - 17 March 1976)

A Gay Mormon Love Story: Elder | Op-Docs | The New York Times

This short documentary tells the story of a gay Mormon’s love affair while he served on a mission in Italy. Produced by: Genéa Gaudet

Read the story HERE »

Brexit Frustration – Five Years after the Brexit Referendum | DW Documentary

Trade with Great Britain has been severely disrupted since the Brexit agreement came into force. Fish traders and clothing sellers are struggling to cope with new customs and health regulations. Companies often bear the burden of the extra costs.

Nerys Edwards is a shellfish wholesaler from Wales. Her family has been in the business for generations, but since the start of the year, trading has become more complicated than ever before. Her company buys shellfish such as shrimps and lobster from local fishermen and exports them to the EU, chiefly to Spain. Requirements for new health certificates have delayed deliveries to the extent that some sea creatures, which are transported live, have perished en route. Each truckload is worth 50,000 pounds (about 58,400 euros). The financial losses for her family and the fishermen are considerable. Tensions are running high and Nerys Edwards worries about every shipment.

There are problems in continental Europe, too. German-British truck driver Colin Francis has been struggling with his schedule since Brexit. He transports goods through the Eurotunnel, in both directions, for a German logistics company. Like many other drivers, he has been held up for long periods at the new customs checkpoints in the UK. When Colin Francis sets off in the morning, he hopes to make it home to his family in the evening, instead of having to sleep in his truck. Now, he can’t be sure where he will spend the night. The logistics firm and their customers now often need to plan three times as long for trips that used to take a day.

Brexit has also forced entrepreneurs like Edzard van der Wyck from London to rethink their business strategy. His company produces clothing from New Zealand wool. Since January, it’s become more expensive to export to the EU than to the United States. Like many other British exporters, he now wants to set up a new distribution center and move parts of his business to continental Europe.

Petition Urges Jeff Bezos to Blast into Space – and Stay There

THE GUARDIAN: Change.org effort has gathered tens of thousands of signatures / Bezos to go into space in July on first human Blue Origin flight

A growing group of earthlings is banding together in an effort to keep Jeff Bezos off the planet, after he leaves it in late July.

By Monday morning, more than 77,000 had signed a petition on Change.org demanding the Amazon founder be kept from returning to Earth after participating in the first human space flight launched by his company Blue Origin.

“Billionaire’s [sic] should not exist … on earth, or in space, but should they decide the latter they should stay there,” read the description accompanying the petition, which was addressed “to the proletariat”.

In May, Bezos was named the second-richest person in the world, with a net worth of $186bn. » | Sarah Betancourt | Tuesday, June 22, 2021

Sign the petition

Sold! Bidder pays $28m for spare seat on space flight with Jeff Bezos »

Global Gay: The Next Frontier in Human Rights - Documentary (2018)

A global revolution is underway to obtain what UN Secretary General Ban Ki Moon and Barack Obama call ‘the final frontier in human rights’: the universal decriminalization of homosexuality.

Homosexuality is forbidden in almost half of the world. Out of 196 UN member states, there are 7 where it is punishable by death.

In 84 others, it can merit prison and physical punishment. But today, momentum is building and the debate on gay rights is omnipresent - whether it be regarding legalization in the Middle East and Africa or the focus of gay marriage laws in the West.

After years of long diplomatic struggle, several world leaders have declared themselves in favor of the universal decriminalization of homosexuality. But victory won’t come easily. The countries that still punish homosexuality refuse to give in to international pressure. Global acceptance and equality will take time to achieve.

‘Global Gay’ follows this battle for decriminalization through the lives and work of some of its fearless pioneers, providing a vibrant chronicle of the growing global social movement. In the words of Ban Ki Moon, “The time has come”.

Filmed in Russia, Cuba, Cameroon, Nepal and South Africa.

Dear Sir David Attenborough: Homosexuality in the Animal Kingdom (2013)

The former features editor of Britain's first national gay newspaper Gay News and author Keith Howes presents an open appeal to broadcaster and naturalist Sir David Attenborough to cover, depict and acknowledge homosexuality in the animal kingdom. Please note that any views expressed in this video are not necessarily those of the film maker. Please subscribe if you like this video.

#LGBT’s Rights in the Middle East and North Africa

Fanack »

Homosexuality in the Middle East and North Africa: A Grim Situation with Rays of Hope »

Activists Discuss Being LGBTQ+ in the Arab World | NowThis (2018)

‘There was nothing wrong with me. It was the people around me that were wrong.’ — These LGBTQ+ Arabs want others like them to know there is hope.

These LGBT activists want other Arabs who happen to be gay, lesbian, transgender or trans, bisexual, queer, pansexual, intersex, gender non-conforming, non-binary, or questioning their gender or sexuality in general, to know that they are not alone.

These LGBT advocates encourage others to take pride in their sexuality and gender, providing LGBT advice, and reminding all people that LGBT rights matter because they are HUMAN rights.

Hungary’s Classrooms Have Become the New Battleground for the War on ‘LGBT Ideology’

THE GUARDIAN: Viktor Orban has used a new law to equate gay people with paedophiles. He’s not the first to use this tactic

Last week, the Hungarian parliament banned any portrayal of homosexuality or transgenderism to minors, in educational material or on television. Appending this to a law protecting children from child abuse, the country’s president, Viktor Orbán, drew an explicit connection between homosexuality and paedophilia. In so doing, he resorted to a canard that much of the world has long dispensed with, but that is enjoying a troubling new emergence in the global battles against “gender ideology”: the danger posed by homosexuals and trans people to children.

“The logic of the government is to find an enemy and pretend that they are saving the country from this enemy,” said the Hungarian LGBTQ+ leader Tamás Dombos in a presentation to the United States Congress last week. Dombos described the new law as “a conscious and diabolic political strategy” by the government to divert public attention from its messy response to the Covid crisis. The law is also a salvo in a tough upcoming election, and an effective way of staking what I term a “pink line”: a nativist boundary protecting, in this case, Hungarian “values” against the immoral imperialism of George Soros and Brussels. » | Mark Gevisser | Tuesday, June 22, 2021

Stonewall risks all it has fought for in accusing those who disagree with it of hate speech »

CNN's Christiane Amanpour Shares Ovarian Cancer Diagnosis

CNN's chief international anchor Christiane Amanpour revealed to viewers that she has been diagnosed with ovarian cancer. Amanpour, 63, is one of the best-known journalists in the world. She has been off the air for the past four weeks due to the undergoing surgery.

James Michael Tyler: Friends' Gunther Reveals Cancer Diagnosis

BBC: Friends star James Michael Tyler, who played Central Perk waiter Gunther, has said he has stage four prostate cancer.

In an interview with NBC's Today show, the 59-year-old revealed he was diagnosed in September 2018 after a routine physical examination.

The cancer has since spread to the actor's bones and he can no longer walk. He is undergoing chemotherapy.

"Eventually, you know, it's gonna probably get me," he told host Craig Melvin.

Speaking about his diagnosis, he said: "I was 56 years old at the time, and they screen for PSA, which is prostate-specific antigen. » | BBC | Monday, June 21, 2021

‘I Am Very Shy. It’s Amazing I Became a Movie Star’: Leslie Caron at 90 on Love, Art and Addiction

THE GUARDIAN: The legendary actor reflects on her riches-to-rags childhood, confronting depression and alcoholism – and dancing with Gene Kelly and Fred Astaire

Leslie Caron and her companion, Jack, greet me at the front of their apartment. They make a well-matched couple – slight, chic, immaculately coiffured. Caron, the legendary dancer and actor, is 90 in two weeks’ time. Jack, her beloved shih tzu, is about nine.

Caron heads off to make the tea, with Sidney Bechet’s summery jazz playing in the background. I am left alone with Jack to explore the living room. It feels as if I am tunnelling through the history of 20th-century culture. Here is a photo of a pensive François Truffaut; below is a smirking Warren Beatty. The centrepiece on the wall is a huge watercolour of Caron’s great friend Christopher Isherwood, painted by his partner, Don Bachardy. To the left is Louis Armstrong, to the right Rudolf Nureyev, with whom she starred in 1977’s Valentino, and further along is Jean Renoir, who she says was like a father to her. And we have barely started.

Caron leads me into her magnificent garden, long and thin as a cricket wicket. “What do you think?” she says, with undisguised pride at her handiwork. She points out the petunias, geraniums, forget-me-nots and a solitary rose trailing on the wall. The pots, some of them almost as big as she is, line up like a military tattoo. “The rose came out in the night. Fabulous.” She licks her lips. » | Simon Hattenstone | Monday, June 21, 2021

Nutzen von Intervallfasten nicht erwiesen

SÜDDEUTSCHE ZEITUNG: Die dünne Studienlage zeigt keine Vorteile im Vergleich zur Diät nach Stechuhr - die Risiken sind unklar.

Manchmal ist der Wille zur Wirkung größer als die wissenschaftliche Beweiskraft. Das gilt für einige Methoden der konventionellen Medizin, für etliche alternative Verfahren, aber auch für den großen Grenzbereich zwischen Erfahrungswissen, Volksglauben und dem alltäglichen Irrsinn, den Menschen gelegentlich mit sich anstellen. Populäres Beispiel ist das Intervallfasten. Es erfreut sich großer Beliebtheit, und zu Recht vergessene Schauspielerinnen, selbsternannte Ernährungsexperten und andere hauptberufliche Ego-Darsteller schwärmen davon. Schließlich haben sie es ja selbst ausprobiert - außerdem gibt es "Studien". » | Kommentar von Werner Bartens | Freitag, 18. Juni 2021

Royaume-Uni : l’ex-« speaker » vedette Bercow quitte les conservateurs

LE POINT : John Bercow estime que le parti du Premier ministre Johnson est devenu « réactionnaire, populiste, nationaliste, et parfois même, xénophobe ».

Un départ remarqué. L'ancien président de la Chambre des communes britannique, John Bercow, a annoncé dimanche 20 juin 2021 qu'il quittait le camp conservateur. L'homme politique de 58 ans en a profité pour lancer une violente critique contre le Premier ministre Boris Johnson dont le parti est devenu, selon lui, « réactionnaire, populiste, nationaliste, et parfois même, xénophobe », dans une interview accordée au journal The Observer.

Il avait rejoint les torys à l'âge de 17 ans, et a été député du Parti conservateur pendant 12 ans avant d'être élu en 2009 président de la chambre basse du Parlement, quittant alors toute affiliation à un parti comme le veut la coutume. Après avoir quitté ce poste en octobre 2019, il a annoncé dimanche rejoindre les rangs du parti d'opposition travailliste qui, espère-t-il, renversera le gouvernement. « La conclusion à laquelle je suis arrivé est que ce gouvernement doit être remplacé. La réalité est que le Parti travailliste est le seul moyen qui peut atteindre cet objectif. Il n'y a pas d'autre option crédible », explique John Bercow. » | Source AFP | Publié : dimanche 20 juin 21 ; modifié : lundi 21 juin 21

Princess Latifa: Instagram Image Appears to Show Dubai Ruler’s Daughter in Spain

THE GUARDIAN: Princess, who was seized trying to flee the sheikhdom in 2018, has appeared in several social media posts in recent months

A Dubai princess who has been the subject of concern from a United Nations panel after being seized trying to flee the sheikhdom in 2018 has appeared in a social media post that described her as being in Spain on a “European holiday”.

An image published on an Instagram account belonging to former Royal Navy member Sioned Taylor appears to shows Sheikha Latifa bint Mohammed al-Maktoum at Adolfo Suárez Madrid–Barajas airport.

Taylor’s caption, punctuated by a smiley face emoji, reads: “Great European holiday with Latifa. We’re having fun exploring!” Comments by Taylor acknowledged the location of the image, which match other images of the airport. » | Dan Sabbagh | Monday, June 21, 2921

Boris Johnson a Pundit Who Stumbled into Politics, Says Cummings

THE GUARDIAN: Former aide says in Substack Q&A that No 10 is now ‘just a branch of the entertainment industry’

Downing Street under Boris Johnson is “a branch of the entertainment industry” and nothing will get done in terms of serious policy focus until he leaves, Dominic Cummings has said in his latest blast at his former boss.

In a question and answer session with paid subscribers to his Substack newsletter, Johnson’s former chief adviser described the prime minister as “a pundit who stumbled into politics and acts like that 99% of the time”.

Giving evidence to MPs last month, Cummings criticised Johnson as completely unfit to be prime minister, describing him as media obsessed and “like a shopping trolley smashing from one side of the aisle to the other”. » | Peter Walker, Political correspondent | Monday, June 21, 2021

EU Prepares to Cut Amount of British TV and Film Shown Post-Brexit

THE GUARDIAN: Exclusive: number of UK productions seen as ‘disproportionate’ and threat to Europe’s cultural diversity

The EU is preparing to act against the “disproportionate” amount of British television and film content shown in Europe in the wake of Brexit, in a blow to the UK entertainment industry and the country’s “soft power” abroad.

The UK is Europe’s biggest producer of film and TV programming, buoyed up by £1.4bn from the sale of international rights, but its dominance has been described as a threat to Europe’s “cultural diversity” in an internal EU document seen by the Guardian.

The issue is likely to join a list of points of high tension in the EU-UK relationship since the country left the single market and customs union, including disputes over the sale of British sausages in Northern Ireland and the issue of licences in fishing waters, which led to Royal Navy patrol boats being deployed to Jersey earlier this year. » | Daniel Boffey in Brussels | Monday, June 21, 2021

Swedish PM Stefan Löfven Loses No-confidence Vote

THE GUARDIAN: Premier is first in country’s history to be ousted by opposition MPs and has a week to decide next move

Sweden’s parliament has backed a no-confidence vote in the centre-left prime minister, Stefan Löfven, making him the first premier to be ousted by opposition MPs in the country’s history and giving him a week to resign or call snap elections.

The vote, called by the nationalist Sweden Democrats barely a year before a general election, plunges Sweden back into political uncertainty four years after the last inconclusive poll produced a deadlocked parliament and led to months of negotiations to form a coalition. » | Jon Henley, Europe correspondent | Monday, June 21, 2021

‘It’s Going to Come as a Big Shock’: UFO Experts Await Pentagon Report

THE GUARDIAN: UK ufologists are worlds apart on the importance of a hotly anticipated US intelligence release

Nearly 75 years after Roswell, the possibility that we are not alone in the universe is once again the talk of mainstream politics.

The impending release of a Pentagon report on the activities of the Advanced Aerospace Threat Identification Program (AATIP) has sparked a wave of interest and recent pronouncements from the programme’s former director, Luis Elizondo , have raised the eyebrows of ufologists worldwide.

“We are quite convinced that we’re dealing with a technology that is multigenerational, several generations ahead of what we consider next generation technology,” Elizondo told the Washington Post earlier this month.

But a world away from Washington, perhaps the biggest ripples have been felt in Todmorden, a quiet market town in the Pennines. About 20 miles north of Manchester, the town of 15,000 has been the site of a number of unexplained events and reported sightings – earning itself a reputation as Britain’s answer to Roswell in the process. » | Alex Mistlin | Monday, June 21, 2021

Annie Lennox: A Whiter Shade of Pale (Tradução)

The Invisible Enemy: Cyber Terrorists Wreaking Havoc and Costing Billions | 60 Minutes Australia

Stelter: Why Isn't Fox News Fact-checking Carlson's January 6 Claim?

CNN's Brian Stelter emailed Fox News a number of questions about host Tucker Carlson's claim that the FBI was behind the January 6 Capitol insurrection and why their team of journalists have not investigated the veracity of the allegations.

The Observer View on the Tory Byelection Defeat in Chesham and Amersham

THE OBSERVER: The Lib Dem victory shows that voters are finally seeing through the lack of substance behind Boris Johnson’s appeal

The resounding Conservative defeat in last week’s byelection in Chesham and Amersham should ring alarm bells for Boris Johnson. There are many ways to dismiss this result as an anomaly: opposition to HS2 and planning reforms; a strong local campaign by the Liberal Democrats; a lacklustre Tory candidate. All of these were factors, but this huge swing against a government that won an overwhelming majority just 18 months ago – in one of its heartland seats – hints at the electoral consequences of substituting empty rhetoric and divisive culture wars for competent governance in a national crisis. It suggests that Johnson’s appeal may not be as universal as his backers believe.

The byelection result is further evidence of the long-term realignment in English politics. Just as Labour has been losing support among alienated Leave voters in its heartland seats, last month’s local election results highlight how the Conservatives are losing support among working-age graduates, many of whom voted Remain, in what were traditionally Conservative strongholds in affluent areas of London and the south-east. This has become more noticeable since the 2019 election, when many socially liberal Conservative voters who backed Remain supported Boris Johnson because they could not countenance the idea of Jeremy Corbyn as prime minister and, despite their pro-European sentiments, just wanted to see Brexit done. » | Observer editorial | Sunday, June 20, 2021

James Taylor - How Sweet It Is (to Be Loved by You)

Portugal Orders Lisbon into a Weekend Lockdown as the Delta Variant Spreads

THE NEW YORK TIMES: The decision came after the country registered this week its highest number of new cases since March, jumping by more than 1,300 in the past 24 hours.

The Portuguese authorities ordered a weekend lockdown of the capital region of Lisbon starting on Friday in an attempt to blunt a recent surge of new infections, offering a powerful reminder that even as Europe seeks to reopen more fully, the virus still poses challenges.

The decision came after Portugal registered this week its highest number of new cases since March, jumping by more than 1,300 in the past 24 hours.

Public health officials said that the rise in cases was steepest around Lisbon and they estimated that roughly half of the new cases involved the Delta variant, first detected in India and on the rise in other countries, including Britain. » | Raphael Minder | Friday, June 18, 2021

John Bercow Defects to Labour with Withering Attack on Johnson

THE OBSERVER: Former Speaker says party has become reactionary and xenophobic under its current leadership

John Bercow, the former Tory MP and Speaker of the House of Commons, today delivers an extraordinary broadside against Boris Johnson and the Conservative party as he announces he has switched his political allegiance to Labour.

In an explosive interview with the Observer, Bercow says he regards today’s Conservative party as “reactionary, populist, nationalistic and sometimes even xenophobic”.

Bercow, who stepped down as Speaker in 2019 after 10 years, says he joined the Labour party a few weeks ago because he now shares its values and sees it is as the only means to removing the current Tory government from office.

“I am motivated by support for equality, social justice and internationalism. That is the Labour brand,” he said. “The conclusion I have reached is that this government needs to be replaced. The reality is that the Labour party is the only vehicle that can achieve that objective. There is no other credible option.” » | Toby Helm, Political editor | Saturday, June 19, 2021

French Riviera: Uniquely Chic

Rick Steves' Europe Travel Guide | In this program, we follow in the footsteps of 19th-century aristocrats along Nice's Promenade des Anglais. Then we listen to the graceful reshuffling of personal fortunes at the casino in fairy-tale Monaco, and visit the picturesque artist hangouts of Chagall, Matisse, and Picasso. © 2004 Rick Steves' Europe

Iran Election: Hardliner Raisi Sweeps to Victory amid Low Turnout | DW News

A hardline cleric has swept to victory in Iran's presidential election. Officials say Ebrahim Raisi has won nearly two thirds of the vote. The only moderate candidate has already conceded. Raisi is a harsh critic of the West. The US has sanctioned him for allegedly overseeing the executions of thousands of political prisoners. Election turn-out was low. Many voters were deterred by years of authoritarian rule and the flat-lining economy.

Haberman: Trump Is Preparing for an Indictment

CNN's Maggie Haberman says that President Joe Biden's summit with Russian President Vladimir Putin really underscored to former President Donald Trump that he's no longer president while he and his advisers are preparing for a criminal indictment.

How Trump Gets Back to the White House

Against All Odds • Take a Look at Me Now • Phil Collins

The New Brexit Trade Deals Are a Disaster - Here’s Why

Targeting Biden, Catholic Bishops Advance Controversial Communion Plan

THE NEW YORK TIMES: The decision was aimed at the nation’s second Catholic president and exposed bitter divisions in American Catholicism.

The Roman Catholic bishops of the United States, flouting a warning from the Vatican, have overwhelmingly voted to draft a statement on the sacrament of the Eucharist, advancing a political push by conservative bishops to deny President Biden communion because of his support of abortion rights.

The decision, made public on Friday afternoon, is aimed at the nation’s second Catholic president, the most religiously observant commander in chief since Jimmy Carter, and exposes bitter divisions in American Catholicism. It capped three days of contentious debate at a virtual June meeting of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops. The measure was approved by a vote of 73 percent in favor and 24 percent opposed.

The Eucharist, also called holy communion, is one of the most sacred rituals in Christianity, and bishops have grown worried in recent years about declining Mass attendance and misunderstanding of the importance of the sacrament to Catholic life.

But the move to target a president, who has regularly attended Mass throughout his life, is striking coming from leaders of the president’s own faith, particularly after many conservative Catholics turned a blind eye to the sexual improprieties of former President Donald J. Trump because they supported his political agenda. It reveals a uniquely American Catholicism increasingly at odds with Rome. » | Elizabeth Dias | Friday, June 18, 2021

Growing Up Gay in The Country I The Feed (2014)

Ivan hasn’t been back to his rural hometown of Tumut NSW in 21 years. He left as a teenager after a childhood of bullying about his sexuality, and never looked back. Until now.