Thursday, October 21, 2021

It Gets Better - Gay Orthodox Jews (2010)

Nov 10, 2010 • Gay orthodox Jews discuss their experiences growing up and explain how life ultimately got better.

Worst Thing about Coming Out: Stories of Identity Oppression – 60 Minutes Documentary (2014)

At Least 180 Killed in India and Nepal Flooding | DW News

Oct 21, 2021 • Scores of people have been killed in devastating flooding and landslides in Nepal and India. Parts of the region are experiencing some of the heaviest post-monsoon rains in years. Rescue efforts have begun, but the damage is already immense.

UK Covid Cases Keep Rising amid Sluggish Vaccination Drive | DW News

Oct 21, 2021 • UK hospitals are on the brink amid warnings of 100,000 cases a day.

The NHS said "things are only going to get worse" and that "the health service is right at the edge." Despite the gloomy outlook, Health Minister Sajid Javid has resisted calls for restrictions to be reintroduced.

Medical professionals are calling on the UK government to restore social distancing restrictions, as Covid-related hospitalizations and deaths rise to levels not seen in months. England eased most restrictions back in July. The UK had one of the fastest vaccination rollouts in the world - now the government says it's relying on booster shots to protect the most vulnerable.




Grossbritannien ist der Corona-Hotspot Westeuropas – rächt sich nun das frühe Impfprogramm?: Auf der britischen Insel gilt das freiheitlichste Corona-Regime Europas. Nun aber steigen die Fallzahlen viel stärker an als auf dem Kontinent, auch weil der Impfschutz in der britischen Bevölkerung früher abnimmt. Boris Johnson spricht von einem «schwierigen Winter», hält aber vorerst an seinem Kurs fest. »

Sir David Amess: Ali Harbi Ali Charged with Murder of MP

BBC: A 25-year-old man has been charged with murder and the preparation of terrorist acts after the fatal stabbing of MP Sir David Amess.

Ali Harbi Ali was arrested following the attack at a constituency surgery in Leigh-on-Sea, Essex, on Friday.

Sir David, a Conservative MP since 1983, suffered multiple stab wounds and died at the scene.

Mr Ali is a British man of Somali heritage whose father is a former adviser to Somalia's prime minister.

Nick Price, from the Crown Prosecution Service, said: "We will submit to the court that this murder has a terrorist connection, namely that it had both religious and ideological motivations."

Mr Ali, from north London, remains in custody and is due to appear at Westminster Magistrates' Court later. With video » | Joseph Lee | Thursday, October 21, 2021

Related

Tim Cook, Apple CEO: 'I'm Proud to Be Gay' (2014)

Oct 31, 2014 • In an op-ed published in Bloomberg Businessweek, Apple CEO Tim Cook announced that he is gay. CNN's Erin Burnett reports.

Daily Launches Fight against Anti-gay Hate Crimes after Spate of Attacks

Image: Adobe Stock

HTFP: A regional daily is fighting to unite its patch against hate crimes following a spate of attacks on gay people.

The Birmingham Mail has launched a new campaign called ‘Hands Not Hate’ after covering a series of assaults on LGBT+ people over the past two months.

As part of the campaign, the Mail has vowed to call out homophobia and share the stories of gay people across its patch who “may have once been afraid to show their true selves, and who may now be afraid full stop”.

It is also encouraging readers to post a message of support on social media for Birmingham’s LGBT+ community using the hashtag #HandsNotHate. » | David Sharman | Monday, October 18, 2021

Il semble que même la police aime montrer de l'amour et de l'affection lorsqu'elle n'est pas en service.

Es scheint, daß sogar die Polizei in ihrer Freizeit gerne Liebe und Zuneigung zeigt. / It seems even the police like to show love and affection when off duty.

With thanks to Pinterest (actual poster’s name not available) for this photo.

Wednesday, October 20, 2021

Why Fiona Hill Is Worried about a Return of Donald Trump in 2024 | DW News

Oct 20, 2021 • British-born Russia expert Fiona Hill talks to DW’s Brent Goff on “The Day” about the danger to US democracy posed by former president Donald Trump, who like Russia’s Vladimir Putin has sought to prevent a transfer of power. Hill says Germany’s recent election serves an example of orderly democratic change. She also notes how education is becoming a new dividing line with political implications.

Pêche post-Brexit : Paris précise ses menaces de sanctions contre le Royaume-Uni et Jersey

Un navire de pêche français à l'entrée du port de Saint-Hélier sur l'île de Jersey. SAMEER AL-DOUMY / AFP

LE FIGARO : Elles pourraient être mises en place dès novembre si les pêcheurs français n'obtiennent pas davantage de licences de pêche avant le 30 octobre.

La menace revient régulièrement dans la bouche des membres du gouvernement français depuis plusieurs semaines : celle de sanctions contre le Royaume-Uni en réponse à l'accès limité aux eaux britanniques pour les pêcheurs français depuis le Brexit.

Contrairement à ce que prévoit l'accord du Brexit de décembre 2020, seules 200 licences de pêche ont été accordées aux marins français par Londres et Jersey. 230 sont encore en attente jusqu'au 30 octobre, date butoir pour la validation définitive de ces licences de pêche. Une situation qui provoque la colère française. » | Par Paul Marion | mercredi 20 octobre 2021

Morocco Bans UK Flights due to Covid Cases Rising

BBC: Morocco has banned flights to and from the UK due to the coronavirus pandemic.

Several UK airlines and holiday companies have been told by the Moroccan government that flights will be suspended from 23:59 BST on Wednesday until further notice.

Flights between Morocco and Germany and the Netherlands have also been suspended.

The BBC has contacted the Moroccan embassy and tourism office, as well as the UK Foreign Office for comment.

Latest figures from the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control said that Morocco's weekly rate of reported coronavirus cases on 14 October stood at 10.4 per 100,000 people, compared with 445.5 per 100,000 people in the UK. » | Caroline Davies, Transport correspondent, BBC News | Wednesday, October 20, 2021

Polish PM Accuses EU of Blackmail as Row over Rule of Law Escalates - BBC Newsnight


Related »

Un homme décapité dans le Vaucluse, piste terroriste non privilégiée

LE FIGARO : L'homme, apparemment âgé d'une quarantaine d'années, cheveux noirs courts, est «potentiellement dangereux et armé », prévient la gendarmerie en appelant tout témoin qui viendrait à le croiser à appeler le 17 immédiatement.

Un homme a été retrouvé décapité et éviscéré chez lui mercredi à Bollène, dans le Vaucluse, a-t-on appris auprès des gendarmes, une source proche de l'enquête précisant que la piste terroriste n'était «absolument pas privilégiée» à ce stade. L'auteur en fuite est activement recherché, a indiqué la gendarmerie du Vaucluse qui a publié mercredi après-midi une photo du suspect sur Facebook. L'homme, apparemment âgé d'une quarantaine d'années, cheveux noirs courts, est «potentiellement DANGEREUX et ARME», prévient-elle en appelant tout témoin qui viendrait à le croiser à appeler le 17 immédiatement. » | Par Le Figaro avec AFP | mercredi 20 octobre 2021

WIKIPEDIA : Vaucluse »

Knappheit in Grossbritannien – oder wenn der Korrespondent im Supermarkt nicht bekommt, was er sucht

Der Broccoli fehlt im Regal, das Benzin an der Tanke ist aus. Nicht an Waren mangele es derzeit auf der Insel, erklärt der Korrespondent Niklaus Nuspliger, sondern an Arbeitskräften, die das Land versorgten.

Podcast: «NZZ Akzent»: Wenn den Briten der Broccoli fehlt | Autor David Vogel, Benedikt Hofer: Hier zuhören | 20.10.2021, 04.30 Uhr

Latvia Is First Country to Reimpose Lockdown in Europe’s New Covid Wave

THE GUARDIAN: Baltic state once seen as coronavirus success story announces month of restrictions including curfew

The prime minister, Krišjānis Kariņš, blamed Latvia’s low vaccination rate for the surge in hospital admissions.Photograph: Reuters

Latvia has announced a month-long Covid-19 lockdown after an unprecedented surge in infections, becoming the first country in Europe to reimpose far-reaching restrictions amid a new wave of cases in countries across the continent.

The Baltic country has one of the highest rates of new Covid cases relative to population in the world, according to the US Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), after successfully keeping the virus at bay for months.

“Our health system is in danger … The only way out of this crisis is to get vaccinated,” the prime minister, Krišjānis Kariņš, said on Monday evening at an emergency government meeting. He said the country’s low vaccination rate was to blame for the surge in hospital admissions. » | Pjotr Sauer in Moscow | Wednesday, October 20, 2021

Ein Lockdown als «Brandschneise»: Lettland versucht die vierte Covid-19-Welle in den Griff zu bekommen: In den baltischen Staaten wächst die Sorge vor einer übermächtigen vierten Covid-19-Welle. Lettland verhängt für die Dauer eines Monats einen drastischen Lockdown. Auch in Estland und Litauen steigt angesichts einer vergleichsweise tiefen Impfquote die Nervosität. »

Le bitcoin franchit un nouveau plus haut historique à plus de 65.000 dollars

Le bitcoin se démocratise sur les marchés financiers. OZAN KOSE / AFP

LE FIGARO : Le cours du bitcoin a augmenté de plus de 50% sur un mois et de plus de 450% sur un an.

Le cours du bitcoin s'envole mercredi à un nouveau plus haut, à plus de 65.000 dollars, porté par le lancement d'un produit financier à Wall Street lié à la cryptomonnaie, étape historique pour sa démocratisation.

La cryptomonnaie, qui s'échangeait pour moins d'un dollar il y a 12 ans, culminait en cours de séance à 66.273 dollars vers 14H00 GMT (16H00 à Paris), en hausse de plus de 50% sur un mois et de plus de 450% sur un an. Le bitcoin profite depuis un mois du lancement du premier fonds indiciel (ETF) lié à son cours à la Bourse de New York, dont les échanges ont commencé mardi: les investisseurs espèrent que de nouveaux fonds vont pouvoir se lancer sur le marché de la cryptomonnaie en utilisant ce nouveau produit financier régulé. » | Par Le Figaro avec AFP | mercredi 20 octobre 2021

British Police Have Transformed Into a Tool for Enforcing the State's Will -- Peter Hitchens

Oct 17, 2021 • Peter Hitchens discusses the British police's historic transformation into a form unrecognisable from decades past. He argues that the British police were once unique in the world. They were an important conservative & very English institution which was set up in complete distinction from continental police forces. Parliament had seen European police forces become tools of oppression. They were armed & uniformed state police whose job was to enforce the will of the state -- and it was not felt that such a body should exist in Britain. Consequently, the British police force that was set up was very different: unarmed, not given special powers, limited in their abilities. This is no longer the case.

Fox News Anchor Neil Cavuto Tests Positive for Coronavirus.

Fox News host Neil Cavuto learned on Monday that he had tested positive for Covid. | Rob Kim/Getty Images

THE NEW YORK TIMES: Neil Cavuto, a Fox News anchor, has tested positive for the coronavirus.

Mr. Cavuto, who is vaccinated against Covid, said he learned about the tests results Monday after his show, “Your World with Neil Cavuto,” and was not on the air Tuesday.

“While I’m somewhat stunned by this news, doctors tell me I’m lucky as well. Had I not been vaccinated, and with all my medical issues, this would be a far more dire situation,” Mr. Cavuto said in a statement released by Fox News. “It’s not, because I did and I’m surviving this because I did.”

Mr. Cavuto has been very public with his health issues throughout the years. He was treated for cancer in the 1980s and had open-heart surgery in 2016. He was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis in 1997. » | Isabella Grullón Paz | Tuesday, October 19, 2021

Ein Bild sagt mehr als tausend Worte

A picture paints a thousand words / Une image vaut mille mots

Photograph: Adobe Stock

Tuesday, October 19, 2021

Charge Bolsonaro with Murder over Covid Toll, Draft Brazil Senate Report Says

THE GUARDIAN: Draft text says neglect, incompetence and opposition to science fueled ‘stratospheric’ death toll

Jair Bolsonaro’s ‘deliberate and conscious’ decision to delay buying Covid vaccines led to thousands of deaths, the report says. Photograph: Anadolu Agency/Getty Images

The Brazilian president, Jair Bolsonaro, should face murder charges for his role in the country’s “stratospheric” coronavirus death toll, a draft report from a senate inquiry into Brazil’s Covid crisis has recommended.

The 1,078-page document, published by Brazilian media on Tuesday afternoon, is not due to be voted on by the commission until next week and could yet be modified by senators.

But the draft text paints a devastating portrait of the neglect, incompetence and anti-scientific denialism many believe has defined the Bolsonaro administration’s response to a public health emergency that has killed more than 600,000 Brazilians.

Bolsonaro’s “deliberate and conscious” decision to delay buying Covid vaccines needlessly condemned thousands of citizens to early graves, the report claims. » | Tom Phillips in Rio de Janeiro | Tuesday, October 19, 2021

‘French Trump’ Eric Zemmour Threatening to Upset Presidential Election

Oct 19, 2021 • One man is taking the French presidential race by storm - and he's not even a candidate yet

Dubbed the “French Trump”, Eric Zemmour rails against Muslims, immigration, feminism and the supposed decline of France.

He has rocketed up the opinion polls and is crisscrossing the country, under the guise of a book tour, holding rallies where he is mobbed by adoring fans.

We spoke to him in the southern French city of Nimes.


Japan hat die gesündesten Schulkinder der Welt – woran liegt das?

NEUE ZÜRCHER ZEITUNG: Schülerinnen und Schüler lernen in Japan nicht nur Lesen, Schreiben und Rechnen, auf dem Stundenplan steht auch die Gesundheitserziehung. Eine wichtige Rolle nimmt das Mittagessen in der Schule ein.

Japanisches Schulessen soll frisch, gesund und ausgewogen sein. | Toshiyuki Aizawa / Bloomberg

Mittagessen in der Tsutsujigaoka-Primarschule in Yokohama gleicht einer Choreografie in Weiss. Kaum erklingt der Gong zur Pause, treten kleine Trupps in weissen Kitteln und Hauben aus den Schulzimmern und trotten zur Schulküche. Zu zweit greifen die Schüler Körbe mit Reis, dem Mittagessen, den Getränken und dem Geschirr und tragen sie in ihre Schulzimmer. » | Martin Kölling, Tokio | Dienstag, 19. Oktober 2021

Taïwan: l’Amérique est-elle encore capable de défendre «l’île rebelle» face à la Chine?

Démonstration de l’armée chinoise dans les environs de Taïwan. Armée Chinoise / Weibo

LE FIGARO : DÉCRYPTAGE - Au cœur du Pentagone, un immense kriegspiel est censé prédire le véritable affrontement que redoutent les stratèges. Depuis qu’il existe, les chances de victoire américaine sont allées s’amenuisant.

L’invasion de Taïwan se joue chaque année dans le plus grand secret, au cœur du Pentagone: forces «bleues» américaines contre forces «rouges» chinoises, pour un immense kriegspiel censé prédire le véritable affrontement que redoutent les stratèges. Or, depuis que ce kriegspiel existe, les chances de victoire américaine sont allées s’amenuisant. En 2018, un des «gourous» de ces simulations suggérait aux généraux de faire cesser l’exercice, chaque scénario aboutissant à une victoire inéluctable de l’adversaire et ne présentant plus guère d’intérêt intellectuel, vu le déséquilibre insoluble entre belligérants.

Le constat ne s’est pas arrangé depuis. «La question n’est plus de savoir si on perd, mais à quelle vitesse on va perdre, résume le général Clinton Hinote, de l’US Air Force. Nous savons ce qui va se passer, désormais. Et si l’armée américaine ne change pas de cap, nous allons perdre très rapidement. Dans ce cas, un président américain se verrait présenter un quasi-fait accompli.» On imagine le premier briefing de Joe Biden sur la question le 20 janvier 2021 lors de son entrée à la Maison-Blanche, et son humeur massacrante à l’issue. » | Par Maurin Picard | Publié : lundi 18 octobre 2021 ; mis à jour : mardi 19 octobre 2021

Réservé aux abonnés

À LIRE AUSSI :

Taïwan, épicentre des tensions militaires entre la Chine et les États-Unis : DÉCRYPTAGE - Le sort de l’île volcanique, que la Chine communiste a promis de réintégrer dans son giron, donne lieu à une surenchère rhétorique aussi bien que militaire. »

Annie Lennox: A Whiter Shade of Pale

Russia Sees Record Numbers of Coronavirus Deaths | Covid-19 Special

Oct 19, 2021 • Russia is well into its fourth wave of the coronavirus pandemic. But Moscow is unwilling to put the country in lockdown. Add to that low adherence to hygeine rules and Russia recently recorded 1,000 over 24 hours due to Covid – a record.

That's despite the country's vaccine Sputnik V being the first to be registered for use in any nation. But Russia's population is among the most vaccine-skeptical in the world.


Brexit: Michel Barnier's Post-Brexit Warning to UK and EU - "Be Careful" | Interview

With the UK hit by a fuel crisis and labour shortage, many in the country have pointed the finger at Brexit.

Amid the disruption, Michel Barnier, the EU’s former chief Brexit negotiator, sat down with the New Statesman to discuss his new book, My Secret Brexit Diary, an account of his time leading talks with the UK ahead of its exit from the Union.

Barnier, who is seeking the nomination of France’s centre-right Republican party ahead of the 2022 presidential election, told how he fears that Brexit was a warning to the rest of Europe, where Euroscepticism could rise if voters continue to be ignored. “It is too late for the British people, but it is not too late for us,” he said.

He also spoke about his run for the Elysée and the future of international relations in the wake of the US withdrawal from Afghanistan and the US, UK and Australia’s Aukus treaty. On the future of the transatlantic relationship, Barnier noted that the new arms deal had tested the trust between France and the US and UK. “An alliance needs trust and confidence… I recommend that the UK and the US, who are our allies, be careful and [bear in mind] the necessity for us to work together.”


Democracy Now! Top US News & World Headlines — October 19, 2021

Polish PM Morawiecki Takes Defiant Tone in EU Rule of Law Clash | DW News

Oct 19, 2021 • Polish Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki struck a defiant tone as he addressed the European Parliament over a case that's sparked fears his country could be on course to leave the bloc.

It's a cornerstone principle of the EU that European law takes precedence over member states' national laws. But in a ruling earlier this month, Poland's Constitutional Tribunal found that very principle was incompatible with its own constitution. The dispute is really about a number of key issues where Poland is at loggerheads with the EU, above all over controversial judicial reforms. But it's also about media reforms and LGBTQ rights. EU officials have threatened to launch legal action against Poland.



Liens connexes ici, ici et ici.

Im Streit um die Rechtsstaatlichkeit in Polen droht von der Leyen mit Sanktionen der EU: Nach dem jüngsten Entscheid aus Polen, Teile des europäischen Rechts nicht anzuerkennen, ist die Stimmung zwischen Warschau und dem Europäischen Parlament auf dem Tiefpunkt. Die EU-Kommissions-Präsidentin Ursula von der Leyen droht mit der Kürzung von Geldern. Polens Ministerpräsident Mateusz Morawiecki spricht von «Erpressung». »

Editor of BILD Tabloid Sacked after New York Times Exposes Misconduct | DW News

Oct 19, 2021 • The editor in chief of Germany's best-selling newspaper BILD has been removed from his post over revelations of misconduct. Publishing company Axel Springer said Julian Reichelt would be axed from the helm with immediate effect. The 41-year-old was suspended earlier this year as part of a company probe into his management style, and later reinstated. His sacking comes after a New York Times investigation uncovered fresh allegations against him, including an affair with a trainee and financial impropriety.


Related

Trump Files Lawsuit to Block Release of Capitol Attack Records

THE GUARDIAN: Ex-president challenges Biden’s decision to waive executive privilege that protects White House communications

Donald Trump has sought to block the release of documents related to the Capitol attack on 6 January to a House committee investigating the incident, challenging Joe Biden’s initial decision to waive executive privilege.

In a federal lawsuit, the former president said the committee’s request in August was “almost limitless in scope” and sought many records that were not connected to the siege.

He called it a “vexatious, illegal fishing expedition” that was “untethered from any legitimate legislative purpose”, according to the papers filed in a federal court in the District of Columbia.

Trump’s lawsuit was expected – as he had said he would challenge the investigation – and at least one ally, Steve Bannon, has defied a subpoena.

But the legal challenge went beyond the initial 125 pages of records that Biden recently cleared for release to the committee.

The suit, which names the committee as well as the National Archives, seeks to invalidate the entirety of the congressional request, calling it overly broad, unduly burdensome and a challenge to separation of powers. It requests a court injunction to bar the archivist from producing the documents. » | Associated Press in Washington | Tuesday, October 19, 2021

Bannon and other top Trump officials face legal peril for defying subpoenas: Developments in select committee’s move to secure Bannon’s conviction come as Trump files lawsuit blocking the release of his White House records »

It Doesn’t Get Much Better Than This!

A screenshot from the video.

If kissing is your thing, check out THIS video from Tel Aviv.

My regular visitors will probably have watched this ‘kissathon’ before; however, as it is very long, they might well not have watched it all the way through to the end. I have watched it all the way through now, but it took me a while to get to the end because it is 84 minutes long. It is well worth your time, however, since it is so good and it is hard to find anything comparable to it on the Internet, still less anything as good.

It is not possible to embed this video because of age restrictions, so it must be watched on YouTube itself. Do yourself a favour and click on this link to watch it. Fortunately, it can be watched in stages. YouTube will remember where you left off.

I’m sure you will be as delighted by this wonderful video as I have been. It is clean and in no way objectionable (unless one is prejudiced). Enjoy it and have fun! Viel Vergnügen! – Mark

Monday, October 18, 2021

"Angriff auf die Demokratie - Wurde der Brexit gekauft?"

Die britische Wahlkommission ist überzeugt: Es gibt Anhaltspunkte dafür, dass große Teile der Gelder für eine Kampagne vor dem Brexit-Referendum aus dubiosen Quellen stammen.

Im Fokus steht der britische Geschäftsmann Arron Banks, Strippenzieher und enger Freund des ehemaligen Ukip-Anführers Nigel Farage. Über seine Offshore-Konten sollen fast neun Millionen Pfund Spenden geflossen sein.

Die "ZDFzoom"-Dokumentation geht der Frage nach: "War das Brexit-Referendum ein Komplott mit dem Ziel, auch die Grenzen der Demokratie auszutesten?" Die Recherchen legen nahe, dass Wähler verdeckt und so effektiv wie möglich beeinflusst werden sollten. "ZDFzoom"-Autor Dirk Laabs verfolgt nicht nur die Geldströme, sondern redet mit Insidern aus der Kampagne und konfrontiert ihrenNigel Farage,Steve Bannon, Kopf, den ehemaligen Chef der Ukip, Nigel Farage. Farage redet im Interview mit dem ZDF auch darüber, welchen Einfluss US-amerikanische Berater für die Kampagne hatten. Steve Bannon, früherer Berater von US-Präsident Trump, war einer der wichtigen Berater in diesem Spiel.

Konkret geht es um millionenschwere Kredite, die die Pro-Brexit-Kampagne von Banks erhalten haben soll. Demnach stammte das Geld möglicherweise nicht von ihm selbst, sondern von Firmen mit Sitz auf der Isle of Man und in Gibraltar, die sich damit in den Wahlkampf eingemischt hätten. Mittlerweile ermittelt die National Crime Agency. Sie soll die bislang verschleierte Kampagnen-Finanzierung offenlegen.

Nigel Farage spricht im Interview mit dem "ZDFzoom"-Autor Dirk Laabs ganz offen darüber, wie eng die Lager zusammengearbeitet haben und wie wichtig auch der ehemalige Trump-Berater Steve Bannon für die Kampagne in Großbritannien war: "Zuvor hatte ich keinerlei Verbündete in den Medien, keine Stimme. Dann half uns Steve. Wenn Du plötzlich mehrere Stimmen auf Deiner Seite hast, ändert das alles."



All diese Männer sind abscheulich. Sie haben etwas ganz Schmutziges gemacht mit Großbritannien und mit den Briten. Sie haben etwas sehr Unpatriotisches getan. Es ist wirklich eine Schande! - © Mark

Editor of German Tabloid Bild Sacked after Sexual Misconduct Claims

THE GUARDIAN: Julian Reichelt departs after reports that he promoted an employee he had an affair with

Julian Reichelt temporarily stepped aside in March but was reinstalled to a powerful position after less than two weeks. Photograph: Clemens Bilan/EPA

The editor of Germany’s biggest tabloid has been relieved of his duties as its publisher faced allegations that it tried to cover up the full findings of an investigation into sexual misconduct and bullying within its own offices.

Media giant Axel Springer SE, the largest media publishing firm in Europe, recently expanded its global portfolio by acquiring the US political news website Politico for more than $1bn, inviting closer scrutiny of its workplace culture on the other side of the Atlantic.

The New York Times reported on Sunday that Julian Reichelt, the editor of Bild, Axel Springer’s flagship tabloid and Europe’s biggest-selling newspaper, promoted a female junior employee to a high-level newsroom job while having an affair with her.

Axel Springer announced on Monday night that Reichelt had been relieved of his duties with immediate effect. The company said in a statement that after recent revelations, further information regarding the editor’s behaviour had come to light. » | Philip Oltermann in Berlin | Monday, October 18, 2021

«Bild»-Chef Julian Reichelt muss gehen: Die «New York Times» wirft Reichelt Machtmissbrauch gegenüber Mitarbeiterinnen vor. Wegen neuer Erkenntnisse über Fehlverhalten hat ihn der Axel-Springer-Verlag nun von seinen Aufgaben bei der «Bild»-Zeitung entbunden. »

Allemagne : le rédacteur en chef de Bild limogé pour une liaison et un comportement «fautif» : »

Mahler Symphony No 5 | Adagietto | Herbert von Karajan

Slide-show of Venice with contemporary photographs and antique oil paintings. | Berlin Philharmoniker | Deutsche Grammophon

Toto : Africa | Official HD Video

Views on YouTube: 711,953,705
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La Pologne et la Hongrie suspendues aux fonds européens

LE FIGARO : DÉCRYPTAGE - Dans leur bras de fer avec Bruxelles sur l’État de droit, les deux pays risquent gros: des milliards de subventions.

Attendu de pied ferme par un Parlement de Strasbourg très remonté, le premier ministre polonais, Mateusz Morawiecki, devrait l’assurer, ce mardi matin, de sa «loyauté» à l’Union européenne. Après l’arrêt du Tribunal constitutionnel du 7 octobre déclarant la primauté du droit polonais sur celui de l’UE, les eurodéputés pressent la présidente de la Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, de déclencher enfin la procédure «État de droit», qui priverait des précieux subsides communautaires les pays membres qui ne respectent pas les règles. » | Par Florentin Collomp | lundi 18 octobre 2021

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Der Mann für die grossen Überraschungen: Peter Marki-Zay fordert Ungarns Ministerpräsidenten Orban heraus: Der Bürgermeister einer Kleinstadt gewinnt unerwartet klar die oppositionellen Vorwahlen. Sein Konservatismus ist sein grosser Trumpf – und eine Quelle der Spannungen im heterogenen Parteienbündnis, das ihn unterstützt. »

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

Nov 15, 2016 • This passionate talk from Dr. James O'Keefe MD gives us a deeply personal and fascinating insight into why homosexuality is indeed a necessary and extraordinarily useful cog in nature's wheel of perfection.

James H O'Keefe MD, is a Board Certified Cardiologist and Director of both the Charles & Barbara Duboc Cardio Health & Wellness Center and the Preventive Cardiology service at Saint Luke’s Mid America Heart Institute. He is also Professor of Medicine at the University of Missouri-Kansas City. His postgraduate training included a cardiology fellowship at Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota. Dr O’Keefe is board-certified in Cardiology, Internal Medicine, Nuclear Cardiology, and Cardiac CT Imaging. He is consistently ranked among the ‘Top Doctor’ lists regionally and nationally as one of America’s Top Rated Physicians in Cardiology. He has been named as one of USA Today’s Most Influential Doctors. Dr O’Keefe has contributed more than 300 articles to the medical literature and has authored best-selling cardiovascular books for health professionals including: The Complete Guide to ECGs (which is used for Cardiology Board Certification), Dyslipidemia Essentials, and Diabetes Essential.

This talk was given at a TEDx event using the TED conference format but independently organized by a local community.



Since this video was made, homosexuality in India has been decriminalised. India's Supreme Court legalised consensual gay sex on September 6, 2018.

These two WIKIPEDIA links on homosexuality in India are very informative: Homosexuality in India amd LGBT rights in India. – Mark

Elegant Chinese Jewish Gay Wedding • Michael & Neil

Jul 24, 2020 • Michael & Neil’s wedding weekend was elegant, sophisticated, and truly special. These two grooms are literally from different corners of the globe. Michael is Turkish – Swiss – Russian and wished to include his Jewish traditions into the ceremony. Neil is Chinese from Shanghai and also wanted to represent his culture on their wedding day. Both men wanted to incorporate their families, their heritage, and traditions into the ceremony, which made it all so meaningful and rich.

The dynamic two met when Michael was visiting the hotel that Neil was managing. They quickly locked eyes, and to say the least, hit it off immediately. With many trips across the ocean to see one another, they fell in love while exploring the world together.

Neil proposed in front of Michael’s family at an intimate dinner with a ring that was custom made. Each of their wedding rings held a ruby because red is lucky in Chinese culture. The start of many traditions.

Michael was really thoughtful with every detail of the planning process keeping his guest’s happiness as his main priority. Every detail was given the utmost attention, from the guest gifts to the menus, to the entertainment, everything was planned to perfection so his friends & family would have an extraordinary experience during their wedding weekend on the Riviera. …


Amazing Gay Wedding | Villa Vizcaya Museum & Garden Miami, FL | Hernan & William

May 27, 2016 • Same-sex wedding video @ Vizcaya Garden in Miami, FL

Colin Powell, Who Shaped U.S. National Security, Dies at 84

THE NEW YORK TIMES: A former chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, secretary of state and national security adviser, Mr. Powell died on Monday of complications of Covid-19, his family said.

Colin L. Powell in 2004, when he was secretary of state under President George W. Bush in the midst of the Iraq war. | Doug Mills/The New York Times

Colin L. Powell, who in four decades of public life served as the nation’s top soldier, diplomat and national security adviser, and whose speech at the United Nations in 2003 helped pave the way for the United States to go to war in Iraq, died on Monday. He was 84.

He died of complications of Covid-19, his family said in a statement. He had been fully vaccinated and was treated at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center, his family said.

Mr. Powell was a path breaker serving as the country’s first African American national security adviser, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff and secretary of state. Beginning with his 35 years in the Army, Mr. Powell was emblematic of the ability of minorities to use the military as a ladder of opportunity.

His was a classic American success story. Born in Harlem of Jamaican parents, Mr. Powell grew up in the South Bronx and graduated from City College of New York, joining the Army through ROTC. From a young second lieutenant commissioned in the dawn of a newly desegregated Army, Mr. Powell served two decorated combat tours in Vietnam. He later was national security adviser to President Ronald Reagan at the end of the Cold War, helping negotiate arms treaties and an era of cooperation with the Soviet president, Mikhail Gorbachev. » | Eric Schmitt | Monday, October 18, 2021

Der Irak machte ihn gross und demütigte ihn – Colin Powell ist im Alter von 84 Jahren gestorben: Colin Powell wurde nach dem ersten Golfkrieg von 1991 als Held gefeiert. Aber seine Rolle bei der Vorbereitung des zweiten Irak-Feldzugs wertete er später selbst als Schandfleck in seiner Karriere. »

Colin Powell, secrétaire d'État sous George W. Bush, est décédé du Covid-19 : Il est décédé à l'âge de 84 ans ce lundi. Connu pour son allocution de 2003 sur les armes de destruction massives prétendument détenues par l'Irak, il avait par la suite qualifié ce moment de «tache» sur sa réputation. »

Democracy Now! Top US News & World Headlines — October 18, 2021

Bank of England Will Have to Act to Curb Inflation, Says Bailey

THE GUARDIAN: Governor signals central bank is preparing to raise interest rates amid surge in energy prices

The Bank of England governor, Andrew Bailey, said he continued to believe the recent jump in inflation would be temporary. Photograph: Hannah McKay/Reuters

The governor of the Bank of England has warned it will “have to act” to curb rising inflation, sending a new signal that it is gearing up to raise interest rates.

Andrew Bailey said he continued to believe the recent jump in inflation would be temporary, but he predicted a surge in energy prices would push it higher and make its climb last longer, increasing the risk of higher inflation expectations.

“Monetary policy cannot solve supply-side problems – but it will have to act and must do so if we see a risk, particularly to medium-term inflation and to medium-term inflation expectations,” Bailey said on Sunday during an online panel discussion organised by the Group of 30 consultative group. » | Guardian staff and agency | Monday, October 18, 2021

Inside Peter Thiel’s Shadowy Political Dealings | The Mehdi Hasan Show

Sep 24, 2021 • Peter Thiel is a tech billionaire with influence in both Silicon Valley and… far-right politics? Max Chafkin, who wrote the biography on the mogul, joins the show.

The Mehdi Hasan Show: Insightful reporting and probing interviews that examine the day's events and provide a deeper level of context for the politics of our interconnected society.


Rachel Maddow: RNC's Openly Gay Speaker Peter Thiel a 'Tough Nut' | MSNBC | 2016

Jul 22, 2016 • PayPal Co-Founder Peter Thiel said he was "proud to be gay" and a Republican on the RNC stage. Rachel Maddow, Eugene Robinson and Steve Schmidt discuss.

Locking Lips

Photo: Adobe Stock

Sunday, October 17, 2021

Paris Allemand, de Dominique Veillon: les visages du Paris de l’Occupation

Dominique Veillon dresse le tableau des situations que la population parisienne dut endurer pendant l’Occupation. Ici, place Blanche, en 1940. Tallandier/©Tallandier/Bridgeman images

LE FIGARO : La vie quotidienne dans la capitale sous l’étau allemand à travers récits et témoignages vécus.

Il y a plusieurs livres dans Paris Allemand, de Dominique Veillon, où l’historienne a pour ambition d’«essayer de comprendre les réactions de la population parisienne alors qu’elle est placée dans une situation particulière: sous l’étau allemand, sans gouvernement et en proie à des difficultés de toutes sortes». Les «difficultés de toutes sortes» sont celles auxquelles la plupart d’entre nous, qui ont toujours mangé à leur faim dans des appartements chauffés, n’ont jamais été confrontés. Si certains ont oublié ce qu’a signifié concrètement l’occupation allemande - on se souvient du mot si frivole de Sartre: «On n’a jamais été plus libre que sous l’Occupation» -, la lecture du livre de Dominique Veillon leur sera fort utile. Grâce notamment aux rapports des Renseignements généraux et à des fonds d’archives diverses (Archives nationales, Musée Jean-Moulin, Musée du Général Leclerc…), mais aussi aux journaux et témoignages intimes de personnalités publiques ou privées qui ont vécu cette période, Dominique Veillon dresse le tableau des situations que la population parisienne dut endurer, en particulier durant les terribles hivers 1941 et 1942. » | Par Paul-François Paoli | mercredi 10 février 2021

Zemmour, un «révisionniste» pro-Vichy, fustige Beaune

Le secrétaire d'État aux Affaires européenne Clément Beaune et le polémiste Éric Zemmour. ATTILA KISBENEDEK et FERENC ISZA / AFP

LE FIGARO : Les propos du candidat non déclaré à la présidentielle de 2022 sont «à vomir», a estimé ce dimanche le secrétaire d'État aux Affaires européenne.

Les propos d'Éric Zemmour réhabilitant le régime de Vichy relèvent du «révisionnisme et de l'antisémitisme traditionnel» et sont «à vomir», a estimé dimanche le secrétaire d'État aux Affaires européenne, Clément Beaune, au Forum de Radio J.

Le polémiste, qui ne cache pas ses ambitions présidentielles, affirme notamment que le maréchal Pétain, chef du régime de Vichy, a sauvé des juifs français. «Eric Zemmour, c'est l'un des visages de ce qui est une longue tradition dans notre pays, l'extrême droite française haineuse antisémite (...) Il (en) est l'un des visages temporaires mais dangereux », a lancé Clément Beaune. «Le mythe du Pétain protecteur des juifs ne résiste pas une seconde à l'analyse historique (...) M. Zemmour se pare de mensonges historiques scandaleux», a ajouté le secrétaire d'État. » | Par Le Figaro avec AFP | dimanche 17 octobre 2021

The Guardian view on French politics: the great moving right show: The tone of France’s presidential election campaign suggests a society that is becoming increasingly illiberal – Since the election of Emmanuel Macron as president in 2017, it has been tempting to view French politics in somewhat Manichean terms. Four years ago, Mr Macron won by (comfortably) beating Marine Le Pen in the second round runoff. Until this autumn, it seemed extremely likely that next spring’s election would be a rematch. Division and disarray on the French left, and the continuing slump of the centre-right Républicains party, left voters with a seemingly stark choice: centrist liberalism or far-right nationalism. This normalisation of the Le Pen dynasty was bad enough. But recent polls suggest a more complicated picture; and from a progressive standpoint, perhaps a more disturbing one. »