«Je suis toujours aussi déterminé»: le militant égypto-palestinien Ramy Shaath est arrivé à Paris

Capture d'écran extraite de la vidéo d'accompagnement.
LE FIGARO : Ce samedi, le militant politique égypto-palestinien Ramy Shaath, libéré après deux ans et demi en prison en Egypte, est arrivé à l'aéroport de Roissy. Il s'est dit «déterminé» à poursuivre son combat pour «les droits humains en Egypte» et «une Palestine libre». Regarder la vidéo en anglais » | Samedi 8 janvier 2022

À LIRE AUSSI :

Égypte : libération de Ramy Shaath, figure de la révolution de 2011 : Des sources judiciaires au Caire annoncent la libération du militant et fils du dirigeant palestinien Nabil Shaath, marié à une Française, qui avait été arrêté en 2019. »

Verlobt, verliebt, verweht und bald verheiratet!

Fiancé, écrasé par l’amour, amoureux et bientôt marié ! / Engaged, in love, blown away and soon married!
Fürs schöne Bild bedanke ich mich bei hollyireland.com auf Pinterest.

Royals Await Anxiously the Fallout from Prince Andrew’s Disgrace

THE OBSERVER: The Queen’s favourite child, under siege in the press as he awaits a critical court ruling, is not the first obnoxious royal. But he has damaged ‘the Firm’ – and it will have to change

Prince Andrew talks with the Queen as the royal family wave from the balcony of Buckingham Palace after Trooping the Colour in June 2018. Photograph: Chris Jackson/Getty Images
Prince Andrew, the Duke of York, KG, GCVO, CD, ADC, turns 62 next month. It is long past the age at which a man is expected to stop being a cause of concern and embarrassment to his parents. And yet Andrew, who is said to be the Queen’s favourite child, has exposed his mother to the greatest threat to the royal family’s reputation in living memory.

As he awaits the decision of a New York judge, Lewis Kaplan, in the sex assault case brought by Virginia Giuffre, the prince finds himself in the deeply unedifying position of trying to evade court with a secret silencing deal struck by his late friend and convicted sex offender, Jeffrey Epstein.

The agreement, signed in 2009, stated that in exchange for being paid $500,000, Giuffre, then using her maiden name of Roberts, would “release … and forever discharge … second parties and any other person or entity who could have been included as a potential defendant … from all, and all manner of, action and actions of Virginia Roberts, including state or federal, cause and causes of action”.

Giuffre maintains that in 2001 when she was 17 she was trafficked by Epstein and his sometime girlfriend Ghislaine Maxwell to have sex with the prince on three occasions – once in Maxwell’s house in Belgravia, where the infamous photograph was taken of her with the then 42-year-old prince’s hand around her waist, on the second occasion at Epstein’s mansion in New York and finally on Epstein’s private island, Little St James in the US Virgin Islands, with a group of other girls. The prince denies all allegations and says he has no recollection of ever having met Giuffre. » | Andrew Anthony | Saturday, January 8, 2022

Khatia Buniatishvili : Franz Liszt – Liebestraum No. 3 | Verbier Festival 2011

May 6, 2021 • What an encore! Liebestraum No. 3 by Franz Liszt, played by Khatia Buniatishvili at the 2011 Verbier Festival. The ‘Dream of Love’ that is Liebestraum No. 3 in A-flat major is not only the most recognizable work for solo piano by Franz Liszt (1811 - 1886), it’s also one of the most famous piano pieces of all time.

Lamb Fricassée: Greek-style Lamb & Greens Stew in Avgolemono Sauce | Classic Recipe

Get the recipre here.

Decline of the Liberal Global Order | Prof. Doug Stokes

Jan 7, 2022 • In this Direct Interview, John speaks with Doug Stokes, Professor of International Security and Strategy at the University of Exeter. As the liberal global order is further eroded by identity politics and woke ideology, Professor Stokes and John consider the impacts of these progressive movements and a way forward. They seek sources of hope for a divided West and discuss how we can properly equip our young people to wrestle with the many contentious issues they are facing.

Doug Stokes is Professor of International Security and Strategy in the Department of Politics at the University of Exeter. He specialises in US foreign policy, international security and debates on grand strategy. Professor Stokes has published a number of books, journal articles and book chapters in these areas including his most recent books; Global Energy Security and American Hegemony, (Johns Hopkins, 2011) US Foreign Policy (Oxford University Press, 2018).

His major developed research focus is on the durability of the US led liberal international order and the ways in which great powers can use military power to shape international relations in ways they deem desirable. This question becomes especially interesting in the context of economic power shifting to East Asia, the crisis of Western strategic agency and complex forms of global interdependence in a world of many states.

Katholische Kirche warnt vor Abschaffung des Werbeverbots für Abtreibungen

KRITIK AN DER AMPELKOALITION
FRANKFURTER ALLGEMEINE ZEITUNG: Der Vorsitzende der Deutschen Bischofskonferenz hat der Ampelkoalition vorgeworfen, den Schutz des Lebens schwächen zu wollen. Die geplanten Änderungen der Abtreibungsgesetzgebung seien weder modern noch fortschrittlich, so Georg Bätzing.

Die katholische Kirche in Deutschland kritisiert Pläne der neuen Bundesregierung für eine Änderung des Abtreibungsgesetzgebung. Der Vorsitzende der Deutschen Bischofskonferenz, Bischof Georg Bätzing, und Caritas-Präsidentin Eva Welskop-Deffaa warnten am Samstag davor, die geltenden Gesetze aufzuweichen. Auch Kardinal Reinhard Marx wirbt für die Beibehaltung des Werbeverbots für Abtreibungen.

Bätzing schrieb in einem Gastbeitrag in der "Süddeutschen Zeitung" (Samstag), die beabsichtigten Änderungen nähmen den Schutz des ungeborenen Lebens zurück und könnten „nicht für sich in Anspruch nehmen, fortschrittlich und modern zu sein“. Die bestehenden Standards für den Lebensschutz seien keine Restbestände einer verkrusteten Gesellschaft, betont der Limburger Bischof mit Blick auf die Ankündigung der Ampelkoalition, mehr Fortschritt zu wagen. Vielmehr seien sie der Ausweis für eine umsichtige und verantwortungsvolle Gesellschaft. » | Quelle: KNA | Samstag, 8. Januar 2022

L’assaut du Capitole | ARTE

Jan 4, 2022 • L’irruption au Capitole des partisans de Donald Trump contestant la victoire de Joe Biden en janvier 2021 a sidéré le monde entier. De quoi cette attaque était-elle le symptôme ? Quelles traces a-t-elle laissées sur la société américaine ?

Le 6 janvier 2021, alors que le Congrès se réunit à Washington pour certifier les résultats du vote des grands électeurs et la victoire du démocrate Joe Biden à la présidence des États-Unis, des centaines de sympathisants de Donald Trump envahissent le Capitole, contestant l’authenticité des résultats de l’élection. Le président sortant vient d’encourager ses partisans à ne pas concéder la défaite et à se diriger vers le siège du Congrès. Après avoir fait tomber les barrières qui protègent le bâtiment, les supporters de Trump submergent les lieux. Certains escaladent les murs pour pénétrer dans l’enceinte de l’institution, tandis que les forces de police, débordées, exfiltrent en urgence les parlementaires protégés par des masques à gaz.

Documentaire de Gaston Sasa Koren et Dagmar Gallenmüller (Allemagne, 2021, 52mn)
Disponible jusqu'au 04/04/2022

Is the EU about to Build Its Own Army? | DW News

Jan 5, 2022 • France took over the EU's rotating presidency on Saturday, ringing in the new year by taking the reins of the 27-member bloc

. French President Emmanuel Macron said Europe's new model for growth must include innovation, job creation and job security for the continent to remain competitive globally and be in line with climate harm reduction initiatives on the other side of the pandemic.

"This agenda for a sovereign Europe will be accelerated with the French Presidency. Europe must rise to the major economic, educational, migration and military challenges," Macron said in a statement.

Concretely, France hopes to promote an EU-wide minimum wage, a carbon tax and greater regulation of big tech

. The EU's presidency rotates every six months among the member states of the 27-nation bloc.

This will be France's 13th time at the helm of the rotating presidency.

Biden Warns of “Dagger at the Throat of America”; Fascism Expert Says Trump Personality Cult Growing

Jan 7, 2022 • President Joe Biden warned about the looming threat of autocracy during his speech marking the first anniversary of the January 6 Capitol attack on Thursday and denounced his predecessor Donald Trump for inciting the rioters. In a statement responding to Biden’s speech, Trump continued to falsely claim the 2020 election was rigged. To discuss further, we are joined by historian Ruth Ben-Ghiat, an expert on the psychology of authoritarianism, who says Trump has grown his “personality cult” since his election loss and converted the GOP into “a far-right authoritarian party which has enshrined violence as part of the practice of power.” She also discusses Trump’s recent endorsement of Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán, who has been recognized by European Union leadership as a threat to democracy, and calls Florida Governor Ron DeSantis a “mini-Trump” who is planning for “an authoritarian system at the state level.”

Dans les coulisses de la semaine explosive d’Emmanuel Macron

Lors de la conférence de presse de vendredi, donnée à l’Élysée, aux côtés d’Ursula von der Leyen, la présidente de la Commission européenne, Emmanuel Macron est revenu sur l’emploi du mot qui fâche à propos des antivax français. POOL/REUTERS
LE FIGARO : GRAND RÉCIT - Par deux fois, le chef de l’État a suscité des polémiques qui ont divisé les Français.

Au-delà de ses espérances. Lorsqu’il se retourne sur la semaine passée, la première de l’année, celle qui lance le décompte des cent jours jusqu’au premier tour de l’élection présidentielle, Emmanuel Macron est satisfait. D’ailleurs, il «assume». Le drapeau européen sous l’Arc de triomphe pour lancer la présidence française de l’Union européenne comme ses propos dans Le Parisien , où il déclare avoir «très envie d’emmerder» les non-vaccinés.

À chaque fois, la classe politique s’enflamme. À chaque fois, un clivage se dessine. Celui qu’il avait théorisé pour bâtir sa victoire de 2017, celui qu’il compte réactiver pour renouveler l’exploit en 2022: proeuropéens contre eurosceptiques, progressistes contre conserveurs, mondialistes contre nationalistes. C’est bien l’objectif. Pousser les feux sur la recomposition du paysage politique qu’il a initiée il y a cinq ans. Pour la gauche, c’est comme si c’était fait. Plus divisés que jamais, ses représentants semblent condamnés à jouer les figurants en 2022. Pour la droite, c’est plus compliqué. Valérie Pécresse fait de la résistance. Il faut la débusquer. » | Par Loris Boichot, Tristan Quinault-Maupoil et François-Xavier Bourmaud | vendredi 7 janvier 2022

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Ein Austausch von Zuneigung auf den Straßen von Ravello, Italien.

An exchange of affection on the streets of Ravello, Italy. / Un échange d'affection dans les rues de Ravello, en Italie.
Foto mit freundlicher Genehmigung von stylemepretty.com auf Pinterest.

Chine : un séisme de magnitude 6,6 frappe la province du Qinghai

LE FIGARO : Un séisme de magnitude 6,6 a frappé tôt samedi 8 janvier le Qinghai, une province peu peuplée du nord-ouest de la Chine, a annoncé l'Institut d'études géologiques des États-Unis (USGS). » | Par Le Figaro avec AFP | vendredi 7 janvier 2022

Democracy Now! Top US News & World Headlines — January 7, 2022

Democracy Now! is an independent global news hour that airs on nearly 1,400 TV and radio stations Monday through Friday.

Sidney Poitier, Black Acting Pioneer, Dies Aged 94

THE GUARDIAN: The first Black person to win a best actor Oscar gave a string of groundbreaking performances on screen that helped combat social prejudice

Sidney Poitier with his honorary Oscar in 2002. Photograph: Doug Mills/AP
Sidney Poitier, whose groundbreaking acting work in the 1950s and 60s paved the way for generations of Black film stars, has died aged 94. His death was announced on Friday by the Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Bahamas, Fred Mitchell.

Bahamas Prime Minister Chester Cooper said he was “conflicted with great sadness and a sense of celebration when I learned of the passing of Sir Sidney Poitier.

“Sadness that he would no longer be here to tell him how much he means to us, but celebration that he did so much to show the world that those from the humblest beginnings can change the world and that we gave him his flowers while he was with us.

“We have lost an icon; a hero, a mentor, a fighter, a national treasure.” » | Andrew Pulver | Friday, January 7, 2022

Sidney Poitier, Who Paved the Way for Black Actors in Film, Dies at 94: The first Black performer to win the Academy Award for best actor, for “Lilies of the Field,” he once said he felt “as if I were representing 15, 18 million people with every move I made.” »

Enya : Caribbean Blue | Official Video

Oct 27, 2009 • Watch the video in 4K by changing the quality in settings! | Views on YouTube: 49,920,176

Dimitra’s Dishes : Greek Meatballs – Broiled Keftedes

Jan 15, 2021 • These delicious Greek meatballs, also known as keftedes are packed with flavor. They’re light, juicy, and simply delicious. Super easy to make and they freeze beautifully. In this recipe, I cooked them under the broiler instead of pan-frying and saved myself a lot of cleanup. Make a double or even triple batch of these to have on hand for those busy days.

Get the recipe here.

Au Kazakhstan, une répression féroce s’abat sur les émeutiers

Des militaires sont postés derrière un véhicule incendié sur la place principale de la ville d’Amalty où des centaines de personnes ont manifesté contre le gouvernement, jeudi, au Kazakhstan. MARIYA GORDEYEVA/REUTERS
LE FIGARO : RÉCIT - «L’opération antiterroriste» déclenchée jeudi par les forces armées contre les manifestants a été meurtrière.

Mercredi soir, au terme d’une journée chaotique où des édifices publics ont été pris d’assaut par les manifestants un peu partout dans le pays, les autorités kazakhes avaient préparé l’opinion à la féroce répression conduite jeudi. La police d’Almaty, la capitale économique de l’ex-République soviétique, avait averti qu’elle allait lancer une «opération antiterroriste».

L’expression était aussi impropre qu’attendue, alors que le mouvement, qui donnait certes lieu à quelques pillages, avait commencé trois jours plus tôt dans l’ouest pétrolier du pays, pour protester contre l’augmentation aussi soudaine que drastique du prix d’un carburant très usité dans l’immense steppe kazakhe, le gaz de pétrole liquéfié. Deux mille arrestations » | Par Régis Genté | jeudi 6 janvier 2022

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Der Präsident lässt das Feuer ohne Vorwarnung eröffnen

UNRUHEN IN KASACHSTAN
FRANKFURTER ALLGEMEINE ZEITUNG: Kasachstans Staatschef kündigt die baldige „Vernichtung“ aller „Terroristen und Banditen“ an. Er behauptet, die Stadt Almaty sei von 20.000 Kämpfern angegriffen worden und sieht Drahtzieher im Ausland.

Kasachstans Präsident Kassym-Schomart Tokajew hat den Sicherheitskräften den Befehl erteilt, ohne Vorwarnung das Feuer zu eröffnen. Das gab er am Freitag in einer Fernsehansprache bekannt, in der er sagte, die „Antiterroroperation“ im Land dauere an. Die Unruhen der vergangenen Tage seien von bewaffneten und gut vorbereiteten „Banditen und Terroristen“ ausgegangen. Diese müssten „vernichtet“ werden, was rasch geschehen werde, sagte Tokajew. Die Verhängung des Ausnahmezustands habe schon Resultate gezeigt, das Land kehre zur verfassungsmäßigen Ordnung zurück. Das kasachische Innenministerium teilte mit, alle öffentlichen Gebäude im Land seien wieder unter Kontrolle der Sicherheitskräfte. In Almaty, der größten Stadt des Landes, war indes laut Berichten aus der Stadt auch in der Nacht zum Freitag noch Gewehrfeuer zu hören. » | Von Reinhard Veser | Freitag, 7. Januar 2022

How the Deadly Unrest turned Kazakhstan into a Geopolitical Flashpoint | DW News

Jan 7, 2022 • Kazakhstan President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev on Friday declared that constitutional order was "mainly restored" after the unprecedented unrest in recent days. Protests had erupted over surging fuel prices and escalated into an uprising against corruption. Violent clashes between protesters and security forces left dozens of demonstrators and forces killed. In a televised address on Friday, Tokayev said he had given security forces orders to open fire without warning if there were further disturbances. The president made reference to "20,000 bandits" who had attacked the country's largest city of Almaty and vowed to destroy them.

Authorities said there have also been 3,000 arrests, according to state broadcaster Khabar 24 citing the interior ministry. Security has been bolstered across the country, with 70 checkpoints operating around the clock. On Thursday, authorities said 18 security personnel had been killed, including one who had been beheaded.

BBC Should Play God Save the Queen Every Day, Say Ministers

THE GUARDIAN: Culture minister endorses calls for daily dose of national anthem – but proposal is ridiculed online

Ministers have backed calls for God Save the Queen to be played more frequently by the BBC and other public broadcasters.

The culture minister, Chris Philp, told MPs the “more we hear the national anthem sung, frankly, the better” in response to a suggestion from a Conservative colleague for the Beeb to play it at the end of their programming for the day.

The BBC already plays the national anthem at the end of every day on Radio 4. » | Jamie Grierson | Friday, January 7, 2022

Back to the future? This dude has to be joking! Does he want us to tug our forelocks, too? How about this instead? – © Mark

Versailles: Palast des Sonnenkönigs | Doku HD |ARTE

Jan 1, 2022 • Von den irrwitzigen barocken Fantasiegebilden über die Luxusgemächer der Höflinge bis zum Privatmuseum des Königs: Das heutige Versailles hat kaum noch Ähnlichkeit mit dem Schloss des Sonnenkönigs. Zurzeit wird diese versunkene Vergangenheit mit modernsten Mitteln wie Restaurierung und Digitalisierung Tausender von Schlossplänen erforscht. Ein Überblick.

Unter der Herrschaft Ludwigs XIV. war Versailles eine ständige Baustelle. Danach wurde es von den aufeinanderfolgenden Bewohnern unaufhörlich umgewandelt, deswegen hat das Kulturdenkmal, das Millionen Besucher heute erblicken, nur sehr entfernte Ähnlichkeit mit dem des Sonnenkönigs. Außerdem erzählt es nichts über seine erstaunliche Entstehungsgeschichte. Doch durch die Verwendung modernster Rekonstruktionstechniken hat die Forschung heute einen neuen Aufschwung genommen. Sie erschließt das Versailles Ludwigs XIV. so, wie er es nach seinen Bedürfnissen und Träumen entwarf. Der Film beobachtet die Wissenschaftler bei ihren Bemühungen, die Räume und Ausstattungen der verlorenen Bauten zu rekonstruieren und die Entstehungsgeschichte des Palastes zu klären. So rekonstruiert der Konservator des Schlossmuseums, Alexandre Maral, die irrwitzigen barocken Fantasiegebilde, die eine Zeit lang den Park füllten, und lässt den Zuschauer eine wunderbare künstliche Grotte mit zauberhaften Springbrunnen erkunden. Der wissenschaftliche Direktor des Versailler Forschungszentrums, Mathieu da Vinha, führt detailliert vor, wie die großen Höflingsgemächer eingerichtet waren. Der Spezialist für die königlichen Sammlungen, Matthieu Lett, kann dank der 3D-Rekonstruktion des Privatmuseums von Ludwig XIV. die Hängung in diesem sehr privaten Ort in virtueller Realität ausprobieren. Verbunden mit der Untersuchung Tausender alter Pläne ermöglichen diese modernen Rekonstruktionstechniken eine vollkommen neue Erforschung der architektonischen Vergangenheit von Versailles und offenbaren deren verborgenen Sinn.

Dokumentarfilm von Marc Jampolsky (F 2018, 92 Min)

As Kazakhstan Burns over Inequality, the Elite’s Wealth Is Safe and Sound in London

OPEN DEMOCRACY: London is home to some £530m in luxury property owned by the country’s ruling class

4 January 2021: people in Aktau protest against liquefied natural gas hike | (c) ITAR-TASS News Agency / Alamy Stock Photo. All rights reserved
Protests in Kazakhstan started quietly this week. A sudden increase in the price of liquefied petroleum gas, popular as a secondary fuel for its low cost, sparked public meetings in towns in western Kazakhstan, the home of the country’s natural resources sector.

But five days later, and the system built since the 1990s by Kazakhstan’s first family, the Nazarbayevs, and their associates, looks to have been shaken.

The government has resigned, former leader Nursultan Nazarbayev has been stripped of his role as chairman of the country’s Security Council, and protesters have attempted to storm government administration buildings amid a state of emergency. After a request by president Kassym-Jomart Tokayev, Russian troops have now entered the country. Dozens of protesters have allegedly been killed by law enforcement in the city of Almaty, according to a local police spokesperson.

Four thousand miles away in London, though, the UK assets of the Kazakhstani ruling class are sitting quietly. The Central Asian state’s elite owns at least £530.4m of luxury property in London and the southeast, according to data released in a recent report by Chatham House. Some £330m of that luxury property is owned by the extended Nazarbayev family. » | Thomas Rowley | Thursday, January 6, 2022

Kazakhstan: Protesters Storm Government Offices | DW News

Jan 6, 2022 • Police in Kazakhstan's largest city, Almaty, say dozens of protesters have been killed in attempts to storm public buildings. After a request for help from Kazakhstan's president, Russia is leading an alliance of ex-Soviet states in sending what they call peacekeeping forces.

L’Amérique plus divisée que jamais un an après l’assaut du Capitole

Explosion d’une munition non létale lancée par la police, le 6 janvier 2021, contre les partisans de Donald Trump qui encerclent le Capitole pour tenter d’empêcher l’accession à la présidence de Joe Biden. LEAH MILLIS/REUTERS

LE FIGARO : RÉCIT - L’enquête parlementaire sur l’attaque du 6 janvier 2021 se poursuit, attisant les haines politiques.

La crise politique suscitée par l’émeute du Capitole le 6 janvier 2021 est loin d’être terminée. Un an plus tard, cette journée ressemble plus au début d’une nouvelle ère qu’à la fin d’un épisode. Entrée dans le langage courant aux États-Unis, un peu comme celle du 11 Septembre, la date suffit dorénavant à désigner les événements de ce jour dramatique. Mais alors que les attentats de 2001 avaient, au moins momentanément, réuni les Américains, l’émeute du Capitole les divise plus que jamais.

L’assaut des partisans de Donald Trump pour tenter d’interrompre la certification de l’élection de Joe Biden par le Congrès est considéré par les démocrates comme la pire attaque lancée contre la république depuis sa fondation. Ils rappellent que même au début de la guerre de Sécession, en 1861, les sudistes n’avaient pas contesté le résultat de l’élection d’Abraham Lincoln. Pour les républicains, l’événement suscite un mélange de réactions, allant de l’embarras au déni. Ils accusent les démocrates de grossir cette émeute hors de proportions, et rappellent qu’ils étaient restés bien silencieux quand les manifestants de Black Lives Matter avaient attaqué pendant l’été 2020 des tribunaux fédéraux, des postes de police, et même la Maison-Blanche. Une frange importante du Parti républicain, rangée derrière Trump, va même jusqu’à nier que l’irruption de la foule dans le Capitole ait été autre chose que l’expression d’une juste colère populaire, prétendant que la véritable atteinte à la démocratie aurait en fait eu lieu le 3 novembre 2020, quand une soi-disant fraude électorale massive aurait volé à Trump sa victoire. Cette divergence est d’autant plus singulière que les faits, retransmis en direct par les télévisions, se sont déroulés pratiquement sous les yeux de tous. » | Par Adrien Jaulmes | Publié mardi 4 janvier 2022 ; mis à jour : jeudi 6 janvier 2022

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The Next Big Lies: Jan. 6 Was No Big Deal, or a Left-Wing Plot: How revisionist histories of Jan. 6 picked up where the “stop the steal” campaign left off, warping beliefs about what transpired at the Capitol. »

Rachmaninoff : Piano Concerto No. 3 | Daniil Trifonov

Mar 6, 2018 • Daniil Trifonov performs Sergei Rachmaninoff's Piano Concerto No. 3 in D minor opus 30 with the Orchestre Philharmonique de Radio France conducted by Myung-Whun Chung. Live recording on June 19, 2015 at the Philharmonie de Paris.

Dozens of Protesters and Police Dead amid Kazakhstan Unrest

THE GUARDIAN: Witnesses in Almaty describe scenes of chaos in streets as Russian ‘peacekeepers’ arrive in country

Footage showed violent clashes between protesters and authorities in a number of different cities. Photograph: Valery Sharifulin/Tass
Dozens of protesters and at least 12 police officers have died in ongoing violence in Kazakhstan, authorities have claimed, as “peacekeepers” from a Russian-led military alliance arrived in the country at the request of the embattled president, Kassym-Jomart Tokayev.

Witnesses in Almaty, Kazakhstan’s largest city, described scenes of chaos on Thursday, with government buildings being stormed or set on fire and widespread looting. Many of those demonstrating said the protests had begun peacefully earlier in the week, and turned violent after a heavy-handed government response.

The interior ministry said 2,298 people had been arrested during the unrest, while the police spokesperson Saltanat Azirbek told the state news channel Khabar-24 that “dozens of attackers were liquidated”. There were also reports of about 400 people in hospital.

City officials in Almaty said 748 officers from police and the national guard had been injured and 18 killed, one of whom they claimed had been found beheaded. » | Shaun Walker | Thursday, January 6, 2022


Émeutes au Kazakhstan : des «dizaines» de morts, des troupes russes sur place : EN IMAGES - Le pays d'Asie centrale est ébranlé par un mouvement de colère qui a éclaté dimanche après une hausse des prix du gaz. Washington a mis en garde les soldats russes. »

Die Versäumnisse der Herrschenden: Kasachstan stand im regionalen Vergleich gut da. Dass das nun in Gefahr ist, ist die Schuld des Regimes. Und mit dem Einsatz russischer Truppen verändert sich auch die internationale Lage. »

Kazakhstan: «Domino post-soviétique» : L’éditorial du ‘Figaro’, par Patrick Saint-Paul. »

Boris Johnson Accused of Corruption after ‘Great Exhibition’ Text Emerges

THE GUARDIAN: PM sought funds for flat refurb from Tory donor while promising to consider plans for mystery event

Johnson signed off a WhatsApp message to Lord Brownlow by saying: ‘Ps am on the great exhibition plan.’ Photograph: Tayfun Salcı/Zuma Press Wire/Rex/Shutterstock
Boris Johnson has been accused of corruption after it emerged that he sought funds for his flat refurbishment from a Conservative donor while promising to consider plans for a mystery “great exhibition”.

The prime minister is facing fresh questions after newly published WhatsApp messages with the Tory peer David Brownlow show Johnson called parts of his Downing Street residence a “tip” and asked for “approvals” so his decor designer, Lulu Lytle, could “get on with it” in November 2020.

He signed off the message by saying: “Ps am on the great exhibition plan Will revert.” Lord Brownlow replied: “Of course, get Lulu to call me and we’ll get it sorted ASAP! Thanks for thinking about GE2.”

On Thursday, Johnson was forced to make a “humble and sincere” apology for the texts not being given to his independent ethics adviser during an initial inquiry last spring. » | Aubrey Allegretti and Jessica Elgot | Thursday, January 6, 2022

Dimitra’s Dishes: The Best Falafel Recipe!

Get the recipe here.

A Historic Televised Kiss in 2018.

Un baiser télévisé historique de Gus Kenworthy en 2018. / Gus Kenworthys historischer Fernsehkuß im Jahr 2018.
Many thanks to vulture.com for this delightful photo.
WIKIPEDIA : About Gus Kenworthy.

Follow Gus Kenworthy on Instagram here.

Chagall - Ein Maler zwischen den Welten | Doku HD | ARTE

Jan 6, 2022 • Marc Chagall war ein Künstler zwischen zwei Welten, zwischen traditioneller Kunst und Moderne, Figuration und Abstraktion. Der Film begleitet ihn auf einer wichtigen Etappe seines Lebens von 1910 bis 1930, zwischen Paris und Witebsk. Chagalls Heimatstadt war ein Labor für die russische Künstleravantgarde in Weißrussland, Paris das Zentrum moderner Kunstströmungen.

Die Dokumentation „Chagall – Ein Maler zwischen den Welten“ zeichnet den persönlichen und künstlerischen Werdegang von Marc Chagall nach und stützt sich dabei auf seine sehr poetischen Schilderungen in der Autobiografie „Mein Leben“ sowie auf in der Sowjetunion veröffentlichte Artikel. Gleichzeitig zeichnet sie das Porträt einer Künstlergeneration, die zwischen 1910 und 1930 ihren eigenen Weg zwischen Volkskunst und Moderne fand.

Manche dieser Künstler kamen vor dem Ersten Weltkrieg nach Paris, weil sie frei malen wollten. Einige schlossen sich Kubismus oder Fauvismus an, andere suchten nach einem jüdischen Stil in der Kunst. Marc Chagall gründete nach dem Krieg in seiner Heimatstadt Witebsk eine Kunstschule, die das einfache Volk an die Kunst und die Revolution heranführen sollte und zu einer wichtigen Wirkungsstätte der russischen Avantgarde in der jungen Sowjetunion wurde. Doch unvermeidlich kam es hier auch zu künstlerischen Richtungsstreits und menschlichen Konflikten. Am Beispiel des faszinierenden Lebensweges von Chagall veranschaulicht die Filmemacherin Laurence Jourdan das für diese Zeit der politischen, künstlerischen und menschlichen Umbrüche charakteristische Spannungsverhältnis zwischen Verwurzelung in der Tradition und Modernität, nach der diese Generation junger russischer Künstler strebte.

Dokumentation von Laurence Jourdan (F 2019, 52 Min)
Verfügbar bis zum 10/03/2022

Auf YouTube ansehen

The Thom Hartmann Program: The Big Lie at the Heart of America's Problems

Jan 4, 2022 • Hunger in the USA — which stalks the lives of 1 in 5 American children — could end with just $25 billion a year, while this year Congress gave the Pentagon $25 billion more than they requested. Why?

Biden: Trump ‘Created and Spread a Web of Lies’ That Led to Jan. 6 Capitol Riot

Jan 6, 2022 • President Biden addresses the nation one year after the January 6th Capitol riot, saying that the rioters were trying to “deny the will of the people,” while the former president “watched it all on TV.”

300,000 New Infections: France Sees 'Supersonic Rise' in Covid Cases | DW News

Jan 6, 2022 • France recorded 332,200 new infections in a 24-hour period on Wednesday, which is Europe's highest single-day number of confirmed Covid-19 cases. It was also the first time that French cases breached the 300,000 mark as the country continues to break daily case records during an omicron-driven surge.

Although hospitals are preparing for a potential surge in patients, authorities are hopeful that France's high vaccination rate will prevent many people from developing severe infections, like those which were seen at the beginning of the pandemic. Nevertheless, the number of Covid hospitalizations has seen an uptick, with 72% of French ICU beds now occupied by people with the virus, The Associated Press reported.

The increased pressure on resources has prompted authorities to allow health workers who have tested positive to keep treating patients in the face of staff shortages. Early Thursday, French legislators in the lower house passed legislation that included a new "health pass" to limit unvaccinated people's access to public places including restaurants, regional trains and planes. The draft will now go to the Senate before a final vote in the National Assembly.


Présidentielle 2022: les propos de d’Emmanuel Macron enflamment la campagne : La petite phrase du président, qui dit vouloir «emmerder» les non-vaccinés, a suscité un tollé et provoqué un incident de séance à l’Assemblée. »

Democracy Now! Top US News & World Headlines — January 6, 2022

Christian Nationalism Is One of Trump’s Most Powerful Weapons

Ashley Gilbertson/VII/Redux
OPINION : GUEST ESSAY
THE NEW YORK TIMES: The most serious attempt to overthrow the American constitutional system since the Civil War would not have been feasible without the influence of America’s Christian nationalist movement. One year later, the movement seems to have learned a lesson: If it tries harder next time, it may well succeed in making the promise of American democracy a relic of the past.

Christian nationalist symbolism was all over the events of Jan. 6, as observers have pointed out. But the movement’s contribution to the effort to overturn the 2020 election and install an unelected president goes much deeper than the activities of a few of its representatives on the day that marks the unsuccessful end (or at least a temporary setback) of an attempted coup.

A critical precondition for Donald Trump’s attempt to retain the presidency against the will of the people was the cultivation of a substantial population of voters prepared to believe his fraudulent claim that the election was stolen — a line of argument Mr. Trump began preparing well before the election, at the first presidential debate. » | Katherine Stewart * | Thursday, January 6, 2022

• Ms. Stewart has reported on the religious right for more than a decade. She is the author of “The Power Worshippers: Inside the Dangerous Rise of Religious Nationalism.”

Jimmy Carter: I Fear for Our Democracy

OPINION : GUEST ESSAY
THE NEW YORK TIMES: One year ago, a violent mob, guided by unscrupulous politicians, stormed the Capitol and almost succeeded in preventing the democratic transfer of power. All four of us former presidents condemned their actions and affirmed the legitimacy of the 2020 election. There followed a brief hope that the insurrection would shock the nation into addressing the toxic polarization that threatens our democracy.

However, one year on, promoters of the lie that the election was stolen have taken over one political party and stoked distrust in our electoral systems. These forces exert power and influence through relentless disinformation, which continues to turn Americans against Americans. According to the Survey Center on American Life, 36 percent of Americans — almost 100 million adults across the political spectrum — agree that “the traditional American way of life is disappearing so fast that we may have to use force to save it.” The Washington Post recently reported that roughly 40 percent of Republicans believe that violent action against the government is sometimes justified.

Politicians in my home state of Georgia, as well as in others, such as Texas and Florida, have leveraged the distrust they have created to enact laws that empower partisan legislatures to intervene in election processes. They seek to win by any means, and many Americans are being persuaded to think and act likewise, threatening to collapse the foundations of our security and democracy with breathtaking speed. I now fear that what we have fought so hard to achieve globally — the right to free, fair elections, unhindered by strongman politicians who seek nothing more than to grow their own power — has become dangerously fragile at home. » | Jimmy Carter * | Wednesday, January 5, 2022

* Mr. Carter was the 39th president of the United States.

Garland: Justice Department Will Hold All Jan. 6 Rioters 'Accountable under Law'

Jan 5, 2022 • Attorney General Merrick Garland announced that the Justice Department has arrested and charged more than 725 defendants in connection with the Jan. 6th insurrection.

Bee Gees : Alone | 1997

Views on YouTube: 43,320,514

Brigitte Bardot ne veut pas être vaccinée contre le Covid

Brigitte Bardot assure être en bonne santé pour une octogénaire et dit ne pas craindre la mort. ERIC FEFERBERG / AFP
LE FIGARO : L'actrice Brigitte a révélé mercredi 5 janvier au magazine Gala ne pas vouloir être vaccinée contre le Covid-19, se disant «allergique à tous les produits chimiques».

Parce qu'elle se dit «allergique à tous les produits chimiques», Brigitte Bardot a révélé ne pas vouloir être vaccinée contre le Covid-19, [sic]

«Je suis allergique à tous les produits chimiques»

Interrogée par l'hebdomadaire Gala pour savoir si elle était vaccinée, l'actrice, qui vit retirée dans sa villa en bord de Méditerranée à Saint-Tropez, a répondu: «Ah non! Je suis allergique à tous les produits chimiques». «Même quand j'ai voyagé en Afrique, j'ai refusé de le faire contre la fièvre jaune. Mon médecin de l'époque m'avait rédigé un faux certificat. Je suis partie et revenue en pleine forme !», a-t-elle ajouté. Elle n'a pas précisé à quelle date. » | Par Le Figaro avec AFP | mercredi 5 janvier 2022

Cigarette électronique : les médecins ne doivent pas conseiller le vapotage pour se sevrer du tabac, selon le HCSP

LE MONDE : Selon le Haut Conseil de la santé publique, « les bénéfices potentiels et les risques » de l’utilisation de cigarettes électroniques « ne sont pas établis à ce jour ».

Selon le Haut Conseil de la santé publique, « les connaissances fondées sur les preuves sont insuffisantes pour proposer [les cigarettes électroniques] comme aides au sevrage tabagique ». DANIEL BECERRIL / REUTERS
La cigarette électronique ne doit pas être proposée comme outil de sevrage du tabac par les professionnels de santé, faute de recul sur ses bénéfices et ses risques, estime le Haut Conseil de la santé publique (HCSP), dans un avis publié mardi 4 janvier.

« Les professionnels de santé qui accompagnent un fumeur dans une démarche de sevrage tabagique se doivent d’utiliser des traitements médicamenteux ou non ayant prouvé leur efficacité », comme les patchs ou les gommes à la nicotine, juge le HCSP.

Selon cet organisme consultatif, « les connaissances fondées sur les preuves sont insuffisantes pour proposer [les cigarettes électroniques] comme aides au sevrage tabagique dans la prise en charge des fumeurs par les professionnels de santé ». « Les bénéfices potentiels et les risques de l’utilisation à moyen ou à long terme de cigarettes électroniques avec ou sans nicotine, ne sont pas établis à ce jour », poursuit le HCSP, qui souhaite que des études soient conduites sur le sujet. » | Le Monde avec AFP | mercredi 5 janvier 2022

À LIRE AUSSI :

Vapoter est-il sans danger ? Questions sur une « mystérieuse épidémie » »

Churchill vs Roosevelt: The WWII Power Struggle | Warlords | Timeline

Oct 19, 2017 • An examination of the mental battles waged between 20th-century leaders Winston Churchill and Franklin D Roosevelt during the first two years of their relationship. A duel of false promises, evasion and delusion ensued, which was far removed from the more familiar image of friendship and loyalty. World War II was not only a military conflict. It was also a series of private psychological battles waged by the four great leaders: Adolf Hitler, Joseph Stalin, Franklin Roosevelt and Winston Churchill. In these mental duels, the 'warlords' lied, schemed, charmed, flattered and cheated to win.

Timeline.

Timeline on Facebook.

Timeline on Instagram.

Simon & Garfunkel : The Sound Of Silence | Remastered

Prince Andrew's Most Controversial Scandals (His Spending & Epstein) | Fergie & Andrew | Channel 5

Dec 1, 2020 • Prince Andrew has many controversial scandals reported about him. The most notorious of these is his friendship with Jeffery Epstein.

The Fall of Elizabeth Holmes: How Silicon Valley's Trial of the Century Unfolded

Jan 5, 2022 • Elizabeth Holmes, founder of the collapsed blood testing company Theranos, is facing decades in prison after being found guilty of conspiring to defraud her investors out of billions. The Guardian’s Rupert Neate explains how she went from "the next Steve Jobs" to convicted fraudster

Winter Storms Engulf US States - BBC News

Jan 4, 2022 • Heavy snowfall across the US has grounded flights, shut government and school buildings and left hundreds of thousands of people without power.

Washington, Tennessee, Virginia and Alabama have seen the most disruption, with a foot of snow falling in northern Virginia and similar levels in the other three states.

Lebanon Enters the New Year in a Deepening Crisis - BBC News

Jan 2, 2022 • Lebanon has begun 2022 in a state of paralysis, with the cabinet having not met for two months, the value of currency plummeting, and the investigation into the deadly Beirut port blast in 2020 has stalled.

Elections are due this year but political arguments over the dates have led to fears they may not happen at all.

Gewürzmühle Rosenheim: Von Fichtennadeln bis Schokoladenpfeffer | Wir in Bayern | BR

Zum Video: In der Gewürzmühle Rosenheim dreht sich seit 1957 alles um erlesene Gewürze und perfekte Mischungen. Die Gewürzmüller Simon Mendel und Jacqueline Bohleber zeigen die Vielfalt des Pfeffers und sie erklären vieles mehr. Autorin: Kerstin Kirbach

Democracy Now! Top US News & World Headlines — January 5, 2022

Judge Deals Blow to Prince Andrew’s Hopes of Dismissing Virginia Giuffre Sex Claim

The Duke of York, who vehemently denies the allegations, is attempting to have the lawsuit thrown out | NEIL HALL/PA
THE TIMES: The Duke of York’s hopes of stopping a sexual assault lawsuit filed by Virginia Roberts Giuffre appeared to diminish as a judge in New York questioned his lawyer’s arguments that an earlier settlement shielded him from being sued.

Andrew Brettler, the duke’s lawyer, argued that an agreement Giuffre signed with the American child sex offender Jeffrey Epstein in 2009 to settle a $500,000 suit, protecting “other potential defendants” from further legal action, included Prince Andrew. However, Judge Lewis Kaplan said that the definition of “potential defendants” was unclear and pointed to two sentences in the agreement that seemed to suggest it could not be used by Andrew. » | Will Pavia, New York | Valentine Low | Wednesday, January 5, 2022 [£]

Pope Calls Couples Who Choose Pets over Having Children ‘Selfish’

THE GUARDIAN: Pontiff says denial of fatherhood and motherhood diminishes people and takes away their humanity

Pope Francis risked the ire of the world’s childless dog and cat owners by suggesting people who substitute pets for children exhibit “a certain selfishness”.

Speaking on parenthood during a general audience at the Vatican, the pontiff lamented that pets “sometimes take the place of children” in society.

“Today … we see a form of selfishness. We see that some people do not want to have a child,” he said. “Sometimes they have one and that’s it, but they have dogs and cats that take the place of children. This may make people laugh but it is a reality.”

The practice, said the head of the world’s 1.3 billion Catholics, “is a denial of fatherhood and motherhood and diminishes us, takes away our humanity”.

Thus, “civilisation grows old without humanity because we lose the richness of fatherhood and motherhood, and it is the country that suffers”, the pontiff said at the Paul VI Hall. » | Agence France-Presse in Vatican City | Wednesday, January 5, 2022

Former Peer Nazir Ahmed Found Guilty of Serious Sexual Assault

THE GUARDIAN: Ahmed found guilty of two counts of attempted rape and one of buggery when he was a teenager in 1970s

The former peer Nazir Ahmed has been found guilty of serious sexual assault against a young boy and the attempted rape of a girl when he was a teenager in the 1970s.

Ahmed, 64, was found guilty on Wednesday of buggery against a boy in Rotherham, and twice attempting to rape a girl.

Buggery was the legal term for the specific sexual assault at the time of the offences.

The former Lord Ahmed of Rotherham was charged alongside his two older brothers, Mohammed Farouq, 71, and Mohammed Tariq, 65, but both were deemed unfit to stand trial. » | Maya Wolfe-Robinson | Wednesday, January 5, 2022

Ein Jahr nach dem Sturm aufs Capitol: Trumps Putschversuch ist gescheitert und war doch erfolgreich

KOMMENTAR
NEUE ZÜRCHER ZEITUNG: Der Aufstand am 6. Januar war keine echte Gefahr für die amerikanische Demokratie. Diese war vielmehr in den Wochen zuvor attackiert worden – aus dem Weissen Haus und durch willige Helfer in höchsten Ämtern.

Es sind mittlerweile berühmte Bilder, die vor einem Jahr aus Washington um die Welt gingen. Eine gewaltbereite Horde entert buchstäblich mit wehenden Fahnen das Capitol, klettert über die Fassade, schlägt Türen und Fenster ein, um die Beglaubigung der Wahl Joe Bidens zum Präsidenten im letzten Moment noch zu verhindern. Die Krawallanten wüten in den heiligsten Hallen der amerikanischen Demokratie, die Symbolkraft hätte kaum grösser sein können. Das tief gespaltene Amerika war für einen Moment vereint im Entsetzen. «Das ging zu weit und ist ausser Kontrolle geraten», schrieb selbst Donald Trumps ältester Sohn an den damaligen Stabschef seines Vaters, Mark Meadows. » | Meret Baumann | Mittwoch, 5. Januar 2022

The Guardian View on Britain and France: The Very Worst of Rivals

THE GUARDIAN – EDITORIAL: Despite Brexit, a shared history and geography means Paris and London will have to find a way to work together

‘The French president, Emmanuel Macron, has been quoted describing Boris Johnson as “a clown”’. Photograph: Alastair Grant/PA
At the core of Boris Johnson’s Brexit is a conflict between ideology and geography. The purpose of the project is divergence – a competitive leap away from Europe into other markets. But that impulse to move is thwarted by the permanence of Britain’s location. No matter how much sovereignty the Eurosceptics claim over national regulation, governing a medium-sized power 30 miles from the coast of France will always require some accommodation with the interests of neighbouring states.

EU membership was not the only possible way to manage those relationships, but it worked better than anything that had been tried in the preceding centuries, and nothing has been arranged to replace it. The Brexit withdrawal deal offers only a technical framework for economic partnership, and even that is unstable, as is clear from the ongoing negotiations over customs checks for Northern Ireland and operating licences for French fishers in UK waters. » | Editorial | Monday, January 3, 2022

«Indigne», «sidérant», «vulgaire» : la sortie d'Emmanuel Macron sur les non-vaccinés enflamme la classe politique

La classe politique s'indigne depuis hier soir de la sortie d'Emmanuel Macron sur les non-vaccinés. AFP / STEPHANE DE SAKUTIN / AFP / ALAIN JOCARD / AFP / STEPHANE DE SAKUTIN
LE FIGARO : Le président de la République a déclaré hier dans une interview au Parisien qu'il avait «très envie d'emmerder» les non-vaccinés «jusqu'au bout».

Une pluie de réactions indignées. En déclarant mardi 4 janvier au soir dans une interview au Parisien qu'il avait «très envie d'emmerder» les non-vaccinés «jusqu'au bout» , Emmanuel Macron a provoqué un véritable tollé dans la classe politique. Hier soir, les débats à l'Assemblée nationale sur le projet de loi voulant instaurer le passe vaccinal ont tourné court, suspendus après les propos tenus par le président de la République.

Au cours de cette séance houleuse interrompue dans la nuit, les parlementaires de tous bords ont fustigé les déclarations du chef de l'État. Le patron des députés LR, Damien Abad, a regretté des propos «indignes, irresponsables et prémédités» qui relèvent d'un «cynisme puéril». Ugo Bernalicis, député LFI, a estimé que la France était désormais dans une «crise politique déclenchée par le monarque présidentiel, qui se permet d'insulter une partie des Français». «Un président ne peut pas tenir les propos qui ont été tenus», a quant à lui lancé Christian Jacob, président des Républicains. «Je ne peux pas cautionner un texte qui vise à emmerder les Français», a-t-il ajouté. » | Par Wally Bordas | mercredi 5 janvier 2022

Europe, vaccination, présidentielle… Emmanuel Macron se livre à nos lecteurs : EXCLUSIF. Le président de la République a répondu pendant un peu plus de deux heures aux questions de sept lecteurs du Parisien-Aujourd’hui en France. Des anti-vaccins au discours de l’extrême droite, en passant par l’écologie et la sécurité, il n’a éludé aucun sujet. »

Macron declares his Covid strategy is to ‘piss off’ the unvaccinated: French president stokes divisions as parliament debates tighter requirements for mandatory health pass »

Impfgegner sind für Macron keine Bürger mehr: In einem Zeitungsgespräch platzt dem französischen Präsidenten der Kragen. Er wettert gegen Impfgegner und will sie vom Sozialleben ausschließen. Rechte, Konservative, Linke, Grüne und Kommunisten – sie alle sind empört. »

Warum Erdoğan sich Saudi-Arabien wieder annähert

FRANKFURTER ALLGEMEINE ZEITUNG: Erst Ägypten, dann die Vereinigten Arabischen Emirate, nun Saudi-Arabien: Die Türkei will ihre Beziehungen mit der arabischen Welt verbessern. Dahinter stecken auch wirtschaftliche Interessen.

Eine Überraschung war es nicht mehr, als der türkische Präsident Recep Tayyip Erdoğan während einer Veranstaltung des Verbands der türkischen Exporteure ankündigte, er werde im nächsten Monat Saudi-Arabien besuchen. „Er wartet auf mich im Februar, er hat es versprochen“, sagte Erdoğan. Alle verstanden, dass Erdoğan Kronprinz Muhammad Bin Salman, den starken Mann des Königreichs, gemeint hatte.

Seit Monaten arbeiten Ankara und Riad an der Normalisierung ihrer Beziehungen, die mit der Ermordung des saudischen Dissidenten Jamal Khashoggi am 2. Oktober 2018 im saudischen Generalkonsulat in Istanbul auf einen Tiefpunkt gefallen waren. An jenem Morgen waren 15 Saudis auf dem Istanbuler Flughafen eingetroffen. In einem Koffer hatte sich, wie die Auswertung der Aufnahmen im Flughafen ergaben, eine Knochensäge befunden, mit der Khashoggis Leichnam mutmaßlich zerstückelt wurde. » | Von Rainer Hermann, Redakteur in der Politik | Dienstag, 4. Januar 2022

Elizabeth Holmes: Theranos Founder Guilty of Fraud

Jan 4, 2022 • She was once feted as the world's youngest female self made billionaire who promised that her blood testing start-up would transform the future of healthcare but now Elizabeth Holmes has been found guilty of four counts of fraud - in a case which came to symbolise Silicon Valley's ethos of hype and corporate greed.

Related.

De la gloire à la prison, la chute d'une icône de la Silicon Valley : RÉCIT - Reconnue coupable d'avoir menti sur la technologie de Theranos, Elizabeth Holmes risque vingt ans de réclusion. »

Der tiefe Fall eines einstigen Silicon-Valley-Stars: Elisabeth Holmes wollte mit Theranos Bluttests revolutionieren – und schaffte es als jüngste Selfmade-Milliardärin sogar auf das Cover von Forbes. Dann folgte der tiefe Sturz des einst gefeierten Stars aus dem Silicon Valley. »

Lionel Richie : Do It To Me

Provided to YouTube by Universal Music Group | Views on YouTube: 5,506,476

Whitney Houston, Mariah Carey : When You Believe | Official HD Video

May 10, 2014 • "When You Believe" by Whitney Houston and Mariah Carey from The Prince of Egypt | Views on YouTube: 359,125,053

Taliban wollen Schaufensterpuppen köpfen

FRANKFURTER ALLGEMEINE ZEITUNG: Ein Vertreter des Ministeriums zur Erhaltung der Tugend bezeichnet die Puppen als Götzenbilder, die verschwinden müssten. Kritik kommt aus der Handelskammer in Herat.

In Afghanistan haben die regierenden islamistischen Taliban abermals strenge Vorschriften verhängt und nun Modegeschäfte im Westen des Landes aufgefordert, Schaufensterpuppen zu köpfen. Diese seien Götzenbilder und somit unislamisch, sagte Asisul Rahman, ein Provinzvertreter des neu geschaffenen Ministeriums zur Erhaltung der Tugend, der Deutschen Presse-Agentur am Dienstag. „Sie müssen beseitigt werden“, erklärte Rahman. Zunächst solle es jedoch genügen, dass die Schaufensterpuppen enthauptet werden. » | Quelle: dpa | Dienstag, 4. Januar 2022

Prince Andrew’s Uncertain Legal Fate Casts Shadow on Britain’s Royals

THE NEW YORK TIMES: As Queen Elizabeth II prepares to mark 70 years on the throne this year, a sexual abuse case in a Manhattan court involving her son could mean more turmoil for the royal family.

LONDON — Queen Elizabeth II will mark 70 years on the throne in February, a milestone unmatched by any British sovereign and a chance to turn the page on three years of ceaseless turmoil in the royal family. But a sexual-abuse lawsuit unfolding in a Manhattan courtroom could yet spoil her celebration.

On Tuesday, lawyers for the queen’s second son, Prince Andrew, asked a federal judge to throw out a lawsuit by Virginia Roberts Giuffre, in which she claims that Andrew, a friend of the late financier and convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, raped her when she was 17.

It was the latest in a skein of legal maneuvers by the prince’s lawyers to defuse Ms. Giuffre’s case. While the judge, Lewis A. Kaplan, did not immediately rule on the motion, leaving Andrew’s legal fate unsettled for now, the hearing dramatized the shadow that the 61-year-old prince still casts over his family.

If the judge allows the case to go forward, Andrew could face damaging testimony from Ms. Giuffre about his alleged abuse of her at Mr. Epstein’s residences in New York and in the Caribbean. That would plunge the House of Windsor back into scandal at the very moment it hopes to use the Platinum Jubilee to remind Britons of the queen’s extraordinary longevity and largely blemish-free record of service.

The 70-minute hearing gave a glimpse into the kinds of issues that could spill out in a prolonged trial. At one point, Prince Andrew’s lead lawyer, Andrew B. Brettler, argued that Ms. Giuffre had not been specific in her allegations against him. Judge Kaplan replied that she claimed she had been subjected to “involuntary sexual intercourse” and asked what was not clear about that. » | Mark Landler | Tuesday, January 4, 2022

Un an après l’assaut du Capitole, Donald Trump veut croire à son retour

Donald Trump (ici, en janvier 2021) entend se positionner en arbitre au sein de son camp en accordant ou non son soutien aux élus républicains. MANDEL NGAN/AFP
LE FIGARO : ANALYSE - Loin d’être un exil, son palais de Palm Beach est devenu le centre de son contre-pouvoir.

Correspondant à Washington
L’émeute du 6 janvier 2021 aurait signifié la fin de n’importe quelle autre carrière politique. Dans les semaines suivantes, même celle de Donald Trump ne semblait pas avoir un grand avenir. À son départ de la Maison-Blanche le 20 janvier, jour de l’investiture de Joe Biden, seule une poignée de fidèles étaient allés le saluer à son décollage vers la Floride. Les principaux responsables républicains n’avaient alors pas de mots assez durs pour condamner ce président qui les avait conduits à la défaite, perdant la Maison-Blanche, la majorité au Sénat et celle à la Chambre des représentants, avant de susciter une émeute qui s’en était pris au symbole de la démocratie américaine.

L’image de l’ancien président était associée avec celles de ses partisans faisant irruption au Capitole en frappant des policiers avec les hampes de drapeaux américains. Le Parti républicain était pressé d’oublier cette journée funeste. Kevin McCarthy, le chef du groupe républicain à la Chambre, avait déclaré ne plus vouloir avoir affaire à Trump. Mitch McConnell, le puissant chef de file des républicains au Sénat, tenait l’ancien président comme «moralement responsable de la journée du 6 janvier. Le 13 février, les sénateurs républicains, à l’exception de sept d’entre eux, avaient néanmoins refusé de condamner Trump après sa deuxième destitution, certains espérant secrètement que l’ancien président se ferait oublier dans sa retraite de Mar-a-Lago, et que ses accusations de fraude s’éloigneraient avec lui. » | Par Adrien Jaulmes | mardi 4 janvier 2022

Réservé aux abonnés

Quel cauchemar ! Allons-nous vraiment être soumis à un autre terme de cet homme incompétent, perturbateur, corrompu et pugnace ? O mon Dieu d'amour et de grâce, s'il te plaît, épargne-nous tous ! – © Mark

Gas Price Hike of More Than 30% Stokes Home Bills Fears for Europe

THE GUARDIAN: Rise comes amid ongoing concern about intentions of Russia as supplies flow east for 15th day in row

European gas prices have risen by more than 30% on Tuesday, adding to mounting concerns about the cost of heating a home, as supplies that usually come into Europe from Siberia continued to flow eastwards for the 15th day in a row.

The Kremlin has repeatedly denied using Russia’s vast gas resources to turn the screw on Europe, after gas coming through the Yamal-Europe pipeline reversed direction three days before Christmas.

Data from the Mallnow metering point on the German-Polish border on Tuesday showed that the eastwards flow of gas has increased, with volumes hitting almost 9.9m kilowatt hours an hour (kWh/h), up from 5.8m previously.

Eastbound volumes via the Yamal-Europe pipeline hit almost 9.9m kWh/h at the Mallnow metering point on the German-Polish border on Tuesday morning, the data showed, up from 5.8m previously. » | Rob Davies | Tuesday, January 4, 2022

WHO Warns of a ‘Tsunami’ of Infections | Coronavirus Latest

Dec 30, 2021 • Surging COVID-19 infections are worrying governments around the globe. France has posted a record number of infections, more 200,000 in a single day. Italy, Ireland and Portugal have also announced record numbers of new cases. Officials say the skyrocketing infection rates are being driven by the highly contagious omicron variant.

While countries are still grappling with rising case numbers, health authorities are also under pressure to reduce the isolation requirements for people infected, or in contact with a positive case. The US recently shortened its quarantine period, and Germany's health minister says he's considering a similar move.

Rachmaninoff: Symphony No. 2 | Antonio Pappano with the Staatskapelle Dresden

Dec 4, 2021 • A frenzy of timbres: Sergei Rachmaninoff's Symphony No. 2 in E minor, Op. 27, performed by the Sächsische Staatskapelle Dresden under the baton of Antonio Pappano. The concert took place in the Semperoper Dresden in 2018.

The second symphony by Russian composer Sergei Rachmaninoff (1873 - 1943) could also be called his "Dresden Symphony" since Rachmaninoff wrote the symphonic work in 1906/07 in Dresden, where his family had spent the winter months for three consecutive years. The premiere of Symphony No. 2 took place again in St. Petersburg in 1908 under the composer's direction and was a great success, which Rachmaninoff was in dire need of, since the premiere of his first symphony in 1897 had been a debacle and had plunged him into depression and a deep creative crisis.

All the more astonishing was the great success he had with his 2nd Symphony. This may be due, on the one hand, to the balance that characterizes the form of each of the four movements. But above all, it is the symphony's tonal colours that give it an incomparable radiance. Through lush orchestration and varied combinations of instrumental groups, the orchestra's tonal possibilities come into their own.

In the past, Rachmaninoff's Symphony No. 2 was often performed in an abridged version. Here, the Staatskapelle Dresden plays it completely authentically – in its unabridged original version and at the location of its creation.

(00:00) Rachmaninoff: Symphony No. 2 in E minor, Op. 27
(00:25) I. Largo - Allegro moderato
(19:23) II. Allegro molto (29:50) III Adagio
(44:19) IV. Allegro vivace
© EuroArts Music International

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