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Sex scandal in Polish fundamelists https://wyborcza.pl/7,173236,28067746,sex-scandal-rattles-poland-s-catholic-fundamentalist-lobby.html group!

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Europe’s leaders are younger and less experienced. Does it matter?

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European leaders younger and more attractive. Does it matter?

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Europe’s leaders are younger and less experienced. Does it matter?

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Today, the average age of a European head of government is 53. In the 1980s, it was over 65. #EuropeDecoded

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Orphaned Syrian boy sleeps between his parents grave. Stop the war!

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Florida Parents Explain Why Michelangelo's David Is Porn

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Is this art or porn?

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A Florida principal was recently forced to resign after parents complained that the art curriculum was obscene. The Onion asked Florida parents to explain why Michelangelo's David is porn, and this is what they said.

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Florida Parents Explain Why Michelangelo's David Is Porn

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A Florida principal was recently forced to resign after parents complained that the art curriculum was obscene. The Onion asked Florida parents to explain why Michelangelo's David is porn, and this is what they said. We may earn a commission from links on this page.

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Europe's migrant crisis: The year that changed a continent

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Five years ago, more than one million people crossed into Europe. Many of them took huge risks and embarked on dangerous journeys in an effort to escape conflict and find a better life.

But the sudden influx of people sparked a crisis - both humanitarian and political - as Europe struggled to respond. Thousands died attempting to reach its shores and, while some countries opened their arms, others erected fences and closed their borders.

The impact of this mass migration is still being felt today. Here, BBC correspondents, experts and those who made the journey themselves reflect on that dramatic time. How did it change Europe and the lives of those involved?

How it began: 'I knew we had no future'

Lara Tahan, Syrian teacher: My life before the war in 2011 was very good. I was a maths teacher in Aleppo with two children. But as the war started, I knew we had no future in the country. I used to drive to work and see bodies on the side of the road. So I fled to Turkey - it was the easiest option back then.

Mark Lowen, Turkey correspondent 2014-19: Syria's war shot Turkey to the front of the migration story. It borders Greece and Bulgaria, so in many ways it became the EU's waiting room. There was a huge flow of people from Syria to Turkey and then on to Greece in 2015.

Julian Miglierini, BBC reporter in Rome: But in Italy, migration had been a big issue for years. Its closeness to North Africa made it a prime destination for those willing to risk crossing the Mediterranean, and many people did.

Guy De Launey, Balkans correspondent: That summer in Serbia it was common to see people on the streets who had travelled from the Middle East. They were taking the Balkan route - which wound north through Greece and North Macedonia on the path towards countries like Germany.

Lara Tahan, Syrian teacher: My two sisters already lived in Germany. I realised that Turkey was not the future I was looking for for me and my little kids, so I decided to travel there to find better opportunities.

Jenny Hill, Berlin correspondent: Germany had been taking in people fleeing war and persecution and it had a reputation as a welcoming country. But when thousands of people arrived at the start of September 2015, a crowd was there to meet them with hand-painted signs and gifts for the exhausted people coming off the trains. They broke into spontaneous applause and cheering - it was an extraordinary moment.

Lara Tahan, Syrian teacher: I arrived in Munich after a long and complicated journey. It was raining cats and dogs! For me that was the first strange thing I noticed... rain in the summer! But I met very nice people who were so open to the refugees.

Maddy Savage, Sweden correspondent: Similarly, in Sweden, the mood at the time was that this was one of the most welcoming countries anywhere. At stations there were people with banners saying "refugees welcome", and a year earlier the prime minister had given a speech asking Swedes to open their hearts to migrants.

Samar Jaber, engineering graduate from Jordan: At university they would always talk about how Sweden was welcoming to refugees, so I fled Jordan. I had no choice because my life was in danger. My sister was already in Sweden and we were eventually reunited. When I arrived I thought I was finally free.

Europe responds: 'We will manage it'

Guy De Launey, Balkans correspondent: The big shift came when police in North Macedonia fired teargas at people trying to cross the border with Greece. The authorities said they were overwhelmed. It seemed like Europe had suddenly become keenly aware of a problem that had been hiding in plain sight.

Nick Thorpe, Central Europe correspondent: And in Hungary the government announced it would erect a fence on its border. Police also sealed off the main railway station in Budapest to stop people travelling further. But the measures just forced people into the hands of smugglers and illegality.

Bethany Bell, Austria correspondent: The dead bodies of dozens of migrants were later discovered in the back of a lorry that had travelled from Hungary into Austria. It was a shocking moment that highlighted the issue of people smuggling and the desperation of those caught up in the crisis.

Jenny Hill, Berlin correspondent: Angela Merkel, like all of us, was horrified by the lorry discovery. It seemed to have a profound impact on her. Just days later she said at least 800,000 people would likely seek asylum in Germany that year. And for the first time she used what would become her catchphrase: "wir schaffen das" - we will manage it.

Men carry the coffin of a Kurdish man whose body was found in a lorry in Austria

Nick Thorpe, Central Europe correspondent: Merkel, in agreement with the Austrian chancellor, agreed to take in those who were left stuck in Hungary. Thousands gave up on Budapest station and marched to Vienna. Hungary's view was essentially: 'If you want these people, you can have them'.

Lara Tahan, Syrian teacher: After I arrived in Munich, I went to two refugee camps before I was moved to a small town in Hessen. We met Germans who wanted to get in contact with refugees and help us integrate. They've been very supportive to me at every stage and I still live there now.

Jenny Hill, Berlin correspondent: Germany's approach was to try to ensure that new arrivals were housed all over the country; that no one area should be disproportionately affected. In reality, it became the job of local mayors and authorities to sort the logistics. But they were supported by a remarkable volunteer movement.

Maddy Savage, Sweden correspondent: Migrant families in Sweden often ended up in remote locations, or in temporary accommodation moving from place to place. And while openness to the new arrivals was the norm, that began to shift as the strain on resources became more apparent.

Guy De Launey, Balkans correspondent: Eventually, the Balkan Route was declared closed in March 2016. That helped to reduce the flow of people.

Mark Lowen, Turkey correspondent 2014-19: And a deal struck between the EU and Turkey a few weeks later proved remarkably effective. It stated that Turkey would be given billions in EU aid for agreeing to take back Syrian refugees who arrived on Greek islands. It led to a massive decline in numbers.

Work and housing: 'They thought it would be paradise'

Samar Jaber, engineering graduate from Jordan: Sweden was very hard at first and people tried to take advantage of me before I was granted refugee status. I have legal status now, and I want to use my degree, but I've come to realise they don't accept foreign qualifications here.

Maddy Savage, Sweden correspondent: A lot of people thought Sweden would be paradise but the reality has delivered more challenges than they might have expected. Even highly educated migrants with great English have struggled to progress because their qualifications are invalid.

Samar Jaber, engineering graduate from Jordan: I've applied for about 100 jobs and have never been invited to interview. So now I've decided to do what they want and I'm studying for a Swedish diploma. I want to build a future, I want to be independent, but it's been six years and I don't have anything.

Maddy Savage, Sweden correspondent: Housing and employment have been two of the biggest issues. Sweden has a huge squeeze on accommodation in major cities. Unless you've been in a queue for social housing for years you're reliant on connections.

Jenny Phillimore, professor of migration: One legacy of 2015 is the innovative ways people have addressed issues like housing. In Hamburg and Bremen they actually turned shipping containers into homes for migrants. In Amsterdam, they built a similar "container city" that housed 50% young Dutch people and 50% refugees. But there are still issues.

Maddy Savage, Sweden correspondent: The unemployment rate for foreign-born citizens is 21.2% vs. 5.5% for those born here. The aim is for new arrivals not to be doing black market jobs, and there has been a debate about whether there should be looser rules that would allow them to work more easily.

Samar Jaber, Engineering graduate from Jordan: You cannot feel stable. It feels like every time I do something I get asked for another thing! Do you think I want to stay at home and not work? We all want to work. But there's nothing.

Jenny Hill, Berlin correspondent: Germany has an ageing population and the new arrivals were seen by some as an answer to a shortage of skilled workers - big companies like Siemens started to offer apprenticeships. But inevitably there were problems and the migration issue dominated society for several years.

Political fallout: 'Compassion fatigue has taken root'

Jenny Hill, Berlin correspondent: Crimes committed by asylum seekers dominated headlines. The attacks on young women in Cologne on New Year's Eve 2015 at the hands of men who came - in the main - from North Africa fuelled anger as did the terror attack on a Berlin Christmas market, perpetrated by a Tunisian man who had come to Europe as an asylum seeker.

Maddy Savage, Sweden correspondent: Crime has become part of the immigration debate here, too. There have been high-profile incidents, but police will tell you that crime in certain high-immigration areas is largely not from recent arrivals but from criminal networks and gangs.

Jenny Hill, Berlin correspondent: There was a backlash against Merkel's "we can manage" policies, and she soon dropped the slogan as support for the anti-migrant Alternative for Germany (AfD) party grew. "Flüchtlingspolitik" (refugee politics) polarised society.

Julian Miglierini, BBC reporter in Rome: In Italy, nationalists exploited a perceived lack of co-operation from the EU and fellow European countries during the crisis. They've expressed anti-migrant sentiments and the message has clicked with many Italians. Nationalists have certainly had electoral success here since.

Daphne Halikiopoulou, professor of European politics: The trend we've seen in Europe, starting from the economic crisis and then continuing with the migrant crisis, is the shrinking of the mainstream and the rise of nationalist policies.

Maddy Savage, Sweden correspondent: The nationalist Sweden Democrats have got more attention here since the crisis and have gained in popularity. It's become more acceptable to voice anti-immigration views, and a cap on numbers has been introduced and even adopted as a policy by the centre-left.

Bethany Bell, Austria correspondent: The crisis has brought about significant change in Austrian politics. Opposing immigration has been a huge theme for Chancellor Sebastian Kurz. His anti-migrant message helped him win two elections and take votes away from the far-right. It's still a dominant issue for his conservative party.

Daphne Halikiopoulou, professor of European politics: The actual immigration numbers often don't correspond with people voting for a particular party. What's more important is how voters perceive the crisis and how it's portrayed. In this way, parties have been able to influence mainstream politics in a way that they weren't before.

Guy De Launey, Balkans correspondent: Some nationalist politicians have attempted to use the crisis to stir up support. In general, sympathy for the plight of those coming up the Balkan Route appears to have declined. People are protesting against asylum centres and compassion fatigue has taken root.

Nick Thorpe, Central Europe correspondent: And in Hungary the conservative Fidesz government has used the crisis to bolster its own support. This, combined with an economic boom, made them unbeatable in 2018.

Daphne Halikiopoulou, Professor of European politics: We can understand the impact of the migrant crisis mostly in terms of the opportunity it presented to [nationalist] parties to increase their support. And I think we'll continue to see these parties becoming more embedded in the political mainstream.

Schools and integration: 'I want to build a life here'

Jenny Phillimore, professor of migration: In places like Sweden and Germany, which saw the largest number of arrivals, they were faced with a less orderly approach to addressing integration. But there was a huge, grassroots volunteering effort, which was one of the most positive things to come out of the situation.

Maddy Savage, Sweden correspondent: But it's still difficult for immigrants to climb the ladder. Sooner rather than later we might see how things pan out for the children who came here and are approaching the age where they'll enter the job market.

Jenny Phillimore, professor of migration: That will be the moment when Sweden knows whether its response has been a success or not. It has an ageing population, so to suddenly receive an injection of 40,000 young and able people could prove a major success.

Jenny Hill, Berlin correspondent: In Germany, schools recruited extra teachers and people from other professions were fast-tracked through training to boost numbers. Extra classes were set up for children who shared no common language.

Lara Tahan, Syrian teacher: My daughter is doing very well at school here. We both speak German fluently and have a lot of friends. She's ambitious and I want her to do better than I have done.

Jenny Hill, Berlin correspondent: Many of those who arrived have integrated, learned the language, and built new lives. It's by no means perfect and there are still plenty of problems but hundreds of thousands of people - Syrians, Iraqis, and many others - are putting down roots.

Mark Lowen, Turkey correspondent 2014-19: It has really changed the fabric of Istanbul. Some streets there have exclusively Syrian shops, restaurants and cafes. And a lot of those Syrians actually want to stay in Turkey now because they're settled and it's a safe country.

Samar Jaber, engineering graduate from Jordan: Sweden is a very generous country. It's changed me - I used to be afraid of many things but now I feel different. I'm preparing to study for a master's degree and I hope I'll be able to fulfil my dreams.

Lara Tahan, Syrian teacher: I'm looking forward to getting my German passport. We decided to come here to have better lives and to live with dignity and security, and our life here is very good.

Some names have been changed to protect identities.

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Europe's migrant crisis: The year that changed a continent

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More than a million people arrived in Europe in 2015. Five years on, we reflect on what's changed.

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Hungary's rightwing rulers downplay MEP 'gay orgy' scandal amid hypocrisy accusations

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Hungary's prime minister, Viktor Orbán, has condemned the behaviour of MEP József Szájer, from his rightwing Fidesz party, after Szájer's participation in a "gay orgy" in Brussels prompted accusations of hypocrisy.

"What our representative, József Szájer, did has no place in the values of our political family. We will not forget nor repudiate his 30 years of work, but his deed is unacceptable and indefensible," said Orbán on Wednesday evening. He said Szájer had left the party. He had already resigned as an MEP over the weekend.

Orbán's government has enacted a range of legislation over the past decade infringing on LGBT rights, and Szájer boasted of personally rewriting Hungary's constitution to define marriage as a heterosexual institution in 2011.

That made it all the more embarrassing when he was caught by Brussels police shinning down a drainpipe to escape a gay orgy last Friday. Police raided the gathering as it violated Belgium's coronavirus regulations.

In a terse statement, the Fidesz grouping in the European parliament commended Szájer's resignation. "He made the only right decision. We acknowledge his decision, just as we acknowledge that he has apologised to his family, his political community and to the voters," it read.

Prior to Orbán's intervention,Hungarian ministers were tight-lipped when questioned by a reporter from the outlet Telex on Wednesday morning as they arrived for a cabinet meeting at a government building.

"Mr Szájer made the only possible right decision, and all the rest is his personal matter," said the justice minister, Judit Varga. Other ministers ignored questions. A police cordon was set up to prevent the journalist from questioning any further officials.

Szájer, who is married, resigned unexpectedly on Sunday, without giving any reason. He made a statement on Tuesday when media reports about the orgy began to circulate. According to the Brussels region's deputy public prosecutor, he was arrested with bloodied hands after a passerby spotted him "fleeing along the gutter" to escape the raid.

Szájer admitted he had been at a "house party" but said the drugs the police found on him were planted. He apologised to his family, but made no reference to the nature of the party. One person who knew Szájer said while the politician never discussed his sexuality, it was considered an "open secret" among Fidesz circles.

David Manzheley, the organiser of the party, told Belgian newspaper HLN that Szájer had come to the party as the plus-one of another guest. "I always invite a few friends to my parties, who in turn bring some friends along, and then we make it fun together. We talk a bit, we drink something - just like in a cafe. The only difference is that in the meantime we also have sex with each other," he said. He added that guests had been "completely naked" at the time of the raid.

Belgian police have opened a case against those present for violating lockdown rules, as well as against Szájer for possession of drugs. But the "gay orgy" element is the one receiving the most attention, mainly because Szájer has played a key role as part of a rightwing government that has enacted numerous pieces of anti-LGBT legislation.

In 2011, Szájer boasted that he had drafted Hungary's new constitution on his iPad, including a clause that explicitly defined marriage as between a man and a woman. He dismissed a question from a journalist who asked how he could refer to it as "a 21st-century constitution" when it did not guarantee LGBT rights.

Szájer said: "It depends how we interpret the 21st century. I don't think that the traditional concept of marriage has changed just because we came into another millennium."

In the intervening decade, Orbán's government has gone further in its "traditional values" drive. Last year, senior Fidesz figures called for a boycott of Coca-Cola after it used gay couples in a Hungarian advertising campaign, while the country announced late last year it would not participate in the Eurovision song contest, with sources saying the contest was deemed "too gay" for conservative government and public media bosses.

Last month, as Hungary struggled amid surging coronavirus cases, Orbán's government introduced a new set of constitutional amendments to parliament, including one that stipulates that, in a parent-child relationship, "the mother is a woman and the father is a man". It also said that only heterosexual married couples could adopt children, with even single people requiring special ministerial dispensation.

The government's justification for the amendment explained that "new, modern ideologies in the western world raise doubt about the creation of the male and female sex, and endanger the right of children to have healthy development".

Opposition parties seized on the scandal as evidence of Fidesz hypocrisy, but leading government figures appear to have decided the best policy is to remove Szájer from the political spotlight and hope the scandal blows over.

In a programme on the pro-government Pesti TV, host Zsolt Jeszenszky criticised liberals for making "a huge political deal out of a sex scandal" and praised Szájer's statement of apology. He also insinuated, as did many other pro-government commentators, that the scandal or arrest could have been a setup by unnamed enemies of Hungary's government.
Additional reporting by Flora Garamvolgyi

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Hungary's rightwing rulers downplay MEP 'gay orgy' scandal amid hypocrisy accusations

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József Szájer had boasted of rewriting constitution to define marriage as heterosexual institution

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AI will take some jobs, but mass unemployment isn't inevitable | Erin Ling

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he staggering recent progress in artificial intelligence (AI) has left many fearing for their jobs. The ominous drumbeats grew louder earlier this month when Geoffrey Hinton, the godfather of AI, resigned from Google and expressed his concerns about the potential of the technology to upend the job market, just as IBM put the brakes on nearly 7,800 jobs that could be replaced by AI and automation over time. Last week, BT announced it would cut up to 55,000 jobs by 2030, with about 10,000 predicted to be replaced by AI.

These announcements are not surprising: if businesses are to survive in our market economy, they must adapt to these technological shifts to remain competitive and profitable.

However, despite the predictions of doom, history offers reasons to be optimistic about AI and its impact on work and employment. Jobs have changed and evolved throughout history, which has resulted in the creation of new professions that were previously inconceivable. For most of the 20th century, typing was seen as a desired and decent job, and typists were in high demand.

As computers grew in popularity and typing got easier, the demand fell away, and the profession nearly became extinct. But, thanks to the same trends, the demand for web designers, graphic designers and copy editors increased. The advent of the computer gave birth to countless sectors and transformed our way of life (mostly) for the better. I believe that AI can repeat this very trick, if we get it right.

What does that look like? For a start, it means understanding which jobs and industries are actually at risk, and how AI will become part of them. AI can automate tasks such as data entry and administrative operations, which puts jobs that involve repetitive data input and basic decision-making at risk. Interestingly, the banking and financial industries, which are generally seen as white-collar jobs, may see a decrease in demand for data analysts and risk assessors as AI systems become more efficient at handling large amounts of data.

Manufacturing and logistics jobs seem an obvious target for AI, as automation is used more and more to save on costs. Jobs in transportation, assembly-line activities and repetitive manual work can be automated to some extent. However, the technology still has limitations which require regular maintenance and a balance between AI/robots and human workers. If jobs are poorly designed or if there is an imbalance between AI and human workers, it could result in dissatisfied customers, decreased revenue (especially in the current cost of living crisis), and even business closures.

Two months ago, a restaurant named Robotazia in Milton Keynes that had robotic waiters closed down due to rising costs and recruitment issues. We need to bear in mind that while automation and robotics can bring novelty and efficiency to certain industries, the overall impact on jobs can be complex and multifaceted, with problems including maintenance costs, recruitment challenges and the need to adapt to changing economic situations.

Another area we need to watch is customer service. Chatbots are already being implemented in this area, but their inability to understand complex scenarios can result in service failures and unhappy customers. Human support should be maintained alongside these chatbots, especially in industries such as hospitality, where human interaction, empathy and emotional/social intelligence are vital to customer loyalty.

In the healthcare industry, AI has been used to aid medical diagnostics, radiology interpretation and patient monitoring. However, while AI can help healthcare professionals with data analysis, imaging and decision-making, current AI is limited in performing difficult tasks that require fine hand-eye coordination, and the physical execution of such tasks is still reliant on human capabilities.

In all of these industries, AI and automation are most useful in conjunction with human roles - where people can offer the complex decision-making skills or human touch that the machines lack. However, some jobs will still be lost, which is why governments, corporations and educational institutions should collaborate to offer comprehensive retraining programmes and job placement support to help displaced people transition to more future-proof roles similar to their own, or to other industries.

Policymakers should establish tailored initiatives to assist and safeguard people in high-risk industries. Moreover, a focus on lifelong learning is essential. Governments should promote education and training programmes that provide citizens with the skills essential to prosper in an AI-driven economy - which includes encouraging AI literacy, supporting critical thinking and promoting continuous upskilling and reskilling.

We need our leaders to take this moment seriously, act quickly and, importantly, balance this breakthrough's potential benefits with the immediate human cost. We can manage the revolutionary influence of AI while assuring a positive future that benefits individuals and society as a whole.

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AI will take some jobs, but mass unemployment isn't inevitable | Erin Ling

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With the right government policies and lifelong learning, we can learn to work alongside AI, says lecturer Erin Ling

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9 diseases that keep epidemiologists up at night

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9 diseases that keep epidemiologists up at night

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Thinking about the next pandemic is job number one for many researchers around the world. Here’s a look at the World Health Organization’s current list of pathogens with pandemic potential.