WIKIPEDIA: Frédéric Martel
Wednesday, December 15, 2021
«Die Mehrheit der Priester im Vatikan ist schwul» | Sternstunde Religion | SRF Kultur
WIKIPEDIA: Frédéric Martel
Ach, wie schön! Spürbare Liebe und Zuneigung.
Silvio Berlusconi rêve de la présidence italienne
LE FIGARO : DÉCRYPTAGE - Âgé de 85 ans, l’ex-président du Conseil fait campagne dans l’espoir d’être élu président de la République en janvier prochain.
Alors que Silvio Berlusconi, 85 ans, est dit mourant à chaque convocation devant le juge pour ses affaires de mœurs, l’élection du président de la République fin janvier par les 1 008 grands électeurs a réveillé ses ambitions et sa vitalité. Il n’est pas encore officiellement candidat, pour ne pas se faire «griller».
«Mais les opérations séduction qu’il lance depuis des semaines à l’égard de tous les partis, y compris vers le Mouvement 5 étoiles (M5S) dont il a toujours dit le plus grand mal, sont bien le signe qu’il s’y prépare très activement», décode Giovanni Orsina, politologue spécialiste de la droite italienne et du président de Forza Italia à l’université Luiss. Il ajoute: «Silvio Berlusconi, qui estime être l’homme politique italien le plus important de la fin du XXe et du début du XXIe siècle, considère que l’Italie n’a pas reconnu son importance dans l’histoire. Se faire élire président de la République en fin de carrière serait pour lui une réhabilitation de son rôle et de sa personne.» » | Par Valerie Segond | lundi 13 décembre 2021
À LIRE AUSSI :
La famille Berlusconi: les cinq héritiers du Cavaliere : SUCCESSIONS (5/6) - Entre les enfants de l’ancien premier ministre italien, issus de ses deux premiers mariages, c’est l’entente cordiale. Au nom du père. »
Malta to Legalise Cannabis for Personal Use in European First
THE GUARDIAN: Move by EU’s smallest member state likely to be followed by reform across rest of continent in 2022
Malta will this week become the first European country to legalise the cultivation and possession of cannabis for personal use, pipping Luxembourg to the post, as the continent undergoes a wave of change to its drug laws.
Possession of up to seven grams of the drug will be legal for those aged 18 and above, and it will permissible to grow up to four cannabis plants at home, with up to 50g of the dried product storable.
A vote in favour of the legislation in the Maltese parliament on Tuesday will be followed by the law being signed by the president in order for it to be enacted by the weekend, Owen Bonnici, the minister responsible, told the Guardian.
The move by Malta, the EU’s smallest member state, is likely to be followed by reform across Europe in 2022. Germany recently announced a move to establish a legally regulated market, following announcements from the governments of Switzerland, Luxembourg and the Netherlands. A referendum in Italy is planned, while Canada, Mexico and 18 US states have already enacted similar legislation. » | Daniel Boffey in Brussels | Monday, December 13, 2021
This is crazy. Nuts! – © Mark
Malta will this week become the first European country to legalise the cultivation and possession of cannabis for personal use, pipping Luxembourg to the post, as the continent undergoes a wave of change to its drug laws.
Possession of up to seven grams of the drug will be legal for those aged 18 and above, and it will permissible to grow up to four cannabis plants at home, with up to 50g of the dried product storable.
A vote in favour of the legislation in the Maltese parliament on Tuesday will be followed by the law being signed by the president in order for it to be enacted by the weekend, Owen Bonnici, the minister responsible, told the Guardian.
The move by Malta, the EU’s smallest member state, is likely to be followed by reform across Europe in 2022. Germany recently announced a move to establish a legally regulated market, following announcements from the governments of Switzerland, Luxembourg and the Netherlands. A referendum in Italy is planned, while Canada, Mexico and 18 US states have already enacted similar legislation. » | Daniel Boffey in Brussels | Monday, December 13, 2021
This is crazy. Nuts! – © Mark
The Government Just Took Away Your Freedom | George Monbiot
‘A Rudderless Outfit’: Conservative Press Turns on Boris Johnson
THE GUARDIAN: After Christmas party revelations and possible byelection defeat looming, loyalty for prime minister is waning
‘There may be no path back for Mr Johnson,’ wrote the Times in a leader column. Photograph: Reuters
The bad headlines for Boris Johnson began with an attempt to rewrite sleaze rules to protect the backbench MP Owen Paterson, progressed through a series of revelations about Christmas parties, and are now focused on a massive backbench rebellion and questions about the prime minister’s personal authority.
With a possible byelection defeat in Paterson’s previously safe seat on the cards this week, it is safe to call this the most difficult period of Boris Johnson’s premiership – and the Conservative press, which has long been loyal to him, is increasingly expressing its unhappiness. Here are extracts from coverage of the prime minister in right-of-centre outlets on Wednesday. » | Archie Bland | Wednesday, December 15, 2021
The bad headlines for Boris Johnson began with an attempt to rewrite sleaze rules to protect the backbench MP Owen Paterson, progressed through a series of revelations about Christmas parties, and are now focused on a massive backbench rebellion and questions about the prime minister’s personal authority.
With a possible byelection defeat in Paterson’s previously safe seat on the cards this week, it is safe to call this the most difficult period of Boris Johnson’s premiership – and the Conservative press, which has long been loyal to him, is increasingly expressing its unhappiness. Here are extracts from coverage of the prime minister in right-of-centre outlets on Wednesday. » | Archie Bland | Wednesday, December 15, 2021
Tuesday, December 14, 2021
Bitcoin Could Become ‘Worthless’, Bank of England Warns
THE GUARDIAN: People investing in the cryptocurrency should be aware of risks, central bank says
Bitcoin peaked above $67,000 a piece in early November but could ‘practically drop to zero’, said the Bank of England’s deputy governor, Sir John Cunliffe. Illustration: Dado Ruvić/Reuters
The Bank of England has said that bitcoin could be “worthless” and people investing in the digital currency should be prepared to lose everything.
In a warning over the potential risks for investors, the central bank questioned whether there was any inherent worth in the most prominent digital currency, which has soared in value this year to close to $50,000 (£37,786) a piece.
The cryptocurrency peaked above $67,000 in early November, but suffered a sell-off after news first broke of the Omicron variant of coronavirus, before stabilising around its current level in the past week.
The Bank’s deputy governor, Sir Jon Cunliffe, said it had to be ready for risks linked to the rise of the crypto asset following rapid growth in its popularity. “Their price can vary quite considerably and they [bitcoins] could theoretically or practically drop to zero,” he told the BBC.
The market capitalisation of crypto assets has grown tenfold since early 2020 to about $2.6tn, representing about 1% of global financial assets. About 0.1% of UK households’ wealth is in bitcoin and similar crypto assets, such as ethereum and Binance coin. As many as 2.3 million people hold crypto assets, at an average amount of about £300 each. » | Richard Partington, Economics correspondent | Tuesday, December 14, 2021
The Bank of England has said that bitcoin could be “worthless” and people investing in the digital currency should be prepared to lose everything.
In a warning over the potential risks for investors, the central bank questioned whether there was any inherent worth in the most prominent digital currency, which has soared in value this year to close to $50,000 (£37,786) a piece.
The cryptocurrency peaked above $67,000 in early November, but suffered a sell-off after news first broke of the Omicron variant of coronavirus, before stabilising around its current level in the past week.
The Bank’s deputy governor, Sir Jon Cunliffe, said it had to be ready for risks linked to the rise of the crypto asset following rapid growth in its popularity. “Their price can vary quite considerably and they [bitcoins] could theoretically or practically drop to zero,” he told the BBC.
The market capitalisation of crypto assets has grown tenfold since early 2020 to about $2.6tn, representing about 1% of global financial assets. About 0.1% of UK households’ wealth is in bitcoin and similar crypto assets, such as ethereum and Binance coin. As many as 2.3 million people hold crypto assets, at an average amount of about £300 each. » | Richard Partington, Economics correspondent | Tuesday, December 14, 2021
Valérie Pécresse: Part-Thatcher, Part-Merkel and Wants to Run France
BBC: France's traditional right-wing Republicans party is preparing to fight for its life in the presidential election next spring. Its surprise choice of Valérie Pécresse as candidate has boosted the party, with a new opinion poll suggesting she could beat Emmanuel Macron to become France's first female president.
You know you're making headway as a female politician when people start analysing your clothes.
For Valérie Pécresse, it began with a red jacket, worn for her victory speech after winning the nomination for Les Républicains.
One daily newspaper even asked fashion historians to decrypt it.
"This red jacket was chosen to distinguish her from the crowd," one said. "It's the colour of power."
Another described it as evoking "warrior spirit [and] blood".
Just a few days later, a poll by Elabe suggested that, if the election were held today, Valérie Pécresse would beat President Macron in a run-off vote by 52% to 48%.
That's encouraging news for a party that's been out of power for nine years, eaten away from one side by Mr Macron and from the other by France's far-right leader, Marine Le Pen. Her close ally and senator for Hauts-de-Seine, Roger Karoutchi, says Mrs Pécresse is a reassuring figure, because of her experience in running the Paris region with its 12 million inhabitants.
"It's not enough to be a woman; you have to be a stateswoman," he said. "[She] has been a minister, a deputy, a regional president. She has a proven track record on issues like secularism and security. She's extremely pugnacious: when she has a goal, she goes for it." » | Lucy Williamson, BBC Paris correspondent | Saturday, December 11, 2021
Présidentielle 2022 : la popularité de Valérie Pécresse en forte hausse, selon un sondage : La candidate LR à l'élection présidentielle est la deuxième personnalité préférée des Français, selon le baromètre Odoxa-Mascaret pour LCP-Assemblée nationale, Public Sénat et la presse régionale. »
Commentary: I Don’t Defend Using Cigarettes or Tobacco. I Defend the Individual Freedom to Use Them.
THE SAN DIEGO UNION-TRIBUNE: The once-glorified cigarette graced the silver screen and could be seen in almost every magazine. Lucky Strike advertisements were as American as apple pie. Joe Camel was a four-legged hero and probably more popular than Spuds MacKenzie. Who didn’t want to look as cool as James Dean with a cigarette between their lips? On the battlefield, a cigarette provided tranquility even if just for a moment. Taking a few drags in a foxhole on a French battlefield while German soldiers were heard yelling or reloading was a little reminder of home.
For decades, cigarettes were a normal part of life. People smoked in every setting. From dinner parties, at the office, on airplanes or in the kitchen after a long day. It was normal and accepted. Then we started learning about the negative health implications. Americans became aware smoking cigarettes can have long-term negative effects on our bodies. We learned a lot of about nicotine and its addictiveness. Cancer was then linked to tobacco use. Long-term cigarette or cigar smoking could cause lung cancer. As people became aware, folks changed their behavior. Tobacco use, naturally, started to decline. » | Jess Nuñez | Wednesday, November 25, 2020
As far as I am concerned, the problem of obesity, as brought out in this German documentary started at around the time that the authorities and do-gooders started waging a war on cigarette-smoking and smokers.
I am going to stick my neck out here and state that there is a DIRECT CORRELATION between the decrease in the use of tobacco and the increase in obesity and the incidence of type-2 diabetes. When people smoked cigarettes more, both obesity and type-2 diabetes were far less prevalent in society.
Further, the authorities keep pushing vaping and e-cigarettes as alternatives to smoking real, traditional, combustible cigarettes, yet they have absolutely no reliable data on the long-term health consequences of vaping. This is grossly irresponsible on the part of medical people and governments worldwide.
People have been fed fairy stories, myths and lies about smoking cigarettes. If you listen to what they say about the dangers of smoking, if you dare indulge in the pleasurable habit, you will end up wrinkled, bald, toothless and you'll cough your lungs up! This is all balderdash, of course. I have smoked for most of my adult life and have very few wrinkles, a full mouthful of healthy teeth, a headful of thick, dark hair and I NEVER EVER cough! Moreover, I am not fat and I DO NOT suffer from diabetes. I believe that being a moderate smoker has helped me stay relatively slim and keep diabetes at bay. So, if I wish to do so, I shall continue to smoke real cigarettes despite the nonsense being talked about them. I am as proud to be a smoker as I am to be gay! I make absolutely no excuses for either!
As it happens, I have not smoked a cigarette for about ten days now. I had no intention of giving up smoking—and maybe I haven't long-term—but due to inclement weather, it was too wet to go out and buy cigarettes; so I didn't and did without. I haven't bothered to buy any cigarettes since that time.
Despite having a twenty-a-day habit for most of my adult life, I find it very easy to stop smoking when I wish to do so. Hence, I do not believe thaat smoking is half as addictive as they say it is. In my opinion and experience, smoking cigarettes is a habit rather than an addiction. Smoking is addictive only if one allows it to become so. Personally, all my adult life, I have refused to allow myself to become addicted to anything. When it comes to cigarettes, addiction is a choice: one becomes addicted if one allows oneself to become so. Basta!
At this point, I should add that I find it both maddening and stupid that at the very time that they are clamping down so much on smoking cigarettes, they are relaxing laws on smoking cannabis and other soft drugs. It is maddening because they have made the life of a smoker so difficult and expensive; it is stupid, because they are replacing one habit they say is so unhealthy with an even unhealthier one: smoking cannabis!
I would be the first person to admit that it is far better not to smoke at all. But only if the person doesn't replace smoking cigarettes with a habit which is even unhealthier than smoking cigarettes has ever been.
There is much more I could say about this subject, but for now, I shall leave it at that. – © Mark
Drei Jahre nach dem Khashoggi-Mord sieht die Welt den saudischen Kronprinzen wieder als Geschäftspartner
NEUE ZÜRCHER ZEITUNG: Die Saudi haben Khashoggi ermordet und führen einen grausamen Krieg in Jemen. Joe Biden hatte sie im Wahlkampf deshalb als Parias bezeichnet. Heute verkauft er Riad Waffen. Anmerkungen zu einem bemerkenswerten diplomatischen Comeback.
Der saudisch Kronprinz Mohammed bin Salman und der französiche Präsident Emmanuel Macron vor dem Élysée-Palast in Paris. | Christophe Ena / AP
Am 2. Oktober 2018 wurde Jamal Khashoggi auf dem saudischen Konsulat in Istanbul erstickt, zerstückelt und dann so gründlich beseitigt, dass bis heute jede Spur von ihm fehlt. Zwei Versionen zirkulieren seither. Die Türken, die CIA und die Briten sagen, Khashoggi sei vorsätzlich ermordet worden, den Auftrag habe höchstwahrscheinlich der Kronprinz Mohammed bin Salman gegeben. Die Saudi geben den Mord zu, sagen aber, er sei nicht von oben befohlen worden, schon gar nicht vom Kronprinzen.
Die Glaubwürdigkeit der saudischen Aussagen tendiert gegen null, selbst eingefleischte Feinde Amerikas verlachen sie. Es gab anfangs denn auch so etwas wie moralische Entrüstung, vor allem von amerikanischer Seite. Nicht von Donald Trump, der damals regierte. Trump verlangte «Transparenz», aber er wies die CIA-Version zurück und verteidigte den Kronprinzen. Doch Joe Biden zeigte sich empört. Als Präsident werde er dafür sorgen, dass Amerika seine Prinzipien nicht mehr «an der Garderobe abgebe, nur um Öl zu kaufen oder Waffen zu verkaufen», sagte der Demokrat als Präsidentschaftsaspirant. Im November 2019, ein gutes Jahr nach dem Mord, bezeichnete Biden Saudiarabien als Paria-Staat, den man büssen lassen müsse für die Ermordung Khashoggis. Amerika dürfe zudem den Saudi keine Waffen mehr verkaufen, die im Krieg in Jemen eingesetzt werden könnten. » | Ulrich Schmid, Tel Aviv | Montag, 13. Dezember 2021
Am 2. Oktober 2018 wurde Jamal Khashoggi auf dem saudischen Konsulat in Istanbul erstickt, zerstückelt und dann so gründlich beseitigt, dass bis heute jede Spur von ihm fehlt. Zwei Versionen zirkulieren seither. Die Türken, die CIA und die Briten sagen, Khashoggi sei vorsätzlich ermordet worden, den Auftrag habe höchstwahrscheinlich der Kronprinz Mohammed bin Salman gegeben. Die Saudi geben den Mord zu, sagen aber, er sei nicht von oben befohlen worden, schon gar nicht vom Kronprinzen.
Die Glaubwürdigkeit der saudischen Aussagen tendiert gegen null, selbst eingefleischte Feinde Amerikas verlachen sie. Es gab anfangs denn auch so etwas wie moralische Entrüstung, vor allem von amerikanischer Seite. Nicht von Donald Trump, der damals regierte. Trump verlangte «Transparenz», aber er wies die CIA-Version zurück und verteidigte den Kronprinzen. Doch Joe Biden zeigte sich empört. Als Präsident werde er dafür sorgen, dass Amerika seine Prinzipien nicht mehr «an der Garderobe abgebe, nur um Öl zu kaufen oder Waffen zu verkaufen», sagte der Demokrat als Präsidentschaftsaspirant. Im November 2019, ein gutes Jahr nach dem Mord, bezeichnete Biden Saudiarabien als Paria-Staat, den man büssen lassen müsse für die Ermordung Khashoggis. Amerika dürfe zudem den Saudi keine Waffen mehr verkaufen, die im Krieg in Jemen eingesetzt werden könnten. » | Ulrich Schmid, Tel Aviv | Montag, 13. Dezember 2021
Monday, December 13, 2021
Pourquoi mon père s’habille comme un jeune?
LE FIGARO : DÉCRYPTAGE - Alors qu’ils flirtent avec la soixantaine, bien des hommes portent sneakers et tee-shirts quand leurs fils trentenaires se réfugient dans un vestiaire plus traditionnel.
On le lui a maintes fois répété: David, 27 ans, ressemble beaucoup à Renaud, son père, 57 ans. De la forme de leur nez à l’implantation capillaire, les points communs sont nombreux. Pourtant, dès le premier coup d’œil, une différence saute aux yeux: quand le fils porte le blazer, la chemise rentrée dans le pantalon de flanelle et les mocassins, le père préfère les tee-shirts, les jeans (parfois artificiellement délavés et déchirés) et les baskets à la pointe de la mode - en ce moment, des React Vision, modèle de Nike qui s’arrache chez les adolescents fans de streetwear. » | Par Matthieu Morge Zucconi | lundi 2 novembre 2020
Réservé aux abonnés
À LIRE AUSSI :
Vestiaire de plein air pour citadins élégants : Des pardessus en tweed de la révolution industrielle aux parkas en Gore-Tex qui arpentent aujourd’hui le bitume, comment les vêtements d’extérieur sont devenus des standards en ville. »
En Israël, les ultraorthodoxes marginalisés par Naftali Bennett
LE FIGARO : RÉCIT - Le nouveau gouvernement israélien veut briser les monopoles, tabous et avantages acquis par les haredim en trente-sept ans.
Coiffé d’une kippa, Matan Kahana, le ministre israélien des Affaires religieuses, respecte le shabbat, est fidèle aux règles de la casherout, le code alimentaire du judaïsme, respecte les traditions et veut renforcer l’identité juive d’Israël qui, selon lui, aurait tendance à se dissoudre. Ce conservateur bon teint est l’un des ténors de Yamina, un parti sioniste religieux ancré à droite dont le chef, Naftali Bennett, dirige le gouvernement de coalition en place depuis juin. Son profil pourrait rassurer les milieux religieux. Il déclenche au contraire une vague de colère dans le camp des haredim, les «Craignant Dieu» en hébreu. » | Par Thierry Oberlé | lundi 13 décembre 2021
Réservé aux abonnés
À LIRE AUSSI :
La rébellion des juifs ultraorthodoxes tourne à la violence en Israël : Une partie marginale de la population israélienne n’accepte pas les consignes sanitaires. »
How to Make Glühwein : German Mulled Wine | MyGerman.Recipes
Get the recipe here.
Delia Smith's Christmas Pudding
Get the recipe here.
Turkey Faces Threat of Financial Crisis after Lira Plunges against Dollar
THE GUARDIAN: Central bank forced to defend currency as traders respond to interest rate cut with sharp selloff
A customer at a bureau de change in Istanbul over the weekend. The lira was trading at almost 15 to the dollar at one point on Monday. Photograph: Serkan Senturk/Zuma Press Wire/Rex/Shutterstock
Fears that Turkey is on course for a full-scale financial crisis have intensified after the lira plunged to fresh lows against the US dollar.
Turkey’s central bank was forced to step in to defend the ailing currency – selling US dollars for lira – after the latest sharp selloff.
The lira was at one stage trading at almost 15 to the dollar as currency dealers contemplated the prospect of the latest in a series of interest rates cuts demanded of the central bank by the country’s president, Recep Tayyip Erdoğan.
Erdoğan’s insistence that the central bank should keep reducing the cost of borrowing despite annual inflation running at 20% has led to the value of the lira halving during 2021. » | Larry Elliott, Economics editor | Monday, December 13, 2021
Fears that Turkey is on course for a full-scale financial crisis have intensified after the lira plunged to fresh lows against the US dollar.
Turkey’s central bank was forced to step in to defend the ailing currency – selling US dollars for lira – after the latest sharp selloff.
The lira was at one stage trading at almost 15 to the dollar as currency dealers contemplated the prospect of the latest in a series of interest rates cuts demanded of the central bank by the country’s president, Recep Tayyip Erdoğan.
Erdoğan’s insistence that the central bank should keep reducing the cost of borrowing despite annual inflation running at 20% has led to the value of the lira halving during 2021. » | Larry Elliott, Economics editor | Monday, December 13, 2021
New Jersey Conducts First Gay Weddings (2013)
Sunday, December 12, 2021
Covid: UK Alert Level Raised to Four due to Omicron Spread
BBC: The UK's coronavirus alert level has been raised from three to four due to the spread of Omicron, the UK's chief medical officers have said.
The last time the UK was at level four was in May.
Prime Minister Boris Johnson is due to make a televised statement on Covid at 20:00 GMT on Sunday.
He is expected to provide an update on the booster programme. The BBC has been told there will not be any more new rules announced. » | Francesca Gillett, BBC News | Sunday, December 12, 2021
Royaume-Uni : le niveau d'alerte Covid relevé en raison d'une forte poussée du variant Omicron : Le niveau passe de trois à quatre, ce qui est le deuxième niveau le plus élevé et indique que «la transmission est élevée et que la pression sur les services de santé est généralisée et importante ou en augmentation». »
The last time the UK was at level four was in May.
Prime Minister Boris Johnson is due to make a televised statement on Covid at 20:00 GMT on Sunday.
He is expected to provide an update on the booster programme. The BBC has been told there will not be any more new rules announced. » | Francesca Gillett, BBC News | Sunday, December 12, 2021
Royaume-Uni : le niveau d'alerte Covid relevé en raison d'une forte poussée du variant Omicron : Le niveau passe de trois à quatre, ce qui est le deuxième niveau le plus élevé et indique que «la transmission est élevée et que la pression sur les services de santé est généralisée et importante ou en augmentation». »
How Traditional Panettone Is Made in Italy | Regional Eats
Saumon fumé : Quel vin boire avec ce mets de fêtes ?
LE FIGARO : Quel vin choisir pour un accord mets-vin idéal avec le saumon fumé, ce mets de fêtes qui affiche une belle intensité aromatique ?
Qu’est-ce que le saumon fumé ?
La technique du fumage apporte au saumon une intensité aromatique importante. En bouche, le goût est plutôt gras, légèrement amer et de forte persistance. » | Par Enrico Bernardo | vendredi 10 décembre 2021
Is South Africa Really a Beacon of LGBTQ+ Rights? | DW News
Wie sollen wir lieben? | Philosophie | Bleisch & Bossart | SRF Kultur
The Observer View on Boris Johnson
THE OBSERVER – EDITORIAL: The prime minister is unfit to govern the UK in its worst postwar crisis
Prime Minister Boris Johnson at a press conference in Downing Street to announce new restrictions in response to the Omicron variant. Photograph: Adrian Dennis/PA
Every month of Boris Johnson’s premiership brings a new reminder of his rank unfitness for office. As the country is on the verge of an Omicron wave that could pose a profound challenge to the NHS, the government is mired in a deep political crisis entirely of its own making, after a week in which yet more of Johnson’s hypocrisy and corruption have been exposed.
A year ago, citizens made huge sacrifices in obeying Covid restrictions to limit the number of individuals who lost their lives in the second wave. As in the first wave of the pandemic, Johnson left it far too late to introduce social restrictions last autumn, with the result that thousands died needlessly and more damage than necessary was inflicted on the economy. But public compliance with restrictions when they were eventually brought in was high, as people did their bit to ease pressure on the NHS and save lives. Relatives missed saying final goodbyes to loved ones with Covid; grandparents missed first Christmases; more people than usual spent Christmas alone. Yet we have discovered that individuals working for the government held Christmas parties across Whitehall, including in No 10, in flagrant breach of the government’s own regulations that so many people abided by, at great personal cost.
…
It is a national misfortune that we have a man who is by far and away the worst postwar prime minister in office at the time of the worst postwar crisis. Johnson lacks any shred of integrity, is driven by ego and self-interest and has been prepared to mislead voters over and over again. He is incompetent and embodies the entitled politician who sees politics as a game rather than a duty. He is utterly unfit to govern Britain. » | Observer editorial | Sunday, December 12, 2021
Every month of Boris Johnson’s premiership brings a new reminder of his rank unfitness for office. As the country is on the verge of an Omicron wave that could pose a profound challenge to the NHS, the government is mired in a deep political crisis entirely of its own making, after a week in which yet more of Johnson’s hypocrisy and corruption have been exposed.
A year ago, citizens made huge sacrifices in obeying Covid restrictions to limit the number of individuals who lost their lives in the second wave. As in the first wave of the pandemic, Johnson left it far too late to introduce social restrictions last autumn, with the result that thousands died needlessly and more damage than necessary was inflicted on the economy. But public compliance with restrictions when they were eventually brought in was high, as people did their bit to ease pressure on the NHS and save lives. Relatives missed saying final goodbyes to loved ones with Covid; grandparents missed first Christmases; more people than usual spent Christmas alone. Yet we have discovered that individuals working for the government held Christmas parties across Whitehall, including in No 10, in flagrant breach of the government’s own regulations that so many people abided by, at great personal cost.
…
It is a national misfortune that we have a man who is by far and away the worst postwar prime minister in office at the time of the worst postwar crisis. Johnson lacks any shred of integrity, is driven by ego and self-interest and has been prepared to mislead voters over and over again. He is incompetent and embodies the entitled politician who sees politics as a game rather than a duty. He is utterly unfit to govern Britain. » | Observer editorial | Sunday, December 12, 2021
Assange Extradition: UK Court Rules in Favor of US | DW News
Sailing Away: Superyacht Industry Booms during Covid Pandemic
THE GUARDIAN: Record-breaking number of vessels being built or on order worldwide, despite environmental concerns
More than 1,200 superyachts are slated to be built – a rise of 25% on last year. Photograph: Albert Gea/Reuters
In an era of environmental awareness and conspicuous displays of sustainability, you might not expect a rise in the number of people with the means and appetite for a £50m floating fortress of solitude.
But, in part because of the coronavirus crisis, the superyacht industry is booming – and the number of vessels under construction or on order worldwide has hit a new record. According to figures revealed in the latest edition of Boat International’s Global Order Book, more than 1,200 superyachts are slated to be built – a rise of 25% on last year.
“The market’s never been busier,” said Will Christie, a superyacht broker. “And I’ve been in the industry 20 years. A lot of people say they appreciate the safety of being on a yacht during the pandemic. But it’s also because whereas in previous eras the people with enough money were too busy in the office to justify the purchase, these days they can work from anywhere.
“I had one client who sent his trading terminals by plane so he could use them onboard – he’d be kitesurfing in the afternoon and then go back to his desk.”
Christie said shipyard order books were typically full until 2025 – meaning clients are prepared to pay a premium to take over someone else’s slot if it can be delivered years earlier. He argued that the ability to transport your holiday home to a different location at a moment’s notice was deeply appealing. » | Archie Bland | Sunday, December 12, 2021
In an era of environmental awareness and conspicuous displays of sustainability, you might not expect a rise in the number of people with the means and appetite for a £50m floating fortress of solitude.
But, in part because of the coronavirus crisis, the superyacht industry is booming – and the number of vessels under construction or on order worldwide has hit a new record. According to figures revealed in the latest edition of Boat International’s Global Order Book, more than 1,200 superyachts are slated to be built – a rise of 25% on last year.
“The market’s never been busier,” said Will Christie, a superyacht broker. “And I’ve been in the industry 20 years. A lot of people say they appreciate the safety of being on a yacht during the pandemic. But it’s also because whereas in previous eras the people with enough money were too busy in the office to justify the purchase, these days they can work from anywhere.
“I had one client who sent his trading terminals by plane so he could use them onboard – he’d be kitesurfing in the afternoon and then go back to his desk.”
Christie said shipyard order books were typically full until 2025 – meaning clients are prepared to pay a premium to take over someone else’s slot if it can be delivered years earlier. He argued that the ability to transport your holiday home to a different location at a moment’s notice was deeply appealing. » | Archie Bland | Sunday, December 12, 2021
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)
Série documentaire de Denis van Waerebeke et Patrick Boucheron (France, 2018, 27mn)
Saturday, December 11, 2021
Please Forgive Me for Playing This Wonderful, Energizing Video Yet Again…
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
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
Being Gay in Warsaw, Poland
Deadly Overnight Tornadoes Leave Dozens Dead In Midwest
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
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
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
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
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