French Baraka circus brings smiles to flood-stricken Greeks
Athens: The arrival of the French modern circus Baraka in Greece for first time on November 15 this year happened to coincide with a tragedy.
That night torrential rains hit Elefsina, a city about 17 km west of Athens, which was chosen as Cultural Capital of Europe 2021.
The flooding caused 24 deaths, many injuries and hundreds of thousands of euros worth of damage to businesses and homes.
The 14 artistes and technicians from the circus set up their tent on the mud, rehearsed and set out to lend a helping hand in the only way they knew -- trying to heal wounds through art, Xinhua news agency reported.
All revenues of their first performance on December 16 were turned over to flood-stricken locals. Until January 21, when they will pack to head to their next destination Morocco, they will do their best to bring joy to locals, they told Xinhua.
"On the night of our arrival, there were the floods. For us it was really shocking. We came here to do something simple -- circus. But at the same time, 10 km from here something terrible happened. So if we can help in a way, we will," technical manager Thomas Bares said.
The performance of the Baraka circus, based in Mauritius since December 2013, is anything but simple. Through their acrobatics, body theatre, music and dance, they focus on cultural relations, differences and issues of co-existence.
"The project talks about walls. It talks about concrete walls, but also about mental walls, economic walls, boundaries," Bares said.
The artistes do not intend to impose their views on contemporary challenges on audiences.
"We don't have one message, but a lot. That means everyone can get his own message at the end of the show. In the end, everyone is making his own story and gets his own lessons," Bares said.
Kelly Diapouli, artistic director of "Elefsina 2021 -- Cultural Capital of Europe," said the circus was invited to introduce to locals forms of art not well known in Greece.
Most Greeks still have the impression that circuses include wild animals and fire shows, Diapouli said.
Nassia, a young spectator who also studies theater, said: "The show was excellent. The truth is that I did not expect it, but I really enjoyed it very much and I would happily return to watch the show again," she said.
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Epstein files allege email claims about Bill Gates seeking antibiotics; foundation denies charges
Washington DC: fresh set of documents released as part of the Jeffrey Epstein files has triggered renewed attention after screenshots of alleged self-emails attributed to Epstein made claims involving Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates.
The screenshots, circulating online and reported by several outlets, purport to show Epstein writing to himself in July 2013, alleging that Gates had contracted a sexually transmitted disease during encounters with women described as “Russian girls” and had asked Epstein to arrange antibiotics to be given discreetly to his then wife, Melinda Gates. The documents also contain claims of personal disputes and alleged requests that Epstein delete certain emails.
The authenticity of the screenshots has not been independently verified. The allegations contained in them remain unsubstantiated and are disputed by context and prior public statements from Gates. There is no confirmation from official records that the claims are factual.
According to reports, the screenshots are part of a larger tranche of documents released by the United States Department of Justice, comprising hundreds of thousands of pages related to Epstein. Epstein, a convicted sex offender, died in a New York jail in 2019 while awaiting trial on federal sex trafficking charges.
The alleged email text includes Epstein expressing anger over Gates distancing himself from their relationship and claiming involvement in matters he described as morally or ethically inappropriate. The documents also reference marital tensions between Bill and Melinda Gates, though no independent evidence is provided to support the claims.
Bill Gates has previously acknowledged meeting Epstein and has said he regretted the association, while repeatedly denying any involvement in illegal or unethical activities. His philanthropic foundation has issued a strong denial in response to the latest claims, calling the allegations absurd and completely false.
Bill and Melinda Gates were married from 1994 until their divorce in 2021. Melinda Gates has publicly stated that Gates’s extramarital relationships and his association with Epstein were among the factors that led to the end of their marriage, without detailing specific allegations.
As with earlier Epstein-related disclosures, legal experts and media analysts have urged caution, noting that the presence of a name in released documents does not establish wrongdoing and that many claims in the material remain unproven.
