CNN reports that the annual vigil will not take place this year after police refused organisers permission. No one would be surprised if China bans this for good.

It’s absurd that we live in an era where basic human rights are challenged in civilised countries.

This week’s Torah reading is Numbers 4:21–7:89.

שבת שלום!

Jonathan Martin of the New York Times writes that a growing numbers of prominent Republicans are debating how far to go in revealing that they won’t back Trump’s re-election. Gives me some hope for American conservatism.

It’s a bit absurd that people in Sweden who protest against police brutality in Minnesota put blame on local law enforcement. Just saying.

All but seven countries have committed to opening borders and related travel restrictions by mid-June, the EU Observer reports.

Two hours of talking, no one said a thing.

Source: Expressen.

Moderate Party	20.1%
Liberal Party	3.3%
Centre Party	6.0%
Christian Democrats	6.4%
Social Democrats	33.7%
Left Party	8.2%
Green Party	4.1%
Sweden Democrats	17.1%

The public prosecutor held a several-hours long press conference this morning, explaining that they have found a suspect they are convinced murdered Sweden’s former primes minister Olof Palme in 1986. Unfortunately, the suspect is dead.

“Swiss police have investigated an eight-year-old boy after he allegedly asked whether he could use a toy banknote in a village shop,” the Guardian reports.

“Twitter is trying to stop people from sharing articles they have not read, in an experiment the company hopes will ‘promote informed discussion’ on social media,” Alex Hern the Guardian writes.

I haven’t read it, but I’m sure Mr Hern’s article is good.

Somehow, people seem surprised he’s an alt-right racist. Well, duh!

“Scientists have found a protein that prevents fat buildup and reduces blood sugar levels,” Daily Mail reports.

A former head of the British intelligence agency has said that he believes the virus was created and then spread accidentally, the Jerusalem Post reports.

“QAnon backers believe that Donald Trump was recruited by the military to run for president in 2016 because he alone wasn’t beholden to the secret power brokers of the world, and could break the hold that they have on American society,” Chris Cillizza of CNN writes.

“The White House is floating a theory that travel from Mexico may be contributing to a new wave of coronavirus infections, rather than states’ efforts to reopen their economies,” Jill Colvin and Zeke Miller of the Associated Press report.

— What did you do with your life?
— I blogged it.

A survey from the Health Foundation suggests that a majority of Britons support an extension to the Brexit transition period, the Guardian reports.

“Spain will open its borders to countries in the European Union’s Schengen area – excluding Portugal – on 21 June, Spanish media including El Pais newspaper and Ser radio station reported,” the Guardian reports. Yes!!! 😃

“North Korea blew up the inter-Korean liaison office in Gaeseong, Tuesday afternoon, following through on an earlier threat to do so,” Do Je-hae of the Korea Times writes.

Communism at work.

“The Supreme Court’s surprising 6-to-3 ruling in favor of gay and transgender rights was perhaps the strongest evidence yet of how fundamentally and unpredictably American views have changed,” Adam Nagourney and Jeremy Peters of the New York Times writes.

“As expected the four-hour talks did not yield any major steps forward, other than unity on the desire to strike a deal as soon as possible,” Richard Connor of Deutsche Welle writes.

Europe needs federalism.

Joseph Curl of the Daily Wire writes about a new opinion poll were people guess if Biden has dementia. As if this was a matter of opinion. Absurd.

It’s a green light for the long awaited and biggest tourism development of its kind on Gran Canaria. 🐳 👏

“Networks of cycle paths are growing and creeping outwards; that of Paris will by next year have grown by 50% in five years,” The Economist writes.

One of the things I like about Venice is the fact that there are no cars. Yes, the motor-driven boats make sound noice when you walk over the Rialto Bridge, but you don’t risk being hit by them.

I forgot to celebrate World Tapas Day yesterday, but The Local lists twelve classic dishes I must try. Well, except the non-kosher ones.

“Saudi Arabia said on Monday it will bar arrivals from abroad to attend the hajj this year due to the coronavirus,” the Guardian writes.

Jamelle Bouie of the New York Times writes about a real thriller in a white house at the end of the street.

Sweden’s former foreign minister has co-signed an open letter by the International Institute for Democracy and Electoral Assistance. Wallström is best known for her anti-Semitism, support for Palestinian terrorists, and hatred of the only democracy in the Middle East. 👿

Update with clarification below.

The Simon Wiesenthal Center’s 2016 Top 10 Worst Anti-Semitic Incidents placed Wallström at number 8:

Swedish Foreign Minister Margot Wallstrom flew to Israel in December despite being forewarned that no Israeli officials would meet with her. Wallstrom, whose consistently one-sided criticism of the Jewish State has outraged Israelis, said she wanted to meet with Palestinian and Israeli leaders to advance peace prospects, but Jerusalem refused to meet with her. Commenting on the violence in Israel of knife-wielding Palestinian terrorists, and measures taken by Israeli police in their wake during the so-called “Knifing Intifada”, Wallstrom, called for an investigation into what she called “extra-judicial killings” by Israeli police.

Shocked by her remarks, Israeli Minister of Infrastructure, Yuval Steinitz, noted that Wallstrom singled out Israel for investigation but avoided calling out other nations—including the U.S., Russia and France—which also kill terrorists. Steinitz also pointed out that that Sweden has produced more Islamic State volunteers that any other European country. Relations between Israel and Sweden plummeted last year after Wallstrom attributed the Palestinian-Israeli conflict as a major reason for growing Islamist radicalism. A year earlier, shortly after taking the helm of her country’s Foreign Ministry, Wallstrom recognized ‘Palestine’ as a state.

♫ And if I only could / I’d make a deal with God / And I’d get him to swap our places…

It’s a bit late, but better late than never, right?

שבת שלום

David Artavia of Advocate writes that Beattie is the third male professional player in British sports history to come out. Good for him, but it’s sad that gay athletes still feel they must hide. 😒

A recent survey by found that 67% of the 2,480 Americans asked spoke in favour of legalising cannabis, Mike Jordan of the Wall Street Journal reports. Even evangelicals polled slightly in favour. ✝💨

🤮💢 From @ukblm:

As Israel moves forward with the annexation of the West Bank, and mainstream British politics is gagged of the right to critique Zionism, and Israel’s settler colonial pursuits, we loudly and clearly stand beside our Palestinian comrades.

Alessio Dellanna of Euronews writes that Andrzej Duda, during a recent rally, compared the gay, lesbian, and transgener “ideology” to Bolshevism. 🖕

From their fund-raising website: “We’re guided by a commitment to dismantle imperialism, capitalism, white-supremacy, patriarchy and the state structures that disproportionately harm black people in Britain and around the world.” 🤡

Lee Harpin of the Jewish Chronicle has written an article about the absurdity of anti-Semites taking over the fight against racism. 💙🇮🇱

I first read about in Swedish gay newspaper QX, but then found that Euronews has more in English. 👿

“Beijing has passed a sweeping national security law for Hong Kong that critics fear will crush political freedoms,” Lily Kuo and Verna Yu of the Guardian report. 😡

“British citizens living in the EU are increasingly being refused job interviews because of their impending Brexit loss of free movement rights,” Jon Stone of the Independent writes. 😲

♫ The joke is I’m not even a demagogue / Have you heard me giving a speech? / My facts are invented / I sound quite demented / so deluded it beggars belief…