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"Indian Crew Members In Good Health": Centre On Baltimore Bridge Collapse
03/28/24 9:13 PM
India is in close touch with the Indians on board and the local authorities in the US, regarding the Francis Scott Key Bridge collapse in Maryland after the Singapore-flagged container ship 'Dali' collided with one of the pillars, the Ministry of Ext
'Flavor wizard:' Japanese chocolatier conquers Belgium
03/25/24 11:02 AM
When Yasushi Sasaki moved from Japan to Belgium at the age of 19, he spoke not a word of French and had no clue what he would do with his life.Last month, at the age of 52, he was named Brussels' chocolatier of the year by the prestigious Gault&Millau food guide -- no small triumph in a country that considers itself the homeland of chocolate."Whenever I go home to Japan and mention Belgium, people say to me 'Ahhh.... chocolate!" Sasaki told AFP.Dubbed a "flavor wizard" by the food guide, Sasaki conducts his experiments in a little workshop behind his store, in the Brussels commune of Woluwe-Saint-Pierre."Chocolate? From the moment I chose the profession it became my whole life," he said. "It's a hobby, a job, a pleasure.""I knew nothing, I started from scratch. But I think I made the right choice."Originally from Nara, near the city of Osaka, Sasaki draws inspiration from his homeland -- but with a light touch. Not all Japanese flavours sit well with a chocolate ganache or praline."Green tea is very strong and marries very well. So does yuzu," the citrus fruit, he explained as he doled out tips to his team of young Japanese staff."Kaki and mandarin -- nope."Sasaki selects his suppliers with care. The green tea for instance comes from Kyoto, where he orders directly from a cousin who works in the sector.With cocoa prices soaring, he is also careful to control costs."We are artisans but we are also businesspeople," he said. "To keep working as artisans, we have to sell what we make."- 'My own way' -Sasaki may have learned the trade in Brussels but he does not consider himself heir to a Belgian tradition."I have my own way, my own taste," he said. "I know my strength is my own way, not copying other people."Today, Sasaki exports his creations back to his home country, where sales peak around Valentine's day, the chocolate moment of the year in Japan.As Easter draws near, he is readying for another big highlight of the chocolate calendar.Much as he is delighted to be honored by Gault&Millau, Sasaki would have one word of advice for the guidebook -- to tip off its laureates before going public, so they have time to prepare."It's a huge impact all of a sudden," said Sasaki, whose turnover suddenly jumped by 20 to 30 percent.For now, though, Sasaki has no plans to expand."I've been making chocolate for years. I'm just going to keep making good things, doing my thing," he said.
'Reopening wounds': Austria compensates victims of anti-gay laws
03/25/24 10:56 AM
Austrian consultant Michael Woditschka well remembers the fateful day when he was summoned by police over his relationship with a teenage boy and subsequently convicted in court.The 44-year-old is one of about 11,000 gay people who until two decades ago faced prosecution in Austria but are, since February, now eligible for financial compensation.Even though Austria decriminalized homosexuality in 1971, certain discriminatory provisions remained in force until the early 2000s.Woditschka says he will accept the money offered as compensation to him by the Austrian state, which has officially apologized for convicting him of homosexuality in 1999.But the compensation "won't erase what happened", he told AFP, recalling the humiliation he endured as a 19-year-old."I was searching for my own identity and all of a sudden I found myself being treated like a sex offender at the police station, forced to describe my sex life in full detail," said Woditschka.Woditschka was on a list of acquaintances his former partner, then 16, had to provide to authorities after being arrested for having sex in a car with another man.After a humiliating court hearing, which forced him to disclose every detail of their relationship and was closely watched by the press, Woditschka was fined for "same-sex fornication with a minor"."The whole of Austria suddenly knew that I was gay -- when, with whom and how," he said.'Social death'Under Adolf Hitler's Nazi rule, Austria as part of the German Third Reich had persecuted homosexuals to death.Despite the decriminalization of homosexuality in the early 1970s, thousands of gays and bisexuals continued to be convicted under newly-introduced sections of Austria's penal code.A ban on male homosexual prostitution remained in place until 1989 although heterosexual prostitution was legal.Until 2002, the age of consent for sexual contact between men was 18 -- compared to 14 for heterosexuals."Even if you were handed a suspended sentence, you were usually remanded in custody and then everyone knew," explained Andreas Brunner, 62, an expert on LGBTQ history and co-director of the QWIEN archive centre."For many it was a social death," Brunner said.Convictions were registered on people's criminal records, in turn triggering a ban on certain professions.The ruling conservative party did not amend the legislation, even though it was contrary to European law, Brunner said.Instead, the party argued, with the support of the Catholic Church, that it was necessary to "protect young men from homosexuals", he explained.A decision by the European Court of Human Rights in 2002 obliged the Austrian government to end the years of discrimination.Since then, Austria's highest court has ruled on several cases of discrimination against sexual and gender minorities.In 2019 it allowed same-sex couples to marry and adopt children.'Reopening wounds'When she outlined the compensation program set up last year, Justice Minister Alma Zadic said it was of "immense importance that we... finally take responsibility for this part of our history".In 2017, the German parliament voted to quash the convictions of 50,000 gay men sentenced for homosexuality under a Nazi-era law which remained in force after the war, and to offer compensation.Earlier this month, French lawmakers approved a bill to compensate LGBTQ people convicted under discriminatory laws between 1942 and 1982.Austria has now set up a compensation fund of 33 million euros ($35 million).Woditschka is one of about 11,000 gay people who until two decades ago faced prosecution in Austria but are now eligible for compensation © Joe Klamar / AFPSince February, LGBTQ people who were investigated under the now-repealed laws are eligible to receive 500 euros.Those who were convicted will have their convictions quashed.They will be compensated to the tune of 3,000 euros -- or more if they suffered health, economic or professional woes as a result.Woditschka said he welcomes the initiative but it was "insufficient"."Some people have lost everything," he said.He said he would have appreciated it more if the authorities had "written to us directly" instead of asking those affected "to provide evidence ourselves" first."Many people will say that it's not worth reopening the wounds" for what is considered to be just a tiny amount of money, he said.© 2024 AFP
Top US News
'Humbling, and a bit worrying': Scientists fail to fully explain record global heat
03/27/24 10:00 AM
Blistering global temperatures have one NASA scientist warning: 'We could be in uncharted territory.' Others aren't so sure.
101 Freeway will see lane closures as wildlife crossing is built in Agoura Hills
03/23/24 10:00 AM
Work on the $92-million bridge, which will be done at night over a month or more, will yield the largest wildlife crossing in the world.
2 charged with kidnapping, robbing elderly male in Niagara County
03/28/24 12:26 AM
BUFFALO, N.Y. (WIVB) — Two people have been charged with kidnapping and robbing an elderly man in Niagara County, according to the Niagara County Sheriff's Office. Gregory Perry, 31, and Ashley McMillen, 35, both of Niagara Falls, have been charged in connection. The arrests came following an investigation of a missing person in the town [...]
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'It feels really special' – Kyle Larson on winning Focused Health 250 | NASCAR on FOX
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