Earthquake in Australia Forces Hospitals and Residents to Evacuate

THE NEW YORK TIMES: The 5.9-magnitude quake damaged buildings in Melbourne, but there were no immediate reports of serious injuries or deaths.

Damaged buildings along Chapel Street in Melbourne after an earthquake on Wednesday. | Asanka Ratnayake/Getty Images
THE NEW YORK TIMES: The 5.9-magnitude quake damaged buildings in Melbourne, but there were no immediate reports of serious injuries or deaths.

MELBOURNE, Australia — A magnitude 5.9 earthquake hit southeast Australia on Wednesday morning, damaging buildings and forcing hospitals to evacuate staff members and patients. It was an unusually large quake in a country less susceptible to major temblors than neighboring countries.

There were no immediate reports of serious injuries or deaths, Prime Minister Scott Morrison said at a news conference from New York, where he was attending the U.N. General Assembly.

It was the largest onshore earthquake in the state of Victoria in recorded history, according to Adam Pascale, chief scientist at the Seismology Research Center. And it was the largest land earthquake in the country since 2016, when a 6.1-magnitude temblor hit the Northern Territory, according to Geoscience Australia.

The quake on Wednesday collapsed the walls of buildings in Melbourne, Australia’s second-largest city and the capital of Victoria. It forced residents to flee apartments, shattered windows, left cracks in roads and led to power outages.

Photos and videos shared widely on social media show a damaged building in Melbourne, with bricks spewed across the street. » | Yan Zhuang | Tuesday, September 21, 2021

The Roots of French Pique

OPINION : SERGE SCHMEMANN
THE NEW YORK TIMES: It’s hardly surprising that France would be furious over losing a multibillion-dollar arms deal with Australia, all the more so because it believes it was blindsided as Canberra, Washington and London secretly worked to get a different deal for themselves.

But recalling ambassadors, as France did from Washington and Canberra, a step just short of breaking relations, is not normal behavior among allies, no matter how miffed they may be. The lost sale of a dozen submarines is painful, but not fatal to the French arms industry, especially as the hulls and engines were to be built in Australia and the electronics and armaments were to come from Lockheed Martin, an American company. And, as the Australians argue, France should have seen it coming: The diesel-powered submarines France offered were no longer what confronting a rising China required.

What really got the French seeing red was something else. It was being callously shunted aside by the United States and its Anglophone allies — “les Anglo-Saxons,” as Gen. Charles de Gaulle somewhat disparagingly referred to them — and being excluded from a role in what is shaping up to be the central geopolitical action for decades to come.

The imperious general, whose place in French history and national identity is reflected in the innumerable streets, boulevards and squares bearing his name, left a legacy very much in the background of the furor over the submarine deal, according to Serge Berstein, a noted historian of the de Gaulle era. The common thread, he said, arises from de Gaulle’s conviction that France, even if not a superpower, “retains an important international role by virtue of its presence in all parts of the globe.” In Asia, that includes a long colonial history and control over several islands in the Pacific. » | Serge Schmemann | Tuesday, September 21, 2021

No Wonder the French Are Angry »

Trump verklagt seine Nichte

WEGEN ENTHÜLLUNGEN
FRANKFURTER ALLGEMEINE ZEITUNG: Donald Trump will sich für die Enthüllungen über seine Finanzen rächen. Er verklagt die New York Times und seine eigene Nichte – denn die war eine wichtige Quelle.

Der frühere amerikanische Präsident Donald Trump hat wegen der Enthüllungen der Zeitung New York Times über seine Finanzen Klage gegen die Zeitung und seine Nichte Mary Trump eingereicht. Er wirft ihnen vor, ein „heimtückisches Komplott“ geschmiedet zu haben, um seine Steuererklärungen zu erhalten, wie aus der bei einem Gericht im Bundesstaat New York eingereichten Klageschrift hervorgeht.

Die New York Times-Reporter Susanne Craig, David Barstow und Russ Buettner hätten einen „Kreuzzug“ geführt, um an vertrauliche Unterlagen des früheren Präsidenten zu gelangen. Ihr Motiv sei Rache gewesen. » | Quelle: AFP | Mittwoch, 22. September 2021

Trump Sues His Niece and The New York Times Over Leaked Tax Documents: Former President Donald J. Trump filed a lawsuit on Tuesday accusing Mary Trump and three Times reporters of conspiring to publish information about his tax records. »

Der Nahe Osten – eine Weltregion im ewigen Krieg

NEUE ZÜRCHER ZEITUNG: Gescheiterte Revolutionen, Bürgerkriege, Flüchtlingswellen und Hungersnöte: Der Nahe Osten macht nur selten positive Schlagzeilen. Und ein Ende von Gewalt und Chaos ist nicht in Sicht. Selbst die Inseln relativer Stabilität sind auf Sand gebaut.

«Im Nahen Osten muss man ein Optimist sein», hat mir ein erfahrener Kollege einst geraten. Als mentale Überlebenshilfe mag diese Denkweise für einen Korrespondenten nützlich sein. Nach drei Jahren in Beirut muss ich indes feststellen: Realistisch betrachtet gibt es im Orient kaum Grund, auf Besserung zu hoffen. Selbst verheissungsvolle Silberstreifen am Horizont erweisen sich als leere Luftspiegelungen.

Einer dieser seltenen Silberstreifen war der Aufstieg von Mohammed bin Salman in Saudiarabien. Der junge Kronprinz predigte einen «gemässigten Islam», schlug freundliche Töne gegenüber Israel an, erlaubte den Frauen das Autofahren und lockerte ihre Bevormundung. Er liess Kinos und Konzerte zu und öffnete das Mutterland des Islams für abenteuerlustige Individualtouristen. Hatte die saudische Erdölmonarchie früher die globale Verbreitung eines rigiden Islams finanziert, der nicht selten zur Einstiegsdroge für Jihadisten wurde, schien Riad nun offen für eine zukunftsfähige, pragmatische Politik zu sein. » | Christian Weisflog, Beirut | Mittwoch, 22. September 2021

Crise des sous-marins: Scott Morrison, le pire des alliés pour la France

Le premier ministre australien, Scott Morrison, durant une conférence de presse à Canberra, le 17 août. ROHAN THOMSON/AFP
LE FIGARO : PORTRAIT - L’actuel premier ministre australien est l’exact opposé de son prédécesseur, le centriste Malcolm Turnbull avec qui la France avait signé en 2016 le «contrat du siècle».

Le monde l’avait découvert lors des violents incendies qui ont ravagé l’Australie en 2019-2020. Une crise d’une ampleur inédite particulièrement mal gérée par Scott Morrison, qui, au summum de celle-ci, avait choisi de maintenir ses vacances à Hawaï. Finalement contraint de revenir, il s’était défendu en rappelant que son rôle n’était pas de «tenir la lance à incendie»…

Depuis la semaine dernière et l’annonce choc d’un rapprochement anglo-saxon, plus personne en France n’ignore le nom du premier ministre australien. Scott Morrison, 53 ans, est accusé par Jean-Yves Le Drian d’avoir porté à la France un «coup dans le dos». Une figure qui ne lui est pas inconnue. Morrisson est devenu premier ministre en août 2018, après une énième rébellion interne du Parti libéral qui s’est traduite par l’éviction de son prédécesseur, le modéré Malcolm Turnbull, avec qui la France avait signé en 2016 le «contrat du siècle». » | Par Henri Biaujout | mardi 21 septembre 2021

Réservé aux abonnés

Crise des sous-marins : Macron s'entretiendra avec Biden ce mercredi – Le président américain a sollicité un entretien avec son homologue français pour évoquer la crise diplomatique entre les deux pays. »

US-UK ‘Special Relationship’ Faces New Challenges Despite Signs of Healing

THE GUARDIAN: Relationship between Biden’s US and Johnson’s post-Brexit UK remains complicated and inevitably transactional

Further highs and lows in store: UK PM Boris Johnson meets US president Joe Biden in the Oval Office of the White House, Washington DC. Photograph: Stefan Rousseau/PA
What a difference a month makes.

In August Joe Biden was being denounced in the British parliament for a “shameful” retreat from Afghanistan that blindsided the UK and other allies. The US president reportedly took a day and a half to return prime minister Boris Johnson’s call.

On Tuesday, by contrast, Johnson rode triumphantly into Washington on one of the Amtrak trains so beloved by Biden, celebrating both a new military pact and the lifting of a pandemic ban on British travellers visiting the US. He sat in the Oval Office and lavished praise on the president’s address to the UN general assembly.

The swing from hapless despair to giddy euphoria made for snappy headlines. But neither extreme was realistic. The relationship between the US and post-Brexit Britain, and between Biden and Johnson, remains complicated, nuanced and inevitably transactional – with further highs and lows surely still in store. » | David Smith in Washington | Wednesday, September 22, 2021

How We Got Gay – Discovery Channel Documentaries (2017)

Channel 4 Rupert Everett explores the changes in gay life in the 50 years since the decriminalisation of male homosexuality in.

‘How We Got Gay’ tells the incredible story of how gay men and women went from being the ultimate outsiders to occupying the halls of power.

Authors: Bertrand Loyer, Jessica Menendez, Stéphane Alexandresco.

According to recent scientific research, more than 450 different kinds of animals engage in homosexuality.

Love Is Love : Anthony + Logan’s Wedding

S’embrasser sous la pluie

Küssen im Regen / Kissing in the rain
With thanks to Style Me Pretty and Pinterest for this photo.

Are You Thinking What I’m Thinking?

With many thanks to khansameer and Pinterest for this splendid photo.

Julio Iglesias - Crazy

Views on YouTube: 8,962,235

Tom Ford on Finding 'Love at First Sight' & His Relationship Lasting | PEN | Entertainment Weekly

Jan 17, 2017 • Designer Tom Ford opens up about his relationship with husband Richard Buckley.

More on Tom Ford and Richard Buckley here.

Arthur Rubinstein - Chopin Polonaise in A flat Major, Op 53 - "Heroic"

Foreigner - I Don't Want to Live Without You | Official Music Video

Views on YouTube: 3,596,844

Democracy Now! Top US News & World Headlines — September 21, 2021

Emmanuel Macron et Narendra Modi veulent «agir conjointement» en Indo-Pacifique

LE FIGARO : Après l'annulation du «contrat du siècle» par l'Australie, le président français et le premier ministre indien se sont entretenus et ont réaffirmé leur volonté «d'agir conjointement».

Le président français Emmanuel Macron et le premier ministre indien Narendra Modi se sont entretenus mardi 21 septembre en pleine crise des sous-marins australiens et ont réaffirmé leur volonté «d'agir conjointement dans un espace indo-pacifique ouvert et inclusif», a annoncé l'Élysée.

Le chef de l'État «a rappelé l'engagement de la France à contribuer au renforcement de l'autonomie stratégique de l'Inde, y compris sa base industrielle et technologique, dans le cadre d'une relation étroite fondée sur la confiance», a précisé la présidence française. Cet entretien téléphonique intervient au moment où Paris continue de montrer sa colère après l'annonce, le 15 septembre, d'une nouvelle alliance stratégique entre l'Australie, les États-Unis et le Royaume-Uni, qui a torpillé un méga-contrat de sous-marins français à Canberra. Regardez la vidéo » | Par Le Figaro avec AFP | mardi 21 septembre 2021

Stevie Wonder : I Just Called To Say I Love You

Provided to YouTube by Universal Music Group | Views on YouTube: 19,754,276

Tory Corruption: It’s Shocking What a “Donation” Can Buy. Truth To Power

Whoever would have thought that the UK would turn into one of those sh****** countries of which Trump spoke so colourfully? BoJo and his corrupt entourage are taking this country to new lows, to new depths.

In a relatively recent post, I likened British society to a bottle of non-homogenized milk. As well as all the cream rising to the top, you can now add corruption into the mix. In my lifetime, I have never known such a corrupt administration as BoJo’s. That man needs to be kicked out of office asap. His administration is a disaster. His administration is not fit for purpose; and nor is he. – © Mark

Dimitra's Dishes : Chicken in a Creamy Spinach & Feta Sauce

Get the recipe here.

Macron Takes on U.S., a Big Gamble Even for a Bold Risk-Taker

THE NEW YORK TIMES: For President Emmanuel Macron of France, a debacle over a lost submarine deal with Australia suggests that the NATO alliance is debilitated through lack of trust.

President Emmanuel Macron of France cannot afford to be seen as soft just over six months from a presidential election. | Gonzalo
PARIS — President Emmanuel Macron of France has gambled big. He has directed his foreign minister to use language not typically associated with diplomacy, let alone diplomacy between allies, in describing American actions: “lies,” “duplicity,” “brutality” and “contempt.” He has recalled the French ambassador to the United States, a first.

Such boldness is in character. That is how Mr. Macron became president at the age of 39. He has also recalled French ambassadors to Turkey and Italy during his presidency over perceived insults. The question in the Australian submarine deal that slipped from France’s grasp is: Does the president hold sufficient cards?

In responding to the secretive U.S.-British move to sell nuclear-powered submarines to Australia, a decision that the Australians used to nix the prior French deal, Mr. Macron could choose to escalate. One idea doing the rounds in France is for the country to withdraw from NATO’s integrated military command structure, which it rejoined in 2009 after a 43-year absence.

But that would be a radical step — whatever Mr. Macron’s view, expressed in 2019, that NATO is “brain dead” — and foreign ministry officials discounted the possibility.

Still, that the idea should even circulate suggests the extent of what Jean-Yves Le Drian, the foreign minister, has called “a grave crisis between us.” France feels humiliated. It will not readily forget what it sees as an American slap in the face, described by the minister as “intolerable.” » | Roger Cohen | Monday, September 20, 2021

This is J. G.'s comment.

This is my response to it:

I wrote this short comment on the NYT today, but it appears to be too controversial for the NYT to handle. I have waited hours for the newspaper to put it up, but to no avail. So I thought I would share my comment with you here. Here it is; it is a counter-comment to J. G.'s comment from The Netherlands. His comment, in my opinion,, is spot on:

@J. G. Great comment! I couldn't agree with your assessment more. Bravo! This AUKUS deal is so dirty it stinks! [© Mark]

Aukus: French Minister Bemoans Lack of Trust in British Alliance

THE GUARDIAN: Clément Beaune says Brexit fallout and secret defence pact have undermined Franco-British relations

‘We cannot pretend there is no problem’: Clément Beaune leaving the Élysée Palace in Paris earlier this month. | Photograph: Daniel Pier/NurPhoto/Rex/Shutterstock
The British-French alliance lacks trust, France’s EU affairs minister has said, citing Downing Street’s approach to the post-Brexit arrangements for Northern Ireland and the secretly negotiated defence agreement with the US and Australia.

Clément Beaune, a close ally of the French president, Emmanuel Macron, said that while the two problematic issues should not be mixed, together they highlighted the flaw in the relationship.

“We need to rebuild confidence, we need to discuss together – we are not in this context at the moment,” Beaune said, before a meeting of EU affairs ministers and the Brexit commissioner, Maroš Šefčovič, in Brussels.

During a visit to New York for the United Nations general assembly, Boris Johnson had insisted on Monday night that the alliance with Paris remained strong and “absolutely vital”, adding: “Our love of France is ineradicable.”

But a British-French defence meeting due to take place this week has been cancelled by Paris in the fallout over the Aukus defence pact, and there has not been a bilateral leaders’ summit for three years, despite attempts by Downing Street to organise one.

Beaune admitted there was a need to rebuild confidence in the relationship. On Brexit, he said the UK was not implementing the deals it agreed on fishing rights for EU boats nor on checks on goods travelling into Northern Ireland from the rest of the UK.

“They are not well implemented … they are not fully respected,” he said. » | Daniel Boffey in Brussels | Tuesday, September 21, 2021

Zurück zu Pfund und Unze: Grossbritannien sucht die Brexit-Dividende und droht, sich zu verrennen

NEUE ZÜRCHER ZEITUNG: Mit Deregulierung und Bürokratieabbau will London dem EU-Ausstieg Nutzen verleihen. Doch etwas anders zu machen, nur weil man es kann, hilft nicht weiter.

«Darf es eine Unze mehr sein?» Ein Londoner Geschäft im Jahr 1947. | Imago
KOMMENTAR
Anderthalb Jahre nach dem Austritt aus der EU überlegt Grossbritanniens Regierung, was sie nun konkret anders machen möchte. Brexit-Minister David Frost präsentierte am Donnerstag einige Felder, in denen durch Deregulierung die ersehnte Brexit-Dividende eingefahren werden soll. Unter den Punkten, die jetzt ausgearbeitet werden: Britische Händler sollen ihre Waren wieder ausschliesslich nach alten imperialen Massen kennzeichnen dürfen – also in Pfund statt Kilogramm und Unzen statt Gramm. Ein Kilogramm zählt 2,2 Pfund zu je 16 Unzen.

Diese Idee steht sinnbildlich für vieles, was beim Brexit schiefläuft: Sie ist symbolisch, zielt an praktischen Problemen der Wirtschaft vorbei und bedient primär die Nostalgie konservativer Wähler. Obendrein hat sie wenig mit der EU zu tun. Wer in einem britischen Supermarkt Milch kauft, erhält seit Ewigkeiten deutlich gekennzeichnete 2 Pint. Doppelter Praxistest » | Benjamin Triebe, London | Samstag, 18. September 2021

Canada : les libéraux de Justin Trudeau donnés vainqueurs mais de nouveau minoritaires

Justin Trudeau, avec son épouse, prononce son discours de victoire à l'hôtel Reine Elizabeth de Montréal, le 21 septembre 2021. ANDREJ IVANOV / AFP
LE FIGARO : Après sa réélection, le premier ministre a promis aux Canadiens, dans son allocution de victoire, «un avenir meilleur» une fois que le pays serait «sorti de cette pandémie».

Les libéraux de Justin Trudeau sont en passe de remporter les législatives canadiennes, une demi-victoire toutefois pour le premier ministre sortant qui n'est pas parvenu à redevenir majoritaire à l'issue d'une campagne durant laquelle il a été malmené. D'après les projections des médias canadiens lundi soir, les résultats préliminaires permettent d'affirmer que le parti libéral obtiendrait autour de 155 sièges, sous le seuil des 170 sièges permettant d'obtenir une majorité. Or c'est précisément pour sortir de cette situation qu'il avait déclenché des élections anticipées à la mi-août pour tenter de regagner la majorité qu'il avait perdue deux ans plus tôt. Dans son allocution de victoire, le premier ministre réélu a promis aux Canadiens «un avenir meilleur» une fois le pays «sorti de cette pandémie». » | Par Le Figaro avec AFP | mardi 21 septembre 2021

Les articles suivants portent sur les élections russes et marocaines :

Élections russes: la victoire annoncée du parti de Poutine »

Aziz Akhannouch, milliardaire et premier ministre du Maroc »

KOMMENTAR: Putin und die Macht: Ein gestohlener Sieg ist wenig wert: Russlands Führung kann die Duma auch künftig wie ein willenloses Instrument benutzen. Aber um die Macht abzusichern, muss der Kreml heute grobschlächtiger vorgehen als früher. Das sollte für Putin ein Alarmzeichen sein. »

Im Dienste seiner Majestät: Die Nähe zum Königshaus hat Aziz Akhannouch geholfen, zu einem der reichsten Männer Marokkos zu werden. Jetzt soll er die Geschicke des Landes führen – die Nähe zum König bleibt. »

Tom Ford Announces Death of Husband, Richard Buckley, at 72

The pair had a son together.
ADVOCATE: Richard Buckley, a legendary fashion editor who once worked at the industry trade journal Womens Wear Daily, has died according to his husband fashion designer Tom Ford. Buckley was 71 [?].

Buckley passed Sunday and "died of natural causes after a long illness," a statement to People from Ford's representatives stated.

"It is with great sadness that Tom Ford announces the death of his beloved husband of 35 years, Richard Buckley," the statement said. "Richard passed away peacefully at their home in Los Angeles with Tom and their son Jack by his side." » | Mikelle Street | Tuesday, September 21, 2021

A great interview of Tom Ford: The Jess Cagle Interview:

Tom Ford’s Painful Memories of Childhood Bullying: ‘I Was Absolutely Tortured' »

How Tom Ford Found 'Love at First Sight'— and Makes His 30-Year Relationship Last : Ford says he met Buckley in an elevator at a fashion show and immediately knew he was "the one"»

Fashion editor Richard Buckley, husband of Tom Ford, dies at 72 »

Lionel Richie : Deep River Woman

Provided to YouTube by Universal Music Group

Perth, Australia : A Wedding Kiss

Wedding Photographer – “Not a dry eye in sight as Ollie and Matt celebrated their marriage at Guild Hall in North Fremantle”
With many thanks to the photographer of ‘celebrating lifephotography.com.au’ for this great and expressive photo.

Happiness Is…

Le bonheur est... / Glücklichkeit ist...
My thanks go to My gay themed Tumblr and Pinterest for this photo of two joyous men.

Liebe teilen im Schnee

Partager l'amour dans la neige / Sharing love in the snow
Thanks to Rj Scott on Pinterest for this photo.

Young Gay Lovers

Jeunes amoureux gays / Junge homosexuelle Liebhaber
My thanks to Model Citizen Magazine on Pinterest for this photo.

Global Markets Swoon as Worries Mount over Superpowers’ Plans

THE NEW YORK TIMES: The S&P 500 closed down 1.7 percent over a number of jitters, like China’s sputtering real estate market and the phasing out of stimulus measures in the United States.

Investors on three continents dumped stocks on Monday, fretting that the governments of the world’s two largest economies — China and the United States — would act in ways that could undercut the nascent global economic recovery.

The Chinese government’s reluctance to step in and save a highly indebted property developer just days before a big interest payment is due signaled to investors that Beijing might break with its longstanding policy of bailing out its homegrown stars.

And in the United States, the globe’s No. 1 economy, investors worried that the Federal Reserve would soon begin cutting back its huge purchases of government bonds, which had helped drive stocks to a series of record highs since the coronavirus pandemic hit.

The sell-off started in Asia and spread to Europe — where exporters to China were slammed — before landing in the United States, where stocks appeared to be heading for their worst performance of the year before a rally at the end of the trading day. The S&P 500 closed down 1.7 percent, its worst daily performance since mid-May, after being down as much as 2.9 percent in the afternoon.

The catalyst for the swoon was the continued turmoil at China Evergrande Group, one of that country’s top three developers of residential properties. The company has an estimated $300 billion in debt, and an interest payment of more than $80 million is due this week. » | Matt Phillips, Eshe Nelson and Coral Murphy Marcos | Monday, September 20, 2021

L'Europe doit payer | America First, le bilan | Episode 01 | ARTE

Apr 7, 2021 • Au fil du récit d’acteurs clés, une immersion dans les coulisses diplomatiques de l’ère Trump, entre stupeur et tremblements. Norma Percy signe une investigation édifiante sur l’histoire en marche. Premier volet. Retrait de l'accord de Paris sur le climat, mise en danger de l’Otan : les premières décisions de Trump choquent, notamment les Européens, alliés historiques des États-Unis.

"America First." Dès son arrivée à la Maison-Blanche en 2017, Donald Trump martèle son credo sur la scène internationale. Par la brutalité de ses postures et décisions, il choque ses interlocuteurs, dont les Européens, alliés historiques des États-Unis. Le président bafoue toutes les règles diplomatiques lors des sommets. Retrait de l'accord de Paris sur le climat, mise en danger de l’Otan, institution qui traverse, selon Jeremy Hunt, le ministre britannique des Affaires étrangères de l'époque, "la plus grande crise de son histoire"… Encore surpris, François Hollande se souvient de son premier échange au téléphone avec lui : "Ce qu'il m'a dit tenait en une phrase : 'Nous ne voulons plus payer pour vous. […] Les Européens doivent payer pour leur propre sécurité'." Brisant le statu quo, le président américain se rapproche de Vladimir Poutine, proximité qui inquiète les dirigeants du G7. Et si, lors du défilé du 14 Juillet, Emmanuel Macron, qui l’a invité, déploie les grands moyens pour lui plaire, François Hollande le prévient : "N'attends rien de Donald Trump, ne pense pas qu'il sera possible de le contourner ou de le séduire."

Coulisses privilégiéesr

Au fil du récit d’acteurs clés et de témoins, cette investigation fait pénétrer au cœur des sommets et des tractations internationales du mandat Trump, offrant le rare et réjouissant privilège de les suivre en différé des coulisses. Reconstituant minutieusement l’histoire en marche dans les pas des dirigeants, selon la méthode éprouvée des productions Brook Lapping, cette série documentaire, qui rappelle les éructations du président américain battu par Joe Biden en novembre dernier et la stupéfaction, au mieux amusée, de ceux auxquels elles s’adressent, met aussi à nu les failles de la diplomatie et la fragilité des équilibres planétaires. Car les homologues de Donald Trump et l’armada de ses conseillers (dont ceux qu’il se targue d’avoir remerciés, même s’ils ont démissionné) racontent aussi leur impuissance à contrôler un chef d’État qui entend diriger son pays − et imprimer le monde de sa marque ignorante au péril de la paix − comme il a géré son empire, sûr que tous les coups ou presque sont permis.

America First, le bilan Série documentaire de Norma Percy (France, 2019, 58mn)
Disponible jusqu'au 03/10/2021

Nevada – Gay Wedding: "To know Love Is Incredible"

Aug 24, 2018 • Jhonathan & Michael Pappas's wedding feature film.

Carmen - Habanera - Lyrics (Angela Gheorghiu)

Jan 11, 2018 • "Love is rebellious bird" performed by Angela Gheorghiu. Composer: Georges Bizet; opera: Carmen. | Views on YouTube: 10,101,557

Gay and Latino, "My Date in Lima, Peru" | The Gay Explorer

Jun 21, 2018 • Join me on my gay date with Pedro while we explore Lima, Peru, where we will visit amazing landmarks such as Plaza de Armas, enjoy arguably the best Pisco in the world and taste one of their most famous dishes: ceviche. We will also discuss how it is being gay and Latino in South America. Ready? Let’s go!

Don Winslow Films - #MeetMotherPence

Would You Vote for a Man Like This to Lead Your Country? No? Thought Not!

The man who thinks he’s Churchill: 'Bojo the Clown'. The man looks as if he's flown over the cuckoo's nest!
Another Conservative clown Dominic Raab.

Tory Corruption: Boris Johnson Facing Day of Reckoning. Truth To Power

Get this sucker out of office asap! The SOB has even suspended the Triple Lock on state pensions! Yet he can find billions for his cronies. The man is unprincipled and corrupt. The country needs to be rid of him. – © Mark

Democracy Now! Top US News & World Headlines — September 20, 2021

‘We Felt Fooled’: France Still Furious after Australia Scraps $90bn Submarine Deal

THE GUARDIAN: ‘Maybe we’re not friends,’ recalled ambassador says, claiming Scott Morrison ‘kept us in the dark intentionally’

France's ambassador to Australia Jean-Pierre Thebault at Sydney airport last week. He said his country had been the last to know that the Morrison government was tearing up its submarine contract. Photograph: David Gray/AP
French anger at the Morrison government’s decision to scrap its $90bn submarine program with France continues to boil over, with the country’s recalled ambassador saying it felt “fooled” by the announcement.

Jean-Pierre Thebault was ordered back to Paris in the wake of the Aukus announcement, which will see Australia enter into a strategic “forever partnership” with the US and the UK.

Part of the still-to-be-determined arrangement will include the sharing of nuclear-powered submarine technology with Australia, prompting the Morrison government to tear up its existing contract with France.

On Sunday Scott Morrison said his government had informed France’s President Emmanuel Macron that the deal was off at “around 8.30” the night before the deal was announced. But details had already leaked to the media and the French have said they felt “blindsided” by the decision. » | Amy Remeikis | Monday, September 20, 2021

British ‘Baby Shortage’ Could Lead to Economic Decline, Says Thinktank

THE GUARDIAN: Social Market Foundation suggests measures including better childcare provision to increase birthrate

Britain is facing a “baby shortage” that could lead to “long-term economic stagnation”, a thinktank has said.

The Social Market Foundation (SMF) said the birthrate was almost half what it was at its postwar peak in the 1960s, and the country’s ageing population could lead to economic decline.

It said ministers should set up a cross-government taskforce to consider the issue, and one helpful measure might be better childcare provision. The thinktank said typical British working parents spend 22% of their income on full-time childcare, more than double the average for western economies.

The birthrate in England and Wales peaked in 1964 when the number of children per woman averaged 2.93. Last year it was 1.58, well below the 2.1 replacement level needed to keep the population rate stable, and in Scotland it was even lower at 1.29. » | Andrew Sparrow, Political correspondent | Monday, September 20, 2021

Gunman Kills Eight at Russian University

THE NEW YORK TIMES: A mass shooting at a provincial Russian university killed at least eight people in the latest outbreak of violence at schools or universities in Russia.

MOSCOW — A gunman opened fire on Monday on a Russian university campus, killing at least eight people and wounding 19, state media reported.

During the attack, students jumped from a second-floor window to escape a building on the campus of Perm State University, in the city of Perm, about 650 miles east of Moscow, video footage posted online showed. A state news agency, RIA Novosti, cited the Investigative Committee, a law enforcement agency, saying eight people had died. » | Andrew E. Kramer | Monday, September 20, 2021

French Cooking Academy : How to Cook a Fish meunière : Trout meunière with Toasted Almonds

Truite meunière aux amandes
The meunière way of cooking fish is usually made with sole, but it can also be made with trout. Meunière-cooking consists of coating the fish with flour before it is pan-fried. The coating of flour creates a layer of crispy skin and allows the fish to be perfectly cooked on the inside. When cooked, lemon juice and brown butter are added to the fish.

Get the recipe here.

Crise des sous-marins: les États-Unis ne s’émeuvent pas de l’ire tricolore, ni d’avoir mal traité la France

Le président des États-Unis, vendredi, arrive sur la base militaire de Dover (Delaware) pour passer le week-end dans sa résidence de Rehoboth Beach. ALEX EDELMAN/AFP
LE FIGARO : Le président Biden a convenu, à son retour de son week-end, de s’expliquer avec son homologue français.

Correspondant à Washington
Le rappel à Paris pour consultation de l’ambassadeur de France aux États-Unis, Philippe Étienne, n’a pas suscité beaucoup d’émoi à Washington. Cette mesure diplomatique, destinée à exprimer un profond désaccord, n’avait pourtant jamais été utilisée à l’égard des États-Unis, y compris pendant de précédents épisodes de tension entre les deux pays.

L’annonce de la décision, vendredi en fin de journée, est aussi intervenue juste avant le week-end. Joe Biden, parti en week-end dans sa résidence de Rehoboth Beach, dans le Delaware, avant même l’annonce du rappel de l’ambassadeur, n’a pas fait de commentaires. La seule réaction de la Maison-Blanche a été un communiqué d’Emily Horne, la porte-parole du Conseil de sécurité nationale, qui a déclaré: «Nous avons été en contact étroit avec nos partenaires français concernant leur décision de rappeler l’ambassadeur Étienne à Paris pour consultation. Nous comprenons leur position et nous continuerons à œuvrer dans les prochains jours pour résoudre nos différends, comme nous l’avons fait à d’autres moments au cours de notre longue alliance.» » | Par Adrien Jaulmes | dimanche 19 septembre 2021 ; mis à jour : lundi 20 septembre 2021

Réservé aux abonnés

Paris sagt Ministertreffen mit London ab

U-BOOT-STREIT
FRANKFURTER ALLGEMEINE ZEITUNG: Wegen des gekündigten U-Boot-Deals hat Paris ein Ministertreffen mit London abgesagt. Premierminister Boris Johnson versuchte, die Franzosen zu besänftigen – mit Liebesschwüren aus dem Flugzeug.

Wegen des Streits um den geplatzten Verkauf französischer U-Boote an Australien hat die französische Verteidigungsministerin Florence Parly ein Treffen mit ihrem britischen Kollegen Ben Wallace abgesagt. Die Begegnung sei „auf einen späteren Termin verschoben“ worden, sagte der Co-Vorsitzende des Franco-British Council, Peter Ricketts, wie die BBC und die Zeitung „Guardian“ am Montag berichteten. Parly sollte im Rahmen eines Treffens der Organisation nach London reisen, auch ranghohe Militärs sollten an den Beratungen der beiden größten Militärmächte Westeuropas teilnehmen.

Australien hatte im Zuge eines Dreierpakts mit den USA und Großbritannien den Bau atomgetriebener U-Boote vereinbart und dafür einen 56-Milliarden-Euro-Vertrag von 2016 mit Frankreich aufgekündigt. Der britische Premierminister Boris Johnson versuchte unterdessen, Frankreich zu beruhigen. Das dem Streit zugrunde liegende neue Militärbündnis seines Landes mit Australien und den Vereinigten Staaten im Indopazifik sei „nichts, worüber sich irgendjemand Sorgen machen müsste, insbesondere nicht unsere französischen Freunde„, sagte Johnson. London und Paris hätten eine „sehr freundliche Beziehung“, die „von äußerster Wichtigkeit“ sei, sagte er auf dem Flug zur UN-Generalversammlung in New York. „Unsere Liebe zu Frankreich ist unauslöschlich.“ Der Deal solle niemanden ausschließen. Morrison: Bereue den Deal nicht » | Quelle: dpa/AFP | Montag, 20. September 2021

Japan Urges Europe to Speak Out against China’s Military Expansion

THE GUARDIAN: Exclusive: in the first piece in a new Guardian series on China and tensions in the Indo-Pacific, Japan’s defence minister says the international community must bolster deterrence efforts against Beijing’s military

Japan's defence minister, Nobuo Kishi, said China was ‘attempting to use its power to unilaterally change the status quo in the East and South China Seas’. Photograph: Kim Kyung-Hoon/Reuters
Japan has urged European countries to speak out against China’s aggression, warning that the international community must bolster deterrence efforts against Beijing’s military and territorial expansion amid a growing risk of a hot conflict.

In an interview with the Guardian, Japan’s defence minister, Nobuo Kishi, said China had become increasingly powerful politically, economically and militarily and was “attempting to use its power to unilaterally change the status quo in the East and South China Seas”, which are crucial to global shipping and include waters and islands claimed by several other nations.

Tokyo had “strong concerns in regards to the safety and security of not only our own country and the region but for the global community”, Kishi warned. “China is strengthening its military power both in terms of quantity and quality, and rapidly improving its operational capability,” he said.

Kishi’s comments are a strong signal of the rising international concern over China’s military ambitions in disputed regions like the South and East China Sea, the Indian border, and in particular Taiwan. His remarks were echoed by senior figures on the island, with Taiwan’s former head of navy and deputy defence minister also warning that more deterrence was needed.

With China ratcheting up military activity in the region, experts and global military figures have also warned that small confrontations or maritime accidents could quickly escalate into a full-blown conflict. » | Helen Davidson in Taipei | Monday, September 20, 2021

Australia Is Making a Risky Bet on the U.S.

Prime Minister Scott Morrison of Australia, center, with, by video link, President Biden, right, and Prime Minister Boris Johnson of Britain, in Canberra, Australia, last week. | Mick Tsikas/EPA, via Shutterstock
OPINION: GUEST ESSAY
THE NEW YORK TIMES: The United States did not directly mention China in announcing its historic new security partnership with Australia and Britain last week, but it didn’t have to. The defense deal is a clear escalation and indication that Washington views Beijing as an adversary.

It also has thrust Australia into a central role in America’s rivalry with China. After hinting at a more self-reliant defense posture for the past several years, Australia’s government is now instead betting big on the future of its alliance with the United States with the new pact. Australia seems to be assuming that America will remain engaged in Asia for the long haul and will be prepared to face down China if necessary — but it shouldn’t.

The crux of the partnership, called AUKUS, is an agreement for the United States and Britain to share their technology to help Australia deploy nuclear-powered submarines. But this is no ordinary arms agreement, nothing like exporting fighter jets or howitzers. Only a handful of nations have nuclear-powered submarines, and Australia will be just the second country, after Britain, to benefit from the top-secret U.S. technology.

Why is Australia worthy of such favorable treatment? It’s not just that it is one of America’s oldest and closest allies. It’s that for many American observers of China’s increasingly aggressive behavior, Australia is also the canary in the coal mine for great power competition with China. » | Sam Roggeveen | Monday, September 20, 2021

Romance, Leis, Kisses.

Romance, leis, baisers / Romantik, Leis, Küsse
Many thanks to Fredrik and Derek for this great photo.