Saturday, November 27, 2021

The UK Is Becoming an Authoritarian State under Home Secretary, Priti Patel

Jul 26, 2021 • The Home Secretary is a bully. She has been accused of bullying in three separate government departments and was found guilty of bullying by a Cabinet Committee resulting in compensation payments of £395,000.

She has persistently broken the ministerial code throughout her ministerial career. Whilst at the Foreign Office working under Boris Johnson who was then Foreign Secretary, she visited Israel claiming to be on holiday and held at least twelve meetings with senior Israeli government officials including the prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu. Neither the British ambassador in Israel nor the prime minister Theresa May knew about these meetings.

She again broke the ministerial code by writing at least twice on behalf of a friend in order to secure a PPE contract for £102.6 million for masks which were supplied at double the benchmark price.

She is pushing through legislation which will give the Home Secretary, or the police, the power to stop any demonstrations at will if judged to be making too much noise or causing annoyance. Those who resist will be liable to imprisonment for up to ten years.

Other legislation will make whistleblowing a criminal offence as will publishing articles considered critical of the government. This will included the government having the power to control the movements and association of certain named individuals without reference to the courts.

She seeks to punish any asylum seeker arriving in the UK without permission with up to four years in prison. She also seeks to extend laws which currently apply to paid people-smugglers to everyone so that offering any assistance to asylum seekers, even saving them from drowning, will become a crime punishable with a maximum penalty of life imprisonment.

She is ruthlessly pursuing a course which will lead to the UK to becoming a fascist state where any dissent will be illegal.


Brexit - No Wonder It Is All Such a Mess

Nov 27, 2021 • David Frost, our chief Brexit negotiator, who, after negotiating a deal which he and the prime minister both proclaimed a huge success, before he realised it was not a good deal after all and then decided he wanted to change it.

He has since openly criticised the EU for not being prepared to re-negotiate and has resorted to threatening the EU with invoking Article 16 if there is no agreement to what he is demanding.

In a keynote speech at the Centre for Policy Studies, whilst talking of the benefits of the freedom we now have having left the EU, went on to demonstrate his grand delusion by explaining that his job is “to drive change within government and 'to push policy in the right direction'”.


Friday, November 26, 2021

Migrants on EU's Borders Risk Life and Limb for a Better Life | DW News

Nov 26, 2021 • As temperatures across Europe plummet, thousands of migrants are still stranded in Belarus. Many have spent weeks outside in freezing forests near Poland. They're still hoping to find a route into the European Union - though Brussels insists the bloc will not accept them. DW’s Nick Connolly met some of those migrants in the Belarusian capital Minsk. He spoke to people torn between hope and resignation.

Meanwhile, the exiled Belarusian opposition leader Svetlana Tikhanovskaya has told the European Union it must live up to its values and actively oppose the authoritarian leader Alexander Lukashenko. DW's Barbara Wesel caught up with her in Brussels.

And the deaths of 27 people in the English Channel are deepening tensions between Britain and France. The French interior minister has cancelled weekend talks with his UK counterpart after suggestions by the British Prime Minister France wasn't doing enough to stop migrants trying to reach England by boat. DW correspondent Jack Parrock visited the French port of Calais. And spoke to people hoping to make the same journey.


“Coming Out Can Be Slow and It's Okay If It's Slow. But You Should Start Your Journey."

Jun 19, 2019 • If you had asked teenage Jason if he were gay, his honest answer would’ve been “no.” With exposure to LGBT people, the changing tides of American society, that answer eventually turned to “yes.”

Toto : Africa | Official HD Video

Views on YouTube: 722,186,766

Migrant Crisis in the Channel | Behind the Story

Aug 18, 2020 • The number of people crossing the Channel in small boats to seek asylum in Britain is at an all-time high, fuelled by the coronavirus reducing the number of cars and lorries coming across and fears that Brexit will mean a stricter enforcement regime in the UK.

The Times and The Sunday Times’ Alastair Good and Federica De Caria travelled along the southeast coast from Ramsgate in Kent to Hastings in East Sussex, as well as across the Channel to Calais, to discover what was really happening and hear from people on all sides.

Produced, directed and edited by Alastair Good Shot by Federica DeCaria


Despite Mormon Upbringing, Gay Man Learns to Accept His Truth. “Huge Relief to Finally Be Who I Am.”

Nov 27, 2019 • Growing up in a conservative Mormon environment, Brenton Erickson knew he was gay from a young age. He was faced with three options: be celibate for life, marry a woman, or live his truth. While he knew the risks of coming out, he also knew the reality of living life in the closet - which made the answer crystal clear.

L’Allemagne va légaliser le cannabis

Le libéral Christian Lindner, le social-démocrate Olaf Scholz, ministre des Finances sortant et futur chancellier, et les deux écologistes Die Grünen, Annabela Baerbock et Robert Habeck. TOBIAS SCHWARZ/AFP

LE FIGARO : Le futur gouvernement alliant le SPD, les Verts et les libéraux a dévoilé, mercredi, son contrat de coalition.

Deux des trois partis qui vont gouverner l’Allemagne s’appuient sur des fondements idéologiques différents. Les Verts et le FDP, qui se partagent tous les deux un électorat jeune et libéral, ont néanmoins milité ensemble pour faire adopter par le futur gouvernement une proposition de légalisation du cannabis. Le projet figure en page 87 de leur contrat de coalition, présenté mercredi à Berlin, qui en compte 177. Il rompt avec des années de politique sécuritaire, privilégiée par la CDU, en matière de drogue. «Nous introduisons la distribution contrôlée de cannabis aux adultes à des fins récréatives dans les magasins agréés, ce qui permet de contrôler la qualité, d’empêcher la distribution de substances contaminées et de protéger la santé publique , écrivent les auteurs du document. » | Par Pierre Avril | Publié : mercredi 24 novembre 2021 ; mis à jour : jeudi 25 novembre 2021

Travel Restrictions Multiply for African Countries over Fears of a New Variant

THE NEW YORK TIMES: Countries around the world moved to restrict travel from southern Africa on Friday in a frantic effort to keep a newly identified, and apparently significantly evolved, variant of the coronavirus from crossing their borders.

The European Commission proposed that its members activate the “emergency brake” on travel from countries in southern African and other countries affected to limit the spread of the new variant.

“All air travel to these countries should be suspended until we have a clear understanding about the danger posed by this new variant,” Ursula von der Leyen, the president of the European Union’s executive arm, said in a statement. “And travelers returning from this region should respect strict quarantine rules.”

In the past, governments have taken days, weeks or months to issue travel restrictions in response to new variants. This time, restrictions came within hours of South Africa’s announcement — at least 10 countries around the world had announced measures before South African scientists had finished a meeting with World Health Organization experts about the variant on Friday. » | Jason Horowitz, Lynsey Chutel and Mike Ives | Friday, November 26, 2021

Covid-19 en Europe : un premier cas du nouveau variant détecté en Belgique : La Belgique est le premier pays européen à détecter un cas du variant B.1.1.529. Le patient contaminé est revenu d'Égypte le 11 novembre dernier. »

The Guardian View on Deaths in the Channel: The Tide of Xenophobia

THE GUARDIAN – EDITORIAL: The government must stop pandering to anti-migrant sentiment and come up with a humane policy that meets its international responsibilities

‘Mr Johnson and his home secretary, Priti Patel, reveal no desire to escape the trap of xenophobic rhetoric.’ Photograph: Jessica Taylor/UK Parliament/AFP/Getty Images

Boris Johnson’s government must develop a new approach to asylum as a matter of urgency. The deaths of 27 people who were attempting to reach England in a small boat on Wednesday have prompted an outpouring of distress. No one wants the Channel to become a graveyard, and the stricken faces of the people interviewed by journalists in northern France over recent days have brought home their sheer desperation to millions of Britons.

But unless Mr Johnson and his most senior colleagues and advisers take the lead in setting out a different direction, there is no reason to think that this tragedy will mark any kind of turning point. At the moment, the government appears trapped in a snare of its own making – along with the section of the public that it took with it when ministers decided to talk and act tough on asylum seekers. This is what led to the shameful situation in which the main response to this week’s tragedy is to blame the French. The government push for morally and legally dubious legislation designed to create an even more hostile environment is justified by claims that the number of people seeking asylum is overwhelming. » | Editorial | Thursday, November 25, 2021

Macron Attacks Johnson for Trying to Negotiate Migration Crisis via Tweets

Nov 26, 2021 • The French president, Emmanuel Macron, has reprimanded Boris Johnson for trying to negotiate with him about stopping people crossing the Channel in public, via Twitter. He said he was 'surprised' by Johnson’s decision to communicate with him in this way, because it was 'not serious'. He added: 'We don’t communicate by tweets'


Macron tells Johnson to ‘get serious’ on Channel crisis after tweeted letter: French president says: ‘We do not communicate on these issues by tweets’ after PM issues five-point plan via Twitter »

Channel Deaths: Priti Patel Disinvited to Meeting with France

THE GUARDIAN: Boris Johnson’s public letter to Emmanuel Macron on Channel drownings deemed ‘unacceptable’

Priti Patel makes a statement on the 'small boats incident in the Channel' in the House of Commons. Photograph: Jessica Taylor/UK Parliament/AFP/Getty

The French government has withdrawn an invitation to the home secretary, Priti Patel, to attend a meeting about the Channel boats crisis after Boris Johnson called on France to take back people who crossed the Channel to the UK in small boats.

In an escalation of the political crisis after the deaths of 27 people in the Channel, the French interior minister, Gérald Darmanin, has written to Patel to say a meeting on Sunday would proceed without British involvement.

It follows Johnson’s letter to President Emmanuel Macron on Thursday night setting out five steps to avoid a repeat of Wednesday’s tragedy. The letter was sent publicly as a tweet in time for the front pages of UK newspapers and French officials confirmed Macron had not seen the letter before Johnson tweeted it.

Darmanin told Patel the letter from Johnson to Macron, suggesting France take back people who cross the Channel, was a “disappointment”.

Referring to Johnson’s posting of the letter on social media, he added: “Making it public made it even worse. I therefore need to cancel our meeting in Calais on Sunday.” » | Rajeev Syal and Jon Henley | Friday, November 26, 2021

Crise des Migrants : Macron dénonce les méthodes «pas sérieuses» de Londres, Johnson assume : Boris Johnson a demandé à Emmanuel Macron dans une lettre publique de reprendre les migrants arrivant en Angleterre depuis la France. En réaction, Gérald Darmanin a annulé la participation britannique à une réunion de crise. »

France-U.K. Acrimony Over Channel Crossings Deepens: The French responded angrily to Boris Johnson’s suggestion that France take back migrants who reach Britain, and rescinded an invitation for a top British official to discuss the crisis. »

Aus deutscher Sicht:

Paris und London müssen kooperieren! : Seit dem Brexit ist das Klima zwischen Paris und London rauher geworden. Der Geist der Partnerschaft hat sich verflüchtigt. Das kostet Menschenleben. »

Thursday, November 25, 2021

Faith & Fate | Episode 4 – Ominous Skies. 1930 - 1939

Premiered Sep 6, 2020 • The story of the Jews facing the rise of Hitler before the Holocaust. How the evil of one man bamboozled the whole world. How winning World War I and the Great Depression set the stage for World War II. The mistakes. The deceptions. The unheeded lessons of history.


Previous episodes here.

Marvin Gaye : I Heard It Through the Grapevine

Hits on YouTube : 37,754,663

Elvis Presley : Hound Dog | Official Audio

Views (Hits) on YouTube: 25,302,822

Michael Jackson : The Way You Make Me Feel | Official Video

Views on YouTube: 401,957,543

Ian Blackford Hammers Boris Johnson at PMQs

Nov 24, 2021 • Ian Blackford goes after Boris Johnson in the house of commons at Prime Minister's Questions.


The Tories now see that although Johnson can win elections, he simply can’t govern: The prime minister’s disastrous CBI speech might prove the catalyst that turns the party against his leadership style »

Dimitra’s Dishes : Baked Cod Harissa for Date Night


Get the recipe here.

George Michael : Careless Whisper | Official Video

Views on YouTube: 784,355,011

Mein Mann ist schwul: Das Coming Out eines Familienvaters – ARD, HD, Doku (2014)

Same-sex Marriage Backed by Chile’s MPs

Supporters campaigning for marriage equality at a Pride parade in Santiago this month MATIAS BASUALDO/ZUMA PRESS WIRE/ALAMY

THE TIMES: Chile’s parliament is on course to legalise same-sex marriage, four years after the reform was first proposed and despite the country’s conservative reputation among religious Latin American nations.

The lower house in Santiago approved a bill on Tuesday that would allow gay and lesbian couples to marry, sending the measure back to the Senate, where it appears to have the support needed to become law. The bill also permits same-sex couples to adopt children, recognises maternity leave for transgender people and grants a widow’s or widower’s pension for same-sex couples. » | Steven Grattan, Bogota | Thursday, November 25, 2021

Newcastle LGBTQ+ Fans' Group on 'Harrowing' Online Abuse after Saudi Takeover

CHRONICLE LIVE: Newcastle United's LBTQ+ supporters' group have faced online abuse in the wake of their takeover statement welcoming the new owners

The co-chair of Newcastle United's LGBTQ+ supporters' group has opened up on the online abuse they have received since the Saudi-backed takeover was confirmed.

United with Pride has faced heavy criticism since releasing a statement last month on the day the long-awaited sale of the Magpies was confirmed.

The fans' group outlined their hope that working with the new owners could lead to a 'a positive influence to improving the conditions for the LGBTQ+ community in Saudi Arabia'.

However, human rights organisation Fair Square labelled their approach as 'naive', while critics were quick to highlight the contrast in their pre-takeover declarations of there being 'no room for discrimination'.

Saudi Arabia's human rights record and their intolerance of same-sex relationships has come under greater scrutiny as a result of the Magpies takeover, with Amnesty International demanding changes to the Premier League's owners' and directors' test.

United with Pride's co-chair Ian Pearson-Brown has labelled it a 'harrowing' five weeks since, and fears the group's positive work to date has been undone. » | Chris Knight Business of Football writer | Wednesday, November 24, 2021

Brexit : les pêcheurs français annoncent des blocages dans plusieurs ports et devant le tunnel sous la Manche

Olivier Leprêtre, président du comité régional des pêches des Hauts-de-France. FRANCOIS LO PRESTI / AFP

LE FIGARO : Les pêcheurs mèneront des actions de blocage ponctuelles ce vendredi dans les ports de Saint-Malo, Calais et Ouistreham. L'accès au tunnel sous la Manche sera également bloqué en début d'après-midi.

Les pêcheurs du Pas-de-Calais, de Ouistreham et de Saint-Malo conduiront vendredi une action de blocage dans trois ports français, et devant l'accès au tunnel sous la Manche. «Les pêcheurs demandent la résolution immédiate du litige qui nous oppose au Royaume-Uni dans l'interprétation de l'accord de Brexit», a déclaré ce jeudi Gérard Romiti, le président du comité national des pêches. «Notre patience a ses limites, elle n'a été que trop éprouvée.» » | Par Edouard de Mareschal | jeudi 25 novembre 2021

«Le conflit va se durcir, c'est certain» : la colère des pêcheurs français piégés par le Brexit : REPORTAGE - À Boulogne-sur-Mer, les pêcheurs participeront aux blocages annoncés vendredi dans plusieurs ports de France. Ils menacent de poursuivre leurs actions si le contentieux des licences de pêche n'est pas réglé rapidement par la Commission européenne. »

French fishers to block Channel tunnel in Brexit licences row: Members of industry association say large number of vehicles will be used to block key artery between nations »

Australia: LGBTQ Advocates Blast Religious Discrimination Bill

BBC: Australia has introduced a new controversial bill aimed at protecting religious people from "cancel culture".

Among other things, it would allow Catholic schools the right to fire teachers or expel gay students in the name of "religious ethos".

Prime Minister Scott Morrison said the Religious Discrimination Bill, if passed, would ensure protection for religious people and organisations, like churches, to express beliefs.

Critics say it is "deeply unbalanced".

Introducing the bill on Thursday, Mr Morrison said it aimed to protect people's "statements of belief" as long as it was not "harassment, vilification or intimation of anyone."

But Australia's Human Rights Law Centre said the bill fails to "fairly balance the right to equality with the freedom of religion".

Human rights and LGBT groups have also warned the law would instead grant licence for people to express bigoted views.

The law also authorises people to express derogatory or harmful comments in a workplace, school and health setting, the human rights group said. » | BBC | Thursday, November 25, 2021

To All My American Visitors and Followers: A Blessed and Happy Thanksgiving!

Photograph : Adobe Stock

The Guardian View on Europe’s Covid Protests: Treat with Care

THE GUARDIAN – EDITORIAL: The unvaccinated are contributing to a fourth wave. But governments must do all they can to avoid two-tier societies becoming the norm

As a fourth wave of Covid-19 infections threatens to overwhelm intensive care units in hospitals from Brussels to Berlin, European governments have begun to sound exasperated as well as anxious. On Monday, the German health minister, Jens Spahn, starkly laid out the stakes of the coming winter, in terms designed to function as a wake-up call. By the spring, Mr Spahn warned, the vast majority of Germans would be “vaccinated, cured or dead”. The Dutch prime minister, Mark Rutte, dismissed violent protesters against restrictions on the unjabbed as “idiots”, while his Belgian counterpart, Alexander De Croo, said that similar scenes in Brussels were “absolutely unacceptable”.

The comments of Mr Rutte and Mr De Croo were explicitly directed at the violent fringe that hijacked demonstrations in the Belgian capital and Rotterdam. But there is a more general sense of frustration among political leaders in western Europe: as an expected autumn surge duly comes to pass, a significant minority of citizens are deepening the crisis by refusing to be vaccinated. Dealing with this section of the population, which is far more likely to need hospital treatment after infection, has become a major policy dilemma for governments seeking to juggle civil liberties with the need to protect the interests of society as a whole. » | Editorial | Tuesday, November 23, 2021

A Message to My Followers and Visitors

In recent weeks, I have had a hacking problem again. Somebody is playing around with my ‘Page View Counter’. Each day, despite my hits increasing, thousands of page views are being ‘shaved off’ my stats.

I know that this cannot be accurate because my stats are monitored by Google itself and by other external sources. The numbers being shown on the counter do not tally with the numbers recorded by other websites, including Google itself.

For this reason, I have decided to remove the counter from my blog because of this tampering. In any case, it is not an accurate reflection of the visitors I receive. The actual number is much higher than is being shown by that counter.

If and when things settle down, I might re-introduce the counter; but for the time being, I feel that it is better and less stressful that it be removed.

I should like to take this opportunity to thank you ALL for your continued support. I can assure you that it is most apprecaited. Again, I would like to say that if there is any way you feel that this blog can be improved, you are most welcome to email me with your suggestions.

Naturally, I am saddened that I feel the need to take this step. But I feel sure that you will understand that I find it demoralizing to find that thousands upon thousands of page views are being taken away each week without any reason. This is NOT caused by an algorithm; rather, it is being caused by the human hand.

Sincerely

Mark Alexander

Wednesday, November 24, 2021

Turkish Lira Plunges, Loses Nearly 40% of Its Value This Year | DW News

Nov 24, 2021 • It's been an especially tough past few days for the Turkish lira. It remains near all-time lows against the dollar. The country recently cut interest rates at the insistence of President Recep Tayyip Erdogan despite the warnings of economists. The consequences are borne by normal Turks. Many are now angry.

At Least 30 Reported Dead after Dinghy Capsizes in Channel

THE GUARDIAN: Fifty people said to have been onboard inflatable boat as authorities search for people alive in water

At least 30 people have died trying to cross the Channel to the UK in an inflatable dinghy, French officials say, in what would be the deadliest incident since the current crisis began.

Jean-Marc Puissesseau, the president and chairman of the ports of Calais and Boulogne, told BBC News: “What I know is that there were 50 people on this boat. What I have heard is that there are 30 people who have died, and about five or six who have been found.”

The mayor of Calais, Natacha Bouchart, earlier said the death toll stood at 27 at 5pm UK time, but other French officials had warned they expected the total to rise.

A rescue operation is under way in the Channel by air and sea as French and British authorities search for anyone still in the water. » | Angelique Chrisafis in Paris | Wednesday, November 24, 2021

Manche : au moins 31 morts dans le naufrage d'un bateau de migrants au large de Dunkerque : Partis des côtes proches de Dunkerque, ils ont péri dans le naufrage de leur embarcation. Quatre passeurs ont été arrêtés, a indiqué Gérald Darmanin. »

Calais : au moins trente et un migrants morts dans le naufrage d’une embarkation : Un pêcheur a donné l’alerte en début d’après-midi, signalant alors une quinzaine de corps. « La France ne laissera pas la Manche devenir un cimetière », a déclaré Emmanuel Macron. Une réunion interministérielle doit se tenir jeudi matin, selon Matignon. »

Kenny Rogers with Cindy Fee : I Don't Want to Know Why

Provided to YouTube by Universal Music Group.

Knoblauch in der Küche - Dokumentation von NZZ Format (2010)

Feb 6, 2020 • Der Knoblauch wird gehasst oder geliebt, aber er lässt keinen kalt. Der Knolle werden magische Kräfte gegen Vampire und Teufel nachgesagt. Aber auch Heilkräfte. Professor Edzard Ernst, der Gründer des weltweit ersten Instituts für Alternativmedizin an der Universität Exeter, hat die Wirkung des Knoblauchs auf die Gesundheit eingehend untersucht.

Die Spanische Region La Mancha ist das Eldorado der europäischen Knoblauchproduktion. Noch heute erinnern viele Darstellungen an das kongeniale Paar Don Quixote und Sancho Pansa, das diese Gegend durchstreifte. Sancho Pansa soll ein wahrer Knoblauch-Freak gewesen sein. Knoblauchfreaks sind auch drei Spitzenköche: Roland Jöhri (Jöhri’s Talvo, Champfèr), Manuel de la Osa (Las Rejas, Las Pedroñeras) und David Martinez (Greulich, Zürich)

Originaltitel: Die Knoblauchküche


Democracy Now! Top US News. & World Headlines — November 24, 2021

À Kaboul, vivre caché dans la terreur de l’ordre taliban

Un membre des forces de sécurité des talibans patrouille, en septembre, dans une rue de Kaboul. STRINGER/REUTERS

LE FIGARO : RÉCIT - Sidérés par la brutalité du pouvoir, les Kabouliotes, qui vivaient à l’occidentale, ne sortent plus de peur de mourir.

Envoyée spéciale à Kaboul.

La famille entière s’est réunie sur un vieux canapé: le père, la mère, et les quatre enfants: trois jeunes filles et un petit garçon de 10 ans. Aucun n’a souhaité que son nom soit révélé.

«Vous voir, c’est un peu comme sortir de chez nous», sourit l’aînée des trois filles. Voilà trois mois qu’aucun d’entre eux n’a fait un pas dehors: trop dangereux. «Si on sort, on meurt», prévient le père. Ses enfants sourient d’un air las: au fil des semaines, la mise en garde est devenue une ritournelle qu’on répète comme une plaisanterie. «On sort, on meurt», ânonne le benjamin, que sa mère prend tendrement dans ses bras.

«S’ils nous trouvent, ils me tueront»

La discussion n’a rien de naturel: elle dépend de deux faibles connexions internet. Nous ne sommes qu’à quelques rues les uns des autres, mais il faut discuter à distance, grâce à un logiciel de visioconférence. «Vous pourriez être suivie… On ne sait pas de quoi les talibans sont capables», justifie le père, visiblement gêné. » | Par Margaux Benn | Publié : vendredi 19 novembre 2021 ; mis à jour : samedi 20 novembre 2021

Réservé aux abonnés

German Parties Agree Coalition Deal to Make Olaf Scholz Chancellor

THE GUARDIAN: Social Democrat, Green and liberal parties agree to form government after two months of talks

Germany’s new traffic light coalition, with chancellor Olaf Scholz (centre), Greens Annalena Baerbock and Robert Habeck (left of Scholz), the liberals’ Christian Lindner as well as SPD party leaders Volker Wissing and Saskia Esken (right of Scholz). Photograph: Odd Andersen/AFP/Getty Images

Germany’s Social Democrat, Green and liberal parties have presented a deal to form a new government, with Olaf Scholz, the finance minister, succeeding ngela Merkel as chancellor.

The three parties, known as the “ traffic light coalition” owing to their colours – red, green and yellow – hammered out the deal during two months of intense negotiations after the Social Democrats (SPD) won a slim margin in the 26 September national election.

Scholz, of the Social Democrats, will be the new chancellor, Annalena Baerbock of the Greens will become foreign minister, and Robert Habeck, her partner as co-leader of the party, will receive a new “super minister” role combining the economics ministry with environmental protection goals.

Christian Lindner, leader of the pro-business Free Democrats (FDP), will become the new finance minister. Hubertus Heil of the SPD is reported to be the only minister from the old government – a grand coalition between the SPD and Merkel’s conservative CDU/CSU – who will retain his post, as labour minister. » | Kate Connolly, Berlin | Wednesday, November 24, 2021

Was SPD, Grüne und FDP mit Deutschland vorhaben: SPD, Grüne und FDP sind sich einig. Sie wollen eine Solardachpflicht einführen, das Wahlalter auf 16 Jahre senken – an der Schuldenbremse soll nicht gerüttelt werden. Ein Überblick über die Inhalte des Koalitionsvertrags. »

Die Küche Siziliens: Ein aromatischer Mix der Kulturen - Dokumentation von NZZ Format (2013)

Apr 23, 2020 • Griechen, Araber, Normannen, Schwaben, Spanier und Franzosen haben Sizilien im Lauf der Jahrhunderte erobert und regiert und Spuren ihrer Kultur hinterlassen, auch in der Küche.

Streetfood in Palermo: Auf den Märkten isst man frittierte Reiskugeln, rohe Seeigel und Kutteln. Spanisch beeinflusst sind die Empanadas, die gefüllten Teigtaschen. Die süß-saure Caponata aus Gemüse, Kapern und Oliven ist ein Mix aus allen mediterranen Kochkünsten. In San Vito Lo Capo, der Hochburg des sizilianischen Couscous, ist die Nähe zu Nordafrika deutlich spürbar.

Die Insel Favignana war einst Schauplatz der Thunfischerei. Peppe bereitet einen Salat aus rohem Thunfisch, Aloe Vera, Früchten und aromatischen Kräutern zu. Bei Modica produziert die Familie Floridia den geschützten "Ragusano"-Käse. Der "fliegende Chefkoch" Carmelo Chiaramonte philosophiert auf dem Fischmarkt von Catania. Eine Gruppe von jungen, ehrgeizigen Köchen glänzt mit Interpretationen der tradtionellen Küche.

Originaltitel: Kulinarische Reise durch Sizilien


The Tory Health & Care Bill: A Frightening Attack on Our NHS. Truth To Power

Nov 24, 2021 • The Tories’ Health and Care Bill had its first reading in parliament this week and it’s all looking pretty scary. It paves the way for the dismantling of the NHS as we know it, to be replaced by an American-style private insurance based system, allowing plenty of opportunities for self-enrichment on behalf of all those companies donating and buddying up to the current appalling, corrupt government.


If Sajid Javid is one of Ayn Rand's devotees, that tells me all I need to know about him! Enough already! Ayn Rand spent her life espousimg extreme right-wing economics and her own ideological claptrap. She had questionable morals and actually ended her days on welfare – the very thing she spent her life decrying and criticising others for doing!

Alan Greenspan, the one-time head of the Fed, was also one of Ayn Rand's devotees. That tells its own story!

BoJo and his sleazy operators need to keep their dirty mitts off our NHS. The last thing we need in this country is an American-style medical system. I know more than most Brits how that functions. My late partner was American and I looked after him both at home and in hospital for many, many months at a time. I can report that, at its best, American healthcare is excellent; however, at its worst, it is very poor indeed. And of course for those who have no means, there is no healthcare for them at all (except, perhaps, for that provided by charity)!

But even with the best of insurance, which my late partner had, it is a system set up to make profit rather than to make the patient well again. Further, when the patient has cost the insurance company too much already, doctors get instructions to pull the plug on the patient's treatment!

No! No! No! We don't need or want that appalling system here. Thank you, but no thank you! – © Mark


Go private for the treatment you need, NHS tells patients: Patients are being refused treatment, discharged too early and pushed towards private referrals, openDemocracy’s largest-ever reader survey has found »

Tuesday, November 23, 2021

Kenny Rogers : What about Me?

Why Jeff Bezos’ Space Dream Is Humanity's Nightmare | George Monbiot


Manche Leute sehen wahnsinnig gut aus. Andere Leute haben unerhört guten Geschmack. Dann gibt es Leute, die so viel Geld haben, daß das Geld gar nicht gezählt werden kann. Die Glücklichsten davon, natürlich, haben alle drei Eigenschaften: Aussehen, Geschmack und Reichtum. Mich wundert, wo Jeff Bezos steht. Haben Sie, vielleicht, eine bessere Ahnung? – © Mark

Spanien wundert sich über die neue Corona-Krise in Nordeuropa – im Land herrscht eine fast schon beneidenswerte Normalität

NEUE ZÜRCHER ZEITUNG: Spanien wurde zu Beginn besonders hart von der Corona-Pandemie getroffen. Doch mittlerweile ist das Land dank seiner gut organisierten Impfkampagne zum Vorbild in Europa geworden. Dabei offeriert die Regierung den nördlichen Nachbarn ein probates Rezept: Masken und Impfung, Impfung und Masken.

Am Wochenende bilden sich ein weiteres Mal lange Schlangen vor den grossen Impfzentren in Madrid. Bis zu einer Stunde etwa müssen die Menschen vor dem Hospital Isabel Zendal warten, obwohl dort rund um die Uhr geimpft wird. Doch niemand beschwert sich, im Gegenteil. «Mir macht das nichts aus. So kann ich Weihnachten unbesorgt mit meinen Kindern und Enkeln feiern», sagt die 71-jährige Isabel González. Der ältere Herr hinter ihr nickt zustimmend: «Hauptsache, wir sind geschützt. Das ist das Wichtigste.»

Wenige Tage zuvor beschloss die Regierung des Ministerpräsidenten Pedro Sánchez, die Auffrischungsimpfungen auf die über 60-Jährigen sowie das Gesundheits- und Pflegepersonal auszuweiten. Bis dahin waren zunächst nur die über 70-Jährigen aufgefordert, sich zum dritten Mal gegen das Coronavirus impfen zu lassen. Nun sollen weitere sieben Millionen Spanierinnen und Spanier die Drittimpfung erhalten. » | Ute Müller, Madrid | Dienstag, 23. November 2021

Daniel Hope – Elgar: Salut d´amour

On April 22, 2016 violin legend Yehudi Menuhin would have celebrated his 100th birthday. Daniel Hope dedicates a complete album to his former mentor and close friend - "My Tribute to Yehudi Menuhin". Watch Daniel Hope play "Salut d´amour" of Edward Elgar.

Zu Tisch auf ... Salento | Köstliches Apulien | ARTE

Sep 26, 2021 • Apulien: Von der Adria und dem Ionischen Meer umgeben und von 300 Sonnentagen im Jahr verwöhnt, ist die Region ein einziges Obst- und Gemüsebeet, in dem alle Zutaten der mediterranen Küche gedeihen. Die Reihe begibt sich in dieser Folge auf eine Entdeckungsreise zur Halbinsel Salento rund um Contrada Potenti, Porto Cesareo, Poggiardo und Lecce.

Bei Manduria lebt Chiara Di Lauro Tommasino, sie leitet eine aufwendig restaurierte Masseria, ein Hofgut. Auf ihrem Speiseplan für das Abendessen steht Corona vegetale mit Ofengemüse und Thunfisch.Im weiter südlich gelegenen Porto Cesareo ist die Familie Mariano bereits seit den frühen Morgenstunden unterwegs. Gefangen werden Seeigel. Die Delikatesse wird traditionell mit Linguine serviert.In Poggiardo steht die älteste Steinmühle des Salento, die aus alten Getreidesorten Vollkornmehl mahlt. Ercole Maggio ist auf der Suche nach verloren geglaubten Urgetreiden, um diese neu anzubauen. Sieben Sorten konnte er bislang retten.In der Barockstadt Lecce lebt die Bloggerin Francesca Rollo, die sich heute am Ciceri e Tria versucht: einem Gericht aus Kichererbsen und handgemachten Nudeln.

Dokumentationsreihe, Regie: Lorenza Castella (D 2021, 27 Min)


As Virus Cases Rise in Europe, an Economic Toll Returns

THE NEW YORK TIMES: A series of restrictions, including a lockdown in Austria, is expected to put a brake on economic growth.

Vienna decorated for Christmas. Austria is mandating vaccinations and imposed a nationwide lockdown on Monday. | Georg Hochmuth/Agence France-Presse, via Getty Images

Europe’s already fragile economic recovery is at risk of being undermined by a fourth wave of coronavirus infections now dousing the continent, as governments impose increasingly stringent health restrictions that could reduce foot traffic in shopping centers, discourage travel and thin crowds in restaurants, bars and ski resorts.

Austria has imposed the strictest measures, mandating vaccinations and imposing a nationwide lockdown that began on Monday. But economic activity will also be dampened by other safety measures — from vaccine passports in France and Switzerland to a requirement to work from home four days a week in Belgium.

“We are expecting a bumpy winter season,” said Stefan Kooths, a research director of the Kiel Institute for the World Economy in Germany. “The pandemic now seems to be affecting the economy more negatively than we originally thought.”

The tough lockdowns that swept Europe during the early months of the pandemic last year ended up shrinking economic output by nearly 15 percent. Buoyed by a raft of government support to businesses and the unemployed, most of those countries managed to scramble back and recoup their losses after vaccines were introduced, infection rates tumbled and restrictions eased.

In September, economists optimistically declared that Europe had reached a turning point. In recent weeks, the main threats to the economy seemed to stem from a post-lockdown exuberance that was causing supply-chain bottlenecks, energy-price increases and inflation worries. And widespread vaccinations were expected to defang the pandemic’s bite so that people could continue to freely gather to shop, dine out and travel. What was not expected… » | Patricia Cohen and Melissa Eddy | Tuesday, November 23, 2021

Dimitra’s Dishes : Ancient Greek Pizza Recipe : Ladenia Kimolou


Get the recipe here.

Democracy Now! Top US News & World Headlines — November 23, 2021

Des forces de l'ordre et des pompiers victimes de tirs d'armes à feu en Guadeloupe et en Martinique

D'importants barrages bloquent les principaux axes routiers de Martinique, à l'appel d'une intersyndicale à la grève générale. LOIC VENANCE / AFP

LE FIGARO : La rixe, qui a eu lieu à Fort-de-France en Martinique dans la nuit de lundi à mardi, s'est achevée sans faire de blessés. Les violences se poursuivent en Guadeloupe, où des pompiers et des policiers ont été également visés par des tirs.

Des forces de l'ordre et des pompiers ont été à plusieurs reprises pris pour cibles par des tirs d'arme à feu dans la nuit du lundi 22 au mardi 23 novembre à Fort-de-France sans faire de blessés, a indiqué à l'AFP la Sécurité publique.

Alors que les violences se poursuivent dans la Guadeloupe voisine en proie à une contestation sociale liée à l'obligation vaccinale contre le Covid-19, d'importants barrages bloquaient mardi, comme la veille, les principaux axes routiers de Martinique, après l'appel d'une intersyndicale à la grève générale. Il a été lancé par 17 organisations syndicales aux revendications variées, parmi lesquelles on compte la fin de l'obligation vaccinale et des suspensions pour les soignants, mais aussi la hausse des salaires et des minima sociaux et la baisse des prix des carburants et du gaz. » | Par Le Figaro avec AFP | mardi 23 November 2021

À LIRE AUSSI :

Guadeloupe: l’exécutif sous pression, Lecornu dans le viseur : DÉCRYPTAGE - Jean Castex a condamné lundi les agissements d’une «petite minorité violente» qui sème le chaos dans l’île depuis quelques jours et «appelle au calme». »

Beim ersten Jugendschub: begeistert und verliebt.

In the first flush of youth: enthusiastic and in love. / Au premier élan de jeunesse : enthousiastes et amoureux.

Ich bedanke mich bei love-for-boys.tumblr.com auf Pinterest fürs schöne Foto.

Irakische Geflüchtete träumen auch nach Rückkehr aus Belarus weiter von Europa

Nov 23, 2021 • Drei Wochen Kälte, Hunger und Durst: das alles war vergeblich. Hussein Chodr, seine Frau und seine Mutter sind von der polnisch-belarussischen Grenze in ihr Heimatland Irak zurückgekehrt. Ihren Traum vom Leben in Europa wollen sie dennoch nicht aufgeben. © AFP