Tuesday, July 27, 2021
Loving, Tender and Gay: A Lingering Kiss.
Monday, July 26, 2021
A Short Message to My Followers, Readers and Visitors
Fight hatred with kindness wherever and whenever possible: nothing is more disarming than kindness; love is more powerful still!
As a community, we need to strive for full acceptance. Tolerance is but a first step toward full acceptance. Ultimately, gays must be determined to settle for nothing less than total acceptance!
Arbitrary rules of behaviour stemming from centuries past are not an appropriate guide for life in the twenty-first century. Same-sex, same-gender attraction is not new and it is certainly not aberrant in a negative sense; it has existed since time immemorial and is commonplace even in the animal kingdom.
Although I am no longer religious, I am still spiritual; I believe in the existence of a Creator. And I am, indeed, we are, just as our Creator intended us to be. To argue otherwise is tantamount to saying that the Creator has erred.
Let no man ‘play God’ and demean your very existence. That person, too, is but one of God’s children; and God favours no-one above another, except, perhaps, based on behaviour and deeds. It is therefore the right of no man to withhold another man’s rights. We are all entitled, by birth, to a life of fulfilment, peace, and harmony. Let us go forward together on our mission. Let us break down barriers between the heterosexual and homosexual communities. We must show our very best side, attracting as little criticism as possible.
In recent years, it is noticeable that people have become far less tolerant of the lifestyles of others: many straight people are homophobic; many non-smokers are intolerant of smokers; many vegetarians and vegans are impatient of meat-eaters; many Orientals dislike the ways of the Occident, and the converse is often also true. And so it goes on! Without end!
This is no way to achieve harmony in this troubled world. So the only sensible maxim to live by is this: Live and let live. Or as is said in German: Leben und leben lassen! And in French, Vivre et laisser vivre ! It’s the only way forward for a peaceful and harmonious existence.
Look not for the differences between people; rather, look for the similarities. It will be a much better world to live in if we do, if we are guided by these principles. Long live peace! Es lebe Frieden! Vive la paix ! Remember: Love conquers all! !
All Rights Reserved
© Mark Alexander
As a community, we need to strive for full acceptance. Tolerance is but a first step toward full acceptance. Ultimately, gays must be determined to settle for nothing less than total acceptance!
Arbitrary rules of behaviour stemming from centuries past are not an appropriate guide for life in the twenty-first century. Same-sex, same-gender attraction is not new and it is certainly not aberrant in a negative sense; it has existed since time immemorial and is commonplace even in the animal kingdom.
Although I am no longer religious, I am still spiritual; I believe in the existence of a Creator. And I am, indeed, we are, just as our Creator intended us to be. To argue otherwise is tantamount to saying that the Creator has erred.
Let no man ‘play God’ and demean your very existence. That person, too, is but one of God’s children; and God favours no-one above another, except, perhaps, based on behaviour and deeds. It is therefore the right of no man to withhold another man’s rights. We are all entitled, by birth, to a life of fulfilment, peace, and harmony. Let us go forward together on our mission. Let us break down barriers between the heterosexual and homosexual communities. We must show our very best side, attracting as little criticism as possible.
In recent years, it is noticeable that people have become far less tolerant of the lifestyles of others: many straight people are homophobic; many non-smokers are intolerant of smokers; many vegetarians and vegans are impatient of meat-eaters; many Orientals dislike the ways of the Occident, and the converse is often also true. And so it goes on! Without end!
This is no way to achieve harmony in this troubled world. So the only sensible maxim to live by is this: Live and let live. Or as is said in German: Leben und leben lassen! And in French, Vivre et laisser vivre ! It’s the only way forward for a peaceful and harmonious existence.
Look not for the differences between people; rather, look for the similarities. It will be a much better world to live in if we do, if we are guided by these principles. Long live peace! Es lebe Frieden! Vive la paix ! Remember: Love conquers all! !
All Rights Reserved
© Mark Alexander
Peking wirft Washington „fehlgeleitete“ China-Politik vor
FRANKFURTER ALLGEMEINE ZEITUNG: Zum Auftakt der China-Reise der stellvertretenden US-Außenministerin Sherman macht Peking Washington dafür verantwortlich, dass die gegenseitigen Beziehungen „im Stillstand“ seien. Amerika müsse die „Dämonisierung“ Chinas beenden.
Die chinesische Regierung hat den USA eine „hochgradig fehlgeleitete“ China-Politik vorgeworfen. „Die chinesisch-amerikanischen Beziehungen sind im Stillstand und stehen vor ernsthaften Schwierigkeiten“, sagte Chinas Vize-Außenminister Xie Feng bei einem Besuch von US-Vize-Außenministerin Wendy Sherman in der nordchinesischen Stadt Tianjin. Die Beziehungen zwischen Peking und Washington steckten „in einer Sackgasse“. Die USA müssten die „Dämonisierung“ Chinas beenden, forderte Xie.
Mit Sherman besucht die bisher ranghöchste Vertreterin der amerikanischen Regierung von Präsident Joe Biden die Volksrepublik. Das US-Außenministerium hatte in der vergangenen Woche mitgeteilt, dass Sherman während ihres Aufenthalts Konfliktthemen ansprechen wolle. Vermieden werden solle aber, dass die Beziehungen zu China in einen „Konflikt“ mündeten. » | Quelle: AFP | Montag, 26. Juli 2021
Covid-19: le Royaume-Uni menacé de paralysie
LE FIGARO : RÉCIT - L’«épidémie de cas contacts» entraîne des pénuries de personnel et ralentit des secteurs clés de l’économie.
Londres
Une semaine après le «Freedom day», le jour de la levée complète des restrictions anti-Covid en Angleterre, le pays souffre d’importantes perturbations liées à la forte augmentation du nombre de personnes forcées de s’isoler après avoir été en contact avec une personne contaminée par le virus.
Des trains annulés, de longues files d’attente dans les aéroports et une pénurie de personnel dans le secteur de la restauration sont quelques-unes des conséquences de ce que les tabloïds ont baptisé la «pingdemic», en référence au «ping» émis par les smartphones pour notifier la réception d’un message.
Entre le 7 et 14 juillet, plus de 600.000 personnes en Angleterre et au pays de Galles ont été soumises à une quarantaine après avoir reçu un message d’alerte via l’application Covid-19 du NHS, le système de santé publique britannique. Il y a huit jours, Boris Johnson lui-même a été contraint de s’isoler après une réunion avec des députés conservateurs.
La «pingdemic» est évidemment une conséquence » | Par Amandine Alexandre | Publié : dimanche 25 juillet 2021 ; modifié : lundi 26 juillet 2021
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Tunisia’s President Suspends Parliament and Fires Prime Minister
THE NEW YORK TIMES: The moves by President Kais Saied to take control of the country were seen as a threat to the only democracy to emerge from the Arab Spring protests. His opponents called it a “coup.”
CAIRO — Tunisia’s president fired the prime minister, suspended Parliament and took control of the country late on Sunday after large and violent anti-government protests across a nation struggling with deepening health and economic crises.
The moves by the president, Kais Saied, were seen as threat to the only democracy to emerge from the Arab Spring protests a decade ago. A leading political party, Ennahda, called it “a coup against the Tunisian democracy and its constitution” and “a betrayal of every Tunisian,” urging Mr. Saied to reverse his decisions immediately.
“Tunisia is the only Arab Spring’s success story and that story does not end here,” Ennahda said in a statement. “We call on every international supporter of democracy to come together to speak out immediately against this injustice and call for the immediate restoration of our Parliament.” » | Vivian Yee | Monday, July 26, 2021
Tunisie : le président s'octroie le pouvoir exécutif, Ennahdha dénonce un «coup d'État» »
Revealed: The Secrets of Seville Cathedral’s Banquet Set in Stone
For almost 500 years, the arch that connects the largest Gothic cathedral in the world with its Renaissance sacristy has offered visitors a sumptuous, if little glimpsed – and even less studied – vision of religious bounty.
The 68 beautifully carved plates of food that adorn the archway in Seville’s cathedral offer rather more than bread and wine.
There are pigs’ trotters and wild strawberries, aubergines, clams and oysters. There are peaches, radishes, a skinned hare with a knife by its side, a squirrel served on a bed of hazelnuts and a plate of lemons across which a small snake slithers. There are also cakes and biscuits and, more exotically, a dish of peppers newly imported from Mexico, which had fallen to Hernán Cortés and his men just over a decade before the carvers set to work.
The plates, which are all too often obscured when the huge wooden doors of the sacristy are open, are the subject of a new book by a Spanish art historian who has spent the past 11 years trying to unpick the secrets and meanings of the cathedral’s stone buffet.
“People don’t really see the carvings because of the doors and because they’re too busy looking at the sacristy dome,” said Juan Clemente Rodríguez Estévez. “But the carvings have been there for 500 years and have never been properly studied. They’ve gone unnoticed apart from being seen as a bit of a novelty.”
The arch, which was carved between 1533 and 1535, provides what Rodríguez calls a “snapshot of a seminal moment”. Its still-life carvings, he suggests, are chapters in the social, religious, economic and cultural history of both Seville and Spain as a whole. » | Sam Jones in Madrid | Monday, July 26, 2021
The Way He Looks (2014) – Tender Gay Kiss
Oct 28, 2015 • The Way He Looks is a sweet Brazilian film about first love. It involves a blind boy named Leo (Ghilherme Lobo) who has developed feelings for his school friend Gabriel (Fabio Audi).
One night after a party, a drunken Gabriel kisses Leo and then pretends to have blacked out. Finally, as it always does, the truth eventually comes out.
The Way He Looks is the perfect film for any teenager, gay or straight, who yearns to find someone to accept him, regardless of his disabilities or flaws.
One night after a party, a drunken Gabriel kisses Leo and then pretends to have blacked out. Finally, as it always does, the truth eventually comes out.
The Way He Looks is the perfect film for any teenager, gay or straight, who yearns to find someone to accept him, regardless of his disabilities or flaws.
Elton John - Something About the Way You Look Tonight
Ein sehr schöner, schwuler Kuß, sehr zärtlich und unverhohlen!
Frank & Nancy Sinatra – Something Stupid (1967)
Sunday, July 25, 2021
Phil Collins - Can't Stop Loving You | Official Music Video
Eine letzte Zigarette: Aufstieg und Fall des blauen Dunstes
Aug 25, 2009 • A Final Cigarette (Swiss documentary) - Das war einmal: Schweizer TV-Moderatoren mit der Zigarette in der Hand, Swissair-Piloten, die sich nach dem Start mit einem Glimmstengel belohnen, Nationalräte im Tabakdunst: DOK dokumentiert den Aufstieg und Fall des blauen Dunstes. Ist die zunehmende Reglementierung des Rauchens richtig oder falsch?
Auf der Terrasse des rauchfreien Bundeshauses stehen schlotternde Nationalräte im Schneesturm und rauchen trotz beissender Kälte. DOK-Autor Fritz Muri vergleicht diese Szene mit Fundstücken aus Film- und Fotoarchiven aus einer Zeit, als mehr als 50 Prozent der Erwachsenen in der Schweiz noch rauchten.
Ein besonderes Highlight ist die Szene, in der Dichter Friedrich Dürrenmatt und Literaturpapst Marcel Reich-Ranicki während einer Fernsehdiskussion einen Studiobrand verursachten. Besonders die Eliten aus Kultur, Medien und Politik waren dem blauen Dunst zugetan. Kettenraucher gab es aber auch unter Piloten und Chirurgen. Models hüpften mit der Zigarette in der Hand über den Laufsteg, und die Werbung verbreitete omnipräsent den Duft der grossen weiten Welt.
Die weltweiten Kampagnien der Tabakmultis hatten damals ihre Gesichter. Zwei davon gehörten Schweizern: Der Berner George Herriger zog als Camel-Man durch den Dschungel, und Beat Wyss lächelte als Parisienne-Protagonist von den Plakatwänden der Luzerner wurde damals unfreiwillig zum Vorzeigeraucher und erforschte später als Professor der Kunst- und Mediengeschichte die Kulturgeschichte des Rauchens. Im Dokumentarfilm wird er zum Experten im doppelten Sinne.
Zu Wort kommen auch Präventivmediziner, Manager der Tabakmultis, der ehemalige Tabak-Lobbyist Edgar Oehler und der vormalige Tageschau-Chef Heiner Hug. DOK zeigt, wie in Büros, Fernsehstudios, Spitälern und Polizeistationen die Raucherinnen und Raucher immer mehr an den Rand gedrängt werden, aber auch wie eine Handvoll Genussraucher auf ein Zürichseeschiff flüchtet, um ungestört ihrem Laster zu frönen.
Fritz Muri schildert in seinem Film zudem die Geschichte des Bündner Volksmusikkönigs Peter Zinsli. Nach 60 Jahren als Raucher kann er heute nur noch mit einer Sauerstoffmaske überleben. Kann sein Beispiel seinen Sohn und seine Enkelin vom Rauchen abhalten? DOK gibt die Antwort.
Auf der Terrasse des rauchfreien Bundeshauses stehen schlotternde Nationalräte im Schneesturm und rauchen trotz beissender Kälte. DOK-Autor Fritz Muri vergleicht diese Szene mit Fundstücken aus Film- und Fotoarchiven aus einer Zeit, als mehr als 50 Prozent der Erwachsenen in der Schweiz noch rauchten.
Ein besonderes Highlight ist die Szene, in der Dichter Friedrich Dürrenmatt und Literaturpapst Marcel Reich-Ranicki während einer Fernsehdiskussion einen Studiobrand verursachten. Besonders die Eliten aus Kultur, Medien und Politik waren dem blauen Dunst zugetan. Kettenraucher gab es aber auch unter Piloten und Chirurgen. Models hüpften mit der Zigarette in der Hand über den Laufsteg, und die Werbung verbreitete omnipräsent den Duft der grossen weiten Welt.
Die weltweiten Kampagnien der Tabakmultis hatten damals ihre Gesichter. Zwei davon gehörten Schweizern: Der Berner George Herriger zog als Camel-Man durch den Dschungel, und Beat Wyss lächelte als Parisienne-Protagonist von den Plakatwänden der Luzerner wurde damals unfreiwillig zum Vorzeigeraucher und erforschte später als Professor der Kunst- und Mediengeschichte die Kulturgeschichte des Rauchens. Im Dokumentarfilm wird er zum Experten im doppelten Sinne.
Zu Wort kommen auch Präventivmediziner, Manager der Tabakmultis, der ehemalige Tabak-Lobbyist Edgar Oehler und der vormalige Tageschau-Chef Heiner Hug. DOK zeigt, wie in Büros, Fernsehstudios, Spitälern und Polizeistationen die Raucherinnen und Raucher immer mehr an den Rand gedrängt werden, aber auch wie eine Handvoll Genussraucher auf ein Zürichseeschiff flüchtet, um ungestört ihrem Laster zu frönen.
Fritz Muri schildert in seinem Film zudem die Geschichte des Bündner Volksmusikkönigs Peter Zinsli. Nach 60 Jahren als Raucher kann er heute nur noch mit einer Sauerstoffmaske überleben. Kann sein Beispiel seinen Sohn und seine Enkelin vom Rauchen abhalten? DOK gibt die Antwort.
Tobacco Firm Philip Morris Calls for Ban on Cigarettes within Decade
THE GUARDIAN: CEO Jacek Olczak says product should be treated like petrol cars, which will be outlawed from 2030
The chief executive of tobacco business Philip Morris International has called on the UK government to ban cigarettes within a decade, in a move that would outlaw its own Marlboro brand.
Jacek Olczak said the company could “see the world without cigarettes … and actually, the sooner it happens, the better it is for everyone.” Cigarettes should be treated like petrol cars, the sale of which is due to be banned from 2030, he said.
Government action would end the confusion felt by smokers, some of whom still thought the “alternatives are worse than cigarettes”, Olczak told the Sunday Telegraph. “Give them a choice of smoke-free alternatives … with the right regulation and information it can happen 10 years from now in some countries. You can solve the problem once and forever.”
Philip Morris International (PMI) recently said it wanted half its turnover to come from non-smoking products as it morphs into a “healthcare and wellness company” with executive pay tied to its new mission to “unsmoke the world” by phasing out cigarettes. » | Zoe Wood | Sunday, July 25, 2021
Frank Sinatra: Strangers In the Night (Remastered 2008)
Visiting the Coldest City in the World (-71°C, -96°F) Yakutsk / Yakutia
1961 : Que pensez-vous des jeunes filles ? | Archive INA
Magnifique ! Comme les temps changent radicalement ! – Mark
Spain Pledged Citizenship to Sephardic Jews. Now They Feel Betrayed.
THE NEW YORK TIMES: In 2015, Spain said it would give citizenship to the descendants of Sephardic Jews expelled during the Spanish Inquisition. Then rejections started pouring in this summer.
MADRID — María Sánchez, a retired mental health therapist in Albuquerque, spent the past four decades tracing her Jewish ancestry from Spain. She created a vast genealogical chart going back nearly 1,100 years, which included three ancestors who were tried in the Spanish Inquisition. Her findings even led her to join a synagogue in the 1980s and to become a practicing Jew.
So when Spain’s government said in 2015 that it would grant citizenship to people of Sephardic Jewish descent — a program publicized as reparations for the expulsion of Jews that began in 1492 — Ms. Sánchez applied. She hired an immigration lawyer, obtained a certificate from her synagogue and flew to Spain to present her genealogy chart to a notary.
Then, in May, she received a rejection letter.
“It felt like a punch in the gut,” said Ms. Sánchez, 60, who was told she had not proved that she was a Sephardic Jew. “You kicked my ancestors out, now you’re doing this again.” » | Nicholas Casey | Saturday, July 24, 2021
Facebook Wants You to Connect with God. On Facebook.
THE NEW YORK TIMES: The company is intensifying formal partnerships with faith groups across the United States and shaping the future of religious experience.
Months before the megachurch Hillsong opened its new outpost in Atlanta, its pastor sought advice on how to build a church in a pandemic.
From Facebook.
The social media giant had a proposition, Sam Collier, the pastor, recalled in an interview: to use the church as a case study to explore how churches can “go further farther on Facebook.”
For months Facebook developers met weekly with Hillsong and explored what the church would look like on Facebook and what apps they might create for financial giving, video capability or livestreaming. When it came time for Hillsong’s grand opening in June, the church issued a news release saying it was “partnering with Facebook” and began streaming its services exclusively on the platform.
Beyond that, Mr. Collier could not share many specifics — he had signed a nondisclosure agreement.
“They are teaching us, we are teaching them,” he said. “Together we are discovering what the future of the church could be on Facebook.”
Facebook, which recently passed $1 trillion in market capitalization, may seem like an unusual partner for a church whose primary goal is to share the message of Jesus. But the company has been cultivating partnerships with a wide range of faith communities over the past few years, from individual congregations to large denominations, like the Assemblies of God and the Church of God in Christ. » | Elizabeth Dias | Sunday, July 25, 2021
Phil Collins - One More Night (Official Music Video)
La Belgique de nouveau frappée par des inondations après de violents orages
THE FIGARO : Dix jours après les inondations qui ont fait 36 morts, de fortes pluies ont touché 11 communes de la vallée de la Meuse samedi. D'impressionnantes images de rues transformées en torrent ont circulé sur les réseaux sociaux.
De violents orages ont touché la Belgique samedi 24 juillet au soir, provoquant des dégâts dans la province de Namur (sud), dix jours après des inondations qui ont fait 36 morts dans le pays, ont indiqué les autorités. Aucune victime n'était à déplorer, a déclaré à l'AFP un porte-parole du centre de crise national vers 23 heures (21 heures GMT), précisant que les orages étaient terminés et la situation «stabilisée».
Ces fortes pluies ont touché en début de soirée 11 communes de la vallée de la Meuse, où elles ont provoqué des inondations. D'impressionnantes images de rues transformées en torrent ont circulé sur les réseaux sociaux, rappelant les scènes vécues dix jours auparavant dans la province de Liège. » | Par Le Figaro avec AFP | dimanche 25 juillet 2021
Joe Cocker & Jennifer Warnes - Up Where We Belong
James Taylor - How Sweet It Is (to Be Loved by You)
Foreigner - I Don't Want to Live without You (Official Music Video)
Fox Is Killing Us
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The Most Influential Spreader of Coronavirus Misinformation Online »
Covid-19: Families Struggle with High Hospital Costs in India | DW News
Sydney Police Fine Hundreds of Anti-lockdown Protesters for ‘Filthy, Risky Behaviour’
THE GUARDIAN: Prime minister denounces ‘selfish’ protesters who marched against coronavirus measures as police taskforce traces everyone who broke rules
Hundreds of fines have been issued and dozens charged in Sydney after anti-lockdown protesters marched and clashed with police in what one deputy commissioner called “violent, filthy, risky behaviour”.
The Australian prime minister, Scott Morrison, said on Sunday the previous day’s protests – in which thousands breached the region’s coronavirus measures to protest – were “selfish and self-defeating”, adding: “It achieves no purpose. It won’t end the lockdown sooner.”
The New South Wales premier, Gladys Berejiklian, said was “utterly disgusted” by the scenes, saying: “It just broke my heart that people had such a disregard for their fellow citizens.”
Detectives are now combing social media and footage from CCTV and police-worn body cameras to identify and punish everyone who defied stay-at-home orders, which are now entering their fifth week. » | Matilda Boseley and agencies | Sunday, July 25, 2021
The Observer View on the Unfolding Crisis in Lebanon
THE OBSERVER: A new failed state in the Middle East would spell chaos for us all
Amid so much trouble around the world, the crisis in Lebanon has received relatively little attention, especially from British politicians and media. This is a serious oversight. It’s not inconceivable Lebanon could soon become a “failed state” on a par with Libya or Yemen. That would be a disaster for its people, but also, as recent history shows, for the region, Europe and the UK.
The crisis has many aspects. The most pressing is the mounting human cost. The chronic devaluation of the Lebanese pound – it has lost about 90% of its value in the past 18 months – is taking a terrible toll on ordinary families. About 30% of Lebanese children go to bed hungry, the UN says. Most households are short of food. At least half the population has slipped into poverty.
Resulting hyperinflation, caused by adverse trading conditions during the pandemic but also by grossly irresponsible financial mismanagement by Lebanon’s politicians and bankers, means subsidies of essential foodstuffs, medicine and fuel no longer cover their true cost. People with deadly diseases such as diabetes or heart conditions cannot get the help they need. » | Observer editorial | Sunday, July 25, 2021
Related links here, here, here and here.
Billionaire tycoon named as Lebanese PM as economic crisis bites: Protesters wanted someone from outside the elite, but parliament went for Najib Miqati, who has led the country twice before »
Saturday, July 24, 2021
Thousands Rally for Equality at Budapest Pride March
In Hungary, an Embattled L.G.B.T.Q. Community Takes to the Streets: Thousands of people attended the Budapest Pride march, defying efforts by the government of Prime Minister Viktor Orban to marginalize the country’s L.G.B.T.Q. community. »
Related links here
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Thousands March in Budapest Pride to Oppose Anti-LGBTQ Law
THE GUARDIAN: Demonstrators say law that bans teaching of issue in schools is causing division in Hungary
Thousands of Hungarians have joined the annual Budapest Pride march to support LGBTQ people and protest against a law that limits teaching about homosexuality and transgender issues in schools.
Hungary’s nationalist prime minister, Viktor Orbán, in power since 2010, has introduced social policies that he says aim to safeguard traditional Christian values from western liberalism, stoking tensions with the EU.
The European Commission has launched legal action against Orbán’s government over the law, which came into force this month, saying it is discriminatory and contravenes European values of tolerance and individual freedom.
Demonstrators at the march through the streets of central Budapest on Saturday said the legislation was dividing the former Soviet-bloc nation and now member of the EU. » | Reuters | Saturday, July 24, 2021
Rekord-Teilnehmerzahl bei Pride-Parade in Ungarn: Ministerpräsident Viktor Orbán will „Werbung“ für Homo- und Transsexualität verbieten. Die queere Szene in der ungarischen Hauptstadt hat das auf den Plan gerufen. Mehrere Tausend Menschen demonstrierten am Samstag gegen das Gesetz. »
Who Is to Blame for Lebanon's Latest Political Setback? | Inside Story
July 16, 2021 – It's back to square one for Lebanon's deepening political crisis. The prime Minister-Designate has resigned again after failing to form a new government. And as Saad Hariri and President Michel Aoun trade blame, the country sinks deeper into economic turmoil.
The currency has lost 95 percent of its value since 2019, pushing many Lebanese into poverty. International donors are frustrated at the lack of progress on reforms. So is there a political will to end Lebanon's political deadlock?
Presenter: Mohammed Jamjoom | Guests: Rana Khoury - Political Activist; Bachar El-Halabi - MENA Geopolitical Analyst, ClipperData; Christophe Abi-Nassif - Middle East Institute.
The currency has lost 95 percent of its value since 2019, pushing many Lebanese into poverty. International donors are frustrated at the lack of progress on reforms. So is there a political will to end Lebanon's political deadlock?
Presenter: Mohammed Jamjoom | Guests: Rana Khoury - Political Activist; Bachar El-Halabi - MENA Geopolitical Analyst, ClipperData; Christophe Abi-Nassif - Middle East Institute.
Was Trump Considering a Coup, and War w/ Iran? A Bombshell Article Explains | Amanpour and Company
Anti-lockdown Protests across Australia as Covid Cases Surge to Record Levels in Sydney
THE GUARDIAN: Chaotic scenes in Sydney, Melbourne, Adelaide and Brisbane as protesters demand end to lockdowns
Anti-lockdown protesters have marched in major Australian cities, as Covid cases spiked to record numbers in Sydney and authorities warned of a “continuing and growing problem”.
Thousands of angry, unmasked people marched through the Sydney central business district on Saturday afternoon demanding an end to the city’s lockdown, which is entering its fifth week. Police made several arrests of protesters who broke through barriers or threw plastic bottles at officers.
Similar scenes unfolded in Melbourne and Adelaide, which are both in lockdown, and Brisbane, which is not.
As demonstrators were gathering in Sydney, the New South Wales health minister, Brad Hazzard, revealed a record number of new coronavirus cases had been detected – 163 in the previous 24 hours – and pleaded with people to stay at home.
“We really need our community, particularly in south-western and western Sydney, to stay at home, to hear the message and stay at home,” Hazzard said. » | Ben Smee | Saturday, July 24, 2021
Anti-lockdown protesters have marched in major Australian cities, as Covid cases spiked to record numbers in Sydney and authorities warned of a “continuing and growing problem”.
Thousands of angry, unmasked people marched through the Sydney central business district on Saturday afternoon demanding an end to the city’s lockdown, which is entering its fifth week. Police made several arrests of protesters who broke through barriers or threw plastic bottles at officers.
Similar scenes unfolded in Melbourne and Adelaide, which are both in lockdown, and Brisbane, which is not.
As demonstrators were gathering in Sydney, the New South Wales health minister, Brad Hazzard, revealed a record number of new coronavirus cases had been detected – 163 in the previous 24 hours – and pleaded with people to stay at home.
“We really need our community, particularly in south-western and western Sydney, to stay at home, to hear the message and stay at home,” Hazzard said. » | Ben Smee | Saturday, July 24, 2021
Au Tibet, Xi Jinping affiche ses ambitions régionales
LE FIGARO : La visite surprise du chef de l'État dans cette région autonome est la première depuis 31 ans pour un président chinois en exercice.
Les officiels chinois sont restés discrets et n'ont annoncé sa visite que vendredi. Le président Xi Jinping est arrivé mercredi à Nyingchi, une ville du Tibet, province soumise à l'autorité de Pékin depuis des décennies.
La question tibétaine semble s'évanouir ces dernières années au fur et à mesure que Pékin renforce son emprise sur le «toit du monde» et ses habitants. La multiplication des polémiques soulevées par l'appétit de l'ogre chinois a également eu pour effet de reléguer le Tibet à l'arrière-plan des préoccupations géopolitiques internationales.
Mais cette visite du numéro un chinois - le premier voyage d'un président chinois en 31 ans - est symbolique à plus d'un titre. Xi était déjà venu à la capitale, Lhassa, en tant que vice-président en 2011. Il est cette fois revenu pour célébrer le 70e anniversaire de la signature de l'accord en 17 points qui a marquant la fin de l'indépendance. » | Par Emilien Hertement | jeudi 23 juillet 2021
Abonnez-vous librement ici
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Kiss of the Day, Hot and Gay
France Fiasco to Pingdemic U-turn: Boris Johnson’s Week of Chaos
THE GUARDIAN: In the last seven days the UK government has flailed from one controversy or misstep to the next
Often, the political week heading into the Commons summer recess can feel almost soporific, with the thoughts of ministers and MPs geared more towards holiday sunbeds than rows. But the last seven days has been different, and not only because of the ongoing political flux of coronavirus, with the government seeming to flail from one controversy, U-turn or misstep to the next, day after day.
Friday evening: France goes amber-plus
The reports began earlier in the week: France, which in a normal years attracts 10 million-plus UK visitors, was to be put on Britain’s red list, in effect banning almost all travel, because of concern about the spread of the potentially vaccine-resistant Beta variant. Eventually, late on Friday, it was announced that although France would stay on the amber list, double-vaccinated Britons returning from there would still have to quarantine for 10 days, unlike the new, relaxed policy for other amber destinations. Cue: anger from holidaymakers and some Conservative MPs – and polite bafflement from France itself.
Sunday: to self-isolate or not?
On Saturday, the health secretary, Sajid Javid, announced he had tested positive for Covid, a day after being pictured leaving meetings at Downing Street. Sure enough, Boris Johnson and Rishi Sunak, the chancellor, were – like hundreds of thousands of Britons this week – “pinged” as close contacts. But on Sunday morning, a No 10 statement announced that Johnson and Sunak would avoid the usual 10 days of self isolation as they were taking part in a pilot scheme allowing them to carry on with “essential government business” while having daily tests. Three hours later, amid growing anger, the decision was reversed. Monday: ‘freedom day’ – and Covid passports » | Peter Walker, Political correspondent | Friday, July 23, 2021
Friday, July 23, 2021
Flutkatastrophe in China: Millionenmetropole unter Wasser | DW Nachrichten
Jul 23, 2021 • In China haben starke Regenfälle zu massiven Überschwemmungen geführt. Über 50 Menschen sind dabei ums Leben gekommen.
Heftige, langanhaltende Regenfälle und daraus resultierende Überschwemmungen haben in der zentralchinesischen Stadt Zhengzhou schwere Schäden angerichtet. In drei Tagen fiel so viel Regen wie normalerweise in einem ganzen Jahr.
Große Teile der 10-Millionen-Einwohner-Stadt liegen unter Wasser. Die Überschwemmungen haben etwa 400.000 Menschen aus ihren Häusern vertrieben.
Die Naturkatastrophe hat zahlreiche Häuser, Straßen und Autos zerstört. Berichten zufolge kann man von einem materiellen Schaden von über acht Milliarden Euro ausgehen. Die Stadt Zhengzhou gilt als eine bedeutsame Industriestadt und als Haupt- Verkehrsknotenpunkt in der dicht besiedelten zentralchinesischen Provinz Henan.
Heftige, langanhaltende Regenfälle und daraus resultierende Überschwemmungen haben in der zentralchinesischen Stadt Zhengzhou schwere Schäden angerichtet. In drei Tagen fiel so viel Regen wie normalerweise in einem ganzen Jahr.
Große Teile der 10-Millionen-Einwohner-Stadt liegen unter Wasser. Die Überschwemmungen haben etwa 400.000 Menschen aus ihren Häusern vertrieben.
Die Naturkatastrophe hat zahlreiche Häuser, Straßen und Autos zerstört. Berichten zufolge kann man von einem materiellen Schaden von über acht Milliarden Euro ausgehen. Die Stadt Zhengzhou gilt als eine bedeutsame Industriestadt und als Haupt- Verkehrsknotenpunkt in der dicht besiedelten zentralchinesischen Provinz Henan.
Opinion: NYT Guest Essay: Germany Is in Shock. Its Politicians Are on Autopilot.
THE NEW YORK TIMES: BERLIN — Germany, unlike the United States, doesn’t really have a history of natural disasters. Blessed with a moderate climate and fortunate geography, the country knows little of hurricanes, strong earthquakes or heavy rain.
That changed last week: Floods, after exceptionally heavy rainfall, devastated parts of the country, affecting Belgium, Switzerland and the Netherlands, too. Villages, roads, bridges and power lines were destroyed. At least 170 people are dead, and many are still missing. Hundreds have been injured and countless livelihoods lost.
The country is in shock. Images of people waiting on rooftops for help, cars tossed around like toys by the water and entire houses turned to rubble are seared into our minds. Nearly 20 years on from our last major flood, the conclusion is inescapable: Climate change is right here, right now, and it hurts. » | Anna Sauerbrey * | Friday, July 23, 2021
* Ms. Sauerbrey is a German journalist who writes regularly about Germany’s politics, society and culture.
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