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Published by Euronews (English) The EuroPride march, set for Saturday in Belgrade, cannot be held as planned due to security concerns, Serbia’s Ministry of Internal Affairs informed the organisers on Tuesday. “At 2:15 pm, we received a notification from the Ministry of Internal Affairs that the march is not permitted, stating that security is the reason for the ban. That is all we know at the moment,” one of the EuroPride organisers, Goran Miletić, told the local outlet Nova.rs. Miletić clarified that the ministry had an issue with the planned route of the parade, which is expected to draw thousands of participants from Serb… Read More View the full article

Published by DPA Giorgia Meloni, leader of the far-right Fratelli d’Italia party, speaks at an election rally in Piazza Duomo. Two weeks before Italy’s parliamentary elections, Meloni, as a possible future prime minister, has provoked the European Union with nationalist statements. LaPresse via ZUMA Press/dpa With barely two weeks to go before parliamentary elections in Italy, possible future prime minister Giorgia Meloni has spoken out against homosexual couples being allowed to adopt children. In a debate published by the Corriere della Sera newspaper, the party leader of the far-right Brothers of Italy said she believed “the best possible should be offered to children who have already had bad luck.” She specified that “means having a father and a mother, stability in the relationship, what our law prescribes.” The comments led to a clash with her debating opponent, the Social Democrat and former prime minister Enrico Letta, who replied that children need love above all. “But love doesn’t play a role here,” Meloni replied in the debate published Monday night, “the state does not standardize love, Enrico Letta!” To which the leading candidate of the centre-left alliance said, “Exactly, but you are standardizing love by saying what is love and what is not.” In Italy, lesbian and gay couples are currently not allowed by law to adopt children, but it is possible for one of the partners in a couple to adopt the other’s biological child. Meloni goes into the elections on September 25 as the big favourite. With her centre-right alliance – which includes the right-wing League and the conservative Forza Italia in addition to the Brothers of Italy – she is currently on course for a clear majority in parliament. She has repeatedly and clearly stated her views on gay and lesbian adoption in the past. “Yes to the natural family! No to LGBT lobby!” she bellowed in June during an appearance as a guest of the far-right Vox party in Spain. Recently, the issue took a bizarre turn when Federico Mollicone, the cultural representative of Brothers of Italy, demanded that the Italian public broadcaster RAI refrain from transmitting an episode of the children’s programme Peppa Pig. The episode features Penny the polar bear, who has two mothers. “Peppa Pig is an animated series for three-year-olds,” noted Meloni, who said she feared that “concepts are being imposed on children.” Giorgia Meloni, leader of the far-right Fratelli d’Italia party, speaks at an election rally in Piazza Duomo. Two weeks before Italy’s parliamentary elections, Meloni, as a possible future prime minister, has provoked the European Union with nationalist statements. LaPresse via ZUMA Press/dpa View the full article

Published by New York Daily News NEW YORK — Angelica Ross is bringing a new kind of razzle and dazzle to Broadway. The “Pose” star is making history as the first transgender actress to portray Roxie Hart in “Chicago.” She started her limited run at Broadway’s Ambassador Theatre on Monday. And she’s still ecstatic about it. “It’s just going better than I had imagined but I will be honest and say that I was pretty excited from the notion of doing this,” she told the Daily News. “I come from a musical theater background … but it’s been a while since I’ve done this kind of this level of theater, live theater.” The Kenosha, Wiscon… Read More View the full article

Published by NJ.com DEAR ABBY: I am a teenage girl who has recently discovered I am bisexual. I told a few close friends, and I’m happy to say they have accepted me. Nothing has changed. I have not told any of my family yet. I know my parents will support me, but the problem is two of my four siblings. They constantly tease and taunt me, call me names and pick on me. I have been raised to stand up to bullies, and I am mostly confident with myself. I have brought up their bullying to my parents a couple of times, but after discipline from my parents they keep doing it. They are clearly homophobic, and I know they … Read More View the full article

Published by New York Daily News The 74th Primetime Emmy Awards returned to Los Angeles’ Microsoft Theater for the first time since 2019 on Monday, upended for three years by the COVID-19 pandemic. Here are all the winners from this year’s show, hosted by Kenan Thompson: Drama series“Yellowjackets” “Succession” – WINNER “Stranger Things” “Squid Game” “Severance” “Ozark” “Euphoria” “Better Call Saul” Comedy series“Abbott Elementary” “Barry” “Curb Your Enthusiasm” “Hacks” “The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel” “Only Murders in the Building” “Ted Lasso” – WINNER “What We Do in the Shadows” Limited or anthology series“Dopesick” “The Dropout… Read More View the full article

Published by Reuters (Reuters) – The Los Angeles Department of Public Health said on Monday it had confirmed the area’s first death due to monkeypox, saying the individual was severely immunocompromised and had been hospitalized. The department said it had made the determination that the death in Los Angeles County was due to monkeypox together with the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, which did not immediately respond to a request for comment. “The resident was severely immunocompromised and had been hospitalized,” the department said in a statement. It is the second known death of a person diagnosed with the disease in the United States. Texas last month reported the first death in a severely immunocompromised person who was diagnosed with monkeypox. The Texas case is still under investigation to see what role monkeypox played in the death. Monkeypox is rarely fatal, but people with weakened immune systems may be more likely to get seriously ill or die, health officials say. Anyone can become infected with monkeypox, which spreads through close contact with an infected person. Nearly all of the more than 21,985 monkeypox cases in the United States have occurred among gay, bisexual and other men who have sex with men, according to the CDC. (Reporting by Rami Ayyub; Editing by Stephen Coates) View the full article

Published by AlterNet By Brandon Gage United States Senator Marco Rubio (R-Florida) on Monday chastised the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention for including the term “pregnant people” in its literature. Rubio also admitted to not knowing where he was. “Today we are subjected to things like, there are such things as pregnant men. As of – what is it, almost ten o’clock Eastern Standard Time, are we on standard or daylight time? I don’t remember it doesn’t matter – as of almost ten o’clock today, as far as I know, every single human being that’s ever been born was born of a biological woman,” Rubio declared in… Read More View the full article

Published by The Spun By Daniel Bates One of the most competitive running events in the world is taking a step towards full inclusion, per 19thnews.com. According to the outlet, the Boston Marathon is now including a nonbinary division with more details about what times they have to hit to join the race. For 18 to 34-year-olds, (the youngest group in the race) nonbinary runners must have recorded a marathon time of three hours and 30 minutes between September of last year and now; with times slightly increasing for each age group. One runner and director of an LGBTQ+ running club said they felt “instant excitement”… Read More View the full article

Published by Global Voices The report highlights the existence of a campaign in the Brazilian Legislature to discredit and ban education on gender and sexuality | Image: Giovana Fleck/Global Voices Municipal and state parliaments throughout Brazil and members of the National Congress have used political tools to weaken or ban sex and gender education over the past eight years, according to a report published by Human Rights Watch (HRW) in May 2022. In the report ‘I’m afraid, that was their goal’: Efforts to ban gender and sexuality education in Brazil, the international human rights organization analyzed bills and laws … Read More View the full article

Published by New York Daily News NEW YORK — There will be a little less music on Broadway in the new year. The celebrated revival of “The Music Man,” starring Hugh Jackman and Sutton Foster, will shut down on Jan. 1 after 358 regular and 46 preview performances, its producers announced Tuesday. “We are so proud of our extraordinary company, led by Hugh and Sutton, for their tireless work in bringing joy to our audiences night after night,” producer Kate Horton said in a statement. “I am thrilled that Hugh and Sutton will continue to create their unique magic [on] the stage right through to the end of 2022 so that we can prope… Read More View the full article

Published by Radar Online Mega Prince William’s decision to make a joint public appearance with his estranged brother, Prince Harry, fulfilled one of the Queen’s final wishes, RadarOnline.com has learned. Queen Elizabeth II, who died peacefully at Balmoral Castle last Thursday at age 96, had expressed her wish for her grandsons to repair their relationship, according to a well-placed royal source. Mega The warring brothers have been at odds since 38-year-old Harry began dating the former Suits actress, with whom he now shares Archie, 3, and 1-year-old Lilibet. The Queen also privately voiced her concerns about Meghan Markle, the American divorcée, said the royal insider. After years of tortured silence, Elizabeth is said to have made cutting remarks and subtle steps to ensure the monarchy survived Meghan Markle and Harry’s renegade rebellion. “Her Majesty believed Meghan and her publicity-obsessed antics posed a real threat to the monarchy,” a senior courtier said. “As she faced her final days, Elizabeth detested how Harry was torn from his family to start a new life in America.” Mega While Harry and Meghan have feuded more openly with other family members, the Queen had always managed to remain above the fray — at least in public. “I’m told the Queen had suspicions early that Meghan couldn’t accept the royal rulebook, but gave her a chance — many chances,” added the courtier. The Queen’s breaking point was said to have come when Meghan vowed to walk on Washington for abortion rights with feminist Gloria Steinem. Although the queen publicly maintained her royal reserve after being blindsided by the Sussexes fleeing to the U.S. in 2020, insiders claimed she couldn’t contain her disdain over the situation. Mega “She was outraged after Meghan accused the royals of being cruel, uncaring racists and criticized Prince William’s wife, Kate, in that bombshell CBS interview,” said another palace source. “She retaliated with three words — ‘recollections may vary’ — subtly suggesting Meghan was lying. And she didn’t even try to hide her glee when Meghan snubbed Prince Philip’s funeral last year. ‘Thank goodness Meghan is not coming,’ she told her aides.” The Queen feared another Meghan drama would steal attention from her beloved Philip. The same kind of potential distraction was also why she banned the Sussexes from the Buckingham Palace balcony during her Platinum Jubilee celebrations in June. “She would not allow them to cash in on their royal connections for their megabucks Netflix documentary!” declared the courtier, referring to one of Harry and Meghan’s blockbuster Hollywood deals. Mega The Queen welcomed the former B-list actress before she wed Harry, 37, in May 2018, but storm clouds soon arrived. Meghan, 40, refused Her Majesty’s plea to resolve the bitter public feud that exploded with her father, Thomas Markle. Reports also emerged that Meghan was bullying staffers, which the American actress has vehemently denied. View the full article

Published by BANG Showbiz English Gabrielle Union is keen to make a ‘Bring It On’ sequel. The 49-year-old actress starred in the original movie in 2000 alongside Kirsten Dunst and Eliza Dushku, and Gabrielle has now suggested that she’d love to make a sequel. Discussing the possibility of starring in another ‘Bring It On’ movie, she shared: “I’ve heard many takes over the years, but I’m hearing some really great takes from some big-name writers that are very surprising.” ‘Bring it On’ centred on a champion high-school cheer-leading squad, and its success led to six direct-to-video sequels, none of which featured any of the original cast members. But Gabrielle has already considered a potential new storyline for her on-screen character Isis, who captained the East Compton Clovers cheer-leading team. The Hollywood star – who has Kaavia, three, with husband Dwyane Wade – told ‘Entertainment Tonight’: “Imagine if her daughter was, ya know, a high stepper from Jackson State, Hawthorne State or Hampton. There’s so many forms of cheer-leading that we don’t get to celebrate. The possibilities are endless.” Gabrielle has “been an athlete [her] entire life”. However, the actress previously confessed that her cheer-leading skills weren’t up to scratch. Asked about her cheer-leading experience, she replied: “Just in junior high because you didn’t have to be popular to be a cheerleader. “I’ve been an athlete my entire life, playing soccer, basketball, and softball, but those don’t prepare you for the sport of cheer-leading at all. And you can tell that I struggled because there are a lot of close-ups so it looks like I’m doing the same s*** that everyone else is doing even though I’m not as good. “I’m matching most of the more dance-heavy choreography, but the more challenging cheer-leading stuff? No.” View the full article

Published by Reuters (Corrects to clarify data is from 2022 report, covering 2021 data) By Jennifer Rigby LONDON (Reuters) – Efforts to tackle AIDS, tuberculosis and malaria began to recover last year after being hit hard by the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, but the world is still not on track to defeat these killer diseases, according to a report. In its 2022 report, released on Monday, the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria said the numbers of people reached with treatment and prevention efforts rebounded last year after declining for the first time in almost 20 years in 2020. However, all the ground lost has not been regained, said Peter Sands, head of the Fund, a public/private alliance based in Geneva. “Most countries have done an impressive job of bouncing back from the terrible disruption of 2020 … but we are not where we want to be. Far too many people are still dying of these diseases,” he told Reuters last week. For example, the numbers treated for tuberculosis fell by 19% in 2020, to 4.5 million. In 2021, this went back up by 12%, to 5.3 million – still just below the 5.5 million on treatment pre-pandemic. While malaria and AIDS programmes did exceed 2019 levels, the pandemic’s impact means they are still off-track on the aim of ending the diseases by 2030. Sands also warned that the impact of the global food crisis, exacerbated by Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, would make the situation worse. Infectious diseases are usually much deadlier for people whose bodies are weakened by malnutrition, and they also do not respond as well to treatment or prevention efforts. As such, Sands said it was “likely” that the Fund would have to work with partners to provide more nutritional support than it ever has before in order to continue to save lives. The report estimates that the Fund’s work with countries has saved around 50 million lives since its inception in 2002. It spent $4.4 billion to mitigate the impact of COVID-19 on its key areas, and fight the pandemic, from March 2020 on. To continue its work, the Global Fund is now aiming to raise $18 billion for its next three-year funding cycle, from governments, civil society and the private sector. It has already raised more than a third of the total and there are plans for a pledging conference next week, hosted by U.S. President Joe Biden. (This story corrects to clarify data is from 2022 report, covering 2021 data) (Reporting by Jennifer Rigby; Editing by Alison Williams) View the full article

Published by Reuters By Sarah N. Lynch WASHINGTON (Reuters) -Former President Donald Trump’s attorneys on Monday said they oppose the U.S. Justice Department’s request to continue to review classified documents seized by the FBI from his Florida estate last month in an ongoing criminal investigation. In a court filing, his lawyers also asked U.S. District Judge Aileen Cannon to require an independent arbiter, called a special master, to include the roughly 100 documents with classification markings in its review of more than 11,000 records recovered during the court-approved Aug. 8 search at Trump’s Mar-a-Lago estate in Palm Beach. Trump is under investigation for retaining government records, some of which were marked as highly classified, at Mar-a-Lago after leaving office in January 2021. The government is also investigating possible obstruction of the probe. His lawyers in the filing said Trump disputes the Justice Department’s claim that the 100 records in question are in fact classified, and they reminded Cannon that a president generally has broad powers to declassify records. However, they stopped short of suggesting that Trump had declassified the documents – a claim he has made on social media but not in any official court filings. “There still remains a disagreement as to the classification status of the documents,” they wrote. “The government’s position therefore assumes a fact not yet established.” The clash between the Justice Department and Trump over how to treat classified material puts Cannon on the hot seat to make a decision. If she rules that the Justice Department cannot continue relying on the classified materials for its criminal probe or insists on letting the special master review them, prosecutors have threatened to appeal to the Atlanta-based 11th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals. “In what at its core is a document storage dispute that has spiraled out of control, the government wrongfully seeks to criminalize the possession by the 45th President of his own presidential and personal records,” Trump’s lawyers wrote. “The government should therefore not be permitted to skip the process and proceed straight to a preordained conclusion,” they added. The documents probe is one of several federal and state investigations Trump is facing from his time in office and in private business. He has suggested he might run for president again in 2024, but has not made any commitment. About two weeks after the FBI searched Trump’s home, his attorneys filed a civil lawsuit demanding the appointment of a special master to review the seized records for materials that could be covered by attorney-client privilege or executive privilege – a legal doctrine that can shield some presidential records from disclosure. The Justice Department has also opposed appointing a special master to review records for executive privilege claims, saying the records do not belong to the former president. In ruling in favor of Trump’s request for a special master last week, Cannon rejected the Justice Department’s arguments that the records belong to the government and that because Trump is no longer president he cannot claim executive privilege. Cannon was appointed to the bench by Trump in 2020 just months before he left office. If the special master decides some of the material is covered by Trump’s privilege claims, it could hamper the government’s investigation. Both sides each proposed their own list of two possible candidates for the job late on Friday. They are expected to update the court later on Monday about their views on each other’s proposed candidates. If the special master decides some of the material is covered by Trump’s executive privilege claims, it could hamper the government’s investigation. (Reporting by Sarah N. Lynch and Doina Chiacu; Editing by Will Dunham) View the full article

Published by Kaiser Health News Last month, the FDA authorized omicron-specific vaccines, accompanied by breathless science-by-press release and a media blitz. Just days after the FDA’s move, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention followed, recommending updated boosters for anyone age 12 and up who had received at least two doses of the original covid vaccines. The message to a nation still struggling with the covid-19 pandemic: The cavalry — in the form of a shot — is coming over the hill. But for those familiar with the business tactics of the pharmaceutical industry, that exuberant messaging — combined with the la… Read More View the full article

Published by OK Magazine mega Queen Elizabeth II passed away peacefully on Thursday, September 8. Following her death, her eldest son was named King Charles III, his wife, Camilla Parker Bowles, was given the title of Queen Consort, and Prince William and Kate Middleton became the Prince and Princess of Wales. However, Prince Andrew, who was recently stripped of his military affiliations and Royal patronages after he was accused of sexually abusing Virginia Giuffre, inherited something different entirely in the wake of his mother’s passing — her Corgis! mega The Queen was famous for her love of her little dogs and at the time of her death she had four of them. Two Pembroke Welsh Corgis named Muick and Sandy, a 13-year-old Dachshund and Corgi cross — affectionately called a “Dorgi” — named Candy and a Cocker Spaniel called Lissy. It has not been confirmed if Andrew will be taking care of Candy and Lissy as well, or just Muick and Sandy. PRINCE ANDREW IS ‘FUMING’ OVER PRINCE CHARLES & PRINCE WILLIAM’S DECISION TO NOT LET HIM BACK INTO THE SPOTLIGHT As OK! previously reported, Andrew had been attempting to use his close relationship with the Queen to work his way back into the Royal family’s good graces, but as of now, seemingly little has changed for the Duke of York. mega “There is no new title and apparently no way back into the fold,” an insider spilled. “Instead, he just gets the dogs.” PRINCE ANDREW & GHISLAINE MAXWELL WERE ‘VERY CLOSE’ & FLIRTY WHILE ON JEFFREY EPSTEIN’S PRIVATE ISLAND, EX-MAID CLAIMS “At least he’s got plenty of time on his hands after stepping back from Royal duties amid the controversy surrounding his friendship with pedophile billionaire Jeffrey Epstein,” the insider continued. “He’s been spending most of it horse riding but will now be able to get out for walks with the dogs too.” mega Earlier this year, OK! learned the frail Queen had been suffering from mobility issues since October 2021 that caused her to no longer be able to go on her much-loved walks with her beloved dogs. The job was eventually handed over to her royal aides. Still, the pampered pooches brought the ailing monarch joy throughout her long life. Following the Queen’s passing on Thursday, photographer Annie Leibovitz shared a 2016 photo of Her Majesty and her pets. “The Queen went out walking with her dogs every day… The Queen grew up with corgis, fearless little dogs bred for herding cattle,” she captioned the snapshot via Twitter. “Her father brought a corgi home when she was seven, and she was not without one — for decades afterward.” The insider spoke with The Sun regarding Prince Andrew and the Queen’s dogs. View the full article

Published by BANG Showbiz English Beyonce celebrated turning 41 with a star-studded birthday party at the weekend. The ‘Alien Superstar’ hitmaker’s birthday fell on Labor Day (05.09.22) this year so she held off her celebrations until Saturday (10.09.22) night, where she was joined by pals including rapper Drake, actor Michael B. Jordan, reality star Kim Kardashian, musician Machine Gun Kelly and his fiancee actress Megan Fox, for a huge shindig. The bash – which was held at a mansion in Bel Air and photographed by TMZ – also included singing superstar Adele and her boyfriend Rich Paul, rapper Lizzo, pop star Jaden Smith, supermodel Bella Hadid, superstar momager Kris Jenner, her daughter Khloe Kardashian and her ex-partner Tristan Thompson, model-turned-actress Lily-Rose Depp, rapper Offset and Vanessa Bryant, the widow of the late Los Angeles Lakers’ icon Kobe Bryant. Jay-Z – who Beyonce has been hitched to since 2008 and has 10-year-old daughter Blue Ivy and five-year-old twins Rumi and Sir with – was photographed while attending the party, but his wife was not captured by the cameras. Beyonce’s birthday celebration comes after the ‘Crazy in Love’ hitmaker dropped her seventh album ‘Renaissance’ – her first in over six years – in July after sharing her the new song ‘Break My Soul’ in June. On Instagram, the Grammy winner – who is yet to drop the hotly-anticipated visuals for the 16 tracks – remarked making the LP made her “feel free”. Beyonce wrote: “Creating this album allowed me a place to dream and to find escape during a scary time for the world. It allowed me to feel free and adventurous in a time when little else was moving. “My intention was to create a safe place, a place without judgment, a place to be free of perfectionism and overthinking. A place to scream, release, feel freedom. It was a beautiful journey of exploration. I hope you find joy in this music. I hope it inspires you to release the wiggle. Ha! And to feel as unique, strong, and sexy as you are.” View the full article

Published by Sports Illustrated By Jelani Scott The star guard addressed inappropriate remarks he made toward the LGBTQ+ community over the weekend. Timberwolves star Anthony Edwards issued an apology Sunday for homophobic comments he directed towards the LGBTQ+ community on social media over the weekend. Edwards, 21, posted a now-deleted video on his Instagram story in which he calls a group of people standing outside “queer” while the camera zooms in on the individuals from the inside of a car. He can also be heard saying, “Look what the world done came to, bruh” before the video ends. The NSFW post later went viral on Twi… Read More View the full article

Published by Global Voices Graphic from the EuroPride 2022 website announcing that the event in Belgrade, Serbia has not been canceled. This story is based on original coverage by Meta.mk, as part of the regional initiative Western Balkans Anti-Disinformation Hub. An edited version is republished here under a content-sharing agreement between Global Voices and the Metamorphosis Foundation. EuroPride is a pan-European international LGBTQ+ event hosted by a different a European city every year. In 2022 it is scheduled to take plac place in Belgrade from September 12–18 and includes a film festival, conferences, and a Prid… Read More View the full article

Published by DPA Ten years ago, the love lives of millions was changed by one movement of a finger. The biggest sexual revolution of a generation came in the form of a swipe. Johannes Schmitt-Tegge/dpa Twenty years ago, the idea that almost everyone would be carrying a computer to find potential partners might have seemed shocking, or at least unlikely. Then along came Tinder and taught us all to swipe. Ten years since its inception, Tinder has people in 190 countries swiping left and right (saying yes or no) to singles in their vicinity. “Tinder is the world’s most popular app for meeting new people,” is how the service is described by parent company Match Group, which also owns OkCupid, Hinge, Pairs, OurTime and is based in Dallas, Texas. Since its launch in September of 2012, the app has been downloaded more than half a billion times and has led to more than 75 billion matches, the company says. Some 1.5 million people meet up for dates every week, it says, thanks to Tinder, available in more than 40 languages. One of its biggest competitors is Bumble, a similar app differing only in the fact that mainly only women can start a chat after the match is made. Lovoo is also a strong rival, with an icebreaker function that “is your chance to write to a special someone right away without having to wait for a match,” the company says. “With your Icebreaker, which needs to be original and personalized, you can literally break the ice between you.” Before Tinder, apps like these were mainly used in the queer community, after Joel Simkhai came up with Grindr, the first dating app based on GPS data in 2009. Grindr, mainly used by gay men and a portmanteau of “guy” and “finder,” based on the verb “to grind,” focused less on finding you a potential partner based on shared interests and more on who was nearby. Simkhai tried to create Blendr, a similar app for the straight community in 2011, but it failed to take off. Online dating only became a mass phenomenon beyond the queer community in 2012 when Tinder came along with its infamous swipe. But how far is it helping us – or has swiping left and right on people’s faces made us all superficial? “In terms of ‘openness,’ Tinder has certainly done a lot for straight people,” says Nicole von Wagner, who hosts a podcast about sex and relationships. “Tinder has triggered the sexual revolution of eternal availability. All you have to do is swipe right on your phone and arrange to have sex.” Almost everyone there has several irons in the fire, seeking the best partner they can find. That vast range of possibilities is also making many people superficial, according to author Nicole von Wagner. “We judge a person within seconds based on a photo and swipe left if we don’t like the nose.” Women often contact her saying they are ashamed of dating online, feeling it’s a sign they are unable to attract a partner in real life. “They often feel devalued by those around them for doing so. As if a flirt at the supermarket checkout till is worth more than one online.” Sociologist Thorsten Peetz, of Bamberg University in Germany, also takes a nuanced view of finding love online. “The cliché that it is a more superficial form of getting to know someone and an economization of intimate life does not do justice to the phenomenon.” People are highly reflective when seeking a partner online, he says. “Many use tests and images to create whole stories, and spell out exactly what they want and don’t want.” Peetz says looking for a partner online is not just like shopping for someone in a department store, as some imply. He is dismissive of reports of people who say they use Tinder like a catalogue to browse. “There are a number of studies in which people describe how they feel Tinder is like a catalogue to flip through or even a meat market where you look and choose, but in reality, it isn’t like that,” says Peetz. “You can’t just want to have someone, and have that work out.” The process is like a game where everyone tries to “bring their own intimate value to bear,” he says. People on Tinder and other apps present a socially acceptable version of themselves, says Peetz. We all do that every day anyway, in terms of how we present ourselves, what we wear, how we look and move, he adds. Dating apps present sophisticated challenges around identity and interpretation, he says. “The task at hand is to assess what kind of person you are looking at, beyond the screen. How do they fit into the game I want to play here? What kind of person can I actually expect to meet there real life one day?” In other words, he says, Tinder is about way more than a quick hook-up. A tap and a swipe is all that might separate you from the love of your life, Tinder would have us believe. Marijan Murat/dpa View the full article

Published by Reuters By Gabriela Baczynska BRUSSELS (Reuters) – The European Commission wants to see more action from Hungary on stepping up anti-corruption safeguards before Brussels agrees to unlock EU funds, EU sources said. One source called Budapest’s efforts to secure funds a “charm offensive” but said there had been no “immediate breakthrough” in talks on the issue last week between EU officials and Hungarian Justice Minister Judit Varga. The European Commission has been withholding its approval for Hungary to draw on money meant to help lift economies from the COVID-19 pandemic, accusing nationalist Prime Minister Viktor Orban’s government of undermining the rule of law. Ahead of Varga’s talks in Brussels last Wednesday and Thursday, Hungary announced that it will create an anti-corruption authority and a working group involving non-government organisations to oversee the spending of European Union funds. The European Commission said after the meetings that it would consider Budapest’s proposals. Varga told EU officials last week that Budapest’s promise to set up a new anti-graft agency should be enough for Brussels to unlock some 6 billion euros ($6.08 billion) in COVID stimulus funds, and refrain from clawing back even more from money earmarked for Hungary from the bloc’s 2021-27 shared budget, according to EU sources. But the sources, familiar with Varga’s discussions, voiced caution. “Let’s call it a charm offensive,” one EU official said. “But the devil is in the detail.” A second EU official said that Hungary’s proposals were a step in the right direction but that implementation was key. Orban has come under increased pressure to strike a deal with the Commission as a weakening forint exacerbated economic woes in Hungary in recent weeks. But after years of increasingly bitter EU feuds with Budapest over democratic standards, corruption, migration and LGBTQ rights, a third EU official said: “There is little trust in Hungary.” Hungary had irregularities in nearly 4% of its spending of EU funds in 2015-2019, according to the bloc’s anti-fraud body OLAF, the highest among the 27 EU countries by far. EU lawmakers will likely call on the Commission not to let Hungary off the hook when they debate the state of democracy and fundamental rights in the ex-communist country on Wednesday. The Commission then has until Sept.21 to assess if the latest proposals from Budapest are enough to ease its concerns. If not, Brussels would recommend to the other EU countries punishing Budapest under the bloc’s “money for democracy” scheme that affects all of the bloc’s joint funding worth 1.8 trillion euros in 2021-27. EU Budget Commissioner Johannes Hahn has proposed that some 70% of EU funding envisaged for Hungary could be at risk, according to a July document published by the Commission. ($1 = 0.9872 euros) (Additional reporting by Jan Strupczewski, Writing by Gabriela Baczynska, Editing by Susan Fenton) View the full article

Published by California Healthline Last year, Tim Chevalier received the first of many coverage denials from his insurance company for the hair removal procedure he needed as part of a phalloplasty, the creation of a penis. Electrolysis is a common procedure among transgender people like Chevalier, a software developer in Oakland, California. In some cases, it’s used to remove unwanted hair from the face or body. But it’s also required for a phalloplasty or a vaginoplasty, the creation of a vagina, because all hair must be removed from the tissue that will be relocated during surgery. Chevalier’s insurer, Anthem Blue Cross, tol… Read More View the full article

Published by BANG Showbiz English ‘Hocus Pocus 2’ director Anne Fletcher is “open” to another sequel. The 56-year-old filmmaker is at the helm of the upcoming comedy horror movie – which is a follow-up to the original 1993 classic and set to launch on Disney+ on September 30 – and she won’t rule out a third film if Bette Midler, Kathy Najimy and Sarah Jessica Parker all want to return as the Sanderson sisters. Speaking to SFX magazine, she said: “I have definitely left it WIDE open for any sequel. Now it’s really up to them if they want to do it. “I can’t say anything other than yes, it is left open. Will they do it? I don’t know, they haven’t even talked about it, that I can be honest with you.” Producer Lynn Harris also refuses to rule out the possibility, noting that the fantasy themes will always be popular with fans. She added: “There’s always potential. It’s a movie about magic and witches. Those things are timeless aren’t they? A multiverse of witches!” The prospect of a third film could be decided by Midler, Najimy and Parker – who play sisters Winne, Mary and Sarah respectively – with the trio also playing a huge role in making the upcoming sequel a reality. Harris recalled: “We approached the women and said, ‘Hey, guys, it’s time to get the band back together’. They were all amenable and excited and had great notes on the scrip, which we took into account, because each of them as such a deep awareness of their character. “Even though it had been 27 years, when we first started talking. They really remembered and understood who they were as Winnie, Sarah and Mary. They clicked right back into character, and it was magic.” For Fletcher, it was a dream to see the three stars interacting on set, particularly as it came to the chemistry between their characters. She said: “It is truly as though they had not been out of costume for 27 years. They went right back into character. “When I say character, not just their own individual character, but the way in which they relate to one another, which is very specific, in terms of the familial squabbles in birth order. View the full article

Published by BANG Showbiz English Lea Michele is taking a break from ‘Funny Girl’ after being hit with “early signs” of COVID-19. The 36-year-old actress has been playing the part of Fanny Brice on Broadway, but Lea has confirmed via Instagram that she’s taking a step back from the production after feeling ill. She wrote on the photo-sharing platform: “I’m devastated to say that due to early signs and symptoms of COVID and an inconclusive test result — due to the production’s safety protocols I’m not allowed to perform for today’s shows.” Lea is planning to take another test and expects to soon know whether she’ll be able to return on Sunday (11.09.22). The actress added: “Julie [Benko] is going to crush it today as Fanny – as are all of our amazing understudies who have stepped up so incredibly this week while we battle a very intense covid outbreak in our theater (sic)” A source close to production told PEOPLE: “[There is] an outbreak among the crew and cast, so they’re obviously putting safety first.” Earlier this month, Lea revealed that she broke down in tears after being cast in ‘Funny Girl’. The former ‘Glee’ star was getting brunch with her two-year-old son Ever when she learned that she’d been cast in the Broadway production. She said: “Funny story, I got the call from my agents that I got the part. I had no idea. “I was literally sitting out at Bubby’s with my child, feeding him buttered pasta and broccoli. And I get a call from my agents, and they said, ‘You are going to be Fanny Brice in ‘Funny Girl’. And as I looked up, I start hysterically crying, and I’m like, oh my God.” View the full article