Un jour de 79 : La destruction de Pompéi | Quand l'histoire fait dates | ARTE

Dec 12, 2021 • Patrick Boucheron revisite l’histoire à travers le prisme des grandes dates. En 1748, la redécouverte de Pompéi marque le commencement de l'histoire de l’archéologie, et de la construction d’un imaginaire du monde romain. Ne fait-on pas fausse route en cherchant dans la ville exhumée des cendres du Vésuve la conservation miraculeuse d’une cité romaine idéalisée ?

Série documentaire de Denis van Waerebeke et Patrick Boucheron (France, 2018, 27mn)

Please Forgive Me for Playing This Wonderful, Energizing Video Yet Again…

Justin Timberlake : Can't Stop The Feeling(

Phil Collins: Everyday | 2016 Remastered

Jan 25, 2020 • Provided to YouTube by Laika Network

Israel denkt laut über einen Angriff auf die iranischen Atomanlagen nach

NEUE ZÜRCHER ZEITUNG: Die israelische Armee deckt sich mit neuen Waffen ein, die Luftwaffe plant eine grossangelegte Militärübung, und Politiker verschärfen ihre Rhetorik gegenüber Iran. Doch innerhalb Israels gibt es auch viel Kritik am Kurs der Regierung.

Der israelische Ministerpräsident Naftali Bennett fordert von den Amerikanern, der «nuklearen Erpressung» der Iraner nicht nachzugeben. | Gil Cohen-Magen / Pool / Reuters
NEUE ZÜRCHER ZEITUNG: Die israelische Armee deckt sich mit neuen Waffen ein, die Luftwaffe plant eine grossangelegte Militärübung, und Politiker verschärfen ihre Rhetorik gegenüber Iran. Doch innerhalb Israels gibt es auch viel Kritik am Kurs der Regierung.

Bombastische Erklärungen hinsichtlich Irans, wie sie unter dem israelischen Ministerpräsidenten Benjamin Netanyahu üblich waren, sollte es unter dessen Nachfolgeregierung mit Naftali Bennett und Yair Lapid nicht geben. Stattdessen versprach die Regierung, gegenüber den Amerikanern auf stille Diplomatie zu setzen, um allfällige Meinungsverschiedenheiten mit ihren wichtigsten Verbündeten aus der Welt zu räumen. Davon kann mittlerweile kaum noch die Rede sein.

Immer offener reden israelische Vertreter über einen Militärschlag gegen Iran – notfalls auch im Alleingang. Sprich: ohne Unterstützung von Washington. «Iran wird niemals in den Besitz von Atombomben gelangen», sagte David Barnea, der Leiter des Auslandgeheimdienstes Mossad, vergangene Woche. «Nicht in den nächsten Jahren, niemals.» Gemeinsam mit den Streitkräften werde der Geheimdienst alles tun, um die Gefahr eines nuklear bewaffneten Iran zu unterbinden. » | Inga Rogg, Jerusalem | Samstag, 11. Dezember 2021

A Denver Man from Jordan Opens Up about His Struggles as a Gay Man in the Middle East

Jun 25, 2021 • The thought of holding another man’s hand in public was once a far-fetched dream for Luai Qubain, a man raised in the Middle East; but those days are behind him as he gives his husband a kiss while sitting on a bench in Cheesman Park.

Being Gay in Warsaw, Poland

Apr 28, 2019 • In Poland, roughly 50% of the population does not believe that homosexuality is normal. As an openly gay man living in Warsaw, Tom Shay'an is reminded of this everyday.

Deadly Overnight Tornadoes Leave Dozens Dead In Midwest

Dec 11, 2021 • At least 50 people are feared dead after an outbreak of tornadoes that tore through Kentucky and surrounding Midwestern states overnight. Kentucky Gov. Andy Bashear announced the death toll from the event will exceed 50 Kentuckians and "probably end up closer to 70 or 100 lost lives."

First Fires, Then Floods: Climate Extremes Batter Australia

THE NEW YORK TIMES: Many of the same areas that suffered through horrific bush fires in 2019 and 2020 are now dealing with prodigious rainfall that could leave some people stranded for weeks.

WEE WAA, Australia — Two years ago, the fields outside Christina Southwell’s family home near the cotton capital of Australia looked like a dusty, brown desert as drought-fueled wildfires burned to the north and south.

Last week, after record-breaking rains, muddy floodwaters surrounded her, along with the stench of rotting crops. She had been trapped for days with just her cat, and still didn’t know when the sludge would recede.

“It seems to take for bloody ever to go away,” she said, watching a boat carry food into the town of Wee Waa. “All it leaves behind is this stink, and it’s just going to get worse.”

Life on the land has always been hard in Australia, but the past few years have delivered one extreme after another, demanding new levels of resilience and pointing to the rising costs of a warming planet. For many Australians, moderate weather — a pleasant summer, a year without a state of emergency — increasingly feels like a luxury. » | Damien Cave Photographs and Video by Matthew Abbott | Saturday, December 11, 2021

'It's Been Very Hard after 35 Years': Tom Ford Admits He's 'Struggled' to Adjust to Being a Single Father after His Husband Richard Buckley's Death

MAIL ONLINE: Tom Ford has admitted it's been 'a struggle' adjusting to life as a single father following the death of his husband Richard Buckley's death. The fashion designer, 60, shared rare insight into coping without his partner after he passed away in September at the age of 72.

In a candid interview Tom explained: 'It's been hard after 35 years, very hard,' while discussing the challenges he's faced since becoming the sole parent to their son Jack, nine.

Speaking to WSJ he shared: 'I keep thinking, ''Oh, God, I have to call Richard,'' or I need to send him a note about this. And he's not here.'

He said: 'Until recently, I had Richard to help me out in the mornings. It's been a little bit of a struggle the last month because he would normally get [Jack's] breakfast on school days while I was getting dressed.'

He went on to say it has been a challenge adjusting to the new routine however getting up earlier for the school run means he has a 'good start to the day.' » | Ellen Coughlan and Deirdre Simonds for MailOnline | Thursday, December 2, 2021

The Guardian View on the US Pursuit of Julian Assange: Set Him Free

THE GUARDIAN – EDITORIAL: The attempt to extradite the WikiLeaks founder is an assault on the press freedom that the Biden administration promises to promote

Supporters of Julian Assange gather outside the high court in London on Friday. Photograph: Anadolu Agency/Getty Images
Opening his Summit for Democracy this week, Joe Biden urged his guests to “stand up for the values that unite us”, including a free press. The US president boasted of his new initiative for democratic renewal, including measures to support an unfettered and independent media: “It’s the bedrock of democracy. It’s how the public stay informed and how governments are held accountable. And around the world, press freedom is under threat.”

Yet the US government itself is endangering the ability of the media to bring to light uncomfortable truths and expose official crimes and cover-ups. On Friday, the high court ruled that Julian Assange can be extradited to the US, where he could face up to 175 years in prison. The decision is not only a blow for his family and friends, who fear he would not survive imprisonment in the US. It is also a blow for all those who wish to protect the freedom of the press. » | Opinion | Friday, December 10, 2021

No Ho Ho: Italian Church Apologises over Bishop’s Claim about Santa Claus

THE GUARDIAN: Antonio Stagliano was trying to focus on the story of Saint Nicholas when he told children Santa did not exist, says church in Sicily

A man dressed as Santa Claus rides past a crowd in Rome. An Italian bishop was forced to apologise after telling children there is no Santa. Photograph: Matteo Nardone/Pacific Press/REX/Shutterstock
A Roman Catholic diocese in Sicily has publicly apologised to outraged parents after its bishop told a group of children that Santa Claus doesn’t exist.

Bishop Antonio Stagliano didn’t mean the comments, and was trying to underline the true meaning of Christmas and the story of Saint Nicholas, a bishop who gave gifts to the poor and was persecuted by a Roman emperor, said the Rev Alessandro Paolino, the communications director for the diocese of Noto.

Italian news reports quoted Stagliano as saying during a recent religious festival that Santa doesn’t exist and that his red costume was created by Coca-Cola for publicity. » | Associated Press | Saturday, December 11, 2021

Scott Morrison Urged to End ‘Lunacy’ and Push UK and US for Julian Assange’s Release

THE GUARDIAN: Independent MP Andrew Wilkie says UK a ‘lackey’ of US and journalism is not a crime

The Australian prime minister, Scott Morrison, has been urged to advocate for the release of WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange. Photograph: Bianca de Marchi/AAP
Australian parliamentarians have demanded the prime minister, Scott Morrison, intervene in the case of Julian Assange, an Australian citizen, after the United States won a crucial appeal in its fight to extradite the WikiLeaks founder on espionage charges.

“The prime minister must get Assange home,” the Australian Greens leader, Adam Bandt, told Guardian Australia on Saturday.

“An Australian citizen is being prosecuted for publishing details of war crimes, yet our government sits on its hands and does nothing.”

The independent MP Andrew Wilkie called on Morrison to “end this lunacy” and demand the US and UK release Assange. » | Lane Sainty and AAP | Saturday, December 11, 2021

George Michael : Father Figure | Official Video

Views on YouTube: 81,842,167 . This is one for Jacinda Adern!

George Michael : One More Try

Views on YouTube: 135,313,847

The History of Balenciaga

Nov 8, 2021 • Balenciaga is one of the most prolific brands in fashion, and in this video we look at its history dating back to the very beginning. We learn how Cristóbal Balenciaga defied the odds to start his own couture house, the Nicolas Ghesquière years, the Alexander Wang years, and of course the arrival of Demna Gvasalia. In talking about Demna, we’ll discuss how he founded Vetements and went on to revolutionize Balenciaga, which is now one of the most popular brands in world (even among major stars like Kanye West).

Les hôpitaux libanais déstabilisés par l’exode de leurs médecins

Une infirmière circule dans le couloir d’un hôpital, le 31 mai, à Beyrouth. MOHAMED AZAKIR/REUTERS
LE FIGARO : REPORTAGE - L’Organisation mondiale de la santé estime que 30 à 40 % du personnel a démissionné à cause de la crise.

Un hall d’entrée quasi désert, personne ou presque dans les couloirs: difficile de croire qu’on est en milieu de journée, en pleine semaine, au cœur d’un des plus grands hôpitaux du Liban à 30 kilomètres de Beyrouth. «Quelle misère, mais quelle misère…», se lamente sœur Élisabeth Noirot alors qu’elle traverse au pas de charge l’aile fermée de l’hôpital général de Bhannes, dans le Metn. À l’âge où d’autres partent à la retraite, elle dirige ce centre hospitalier qui dépend des Filles de la charité, une congrégation catholique fondée en France au XVIIIe siècle sous l’autorité de l’Ordre de Saint-Vincent de Paul. «À ce rythme-là, on en a pour trois, quatre mois tout au plus.» Après? «Khalasse», dit-elle en arabe, comme si la fatalité trouvait plus facilement à s’exprimer dans la langue d’Avicenne. Si rien n’est fait, ce centre niché dans un parc immense, où cèdres et pins parasols se disputent les cimaises, fermera ses 250 lits au printemps prochain. «On ne veut pas perdre l’espoir, mais, en l’état, on n’a pas le budget pour survivre et notre ordre n’a pas les moyens de nous soutenir.» » | Par Cyrille Louis | vendredi 10 décembre 2021

Réservé aux abonnés

À LIRE AUSSI :

La France et l’Arabie saoudite au chevet du Liban : DÉCRYPTAGE - Riyad, qui a coupé les ponts avec Beyrouth, ne s’est engagé que sur de l’aide humanitaire. »

New Zealand Law Aims to Stamp Out Smoking – BBC News

• Dec 9, 2021 • New Zealand will ban the sale of tobacco to its next generation, in a bid to eventually phase out smoking.

Anyone born after 2008 will not be able to buy cigarettes or tobacco products in their lifetime, under a law expected to be enacted next year.

"We want to make sure young people never start smoking," Health Minister Dr Ayesha Verall said.

The move is part of a sweeping crackdown on smoking announced by New Zealand's health ministry on Thursday.

Doctors and other health experts in the country have welcomed the "world-leading" reforms, which will reduce access to tobacco and restrict nicotine levels in cigarettes.


Verwandt.

This is a draconian law being introduced by socialists. Should we be surprised? Socialists have got a nasty habit of wanting to legislate for everything. They love to ban this and ban that. It must be something in their DNA, I suppose.

I would say that this law, in the long-run, is unworkable. First of all, it is going to be fodder for an underworld of cheap, illicit imports; but more than this, there are many unanswered questions. For example, what happens when someone born after 2008 goes abroad to work as an ex-pat and takes up the smoking habit? What will happen to him/her upon return to New Zealand? If the ex-pat becomes ‘addicted’ to smoking whilst working abroad, he or she will face a dilemma when the tour of duty is over: Either keep on smoking and stay away from the homeland, or return home and struggle to live without cigarettes.

Apart from being draconian and undemocratic, this law is also bonkers! I despair of meddlesome politicians. – © Mark

Democracy Now! Top US News & World Headlines — December 10, 2021

Perfekt, um Sie im Winter warm zu halten: Ein liebevoller, schwuler Kuß!

Parfait pour vous garder au chaud en hiver : Un baiser amoureux et gay ! / Perfect for keeping you warm in winter: A loving, gay kiss!
Für dieses schöne Foto bedanke ich mich bei RJ Scott auf Pinterest.

Julian Assange's Fiancée Brands US Extradition Decision 'Cynical'

Dec 10, 2021 • Julian Assange can be extradited to the US, the High Court has ruled as senior judges overturned an earlier decision in the case of the WikiLeaks founder. The US Government won its bid on Friday, but Assange's fiancée Stella Moris said his lawyers intend to appeal against the High Court ruling.

Related.

The US’s poodle does what it has been told to do: it agrees to extradite Julian Assange. Free speech is on its last legs: the truth must never be told. This is the age of “alternative facts” ! »

Die Luft für Julian Assange wird dünner: Laut dem britischen High Court darf Julian Assange nun doch an die USA ausgeliefert werden. Seine Anhänger kündigten zwar eine Berufung an, doch ist offen, wie lange sich der Wikileaks-Gründer dem Zugriff der amerikanischen Justiz noch entziehen kann. »

Vladimir Poutine n’a jamais accepté le départ de l’Ukraine

Le président russe Vladimir Poutine et son homologue américain Joe Biden ont exposé mardi 7 décembre lors d’un entretien virtuel leurs positions divergentes sur la situation autour de l’Ukraine. SPUTNIK/via REUTERS
LE FIGARO : ANALYSE - Il y a clairement un déséquilibre fondamental entre ce que représente l’Ukraine pour la Russie, un membre vital dont elle a été amputée et dont elle ressent toujours l’absence, et l’intérêt plus lointain que lui porte l’Occident. Ce déséquilibre rend la tâche de Joe Biden et de ses partenaires face à Poutine très ardue. Mais ils semblent moins naïfs qu’en 2014.

Alors que Washington dit craindre une invasion russe de l’Ukraine début 2022 et a engagé une discussion musclée avec Vladimir Poutine pour le dissuader de répéter le coup de force de Crimée de 2014, il est utile de relire le texte que le président russe a écrit en juillet. «Russes et Ukrainiens, nous sommes un même peuple», explique-t-il dans cette méditation étonnamment longue sur l’histoire ukrainienne. Il y affirme qu’en acceptant en 1924 laisser un droit de sortie aux républiques lors de la création de l’URSS, les Bolcheviks ont mis en place «une bombe à retardement» qui a explosé à la face des dirigeants russes en 1991. » | Par Laure Mandeville | Jeudi 9 décembre 2021

Réservé aux abonnés

À LIRE AUSSI :

Biden et Poutine, sommet virtuel en quête de désescalade : DÉCRYPTAGE - Les deux chefs d’État évoqueront mardi, lors d’un sommet par vidéoconférence, les vives tensions en Ukraine. »

Boris Johnson pris dans une violente tempête politique

Boris Johnson (ici, le 1er décembre, à Downing Street), fait face à l’une des pires crises politiques depuis son accession au pouvoir. DAN KITWOOD/Getty Images via AFP
LE FIGARO : Le premier ministre est rattrapé par le scandale des «Christmas parties». Des députés de l’opposition appellent à sa démission.

Boris Johnson risque de ne pas savourer «l’esprit de Noël». Alors que la fin de l’année s’approche à pas prudents, les feux des fêtes de l’an dernier viennent d’exploser dans un ciel déjà chargé au-dessus du premier ministre britannique. Le pays tout entier s’indigne d’une fête qui aurait eu lieu à Downing Street malgré les restrictions anti-Covid. Et «BoJo» fait face à l’une des pires crises politiques depuis son accession au pouvoir.

Alors que le gouvernement plombait le Noël des Britanniques en leur interdisant de se réunir en famille ou de se rendre à l’enterrement de leurs proches, il semble que l’on s’amusait bien dans les bureaux de l’exécutif. » | Par Arnaud De La Grange | jeudi 9 décembre 2021

Réservé aux abonnés

À LIRE AUSSI :

Boris Johnson, ou la politique comme un match de boxe : PORTRAIT - À force de volontarisme, le premier ministre a remis son pays sur les rails du Brexit. »

LINKS IN ENGLISH:

Lies, damned lies: the full list of accusations against Boris Johnson: Alleged dishonesty over Downing Street Christmas party and flat redecoration join list of infamous controversies »

Scathing attack on Boris Johnson by his erstwhile chum, Dominic Cummings »

The Arguments about Abortion in the US Are about One Thing: Controlling Women

THE GUARDIAN: Anti-abortionists are intent on enhancing men’s privileges, while women cannot even have rights over their own bodies

Pro-choice protests outside the supreme court, Washington DC, 1 December 2021. Photograph: Allison Bailey/NurPhoto/REX/Shutterstock
Alot of people with a lot of power don’t see why women should have jurisdiction over their own bodies. That’s the anti-abortion argument in a nutshell, in that they claim a foetus, or even an embryo, or in some cases even a fertilised egg too small for the human eye to see, has rights that supersede those of the person inside whose body that egg, embryo or foetus might be.

What was clear from the rightwing pundits and conservative supreme court justices who have piped up over the last month as arguments were being heard in the most significant abortion rights case since Roe v Wade, is that in a country whose constitution is supposed to grant us all a lot of rights, they are happy to strip away a right so fundamental it’s unimaginable in other circumstances – or that it would be stripped from other people, namely men. In the case, Dobbs v Jackson Women’s Health Organization, the state of Mississippi is asking the court to rule on whether it can outlaw abortions after 15 weeks’ gestation. They are asking, in other words, for the right to punish women for being women.

The goal of the anti-abortionists seems to be to enhance men’s privileges by undermining women’s rights, by making us separate and unequal. (People who do not identify as female also get pregnant and bear children, but the animosity is directed at women and girls, so I’m going to talk about women and girls here.) Since acknowledging this would undermine the anti-abortion case, the emphasis is instead shifted to someone else whose rights are claimed to trump those of pregnant people, the unborn. The unborn are a convenient constituency to advocate for, since they have no voice or vote and anyone can claim to speak for them. » | Rebecca Solnit | Friday, December 10, 2021

Julian Assange Can Be Extradited to US to Face Espionage Charges, Court Rules

THE GUARDIAN: Decision overturns previous ruling that Wikileaks co-founder could not be extradited due to mental health concerns

Julian Assange can be extradited to the US, the high court has ruled as it overturned a judgment earlier this year.

The decision today deals a major blow to the Wikileaks co-founder’s efforts to prevent his extradition to the US to face espionage charges, although options to appeal remain open to his legal team. » | Ben Quinn | Friday, December 10, 2021

U.K. Court Rules Julian Assange Can Be Extradited to U.S.: The WikiLeaks founder can still appeal the verdict, which would leave him facing espionage charges that could put him in prison for decades. »

Le Golfe persique à l’heure de la détente

Mohammed Ben Salman est reçu par le sultan d’Oman Haïtham BenTariq, à son arrivée à Muscat, mardi. SAUDI PRESS AGENCY/VIA REUTERS
LE FIGARO : Guidés par leurs intérêts économiques, l’Arabie saoudite et ses voisins s’efforcent de tourner la page de leurs disputes.

Après des années de tensions, l’heure est à la détente entre monarchies du Golfe, qui doivent se réunir en sommet à la mi-décembre en Arabie saoudite. Ces derniers jours, une série de visites entre leaders qui entretenaient des relations difficiles, voire même parfois hostiles, ont eu lieu dans plusieurs capitales de la péninsule arabique.

La plus marquante est celle qu’a entamée mercredi au Qatar, le prince héritier saoudien, Mohammed Ben Salman, la première depuis que l’homme fort de l’Arabie surnommé MBS a pris les rênes du royaume. » | Par Georges Malbrunot | mercredi 8 décembre 2021

Réservé aux abonnés

À LIRE AUSSI :

Arabie: sous la pression, MBS tend la main à l’ennemi iranien : DÉCRYPTAGE - Anticipant un accord entre Washington et Téhéran, le prince héritier cautionne des pourparlers secrets en Irak avec Téhéran. »

Global Gay: The Next Frontier In Human Rights - Documentary

Nov 16, 2018 • A global revolution is underway to obtain what UN Secretary General Ban Ki Moon and Barack Obama call ‘the final frontier in human rights’: the universal decriminalization of homosexuality. Homosexuality is forbidden in almost half of the world. Out of 196 UN member states, there are 7 where it is punishable by death. In 84 others, it can merit prison and physical punishment. But today, momentum is building and the debate on gay rights is omnipresent - whether it be regarding legalization in the Middle-East and Africa or the focus of gay marriage laws in the West. After years of long diplomatic struggle, several world leaders have declared themselves in favor of the universal decriminalization of homosexuality. But victory won’t come easily. The countries that still punish homosexuality refuse to give in to international pressure. Global acceptance and equality will take time to achieve. ‘Global Gay’ follows this battle for decriminalization through the lives and work of some of its fearless pioneers, providing a vibrant chronicle of the growing global social movement. In the words of Ban Ki Moon, “The time has come”. Filmed in Russia, Cuba, Cameroon, Nepal and South Africa. - Follow us on social media : Facebook : https://www.facebook.com/BestDocument...

Japans LGBT-Szene erreicht einen Meilenstein – Tokio will gleichgeschlechtliche Partnerschaften anerkennen

NEUE ZÜRCHER ZEITUNG: Auf lokaler Ebene in Japan schwindet der Widerstand gegen die gleichgeschlechtliche Ehe. Wird Japan das zweite Land Asiens, das die Ehe für alle beschliesst?

Tokio will den Weg ebnen für gleichgeschlechtliche Ehen. Bald könnte das ganze Land folgen. Auf dem Bild: Pride-Parade in Tokio 2019. | Alessandro Di Ciommo / Imago
Tokios konservative Bürgermeisterin Yuriko Koike gehört bei der Förderung von Lesben- und Schwulenrechten zu Japans Avantgarde. Anfang dieser Woche kündigte sie an, in der 14-Millionen-Einwohner-Metropole umzusetzen, was es auf Landesebene noch nicht gibt: eine Gleichstellung gleichgeschlechtlicher Partnerschaften.

«Um das Verständnis für sexuelle Vielfalt zu fördern und die Probleme der Betroffenen zu verringern, werden wir die Grundprinzipien für die Einführung eines Systems gleichgeschlechtlicher Partnerschaften im bis März 2022 laufenden Haushaltsjahr vorlegen», versprach Koike.

Damit wäre zwar nur eine gleiche Behandlung bei administrativen Akten wie Sozialleistungen oder im öffentlichen Wohnungsbau gewährleistet und keine volle legale Anerkennung homosexueller Ehen. Aber für die Organisatoren der japanischen Bewegung von Lesben, Schwulen, bisexuellen und transsexuellen Menschen (LGBT) ist Koikes Ankündigung ein wichtiger Meilenstein auf dem Weg, Japan zum zweiten Land Asiens zu machen, das die Ehe für alle ermöglicht. » | Martin Kölling, Tokio | Donnerstag, 9. Dezember 2021

La ville de Tokyo va reconnaître les unions homosexuelles : La gouverneure de la capitale japonaise a annoncé que des certificats pour les personnes de même sexe pourraient être prêts d’ici à début 2023. Le Japon est le dernier pays du G7 à ne pas autoriser le mariage pour tous. »

Apéritifs de fête : 5 conseils et 5 erreurs à ne plus commettre

Un blanc sec passera avec à peu près tous les fromages Adobe Stock
LE FIGARO : «Ouvrir» le temps des fêtes, un passage délicat à bien négocier. Voici 5 astuces et 5 erreurs à éviter pour un apéritif festif réussi.

Cinq conseils pour réussir l'apéritif » | Par Véronique Raisin | jeudi 9 décembre 2021

À LIRE AUSSI :

Comment choisir son champagne pour les fêtes ? 5 conseils malins et 5 erreurs à éviter : Le champagne est un vin et il en existe une multitude de variations et d’expressions. Traitez-le dignement et réservez-lui la meilleure place sur votre table. »

Business Insider: Why Cuban Cigars Are So Expensive | So Expensive

Jul 11, 2020 • Cuban cigars hold a reputation as the world's most opulent tobacco product. A box of good quality Habanos can cost thousands of dollars. Every hand-rolled Cuban cigar goes through about 500 manual tasks from seed to cigar. But over the last 25 years, cigars made in other countries in the Caribbean and Central America have become comparable in quality, consistency, and cost. Some experts suggest that up to 95% of all Cuban cigars in the US, which hasn't allowed the import of Cuban cigars since the 1962 embargo, are actually counterfeit. So why are Cuban cigars so desirable? And is that why they're so expensive?

Dimitra’s Dishes: Balsamic-glazed Chicken | A Meal in 30 Mins!

Get the recipe here.

Democracy Now! Top US News & World Headlines — December 9, 2021

How the Left Destroyed Paris

Dec 9, 2021 • Twenty years of socialist rule has destroyed what makes Paris so iconic: From systematically removing its beautiful 19th century benches and street lamps, to creating endless cycle lanes causing havoc across the city’s roads. The city of light has become smothered by weeds, uncollected rubbish and a rat epidemic. Watch as Parisian journalist Anne-Elisabeth Moutet investigates the state of France’s capital.

The Countries Banning Smoking and Taking On 'Big Tobacco' | 60 Minutes Australia

Dec 26, 2019 • What a fight it's become as governments around the world line up against Big Tobacco to outlaw smoking. Liz Hayes travels to California and Norway where they believe at last they're starting to win the war with tough new laws that say no ifs, no buts, no smoking - full stop.

The world is full of meddlesome people! They are not very consistent, either. At the very same time as the world is clamping down on cigarette-smoking, it is relaxing laws on the smoking of cannabis and other substances. How sensible, or logical, is that?

Furthermore, doctors and medical people are encouraging e-cigarettes and vaping; yet we don’t know the long-term consequences of that habit. Many a young person has suffered from “popcorn lung” because of vaping; some have even died.

Smoking cigarettes is not a healthy habit. That we know. But so many other habits are not healthy either. Moreover, are Americans today that much healthier than they used to be when they smoked a lot? I would say that they aren’t. Diabetes and obesity are huge problems in the States, indeed in the West in general. Diabetes, in particular, leads to cardiovascular disease just as smoking tobacco does. I would therefore posit that by making it difficult, and often virtually impossible, to smoke tobacco, we have merely traded in one set of illnesses for another, namely tobacco-related illnesses for sugar-related ones.

If you truly want a healthier population, find a way to encourage people to quit smoking (voluntarily) without those people taking up other bad habits to compensate for their loss of pleasure from smoking. But the fact remains that people throughout the ages have always got their fun, pleasures and kicks from something or other. If you take one source of pleasure away from them, they will find something else to replace it, something else to fill the void. And that ‘thing’ might yet turn out in the long-term to be unhealthier than smoking ever was! – © Mark

Black Market Tobacco Floods Australian Market

Mar 3, 2016 • As cigarette prices have risen, illegal tobacco or chop-chop is being imported into the country in increasing amounts. The Feed went undercover with Customs to see how hard it was to buy.

Neuseeland will Zigarettenverkauf an kommende Generationen verbieten

FRANKFURTER ALLGEMEINE ZEITUNG: Um sicherzustellen, dass junge Leute nie mit dem Rauchen anfangen, soll es ab Ende 2022 strafbar sein, rauchbare Tabakprodukte an Jugendliche zu verkaufen. Neuseeland möchte so zum ersten rauchfreien Land werden.

Neuseeland will zu einem rauchfreien Land werden und den Verkauf von Zigaretten an zukünftige Generationen verbieten. Jugendliche, die bei Inkrafttreten eines entsprechenden Gesetzes mit dem Namen „Smokefree 2025 Action Plan“ jünger als 14 Jahre seien, könnten in dem Pazifikstaat niemals legal Tabakprodukte kaufen, sagte die stellvertretende Gesundheitsministerin Ayesha Verrall am Donnerstag. Die neuen Regeln sollen voraussichtlich ab Ende kommenden Jahres gelten, berichtete die Zeitung New Zealand Herald.

„Wir wollen sicherstellen, dass junge Leute nie mit dem Rauchen anfangen, also machen wir es strafbar, rauchbare Tabakprodukte an Jugendliche zu verkaufen“, sagte Verrall. Dem Plan zufolge können Raucher dann auch nur noch Tabakwaren mit sehr niedrigem Nikotingehalt kaufen. Zudem sollen immer weniger Geschäfte die Erlaubnis erhalten, Tabakwaren anzubieten. „Dies ist ein historischer Tag für die Gesundheit unseres Volkes“, betonte Verrall. » | Quelle: dpa | Donnerstag, Dezember 9, 2021

Dummheit! Ein typisches Gesetz einer sozialistischen Regierung! Einmischen ins Privatleben der Menschen. Natürlich ist Rauchen nicht gesund, aber auch Alkohol, Zucker oder verarbeitete Junkfoods sind es nicht. Wird die neuseeländische Regierung diese auch verbieten? Und dies zu einer Zeit, in der ein Großteil der Welt das Rauchen weitaus gefährlicherer Substanzen als Tabak lockert und sogar legalisiert. Sozialisten werden nie lernen, Freiheit zu akzeptieren und zu feiern. – © Mark

New Zealand Plans to Eventually Ban All Cigarette Sales: The proposal, expected to become law next year, would raise the smoking age year by year until it covers the entire population. »

Business Insider: Why Frankincense And Myrrh Are So Expensive | So Expensive

Oct 10, 2020 • Frankincense and myrrh are perhaps best known for their biblical connotations. But this tree sap has been prized across the world for over 6,000 years. These fragrant incense pieces come from the Burseraceae family of trees and are found across the Horn of Africa and the Arabian Peninsula. But despite recent attempts to protect these trees, they could soon be headed for extinction. So what makes frankincense and myrrh so expensive?

The Guardian View on Boris Johnson: A Stranger to Honesty

THE GUARDIAN – EDITORIAL: The scandal of a Downing Street party in lockdown reveals something rotten at the very heart of government

Boris Johnson’s career path is paved with falsehood. He was fired from his first journalism job for fabricating a quote. As a correspondent in Brussels, he traded in grotesque Eurosceptic mythology. In 2004, he was sacked from the Conservative frontbench for lies he had told to Michael Howard, then opposition leader, about an extramarital affair.

In the 2016 referendum campaign, he misled the public over the cost of EU membership. In the 2019 general election, he boasted about the qualities of a Brexit deal he now wants to renegotiate. No one who has followed the prime minister’s dysfunctional relationship with the truth now believes him when he denies knowledge of a Christmas party in Downing Street on 18 December 2020, in contravention of pandemic restrictions. » | Editorial | Wednesday, December 8, 2021

Boris and Carrie Johnson Announce Birth of Baby Girl

THE GUARDIAN: Johnsons announce birth of daughter, their second child together following birth of son, Wilfred, in April 2020

Boris Johnson’s wife, Carrie, has given birth to a baby girl, they have announced, a second child for the couple and at least the seventh for the prime minister.

“The prime minister and Mrs Johnson are delighted to announce the birth of a healthy baby girl at a London hospital earlier today,” a statement said. “Both mother and daughter are doing very well. The couple would like to thank the brilliant NHS maternity team for all their care and support.” » | Peter Walker Political correspondent | Thursday, December 9, 2021

Gig Economy Workers to Get Employee Rights under EU Proposals

THE GUARDIAN: Draft legislation would improve status of millions of workers, with likely knock-on effect on UK despite Brexit

Gig economy companies operating in the European Union, such as Uber and Deliveroo, must ensure workers get the minimum wage, access to sick pay, holidays and other employment rights under plans for new laws to crack down on fake self-employment.

Publishing long-awaited draft legislation on Thursday, the European Commission said the burden of proof on employment status would shift to companies, rather than the individuals that work for them. Until now, gig economy workers have had to go to court to prove they are employees, or risk being denied basic rights.

Nicolas Schmit, EU commissioner for jobs and social rights, told the Guardian and other European newspapers that internet platforms “have used grey zones in our legislation [and] all possible ambiguities” to develop their business models, resulting in a “misclassification” of millions of workers.

In the EU’s 27 member states, about 5.5 million workers are misclassified as self-employed, when they should be treated as employees with benefits and protection, such as accident insurance, according the commission. Firms would only have to pay minimum wages, where they already exist. About 28 million people work for platforms in the EU, but this is expected to reach 43 million by 2025. » | Jennifer Rankin in Brussels | Thursday, December 9, 2021

Brexit may not stop EU’s gig economy reforms from reaching UK: Analysis: UK-based firms may find it easier to fall in with Brussels’ proposals to give casual workers more rights »

’The Kiss’ by Gustav Klimt: Great Art Explained

Camille Thomas – Gaetano Donizetti : L'elisir d'amore : Una furtiva lagrima | Le Musée des Arts Décoratifs

Domenico Gaetano Maria Donizetti.

Wedded Bliss

Bonheur conjugal / Eheglück
With thanks to Tumblr on Pinterest for this great photo.

Inside Karl Lagerfeld’s French Home Filled with Wonderful Objects | Vogue

Dec 1, 2021 • In this episode of Objects of Affection, Lady Amanda Harlech takes Vogue on a tour through Karl Lagerfeld’s treasures ahead of a landmark Sotheby's auction. Watch as Amanda shows everything from Karl's beautiful royal blue upholstered Bruno Paul couch to his replica Adolph Menzel paintings.

Democracy Now! Top US News & World Headlines — December 8, 2021

Patel's New Law Removes Your Fundamental Human Rights. | Truth To Power

La vie après la chancellerie: le dilemme d’Angela Merkel

Madame la chancelière – son titre reste inchangé – a toujours gardé secrète sa vie privée. Christoph Soeder/picture-alliance/dpa/AP Images
LE FIGARO : À 67 ans, celle qui va quitter le pouvoir après l’avoir exercé pendant 5860 jours semble hésiter sur son avenir.

Une dernière réunion de son cabinet, une ultime séance au Bundestag, et Angela Merkel quittera le pouvoir, mercredi 8 décembre, après 5860 jours passés à l’exercer. La chancelière transmettra officiellement le témoin à Olaf Scholz et une longue page de l’histoire politique allemande se tournera, même si le record de longévité appartiendra encore, avec neuf jours de plus, à son mentor, feu Helmut Kohl. Les compliments vont pleuvoir. Son successeur social-démocrate a déjà salué une «chancelière qui a réussi» et est «restée fidèle» à elle-même. » | Par Pierre Avril | lundi 6 décembre 2021

Olaf Scholz elected to succeed Angela Merkel as German chancellor: Former Hamburg mayor secures 395 of 736 delegates’ ballots in parliamentary vote »

Steinmeier ernennt Scholz zum Bundeskanzler: Nachdem der Bundestag Olaf Scholz zum neuen Bundeskanzler gewählt hat, ernennt ihn der Bundespräsident formal. Nach der Vereidigung des Kanzlers müssen noch die neuen Minister ernannt werden. »

Germany's Olaf Scholz takes over from Merkel as chancellor: Olaf Scholz has been confirmed as Germany's new chancellor, bringing to an end Angela Merkel's historic 16 years as leader. »

Kühler Pragmatiker mit grosser Mission: Wer ist der neue Kanzler Olaf Scholz?: Nach sechzehn Jahren unter Merkel steht ein SPD-Politiker an der Spitze der Regierung. Scholz startet mit grossem Selbstbewusstsein. Die Pandemie aber, Konflikte mit der FDP und nicht restlos aufgeklärte Vorwürfe gegen ihn könnten den Start erschweren. »

One of Suspected Killers of Jamal Khashoggi Held in Paris

THE GUARDIAN: Khalid Aedh al-Otaibi arrested as he was about to board flight to Riyadh

Otaibi (not pictured) was among 17 individuals sanctioned by the US for their suspected role in the killing of Kashoggi (above) at the Saudi consulate in Istanbul in October 2018. Photograph: Mohammed Al-Shaikh/AFP/Getty Images
French police have arrested a former member of the Saudi royal guard who has also served as a personal security official for the Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman for his suspected involvement in the murder of journalist Jamal Khashoggi. Khalid Aedh al-Otaibi was taken into custody at Paris’s Charles de Gaulle airport as he was about to board a plane to the Saudi capital, Riyadh. The arrest marks the first time that any individual accused by international experts of participating in the grisly state-sponsored execution of the Washington Post columnist has been arrested outside Saudi Arabia. Otaibi, 33, has been named as one of the “commando” group in the Saudi Arabia consulate in Istanbul where Khashoggi was killed on 2 October 2018, and was among 17 individuals sanctioned by the US for their suspected role in the murder. » | Kim Willsher in Paris and Stephanie Kirchgaessner in Washington | Tuesday, December 7, 2021

Affaire Khashoggi : un suspect arrêté à Roissy : Il serait impliqué dans l'assassinat du journaliste saoudien. Son identité était mardi en cours de vérification. »

French Police Arrest Man in Connection With Khashoggi Killing: A man with the same name, Khalid Alotaibi, is wanted in connection with the murder of the Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi. A Saudi official says France arrested the wrong man. »

Dernières Nouvelles :

Affaire Jamal Khashoggi : le suspect arrêté mardi soir à Roissy est un homonyme : INFO LE FIGARO - L'homme de 33 ans devrait être libéré au maximum demain matin. »