RadioRob

Published by Reuters By Ju-min Park, Hyonhee Shin and Soo-hyang Choi SEOUL (Reuters) – With “Hooker Hill” and snaking alleyways of bars with signs like “BADASS” around the local landmark Hamilton Hotel, Seoul’s Itaewon district was a symbol of freewheeling nightlife in the South Korean capital for decades, before tragedy struck. The crush of partygoers on Saturday night that killed 153 mostly young people could hamper the revival of an area that was just starting to thrive after more than two years of COVID-19 restrictions, as trendy restaurants and shops replaced seedy establishments. Lee Sang-yoon, who runs a pub in the alley next to the Hamilton where the disaster took place, said it may prove a devastating blow for even those who adapted to change. “This happened right at the moment when we were about to rebound after being hammered by the pandemic,” said Lee, who has operated Itaewon businesses for three decades. “We could survive the pandemic because we owned this place, but most of our neighbours who had been paying rent here had closed their businesses and left.” A short walk from the Yongsan U.S. army garrison, Itaewon sprang up after the 1950-53 Korean War as a hangout for American soldiers, with bars, brothels and fashion shops lining both sides of the main stretch running through it. Itaewon went through decades of rises and falls. A mysterious killing called the “Itaewon Murder” and other crimes in the late 1990s painted a dark image of the area. But early in this century it became a gourmet spot and place to experience world cultures without a passport. The district has been a recurrent theme in popular culture, with a recent hit drama “Itaewon Class” and K-pop song “Itaewon Freedom”. Restrictions placed on U.S. troops after the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks on the United States prompted a shift to a local clientele, a change accelerated by celebrities opening restaurants that became popular with young South Koreans. Before 9/11, “Itaewon was full of Americans,” reminisced a 40-year resident who sells flowers on the street. Streets were just getting packed again for the first time since the pandemic, said the woman, who asked not to be named. “Before COVID, more foreigners than locals, and now lots of local people come from rural areas,” she said. “I can’t believe this tragedy really happened. Holiday or, what’s it called, Halloween? Early in the coronavirus pandemic, some of Itaewon’s gay bars and transgender clubs become a lighting rod for controversies, with dozens of cases traced to people who were faulted for not disclosing to health authorities that they had spent time there. Park Geun-ho, owner of the Havana Lounge & Pub, worried the disaster may prove to be greater challenge than anything the area has seen. “After all this, would people come to Itaewon now? They won’t,” said Park, who has run businesses in the district for nearly 30 years. Before disaster struck, Halloween festivities had been the leading attraction for years, drawing local people and foreigners to the foothills of the Namsan mountain, just steps from luxury villas occupied by foreign diplomats and heads of chaebol business syndicates, including the late chairman of Samsung Group. But questions have grown in recent years about the safety of hosting an event that draws up to 100,000 to the cramped and hilly streets, especially without shutting down the main street to traffic to accommodate pop-up stores and kiosks. “This month should’ve been a good one with the Global Village Festival, Halloween and so forth, but then this accident happened,” said Kim Kyung-mo who works at a convenience store near the alley where the crush happened. “I bumped into my boss earlier today and chatted briefly, and he obviously didn’t look really good.” (Reporting by Hyonhee Shin, Soo-hyang Choi and Ju-min Park; Writing by Jack Kim; Editing by William Mallard) View the full article

Published by Reuters UK By Ju-min Park, Hyonhee Shin and Soo-hyang Choi SEOUL (Reuters) – With “Hooker Hill” and snaking alleyways of bars with signs like “BADASS” around the local landmark Hamilton Hotel, Seoul’s Itaewon district was a symbol of freewheeling nightlife in the South Korean capital for decades, before tragedy struck. The crush of partygoers on Saturday night that killed 153 mostly young people could hamper the revival of an area that was just starting to thrive after more than two years of COVID-19 restrictions, as trendy restaurants and shops replaced seedy establishments. Lee Sang-yoon, who runs a pu… Read More View the full article

Published by DPA German Commissioner for Human Rights Policy and Humanitarian Assistance Luise Amtsberg speaks during a debate about a diplomatic boycott of the Winter Games in Beijing. Fabian Sommer/dpa The human rights commissioner of the German government, Luise Amtsberg, will not join Interior Minister Nancy Faeser on a trip to football World Cup hosts Qatar on Monday. Amtsberg said in a foreign ministry statement Sunday her decision came after Qatar sharply protested against critical remarks from Faeser and handed the German ambassador a note of protest on Friday. “The developments this weekend have made it clear to me how difficult it is in the current situation in the run-up to the football World Cup to hold the open and critical talks I planned about the human rights situation in Qatar with the Qatari government,” Amtsberg said. “Recognizing Qatar’s growing role as a regional and global player, international pressure and our efforts to protect human rights remain central after the World Cup,” she said, adding she planned a visit to Qatar at a later date. Qatar has been criticised over the treatment of migrant workers in the country, the criminalisation of homosexuality, and sustainability in the run-up to the November 20-December 18 World Cup. Qatar has said it has carried out labour law reforms and that everyone is welcome to attend the tournament. Qatar’s emir, Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Than, hit out at the critics recently, speaking of an “unprecedented campaign” against a host nation, fabricated allegations and double standard. Faeser will visit Qatar together with German Football Federation chief Bernd Neuendorf Monday and Tuesday with talks to centre on human rights. Faeser angered Qatar when she told public broadcasters ARD that Qatar being elected World Cup hosts was “a totally difficult award” for the German government which believes that human rights and sustainability should be important awarding criteria. “There are criteria that have to be adhered to, and then it would be better that it (the tournament) wasn’t awarded to such states,” she added. Qatar said on Friday it was “disappointed” and “totally rejects” the minister’s remarks which were “against diplomatic norms and convention,” according to state news agency QNA. German Minister of the Interior Nancy Faeser begins an international conference on internal security and migration by commenting on the suspected arson attack on a refugee shelter in Gross Stroemkendorf near Wismar. Bernd von Jutrczenka/dpa View the full article

Published by Euronews (English) Some 3,000 people participated in South Africa’s LGBTQ Pride Parade on Saturday, the country’s first after celebrations were cancelled for two consecutive years due to COVID-19 restrictions. However, officials in the US had warned of a possible terror attack in Johannesburg’s Sandton district, an upmarket suburb in the capital. Despite the warning, the festivities went ahead under a large police presence while officials in South Africa advised attendees that it would be safe to march. South Africa’s President Cyril Ramaphosa criticised the US for causing unnecessary panic without providing sig… Read More View the full article

Published by AFP Twitter owner Elon Musk tweeted a conspiracy theory about the night US Speaker Nancy Pelosi's husband Paul was attacked Washington (AFP) – New Twitter owner Elon Musk tweeted an anti-LGBT conspiracy theory Sunday about what happened the night US Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s husband was attacked, underscoring concerns about the platform’s future after he vowed it would not become a “free-for-all hellscape.” Musk, a self-declared “free speech absolutist,” was responding to former Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton, who had tweeted to draw a line between Republicans who promote baseless conspiracy theories and the violent attack on Paul Pelosi in San Francisco. “There is a tiny possibility there might be more to this story than meets the eye,” Musk told Clinton, attaching a link to the story, which is no longer accessible, by the conservative Santa Monica Observer. The weekly outlet has published other conspiracy theories in the past, including that a body double for Clinton was sent to a debate with Donald Trump during the 2016 election campaign, according to the Los Angeles Times. Musk’s tweet swiftly became a focal point for critics who have been nervous about the direction in which he intends to take Twitter, the leading platform for global discourse and diplomacy. Musk, whose outspoken and controversial tweets have courted trouble in the past, has vowed to dial back content moderation, relying more on computer algorithms than human monitors. Conservatives say past moderation has unfairly targeted their views. In a message meant to reassure jittery Twitter advertisers on his leadership, Musk said earlier this week that he realizes Twitter “cannot become a free-for-all hellscape where anything can be said with no consequences.” But detractors warn that without standards, the world’s “digital town square” is at risk of becoming flooded with misinformation, with possibly perilous consequences for democracy and public health. “Clinton: Conspiracy theories are getting people killed and we shouldn’t amplify them. Owner of Twitter: But have you considered this conspiracy theory?” wrote University of Denver political scientist Seth Masket after Musk’s Sunday tweet. Masket later tweeted a screenshot suggesting he had complained to Twitter about Musk’s tweet, adding: “Somehow I doubt much will come of this.” Troll campaign tests Musk Nancy Pelosi, who is second in line to the US presidency, has said her family is “heartbroken and traumatized” after the intruder broke into the couple’s San Francisco home early Friday and attacked Paul Pelosi with a hammer, fracturing his skull. The 82-year-old is recovering in hospital. President Joe Biden has said it appears the assault was “intended for Nancy,” and called out increasingly polarizing political rhetoric. “The Republican Party and its mouthpieces now regularly spread hate and deranged conspiracy theories. It is shocking, but not surprising, that violence is the result,” Clinton said in her tweet. Musk’s response came just hours after Twitter said that the site was being targeted by a trolling campaign testing its moderation policies under the billionaire’s leadership. “Twitter’s policies haven’t changed… And we’re taking steps to put a stop to an organized effort to make people think we have,” tweeted the platform’s chief of safety and integrity, Yoel Roth. Roth said that a “small number of accounts” had posted “a ton” of hate content — including 50,000 tweets using a particular slur made by just 300 accounts. “Nearly all” of the accounts are inauthentic, he said. Roth also retweeted a Musk post in which the Tesla chief reiterated that “we have not yet made any changes to Twitter’s content moderation policies.” View the full article

Published by uInterview.com A Russian appeals court upheld Brittney Griner‘s nine-year drug smuggling sentence. President Biden’s National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan said in a statement, “the President has demonstrated that he is willing to go to extraordinary lengths and make tough decisions to bring Americans home.” The White House has made little headway, however, since Griner was arrested in February at a Moscow airport for her alleged possession of vape cartridges containing hashish oil. In August, she was sentenced to nine years in Russian prison after being convicted of possession and smuggling of cannabis oil… Read More View the full article

Published by Orlando Sentinel ORLANDO, Fla. — The campaign for governor in Florida is all about Ron DeSantis’ record. His opponent, former Democratic U.S. Rep. Charlie Crist, has slammed the Republican governor and promises to roll back almost everything he’s done. DeSantis continues to tour the state touting his agenda and the controversial laws he pushed for during his four years in office. DeSantis has become a celebrated figure among conservatives for his self-described “freedom” from COVID-19 protection measures and his culture war battles. At the same time, progressives have derided him for what they consider his aut… Read More View the full article

Published by uInterview video Fortune Feimster on learning she’s not a butch lesbian, Netflix comedy special ‘Good Fortune’ Join the uInterview channel as a member to get access to exclusive celebrity videos – and your chance to submit questions for our celebrity guests! Check it out: https://bit.ly/3wtQc7W — SUBSCRIBE for more entertainment videos! Check out https://uinterview.com. The world’s most interesting people tell their own stories. LEAVE A COMMENT OR A REACTION so we know how you really feel! Follow us: IG: @uinterview Twitter: @uInterview Facebook: @uInterview Read More View the full article

Published by BANG Showbiz English Duncan James was “really scared” to come out as gay in the early days of Blue. The 44-year-old pop star shot to fame in 2001 alongside Antony Costa, 41, Simon Webbe, 43, and Lee Ryan, 39, as part of the chart-topping boyband but admitted he hid his sexuality during their heyday because they had a “predominantly female” fanbase and he was reluctant to let anyone down. Speaking exclusively to BANG Showbiz, he said: “I think going back to 20 years ago when I was secretly in the closet and at the height of my career with Blue, I was really frightened and really scared because we had a predominantly female audience so I didn’t wanna let the boys down, I didn’t wanna let the record company down. I think I just didn’t wanna let anybody down and get gay-bashed. In the 1970s and 80s, there were awful horrible stories of gays getting queer-bashed and even 20 years ago when I was in the closet I was just worried about all these things. I put my own mental health on the back burner because I didn’t want to think about it. “I wanted to put my career first, my bandmates, and my family first. I just thought ‘Well I can deal with my sexuality myself’ But by suppressing it, I really built up a lot of issues and I couldn’t even speak to the boys about it.” The ”One Love’ hitmaker – who has been in a relationship with Rodrigo Reis, 28, since 2021 – went on to add that while he is “really happy” these days, he wishes he was “brave enough” to come out because he “didn’t enjoy” the success they were having but believes the group’s latest outing will give him the opportunity to feel “comfortable” in his own skin. He said: “But fast forward 20 years, I’m out and proud and I’ve got a boyfriend and I’m really happy. I just wish I’d had the ability to be brave enough to come out earlier. I would have enjoyed Blue the first time around a lot more than I did I was living in fear and I was waking up every day feeling frightened and scared so it made me not necessarily enjoy it. This time I don’t wake up in the morning with a dark cloud or a worry over me. I wake up feeling happy and excited to go to work. “Getting on stage with the boys and I don’t have to pretend somebody I’m not or act that I’m a straight guy who loves girls. I don’t have to have that pretence anymore that I thought to for many years. For me, it’s come full circle. I can be really comfortable in my own skin and that’s something I haven’t been able to do with Blue for a really long time. This is an opportunity for me to be my authentic self and travel the world and be on stage without having to be fake. “ Blue’s new album ‘Heart and Soul’ is out now and they tour the UK in December. View the full article

Published by Reuters By Carlos Barria and Kristina Cooke SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) -An intruder demanding to see U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi broke into her San Francisco home and attacked her husband with a hammer early on Friday, officials said, in an assault that stoked fears about political violence ahead of the Nov. 8 midterm elections. Paul Pelosi, 82, was taken to a San Francisco hospital where he underwent surgery for a skull fracture and injuries to his right arm and hands, a spokesperson for the House speaker said in a statement. Doctors expect her spouse to make a full recovery, the statement said. The man arrested at the scene was identified as David Depape, 42, who was also taken to a hospital. Online sheriff’s records showed he was booked into the San Francisco County Jail on suspicion of attempted murder, assault with a deadly weapon, elder abuse, battery, burglary, and other felonies. The booking may have been conducted in absentia, as San Francisco Police Chief William Scott later told reporters Depape was still hospitalized. The Democratic speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives, who is second in the constitutional line of succession to the U.S. presidency, was in Washington with her protective detail at the time of the assault, according to the U.S. Capitol Police. Authorities were still investigating a motive for the predawn attack, which was witnessed and interrupted by police officers dispatched to the Pelosi home for an “A-priority wellbeing check,” Scott said. The incident came less than two weeks before midterm elections that will decide control of the House and U.S. Senate, in the midst of a highly polarized political climate. CNN reported that Paul Pelosi had called emergency-911 and spoke in “code,” not saying directly that he was under attack but leading the dispatcher to conclude something was wrong. Politico, citing a person familiar with the situation, reported separately that Pelosi had told the intruder he needed to use the bathroom, and then furtively called 911 from there, where his cellphone had been charging. The police chief credited the 911 operator with using her experience and intuition to “figure out that there was more to this incident than what she was being told” by the caller, leading her to dispatch the call at a higher priority than normal. Scott called her decision “life-saving.” ‘WHERE IS NANCY?’ The intruder shouted “Where is Nancy?” before attacking her husband, a person who was briefed on the incident told Reuters, on condition of anonymity. A statement from Nancy Pelosi’s spokesperson, Drew Hammill, said her husband had been attacked “by an assailant who acted with force, and threatened his life while demanding to see the Speaker.” Little was immediately known about the suspect. In recent posts on several websites, an internet user named “daviddepape” expressed support for former President Donald Trump and embraced the cult-like conspiracy theory QAnon. The posts include references to “satanic paedophilia,” anti-Semitic tropes and criticism of women, transgender people and censorship by tech companies. Older messages promote quartz crystals and hemp bracelets. Reuters could not confirm that the posts were created by the man arrested on Friday. The San Francisco Chronicle posted a photo of a man the newspaper identified as Depape dancing at the 2013 wedding of two nudist activists in San Francisco, though he was fully clothed. Depape, then a hemp jewelry maker who lived with the couple in a crowded home in Berkeley, was the best man at the wedding, the newspaper reported. Scott, the police chief, said the intruder forced entry into the Pelosis’ three-story red brick townhouse through a rear door. Aerial photos showed shattered glass on a door at the back of the house, located in the city’s affluent Pacific Heights neighborhood. Scott said police were called to the house at 2:27 a.m. Pacific time (0927 GMT), and from the front door caught their first glimpse of Depape and Paul Pelosi inside struggling over a hammer. As the three officers yelled at both men to drop the tool, Depape yanked the hammer away and was seen striking Pelosi at least once, the chief said. The officers then tackled, disarmed and arrested Depape and took both men to a hospital, Scott said. BIPARTISAN REACTION President Joe Biden called Pelosi to express his support, according to White House spokesperson Karine Jean-Pierre. Speaking at a campaign event in Pennsylvania, Biden said the House speaker was en route back to San Francisco to be with her husband. “Every person of good conscience needs to clearly and unambiguously stand up against violence in our politics, regardless of what your politics are,” Biden told the crowd. House Republican Leader Kevin McCarthy also said he reached out to Pelosi, while Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell said he was “horrified and disgusted” by the attack. The Capitol Police, responsible for protecting Congress, said it was working with the FBI and San Francisco police on the investigation. New York City police warned on Thursday that extremists could target politicians, political events and polling sites ahead of the midterm elections. As a Democratic leader in Washington and a longtime representative from one of America’s most liberal cities, Pelosi, 82, is a frequent target of Republican criticism and is often featured in attack ads. Her office was ransacked during the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol by supporters of Republican then-President Donald Trump, some of whom hunted for her during the assault. In January 2021, her home was vandalized with graffiti messages saying “Cancel rent” and “We want everything” painted on the house and a pig’s head left in front of the garage, according to media reports. McConnell’s home was also vandalized around that time. Representative Adam Kinzinger, one of two Republicans on the House panel investigating the Jan. 6 attack, condemned the rise of incendiary campaign rhetoric vilifying political opponents and promoting falsehoods about widespread voter fraud. “When you convince people that politicians are rigging elections, drink babies blood, etc, you will get violence. This must be rejected,” he wrote on Twitter, calling on Republican candidates and elected officials to “speak out, and now.” In a politically polarized climate, threats against Republican and Democratic lawmakers have been on the rise. Capitol Police said they investigated 9,625 incidents in 2021, nearly a threefold increase from 2017. A gunman angered by Trump shot and wounded five Republican members of Congress at a baseball practice in 2017, and Democrat Gabby Giffords was shot in the head at a public appearance in 2011. Paul Pelosi, who owns a real estate and venture capital firm, was convicted of driving under the influence of alcohol after becoming involved in an auto accident in May. He was sentenced to five days in jail in Napa County, California, but his term was offset by community service and credit for time already served immediately following his arrest. (Additional reporting by Brendan O’Brien, Jonathan Allen, Doina Chiacu, Rich McKay, Rami Ayyub, Tim Ahmann and Gram Slattery; Writing by Andy Sullivan and Steve Gorman; Editing by Jonathan Oatis, Alistair Bell, Daniel Wallis and Jacqueline Wong) View the full article

Published by Reuters UK By Yimou Lee and Fabian Hamacher TAIPEI (Reuters) – About 120,000 people, many carrying rainbow flags, marched through Taiwan’s capital Taipei on Saturday to celebrate LGBTQ+ equality in east Asia’s largest Pride march. Taiwan legalised same-sex marriage in 2019 in a first for Asia, and is proud of its reputation as a bastion of LGBTQ+ rights and liberalism. The rainy streets of central Taipei were packed for the annual parade, the 20th since it began and including go-go dancers and drag queens on the back of colourfully decorated trucks, joined by several senior members of the ruling Democrat… Read More View the full article

Published by Reuters UK By Carlos Barria and Kristina Cooke SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) – A man who clubbed U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s husband over the head with a hammer, shouting, “Where is Nancy?”, faced charges of attempted murder and other felonies a day after the violent break-in at the couple’s San Francisco home. Police initially declined to offer a motive for Friday’s attack on Paul Pelosi, 82, who according to his wife’s office underwent surgery for a skull fracture and injuries to his right arm and hands, though doctors expect a full recovery. But the assault stoked fears about political violence less t… Read More View the full article

Published by New York Daily News A prominent Thai businesswoman has purchased the Miss Universe Organization for $20 million, her company announced Wednesday. Anne Jakapong Jakrajutatip is the founder and CEO of the Thailand-based media company JKN Global Groups, which acquired the rights to the pageant from IMG Worldwide, a sports and event company headquartered in New York City. She’s also a social media influencer with nearly 19 million followers, a reality television personality who has appeared on Thai versions of “Project Runway” and “Shark Tank” and a transgender rights advocate who started a foundation that fights for… Read More View the full article

Published by AlterNet By David Badash,The New Civil Rights Movement In two weeks Arizona voters could elect a Trump-endorsed Republican and former TV news reporter who just approved an ad featuring what many would assume is a mild-mannered small business owner who apparently was thinking of voting for Democrat Katie Hobbs for governor but says she’s just “too liberal” so he has to vote for Kari Lake because of “President Biden’s” inflation. Lake is a far-right extremist who says Democrats are pushing a “demonic agenda.” She is also anti-immigrant, an election denier, and an anti-science Christian nationalist who op… Read More View the full article

Published by NJ.com DEAR ABBY: My 9-year-old daughter, “Kennedy,” plays volleyball. One of the assistant coaches is a transgender woman. I had known about the coach before Kennedy started playing. Although I’m okay with a transgender person coaching my child (I feel their gender identity is absolutely none of my business), my husband is not. He wants our daughter to quit a sport she loves so she won’t be “exposed” to something he doesn’t agree with. He is not transphobic, just very conservative, and he doesn’t want Kennedy growing up around it. We’re trying to steer her in the right direction with our Christian b… Read More View the full article

Published by Chicago Tribune CHICAGO — Erica Hungerford and Peter Charnley’s garage is not just any garage. For months, it’s been the repeat target of political vandalism that has damaged the couple’s Jefferson Park neighborhood home. But now, the defaced garage has newly embellished bright rainbow colors with a large mural reading, “Love Wins.” For them, their garage is now a symbol of their community’s creativity and support. Since May, the homeowners say they have experienced five separate incidents of anti-LGBTQ harassment. In the latest incident, an unidentified individual spray-painted “MA” across their garage. Due … Read More View the full article

Published by Raw Story By Matt Laslo WASHINGTON, DC — If at first, you don’t succeed (at the ballot box, in court or by an armed mob) try, try again (by controlling elections themselves). That seems to be Trump’s new plan, which has many observers, including Jan. 6 committee members, worried that America’s on the verge of a revolution. While many are braced for another violent insurrection, some fear a quiet takeover of American elections has already taken root on the right. And they’re afraid it’s going to bear fruit soon. “I am concerned that the same language, on the very same channels, at the same level— maybe e… Read More View the full article

Published by Raw Story By Matthew Chapman On Wednesday, ABC 15 reported that Arizona Republicans, including Rep. Debbie Lesko, are standing by their endorsement of a state legislative candidate who was exposed for having dressed in blackface — and one associate defended her by claiming that blackface isn’t really any worse than drag performances. “Political allies are defending Mary Ann Mendoza, a Republican Arizona House candidate from Mesa, after photos of her in blackface and brownface surfaced on social media,” reported Melissa Blasius. Mendoza, who gained prominence as one of former President Donald Trump’s “An… Read More View the full article