#Dy. Chief Minister

[rudrjobdesk]

कैबिनेट विस्तार को लेकर हाईकमान से करेंगे चर्चा; भारत जोड़ो यात्रा में शामिल होंगे कांग्रेस MLA | Himachal Pradesh CM Sukhwinder Sukhu will go to Delhi today | Meeting with High command | Cabinet expansion | Congress MLA will join in Bharat Jodo Yatra

कैबिनेट विस्तार को लेकर हाईकमान से करेंगे चर्चा; भारत जोड़ो यात्रा में शामिल होंगे कांग्रेस MLA | Himachal Pradesh CM Sukhwinder Sukhu will go to Delhi today | Meeting with High command | Cabinet expansion | Congress MLA will join in Bharat Jodo Yatra

Hindi News Local Himachal Shimla Himachal Pradesh CM Sukhwinder Sukhu Will Go To Delhi Today | Meeting With High Command | Cabinet Expansion | Congress MLA Will Join In Bharat Jodo Yatra शिमला33 मि��ट पहले कॉपी लिंक हिमाचल में कैबिनेट चयन का विवाद दिल्ली पहुंच गया है। प्रदेश में मुख्यमंत्री और उप-मुख्यमंत्री के चयन के चार दिन बाद में मंत्रिमंडल का गठन नहीं हो सका। इसी मकसद से आज मुख्यमंत्री…

[rightnewshindi]

मुख्यमंत्री हेमंत सोरेन का बड़ा दावा, कहा, कोरोना महामारी के दौरान लगाई खराब वैक्सीन के कारण मर रहे लोग

Jharkhand News: झारखंड के मुख्यमंत्री हेमंत सोरेन ने बुधवार को आरोप लगाया कि कोरोना महामारी के दौरान लगाई गई खराब कोविड-19 वैक्सीन के कारण लोग अब भी मर रहे हैं। उन्होंने दावा किया कि वैसे तो एक विशेष वैक्सीन को दुनियाभर में प्रतिबंधित कर दिया गया था, फिर भी भारत में उसकी आपूर्ति की जा रही थी और वह जनता को लगाई जा रही थी। सोरेन की यह टिप्पणी हाल ही में राज्य में आबकारी कांस्टेबल भर्ती के लिए…

[elbiotipo]

So, remember the 5000 TONS OF FOOD that were supposed to go to community kitchens that Milei's administration refused to give (even though legally the Argentine state should?) Here's the very, very abridged story so far:

When Milei was inagurated, because of his anti-state spending fanaticism, he concentrated the ministries of education, health, science and technology and others into a single mega "human capital" ministry. The name is dystopian enough, but he also put his personal "friend" Sandra Pettovello in charge. Pettovello has just a 2-years degree in "family science" and no experience at all with administration and she was left with all that. Predictably, things are turning to shit, universities and science are defunded (which as you can imagine has affected me very personally), cancer patients have already died because of lack of medicine, and basically everything related to education health and social justice in Argentina is being defunded and in crisis.

The Human Capital (literally 1984) ministry was also supposed to support community kitchens (comedores) which provide for poor people are often administered by popular associations. These associations, being left-leaning and anti-Milei are often hit with accussations of corruption, which are sometimes true, but never to the extent that they're accussed of. So Milei and Pettovello retained, again, 5000 TONS OF FOOD that were supposed to feed hungry people until they 'investigated' these popular associations. Of the hundreds and hundreds of acussations, less than two dozens are currently being investigated. Pettovello insulted the people who said they were going hungry saying that they could queque in the Human Capital ministry and she'll recieve them (and they did as a sort of protest).

Many activists like Grabois (the evil leftist zurdo kirchnerist) demanded through the justice that the food was released. The government and its trolls called them thieves, corrupt, etc. etc. and they started lying (as in the official spokesman, the puppet Adorni) that the food was reserved for emergencies (it was requested for recent emergencies and denied) then that it was of poor quality (it wasn't), and Grabois and other denounced that the food was going to expire, and it should be released NOW. Even pro-Milei right-wing journalists had to recognize that Grabois was right, and hell is freezing over. Meanwhile the chief of cabinet, head of ministers, whatever the translation, was fired for spying and likely insulting Milei's sister. How did Milei respond to this political crisis? He went in honeymoon with his sister to visit some shitty tech CEO forum. He cannot stop visiting shitty right-wing forums.

Finally Pettovello and the government (not Milei, he's busy sucking CEO cock in the US) admited that the food, especially powdered milk, was about to expire and should be distributed by the army (which has no idea what to do but that's how the right thinks), and to cover herself, she threw one of her secretaries, De La Torre, to the anti-corruption office. However, she cannot save herself because everything that De La Torre did was under HER signature, and what's worse it was recently discovered De La Torre had over 100 employees that were cashing millions of pesos without a single day of work, and THAT was also approved by Pettovello. This is probably just the tip of the iceberg of the corruption in Milei's government, which has been just a circus of personal friends and incompetents. What's funny is that people like Grabois were acussed to be corrupt wasters of state money, by De La Torre, and now HE'S likely going to prison for being a corrupt waster of state money.

Speaking of which, Pettovello, by all accounts, is not capable or ready to holding the ministry, she often breaks down crying (too bad, but people are dying because of her incompetence), and most of her subordinates are resigning in droves. Milei remains ironclad in his support for her, though. In fact, he might have REJECTED her resignation when she presented it. Why? Well, when you look at the register of visits to the presidential residence, Pettovello has spent several nights there. It might be that she's really Milei's 'therapeutical companion' with her 'reiki sessions'. At least it's not his sister Karina? Well, while his government and the country is in flames, Milei was taking selfies with Mark Zuckerberg and now is visiting Bukele while Karina (again, his sister) acts like the first lady, and is basically treated as such by libertarians.

It would be all so chaotic and funny if people weren't deprived of education, health and food because of this.

Milei has been president for 6 months, by the way.

[lineith]

A piece I made last year for @onceuponzine a Miraculous Ladybug SFW charity fanzine featuring fairytales, legends, myths, and folklore. Leftovers Sales open June 01, 2023! "Romance of the Western Chamber" is a classic Chinese play written by the dramatist Wang Shifu in the Yuan dynasty.

The story is set during the Tang Dynasty. It follows a young couple- Zhang Sheng, a young scholar, and Cui Yingying, the daughter of a chief minister of the Tang court- and their secret affair in a Buddhist monastery.

I don't think I've ever made a piece that's required this amount of research on my part. Of course all accuracy went down the drain when I had to take some artistic liberties when it came down to their bangs and Luka's dyed hair orz

|Check my Miraculous Ladybug tag for redesigns and lukanette content| |DO NOT REPOST MY WORK|

[perpetualprocrastinationisme]

So, this is probably a stretch but I have a theory for why the books are named like they are:

The Last King of Faerie

The Last Prince of Hell

The Last Shadowhunter

What if the huge thing that completely changes life in the Shadowhunter Universe forever is the fact that all of the groups in TSC unite, as in Shadowhunters and the different Downworlder groups stop acting as completely separate entities and unite under one governing body/as one people. The Clave, Faerie royalty, the Spiral Council, and all the other councils over the separate groups are dissolved.

The strict borders around Faerie that make it almost impossible and highly dangerous for anyone other than faeries to enter are completely opened, every group moves freely about it. Idris is opened so that all Downworlders can move about freely in it. Shadow Markets become a place where you see an even mix of every group and where Shadowhunters aren't treated with high suspicion. Shadowhunters, Faeries, Werewolves, Vampires, Warlocks, and every group start living closer together, they become literal neighbors. They also all unite under one government so that their "Congress" or "Parliament" is made up of Shadowhunters, Faeries, Warlocks, every group. They all vote on their President/Prime Minister/Consul/Chief that could come from any group. It would make sense for TWP #1 to be named The Last King of Faerie because there would be no more kings or queens, just an elected official from one of the groups.

I also personally believe that either all the Princes of Hell will someone die or be banished eternally by the end of TWP, unable to escape their imprisonment ever. All demons would be banished as well. This would also explain TWP #2's title because there would literally be no more Princes of Hell. As for TWP #3, I believe that similar to the predicament with Faeries, Shadowhunters won't really be Shadowhunters anymore. They'll still have all their abilities but they will no longer need to fight demons so that part of their lives will be gone. They will just be another member of this new, united group Downworlders and Shadowhunters. To fill the loss of not fighting demons anymore, I believe that they will be wholeheartedly devoted to building this new society that they have with the different Downworlder groups.

This also honestly seems to fit with the main characters of TWP. Kit is the heir to both the Seelie and Unseelie Courts. I truly cannot see him desiring to rule at all and would be extremely favorable of a new united society. He also strikes me as someone who absolutely would not stand to see others mistreated. I think he would be disgusted by how people like the Cohort treat Downworlders and how some Downworlders treat Shadowhunters. I think he would see this new unification as something that could end all of that hate. As for Kieran, we already know that he is not the King of the Unseelie Court because he wants to be, it's just his duty. I think he would also be favorable of this new government if he knew his people would be treated well and could prosper under it. Ash Morgenstern is a bit of a wild card, but I think by the end he will also be accepting of it.

I don't know, this is just what my mind is picturing because I honestly don't want to think about the alternatives (like Shadowhunters turning completely into mundanes or Kings like Kieran dying). It also just seems to fit with how things have gone in past books, like with the Council in the Clave that has Downworlders on it, the Shadowhunter-Downworlder Alliance that Alec built, etc.

What are your takes on this?

[tomorrowusa]

This is a good idea...

Ban fossil fuel ads to save climate, says UN chief

Tobacco ads were banned on TV and radio in the early 1970s in the United States. That began a process of denormalization of tobacco which has continued in the years since then.

Climate change likely played a role in India's national election.

The hidden story behind India’s remarkable election results: lethal heat

The Bharatiya Janata party (BJP), led by India’s prime minister, Narendra Modi, has won more seats than the opposition alliance, and yet its victory tastes of defeat. Why? In the days leading to the election, the BJP’s main slogan had been Abki baar, 400 Paar, a call to voters to send more than 400 of its candidates to the 543-member parliament. This slogan, voiced by Modi at his campaign rallies, set a high bar for the party. Most exit polls had predicted a massive victory for the BJP – and now the results, with that party having won only 240 seats, suggest that the electorate has sent a chastening message to the ruling party and trimmed its hubris. [ ... ] People in Patna voted on 1 June, the last day of the seven-phase polling schedule. In Patna, the temperature had hovered above 40C. Local newspapers carried government ads exhorting voters to exercise their franchise, as well as half-page ads from the health ministry offering advice about how to avoid heatstroke. In the days leading to the voting in Patna, there were reports of personnel at polling stations dying from the heat. In the nation’s capital, Delhi, there were protests over water shortages. Last week, the temperature in Delhi hit 49.9C.

For the Celsius-challenged, 49.9° C = 121.8° F. That's just 0.2° F short of the all time record high temperature in Phoenix, Arizona which reputedly has "dry" heat.

As it turned out the ruling BJP did win the election but will be able to govern only with the help of electoral allies. The BJP had been boasting about getting 400 seats in the 543 seat Lok Sabha - the lower house of parliament. It ended up with just 240 with its allies winning 53 for a total of 293 seats. It is a modest working majority but is way down from the 353 seats won by the BJP & allies in the previous election.

Climate was certainly not the only issue in the election but experiencing a severe heat wave in which people were dropping dead at polling places is bound to have an impact. Politicians in India may now be more open to moving away from fossil fuels. The opposition would be wise to make climate change a bigger issue.

[camisoledadparis]

THIS DAY IN GAY HISTORY

based on: The White Crane Institute's 'Gay Wisdom', Gay Birthdays, Gay For Today, Famous GLBT, glbt-Gay Encylopedia, Today in Gay History, Wikipedia, and more … November 6

1494 – Suleiman the Magnificent, Ottoman Sultan,  was born (d.1566); the tenth and longest‐serving Sultan of the Ottoman Empire, reigning from 1520 to 1566. He is known in the West as Suleiman the Magnificent and in the Islamic world, as the Lawgiver, deriving from his complete reconstruction of the Ottoman legal system. Within the empire, Suleiman was known as a fair ruler and an opponent of corruption.

As well as being a capable goldsmith and distinguished poet, Suleiman was also a great patron of artists and philosophers, overseeing the golden age of the Ottoman Empire's cultural development.

Historians claim that Suleiman, in his youth, had an admiration for Alexander the Great as he wanted very much to learn how he had managed to unite the peoples of the east and the west.

Pargali Ibrahm Pasha was the boyhood friend of Suleiman. Ibrahim was originally Greek Orthodox and when young was educated at the Palace School as a devshirme (the systematic abduction of young boys from conquered Christians lands by the Ottomann sultans as a form of regular taxation in order to build a loyal slave army).

As the Sultan's male favorite, he shared Suleiman's quarters and his tent while at home and on campaign. Suleiman made him the royal falconer, then promoted him to first officer of the Royal Bedchamber. Eventually, Ibrahim Pasha became the Grand Vizier in 1523 and commander in chief of all the armies. Suleiman also conferred upon Ibrahim pasha the honor of beylerbey of Rumelia, granting Ibrahim authority over all Turkish territories in Europe, as well as command of troops residing within them at times of war.

According to a 17th century chronicler, Ibrahim had asked Suleiman not to promote him to such high positions, fearing for his safety, to which Suleiman replied that under his reign no matter what the circumstance, Ibrahim would never be put to death.

Ibrahim would eventually fall from grace with the Sultan. During his thirteen years as Grand Vizier, his rapid rise to power and vast accumulation of wealth had made Ibrahim many enemies among the Sultan's court.

Reports had reached the Sultan of Ibrahim's imprudence committed during a campaign against the Persian Safavid empire, in particular his adoption of the title serasker sultan was seen as a grave affront to Suleiman. Suleiman's suspicion of Ibrahim was worsened in a quarrel between the latter and the Minister of Finance Iskender Chelebi. The dispute ended in the disgrace of Chelebi on charges intrigues against the Sultan, with Ibrahim convincing Suleiman to sentence the Minister to death. Before his death however, Chelebi's last words were to accuse Ibrahim of conspiracy against the Sultan. Since these were his dying words, Suleiman became convinced of Ibrahim's disloyalty and on March 15, 1536, Ibrahim's lifeless body was discovered in the Topkapi palace.

1730 Hans Hermann von Katte  (1704 – 1730) is executed in Prussia. Prince Fredrick II of Prussia (aka Frederich the Great) was thought to be lovers with, Katte. They planned to escape Prussia together, but were discovered. The court sentenced Katte to life in prison but refused to judge the prince. Fredrick’s father thought this too lenient and ordered Katte executed and Fredrick imprisoned. Frederick was awakened at 5:00 AM and told to look out his prison window at the execution of Katte. He called out to him "My dear Katte, a thousand pardons." Katte called back, "My prince, there is nothing to apologize for" just before he was beheaded.

1949 – Brad Davis, American actor, best known for his role in the 1978 film Midnight Express, was born on this date (d.1991).

Davis was born Robert Creel Davis in Tallahassee, Florida to Eugene Davis, a dentist whose career declined due to alcoholism, and his wife, the former Anne Creel. His brother Gene is also an actor. According to an article in The New York Times published in 1987, According to an article in The New York Times published in 1987, Davis suffered physical abuse and sexual abuse at the hands of both parents. As an adult, he was an alcoholic and an intravenous drug user before becoming sober in 1981. Davis was known as "Bobby" during his youth, but took Brad as his stage name in 1973.

At 17, after winning a music talent contest, Davis worked at Theatre Atlanta. He later moved to New York City and attended the American Academy of Dramatic Arts, as well as studied acting at the American Place Theater. After a role on the soap opera How to Survive a Marriage, he performed in off-Broadway plays. In 1976 he was cast as Sally Field's love interest in the television film Sybil. He played the lead role in Larry Kramer's play about AIDS, The Normal Heart (1985).

His most successful film role was as the main character in Midnight Express (1978), for which he won the Golden Globe Award for New Star Of The Year - Actor. He also had a small role in Roots. The steamy shower scene in Midnight Express and Davis' portrayal of the sexy Gay sailor in Rainer Werner Fassbinder's film adaptation of Jean Genet's Querelle (1983) made him a Gay film icon.

Davis was married to Susan Davis, who later became an Emmy Award-winning casting director. They had one child, Alexandra (now Alex, he's a transman).

Diagnosed with AIDS in 1985, Davis kept his condition secret until shortly before his death. Although it was announced he died of AIDS in 1991 in Los Angeles, he actually died of an intentional drug overdose. Near death and in severe pain in a hospital, he opted to return home and end his life on his own terms. With his wife and a family friend present, he committed assisted suicide. Susan Davis continues to campaign to combat AIDS.

1952 – Michael Cunningham is an American writer, best known for his 1998 novel The Hours, which won the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction and the PEN/Faulkner Award in 1999.

Cunningham was born in Cincinnati, Ohio and grew up in Pasadena, California. He studied English literature at Stanford University where he earned his degree. Later, at the University of Iowa, he received a Michener Fellowship and was awarded a Master of Fine Arts degree from the Iowa Writers' Workshop. While studying at Iowa, he had short stories published in the Atlantic Monthly and the Paris Review. His short story, "White Angel", was later used as a chapter in his novel A Home at the End of the World. It was included in "The Best American Short Stories, 1989," published by Houghton Mifflin. A Home at the End of the World, a gay love story, was also made into a 2004 movie with Colin Farrell, Dallas Roberts and Robin Wright.

Cunningham is currently professor of creative writing at Yale University.

Although Cunningham is gay and has been in a long-term domestic partnership with psychoanalyst Ken Corbett, he dislikes being referred to as a gay writer, according to a PlanetOut article. While being gay greatly influences his work, he feels that it should not be his defining characteristic.

1955 – Wolfgang Busch, born in Heppenheim, Germany, is a two time Humanitarian award winner, was inducted into the Queens Business Hall of Fame for his company Art From The Heart Films, was inducted into the LGBT Hall of Fame and is a multiple award winning documentary filmmaker, director, producer, cinematographer and editor, including a humanitarian award for his documentary "How Do I Look". He also received a "Keep The Dream Alive" Martin Luther King Humanitarian award for his social and artistic activism for the Black and Hispanic LGBT (Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender) Ballroom community, aka Harlem Drag Ball community.

He is an entrepreneur, grass-root organizer, motivator, inspirational and touches people life's from all walks of life. His Art In Education Documentaries are screened worldwide. He lectures about Artistic Empowerment and HIV/AIDS education at the most prestigious universities, Yale, NYU, Penn State, not for profit organizations The Door, LGBT Community Center in New York City and Chicago, the Gay Mens Health Crisis, community-based organizations and Churches across the United States; London, Amsterdam, Paris and Berlin.

From 1990-2000 he produced New York New Rock, a weekly TV show highlighting cultural and educational aspects of various communities such as the local New York City Rock and R & B communities, LGBT, arts, sports, politics and fashion reaching 500,000 Manhattan households. The show was a successful outreach tool for artists and not for profit organizations and Busch was able to sign national and international record and licensing deals for several artists.

As an openly gay artist, he has been embraced by a wide range of LGBT organizations to produce high level events including GLAMA (The Gay and Lesbian American Music Awards), SAGE (Senior Action in a Gay Environment) Lifetime Achievement Awards ceremonies and events for LifeBeat, Center For the Media Arts and Gay and Lesbian Community Services Center.

1957 – Cam Clarke is an American voice actor and singer known for his work in animation, video games and commercials. Among his notable roles are Leonardo and Rocksteady in the 1987 Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles animated series, Shotaro Kaneda in the 1989 original Streamline Pictures English dub of Akira, and Liquid Snake in the Metal Gear series. He often serves as a voice double for Matthew Broderick.

Clarke was born Cameron Arthur Clarke in Burbank, California, to actor Robert Clarke and singer Alyce King.

Clarke is the nephew to guitarist Alvino Rey and pianist Buddy Cole, cousin to actress Tina Cole and writer Chris Conkling, half brother to musicians Ric and Lex de Azevedo, and uncle to voice actress Emilie Brown and actress Rachel Coleman.

Clarke began his acting career in The Hollywood Palace as The King Family Show. He continued to perform with his family on various television specials until the 1980s when he got his first voice acting roles in Snorks and Robotech. He was taught by Michael Bell.

To date, Clarke has voiced over four hundred titles. From 1987 until 1996, Cam Clarke would most notably portray Leonardo, the leader of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles as well as Rocksteady, one of the show's antagonists. Clarke would reprise the role of Leonardo in non-musical spoken portions of the first show of the "Coming out of their Shells" concerts designed around the Ninja Turtle characters held at Radio City Music Hall, though the later VHS tape released of the event leaves him uncredited.Clarke is openly gay, and his experiences inspired his album Inside Out, which changed pronouns in lyrics of classic songs and his one-man autobiographical play Stop Me If I Told You This.

1988 – Tom Neuwirth, better known by his drag stage persona Conchita Wurst, is an Austrian singer. Wurst came to international attention when winning the Eurovision Song Contest 2014 in Copenhagen, Denmark with the song "Rise Like a Phoenix".

Born in Gmunden, Neuwirth moved to Graz to do his Matura with a focus on fashion, before embarking on a singing career through the 2007 casting show Starmania. He subsequently became a founding member of the short-lived boyband Jetzt Anders!.

In 2011, Neuwirth began appearing as Wurst – a drag persona noted for her beard – and came second in the Austrian preselection for the Eurovision Song Contest 2012. Wurst was successfully selected to represent Austria at the Eurovision Song Contest 2014, where she proved victorious.

Wurst's entry and victory courted controversy, being condemned by some of the continent's social conservatives and right-wingers who saw her performance as a promotion of LGBT rights. Conversely, it brought her international attention and established her as a prominent LGBT icon, resulting in invites to perform at various LGBT pride parades and the European Parliament.

Neuwirth describes himself as a gay man and uses female pronouns to describe his Wurst character, but male pronouns when referring to himself.

1991 – Paul Poirier is a Canadian ice dancer. With Piper Gilles, he is the 2021 World bronze medallist, as well as a three-time Four Continents medallist (silver in 2014 and 2020, bronze in 2019), three-time Skate Canada International champion (2019, 2021–22), and two-time Canadian national champion (2020, 2022). Gilles and Poirier competed for Canada at the 2018 and 2022 Winter Olympics.

With earlier partner Vanessa Crone, he is the 2010 Grand Prix Final bronze medallist, 2011 Four Continents bronze medallist, 2008 World Junior silver medallist, and 2011 Canadian national champion. Crone and Poirier competed for Canada at the 2010 Winter Olympics.

Paul Poirier was born in Ottawa, Ontario, to Debra Mendes de Franca and Marc Poirier. In 2015, he graduated from the University of Toronto with a Bachelor of Arts in linguistics. He continues graduate studies in linguistics part-time. He speaks English, French, Japanese, and Spanish. His brother played in the Ontario Hockey League.

Poirier is gay and has spoken about "perhaps [being] a role model for...younger queer athletes."

2012 – Washington State voters approve Referendum 74 legalizing same-sex marriage.

[ukrfeminism]

The number of women dying from alcohol-related diseases has soared in recent years, new figures show, with experts blaming the rise on brands deliberately targeting marketing at women.

The latest data reveals the number of women who lost their lives this way in the UK increased by 37 per cent in five years – surging from 2,399 to 3,293 between 2016 and 2021 and marking the highest levels since records began.

While more men than women still die from alcohol-related diseases, the Office for National Statistics figures show deaths are rising substantially quicker for women than for men, with the latter seeing a 28 per cent in the same period – from 4,928 to 6,348.

Professor Debbie Shawcross, a professor of hepatology and chronic liver failure at King’s College London’s Institute of Liver Studies, said liver disease was a particular problem in female patients. 

“Women tend to present with more severe liver disease, particularly alcohol-related hepatitis, and do so after a shorter period of excessive drinking and at a lower daily alcohol intake than men,” she said. “This can be accounted for by differences in body size and composition – less muscle mass.”

Richard Piper, chief executive of the charity Alcohol Change, claimed the main factor causing the surge is the “incessant marketing of drinks towards women” as he called for stricter regulation of alcohol advertising.

Abigail Wilson, from WithYou, a drug, alcohol and mental health charity, described the rise in women dying from alcohol-related liver disease as “very concerning” as she argued alcohol was as damaging as heroin and crack cocaine. “Women generally are less likely to die of alcohol-related causes than men. There is always a gap there but the gap is closing, and that is really concerning.”

The Independent can also report that:

The number of deaths among women attributed to alcohol-related liver disease in England increased from 1,533 to 2,190 deaths between 2015 and 2021 – a 42 per cent rise

The total number of male deaths linked to alcohol-related liver disease climbed by 34 per cent to 3,870 deaths in the same timeframe

Recent research from 33 countries found that British women are the biggest female binge drinkers

Exclusive polling from WithYou shows almost two-thirds of those who seek support online are women, with more than half seeking support for their alcohol use

Roxanne Knighton, who lives in Staffordshire, told The Independent of the pain of losing her mother Melanie to alcohol-related liver disease in March 2022. She was diagnosed with the illness in her late forties.

“All the earliest memories were mum drinking,” the 34-year-old recalled. “She was alcohol dependent – it made her function.”

Ms Knighton said her mother never went to the doctor and was in denial about her drinking. So Ms Knighton made the call instead. 

“It was me who called the doctors as she couldn’t get up off the sofa – she was full of fluid,” she added. “It had gone into her belly, she had to be drained, they got 12 litres from her.

“I was looking after her each day. It was four years until she died. It still hurts. I didn’t just lose her, I lost her to the alcohol first. You lose them twice.”

Raising concerns about the “feminisation” of alcohol marketing, Dr Piper highlighted annual reports of major alcohol brands which reveal they are deliberately targeting women.

“This is leading to deaths,” he said. “The second reason would be pricing – alcohol is more affordable now than it has been at any point in the last 20 years so people are drinking more.” 

He called for ministers to introduce tighter rules on alcohol marketing and roll out minimum unit pricing for alcohol to make drinks with higher alcohol content more expensive.

Other campaigners warned it is harder for women to get support for alcohol misuse due to services often being tailored towards men. Women routinely do the lion’s share of childcare, meaning they cannot physically find the time, they say.

Helena Conibear, chief executive of the Alcohol Education Trust, attributed the rise in women dying from alcohol-related liver disease to a significant increase in binge drinking in the late Nineties and early 2000s.

Meanwhile, Prof Shawcross argued women who struggle with alcoholism endure greater “cultural stigma” than their male counterparts, which may deter women from pursuing help. 

Alcohol-related liver disease often has no symptoms for many years, she added, while women also have lower levels of the enzyme which breaks down alcohol.

Vanessa Hebditch, of the British Liver Trust, said: “With alcohol becoming increasingly accessible and affordable, as well as more ingrained in our culture, more women are drinking to levels that put their health at risk.”

Siobhan Herbert, a project manager, told The Independent she started drinking a bottle of wine a night – and sometimes two bottles on weekend evenings – around 20 years ago.

“When I went out, I drank less,” the 52-year-old added. “I was a bit of a closet drinker. At home, there would be nobody around to witness me getting trollied. My mother was an alcoholic, she was exactly the same. You would have thought growing up, seeing all that through my teenage years, it would stop you, but it is very addictive.”

Ms Herbert said she eventually stopped drinking in June 2022 due to growing fed up with the impact alcohol was having on her physical and mental health.

She added: “I wasn’t putting Baileys on my cornflakes but every day I felt awful. I felt tired and anxious. 

“I am a whole new woman now. I feel alive. I have more energy. I am sharper. I do not have anxiety. My depression is gone and all of the problems I was blaming on the menopause have massively improved.”

Sandra Parker, a self-professed “classic binge drinker”, said she would struggle to know how much alcohol she had consumed due to blacking out and would sometimes be in bed for two days afterwards.

The 54-year-old, who stopped drinking in 2018, now coaches women to help them stop or cut down on their alcohol consumption, describing her clients as successful professional middle-class women who are secretly drinking harmful amounts of wine at home.

“They may have a single drink when they are out with people from work, or they may not even drink, but they come home and they have a bottle of wine,” she added. “They have learnt that when they have a drink, they feel less stressed, and it becomes a dependency where they really crave that feeling each night.”

A Department of Health spokesperson said. “Alcohol misuse can ruin lives and destroy families, which is why we are acting to support those most at risk.

“We’ve published a 10-year plan for tackling drug and alcohol-related harms and are investing an extra £532m between 2022 and 2025 to create places for 50,000 people in drug and alcohol treatment services. We are also funding specialist alcohol care teams at one in four hospitals in England, based on those with the greatest need.

“Our 10-year women’s health strategy sets out our plan for improving care and support for women.”

[justinspoliticalcorner]

Bethan McKernan at The Guardian:

The Israeli politician and former military chief Benny Gantz has followed through on a threat to resign from Benjamin Netanyahu’s emergency war cabinet, leaving the prime minister more reliant than ever on far-right elements of his coalition government. Gantz, a major Netanyahu rival, former defence minister and leader of the centre-right National Unity party, joined the three-man war cabinet as a minister without portfolio in the aftermath of Hamas’s 7 October attack, a move he said was for the sake of the country’s unity. But as Israel’s war effort in Gaza dragged on, disagreements over strategy and how best to bring the 250 Israeli hostages home spilled into the open, culminating in Gantz accusing the prime minister of pushing strategic considerations such as a hostage deal aside for his own political survival. Last month, he gave Netanyahu an ultimatum of 8 June to present concrete “day after” plans for the Gaza Strip.

Gantz delayed his resignation speech by a day after the unexpected rescue of four Israeli hostages in an operation that the health ministry in Gaza said killed 274 people and injured another 696. The withdrawal of his party also means Gadi Eisenkot, an Israel Defense Forces (IDF) general and war cabinet observer, and the minister without portfolio, Chili Tropper, are also stepping down. “Netanyahu is preventing us from progressing towards a true victory,” Gantz said in a televised address on Sunday night. “For this reason we are leaving the emergency government today, with a heavy heart, yet wholeheartedly.”

Gantz also called on Netanyahu to set a date for elections, adding: “Do not let our nation tear apart.” The move does not immediately pose a threat to Netanyahu, as the prime minister still controls a majority coalition in parliament. It does, however, affect the Israeli government’s respectability on the international stage; centrist Gantz is well liked in Washington, where he was seen as a useful brake on Netanyahu, and his absence means the prime minister’s far-right allies are likely to now have more sway over the trajectory of the war in Gaza and the growing threat of war with Hezbollah in Lebanon. Bezalel Smotrich, the far-right finance minister, slammed Gantz, saying “there is no less stately act than resigning from a government in time of war” as “the kidnapped are still dying in the Hamas tunnels”, and the extremist national security minister, Itamar Ben-Gvir, has already asked Netanyahu for Gantz’s seat on the war cabinet. Both ministers have repeatedly threatened to withdraw from the coalition if Israel makes any concessions to Hamas in a hostage and ceasefire deal.

[...] Netanyahu and his defence minister, Yoav Gallant, are the only two remaining members of the war cabinet, and also often do not see eye to eye. The prime minister is now said to be considering shuttering the war cabinet and reverting to a former model in which security issues are first discussed in a limited forum before being presented to regular cabinet meetings, in which he seeks ministerial approval. The longtime prime minister, facing corruption charges as well as scrutiny over the security failures that led to 7 October, is widely believed to see staying in office as his best chance of escaping prosecution. He also needs to parry an internal challenge from the two ultra-Orthodox parties in his coalition over the issue of military conscription.

Benny Gantz resigns from Israel’s war cabinet.

[8bitsupervillain]

Higurashi When They Cry Hou Ch. 4 Himatsubushi pt. 1

One last chapter to set up the mysteries before it all gets explained perfectly away in Chapter 5: Meakashi. The other five or so chapters and games are just going to open up a text document that just says Pranked LOL. Incidentally, did you know there was one more Higurashi related game released in late 2023? And that as of this writing it's not available on GOG, and only on Steam? Why yes I did consider rebuying the entire franchise on Steam just because it annoys me that I can't have all of one series on one platform.

You know, come to think of it, outside of it coming up right near the end of the first chapter, and the second half of the second, the characters don't seem particularly bothered about solving the mystery. But I figure that could be handwaved away because Rena and Mion know who's behind it in the first chapter, and in the third Keiichi is more obsessed with killing Teppei than trying to come to understand his new curse killing powers.

"He just didn't have anything to do after everyone in Hinamizawa died." Also hey, good for him defying the official death report and not actually dying two years ago. Also also, his given name being Kuraudo amuses me, because I'm pretty sure that's close to the romanization of the pronunciation of Cloud Strife from Final Fantasy VII's name.

I like the idea fact we're not in Hinamizawa 1983 again. It's only been going about five minutes and I'm on board.

For readability sake I want you to know you go to "it was a year that had been strangely hot even though it was only June..." The Early Summer, title card, then back to the dialogue.

Just like with Tatarigoroshi we're starting off quick, with a kidnapping. Hope they meet a better fate than the inciting element of Tatarigoroshi.

You know, I'm gonna tempt fate here. Since our narrator this time is a police officer working a kidnapping case I would like to think this won't get slowed down with the usual gaming club antics, and it'll keep a pretty brisk pace. "Akasaka, let's play mahjong!" Me: "noooooooo..."

Our guy Mamoru Akasaka here (I just know at some point I'll make a crack about him actual being an Arasaka, and make a lame Cyberpunk joke) is one of a bunch of Tokyo Metropolitan police officers who is investigating the kidnapping of the Minister of Construction's grandson. They're keeping it quiet because of the notion that if the general public knows a government officials relative got kidnapped it could ruin their career. Also to keep in mind the idea that the kidnapping could be a communist plot.

Honestly, up until this line I forgot this was set in the midst of the Cold War. Given that the rest of the series had been set in a small rural town in Japan it makes sense, but suddenly seeing the Chief there go on about the Commies was a bit of a shock.

Mamoru, since he's a rookie agent I'd assume, is being shunted off to go investigate the Hinamizawa Dam protests. A no doubt small occurrence that won't be involved with the kidnapping at all.

I'm sure this is all just going to be a wild goose chase.

Since this has gone back in time to 1978 this means there's a pretty good chance we'll get to see the first of the Watanagashi murders. Well... "first" you know what I mean, the dam foreman who gets killed and chopped into bits. I wonder if we'll get to see young hooligan Mion? That would be neat seeing a wildly different, more aggressive/violent Mion. Given the time I know it's pretty unlikely a young baby Keiichi or Rena will be there, but young punk Mion is a definite possibility.

[thedudleywomen]

ON THIS DAY - 24 October 1537

On This Day (24 Oct) in 1537, Jane Seymour died at Hampton Court Palace, 12 days after giving birth to her only child, Prince Edward (later Edward VI).

Jane had retreated to Hampton Court from London in mid-September 1537 for her 'lying-in', having escaped from the plague spreading throughout London at that time. Despite no reports of a complicated pregnancy, difficulties began once Jane went into labour on 09 Oct. Her labour was prolonged, lasting approx 30 hours; a solemn procession and prayers were said for her on 11 Oct due to concerns regarding the wellbeing of herself and the child. However, at 2 in the morning, on 12 Oct, Jane delivered a highly-anticipated baby boy, named Edward. Her husband, Henry VIII had been with his own household at nearby Esher Palace, Surrey, and on the news of the birth of his son, rode the 4 miles north directly to Hampton Court.

Edward was christened on 15 Oct in a midnight ceremony at the Chapel Royal at Hampton Court Palace. Due to the risks of plague, attendance at the ceremony was 'limited' to 400 attendees; these included the young prince's godparents Charles Brandon, Duke of Suffolk and the Lady Mary; courtier John Dudley (and likely his wife Jane Guildford), and the prince's uncle Edward Seymour, Viscount Beauchamp, who was known to have carried the young Lady Elizabeth into the chapel. As was tradition, the parents did not attend the ceremony, but rather greeted the guests in the Queen's apartments prior to the procession to the chapel, and then following the completion of the ceremony. Jane participated as expected, with no signs that she was to become so unwell so soon after.

Jane started to become unwell the following afternoon on 16 Oct. She initially suffered from diarrhoea, although stated that she felt better later on. However, during the night her condition worsened, and it became clear that she was suffering from puerperal fever; Alison Weir speculates that it was likely as a consequence of a tear in her perineum during delivery. However, at the time, there were accusations that she had been 'over-indulged' by her attendants, as the understanding of childbirth and hygiene was misunderstood at the time.

Jane's condition worsened so rapidly that she was given last rites by her confessor the Bishop of Carlisle on 17 Oct; however, she appeared to improve, and so celebrations regarding Edward's birth continued. Tragically, Jane quickly became unwell again, entering into a state of delirium, before further deteriorating. On 22 Oct, Thomas Cromwell, Henry's chief minister was informed that she was dying.

At 8pm on 23 Oct, Henry was called to Jane's bedside, and remained with her throughout the night. Last rites were again delivered to her by the Bishop of Carlisle, and she passed away in the early hours of 24 Oct.

Following Jane's death, Henry 'fled' to Windsor Castle, entering into seclusion due to his grief. Thomas Howard, 3rd Duke of Norfolk, was placed in charge of Jane's funeral and burial arrangements. Her body was embalmed on 25 Oct, with her entrails being removed and buried in the Chapel Royal at Hampton Court Palace. Her body was dressed in golden robes, wearing jewels and a crown, and lay in state in the presence chamber at Hampton Court, before being moved to Windsor in Nov, which was to be her final resting place.

Jane's ladies-in-waiting at this time included Mary Brandon, Lady Monteagle (Charles Brandon's daughter from his first marriage, and elder half-sister to Frances Brandon), Anne Parr, Countess of Pembroke (younger sister of Katherine Parr), and Jane Parker, Viscountess Rochford (widow of the ill-fated George Boleyn, who had been executed in May 1536 on charges of high treason), Whilst it is not known if Jane Guilford, Lady Dudley was one of her attendants, Jane is likely to have had a place in the new queen's court, as her husband's status rose. What is known is that she one of the women who accompanied Jane's coffin from Hampton Court to Windsor.

[goodqueenaly]

Having recently read Thomas Costain’s The Black Rose, I have now also finished another Costain historical fiction novel, The Moneyman. To (very) briefly summarize, The Moneyman is the story of a real-life figure, Jacques Cœur, a merchant raised to the nobility by King Charles VII of France and made the king’s chief finance minister and one of his closest advisors, only to be disgraced and exiled after a false accusation of murder is laid against him by that same king. As I mentioned in my last post, The Moneyman is supposedly GRRM’s favorite of Costain’s works, so I was very intrigued to see if GRRM would borrow any ideas or character models from The Moneyman for his Westerosi works.

Unfortunately, once again I find very little to parallel with ASOIAF. The titular Moneyman himself might be as rich as Littlefinger, but the charges of embezzlement falsely levied against Cœur would be all too accurate if laid at Littlefinger’s door. Indeed, Cœur's deep, honest, but not sycophantic loyalty to Charles VII - a willingness to tell the king the truth coupled with a desire to look out for the best interests of the kingdom - could not be more alien to Littlefinger, whose selfishness and dishonesty are central to his personality. (In fact, the closer parallel to the Moneyman might be someone like Enguerrand de Marigny of The Accursed Kings.) I suppose you could compare Cœur to say, Davos Seaworth - the honest common man raised to the nobility by a grateful king - but Cœur is, well, defined by his substantial personal fortune in a way Davos obviously is not (because he has none, of course), nor can Charles VII’s petty jealousy of Cœur's wealth (and his subsequent willingness to condemn his devoted servant on trumped-up charges) be compared to anything in the relationship between Davos and Stannis. 

Now, is it possible that GRRM took a bit of inspiration from Cœur's trial at the end of the book for Tyrion’s trial at the end of ASOS? Maybe. Just as Tyrion was falsely accused of poisoning Joffrey, Coeur is falsely accused of poisoning Lady Agnes Sorel, the beloved mistress of King Charles. In both cases, the author makes very clear that the accused was not in fact guilty of the crime by setting the reader in the accuser’s point of view at the time of the supposed poisoning, while simultaneously using circumstantial and/or outright fabricated evidence to make the case against the accused seem that much more damning. (Nor, indeed, is an explanation lacking in either case: the author makes clear many times, through Cœur as well as other characters, that Agnes Sorel is too sickly to live long, while Littlefinger explains the Joffrey poisoning plot to Sansa in pretty plain terms after the Purple Wedding.) Just as Tyrion’s physical proximity to and post-murder handling of Joffrey’s wedding cup helped sell the testimonies to his guilt at his trial, so Coeur’s administration of medicine to the dying Agnes Sorel is used by the prosecution to portray Coeur as a fiendish poisoner. Too, much as Taena Merryweather falsely testified that she had seen Tyrion pour poison into Joffrey’s cup, followed by Shae's false testimony as to Tyrion and Sansa’s allegedly conspiracy, so on the stand at Cœur's trial Jeanne de Vendôme fabricates an elaborate story of poisoning which she supposedly witnessed firsthand. Additionally, just as Pycelle (correctly) reported that Tyrion had taken poisons from his stores in order to falsely suggest that Tyrion gave poison to Joffrey, so one witness at Coeur’s trial - a doctor whom Cœur privately derides as a “great windbag … pedantic and opinionated and yet at the same time servile to all forms of authority”, not too far off the mark from Pycelle himself - seizes on Cœur's real, though harmless, mercantile association with the East to falsely link Cœur to the “Eastern poison” which supposedly killed Agnes Sorel. Cœur also offers to confess to a crime he knows he did not commit, in order to save his alleged co-conspirator (though he later rescinds this proposal); somewhat similarly, Kevan offered, in vain, to have Tyrion confess in exchange for permanent exile at the Wall (an offer that I think was genuine on Tywin’s part). 

Now, while Cœur is not allowed to offer any defense on his own part (much as Tyrion was not at his trial), Cœur, unlike Tyrion, actually gets exonerated for the poisoning allegation, thanks to the testimony of an honest doctor who identifies the flaws in the case against Cœur. (Though Cœur is convicted of what Costain asserts were equally ludicrous charges and forced into permanent exile.) Of course, Costain didn’t invent the idea of trumped-up charges and patently untrue accusations in a legal trial (and Costain himself clearly states in his introduction and epilogue that he has, so he believes, adhered as closely to the real history of Cœur's downfall as possible), so it’s not that I think GRRM is uniquely indebted to Costain for Tyrion’s trial. Rather, while I think both are borrowing the same old tropes for similar stories, I can also acknowledge that this specific usage of those tropes may have been part of the inspiration for GRRM. 

[nordleuchten]

September 3, 1824

On the morning of September 3, 1824, La Fayette arrived in Lancaster and was greeted by a large crowd that had congregated in front of First Church of Lancaster Unitarian Universalist. There he was addressed by the towns minister, the Reverend Dr. Nathaniel Thayer. His speech (but sadly not La Fayette direct reply) are noted in History of the Town of Lancaster. The book was written some 50 years after the visit and there is at least one small mistake – La Fayette visited the town in 1824 and not in 1826 as the book states. By this time the Marquis was long back home in France.

Dr. Thayer was a fine public speaker. He was large in person, and had an imposing presence. Though pleasant in speech, he was grave, dignified and impressive. He had a voice of great power and compass, which filled the largest hall or church with ease. He was thus fitted to speak on special occasions, as well as in his stated ministry. When Lafayette was passing through the country, on his triumphal tour, in 1826, he tarried for a night at the hospitable mansion of Mr. Sampson V. S. Wilder, in Bolton, and in the morning gratified the citizens of Lancaster with a reception. It was assigned to Dr. Thayer to address him on that occasion. Standing on the Common, near the Brick church, and surrounded by an immense multitude from this and neighbouring towns, he spoke as follows:

“General Lafayette. — In behalf of the inhabitants of Lancaster, I offer you their cordial congratulations on your arrival in a country whose wrongs you felt and resented; whose liberties you valiantly defended; and whose interests and prospects have been dear to your soul. We all unite with the few surviving veterans which were with, loved and respected you on the high places of the field, in giving you a welcome to this village, once the chosen residence of savages, and the scene of their boasted triumph; and rejoice that you visit it under the improvements of civilized life, in prosperity and peace. It gladdens us that we and children may behold the man, whom we have believed, and whom we have taught our children to believe, was second only to his and our friend, the immortal Washington. We participate in your joy, on beholding our institutions in vigor, our population extended, so that since you left us, from a little one we have become millions, and from a small band a strong nation; that you see our glory rising, our Republic placed on an immovable basis, all of which are in part, under Providence, to be ascribed to your sacrifices, dangers and toils. We wish you health and prosperity. We assure you that wherever you shall go, you will be greeted by our fellow- countrymen as one of the chief deliverers of America, and the friend of rational liberty and of man. It is especially our prayer, that in that day in which the acclamations and applauses of dying men shall cease to reach or affect you, you may receive from the Judge of character and Dispenser of imperishable honors, as the reward of philanthropy and incorruptible integrity, a crown of glory which shall never fade.”

It is said that when these closing words were uttered, “the veteran Lafayette trembled with emotion,” and that he was often afterwards “accustomed to refer with pleasure to the beautiful scenery of the banks of the Nashua, and the heartthrilling address of the venerable minister of Lancaster.”

History of the Town of Lancaster by Rev. Abijah P. Marvin, Lancaster, 1897, pp. 474-475.

Celebration and Reenactment of the speech at Lancaster.

[beardedmrbean]

The Swedish army is stepping in to support police in tackling a recent surge in gang killings, Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson has announced.

He said that from next week the army would start providing assistance with analysis and logistics, as well as in handling explosives and forensic work.

Mr Kristersson added that Sweden's laws also needed updating to enable more military involvement.

So far this month, 12 people have been killed in gang violence in the country.

This is the highest number since December 2019, according to the Dagens Nyheter newspaper.

On Wednesday night alone, two young men were shot dead in Stockholm, and a woman - who police say had no links to gang crime - was killed in blast at home some 80km (50 miles) north of the capital.

The 24-year-old woman, named as Soha Saad by local media, was a newly qualified teacher and thought to be a neighbour of the target of the explosion.

Mr Kristersson made the announcement after crisis talks on Friday with Sweden's army chief Micael Byden, police chief Anders Thornberg and Justice Minister Gunnar Strommer.

He said the government would ask the army to help the police "in cases where the armed forces' specialist skills can help".

"This could be many things: help with explosives and helicopter logistics, analysis skills... IT forensic analysis."

The prime minister added that the country's current legislation had to change to address "grey-zone situations where it's not obvious what kind of threat Sweden is facing".

Swedish media have connected the recent surge in deaths to a conflict involving a gang known as the Foxtrot network, which has been rocked by infighting and split into two rival factions.

On Thursday, Mr Kristersson said Sweden had not seen anything like it before and that "no other country in Europe" was experiencing this kind of situation.

Children and innocent bystanders, he stressed, were increasingly being caught up in such violence.

Last year, more than 60 people died in shootings in Sweden - the highest on record - and this year is set to be the same or worse.

An official government report published in 2021 stated that four in every million inhabitants were dying in shootings each year in Sweden - compared with 1.6 people per million across Europe.

Police have linked the violence to poor integration of immigrants, a widening gap between rich and poor and drug use.

Mr Kristersson's centre-right minority government, which came to power last year with the support of the anti-immigration Sweden Democrats, has not yet been able to stem the violence.

He has vowed to push ahead with more surveillance, harsher penalties for breaking gun laws, stronger deportation powers and stop and search zones - insisting that "everything is on the table".

Some critics have argued the measures fail to address underlying social issues such as child poverty and underfunded community services.

[wangsejabin]

Chapter 118

   The Chen family, Chang Song Hall.

The men of the Chen family were all present, and sitting at the top of the table was the Chen family head, Chen Jian.

Chen Jian is nearly seventy years old and had long been dying of old age. He wore a grey robe, and his hair, which was white, was pulled back in a bun on top of his head and held in place by a bamboo hairpin.

At first glance, he looked like only an old man, but the light in his eyes shone brightly as he spoke, and it was clear that this man was unusual.

   At this moment he looked quite grave, his eyes half closed, leaning back in his chair, as if he was thinking about something.

   Below him, both the Grand Master Chen and the Second Master Chen did not speak, but the Third Master Chen and the Fourth Master Chen kept talking about the current situation in the court.

   The third Chen master, Chen Pingzhang, had been away and had only returned to the capital in recent days; he had come back to the capital to report on his duties, and the other was intending to stay in the capital. But at that time, the Chen family was at the top of the storm and it was inappropriate to make too many moves, so he temporarily used the excuse of being sick to recuperate at home, actually waiting to see what the Chen family's next move should be.

   After all, the Chen family is one and the same, so it is all for the best and all for the worst.

Chen Pingwu, the second lord of the Chen family, had not taken up his post as a fifth-ranking official since he was made Marquis of Cheng'en, but it was an idle post in itself, so it did not really matter whether he did it or not.

The original plan of the Chen family was for the eldest Chen Pingwen to fill in the cabinet after Chen Jian's retirement, but Chen Jian never did so, so the matter was delayed.

Chen Jian, who is nearing the end of his life, should have retired a long time ago, and has been delaying the matter for some years because of the crown prince's ascendancy to the throne, but now he has not retired for the future of the Chen family.

After all, Emperor Jianping had not yet appointed a crown prince, and the Chen family had not yet produced a crown prince grandson, so how could Chief Minister Chen be at ease with his duties?

" It seems to me that His Majesty has no intention of creating a crown prince now." Chen Pingwen suddenly said.

   His words brought Chen Pingzhang and Chen Pingqian's scattered remarks to a halt, and Chen Jian opened his eyes. As Chen Pingzhang and Chen Pingqian went to look at their father, Chief Minister Chen stroked his long beard and brought his tea up again to take a sip before saying, "The eldest is right, His Majesty indeed has no intention of creating a crown prince now."

   There was a vague sigh in his voice, and an extraordinarily twilight and vicissitudes that belonged to the wear and tear of the wheel of years.

   "If His Majesty really intended to create a crown prince, he would not have failed to respond to the calls of the court so far. The appointment of a crown prince is not a trivial matter, it is a matter of national importance, and as Duo's health is indeed weak, it is no wonder that His Majesty is hesitant."

   "But Duo is the legitimate and the eldest, so if we don't appoint him, should we appoint the second prince?" Chen Pingqian, the fourth lord, said, with a sense of incredulity and laughter.

   He had spoken the truth, which the Chen family had been pondering, but none of them were willing to speak it out.

   Why did the Empress repeatedly press for it, and didn't it just confirm this statement?

   "No matter what, this crown prince position must be Duo'er's." Chen Pingzhang said. Otherwise the Chen family had worked so hard for so many years, conscientious for what exactly, and what had he been out in the field for? Wasn't it because he didn't want to arouse suspicion and deliberately create the attitude that the Chen family was honest and peaceful.

   The reason why Chen Pingwu has been doing nothing is that he has no ambition and does not care about mundane affairs.

The Chen family's path has actually been set for a long time. If one day Old Master Chen retires, it will definitely be Chen Pingwen who will take his place, and even if he cannot be the chief minister, a cabinet leader is inevitable.

   Chen Pingzhang was released, Chen Pingqian was the youngest and remained in the Hanlin Academy, where he could advance and retreat, while the second house had a crown princess.

   The second house has a crown princess. After all, the Chen family already has a first minister in the Chen family, and the next step up is that the Son of Heaven also comes from the Chen family, which does not mean conspiracy to rebel, but that the Son of Heaven has the bloodline of the Chen family.

   "His Majesty has been making a lot of moves in the court lately, and he is looking at Wang in a different light in the cabinet, and I am afraid that there is an intention to let him take over my position. If we then encourage the courtiers to install Duo'er as Crown Prince, it would be a bit too conspicuous."

   Chen Jian also said something else that he had not said, he had already made it known that he wanted to retire, and he had done so for many years.

   It was also inappropriate for the Crown Prince to have a great-grandfather who was a high ranking minister, which would have given him the appearance of being a powerful relative. As a veteran of the imperial court for many years, Chen Jian knew all this, and even what his sons did not understand, he also understood.

   So now an awkward situation has developed, as long as the Jianping emperor does not appoint the crown prince, he will not dare to retire, and as long as he does not retire, the Jianping emperor may not appoint the crown prince.

   What he was pondering now was this 'possibility', and as for the words of his sons that the second prince might be crowned, Chen Jian actually did not hear them at all.

His Majesty's character was such that he would either not crown the prince, or, if he did, he could go beyond Duo'er and crown the second prince.

All this had occurred to Chen Pingwen as well, and he glanced at his father, hesitating for a moment, not letting out the words he wanted to ask.

   On the other hand, Chen Pingqian and Chen Pingzhang were talking about the possibility that His Majesty would appoint the second prince, and inevitably, they talked about the extremely favoured Consort Su, who was known to everyone.

   When it comes to Su Guifei, it is inevitable that Empress Chen will be mentioned.

Chen Pingqian also felt that the fact that the crown prince could not be crowned had something to do with Empress Chen's lack of favour, so he could not help but complain, "Second brother, you should also let your second sister-in-law go to the palace more often to teach the empress, if she could learn a fifth of her methods, she might not be in this situation now."

   If she could have learnt a fifth of her skills, she might not be in this situation now." The words had a flirtatious connotation, but Chen Pingwu acted as if he had not heard them, and only when Chen Pingqian called out to him again did he come back to his senses.

   "Second brother, what are you thinking about, I didn't even hear you when I spoke to you."

   Chen Pingwu hid a smile and said, "I just recently got a painting ......"

Chen Pingqian interrupted him and said, "All right, you don't talk about the painting, now is not the time to enjoy the painting, wait for the day when brother is free to accompany second brother to enjoy the painting, now talking about the Empress, you should also let second sister-in-law go to the palace more often to teach the Empress, otherwise why would she be suppressed by a thin horse."

   It was the first time they had ever been hit by a stone, but unfortunately the men in the Chen family were not concerned about it and let the women take care of it. But it was a small and insignificant thing that they didn't care about that has now become a big mistake.

It was a mistake to overlook it.

   But how can there be so many such things in the world?

   This is the kind of thing that can affect the overall situation of the court, and it is inevitable that it cannot be discussed overnight, and Chen Pingwen has always wanted to talk to his father, so the meeting here in Changsong Hall soon dispersed.

   Before leaving, Chen Jian explained that his sons should be careful with their words, and that they would rather not do anything than make a mistake at this juncture.

   On the other hand, Chen Pingwu returned to Linbi Xuan and sat withered for a long time, deep in thought.

   Chen Cai kept a quiet vigil by his side.

The study was quiet, with only the occasional sound of a candlestick fluttering.

   "Chen Cai, do you think I should tell Father about Yuan'er."

   It was obvious that Chen Pingwu had been thinking about this matter for so long.

   Chen Cai hesitated and thought for a moment before saying, "Is it not a little too hasty to determine such a big matter based only on the words reported by a palace maid? Of course, this is only my own opinion, and it is up to Your Lordship to decide what will happen."

   "She looks so much like Liu'er, especially her eyes, which I thought she did when I first saw her. The jade piece is a family heirloom, and after she gave birth to Yuan'er, she had her name carved on it and hung it on her body."

   Chen Cai still felt rash, the point was that the matter was too big, he could almost predict what kind of shock it would cause in the Chen family if this matter broke out.

   If he got it wrong, it would be a joke then.

   "Why don't you have someone copy out the diagram of that jade and hand it out to the palace for your lordship to see, and then your lordship can make a decision?"

   It was not that Chen Cai was too careful, but the Chen family seemed to be harmonious, but in fact it was not a monolithic family, especially with the Crown Princess becoming Empress and Chen Pingwu being made a marquis, the second house had inevitably risen to the top. Although it is not yet apparent on the surface, some of the subtleties of the household are already showing contradictions.

   Chen Pingwu does not care for mundane affairs and is not interested in the affairs of the house, but as far as Chen Cai knows, the First Lady and the Second Lady have fought several times, both explicitly and implicitly, in the recent past. This matter may not affect Chen Pingwu, but it has a great impact on the First and Second Houses. After all, the First and Second Houses have their own children and concubines, and sooner or later it will affect the brothers Chen Pingwen and Chen Pingwu.

   Chen Cai decided to report these matters to the master as soon as this matter was over. In fact, he knew that if the matter on Chen Pingwu's mind was not resolved, given his character, he would not have his hands free to deal with the affairs of the house.

   Chen Pingwu also felt that Chen Cai's proposal was good, so he decided to send word to the palace to have a copy of the plan made.

   The Second Lady had to take care of this, so Chen Pingwu went to the Yunxia courtyard.

   The Second Lady was a little surprised by her husband's arrival, but she was happy to see him dressed and washed up before the couple went to bed.

   It was then that Chen Pingwu told Second Lady that she should go to the palace to see the Empress, saying that the Empress was alone in the palace and that as her own mother, Second Lady should go and see her more often.

   When Second Lady thought about it, it had been a while since she had visited the Empress, and it was also because the First Lady had been at odds with her lately, so she had been concerned with fighting with the First Lady in the Palace. But the second wife would not tell her husband about these matters between women, for if she did, he would certainly have to be concerned about his brother's face and ask her to respect the First Lady.

She didn't say that the First Lady was ignorant for bringing her newly widowed daughter to live in the house before her mourning period was over, but she complained that if she hadn't given the Crown Princess position to the Second House, her daughter wouldn't have been a widow and it would have been her daughter who was now the Empress.

   Although the First Lady did not say this explicitly, the Second Lady would have thought it, pointing out that who could not see that she meant what she said!

Now that she is in the palace, she is not the same as before. She used to be the prince consort's own mother, but the prince consort is not really the master of the palace, but now she is the empress's own mother, and when she enters the palace, it is a sight to behold.

   The Second Lady decided to go to the palace tomorrow, so that she could be angry with the mother and daughter.

The next day, the Second Mistress was engaged in the matter of entering the palace. As the Marquess of Cheng'en and the Empress's mother, she did not need to hand in a permit in advance to enter the palace.

In the past, she could only take one person with her to the palace, but now she has no such scruples, but the Second Mistress is used to using senior people.

Now that Liu mama is older, although she has not yet been promoted, she is not as bothered by everything as she used to be, and several of the maids around the Second Mistress, Amber and Jade, who have been used, have become daughters-in-law and are still working beside her.

Amber is a steady girl, and the Second Lady is used to her, so she took her along with her two steady little maids. Going to the palace was not the same as being in the house, so the Second Lady was very cautious.

There were two carriages in total, one with the Second Lady and the other with some maids. As she was getting into the vehicle, one of the maids noticed that Amber hadn't gotten in yet, so she looked around for her and saw Amber talking to Chen Cai from afar.

   "Sister Amber, it's just waiting for you. That's Chief Steward Chen from the Second Master's side, isn't it, what does the Second Master have to explain?"

   Amber gave the maid a look and, without picking anything out, said, "Second Master has something to explain to Madam."

   At this point the maid also realised that she had said the wrong thing and was busy not squeaking.

[mariacallous]

TEL AVIV, Israel (AP) — President Joe Biden will travel to Israel and on to Jordan Wednesday to meet with both Israeli and Arab leadership, as concerns increase that the raging Israel-Hamas war could expand into a larger regional conflict.

U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken announced Biden’s travel to Israel as the humanitarian situation in the Gaza Strip grows more dire and as Israel prepares for a possible ground attack on the 141-square-mile (365-square-kilometer) territory to root out Hamas militants responsible for what U.S. and Israeli officials say was the most lethal assault against Jews since the Holocaust.

Biden is looking to send the strongest message yet that the U.S. is behind Israel. His Democratic administration has pledged military support, sending U.S. carriers and aid to the region. Officials have said they would ask Congress for upward of $2 billion in additional aid for both Israel and Ukraine, which is fighting Russia’s invasion.

It’s a chance for Biden to burnish his national security credentials to U.S. voters with the 2024 election just over a year away. It’s also an opportunity to demonstrate that he’s making good on his campaign promise of exercising American leadership after four years of former President Donald Trump’s “America First” foreign policy.

But Biden’s presence could be seen as a provocative move by Hamas’ chief sponsor, Iran, or potentially viewed as tone-deaf by Arab nations as civilian casualties mount in Gaza. Blinken has already been traveling around the Mideast this past week trying to prevent the war with Hamas from igniting a broader regional conflict.

Blinken made the announcement early Tuesday after more than seven hours of talks with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and other top Israeli officials.

“He is coming here at a critical moment for Israel, for the region and for the world,” Blinken said.

Blinken added that Biden will be briefed by Israeli officials on their war aims and strategy and would hear about how they intend to conduct operations “in a way that minimizes civilian casualties and enables humanitarian assistance to flow to civilians in Gaza in a way that does not benefit Hamas.”

Shortly after in Washington, White House National Security Council spokesman John Kirby announced that Biden would also go to Jordan to meet with King Abdullah II, Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sissi and Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas.

“We’ve been crystal clear about the need for humanitarian aid to be able to continue to flow into Gaza,” Kirby said. “That has been a consistent call by President Biden and certainly by this entire administration.”

Truckloads of aid idled Monday at Egypt’s border with Gaza, barred from entry, as residents and humanitarian groups pleaded for water, food and fuel for dying generators, saying the tiny Palestinian territory sealed off by Israel after last week’s rampage by Hamas was near total collapse.

Biden had been scheduled to travel to Pueblo, Colorado, on Monday but decided to postpone the visit so he could consult with his aides and speak with fellow leaders about the unfolding situation in the Middle East.

The announcements came after Biden consulted with a trio of world leaders and his own national security team on Monday amid growing global concern about the humanitarian crisis unfolding in the Gaza Strip and fears that the Israel-Hamas war could metastasize into a broader regional conflict.

Biden spoke by phone with Egypt’s el-Sissi, Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani and German Chancellor Olaf Scholz about the fallout from Hamas militants’ surprise attacks on Israel that left 1,400 dead and retaliatory strikes that have killed at least 2,778 Palestinians.

European Union leaders will hold an emergency summit on Tuesday as concern mounts that the war between Israel and Hamas could fuel tensions in Europe and bring more refugees in search of sanctuary.

Biden’s call with the Egyptian leader came one day after el-Sissi met with Blinken in Cairo. Egypt’s state-run media said el-Sissi told Blinken that Israel’s Gaza operation has exceeded “the right of self-defense” and turned into “a collective punishment.”

Kirby declined to comment on el-Sissi’s concerns about how Israel is conducting the war.

“The humanitarian situation was high on the list of the discussion with President el-Sissi,” Kirby said.

Iran’s foreign minister warned Monday that “preemptive action is possible” if Israel moves closer to its looming ground offensive in the Gaza Strip.

Iran is a chief financial sponsor of Hamas militants in Gaza and Hezbollah in Lebanon. The comments by Hossein Amirabdollahian follow a pattern of escalating rhetoric from Iran.

“Leaders of the resistance will not allow the Zionist regime to do whatever it wants in Gaza and then go after other resistance groups after it’s done with Gaza,” he told state television. “Therefore any preemptive action is possible in the coming hours.”

Kirby said the U.S. has not seen any signs that Iran might try to get directly involved in the Israel-Hamas conflict.

White House officials have said that U.S. intelligence shows that Iran has been broadly aware that Hamas had been preparing for a possible strike against Israel. But the U.S. says it has yet to uncover evidence of direct Iranian involvement in the Oct. 7 attack.

Israel is also preparing for the potential of a new front opening on its northern border with Lebanon, where it has exchanged fire repeatedly with the Iranian-backed Hezbollah group. The military ordered residents of 28 Israeli communities near the border to evacuate.

Air raid sirens interrupted Blinken’s meetings with Israeli officials on three different occasions Monday, including twice as he huddled with Netanyahu and his war cabinet.

In Washington, Biden was briefed in the Oval Office by his national security team on the situation on the ground in Israel and Gaza. White House chief of staff Jeff Zients joined the briefing led by national security adviser Jake Sullivan, Director of National Intelligence Avril Haines and Central Intelligence Agency Director Bill Burns, according to the White House.

Blinken was in Israel on Monday for his second visit in less than a week for talks with Israeli leaders. He has been crisscrossing the Middle East with stops in Jordan, Bahrain, Qatar, Egypt, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates.

Blinken, in talks Monday with Netanyahu and other Israeli officials, carried back some of the feedback he received from Arab leaders. He also “underlined his firm support for Israel’s right to defend itself from Hamas’ terrorism and reaffirmed U.S. determination to provide the Israeli government with what it needs to protect its citizens,” State Department spokesman Matthew Miller said in a statement.

White House officials said Biden’s talks with Arab leaders in Amman will largely focus on humanitarian concerns for Gaza’s 2.3 million people. He’ll also make clear that Hamas does not stand for the Palestinian people’s right to dignity and self-determination.

Still, White House officials bristled about whether Biden would ask Netanyahu and Israel officials to show restraint or set any conditions on any new U.S. military aid that could be in the pipeline.

“We are not putting conditions on the military assistance that we are providing to Israel,” Kirby said. “They have a right to defend themselves. They have a right to go after this terrorist threat.”