Kreml bezeichnet Bidens Drohung als „destruktiv“

Der russische Präsident Wladimir Putin im Januar 2022 | Bild: VIA REUTERS
UKRAINE-KONFLIKT
FRANKFURTER ALLGEMEINE ZEITUNG: Am Tag der Gespräche ukrainischer und russischer Vertreter verschärft sich die Tonlage zwischen Washington und Moskau. Unterdessen wurde bekannt, dass Deutschland der Ukraine 5000 militärische Schutzhelme liefern wird.

Der Kreml hat die Erwägung direkter Sanktionen gegen Russlands Präsidenten Wladimir Putin im Ukraine-Konflikt als „destruktiv“ bezeichnet. „Politisch ist das nicht schmerzhaft, sondern destruktiv“, sagte Putins Sprecher Dmitri Peskow am Mittwoch in Moskau. Der amerikanische Präsident Joe Biden hatte am Vortag erstmals damit gedroht, im Falle eines russischen Einmarsches in die Ukraine Sanktionen direkt gegen Putin zu verhängen. „Das kann ich mir vorstellen“, antwortete Biden am Dienstag auf die Frage einer Reporterin.

Angesichts der angespannten Lage im Ukraine-Konflikt warnten Deutschland, Frankreich und die Vereinigten Staaten Moskau vor einem Angriff. Frankreichs Staatschef Emmanuel Macron sprach für den Fall einer Aggression eine Warnung aus: „Der Preis wäre sehr hoch.“ Bundeskanzler Olaf Scholz (SPD) sagte, man erwarte von Russland eindeutige Schritte, die zu einer Deeskalation beitrügen. » | Quelle: dpa/AFP | Mittwoch, 26. Januar 2022

Putin macht die Nato «great again»

KOMMENTAR
NEUE ZÜRCHER ZEITUNG: In Frankreich und Deutschland mögen viele den Nordatlantikpakt für obsolet halten. Doch für die Staaten des ehemaligen Ostblocks ist das Bündnis eine Lebensversicherung. Putins imperiale Ambitionen zeigen im Nachhinein, wie berechtigt die Nato-Erweiterung war.

Frankreichs Präsident Emmanuel Macron hätte nicht falscher liegen können, als er die Nato vor zweieinhalb Jahren als «hirntot» bezeichnete. Das westliche Verteidigungsbündnis, das sich aus dem Kalten Krieg in die Zeit der neuen Weltunordnung herübergerettet hat, ist quicklebendig. Das hat mit dem Mann zu tun, der die Auflösung des Sowjetimperiums als «grösste geopolitische Katastrophe des 20. Jahrhunderts» empfindet und alle Anstalten macht, den historischen «Fehler» korrigieren zu wollen.

Wladimir Putin schürt nicht nur Kriegsängste in der Ukraine. Der russische Präsident bedroht auch die ehemaligen Staaten des aufgelösten Warschauer Paktes und die ehemaligen blockfreien Staaten in Südosteuropa, die nach 1997 Mitglieder des Nordatlantikpaktes wurden. Er fordert einen Rückzug der Nato-Truppen aus all jenen Ländern, die einst zur Moskauer Einflusssphäre gehörten oder schlicht nah genug an Russland heranreichen. » | Daniel Steinvorth, Brüssel | Dienstag, 25. Januar 2022

Dem Brüssel-Korrespondenten Daniel Steinvorth auf Twitter folgen.

Ukraine: l’Amérique et ses alliés divergent sur la stratégie face à Vladimir Poutine

LE FIGARO : DÉCRYPTAGE - Un décalage s’est installé ces derniers jours entre l’alarmisme de l’Administration Biden et l’appréciation des Européens quant à l’imminence d’une invasion de l’Ukraine par les forces russes.

Depuis les derniers développements de la crise ukrainienne à la fin de l’année dernière, un troublant décalage est apparu entre les perceptions des uns et des autres. Début novembre 2021, quand le gouvernement américain a tiré la sonnette d’alarme en affirmant que l’armée russe préparait une nouvelle offensive militaire de grande envergure contre l’Ukraine, les responsables de Kiev étaient restés plutôt dubitatifs. Même chose sur la ligne de front, près de Marioupol, où les militaires, habitués au renforcement des forces russes depuis le printemps 2021, ne voyaient pas l’imminence d’une intervention qui, selon Washington et l’Otan, aurait pu avoir lieu fin décembre ou début janvier.

Ce même décalage déconcertant s’observe aujourd’hui entre les analyses alarmistes des États-Unis et du Royaume-Uni et les propos plus modérés de la France, de l’Europe et des Ukrainiens. Depuis plusieurs jours, Joe Biden prévient de l’imminence probable d’une nouvelle intervention russe en Ukraine. Il a annoncé le possible déploiement de 8500 militaires américains, placés en état d’alerte pour augmenter, en cas de besoin, les troupes de l’Otan. Il a aussi décidé de rapatrier les familles des diplomates en poste à Kiev, mesure immédiatement imitée par le Royaume-Uni et l’Australie. » | Par Isabelle Lasserre | mardi 25 janvier 2022

Réservé aux abonnés

À LIRE AUSSI :

Ukraine: «Les Européens doivent se préparer aux conséquences d’une éventuelle offensive russe» : ENTRETIEN - Pour Marie Dumoulin, directrice du programme Europe élargie, au centre de réflexion European Council on Foreign Relations, une attaque russe contre l’Ukraine représente «un problème de sécurité» pour les pays voisins. »

Ukraine: Russia Dismisses U.S. Threat to Sanction Putin Personally as Bluster

THE NEW YORK TIMES: The war of words between Washington and Moscow escalated as President Biden sought to deter the Russian leader from ordering an invasion of Ukraine.

President Vladimir V. Putin of Russia last month in Sochi, Russia. | Valery Sharifulin/Sputnik, via Agence France-Presse
With diplomatic talks seemingly stalled and the war of words between Washington and Moscow intensifying, President Biden says the United States would be willing to impose personal sanctions against President Vladimir V. Putin of Russia if he directed Russian forces to invade Ukraine.

The threat to target the leader of a world power directly reflected both the Biden administration’s intent to deter Russian aggression by conveying the high costs it would incur, as well as a recognition that Mr. Putin would most likely be the one who decides whether to invade.

Russia has said it has no intention of invading Ukraine, despite amassing forces along the country’s borders to the north, east and south. Mr. Putin has not commented publicly on the crisis since Dec. 23, a silence that has kept Western leaders unsure about his next move. » | Marc Santora and Ivan Nechepurenko | Wednesday, January 26, 2022

The Guardian View on the Threat to Ukraine: High and Rising

THE GUARDIAN – EDITORIAL: Russia hopes for disagreement and distraction. To counter it, the west must maintain unity

‘The very thing [Vladimir Putin] says Russia must counter – Nato’s presence in eastern Europe – is growing because of his own actions.’ Photograph: Alexey Nikolsky/Sputnik/AFP/Getty Images
The US president’s need to state on Monday that there is “total unanimity” over how to deal with the Ukraine crisis, like the video call with European leaders which preceded it, was itself evidence of ongoing differences among western allies. There is no dispute about the threat: more than 100,000 Russian troops are now massed near Ukraine’s borders. The US has put 8,500 troops on standby to deploy to Europe to reinforce allies there, while Nato has reinforced its eastern borders with warships and fighter jets. A senior US official briefed on Tuesday that in the event of an invasion, sanctions will “start at the top of the escalation ladder and stay there”. » | Editorial | Tuesday, January 25, 2022

Descendants of Italy’s Last King Attempt to Reclaim Crown Jewels

THE GUARDIAN: Items have been in storage since 1946, when Umberto II was banished as Italians voted to abolish monarchy

Crown Prince Umberto of Italy with his bride, Princess Marie-José of Belgium, in 1930.Photograph: Sueddeutsche Zeitung Photo/Alamy
Descendants of the last king of Italy have made their first formal request to reclaim the crown jewels, which for almost 76 years have been stashed in a treasure chest in a safety deposit box at the Bank of Italy amid a long-running mystery over their ownership.

The bank took delivery of the jewels, comprising more than 6,000 diamonds and 2,000 pearls mounted on brooches and necklaces worn by various queens and princesses, on 5 June 1946, three days after Italians voted to abolish the monarchy and nine days before King Umberto II, who ruled for just 34 days, was banished into exile along with his male heirs.

Umberto II had tasked Falcone Lucifero, the minister of the Royal House, to bring the jewels to Luigi Einaudi, the then governor of Bank of Italy who later became president, for safekeeping.

The jewels are said to have been the only part of the royal estate that were not confiscated by the Italian state after the monarchy was scrapped, an element that might help the descendants of the House of Savoy, including Umberto II’s son, Vittorio Emanuele di Savoia, and three daughters, Maria Gabriella, Maria Pia and Maria Beatrice, win back possession. » | Angela Giuffrida in Rome | Tuesday, January 25, 2022

Queen Margrethe of Denmark: A Portrait (1974)

Jan 6, 2018 • Portrait of the Danish royal family from 1974, featuring glimpses from the Queen's private and official daily life. The program was made in collaboration with the BBC and follows the Queen visiting the Faroe Islands, at the Swedish king's funeral and at the Queen's first New Year's Eve in 1974.

Denmark celebrates Queen Margrethe’s 50 years on the throne.

Syria: Prison Attack is Latest Sign of ISIS Resurgence

THE NEW YORK TIMES: ISIS has mounted a series of sophisticated attacks recently in both Syria and Iraq, suggesting the group is re-emerging as a serious threat three years after it was driven out.

Mourners gathered in shrine in the city of Najaf last week to pay respects to an Iraqi soldier killed in an Islamic State attack. | Ali Najafi/Agence France-Presse — Getty Images
BAGHDAD — An audacious attack on a Syrian prison that houses thousands of Islamic State detainees. A series of strikes against military forces in neighboring Iraq. The dissemination of a video showing the beheading of a kidnapped Iraqi police officer.

The evidence of a resurgence of Islamic State in Syria and Iraq is mounting by the day, three years after the militants lost their last territorial foothold in the so-called caliphate, which once stretched across vast parts of the two countries. The fact that ISIS was able to mount multiple, coordinated and sophisticated attacks is evidence that what had been believed to be disparate sleeper cells are re-emerging as a more serious threat.

“It’s a wake-up call for regional players, for national players that ISIS is not over, that the fight is not over,” said Kawa Hassan, Middle East and North Africa director at the Stimson Center, a Washington research institute. “It shows the resilience of ISIS to strike back at the time and place of their choosing.” » | Jane Arraf | Tuesday, January 25, 2022

Ukraine: U.S. to Bolster Europe’s Fuel Supply to Blunt Threat of Russian Cutoff

THE NEW YORK TIMES: Russia announced military drills near Ukraine, a day after U.S. troops were placed on “high alert.” President Biden held talks with European leaders as fears of a Russian invasion deepened.

The Biden Administration announced on Tuesday that it was working with gas and crude oil suppliers from the Middle East, North Africa and Asia to bolster supplies to Europe in coming weeks, in an effort to blunt the threat that Russia could cut off fuel shipments in the escalating conflict over Ukraine.

European allies have been cautious in public about how far they would go in placing severe sanctions on Moscow if it invades Ukraine. Germany has been especially wary; it has shuttered many of its nuclear plants, increasing its dependence on natural gas imports to generate electricity.

Many European officials have said they suspect President Vladimir V. Putin instigated the current crisis in the depths of winter for a reason, calculating that his leverage is maximized if he can threaten to turn off Russian fuel sales to Europe. » | David E. Sanger | Tuesday, January 25, 2022

Sie gewöhnten sich ans Massenmorden

Die Täter prosten sich zu: Bei Musikabenden und Bier fühlten sich die Männer des Reservepolizei-Bataillons 101 zwischen den Massenerschießungen offenbar ganz wohl. | Bild: ZDF UND STAATSARCHIV HAMBURG
„GANZ NORMALE MÄNNER“ IM ZDF
FRANKFURTER ALLGEMEINE ZEITUNG: Die Dokumentation „Ganz normale Männer - der ,vergessene Holocaust’“ geht der Frage nach, wie durchschnittliche Menschen Täter wurden und sich in die NS-Todesmaschinerie einfügten. Die Erkenntnis ist bis heute aktuell.

Nach dem Zweiten Weltkrieg stehen bei den Nürnberger Prozessen der Alliierten deutsche Kriegsverbrecher vor Gericht. Es sind Männer, die die Verbrechen angeordnet haben, nicht die Mörder vor Ort. Aber was ist mit denen, die die systematische Ermordung von Juden, die längst im Gang war, als bei der Wannseekonferenz am 20. Januar 1942 die sogenannte „Endlösung“ beschlossen wurde, mit eigener Hand ausgeführt haben? Die sechs Millionen Menschen töteten, von denen nicht alle in Gaskammern oder auf Todesmärschen umkamen?

Etwa zwei Millionen Menschen fielen systematischen Massenerschießungen zum Opfer, vor allem in Polen. Die meisten Täter, deutsche Polizisten und Soldaten mit „Sonderauftrag“, kamen nach dem Krieg als „ganz normale Männer“ unauffällig davon. … Mit Videoausschnitten » | Von Heike Hupertz | Dienstag, 25. Januar 2022

ZDF Startseite.

Die Wannseekonferenz: Historischer Spielfilm.

The Beat with Ari Melber Highlights: Jan. 24

Jan 25, 2022 • Watch highlights from Monday's the Beat with Ari Melber. The Beat airs weeknights at 6 p.m. on MSNBC.

Democracy Now! Top US News & World Headlines — January 25, 2022

Joe Biden insulte un journaliste qui l'interrogeait sur l’inflation

LE FIGARO : Ce dérapage est un nouveau signe de la nervosité du démocrate de 79 ans, confronté à une cote de popularité anémique et qui peine à relancer sa présidence.

Nouvelle gaffe ou dérapage assumé ? Joe Biden a insulté lundi 24 janvier un journaliste, le taxant de «connard», dans le brouhaha d'une fin de table ronde à la Maison-Blanche.

Interrogé par un journaliste de Fox News, la chaîne préférée des conservateurs, sur la possibilité que l'inflation constitue un handicap politique, le dirigeant, s'exprimant dans sa barbe mais sans quitter la table, a commencé par répondre ironiquement: «C'est un grand atout. Plus d'inflation.» Et de lâcher, pensant peut-être avoir son micro éteint: «Espèce de connard» (littéralement, «What a stupid son of a bitch»). Regarder la vidéo » | Par Le Figaro avec AFP | lundi 24 janvier 2022

À LIRE AUSSI :

États-Unis: Joe Biden est dans une impasse : DÉCRYPTAGE - Même si les circonstances qui entourent la première année de son mandat auraient placé n’importe quel président dans une position difficile, Biden a commencé à décevoir jusque dans son camp. »

Video: Biden's answer to inflation query sparks controversy | DW News

When Five Cambridge University Students Became Soviet Spies | Secrets Of War | Timeline

Oct 25, 2020 • They were five disillusioned young men studying at Cambridge University in the 1930's when they were secretly recruited by Soviet agents. They went on to become the most successful spies of the 20th century, penetrating both American and British governments at the highest levels.

History Hit.

Ukraine Urges Calm as US Puts 8,500 Troops On Heightened Alert | DW News

Jan 25, 2022 • The US and Europe are trying to present a united front in the face of Russia's buildup of troops near the Ukrainian border. The United States has put 8,500 troops on heightened alert – ready to respond if NATO decides to deploy forces.

The Pentagon says no final decisions were made on deployment, but NATO has announced that it is sending more ships and fighter jets to boost defenses in eastern Europe. In recent weeks, Russia has massed around 100,000 troops near Ukraine's border. Moscow denies it is planning an invasion.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy has urged western nations to remain united – and calm – amid heightened tensions with Russia.

After meeting with his national security advisors on Monday, President Zelenskiy addressed the Ukrainian public in a televised speech. He said that his office was working for a peaceful de-escalation of the situation with Russia. He stressed the situation was under control and called for the nation not to panic.

That sentiment was echoed in a separate statement by Ukraine's head of security council Oleksiy Danilov.

France : imam et gay | ARTE Reportage

Jan 24, 2022 • "Ce n’est pas ça l’islam ! Ce n’est pas ce cancer fascisant qu’ils nous imposent grâce à leur pétro-dollars”. Quand Ludovic-Mohamed-Zahed parle du courant wahhabite des Saoudiens, ou du rigorisme salafiste, il est on ne peut plus clair et dit tout haut ce que de nombreux musulmans pensent tout bas.

Pour lui, l’islam est une religion de paix et elle a perdu au fil des décennies la tolérance qui a pu la caractériser. Ludovic-Mohamed-Zahed détonne dans le monde musulman : ce franco-algérien est imam, bardé de diplômes, ouvertement gay. Depuis une dizaine d’années, il est aussi à la tête d’un courant progressiste dit inclusif qui milite pour un islam ouvert, respectueux du droits des femmes, de la communauté LGBT+ et pour le dialogue inter-religieux. Petit à petit, son courant et ceux qui le suivent se font plus visibles, mais la route est encore longue et les obstacles nombreux. De la Mecque à Berlin et Metz en passant par Marseille où il réside, portrait d’un imam pas comme les autres.

Disponible jusqu'au 12/01/2025

Encore une fois ce beau et délicieux baiser entre deux hommes amoureux. Quand deux personnes s'aiment, le sexe n'a pas d'importance et ne devrait pas avoir d'importance.

Noch einmal dieser schöner, entzückender Kuß zwischen zwei verliebten Männer. Wenn zwei Leute sich lieben, Geschlecht ist unwichtig und sollte keine Rolle spielen. / Once again this beautiful, delightful kiss between two men in love. When two people love each other, gender doesn't and shouldn’t matter.
Je remercie letty on Twitter sur Pinterest pour cette ravissante image.

«Die Mehrheit der Priester im Vatikan ist schwul» | Sternstunde Religion | SRF Kultur

Mar 31, 2020 • Mit seiner These, wonach die Mehrheit der Prälaten, Bischöfe und Kardinäle des Vatikans schwul seien, generierte der französische Soziologe und Journalist Frédéric Martel im Frühling 2019 viel Aufmerksamkeit, aber auch Unverständnis.

Sein Buch «Sodom» erschien zeitgleich in acht Sprachen und Martel wurde in unzählige Talkshows eingeladen, doch der Vatikan hüllte sich in Schweigen. Wer sich in den 30er-, 40er- und 50er-Jahren des letzten Jahrhunderts als junger Mann irgendwie anders – eben homosexuell – fühlte, fand in der römisch-katholischen Kirche eine Oase, so Martel in seinem Buch «Sodom»: Männer, die unter Männern leben, andere Kleidung tragen und singen, das wäre für viele die Rettung gewesen, die zudem noch von der Gesellschaft akzeptiert war.

Gegen aussen seien diese in der Regel sehr alten Männer nun homophob, gegen innen aber homophil. Dies führe zu einer gefährlichen Doppelmoral, einer Kultur des Schweigens, die die Skandale rund um die katholische Kirche sehr unglücklich begünstigt hätten.


Frédéric Martel.

Monsignor Krzysztof Charamsa: I'm Gay [English Subtitles]

Oct 4, 2015 • Polish priest reveals he's gay in the movie "Article 18"* being made by a group of Polish LGBT activists.

*Article 18 of the Polish Constitution stipulates that the family, as a union between a man and a woman, is under the protection of the Polish state. It is often referred to as the legal obstacle in introducing any legal protection of same-sex unions.



Related.

The Extra Special Relationship: Thatcher, Reagan, and the 1980s

ASSOCIATION FOR DIPLOMATIC STUDIES & TRAINING: The “special relationship” between the United States and the United Kingdom has served to unite the two nations over the past century. Thanks in part to a shared language, historically common enemies and similar political structures, leaders of the two countries have found it easier than most to achieve common objectives around the world. Perhaps no relationship between American and British leaders has been stronger than that of President Ronald Reagan and Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher in the 1980s.

Heads of their respective conservative political parties, Reagan and Thatcher shared similar views on economics and anti-Communism. In spite of their different approaches to politics, they formed a close bond that allowed them to strengthen the Anglo-American alliance at a time when the international order was undergoing profound change with the dissolution of the Soviet Union and the reunification of Germany. » | Liz Dee | Tuesday, July 26, 2016

Britain Has Delusions of Grandeur, Says Former Australian PM Paul Keating

Ben Wallace and Liz Truss visited Australia over the weekend to discuss China’s influence over the Indo-Pacific region | BIANCA DE MARCHI/POOL/AFP/GETTY IMAGES
THE TIMES: A former Australian prime minister has mounted a scathing attack on Britain, saying Australia’s oldest ally suffers from “delusions of grandeur and relevance deprivation”.

Paul Keating, who left office in 1996, said the UK was led by a “disreputable government” and labelled Liz Truss, the foreign secretary, as “demented”.

Keating, 78, who succeeded Bob Hawke as Labor prime minister in 1991, released his statement on Sunday after Scott Morrison’s government hosted Truss and Ben Wallace, the defence secretary, in Sydney as the allies work to counter China’s influence in the region.

Keating’s attack was prompted by an interview Truss gave to the Sydney Morning Herald in which she said China could replicate a potential Russian invasion of Ukraine through aggression in the Indo-Pacific region. » | Bernard Lagan, Sydney | Monday, January 24, 2022 [£] *

The Times currently has a special offer for new subscribers. New subscribers can gain full access to the newspaper for the first month free.

What have I been saying all along? Exactly this! Thank you, Mr. Keating. Thank you for saying the truth. – © Mark

Markets Plunge Again as Ukraine Stand-off Rattles Investors

THE TIMES: Global stock markets, coming off their worst week in almost two years, fell sharply again today as investors pulled their money out of risky assets amid continued tensions between Russia and Ukraine and the prospect of interest rate rises in the United States.

With investors losing their appetite for risk, the sell-off spread to wider assets including oil and cryptocurrencies. Sterling, too, was out of favour.

In late-afternoon trading the FTSE 100, London’s blue-chip index, was down 172.66 points, or 2.3 per cent, at 7,321.47. It was on course for its biggest one-day fall since the end of November, when the Omicron variant first rattled investors.

The index has fallen in each of the past three sessions and given up all of the gains it … » | Tom Howard | Monday, January 24, 2022 [£] *

* The Times currently has a special offer for new subscribers. Full access is free for the first month.

Dimitra’s Dishes : Greek Honey Cake

Get the recipe here.

Democracy Now! Top US News & World Headlines — January 24, 2022

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

Why on earth are the British authorities continuing to persecute this poor man? This is a national disgrace! The mere thought of extraditing Assange to the US to face apalling conditions in prison and for an extraordinarily long period of time simply for embarrassing the US is a national disgrace. It also has grave implications on all journalists to be able to report in future with impunity. Boris Johnson should bring this farce to a speedy close. This is truly not worthy of the United KIngdom. If the authorities feel that Assange has done wrong, then he has surely paid the price already for any perceived wrongdoings. He has surely done his time. This disgraceful treatment of Assange is not the British way. – © Mark

Biden Weighs Deploying Thousands of Troops to Eastern Europe and Baltics

THE NEW YORK TIMES: The president is also considering deploying warships and aircraft to NATO allies, in what would be a major shift from its restrained stance on Ukraine.

WASHINGTON — President Biden is considering deploying several thousand U.S. troops, as well as warships and aircraft, to NATO allies in the Baltics and Eastern Europe, an expansion of American military involvement amid mounting fears of a Russian incursion into Ukraine, according to administration officials.

The move would signal a major pivot for the Biden administration, which up until recently was taking a restrained stance on Ukraine, out of fear of provoking Russia into invading. But as President Vladimir V. Putin has ramped up his threatening actions toward Ukraine, and talks between American and Russian officials have failed to discourage him, the administration is now moving away from its do-not-provoke strategy. » | Helene Cooper and Eric Schmitt | Published: Sunday, January 23, 2022 ; Updated: Monday, January 24, 2022

Eine kleine Notiz an meinen Freund, BoJo

BoJo hat jetzt seinen Spaß gehabt. Er hat seine Partys genossen. Auch seinen Job als Premier Minister hat er gehabt, welcher für seinen Lebenslauf gut und ordentlich ist, trotz seines Vermasselns der Position. Jetzt ist es höchste Zeit, Normalität wieder herzustellen, so daß gesunder Menschenverstand wieder herschen darf. Die Zeit ist gekommen, um zu unseren Freunden in Europa zurückzukehren. Der Brexit muß dringend rückgängig gemacht werden!

Obschon der Brexit nicht die einzige Ursache unserer aktuellen ökonomischen Probleme ist, unserer Austritt aus der EU hat unsere wirtschafliche Probleme sicherlich erheblich verschärft.

Die Tory-Bonzen müssen endlich zugeben, daß sie sich in Bezug auf die EU geirrt haben. Wir müssen unsren Weg zurück zur EU-Vollmitgliedschaft finden. Menschen dürfen nicht weiter so leiden.

© Mark Alexander
Alle Rechte vorbehalten

Verwandt.

„Bei Kälte müssen sich die Menschen zwischen Essen und Heizen entscheiden“

Ein Freiwilliger belädt ein Auto mit Lebensmitteln vor der Norwood and Brixton Foodbank in Brixton im Süden Londons. | Bild: AFP
ARMUT IN GROSSBRITANNIEN
FRANKFURTER ALLGEMEINE ZEITUNG: Die Preise für Grundnahrungsmittel steigen in Großbritannien rasant. Die Zahl der Tafelbesucher ist auf mehr als 2,5 Millionen im vergangen Jahr gestiegen. Die Folgen sind eklatant.

„Ich kämpfe wirklich, um über die Runden zu kommen“, sagt Heidi in der Schlange vor der Tafel im ostenglischen Colchester. So wie der 45-Jährigen geht es derzeit vielen Briten. Die Inflation in Großbritannien stieg im Dezember mit 5,4 Prozent auf den höchsten Wert seit 30 Jahren. Die Reallöhne sinken, die Lebensmittel- und Energiekosten steigen.

Die Tafeln im Vereinigten Königreich erleben inzwischen einen regelrechten Ansturm. Alles sei teurer geworden, erzählt Heidi. Inzwischen müsse sie rund 80 Pfund (95 Euro) pro Monat für Strom ausgeben. Im vergangenen Jahr seien es noch zwischen 40 und 50 Pfund gewesen.

Die Tafel in Colchester, die zwischen lauter Supermärkten in einem Gewerbeviertel liegt, gab vergangenes Jahr insgesamt 165 Tonnen Lebensmittel aus, genug um rund 17.000 Menschen zu ernähren. Der Leiter der Tafel, Mike Beckett, schätzt, dass die Zahl in diesem Jahr auf 20.000 Bedürftige steigen könnte. Im allerschlechtesten Fall könnten es bis zu 30.000 Menschen werden, sagt er. „Ein Albtraum.“ » | Quelle: AFP | Montag, 24. Januar 2022

Amokläufer in Heidelberg soll Student gewesen sein

Großeinsatz auf dem Gelände der Heidelberger Universität: Ein Angreifer hat mehrere Menschen mit einer Waffe verletzt. | Bild: DPA
MEHRERE VERLETZTE
FRANKFURTER ALLGEMEINE ZEITUNG: Auf dem Gelände der Heidelberger Universität hat eine Person mit einer Langwaffe mehrere Menschen verletzt. Der Täter ist laut Polizei tot. Das Neuenheimer Feld vor den Toren der Altstadt ist derzeit weiträumig abgesperrt.

Auf dem Gelände der Heidelberger Universität hat es nach Informationen der Deutschen Presse-Agentur einen Amoklauf gegeben. Ein Einzeltäter habe am Montagmittag mit einer Langwaffe mehrere Menschen in einem Hörsaal verletzt, teilte die Polizei mit. Der Täter sei inzwischen tot. » | Quelle: dpa/AFP | Montag, 24. Januar 2022

Gunman dead and several injured after shooting in Heidelberg: Police said lone gunman shot several people with a long gun in a lecture hall in the German university town »

Allemagne : plusieurs blessés dans une attaque dans un amphithéâtre d'université : Un individu a blessé plusieurs personnes avec une arme longue. L'assaillant est décédé, selon la police. »

Julie Andrews – unvergessene Mary Poppins | Doku HD | Reupload | ARTE

Jan 23, 2022 • Bei Julie Andrews denken die meisten wahrscheinlich an den magischen Schirm von Mary Poppins. Doch die Schauspielerin ist ebenso bekannt für ihre Rolle in „Victor/Victoria“ unter der Regie von Blake Edwards, die sie zur Queer-Ikone machte oder ihre Filme mit Alfred Hitchcock und Andrei Konchalovsky. Ein Rückblick auf die Karriere eines der schillerndsten Sterne am Musical-Himmel.

Julie Andrews ist vor allem als legendäre Mary Poppins oder als Maria von Trapp in „The Sound of Music - Meine Lieder, meine Träume“ bekannt. Weniger bekannt ist, dass sie in ihrer britischen Heimat bereits als Kind ein Gesangstalent war und ihre ersten Erfolge 1940 – inmitten der Luftschlacht um England – in der Londoner U-Bahn feierte. Von anfänglichem Lampenfieber geplagt und mit einem Stimmumfang von über vier Oktaven gesegnet, steigt Andrews zum Liebling der britischen Music Halls auf. Dann geht es nach Amerika, wo sie nach ihrem Broadway-Erfolg mit „My Fair Lady“ zum Musical-Star in Hollywood avanciert. Für ihre erste Filmrolle der Mary Poppins erhält sie einen Golden Globe und einen Oscar. Nach einer Zeit der beruflichen und privaten Rückschläge feiert sie mit dem Film „Victor/Victoria“ unter der Regie ihres Ehemanns Blake Edwards ein strahlendes Comeback – in einer Rolle, die sie zur Queer-Ikone macht. Die Schauspielerin, die Generationen beglückte, ließ sich nie unterkriegen, auch nicht vom Verlust ihrer Sopranstimme nach einer Operation, der sie sich 1997 wegen ihrer intensiven Bühnentätigkeit unterziehen musste. Ihre scheinbar unerschöpfliche Energie setzte sie in politisches Engagement um und setzte sich für Frauen in der dritten Welt ein. Mit über 80 Jahren begeistert sie ihr Publikum auch heute noch in Fernsehsendungen und als Synchronstimme von Zeichentrickfiguren: eine außergewöhnlich vielseitige und langlebige Karriere. Dieser ereignisreiche Film blickt mit viel Fantasie und Humor auf das Leben von Julie Andrews und entfaltet eine subtile Poesie zwischen Musik, Tanz und dem unverwechselbaren Lachen der Schauspielerin.

Dokumentation von Yves Riou (F 2019, 52 Min)
Verfügbar bis zum 25/02/2022

Gay Priest Comes Out at Vatican, Is Immediately Fired

Oct 3, 2015 • Monsignor Krzysztof Charamsa is calling on the Vatican to publicly change its stance on homosexuality

Related.

"I’m a Gay Priest"

Dec 2, 2016 • Americans who identify as LGBT are significantly less likely to be religiously affiliated than those who identify as heterosexual. But for these openly gay religious leaders, coming out didn't mean walking away from their faith. Meet the LGBTQ clergy fighting to change their religions from within.

A Short Message: Hacked Again!

I have been hacked this evening yet again. I have been left in peace for quite a long time now. But today, I placed an article about the drug problem in Syria and the Gulf. Then, I placed a video up about the same problem. It must have touched a raw nerve.

Although I cannot be certain, I am pretty sure I know the country of origin of the hacker. It has only ever happened when I have had the temerity to place something up in Arabic or about Arabic politics and/or affairs. The hacking happens swiftly thereafter.

Clearly, these people think that they live in an alternative, pure universe. Worldly problems are for others. Any problems that exist in Arab countries are not supposed to be aired or talked about. But the harsh reality is that plenty of alcohol is drunk illicitly in Arab countries, even in countries where alcohol is strictly forbidden. And from the article and documentary posted, there is clearly a drug problem, too. Though I have no first-hand experience of that underworld – thankfully. For your information, everything that goes on in the so-called decadent West goes on there as well.

I think it best that I leave it there. I could say far more, but I might get hacked again.

Maybe the hacker will have the decency to restore the original colours of the fonts. Trying to undo the damage myself could be a very tedious, time-consuming process. It would be far easier for the hacker himself to undo the changes to my HTML.

I will leave that up to him to do the decent thing. If not for me personally, then for you my visitors and followers. Here's hoping. – © Mark

Gay Priest Fired by Vatican because of Homophobia

A Polish priest, who came out as gay and was fired by the Vatican just before a meeting of bishops about outreach to gays, said a "very special kind of homophobia" exists among priests, because those who are homosexual are forced to hate themselves.

In an interview with The Associated Press, Krzysztof Charamsa said that everybody at the Vatican knows who is gay and who is not, but nobody talks about it freely

. Charamsa was a mid-level official in the Vatican's doctrine office. He openly admitted his homosexuality in interviews in Italy and Poland last month, saying he was happy and proud to be a gay priest and was in love with his boyfriend.

The declarations, a day before the bishops met, prompted the Vatican to fire him. Despite his dismissal, Charamsa remains a priest, although the director of the Holy See Press Office, Father Federico Lombardi, hinted that his superiors could take further action.

Charamsa, 43, now lives with his boyfriend in Barcelona.


Related links.

Daniil Trifonov – Chopin: Fantaisie-Impromptu In C-Sharp Minor, Op. 66

Oct 6, 2017 • Listen to Chopin’s “Fantaisie Impromptu” played by Daniil Trifonov. Daniil Trifonov's new album contains Chopin's two beautiful piano concertos in fascinating new orchestrations by pianist-conductor-composer Mikhail Pletnev. Alongside the concerts Trifonov presents Chopin's solo works and pieces by Mompou, Schumann, Tchaikovsky, Grieg, and Barber paying homage to the genius who, in Trifonov's words, "revolutionized the expressive horizons of the piano."

The Drug Fueling Conflict in Syria

Sep 21, 2015 • Syria's War Drug: A look inside production of Captagon, the powerful amphetamine being used by soldiers in Syria.
This Journeyman Pictures documentary is age-restricted, so it is available only on YouTube. It cannot be embedded on external websites. Here is a link to it. Be warned: It is not for the faint-hearted. It is also rather seedy. But it does open one’s eyes to a different and unsavoury side of life. – Mark
Un article lié à ce documentaire.

Assad à la tête du trafic de captagon au Moyen-Orient

LE MONDE : Bachar al-Assad a développé la production industrielle de cette amphétamine en Syrie, afin de contourner les sanctions internationales et de consolider ses réseaux d’allégeance.

Lot de captagon intercepté en Arabie saoudite à bord de fruits importés du Liban (photo diffusée le 23 avril 2021 par l’agence de presse saoudienne)
Crimes contre l’humanité, crimes de guerre, massacres organisés, viols systématiques, campagnes de disparitions forcées, expulsion de populations entières, la liste est longue des crimes déjà imputés à Bachar al-Assad. Convaincu de son impunité, le dictateur syrien y a désormais ajouté le délit de production massive et de commercialisation agressive de stupéfiants. Le territoire syrien sous contrôle du régime Assad est en effet devenu la principale zone de production de captagon, une amphétamine dont l’Arabie saoudite constitue le premier marché mondial. Ce sont ensuite les réseaux affiliés au régime Assad qui, surtout à partir du Liban, se chargent d’acheminer les cargaisons de cette drogue vers la Péninsule arabique. » | Par jean-Pierre Filiu | dimanche 23 janvier 2022

À LIRE AUSSI :

Dubaï, le paradis perdu des narcotrafiquants européens : Après de longues années d’exil doré à Dubaï, des narcotrafiquants notoires ont été récemment extradés vers la France, l’Italie ou les Pays-Bas. »

Burkina Faso Denies Coup after Heavy Gunfire in Barracks | DW News

Jan 23, 2022 • The government of Burkina Faso has called for calm after mutinying soldiers demanded more support for their fight against Islamist militants and the resignation of military leaders.

How Billionaires Devoured the World | The Mehdi Hasan Show

Jan 19, 2022 • The 10 richest men in the world doubled their wealth during the pandemic while millions sank deeper into poverty and sickness. In his book "Davos Man: How the Billionaires Devoured the World," author Peter Goodman of the New York Times explores with Mehdi how the ultra-rich are responsible for things like climate change, violence, and the crumbling of democracy.

Peter Hitchens : Reclaiming Our Freedoms

Jan 21, 2022 • In this direct interview, John is joined once again by the peerless Peter Hitchens for a lively discussion about today's pressing issues. Peter assesses the government response to Covid in the UK, warning that the British have been 'trading their freedom for security'. He turns his singular mind to questions of vaccinations, recent scandals in the academy, the Julian Assange saga, education failures in Britain and what the future holds for the Chinese state and people.

Peter Hitchens is a British journalist, author and broadcaster. He currently writes for the Mail on Sunday, where he is a columnist and occasional foreign correspondent. He regularly engages with a great many topics in public debate on major television & radio networks and at universities around the world.

Peter is currently working on his tenth book – a critique of the modern British education system. His past works include The Abolition of Britain and The Rage Against God.

A former Trotskyist, he partly attributes his return to Christian faith to his experience of socialism in practice, which he witnessed during his years reporting in Eastern Europe and later from Moscow during the collapse of the Soviet Union.


Peter Hitchens’ brother was the late Christopher Hitchens.

Sweden Sends Troops to Baltic Island as Russian Navy Steps up Presence | DW News

Jan 22, 2022 • Russia's threatening stance against Ukraine is sparking concerns that Moscow may also be willing to use force elsewhere.

Sweden has sent troops to its Baltic Sea island of Gotland, following an increase in Russian naval activity in nearby waters. The island is strategically located off the coast of the Russian exclave of Kaliningrad - some analysts have likened it to an aircraft carrier in the middle of the Baltic Sea. Sweden is not a member of NATO and therefore not covered by the Alliance's defense clause. DW correspondent Teri Schulz spoke with Swedish Defense Minister Peter Hultqvist.

Is Germany Blocking Ukraine from Defending Itself against Russia? | DW News

Jan 23, 2022 • The first shipment of additional US military aid has arrived in Ukraine, according to the US Embassy there. This is part of a package worth $200 million, promised to Kiev last week by US Secretary of State Antony Blinken. The initial delivery includes defensive weapons and ammunition as the country prepares for possible Russian aggression. Such a form of deterrence is not endorsed by Germany, which has refused to supply weapons to Ukraine. The Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba says he's disappointed in Germany. Moscow has deployed some 100,000 troops along its border with Ukraine, but insists it has no plans to launch an attack.

German Navy Chief Resigns over Ukraine Comments

Kay-Achim Schönbach (R) said President Putin wanted respect | BUNDESWEHR
BBC: The head of the German navy has resigned over controversial comments he made over Ukraine.

Kay-Achim Schönbach said the idea that Russia wanted to invade Ukraine was nonsense. He added that all President Vladimir Putin wanted was respect.

A number of countries have supplied weapons to Ukraine, including the US and UK. But Germany has refused Ukraine's request for ammunition.

Russia has denied claims that it is planning to invade Ukraine.

But President Putin has issued demands to the West which he says concern Russia's security, including that Ukraine be stopped from joining the military defence alliance Nato.

He also wants Nato to abandon military exercises and stop sending weapons to eastern Europe, seeing this as a direct threat to Russia's security. » | BBC | Sunday, January 23, 2022

Britain Says Moscow Is Plotting to Install a Pro-Russian Leader in Ukraine

THE NEW YORK TIMES: In a highly unusual public statement, backed by U.S. officials, London named the putative head of a potential puppet government but few other details.

A Ukrainian soldier at the border with Russia. The Russians have deployed thousands of troops nearby and, according to a British assessment, are seeking to install a new government in Ukraine. | Tyler Hicks/The New York Times
THE NEW YORK TIMES: In a highly unusual public statement, backed by U.S. officials, London named the putative head of a potential puppet government but few other details.

KYIV — The British government said Saturday that the Kremlin was developing plans to install a pro-Russian leader in Ukraine — and had already chosen a potential candidate — as President Vladimir V. Putin weighs whether to order the Russian forces amassed on Ukraine’s border to attack.

The highly unusual public communiqué by the United Kingdom’s Foreign and Commonwealth Office, issued late at night in London, comes at a moment of high-stakes diplomacy between the Kremlin and the West. Russia has deployed more than 100,000 Russian troops on Ukraine’s borders that could, according to American officials, attack at any moment.

“The information being released today shines a light on the extent of Russian activity designed to subvert Ukraine, and is an insight into Kremlin thinking,” Liz Truss, Britain’s foreign secretary, said in a statement. “Russia must de-escalate, end its campaigns of aggression and disinformation, and pursue a path of diplomacy.”

The British announcement was the second time in just over a week that a Western power had publicly accused Russia of meddling in Ukraine’s internal affairs, part of a concerted effort to pressure Mr. Putin to de-escalate. On Jan. 14, the United States accused the Kremlin of sending saboteurs into eastern Ukraine to create a provocation that could serve as a pretext for invasion. » | Michael Schwirtz, David E. Sanger and Mark Landler | Saturday, January 22, 2022

Wie „Appeasement“ zum schweren Vorwurf wurde

Chamberlain 1938 zurück aus München: „Peace for our time“
MÜNCHEN 1938
FRANKFURTER ALLGEMEINE ZEITUNG: In der Ukraine-Krise fällt wieder oft der Begriff „Appeasement“. Diese Politik prägte die dreißiger Jahre in Großbritannien und fand einen Höhepunkt in der Sudetenkrise 1938.

Im Zusammenhang mit der von Russland herbeigeführten Krise um die Ukraine wird westlichen Politikern immer wieder einmal eine „Appeasement“-Haltung gegenüber dem russischen Präsidenten Wladimir Putin vorgeworfen. Dieser Begriff wird – vermutlich für alle Zeiten – mit dem Namen des britischen Premierministers Neville Chamberlain (im Amt von 1937 bis 1940) verbunden bleiben. Der Spross einer Politikerdynastie aus Birmingham, vor seiner Berufung ins höchste Regierungsamt vor allem als Sozialpolitiker hervorgetreten, sah sich von Beginn an mit einer schwierigen internationalen Situation konfrontiert. Hitlers Deutschland betrieb mit zunehmender Aggressivität die Revision der Friedensordnung, die 1919 von den Siegern des Ersten Weltkrieges unter Federführung Frankreichs geschaffen worden war. » | Von Peter Sturm | Sontag, 23. Januar 2022

«Russlands Hauptinteresse ist, die volle Kontrolle über die Ukraine zu erlangen» : Die ukrainische Vizeverteidigungsministerin Hanna Maljar hält Verhandlungen mit dem Kreml inzwischen für zwecklos. Ihr Land brauche dringend Waffenlieferungen. Dies sei ein Mittel, das Putin von einer Invasion abhalten könne. »

Sergueï Lavrov, diplomate sans concession

Sergueï Lavrov, ministre des Affaires étrangères de Russie. Kommersant/Polaris/Starface
LE FIGARO : PORTRAIT - Sévère et intransigeant, le ministre des Affaires étrangères de Russie incarne, jusqu’à la caricature, la posture de Vladimir Poutine. Au moment où se tendent les relations entre Moscou et les Occidentaux au sujet de l’Ukraine, il ne fait rien pour arrondir les angles.

Son visage empâté où toute esquisse de sourire est prohibée semble droit sorti des images de la guerre froide: une sorte de résurrection du brejnévisme, comme une créature échappée d’un Jurassic Park sous-titré en cyrillique. Sergueï Lavrov, 71 ans, ministre des Affaires étrangères de la Fédération de Russie depuis près de dix-huit ans, ne fait jamais - au moins publiquement - montre du moindre charme. Cela tombe bien car son patron Vladimir Poutine ne lui demande pas de séduire. Au contraire, sa face de marbre au regard sombre encadré de lunettes carrées sans monture doit inspirer la crainte. Le chef de la diplomatie russe ne cherche pas le compromis. Pétri d’exigences, d’ultimatums et d’accusations, son discours fait appel au vocabulaire de ses lointains prédécesseurs soviétiques Molotov ou Gromyko. » | Par Jean-Marc Gonin | vendredi 21 janvier 2022

Réservé aux abonnés

À LIRE AUSSI :

L’impossible diplomatie européenne face à Poutine : ANALYSE - L’humiliation subie par Josep Borrell, le chef de la diplomatie européenne, rappelle à quel point le Kremlin tient l’Europe et les représentants de ses institutions pour quantité négligeable. »

Polish Priest Dismissed from Vatican Post after Coming Out as Gay

Oct 3, 2015 • A Polish priest has been removed from a Vatican post after telling a newspaper he is gay.

Krzystof Charamsa says it is time for the Catholic Church to "open its eyes" and change its stance on homosexuality.

It comes as bishops arrive in Rome for a synod, with homosexuality expected to be on the agenda.

"My decision to 'come out' is a very personal decision in the homophobic world of the Catholic Church. It has been very difficult and very hard," said Charamsa.


Related.

The Mess That Is Britain!

In my not so short lifetime, I have never known such a balls up as this! Never in my lifetime have I experienced such an almighty mess in my beloved country! Everything is in a mess, from soaring prices to empty shelves in supermarkets to an increasing and obscene differential between the wealth of the haves and the have-nots. And worse it will get under BoJo’s régime.

The supply chain is clearly broken, with even worse to come. When the full negative effects of Brexit kick in, things are going to get a whole lot worse. And more expensive. Far more expensive!

There is one lesson we should all have learnt in life: If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it! When we were in the European Union, things were not perfect. But they were not broken. And they were a hell of a lot better than they are now. Moreover, we should all have learnt the lesson that ‘Rome wasn’t built in a day’. The EU was indeed not perfect, but it is a work in progress; and with determination and common sense, progress it will. We Brits now have no say at all in its future direction. We are no longer at the top table. Gee, thanks Brexiteers!

Global Britain? Don’t make me laugh! This is not the nineteenth century. We are living in a very different age from that. This is no longer an age in which we can fight opium wars with China; rather, we in the West are in grave danger of being overtaken by China. China’s economy is growing apace; ours is shrinking. America’s economy, too, depends on China to prop it up. Go to the States these days and visit their shops (what’s left of them). So many goods in the shops bear the label ‘Made in China’. Few items these days are American-made.

If America is struggling to compete with China, what hope does little Britain have of competing?

Britain’s future rested in Europe. European nations, if they work together, have a chance. Alone, no European nation has any chance of being able to compete with the increasing might of China. Working alone, the future is China’s for the taking.

Boris Johnson is a classics major. Clearly, he has little or no understanding of economics, still less of geopolitics. He should have stuck to the classics. I’m sure he’s very knowledgeable in such classical subjects.

As things stand at the moment, there is very little to give anyone any hope for the future. And with Donald Trump in the States hoping to regain the White House, one can only despair. Donald Trump is an empty vessel. He has no chance of competing with the intellect of Xi Xinping. Indeed, Xi must be praying for his re-election!

Sad times!

© Mark Alexander
All Rights Reserved

Julio Iglesias : When I Need You

Jakarta, 1994. Views on YouTube: 21,129,549

Julio Iglesias & Dolly Parton – A Duet : When You Tell Me That You Love Me

Scott Joplin : Pineapple Rag Played on a Piano from 1915

This is probably the sound that Scott Joplin heard when playing his ragtimes!

Turquie: une journaliste en détention provisoire pour «insulte au président»

Sedef Kabas en 2015. OZAN KOSE / AFP
LE FIGARO : La journaliste turque Sedef Kabas a été arrêtée et placée en détention provisoire samedi pour «insulte au président» après avoir cité à la télévision un proverbe interprété comme visant le président Recep Tayyip Erdogan, a annoncé l'avocat de la journaliste.

«Il y a un proverbe très célèbre, qui dit que la tête couronnée devient plus sage. Mais nous voyons que ce n'est pas vrai. Le boeuf ne devient pas roi en entrant au palais, mais le palais devient étable», a déclaré la journaliste, très connue en Turquie, en direct vendredi sur la chaîne Tele1. Sedef Kabas avait également publié ce «proverbe circassien» dans la foulée sur son compte Twitter, où elle est suivie par près de 900.000 abonnés. » | Par Le Figaro avec AFP | samedi 22 janvier 2022

Eine türkische Journalistin soll Präsident Erdogan beleidigt haben – nun sitzt sie im Gefängnis »

The End of Boris Johnson, Surely Britain’s Worst Ever Prime Minister?

Jan 22, 2022 • Boris Johnson led the Brexit campaign because he saw it as a way of getting to No 10. As a 'Remainer,' he never expected 'leave' to win.

Since becoming prime minister, his self-obsession, dishonesty and incompetence have become clear for all to see. It is believed that mistakes in the early days of the pandemic and delays in locking down led to countless unnecessary deaths.

The economy is already suffering as a direct result of Brexit and GDP is forecast to fall by at least 4%.

Whist the UK has the highest number of coronavirus deaths in Europe, Johnson continually boasts of 'the fastest booster rollout in Europe'.

Whist the economy is in freefall with enormous inflationary pressures, Johnson continually claims, falsely, that the UK has 'the fastest-growing economy in the G7'.

Following the scandalous revelations about parties held in Downing Street during lockdowns and the imminent publication of Sue Gray's report there seems no way that Johnson can survive.

Wer ist Boris Johnson? | Doku HD | ARTE

Jan 22, 2022 • Er war der Clown, den niemand ernst nahm. Und doch führte er als Brexit-Hardliner der ersten Stunde 2016 das Vereinigte Königreich aus der EU und verhalf den Tories im Dezember 2019 zum haushohen Wahlsieg. Boris Johnson, der neue starke Mann in London, ist dabei, sein Land von Grund auf und nachhaltig zu verändern – mit ungewissem Ausgang.

Seine Persona ist eine subtile Mischung aus Kennedy, Kardashian und Monty Python. Für viele ist er der klamaukige, Trump-affine und protektionistische Populist. Aber Boris Johnson ist viel mehr. Er absolvierte Eton und Oxford, ist hochintelligent, freisinnig und ein echter EU-Experte. Hinter der Maske eines lustigen Clowns verbirgt er den anerzogenen elitären Snobismus der britischen Oberschicht und ein von Geltungssucht zerfressenes Ego. Wie konnte dieser Mann vom Hofnarren zum politischen König aufsteigen? Ist die Verwandlung des Boris Johnson als Metapher für die des ganzen Vereinigten Königreichs zu deuten?

Eine komfortable Parlamentsmehrheit, eine uneinige Opposition, losgelöst von der EU – Boris Johnsons Regierung musste ganz auf sich allein gestellt durch die Coronakrise manövrieren. Während noch über die Scheidungskonditionen mit der EU verhandelt wurde, wurde die Pandemie zur Feuerprobe für das von den anderen 27 Staaten getrennte Land. Die Bilanz: Eine der höchsten Zahlen an Corona-Todesopfern weltweit, aber auch eine der schnellsten Impfkampagnen. Zwischen dem Armdrücken mit Brüssel, dem schottischen und irischen Abspaltungsvorhaben und dem Ziel eines Freihandelsabkommens mit den USA steht Premierminister Boris Johnson vor einer Reihe maßgeblich wichtiger politischer Entscheidungen, die nicht nur die Weichen für das Vereinigte Königreich im nächsten Jahrzehnt stellen, sondern auch für die Europäische Union. Wächst Boris Johnson hinter seiner Clownsmaske in die Statur eines echten Staatsmannes hinein oder fährt er sein Land an die Wand? Ist er der Totengräber des Vereinigten Königreichs oder die historische Figur, die ihm sein Ansehen zurückgibt?

Der Film zeichnet das Porträt Boris Johnsons, um über den Menschen seine Politik zu beleuchten und die bedeutsamen Entscheidungen aufzuzeigen, die er zu treffen hat.

Dokumentation von Alice Cohen (F 2021, 53 Min)

‘A Recipe for Hatred’: Why Boris Johnson May Finally Have Gone Too Far

THE NEW YORK TIMES: Moral hypocrisy, such as lying about parties held during Britain’s lockdown, is the ultimate sin in human society, with a special power to enrage.

Prime Minister Boris Johnson of Britain at a virtual news conference this month. Mr. Johnson has apologized for attending a garden party amid pandemic restrictions. | Pool photo by Jack Hill
Boris Johnson, long famed for brushing off accusations of distorting, misleading or outright lying that, far from slowing his rise, seemed to only bolster his image as an incorrigible scamp, suddenly faces potential political death over the very charge to which he had seemed immune.

Even his detractors appear surprised by the speed with which the public and political class have turned against Mr. Johnson, the British prime minister, over charges that he lied about attending parties at his official residence in May 2020 that violated his own government’s lockdown orders.

But even if some of his past fibs may have arguably been more harmful to others around him, this one hits on a particular sensitivity that, psychologists have found, holds special power to enrage.

Moral hypocrisy — behaving badly while simultaneously hectoring the rest of us to do good — evokes a level of anger that neither lying nor wrongdoing bring out on their own, studies have repeatedly found. » | Max Fisher | Saturday, January 22, 2022

One N.Y.P.D. Officer Killed, a 2nd Critically Wounded in Harlem Shooting

THE NEW YORK TIMES: The officers were shot while responding to a domestic call, and a third officer shot the gunman, officials said. Mayor Eric Adams called it “an attack on the City of New York.”

Outside the building in Harlem where two police officers were shot on Friday night. | David Dee Delgado for The New York Times
One New York City police officer was killed and another was critically wounded when a gunman opened fire on them inside a Harlem apartment on Friday, the police said. They were the third and fourth officers to be shot in the line of duty this week, according to the police.

The police initially reported that both officers had been killed, but later said one was in critical condition at Harlem Hospital. The police said the officer who was killed was Jason Rivera, 22, who joined the department in November 2020. The critically injured officer was identified as Wilbert Mora, 27; he joined the department in 2018.

The gunman, identified by the police as Lashawn McNeil, 47, was shot in the arm and head by a third officer who was at the scene of the confrontation, an apartment on West 135th Street near Lenox Avenue, officials said. He survived but was in critical condition, the police said. » | Ed Shanahan | Published: Friday, January 21, 2022 ; Updated: Saturday, January 22, 2022

The Perfect Chicken Soup | The Jewish Chronicle

Jul 3, 2017 • Here's how to make a Jewish classic perfect for Shabbat, Pesach, Rosh Hashanah or just when you need a bit of Jewish penicillin.

Young and Poor in Germany I ARTE.tv Documentary

Jan 22, 2022 • In Germany, a quarter of 18-24 year olds are at risk of poverty, making them the most vulnerable age group. The pandemic has made accessing education and getting a decent job more difficult. Focus on four young people in Germany: Aicha, Laura, Johannes and Ceyda. Available until the 03/07/2022

UNO verabschiedet Resolution gegen Holocaust-Leugnung

VEREINTE NATIONEN
FRANKFURTER ALLGEMEINE ZEITUNG: Die Generalversammlung in New York hat die von Israel und Deutschland verfasste Resolution ohne Abstimmung angenommen und sich auf eine klare Definition der Leugnung des Holocausts geeinigt.

Die Generalversammlung der Vereinten Nationen (UNO) hat eine Resolution gegen die Leugnung des Holocausts verabschiedet. Die 193 Mitglieder zählende Generalversammlung nahm die von Israel und Deutschland verfasste Resolution am Donnerstag ohne Abstimmung an. Nur der Iran distanzierte sich davon. „Die Generalversammlung sendet eine starke und unmissverständliche Botschaft gegen die Leugnung oder Verzerrung dieser historischen Fakten“, sagte die deutsche UN-Botschafterin Antje Leendertse. Mit dem Beschluss einigte sich die UNO auf eine klare Definition der Leugnung des Holocausts. » | Quelle: Reuters | Freitag, 21. Januar 2022

Rees-Mogg’s Roots Tell a True Conservative Tale – Just Not the One He Wants Us to Hear

THE GUARDIAN – OPINION: The MP’s grandfather worked as a dairyman and lorry driver, but this does not fit his carefully cultivated public image

Illustration: Eleanor Shakespeare/The Guardian
Just to the south of London’s great stations for the north – Euston, St Pancras and King’s Cross – an old and rather careworn neighbourhood serves the traveller’s needs. Cheap beds, cheap food and drink, drugs probably, sex formerly. Finer amusements had been planned for the site: in 1830 a project known as the Royal Panharmonium Pleasure Gardens, which was to include a theatre, ballroom and music gallery, went bankrupt before it was finished. In its place came a square and a few streets of modest brown-brick houses, built just before flat-fronted Georgian went out of fashion.

Knowing no better, I stayed in a comfortless room there on a winter’s night in the 1960s. Shillings fed the meter for the gas fire, a light bulb hung from the ceiling, and in the early hours of the morning the door shook with a tremendous banging as a man’s slurred voice called out for a woman. The area is more respectable now, but in some ways nicely unchanged. True, there’s a Travelodge and a Comfort Inn, but also a Macdonald hotel and a Jesmond Dene hotel, which speak of a time when travellers coming or going from stations north of the Tyne liked to be reminded of home. » | Ian Jack | Saturday, January 22, 2022

How Hitler's Third Reich Terrified Europe | Impossible Peace | Timeline

Aug 13, 2020 • The power in Europe has shifted to the terrifying and unstable hands of Germany, with the Third Reich being the dominant force.

History Hits.

Schools Drop Anti-homophobia Guidance at Outposts in Middle East

LGBT charities have raised their concerns with the schools | DANIEL LEAL-OLIVAS/PA WIRE
THE TIMES: Middle Eastern branches of leading British private schools have scrubbed anti-homophobia guidelines from their bullying charters.

An investigation by The Times has found the international franchises of schools including King’s College, Sherborne and Royal Grammar School (RGS), Guildford, omitted rules designed to stop homophobic bullying.

The rules, a legal requirement in Britain, have been ditched because homosexuality is illegal in some Middle Eastern countries. Schools wishing to open on the Arabian peninsula have to follow strict Islamic government guidelines on ownership, curriculum content and patriotism to obtain operating licences.

Such rules have been used in Middle East franchises to ban teachers from educating pupils about the Holocaust, evolution and the existence of Israel.

LGBT charities last night urged the schools, which earn tens of millions … » | Ben Ellery, Jacob Dirnhuber | Saturday, January 22, 2022 [£} *

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95-year-old Comes Out as Gay

Boris Johnson: «La danse du scalp»

LE FIGARO : L’éditorial du Figaro, par Philippe Gélie.

Boris Johnson restera-t-il dans l’histoire du Royaume-Uni comme le dirigeant qui a réussi le Brexit ou comme un politicien amateur coulé par son goût pour la fête et ses déhanchements lourdauds, mais faciles à imiter? Voilà à peu près l’alternative, alors qu’une ancienne vidéo inspire ses opposants à le parodier sous les fenêtres du 10, Downing Street. Le «Partygate», une succession d’au moins sept rassemblements bien arrosés dans la résidence-bureau du premier ministre, en pleine période de restrictions sanitaires, place le locataire des lieux dans une position précaire: sa cote s’effondre dans l’opinion, l’opposition travailliste demande son départ et ses concurrents tories aiguisent leurs couteaux. Mais ils ne le poignarderont qu’avec un espoir crédible de prendre sa place, ce qui lui laisse un répit pour orchestrer l’une de ces résurrections dont il a le secret. Rattrapé par son image de «BoJo le clown» … » | Par Philippe Gélie, Directeur adjoint de la rédaction | lundi 17 janvier 2022

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From Conference Highs to the Abyss: The Swift Undoing of Boris Johnson

THE GUARDIAN: Less than four months ago, the PM was riding high and telling jokes in Manchester, a world away from where he is now

Boris Johnson has struggled through the Owen Paterson affair and partygate. Composite: Guardian Design/AFP/Getty Images/Reuters/ PA
It was not meant to fall apart as fast as this. After Boris Johnson won the general election in December 2019, he declared in a victory address: “I, and we, will never take your support for granted.”

The prime minister’s 80-seat majority, a victory for the “get Brexit done” campaign, appeared to leave him impregnable. For 18 months after, Johnson continued to defy political gravity despite repeated missteps, as the pandemic came to Britain’s shores.

“Johnson eyes decade in power,” splashed the Times in May after the Conservatives routed Labour in the Hartlepool byelection, a seat held by Labour for 47 years, with a swing of 16 points. “Jabs, jabs, jabs to jobs, jobs, jobs,” Johnson said, optimistic that a talent for soundbites could amount to a delivery programme for government.

Less than four months ago, the Conservatives were again riding high at their party conference in Manchester. Johnson delivered a policy-light, joke-heavy speech on 6 October – this was “politics as light entertainment” said the Guardian sketch writer John Crace. The government’s wildlife plans were described as “build back beaver”; renewing UK beef imports to the US as “build back burger”. » | Dan Sabbagh | Saturday, January 22, 2022

Partys an der Downing Street und Lügen im Parlament: Boris Johnson muss sich vielen Vorwürfen stellen – und steht vor einer Schicksalswoche: In wenigen Tagen soll ein interner Untersuchungsbericht veröffentlicht werden. Der Premierminister kämpft um sein politisches Überleben. Was Sie dazu wissen müssen. »

Gay Priest: Roman Catholic Church 'Violently Homophobic' - BBC News

Oct 29, 2015 • A senior Vatican priest, Krzysztof Charamsa, stripped of his post after admitting being in a gay relationship, tells BBC News why he wrote to the Pope criticising the Church over its hypocrisy in banning gay priests.