Lauren Boebert faces furious backlash after calling for mass firing of teachers

Tom Boggioni
July 10, 2021

Facebook

Linking to a report from conservative website Breitbart.com stating over 5,000 teachers have signed a petition saying they will defy any ban on the teaching of critical race theory, Rep. Lauren Boebert (R-CO) called for mass firings which brought out the critics who pointed out her own educational history which included be a high school drop-out.

Referring to the petition-signing educators, Boebert wrote, "Here's a list of 5,000 teachers that need to be relieved of their positions."

That opened the door for critics of Boebert --who spends a great part of her name on Twitter -- to point that she didn't bother to get her GED until months before she was elected to office and only at the urging at Republican campaign consultants.

You can see Boebert getting schooled by Twitter commenters below:

 

 

First Nations territory, Health Canada sign landmark cannabis pact

Kahnawà:ke, Health Canada agreement on cannabis rules could spark further First Nations investment

An agreement between one Quebec-based First Nations territory and Health Canada looks to establish new cannabis regulations that could usher in fresh investment and opportunity for Canada's Indigenous communities. 

The Mohawk Council of Kahnawà:ke announced on Monday that it signed a memorandum of understanding with Health Canada that will create a licensing regime alongside the territory's cannabis laws which will allow businesses to pursue cannabis cultivation and processing licences. 

While First Nations have been involved in the cannabis industry for some time, their participation ranges broadly from legal operators to grey-market retailers. The federal Cannabis Act provides the legal framework provinces and territories are responsible for determining how cannabis is distributed and sold within their jurisdictions. However, that law does not provide sufficient guidance for how First Nations can sell, grow and process the drug as they are governed under federal purview which supersedes provincial legislation. 

While some First Nations-owned cannabis businesses have found success in the Canadian market - Redecan Pharm and AtlantiCann Medical Inc. are two notable examples - much of the industry operates in a flourishing grey market. Ontario's Tyendinaga Mohawk Territory, for example, is home to more than three dozen cannabis dispensaries selling unregulated products with little enforcement taken to rein that market in. 

Tonya Perron, Ietsénhaienhs or elected chief of the Kahnawà:ke First Nation, told BNN Bloomberg in an interview that the agreement with Health Canada will soon allow the territory to start luring new producers and retailers to the area through a unique dual-licensing program. 

"It was obvious that there needed to be a relationship with Health Canada to provide for the exchange of information between them and our Cannabis Control Board," Perron said. "Because the licencing applications would be happening almost in tandem, it didn't make sense to have any development in isolation without one not knowing what the other [agency] was doing."

A Health Canada spokesperson said that the MOU could serve as a template to establish other licensing protocols for First Nations interested in developing their own cannabis industry. 

"Health Canada respects that the Mohawk Council of Kahnawà:ke is putting processes in place and taking a collaborative approach to make sure that cannabis activities in the community are tightly controlled and regulated," the spokesperson said in an email. "This MOU helps to ensure the careful consideration of community processes during Health Canada’s cannabis licensing and oversight activities."

The Kahnawà:ke First Nation first drafted its cannabis regulations in Dec. 2018 and almost partnered with Canopy Growth Corp. to build a large production facility, plus a processing and packaging space in the territory, but plans later fell through. The territory, located south of Montreal along the St. Lawrence Seaway, also doesn't have any cannabis dispensaries, and all cannabis products that would be sold in Kahnawà:ke will come from licensed, not grey market, suppliers. 

"My hope is that for those First Nations communities that want to develop something along those lines that we've paved the way for, these laws don't give up their jurisdiction, it doesn't talk about jurisdiction. It really talks about a coexistence and being on equal footing," Perron said.  

CTHULHU STUDIES

See wild, stunning creatures just found in the unexplored deep ocean
Enchanting life.

                                                       
By Mark Kaufman on July 10, 2021


Just look at this rarely seen species of glass octopus. Credit: Schmidt Ocean Institute

> Life > Climate Change > Environment

The deep sea enchants.

Every deep sea expedition returns with footage of new, rare, and/or alien-like creatures. One of the latest such journeys, undertaken by marine researchers aboard the Schmidt Ocean Institute’s 272-foot research vessel Falkor, just brought back vivid footage of life around the protected Phoenix Islands Archipelago, located in the remote Pacific Ocean.

Take, for example, the glass octopus:

"During the expedition, scientists made two rare sightings of a glass octopus, a nearly transparent species whose only visible features are its optic nerve, eyeballs and digestive tract," the Institute said in a statement. "Before this expedition, there has been limited live footage of the glass octopus, forcing scientists to learn about the animal by studying specimens found in the gut contents of predators." (Wow.)

The explorers' deep water robot, SuBastian, filmed 182 hours of seafloor footage, documenting species (some of them almost certainly never seen before) on nine seamounts (underwater mountains or volcanoes) never explored before. Ocean scientists spotted intriguing marine behavior, including a deep sea coral absolutely covered in brittle stars. The robot filmed some life at around 4,750 feet beneath the surface.


"We know so little about the deep ocean that pretty much anyone can find something new if they were doing something unique down there," Alan Leonardi, the director of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's Office of Ocean Exploration and Research, told Mashable last year.

You can view the new, brilliant footage below. How about those phantasmagorical corals?


A squat lobster on a golden coral. Credit: Schmidt Ocean Institute


A broad pink coral. Credit: Schmidt Ocean Institute



A brittle star entwined in a metalagorgia coral at some 1,450 meters 

(4,750 feet) under the sea Credit: Schmidt Ocean Institute

Likely a new species of golden coral Credit: Schmidt Ocean Institute


Look closely: A primnoid coral is covered in brittle stars. Credit: Schmidt Ocean Institute

  

  

 

Sprinter Sha'Carri Richardson Makes First Public Appearance After Olympic Suspension at ESPY Awards

Sha'Carri Richardson was not named on the official Olympic roster after testing positive for marijuana at the June 19 trials, USA Track & Field recently announced

By Karen Mizoguchi

July 10, 2021 08:49 PM

CREDIT: ABC

After the controversy surrounding her positive marijuana test at the Team USA Olympic track and field trials in June, Sha'Carri Richardson made a red carpet appearance at the ESPY Awards on Saturday.

The sprinter, 21, attended the awards show at The Rooftop at Pier 17 at the Seaport in New York City. During the event, Richardson, who sported fiery red hair and wore a black dress, was the topic of one of host Anthony Mackie's monologue bits, when he pointed out how "high" the rooftop venue was.

"USA Track & Field, how you mess that up?" Mackie later said. "Weed is a de-enhancing drug. It doesn't make you do anything besides watch another episode of Bob's Burgers. I don't get how you justify not letting her run."

Her appearance at the ESPYs comes four days after USA Track and Field did not include the athlete on the Tokyo Olympics roster for the women's 4x100m relay race — the only event she could've competed in after she tested positive for THC, which is the chemical in marijuana and a banned substance in the sport, at the trials in Oregon on June 19.

Richardson, whose trials result of 10.86 seconds in the women's 100m race was disqualified due to her failed drug test, accepted a one-month suspension, which began on June 28.

RELATED: Sha'Carri Richardson Not Named on Relay Team for Tokyo Olympics After Positive Marijuana Test

"First and foremost, we are incredibly sympathetic toward Sha'Carri Richardson's extenuating circumstances and strongly applaud her accountability - and will offer her our continued support both on and off the track. While USATF fully agrees that the merit of the World Anti-Doping Agency rules related to THC should be reevaluated, it would be detrimental to the integrity of the U.S. Olympic Team Trials for Track & Field if USATF amended its policies following competition, only weeks before the Olympic Games," USATF said in a statement. "All USATF athletes are equally aware of and must adhere to the current anti-doping code, and our credibility as the National Governing Body would be lost if rules were only enforced under certain circumstances."

The statement concluded, "So while our heartfelt understanding lies with Sha'Carri, we must also maintain fairness for all of the athletes who attempted to realize their dreams by securing a place on the U.S. Olympic Track & Field Team."

Richardson previously opened up about using marijuana to cope with the loss of her biological mother, who died the week before the track trials.

Following the news of Richardson's positive test, many celebrity fans and fellow athletes spoke out in support of the track star, using the hashtag "#LetHerRun" and calling out the "outdated" rule against marijuana.

The 2021 ESPY Awards, hosted by Anthony Mackie, air on ABC at 8 p.m. EST on July 10, and are expected to follow COVID-19 safety protocols and adhere to CDC guidelines.

US heatwave: Death Valley records highest temperature on Earth in 100 years

10 Jul, 2021 


Firefighters from Cal Fire's Placerville station monitor the Sugar Fire, in Doyle, California. Death Valley National Park recorded a staggering high of 57 degrees Celsius. Photo / AP

Firefighters struggled to contain an exploding Northern California wildfire under blazing temperatures as another heatwave hits the US West this weekend, prompting an excessive heat warning for inland and desert areas.

On Friday (local time), Death Valley National Park in California recorded a staggering high of 130F (54C) and could reach the same high on Saturday. If verified, the reading would be the hottest high recorded there since July 1913, when the same Furnace Creek desert area hit 134F (57C), considered the highest reliably measured temperature on Earth.

U.S. Forest Service firefighters monitor the Sugar Fire, part of the Beckwourth Complex Fire, burning in Plumas National Forest, California. Photo / AP

The Beckwourth Complex — two lightning-caused fires burning 72km north of Lake Tahoe — showed no sign of slowing its rush northeast from the Sierra Nevada forest region after doubling in size between Friday and Saturday.

California's northern mountain areas already have seen several large fires that have destroyed more than a dozen homes.

Although there are no confirmed reports of building damage, the fire prompted evacuation orders or warnings for roughly 2800 people along with the closure of nearly 518sq km of Plumas National Forest.

Smoke envelops trees as the Sugar Fire, part of the Beckwourth Complex Fire, burns in Doyle, California. Photo / AP

On Friday, hot rising air formed a gigantic, smoky pyrocumulus cloud that reached thousands of feet high and created its own lightning, fire information officer Lisa Cox said.

Smoke envelops trees as the Sugar Fire, part of the Beckwourth Complex Fire, burns in Doyle, California. Photo / AP

Spot fires caused by embers leapt up to 1.6km ahead of the northeastern flank — too far for firefighters to safely battle — and winds funnelled the fire up draws and canyons full of dry fuel, where "it can actually pick up speed", Cox said.

The flames rose up to 31m in places, forcing firefighters to focus instead on building dozer lines to protect homes.

An air tanker drops retardant to keep the Sugar Fire from reaching the Beckwourth community. Photo / AP

Firefighters usually took advantage of cooler, more humid nights to advance on a fire, Cox said, but the heat and low humidity never let up. The more than 1200 firefighters were aided by aircraft. But the blaze was expected to continue forging ahead.

The air was so dry that some of the water dropped by aircraft evaporated before reaching the ground, she added.

An air tanker drops retardant to keep the Sugar Fire from reaching the Beckwourth community. Photo / AP

"We're expecting more of the same the day after and the day after and the day after," Cox said.

The blaze, which was only 8 per cent contained, increased dramatically to 222sq km after fire officials made better observations.

Embers blow across a field as the Sugar Fire continues to burns in Doyle. Photo / AP

It was one of several threatening homes across Western states that are expected to see triple-digit heat through the weekend as a high-pressure zone blankets the region.

The National Weather Service warned the dangerous conditions could cause heat-related illnesses, while California's power grid operator issued a statewide Flex Alert from 4pm to 9pm Saturday local time to avoid disruptions and rolling blackouts.

Firefighters battle the Sugar Fire. Photo / AP

The California Independent System Operator warned of potential power shortage, not only because of mounting heat, but because a wildfire in southern Oregon was threatening transmission lines that carry imported power to California.

Governor Gavin Newsom issued an emergency proclamation on Friday suspending rules to allow for more power capacity, and the ISO requested emergency assistance from other states.

Pushed by strong winds, the Oregon fire doubled in size to 311sq km on Saturday as it raced through heavy timber in the Fremont-Winema National Forest near the Klamath County town of Sprague River.

Firefighters from the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection's Placerville station battle the Sugar Fire. Photo / AP

NV Energy, Nevada's largest power provider, also urged customers to conserve electricity Saturday and Sunday evenings because of the heat wave and wildfires affecting transmission lines throughout the region.


In Southern California, a brush fire sparked by a burning big-rig in eastern San Diego County forced evacuations of two Native American reservations Saturday.

About 50 miles away from the fire, a smoke plume rises from the Sugar Fire, visible to many far away. Photo / AP

In north-central Arizona, Yavapai County on Saturday lifted an evacuation warning for Black Canyon City, an unincorporated town 66km north of Phoenix, after a fire in nearby mountains no longer posed a threat.

A wildfire in southeast Washington grew to almost 155sq km as it blackened grass and timber while it moved into the Umatilla National Forest.

A firefighter burns vegetation while trying to stop the Sugar Fire. Photo / AP

In Idaho, Governor Brad Little declared a wildfire emergency on Friday and mobilised the state's National Guard to help fight fires sparked after lightning storms swept across the drought-stricken region.

Fire crews in north-central Idaho were fighting three lightning-sparked wildfires covering a combined 160sq km. The blazes threatened homes and forced evacuations in the tiny, remote community of Dixie about 64km southeast of Grangeville.

Indigenous Americans call for justice over residential schools


BY NANCY CHEN

JULY 10, 2021 / 8:19 PM / CBS NEWS


Canadians are confronting an ugly truth. For more than a century, their government separated Indigenous children from their parents and placed them in residential schools where they were forced to assimilate. Hundreds did not survive.

Similar schools also existed in the U.S.

After the horrors and unexplained deaths recently revealed at former Indigenous residential schools in Canada, come renewed calls for justice at more than 350 similar schools in the U.S.


"There are many, many lives affected here," said Willie Johnson. "Not only from the students that perished here, but their descendants."

Johnson belongs to the Saginaw Chippewa tribe. He and the tribe are leading the drive to educate the public on what happened at the Mount Pleasant Indian Industrial Boarding School in central Michigan.

The school was run by the federal government and, like its counterparts, aimed to aggressively assimilate children to non-native culture. About 12,000 Indigenous children passed through before it closed in 1934.

"If we can imagine some of the students being as young as 2 years old, being away from your family, learning to be assimilated into the White culture was very devastating for many young people," Johnson said.

The tribe says many of the students suffered severe emotional and physical abuse, just as in Canada, and hundreds died.

Paul Walker is also Saginaw Chippewa. His grandfather was sent to Mt. Pleasant.

His father was forced to attend a boarding school in northern Michigan called Holy Childhood of Jesus, run by the Catholic Church.


So too did Walker and his five siblings. He attended the school from first through fifth grade.

Walker remembers his trip to Holy Childhood starting with an ultimatum to his mother.

"They came and told my mother that we had to go somewhere, that she'd never see us again," he said. "So they basically threatened to put us up for adoption, which happened a lot in the '70s, even in the '80s."

Walker's memories of his time at the school are filled with physical and mental trauma.

"We weren't allowed to speak our native language," Walker said. "We were told that we weren't worth anything. We were never going to amount to anything. We were dirty."

He said the whole point of the school was to "strip us of our culture. It was a form of cultural genocide. That's what it was, basically."

Interior Secretary Deb Haaland, who is the first Native American cabinet member, recently announced a new investigation into abuse the schools — which operated for over a century, and at one point held and estimated 60,000 Native American children.


Walker says his painful past led him to embrace his heritage. But for him, the burden remains heavy.

"It's heartbreaking, but for myself, I have a sense of guilt," he said. "I'm a survivor, I'm still here. I'm successful with what I do. I'm successful with who I've become. I feel for the ones that didn't, that couldn't."

A lasting reminder of the stark truths and injustice passed down for generations.

First published on July 10, 2021 / 8:19 PM

© 2021 CBS Interactive Inc. All Rights Reserved.

 

  

'Business as usual can no longer continue': Meet Melati Wisjen, climate activist from Indonesia

For seven months, Indonesian activist Melati Wijsen joined French writer Flore Vasseur on an epic journey around the world to meet young activists fighting for climate and social justice. She spoke to FRANCE 24 about their travels and the passion that is driving her fellow activists.

G20 ministers endorse 'historic' global deal to tax multinationals

Issued on: 10/07/2021 - 

Secretary-General of the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) Mathias Cormann (R) of Australia poses with Netherlands' Finance Minister Wopke Hoekstra as they arrive for the G20 finance ministers and central bankers meeting in Venice on July 9, 2021. © Andreas Solaro, AFP

Text by: NEWS WIRES

G20 finance ministers on Saturday gave their backing to a "historic" global deal to tax multinational companies more fairly and urged hold-out countries to sign up.

A framework for international tax reform, including a minimum corporate rate of 15%, was agreed this month by 131 countries.

But the endorsement by the 19 biggest economies plus the European Union will help ensure it becomes a reality following years of negotiations.

"After many years of discussions and building on the progress made last year, we have achieved a historic agreement on a more stable and fairer international tax architecture," the final statement said.

"We endorse the key components of the two pillars on the reallocation of profits of multinational enterprises and an effective global minimum tax."

French Finance Minister Bruno Le Maire was quick to hail the agreement, saying it was a once-in-a-century opportunity for reform.

"There is no turning back. We are putting an end to the fiscal race to the bottom and the digital giants will now pay their fair share of taxes," he said.

The reforms aim to prevent countries competing to offer the lowest tax rates to attract investment, which has often resulted in multinationals paying derisory levels of tax.

Final agreement is not expected until the run-up to the G20 leaders' summit in Rome in October.

'On the way'

The 15% minimum tax rate was agreed on July 1 under the auspices of the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD).

Countries including the United States, France and Germany, along with aid agencies such as Oxfam, have been pressing for a higher rate.

But some nations are opposed even to this, including EU member Ireland, which lured Apple and Google to Dublin with low tax rates.

In their final statement, the G20 ministers said they "invite all members" of the negotiations... that have not yet joined the international agreement to do so".

The minimum rate is expected to affect fewer than 10,000 major companies, but the OECD estimates an effective 15% rate would generate an extra $150 billion in revenue per year.

The measure is one of two so-called pillars of global tax reform that have been under negotiation for years, but which have been given new impetus under US President Joe Biden.

The other would give countries a share of the taxes on profits earned in their territory.

Multinationals operate in many countries -- oil giant BP is present in 85, for example -- but usually pay taxes on profits only in tax domiciles cherry-picked for their low rates.

It would initially apply to the top 100 or so companies, and is targeted at the most aggressive users of tax-reducing domiciles, such as technology giants Google, Amazon, Facebook and Apple.

Aid to poorer countries

The G20 ministers were meeting for the first time in person since February 2020, at the start of the global coronavirus pandemic, although China and India are attending virtually.

Hundreds of protesters converged on Venice, although the Arsenal area of the lagoon city, where the meeting is being held, is cordoned off to the general public.

Student Elena Carraro, 20, slammed the G20 as a rich person's club only out to protect its own.

"We don't expect the real change, radical change that we need. We need to act, we can't wait for them to do so, because the only thing they are interested in is their own wealth," she said.


Daily newsletterReceive essential international news every morningSubscribe

The G20, whose members represent about 85 percent of global wealth, also discussed climate change and the economic recovery from the pandemic, particularly how to ensure that poorer countries are not left behind.

The ministers warned that although the global outlook had improved since their last meeting in April, largely due to the roll-out of vaccination programmes, the crisis was not over.

"The recovery is characterised by great divergences across and within countries and remains exposed to downside risks, in particular the spread of new variants of the COVID-19 virus and different paces of vaccination," the statement said.

The ministers also backed an initiative by the International Monetary Fund to urgently increase aid to countries struggling to cope with the pandemic through special drawing rights, which are international reserve assets.

(AFP)

 

Bangladesh: Police arrest factory owner after deadly blaze

At least 52 people were killed when a fire engulfed a factory building where workers were locked inside. Several suspects have been arrested on murder charges.

    

Workers walk past the charred exterior of the factory where a deadly blaze broke out in Rupganj, Bangladesh

Authorities in Bangladesh arrested eight people on Saturday over a fire at a food factory that killed dozens of people.

It's the latest deadly industrial disaster to hit Bangladesh, with officials launching a separate probe into the use of child labor at the factory.

Who was arrested?

Among the eight people arrested on Saturday was the chairman and managing director of the Sajeeb Group, which owns the factory, according to Home Minister Asaduzzman Khan.

The minister's remarks came during a visit to the site of the fire on Saturday in the town of Rupganj located outside of the capital Dhaka.

Khan said what happened to the workers was "murder," echoing statements from police who said the suspects are facing "murder charges."

Four of the chairman's sons were also among those detained, news agency AFP reported, citing local officials.

Relatives mourn the victims who were killed in the blaze, while others were still waiting for news of their loved ones on Saturday

Initial investigations revealed that the main exit of the factory was padlocked, trapping those inside.

Another investigation has also been launched into the use of child labor at the factory, as children between 11- and 14-years-old were found to be working there.

What happened during the fire?

The fire erupted on Thursday night at the Hashem Foods Ltd. Factory, with flames and smoke engulfing the five-story building.

Firefighters worked through Friday to put out the blaze at the building, where highly flammable chemicals were stored.

At least 52 people are confirmed dead, while several others remain missing.

The main exit of the factory was illegally locked, authorities said

On one floor alone, rescuers discovered the bodies of 48 people. Family members struggled to identify remains at the morgue while others waited for news of their missing loved ones on Saturday.

Officials have not yet commented on what started the blaze, but said they uncovered several safety violations at the site in addition to the locked exit.

Safety concerns renewed

Bangladesh pledged safety reforms following a series of tragic fires and industrial disasters in recent years.

The Rana Plaza disaster of 2013 in particular sparked the push for reform. Over 1,100 people died when the nine-story complex collapsed.

In 2012, a fire at a garment factory outside of Dhaka killed 112 people. The workers were also trapped behind locked gates at the factory.

A major fire also destroyed shelters at a Cox's Bazar refugee camp for Rohingya Muslims earlier this year.

rs/csb (AFP, AP)

The eight-year marathon to bring Anne Frank to the big screen

Issued on: 10/07/2021 - 

Israeli Director Ari Folman made one of the most successful adult animated films of all time with "Waltz with Bashir" before tackling Anne Frank 

CHRISTOPHE SIMON AFP


Cannes (France) (AFP)

After making one of the most successful adult animated films of all time in "Waltz With Bashir", Israeli director Ari Folman vowed never to tackle the mind-bending complexity of such projects again.

But when he got the chance to bring the iconic story of Anne Frank to the big screen for children, he couldn't resist -- even though it ended up taking over his life for eight years.

"Where is Anne Frank", which debuted at Cannes this week, is another beautifully drawn cartoon, and his first to be aimed at younger audiences.

Folman happily admits this is because his last attempt at an adult animation -- "The Congress" starring Robin Wright and Harvey Keitel -- was a massive flop.

Despite being praised by critics, that film was "a disaster in the box office," Folman told AFP in an interview at Cannes.

"I hassled so many people, raised $10 million, had hundreds of animators, and then no one saw the movie!

"I thought: no more animation for adults. If you want to deal with these incredibly tough productions, it should be for a wide audience, which means a family movie," he said.

It helps that "The Diary of Anne Frank" remains one of the most beloved and important books of the last century.

Folman's film follows Kitty, Anne's imaginary friend from the diary, jumping between the present day and the real-life story of Anne and her family hiding from the Nazis in occupied Amsterdam.

"(Anne) became part of my life in a way that I can't even explain," said Folman. "My youngest daughter was here at the screening, she's 14. She told me she can't remember life without Anne Frank. She was six when I started."

- 'Wicked as hell' -

The film seeks to move beyond the iconic image of Anne, Folman said.

"She's an icon but more than that, she was a teenager -- isolated, going through adolescence, funny, wicked as hell, a great observer of the adults, seeing everyone's faults, attacking them. She was great fun. I thought we should see all aspects of her character," said Folman.

The film seems destined for a wide audience, though Folman says he would need some serious brainpower to take on another animated project.

"For the next film, I'm looking for a mathematician, or a chess player -- I'm not joking -- to do the calculations," he said.

That's because there are so many moving parts to consider with an animated film.

"Where is Anne Frank", for instance, had 1,100 shots, each having to go through 11 different stages, shared between 12 studios in different countries.

"Each delay impacts every part of the chain," said Folman, half-laughing, half-despairing. "If you miss something, you are half-a-million dollars short. No one can calculate it."

"My dream is an alien machine which can see all 12,000 elements, each change happening in every studio, how long it takes and how we can fix it. I couldn't find one. Maybe Kasparov can do it!"

© 2021 AFP

Verhoeven hits back at fury over his Cannes lesbian nun flick

Issued on: 10/07/2021 

The "Basic Instinct" and "Showgirls" director (R) who has also long drawn the ire of feminists, told reporters at the Cannes film festival that he had nothing to be ashamed of 

Valery HACHE AFP

Cannes (France) (AFP)

Veteran film provocateur Paul Verhoeven hit back Saturday at Catholics who have condemned his lesbian nun movie "Benedetta" as blasphemous over scenes in which a statue of the Virgin Mary is used as a sex toy.

The "Basic Instinct" and "Showgirls" director, who has also long drawn the ire of feminists, told reporters at the Cannes film festival that he had nothing to be ashamed of.

"How you can you be blasphemous about something that happened, that's true?" the 82-year-old told reporters in response to social media outrage over the illicit relationship at the heart of the film between a 17th-century Italian abbess and one of her novices.

"You cannot talk about blasphemy about something that happened four hundred years ago. I think that's wrong," he added.

The big-budget romp, which delights in its rather obvious eroticism, is in the running for Cannes top prize, the Palme d'Or.

Belgian star Virginie Efira -- who also featured in Verhoeven's Oscar-nominated "Elle" about a woman's rape fantasies -- plays the errant abbess Benedetta Carlini, who is stripped of her authority (and just about everything else) when her passion for a fellow nun is revealed.

While many critics panned the film, with The Guardian saying that "Verhoeven may have to do some contrite murmuring in the confessional for this one", the BBC proclaimed it a "searing exploration of faith and organised religion" as it anointed it with five stars.

The movie industry bible Variety took a middle path, deeming it a "guilty-pleasure nunsploitation" flick.

Verhoeven adapted the film from an acclaimed non-fiction book by Judith C. Brown, "Immodest Acts: The Life of a Lesbian Nun in Renaissance Italy".

The director, who has previously denied there was such a thing as a "male gaze", even claimed that his film could be seen as feminist, an assertion backed by one of his actresses, Louise Chevillotte.

"From the moment you let women have complex characters that are so violent and so subversive, yes, there is feminism," she said.

© 2021 AFP

After the riots, the movie: 'Yellow Vests' take on Cannes

Issued on: 10/07/2021 - 

France has 'become more and more violent', Corsini says

 CHRISTOPHE SIMON AFP

Cannes (France) (AFP)

Two years after shaking France to the core with their protests, the "Yellow Vests" were back in the spotlight Saturday, this time in a film by one of its most innovative directors.

"The Divide" by Catherine Corsini describes events at a Paris hospital during violent clashes between demonstrators and police that turned the capital's chic neighbourhoods into virtual war zones throughout 2018 and 2019.

Using handheld shots and rapid edits to capture the chaos as doctors and nurses struggle to cope, the film depicts a country in deep conflict during the presidency of former investment banker Emmanuel Macron, the main target of the angry protests.

Sparked by a petrol tax hike, the Yellow Vest movement quickly broadened to reflect widespread outrage over the plight of ordinary people and the indifference of Parisian elites.

"It was hugely important for me to talk about what is going on in France today," Corsini told AFP in an interview.

"Our society has become more and more violent, and social misery has become a permanent state of affairs," she said.

- 'Must take a stand' -

Corsini -- who freely acknowledges being part of the progressive, educated and fashionable urbanites known as "Les Bobos" -- said she came to realise "that my films must take a stand and become more political".

Riot police in the film are depicted as violent and uncaring, while injured demonstrators overrun the hospital in a desperate bid to escape police brutality.

Corsini said she made nothing up: media widely reported yellow vest protesters losing their eyes when they were hit by police projectiles. One had his hand ripped off picking up a police flash-ball grenade.

The film's main male character, Yann, is shot in the leg by police, but worries more about losing his precarious job as a truck driver than about his injury.#photo1

In hospital he meets a same-sex couple going through a relationship crisis.

At first the encounter between the provincial "prole" and the artistic Parisian couple -- which is inspired by Corsini's own relationship -- is testy.

But then it morphs into a degree of mutual understanding, something Corsini said France, too, could use more of.

"Our country is full of extremes," Corsini said. "We want both social protection, and we also want to be liberal.

"There are so many contradictions, but they have made us who we are. Opposition and rebellion hold us together," she said, before adding: "We need to find ways to live together."

- 'Full of extremes' -

France's hospital workers are the real heros of the film.

Proud to be working for a health system that, says one, "was still free of charge when I last looked", they are overworked, underpaid and exasperated, but also full of humanity and humour.

They also feel deep sympathy for the yellow vest protesters and won't denounce them to police, despite their boss's order to do so.

"The Divide" was shot before the Covid-19 pandemic which pushed France's hospitals and health workers to a new breaking point.

The coronavirus also put an end to the yellow vest demos, although there have been some attempts at a comeback.#photo2

In her three decades of filmmaking, the 65-year-old Corsini has made her mark primarily as a discreet but powerful voice for women's freedom, exploring themes of homosexuality, patriarchy and gender equality.

"The Divide" is among 24 films competing for the festival's top prize, the Palme d'Or.

© 2021 AFP

Even at 75, the bikini never gets old

In 1946, a French engineer came up with a scandalous new piece of clothing for women: the bikini, made up of strips of cloth that revealed more than they hid on the beach and in the pool.

EVEN AT 75, THE BIKINI NEVER GETS OLD
The story of four triangles
Four tiny triangles held together by string - that's about as small as you can get. On July 5, 1946, a striptease dancer by the name of Micheline Bernardini posed in front of cameras by a Paris swimming pool, wearing a two-piece swimsuit: the very first bikini. It was invented by French mechanical engineer, Louis Réard. Little did he know at the time, the bikini would be here to stay. 1234567891011

French mechanical engineer Louis Réard couldn't find a willing model, so he hired striptease dancer Micheline Bernardini for the presentation of his bikini on July 5, 1946.

The timing was no coincidence. The US military had just grabbed the world's attention by testing a nuclear bomb on the Bikini Atoll in the South Pacific. The new swimwear trend turned out to be equally explosive.

Réard did not miscalculate: Showing that much skin was not acceptable at that time. Moral guardians were convinced that women should don skirts and long aprons instead of shamelessly taking their clothes off.
Skimpy attire for the future

The bikini was banned in public for many years, and even the famous fashion magazine "Vogue" rejected the tiny swimsuit. Film stars like Marilyn Monroe and Brigitte Bardot, however, remained faithful to bikinis and were regularly photographed in them.

The James Bond film "Dr. No" in 1962 marked a turning point for the two-piece. Swiss model and actress Ursula Andress sported one in an unforgettable scene, and her swimsuit went down in history as the "Dr. No Bikini."

In the 1960s, the bikini quickly became unstoppable and took on many forms, from the self-adhesive "Trikini" to the topless "Monokini" (which, however, didn't become a bestseller).

The swimwear revolution went hand in hand with the growing emancipation of women, which was also marked by the birth control pill, the miniskirt and the social unrest of the 1960s. For many women, the bikini was a symbol of liberation.
A coveted fashion item

Even after 75 years, the bikini can still be found at fashion shows, beaches and pools the world over. Models no longer have to be begged to present the latest designs. In the 1980s and 90s, bikini fashion shows became even more popular than the otherwise beloved bridal wear events. Supermodels like Claudia Schiffer, Linda Evangelista and Naomi Campbell competed for such jobs on the catwalk.

A classic worn by women of all ages and body types, the bikini has made a fashion statement for the past seven decades, ans is here to stay.

 

New elections in Bulgaria: Tired of lies, young voters want 'green' solutions

After failed attempts to form a government, new elections will take place on July 11. Young Bulgarians intend to cast their ballots for a new generation of politicians who promise to fight corruption and pollution.

    

Supporters of the 'Democratic Bulgaria' alliance, which includes the 'Green Movement'

"We urgently need more digitalization, legal reforms and a pension increase," explains Daniel Yanev, a 26-year-old Bulgarian living in Berlin. In the summer of 2020, he actively took part in protests against the then-government in his homeland. " I simply find it impossible to accept that Bulgaria cannot fulfil its economic potential and that, as a result, people's standard of living is still way below the EU average. And all that is down to the ubiquitous corruption and the way in which public money is wasted in Bulgaria," Yanev tells DW.

On July 11, Bulgarians will be called to the ballot box for the second time this year, after attempts to form a government after the April 4 election failed. Young people who took to the streets last year are once more determined to cast their votes in order to finally precipitate change in the corruption-ridden Balkan country — even if that means they will have to interrupt their summer holidays to do so.

Daniel Yanev is one of the founders of the 'Are you lying?' fact-checking platform

Together with friends, Daniel Yanev set up a fact-checking platform where its name translates to "Are you lying?" During the election campaign, the founders research whether politicians spread falsehoods or manipulative statements and publish their findings online. "We give special attention to checking statements relating to areas of economy and health," Daniel says. "Incorrect information on issues such as these are particularly dangerous."

Although Daniel has already decided which party will receive his support on election day, he is at a loss — because, even members of "his" party do not tell the truth sometimes. "Working on the 'Are you lying' platform has taught me to think critically."

Suffering from corruption

"Corruption is the main scourge in our country," agrees Boris Bonev. In 2015, he joined other young activists in founding "Save Sofia," a NGO watchdog which monitors and criticizes the policies of the Bulgarian capital's mayor, Yordanka Fandakova, and the city's administration.

Boris Bonev, co-founder of the watchdog NGO 'Save Sofia'

Bonev, who studied business as well as innovation and technology management in Paris, and the "Save Sofia" platform constantly submit proposals as to how Sofia can become a more modern, more innovative and "greener" city. In 2019, the now 33-year-old ran for mayor on an independent ticket and received more than 10% of the vote.

The struggle begins in Sofia

According to Bonev, the opposition's victories in the Hungarian capital Budapest and the Turkish megacity Istanbul show that dismantling a corrupt system of the kind that was established in the last couple of years in Bulgaria by former Prime Minister Boyko Borisov, has to start in the big cities. "The struggle for Bulgaria begins in Sofia," Bonev says with conviction.

Until May 12, 2021, Boyko Borisov served as Bulgaria's Prime Minister

According to Transparency International's most recent corruption index, 90% of Bulgarians think that corruption at a government level is problematic. "People are tired of living in Europe's most squalid and most chaotic cities, under a government guided by corruption, instead of level-headed decisions," Bonev says.

'Green' solutions

Bonev's "Save Sofia" NGO has declared its support for nine of the candidates fielded by the "Democratic Bulgaria" (DB) alliance. DB is an amalgamation of parties which also includes the "Green Movement." DB gaining seats in parliament in the wake of the April 2020 elections meant that Bulgaria had Green MPs for the first time since the 1990s. Of the nine DB candidates endorsed by "Save Sofia," five are representatives of the Bulgarian Greens.

Each year, air pollution in the Bulgarian capital claims hundreds of lives

"Our organization is part of the so-called green wave in Europe," Bonev says. He is convinced that Bulgaria and the capital, Sofia, in particular urgently need green solutions. "The fight against air pollution, which each year claims hundreds of lives in Sofia, is one of our main priorities. The other important goal is reducing car traffic. This can only work if alternatives are provided."

Twenty-six-year-old activist Daniel Yanev is looking for alternatives as well. He believes that Bulgaria needs a new generation of politicians — modern, young and independent: "At the election on July 11, I will support candidates who are experts and who do not have a dubious past." According to Yanev, such people are not just needed for Bulgarian politics, but also for the economy of the EU member state.