UK Puts Military Tanker Drivers on Fuel Delivery Standby as 'Precaution' | DW News

Sep 28, 2021 • The UK government has announced further measures to ease the rising demands for fuel, including the approval to put a pool of military drivers on standby. The country is facing a post-Brexit shortage of truck drivers.

We Brits have got what we deserve for voting for Brexit. Shortages of petrol, shortages of foodstuffs, bare shelves in the supermarkets, poor quality of fruit and vegetables; and worse it will get.

BoJo, as a classicist, knows very little about economics. He is also averse to detail and is impractical. He is also out of touch with the people. When was the last time BoJo went food shopping in a supermarket? Does he know what meat, fish, eggs, butter or milk actually cost? I very much doubt it. One can only despair at his ignorance!

Margaret Thatcher, by comparison, in spite of her superior Oxbridge education, as a grocer’s daughter, was a very practical woman, too. She was on the ball. She knew how ordinary people lived. That was her strength.

Some people loved her; others loathed her. But one thing one cannot deny: she was in touch with the people. She knew what they needed. She was also a workaholic, so worked tirelessly, often late into the night, to ensure that her policies were being carried out. – © Mark

Stocks Tumble as Tech Shares Slide and Bond Yields Climb

THE NEW YORK TIMES: U.S. stocks fell on Tuesday, with the S&P 500 falling 2 percent by midday, putting the index on track for its worst day since May.

The trigger for Tuesday’s sell-off was a rise in the yield on the benchmark 10-year Treasury note. Investors, weighing the prospect of the Federal Reserve preparing to reduce its purchases of government debt, sold off bonds, pushing the 10-year’s yield up to 1.53 percent, its highest level since June.

Government bond yields are the basis for borrowing costs across the economy, and a rise can hinder the stock market’s performance because it makes owning bonds more attractive and can discourage riskier investments.

Tech stocks are particularly sensitive to the prospect of higher interest rates, and those companies’ shares were hard-hit on Tuesday. The tech-heavy Nasdaq composite was down 2.7 percent at midday. » | Coral Murphy Marcos (Jeanna Smialek contributed reporting.) | Tuesday, September 28, 2021

Afghanistan: Hardship Grows as Economy Nears Collapse | DW News Asia

Sep 28, 2021 – Afghanistan heads closer to economic collapse, with the banks limiting withdrawals, inflation high, and unemployment growing. 03:27 The Taliban has also announced the reinstatement of executions and amputations. 11:01 A roundup of other major developments from the country.

Bruch: 1. Violinkonzert ∙ hr-Sinfonieorchester ∙ Hilary Hahn (Violine) ∙ Andrés Orozco-Estrada (Dirigent)

Frankfurt Radio Symphony

«Les Européens doivent sortir de la naïveté» vis-à-vis des États-Unis et «se faire respecter», dit Macron

LE FIGARO : Le président de la République plaide pour plus de pragmatisme et de lucidité face aux États-Unis en réaction à la perte du «contrat du siècle».

«Les Européens doivent sortir de la naïveté» en «tirant les conséquences» des nouveaux choix stratégiques des États-Unis, tournés vers leur rivalité avec la Chine, a déclaré mardi 28 septembre le président français Emmanuel Macron.

«Lorsque nous sommes sous l'effet de pressions de puissances qui parfois se durcissent, réagir, montrer que nous avons avec nous aussi la puissance et la capacité à nous défendre n'est pas céder à l'escalade, c'est simplement nous faire respecter», a-t-il martelé lors d'une conférence de presse avec le premier ministre grec, en réaction à la perte par la France du contrat australien de sous-marins au profit des États-Unis. Regardez la vidéo » | Par Le Figaro avec AFP | mardi 28 septembre 2021

A Comprehensive Guide to Boris Johnson’s Infamous Use of ‘Tank-topped Bum Boys’

Boris Johnson. (Getty)
PINK NEWS: Boris Johnson has, time and again, refused to apologise for using homophobic slurs such as “tank-topped bum boys”.

Johnson’s history of making homophobic remarks is under the microscope once more after Labour deputy leader Angela Rayner called the prime minister “scum”.

Asked if she would retract her words, she told the BBC Sunday (26 September) that Johnson was a “racist, homophobic misogynist”.

“I will apologise when Boris apologises for saying the comments he has made, I will retract that he is scum.”

Speaking during a BBC Question Time leaders’ special three weeks before the 2019 general election, Johnson suggested that any offence around his past comments was manufactured.

“If you go through all my articles with a fine-tooth comb and take out individual phrases, there is no doubt that you can find things that can be made to seem offensive and of course I understand that.”

So we thought we’d do just that, in an attempt to end the debate on whether or not his words were offensive once and for all. » | Reiss Smith | Monday, September 27, 2021

Biden: We Must Defend Rights of LGBTQ+ Individuals to Love Openly

ADVOCATE: Almost 70 U.N. member states still have laws criminalizing same-sex activity.

President Joe Biden addressed world leaders at the United Nations General Assembly Tuesday, where he spoke about the need to protect the rights of LGBTQ+ people around the world.

“We all must defend the rights of LGBTQI individuals so they can live and love openly without fear,” Biden said.

“As we pursue diplomacy across the board, the United States will champion the democratic values that go to the very heart of who we are as a nation and a people — freedom, equality, opportunity and a belief in the universal rights of all people,” he added.

In his speech, Biden specifically spoke about LGBTQ+ rights violations in Chechnya and Cameroon.

For years, Chechen authorities have organized — at times lethal — crackdowns against LGBTQ+ people in the Russian republic. Earlier this year the Russian LGBT Network reported that Chechen men forcibly returned a man to the republic from Moscow and interrogated him about LGBTQ+ people in the area. » | Alex Cooper | Wednesday, September 22, 2021

Be Warned: Gay Marriage and Gay Sex Are in SCOTUS Crosshairs »

Wenn Anderssein gefährlich ist: Homosexuelle in der Türkei | DW Reporter (2016)

Homosexuelle werden in der Türkei bedroht und beschimpft. Auch der Staat macht mobil gegen sie – etwa mit einem Verbot der beliebten „Gay Pride“-Parade in Istanbul. Der schwule Aktivist Görkem will der Polizei trotzen und dennoch öffentlich feiern.

The Plot to Kill Julian Assange: Report Reveals CIA’s Plan to Kidnap, Assassinate WikiLeaks Founder

Sep 28, 2021 • Did the CIA under the Trump administration plan to kidnap and assassinate WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange during a shootout in London? That is one of the explosive findings in a new exposé by Yahoo News that details how the CIA considered abducting and possibly murdering Assange while he took refuge in the Ecuadorian Embassy in London to avoid being extradited to Sweden for rape allegations, charges that were dropped in 2017. More than 30 former officials say former CIA Director Mike Pompeo was apparently motivated to get even with WikiLeaks following its publication of sensitive CIA hacking tools, which the agency considered “the largest data loss in CIA history.” Michael Isikoff, chief investigative correspondent for Yahoo News, lays out the plans and describes how the abduction plan “was one of the most contentious intelligence debates of the entire Trump era,” noting it ultimately spurred the Justice Department to fast-track its legal case against Assange. We also speak with Assange’s legal adviser Jennifer Robinson, who says the latest revelations should alarm American citizens, as well as journalists around the world. “This is the CIA talking about conspiracy to kidnap and murder an Australian citizen and an award-winning journalist and editor who has done nothing but publish truthful information.”

Democracy Now ! Top US News & World Headlines — September 28, 2021

As Gas Stations Run Dry, Britons Cope with Disruptions to Daily Life

THE NEW YORK TIMES: Getting to work, driving a taxi, making an ambulance run: Fuel shortages and long lines at gas stations have Britons scrambling to make trips they once took for granted.

Cars lining up at a Texaco gas station in London on Monday. | Henry Nicholls/Reuters
LONDON — In the northern English town of Baildon, Jag Sanghera took the train to work instead of driving, saving fuel needed to drive his daughter to nursery school. In west London, Laid Ibrahim, an Uber driver, tried at least seven gas stations before finding one open at 2 a.m. and waiting in line for 80 minutes. Across the city, Nick Day said the private ambulance service he works for was forced to cut the number of its vehicles on the road from six to four.

As the government tried to calm an anxious nation on Monday, gas stations across Britain continued to run dry and thousands of Britons found their lives upended.

Officials said there was no shortage of fuel and blamed the problems on panic buying. But analysts said the real cause of the chaos is a chronic shortage of truck drivers to deliver fuel to gas stations, and the government late Monday said it was putting a limited number of military tanker drivers on standby to be deployed if necessary.

Whatever the cause, the fuel supplies Britons once took for granted were vanishing, lines of vehicles clogged the streets near gas stations and some businesses that depend on fuel were suddenly at a standstill.

Dlu Uddin, the owner of Bricklane Minicab, a taxi service in east London, said he usually employs 10 drivers, but that since Sunday only two had shown up. The others do not want to drive too far from their homes because they are afraid of running out of fuel and not being able to get home, he said.

“The situation is really, really bad,” said Mr. Uddin, who said that the gas stations in his area were dry. “Never would I have a dream about this happening in England.” » | Stephen Castle, Jenny Gross and Aina J. Khan | Published: Monday, September 27, 2021; Updated: Tuesday, September 28, 2021

Pénurie d'essence au Royaume-Uni: le gouvernement appelle l'armée à se tenir prête

LE FIGARO : Les pénuries d'essence se sont encore aggravées lundi, toujours sous l'effet d'«achats panique» d'automobilistes inquiets.

Le Royaume-Uni a demandé lundi 27 septembre à son armée de se tenir prête à venir en aide dans la crise des carburants en cours dans le pays, après un week-end où les Britanniques inquiets se sont rués dans les stations-service, laissant nombre d'entre elles à sec. «Un nombre limité de chauffeurs de camions-citernes militaires doivent être prêts à intervenir et déployés si nécessaires pour stabiliser l'approvisionnement en carburant», a déclaré dans la soirée le ministère de l'Énergie dans un communiqué.

Les pénuries d'essence au Royaume-Uni se sont encore aggravées lundi, toujours sous l'effet d'«achats panique» d'automobilistes inquiets. «J'ai dû faire cinq stations-service différentes» et «mon réservoir est presque à sec», explique Lisa Wood, une automobiliste qui a patienté pendant plus d'une heure dans une station-service près du célèbre London Bridge, au cœur de Londres. Et de lancer à un conducteur voulant passer devant tout le monde: «Retournez au bout de la queue, vous êtes là depuis cinq minutes à peine!». Entre les klaxons et les jurons, Lisa concède que «ce n'est pas très britannique» de s'énerver, mais «quand il y a une crise, on n'est plus très «British». Regardez la vidéo » | Par Le Figaro avec AFP | Publié : lundi 27 septembre 2021 ; mis à jour : mardi 28 septembre 2021

Tankstellen ohne Benzin: Johnson plant Armeeeinsatz, Ärzte schlagen Alarm: Britischen Tankstellen ist das Benzin ausgegangen. Angst vor Engpässen führte zu Panikkäufen. »

Spain on a Fork: Spicy Garlic Spanish Potatoes | Albert Bevia

Patatas al pil pil

Get the recipe here.

Spanish paprikas used I this recipe here.

If you wish to do so, you can support Albert Bevia on Patreon here.

London wirft EU-Bürger ohne Aufenthaltsgenehmigung raus

Nach dem Brexit
BERLINER ZEITUNG: Der britische Premierminister Johnson will sein Versprechen einhalten und die Bewegungsfreiheit im Land einschränken. Er droht mit hartem Durchgreifen.

London - Großbritannien hat EU-Bürgern, die nach dem Brexit keine Aufenthaltsgenehmigung mehr besitzen, mit dem Rauswurf gedroht. Wer dennoch im Vereinigten Königreich bleibe, sei illegal dort, sagte der für Einwanderung zuständige Staatssekretär Kevin Foster der italienischen Zeitung La Repubblica (Samstag). „Wir erwarten, dass die Menschen das Land freiwillig verlassen, aber wenn dies nicht der Fall ist, wird die Einwanderungsbehörde versuchen, ihre Ausreise durchzusetzen“, sagte Foster. » | dpa/lex | Samstag, 25. September 2021

Censored by Blogger!

For the first time in twenty or so years, I have been censored by Blogger! A post of mine of a newspaper article on the petrol shortage and the panic buying that has been taking place because of the shortage was taken down! This astonishes me, especially since this post was a mere snippet from a Guardian article. So what exactly is being achieved by this? Anyone can go over to the Guardian and read the same thing. Is this the shape of things to come in the new, post-Brexit Britain, I wonder?

Americans' freedom of speech is guaranteed by their Constitution. The First Amendment guarantees that right. Alas, we Brits have no such guarantee. We are mere subjects, not citizens; and we have no written constitution. So we have only the rights conferred on us by Her Majesty's government. – Mark

New Taliban Chancellor Bars Women from Kabul University

THE NEW YORK TIMES: The new policy for Afghanistan’s premier university is another major blow to women’s rights under Taliban rule, and to a two-decade effort to build up higher education.

Women stand inside an auditorium at Kabul University’s education center during a demonstration in support of the Taliban government earlier this month in Kabul. | Felipe Dana/Associated Press
Tightening the Taliban’s restrictions on women, the group’s new chancellor for Kabul University announced on Monday that women would be indefinitely banned from the institution either as instructors or students.

“I give you my words as chancellor of Kabul University,” Mohammad Ashraf Ghairat said in a Tweet on Monday. “As long as a real Islamic environment is not provided for all, women will not be allowed to come to universities or work. Islam first.”

The new university policy echoes the Taliban’s first time in power, in the 1990s, when women were only allowed in public if accompanied by a male relative and would be beaten for disobeying, and were kept from school entirely.

Some female staff members, who have worked in relative freedom over the past two decades, pushed back against the new decree, questioning the idea that the Taliban had a monopoly on defining the Islamic faith.

“In this holy place, there was nothing un-Islamic,” one female lecturer said, speaking on condition of anonymity out of fear of reprisal, as did several others interviewed by The New York Times. “Presidents, teachers, engineers and even mullahs are trained here and gifted to society,” she said. “Kabul University is the home to the nation of Afghanistan.”

In the days after the Taliban seized power in August, officials went to pains to insist that this time would be better for women, who would be allowed to study, work and even participate in government.

But none of that has happened. Taliban leaders recently named an all-male cabinet. The new government has also prohibited women from returning to the workplace, citing security concerns, though officials have described that as temporary. (The original Taliban movement did that as well in its early days in 1990s, but never followed up.) » | Cora Engelbrecht and Sharif Hassan | Monday, September 27, 2021

Immigration : la France réduit de 50% les visas accordés à l'Algérie et au Maroc

Ceci est une capture d'écran extraite de la vidéo qui accompagne cet article.
LE FIGARO : Emmanuel Macron durcit le ton face aux difficultés rencontrées par la France pour renvoyer dans ces pays les ressortissants faisant l'objet d'une obligation de quitter le territoire.

La France va fortement durcir le ton envers l'Algérie, le Maroc et la Tunisie, a déclaré mardi matin le porte-parole du gouvernement Gabriel Attal, confirmant une information d'Europe 1.

Emmanuel Macron a en effet décidé de diviser par deux le nombre de visas délivrés pour l'Algérie et le Maroc, et de 30% pour la Tunisie par rapport à 2020, a précisé un conseiller de l'exécutif auprès du Figaro. » | Par Jeanne Sénéchal | mardi 28 septembre 2021

Gay Marriage in Iceland

"Pink Iceland helps couples plan their weddings in Iceland. Same sex marriage has been legal in Iceland since June, 2010 and even though we're founded with the idea of serving LGBTQ+ guests and started out with more lesbian weddings and gay weddings we work with everyone, as long as you are nice! Being a destination wedding planner in Iceland is challenging and rewarding. We'd love to hear from you and help you plan your Iceland wedding. Photo by Iceland Wedding Photographer Kristin Maria"
Many thanks to Pink Iceland for this lovely photo.

Handsome Gay Turks with a Great Sense of Humour

Very many thanks to Taksim gay sohbet and Pinterest for this superb photo.

Oh combien je t'aime !

Oh how much I love you! / Ach, wie sehr ich dich liebe!
Many thanks to El Chulo Dominicano. for this great and expressive photo.

Chopin: Ballade No. 1 in G Minor, Op. 23 | Seong-Jin Cho | London Symphony Orchestra

Provided to YouTube by Universal Music Group

«UK» statt «GB»: Britische Autos bekommen nach dem Brexit eine neue Abkürzung

NEUE ZÜRCHER ZEITUNG: Der Staat heisst Vereinigtes Königreich, doch das internationale Erkennungszeichen ist seit Jahrzehnten «GB». Das ändert sich nun. Doch nicht jeder ist mit der Entscheidung zufrieden.

Nicht mehr in der EU und nicht mehr GB: An Autos im Vereinigten Königreich wie an diesem Mini wird neu auch die Abkürzung UK stehen müssen. | Issei Kato / Reuters
(dpa) Es sind nur zwei Buchstaben, aber sie bringen viele britische Autofahrer aus der Spur: Künftig müssen Wagen für die Fahrt ins Ausland auf der Rückseite einen Aufkleber mit der Aufschrift «UK» tragen. Das bisherige «GB» ist vom 28. September an allein nicht mehr gültig, wie das Verkehrsministerium in London betont, in diesem Fall ist ein zusätzlicher «UK»-Sticker nötig. Möglich macht dies, so sagt die Regierung, der Brexit.

«Die Änderung der nationalen Kennung von ‹GB› zu ‹UK› symbolisiert unsere Einheit als Nation und ist Teil eines umfassenderen Schrittes zur Verwendung des ‹UK›-Symbols in der gesamten Regierung», begründete das Ministerium das Vorgehen. Die Vereinten Nationen seien informiert. Unterstützer betonen, dass sich nun auch endlich die Menschen in Nordirland angesprochen fühlten. Die britische Provinz gehört nicht zu Grossbritannien, wohl aber zum Vereinigten Königreich. «Schlag ins Gesicht» » | dpa | Montag, 27. September 2021

Wirklich BoJo? Sie sind noch dummer als ich je gedacht hätte! Mit all dem Problemen, die wir wegen Brexit haben, man würde glauben, daß Sie Wichtigeres zu tun hätten als solche Dummheiten einzuleiten? – © Mark

Liz Cheney: The 60 Minutes Interview

Sep 27, 2021 • Liz Cheney tells Lesley Stahl about running for re-election as an anti-Trump Republican in Wyoming, where her own party there has called for her resignation, and joining the House Select committee investigating the January 6 Capitol riot.

Peabo Bryson : If Ever You're in My Arms Again

Provided to YouTube by Rhino/Elektra | Views on YouTube: 22,969,192

Why Britain Is Embracing Pounds and Ounces

Fish for sale at a market in London. | David Azia for The New York Times
THE NEW YORK TIMES: Britain is planning a future that relies on greater usage of its imperial system of weights and measurements.

…

Now that Britain has left the E.U., the government is taking steps to return to imperial units, calling it a way to “capitalize on new Brexit freedoms.”

In practice, this will likely mean that shops and market stalls can sell produce labeled in pounds and ounces alone, rather than alongside grams and kilograms.

While some call it a Brexit victory, others question the focus on measurements when Britain is grappling with broader issues, including a fragile economic recovery. » | Jenny Goss, Reporting from London | Monday, September 27, 2021

Verwandter Artikel auf Deutsch:

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

This is yet another example of the idiocy of BoJo and his band of merry jesters! – © Mark

Democracy Now! Top US News & World Headlines — September 27, 2021

Dimitra's Dishes: Classic Greek Moussaka

Get the recipe here.

Will the UK Have a Winter Crisis?

Sep 27, 2021 • Supply chain chaos, fuel shortages, soaring energy prices, an NHS backlog and the threat of a COVID-19 resurgence - this is the winter the UK is facing.

So, what's going wrong? Who could feel the impact? And how does the government plan to avoid the worst?

Dutch PM Given Extra Security amid Fears of Drug Gang Attack

THE GUARDIAN: ‘Spotters’ were seen scoping out movements of Mark Rutte, who cycles to work in The Hague

Mark Rutte on a bike in The Hague in March. Photograph: Piroschka van de Wouw/Reuters
The Dutch prime minister, Mark Rutte, who cycles to work in The Hague, has reportedly been given extra personal security in response to raised fears of a kidnapping or attack by organised crime.

The decision was made after “spotters” were seen scoping out Rutte’s movements, raising concerns about a possible move by one of the country’s drug gangs.

According to De Telegraaf newspaper, specially trained police officers from the Royal and Diplomatic Security Service (DKDB) have been deployed to shadow Rutte, who has often eschewed close protection during his 10 years as premier.

An ”elite security guard” was visibly in position during a two-day budget debate last week, which the Telegraaf reported was a result of the increased security brief. A government spokesperson declined to comment.

The far-right politician Geert Wilders tweeted: “Terrible. I wouldn’t wish this on anyone. Good luck Prime Minister Rutte.” » | Daniel Boffey in Brussels | Monday, September 27, 2021

Germany Election: SPD Wins Narrow Victory as Merkel Era Ends in Near-deadlock

THE GUARDIAN: Social Democrats edge out Christian Democrats, according to preliminary results, but tight finish leaves third-placed Green party as kingmaker

Germany is set for weeks or even months of protracted coalition talks after the race to succeed Angela Merkel after 16 years in power failed to produce a clear winner, with the centre-left Social Democrats just ahead of the centre-right conservative alliance according to official returns.

Preliminary results released on the election commission’s website showed that the Social Democrats (SPD) led by Olaf Scholz had won the largest share of the vote at 25.7%.

The centre-right CDU-CSU bloc led for so long by the outgoing chancellor garnered 24.1%, its worst showing in its seven-decade history.

The Green party, in jubilant mood after winning 14.8% in its best result in a national poll, despite having lost the lead it held early on and dropping about 13 points since April, was confident of becoming a kingmaker in the upcoming coalition talks. With video » | Kate Connolly in Berlin | Monday, September 27, 2021

Merkel’s Party Suffers Sweeping Losses as Germans Spread Vote: The Social Democrats narrowly defeated Angela Merkel’s conservative party on Sunday, setting the stage for tough negotiations to determine who will replace her as chancellor. »

Élections en Allemagne : les sociaux-démocrates remportent les législatives »

Élections allemandes: l’Europe plongée dans l’incertitude »

Der Weg zur Koalition ist mit Konflikten gepflastert. Geht man ihn trotzdem, ist die grösste Gefahr: zu wenig Ehrgeiz: Steuer, Rente, Klima, Bildung, innere Sicherheit – Deutschlands künftiges Regierungsbündnis hat viele Probleme zu lösen. Ein blosser Minimalkonsens reicht da nicht. »

Gay Quote : Abhijit Naskar

Born this way
“Homosexuals are not made, they are born.” ―Abhijit Naskar
In his 2017 book Either Civilized or Phobic: A Treatise on Homosexuality, the neuroscientist, author, and speaker delivers numerous LGBTQ quotes that will stay with you. This one, so simple and direct, is among the most powerful, handily challenging the idea that being gay is a choice or lifestyle. It’s neither. It’s simply being human.

With thanks to Reader's Digest for this excellent quote; and here's another great quote of his, and a photograph.

Le plaisir de l'amour !

The pleasure of love / Das Vergnügen der Liebe
Many thanks to 'Amor Gay' and Pinterest for this delightful and expressive photo.

Spürbare Freude!

Plaisir palpable ! / Palpable pleasure!
With thanks to 'Amor Gay' and Pinterest for this delightful photo.

Happiness and Satisfaction Are Plain to See

Glück und Zufriedenheit sind offensichtlich / Le bonheur et la satisfaction sont évidents
How dare anyone deny such happiness and pleasure to others?
With thanks to 'Amor Gay' and Pinterest for this great photo.

Rachmaninoff: Piano Concerto no.2 op.18 - Anna Fedorova - Complete Live Concert - HD

Dimitra’s Dishes: One Pot Lemony Chicken & Potatoes - Ready in under 60 Minutes!

Get the recipe here.

Erfreuliche Nachrichten aus der Schweiz

MARK ALEXANDER: Heute in einer Volksabstimmung haben die Schweizer ein klares „Ja“ gesagt zu „Ehe für alle“. Das ist ein sehr erfreuliches Resultat für die Schweiz und für Europa.

Zu diesem historischen Ereignis möchte ich gerne allen Schweizern herzlichst gratulieren. Von nun an wird es möglich sein für schwule Schweizer das eigene Glück und die eigene Zufriedenheit zu schmieden. Ich freue mich sehr für Sie alle! – © Mark

Swiss Vote Overwhelmingly for Same-sex Marriage in Referendum

THE GUARDIAN: ‘Marriage for All’ proposal backed by 64.1% of voters in nationwide referendum

A couple pose with a slice of wedding cake at an event following the referendum on same-sex marriage, Bern, Switzerland. Photograph: Fabrice Coffrini/AFP/Getty Images
Swiss voters have decided by a clear margin to allow same-sex couples to marry, in a referendum that brings the Alpine nation into line with many others in western Europe.

Official results showed the measure passed with 64.1% of voters in favour and won a majority in all of Switzerland’s 26 cantons.

Switzerland’s parliament and the governing federal council supported the “Marriage for All” measure, and pre-referendum polls showed solid backing. Switzerland has authorised same-sex civil partnerships since 2007.

Supporters said approval would put same-sex partners on an equal legal footing with heterosexual couples by allowing them to adopt children together and facilitating citizenship for same-sex spouses. It would also permit lesbian couples to use regulated sperm donation. » | Associated Press in Geneva | Sunday, September 26, 2021

Les Suisses disent «oui» au mariage pour tous : Pour la première fois, le peuple suisse était invité à se prononcer sur la question du mariage homosexuel. Selon les premiers résultats, le «oui» l'emporte à 64%. »

Schweizer stimmen deutlich für Ehe für alle: Alle Versuche, sich der Ehe für alle noch in den Weg zu stellen, sind gescheitert: Mit deutlicher Mehrheit haben die Schweizer in einem Referendum gegen Bedenken gestimmt. »

Ehe für alle: zwei Buchstaben, ein Ausrufezeichen. Ja! : Die Öffnung der Ehe ist ein historischer Entscheid. Das klare Votum gibt Hoffnung. Die Schweiz kann sich noch erneuern. »

The Chinese Business Tycoon Revealing the Secrets of Beijing's Élite | 60 Minutes Australia

It's no scoop to tell you the Chinese regime is thin-skinned. Anyone criticising Beijing does so at their own peril and can expect immediate – and often, heavy-handed – payback. And it's not just foreigners who face the consequences. Desmond Shum is a Chinese tycoon who used to be feted at the highest levels of the Communist Party. The businessman could do no wrong until four years ago when he and his equally prominent ex-wife, inexplicably tumbled out of favour. Now Desmond is a pariah of the state, so he's decided to fight back by revealing the many secrets of China's elite leaders.

Votation populaire du 26.09.21 - Allocution du Conseil fédéral - Mariage pour tous

Allocution du Conseil fédéral - Mariage pour tous Conseiller fédéral Alain Berset

Mariage pour tous en Suisse : un couple français espère que le référendum l'autorisera

Sep 24, 2021 • Les citoyens suisses sont invités ce dimanche 26 septembre à s’exprimer par référendum sur le principe du mariage pour tous. La Suisse est l’un des rares pays en Europe à n’avoir pas encore autorisé ce dernier. Mariés en France, Eric et Emmanuel espèrent voir enfin leur mariage reconnu de l’autre côté de la frontière, où ils résident. Du côté de LAUSANNE, PAULINE COIFFARD et GUILLAUME SOUDAT ont rencontré des français impatients, Eric et Emmanuel.

Schweiz : Ehe für alle

Volksabstimmung vom 26. September 2021

Ehe für alle | Die EDU und ihre "Argumente" [Volksabstimmung, 26.9.21]

Swiss Vote Overwhelmingly for Same-sex Marriage, According to Poll

THE GUARDIAN: Projection indicates clear backing in Sunday’s referendum for ‘Marriage for All’ proposal

Posters of rival political parties and associations in Perly, near Geneva. Switzerland has authorised same-sex civil partnerships since 2007. Photograph: Salvatore Di Nolfi/EPA
Swiss voters appear to have decided by a clear margin to allow same-sex couples to marry, according to a projection after a national referendum on Sunday.

The projection, by the gfs.bern polling agency for Switzerland’s public broadcasters, showed the measure passing by 64% to 36%.

Switzerland’s parliament and the governing federal council supported the “Marriage for All” measure, and pre-referendum polls showed solid backing. Switzerland has authorised same-sex civil partnerships since 2007.

Supporters said the proposal would put same-sex partners on an equal legal footing with heterosexual couples, by allowing them to adopt children together and facilitating citizenship for same-sex spouses. It would also permit lesbian couples to use regulated sperm donation. » | Associated Press in Geneva | Sunday, September 26, 2021

More on this referendum in both English and French here.

This Is How America’s Richest Families Stay That Way

OPINION: GUEST ESSAY
THE NEW YORK TIMES: Most people have probably never heard of a “stepped up basis,” but it might just be the most important tax loophole in America — one that billionaires use to pass vast sums of wealth down to their heirs by avoiding capital gains taxes.

This supremely obscure and yet wildly consequential rule concerns assets passed from one person to another when they die. If a parent buys a stock for $1 and leaves it to their child (or for that matter, anyone) in their will, the tax code changes — or “steps up” — its base value, from the original price to whatever it was worth when the person died. Say that stock was worth $100 when the person died. If the child sells it later for, say, $150, the child would owe taxes only on the $50 upside, instead of the entire $149 profit the family made off the stock over the course of two generations. In April, former Senator Heidi Heitkamp of North Dakota called it “one of the biggest scams in the history of forever.”

For a select few families with vast fortunes amassed over many generations, it means that they can pass down millions or billions of dollars in stock, investments or real estate without having to pay income or capital gains taxes on many decades, or possibly a century or more, of gains. The windfall grows each time the money is transferred, endowing those families with disproportionate power for generations to come.

And for the first time in years, there’s a chance that the loophole could be reformed. » | By Robin Kaiser-Schatzlein | Friday, September 24, 2021

Hungary LGBT: New Law Is 'Shameful, Hateful' - Katalin Cseh

BBC: Lawmakers in Hungary have passed legislation prohibiting the sharing with minors of any content seen as promoting homosexuality and gender change.

Speaking before the legislation was passed Hungary's Momentum Movement MEP Katalin Cseh said the law would make it very hard for LGBTQ people to live in the country.

She told BBC World News: "I think it's a total disgrace, really, that such a vote is taking place in the 21st Century in Europe under the disguise of making a law against paedophilia."

Ms Cseh said her Momentum Movement party, which was part of Renew Europe group in the European Parliament would be looking to see what action they could take.

The Viktor Orban's right-wing government does not recognise gay marriage and has a law restricting gay adoption. Watch the video » | BBC | Tuesday, June 15, 2021

Switzerland Holding Referendum on Same-sex Marriage

BBC: People in Switzerland are voting to decide whether to allow same-sex marriage. Switzerland is one of the last countries in western Europe not to recognise same-sex marriage, and supporters say the change in the law is long overdue.

But there is opposition from some church groups and right wing political parties, who claim it would undermine the traditional family.

Producer: Imogen Foulkes


À LIRE AUSSI :

Mariage pour tous : les Suisses appelés à voter ce dimanche »