Anderson Cooper Is a Daddy, Again, after Welcoming Second Son with Ex-partner

Anderson Cooper shares first picture of his son, Benjamin (CNN/Twitter)
PINK NEWS: Anderson Cooper has welcomed a second child with his ex partner, revealing he is the proud father of another son named Sebastian Luke Maisani-Cooper.

The CNN anchor, who welcomed his first son Wyatt in April 2020, shared the happy news during his Anderson Cooper 360 show on Thursday (10 Febraury).

“I wanted to start out with some good news, which also happens to be very personal news,” Cooper began as he looked back to the way he announced Wyatt’s birth.

He continued: “These are the pictures I showed of Wyatt then, taken just days after he was born. This is Wyatt today. He is nearly 22 months old. He is sweet, funny, and the greatest joy of my life.

“If he looks particularly happy in this picture, it’s because he now has a baby brother. His name is Sebastian, and I would like you to meet him.” » | Nola Ojomu | Friday, February 11, 2022

Co-discoverer of HIV Luc Montagnier Dies Aged 89 - BBC News

Feb 11, 2022 • Luc Montagnier, the French virologist credited as a co-discoverer of the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), has died aged 89.

Montagnier was jointly awarded the 2008 Nobel Prize for his work in isolating the virus that causes Aids.

He was lauded for this work, but later criticised for unscientific claims about autism and Covid-19.

He died on Tuesday in Neuilly-sur-Seine "surrounded by his children".

Democracy Now! US News & World Headlines – February 11, 2022

Covid-19 : le Royaume-Uni en passe de réussir le pari de l'abandon total des restrictions

LE FIGARO : DÉCRYPTAGE - Le 27 janvier dernier, nos voisins britanniques abandonnaient complètement les mesures sanitaires, une première en Europe. Deux semaines plus tard, les données épidémiologiques semblent leur donner raison.

Depuis le début de l'épidémie de Covid-19, la situation au Royaume-Uni est un indicateur fiable pour la France. Avec deux semaines d'avance lors de chaque vague épidémique, nos voisins britanniques jouent un rôle de modèle pour anticiper l'évolution de la situation. Mais les deux pays ont suivi des stratégies différentes lors de la cinquième vague : alors que les restrictions sont levées progressivement pendant le mois de février dans l'Hexagone, le Royaume-Uni a fait le choix de faire sauter toutes les mesures en même temps. Ainsi, depuis le 27 janvier, le port du masque n'y est plus obligatoire, le télétravail n'est plus officiellement recommandé et le passe sanitaire n'est plus imposé pour l'accès aux boîtes de nuit et aux grands rassemblements. » | Par Hugues Maillot | vendredi 11 février 2022

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L’accumulation des crises internationales perturbe la présidence de Joe Biden

Le président américain, qui a ordonné l’élimination du chef de Daech le 3 février, fait face, de l’Ukraine à Taïwan et de l’Iran à la Corée du Nord, à des situations menaçant l’ordre international dominé par les États-Unis. SAUL LOEB/AFP
LE FIGARO : GRAND RÉCIT - Depuis le retrait américain d’Afghanistan et le «pivot» vers l’Asie, les États-Unis sont confrontés à une série de crises en Ukraine, en Iran ou à Taïwan.

Correspondant à Washington
Les États-Unis font face à une série de crises qui ressemblent fort à une remise en question de l’ordre international qu’ils garantissent depuis plus de trois quarts de siècle. La menace d’invasion russe en Ukraine a obligé Washington à dépêcher des renforts en Europe pour la première fois depuis la fin de la guerre froide. L’Alliance atlantique, la première grande alliance internationale contractée par les États-Unis en 1949, est soumise à une intense pression. Les chars russes massés à la frontière ukrainienne évoquent une époque où le continent était coupé en deux, mais ne sont qu’une partie d’un défi global, qui dépasse largement les plaines de l’Ukraine.

L’Europe n’est pas le seul endroit où les Américains voient remises en question les règles internationales qu’ils ont contribué à installer en 1945 et dont ils ont été les garants. Le défi est à présent mondial. Les crises des dernières décennies, la menace du terrorisme djihadiste ou les guerres du Moyen-Orient ressemblent à des escarmouches comparées à ces jeux dangereux entre puissances nucléaires. » | Par Adrien Jaulmes | Publié : mercredi 9 février 2022 ; mis à jour : jeudi 10 février 2022

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À LIRE AUSSI :

En dix mois, Joe Biden a déçu une grande partie des Américains »

Hitlergruß? – Job weg

Brasiliens Präsident Jair Bolsonaro | Bild: REUTERS
NEONAZIS IN BRASILIEN
FRANKFURTER ALLGEMEINE ZEITUNG: In Brasilien wächst seit Jahren die Zahl der Neonazis. Auch ein deutscher Holocaust-Leugner hat sich in das Land abgesetzt. Fühlen sich die Rechtsextremen seit der Wahl von Präsident Jair Bolsonaro gestärkt?

Der brasilianische Moderator Bruno Aiub ist seinen Job los. „Ich finde, Nazis sollten ihre eigene Partei haben dürfen“, hatte er in der Podcast-Sendung „Flow“ gesagt. Aiub sagte zudem, jeder sollte das Recht haben, gegen Juden zu sein. Kurz nach der Sendung sprangen Sponsoren ab. Zudem eröffnete die Generalstaatsanwaltschaft eine Untersuchung, weil in derselben Sendung auch der liberale Abgeordnete Kim Kataguiri in seinen Aussagen zwar nicht so weit, jedoch in eine ähnliche Richtung ging. Er sagte, eine Ideologie oder Meinung solle nicht mit Gesetzen, sondern mit Debatten bekämpft werden.

Der unterdessen gelöschte Podcast war daraufhin Thema in einer anderen Diskussionssendung, die über den großen Radiosender „Jovem Pan“ ausgestrahlt wurde, auch in Bewegtbild. Auch diese Sendung endete mit einer Entlassung. Grund war eine Geste des bekannten Kommentators Adrilles Jorge. Während der Sendung verurteilte er die Verherrlichung des Nationalsozialismus zwar mehrfach. Ganz am Schluss – und nach einem Hinweis auf die Gräueltaten kommunistischer Regime – aber hob er zum Abschied seine Hand. Ein Hitlergruß? Sarkasmus? Gar nichts? » | Von Tjerk Brühwiller, São Paulo | Donnerstag, 10. Februar 2022

Trump, vertrauliche Dokumente und eine Toilette

Donald Trump zeigt Briefe von Kim Jong-unim Januar 2019 während einer Sitzung seines Kabinetts | Bild: AFP
„FLUSHGATE“-AFFÄRE
FRANKFURTER ALLGEMEINE ZEITUNG: Donald Trump soll nach seinem Ausscheiden vertrauliche Dokumente mit nach Mar-a-Lago genommen haben. Schon im Weißen Haus hat er wohl regelmäßig Schriftstücke zerrissen und die Toilette runtergespült.

Nur noch Papierklumpen sollen übrig geblieben sein, wenn Donald Trump in einer Toilette des Weißen Hauses zur Tat schritt. Was seinen Dokumenten-Vernichtungsaktionen zum Opfer fiel, ist nicht ganz klar, fest steht wohl nur: Der ehemalige Präsident zerriss nicht nur gern Dokumente, die Mitarbeiter später wieder zusammensetzen mussten. Er spülte Notizen oder Briefe auch das Klo hinunter. Das zumindest berichtet die „New York Times“-Journalistin Maggie Haberman. „Flushgate“ nennen einige Beobachter die Affäre schon.

Zuvor hatte die „Washington Post“ enthüllt, dass Trump Dokumente aus seiner Amtszeit vernichtete und große Mengen mit in sein Anwesen Mar-a-Lago nahm. Inzwischen konnte das Nationalarchiv fünfzehn Kisten Material in Florida abholen – aber erst, nachdem die Archivare monatelang mit Trumps Anwälten verhandelt hatten. Unter den Briefen befanden sich auch solche, die Trump mit Nordkoreas Machthaber Kim Jong-un ausgetauscht hatte – einst hatte er angegeben, man habe sich „Liebesbriefe“ geschrieben. Auch der Brief, den Barack Obama seinem Nachfolger bei der Amtsübergabe 2017 hinterlassen hatte, soll unter den Dokumenten sein, die Trump nun herausrücken musste. » | Von Frauke Steffens | Freitag, 11. Februar 2022

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Die meisten Menschen leben nicht mehr in Demokratien

AUSWERTUNG DES „ECONOMIST“
FRANKFURTER ALLGEMEINE ZEITUNG: Nicht einmal mehr 46 Prozent der Weltbevölkerung leben in einem Land, das die Bezeichnung Demokratie verdient – so das Urteil von Experten des britischen „Economist“. Deutschland gehöre dabei noch zur Spitzengruppe, ein anderes großes EU-Land nicht mehr.

Die Demokratie ist nach einer aktuellen Studie zufolge weltweit auf dem Rückgang. Wie die britische „Economist“-Gruppe in ihrem jährlichen „Demokratieindex“ ermittelte, lebten 2021 nur noch 45,7 Prozent der Weltbevölkerung in irgendeiner Form einer Demokratie. Das waren deutlich weniger als 2020 mit 49,4 Prozent.

In einer „vollständigen Demokratie“ lebten sogar nur 6,4 Prozent, ein leichter Rückgang im Vergleich zum Vorjahr (6,8 Prozent). » | Quelle: dpa | Donnerstag, 10. Februar 2022

In Democracy We Trust? A Keynote Speech by The Rt Hon Sir John Major

Watch Sir John Major here. And listen to Sir John Major’s very wise words. This is a truly excellent speech. This gentleman is a true Conservative. – Mark

The Guardian View on Trust in Britain: John Major’s Timely Warning

THE GUARDIAN – EDITORIAL: The former prime minister is right to call attention to the reputational damage that Britain is suffering under Boris Johnson

‘According to Sir John, “our reputation is being shredded”.’ Photograph: Dominic Lipinski/PA
Such events are normally arranged weeks in advance, so it is unlikely that Sir John Major decided to make his speech about the decline of trust in British democracy on Thursday specifically to coincide with Boris Johnson and Liz Truss’s Ukraine-related diplomatic forays to Brussels, Warsaw and Moscow. The split-screen counterpoint between the two events was nevertheless very striking. In particular, it was revealing about the realities, and the fantasies, of this government’s international influence.

On the one hand, in Moscow, the Russian foreign minister, Sergei Lavrov, contemptuously derided his meeting with Ms Truss as a conversation of “the mute with the deaf”, containing “nothing secret, no trust. Just slogans…” On the other hand, in London, Sir John was simultaneously delivering a passionate warning that a loss of political trust at home leads umbilically to a loss of political reputation and influence abroad. The connection between the two could hardly have been more clearly illustrated. » | Editorial | Thursday, February 10, 2022

Cressida Dick to Step Down as Metropolitan Police Chief

Metropolitan Police Commissioner Dame Cressida Dick is leaving her role after a series of damaging controversies.

Read the full BBC article here.

Cressida Dick steps down as Met Police commissioner as latest scandal proves final straw: Cressida Dick, the embattled commissioner of London’s Metropolitan Police Service, has resigned, leaving behind a Scotland Yard rocked by mounting scandal. »

Cressida Dick resigns as Metropolitan Police commissioner »

Dame Cressida Dick forced out of scandal-hit Met police: Chief to leave role two years early after London’s mayor accused her of failing to deal with misogyny and racism in the force »

Abschied von der Mittelschicht | Doku HD | ARTE

Feb 10, 2022 • Rund ein Drittel aller Beschäftigten in Europa lebt in Unsicherheit. Obwohl sie Arbeit haben, teilweise sogar mehrere Jobs gleichzeitig, kommen sie nur knapp über die Runden. Sie bilden das sogenannte "Prekariat". Die wachsende Angst vor der Armut führt zu einem Gefühl des sozialen Ausschlusses und auch zu Zweifeln an der Demokratie. Populistische Parteien profitieren.

Nicht nur in Deutschland oder Frankreich wächst die Kluft zwischen Arm und Reich. Selbst in Schweden, das vielen noch als „Sozialparadies“ gilt, wird die soziale Schere immer größer. Jeder fünfte Rentner lebt dort unter der Armutsgrenze, Frauen sind besonders betroffen. In Spanien sind mehr als die Hälfte der unter 30-Jährigen prekär beschäftigt. „Das Prekariat lebt immer hart am Rand der Verschuldung. Ein Fehler, eine Krankheit zum falschen Zeitpunkt, ein Unfall oder einem Familienmitglied passiert irgendwas, das kann das Ende bedeuten“, so der britische Wirtschaftswissenschaftler Guy Standing. Welche Explosivität steckt in der neuen Klasse des Prekariats? Wie steht es um Europas sozialen Frieden? Welche Chancen und Herausforderungen gehen mit der Idee eines Grundeinkommens einher? Wie könnte man der großen Unsicherheit und der Polarisierung des politischen Systems entgegenwirken? Karin de Miguel Wessendorf und Valentin Thurn spüren diesen Fragen in der Dokumentation „Abschied von der Mittelschicht – Die prekäre Gesellschaft“ nach und begleiten junge und alte Menschen aus verschiedenen Ländern Europas bei ihrem Alltag im Prekariat.

Dokumentarfilm von K. de Miguel Wessendorf und V. Thurn (D 2019, 89 Min)
Video auf Youtube verfügbar bis zum 19/03/2022


Voici le même documentaire en français.

How To Mix Every Cocktail | Method Mastery | Epicurious

Mar 23, 2020 • Grab your shakers and swizzle sticks - class is back in session! Today on Method Mastery, New York bartender Jeff Solomon shows us how to conjure up almost every cocktail he’s been asked to mix, step by step. Watch as he stirs, shakes, and garnishes his way down the list - then make your next evening cocktail a new adventure. Follow Jeff on Instagram at @megajerf

Spain on a Fork: Four Classic Spanish Omelettes

Four Tortillas a la Francesa Recipes

Get the recipes here.

Albert Bevia can be supported on Patreon here.

Democracy Now! Top US News & World Headlines – February 10, 2022

En Australie, la «Ouestralie» rêve d’indépendance

LE FIGARO : DÉCRYPTAGE - L’Australie-Occidentale, isolée du reste du pays à cause des mesures pour contrer la pandémie, refuse de rouvrir ses frontières… Et renoue avec d’anciennes ambitions sécessionnistes, jamais totalement oubliées.

Sydney
Ce week-end, après presque deux ans de fermeture totale, les frontières de l’Australie-Occidentale devaient enfin rouvrir et permettre aux étrangers mais aussi aux Australiens venus d’autres États, de s’y rendre. Las, il y a quinze jours, les autorités locales, craignant d’être submergées par la vague Omicron, ont annoncé que les frontières de cet État resteraient fermées «indéfiniment». Le monde économique a vertement critiqué cette décision, certaines entreprises menaçant d’attaquer le gouvernement ouest-australien en justice, pour entrave à la liberté de circulation, et d’autres de déménager leur siège social de Perth, la capitale de l’Australie-Occidentale, sur la côte est.

Mais la population continue de soutenir massivement le travailliste Mark McGowan, à la tête de cet État prospère, où le salaire moyen (1160 € par semaine) est de 8% plus élevé qu’à l’échelle nationale. D’après un sondage paru fin janvier, 71% des répondants soutiennent sa décision de maintenir l’Australie-Occidentale sous cloche. McGowan avait déjà été plébiscité l’an dernier lors des élections d’État, 60% des électeurs ayant voté pour les travaillistes, soit le triple des voix recueillies par le Parti libéral, leur principal adversaire. » | Par Grégory Plesse | jeudi 10 février 2022

À LIRE AUSSI :

L’Australie, forteresse décriée du zéro Covid : TÉMOIGNAGES - Le pays, qui vit replié depuis mars 2020, pourrait le rester un an de plus, au grand désespoir des expatriés français. »

Prince Charles Tests Positive for Covid, Clarence House Says

BBC: The Prince of Wales has tested positive for Covid-19 and is now self-isolating, Clarence House has said on Twitter.

Prince Charles's positive result was announced moments before he was due to arrive at an engagement in Winchester.

On Wednesday, he and his wife the Duchess of Cornwall met people at a reception in the British Museum.

Camilla tested negative for coronavirus on Thursday, Clarence House said. This is the second time Charles has contracted Covid.

The 73-year-old heir to the throne last caught the virus in March 2020 when he reported only mild symptoms. » | Jennifer Meierhans, BBC News | Thursday, February 10, 2022

We Cannot Take Democracy for Granted – This Government’s Failings Imperil Us All

THE GUARDIAN – OPINION: Trust in UK politics is at a low ebb, eroded by foolish behaviour. This matters to parliament, and it matters to our country

Prime minister’s questions in the House of Commons, 9 February. Photograph: Jessica Taylor/UK Parliament/AFP/Getty Images
Our democracy has always been among the strongest and most settled in the world. It relies on respect for the laws made in parliament, on an independent judiciary, on acceptance of the conventions of public life, and on self-restraint by the powerful.

If any of that delicate balance goes astray – as it has, as it is – our democracy is undermined. Our government is culpable, in small but important ways, of failing to honour these conventions.

Where governments fall short, candour is the best means of shoring up support. But that candour must be freely offered – not dragged out under the searchlight of inquiries. If it is not wholehearted and convincing, the loss of public trust can be swift and unforgiving.

We have seen that playing out in recent weeks. Trust in politics is at a low ebb, eroded by foolish behaviour, leaving a sense of unease about how our politics is being conducted.

Too often, ministers have been evasive and the truth has been optional. When they respond to legitimate questions with pre-prepared soundbites, or half-truths, or misdirection, or wild exaggeration, then respect for government and politics dies a little more. Misleading replies to questions invite disillusion. Outright lies breed contempt.

In our democracy, we are able to speak truth to power. But, if democracy is to be respected, power must also speak truth to the people. And yet, in recent years, it has not been doing so. » | John Major * | Thursday, February 10, 2022

* John Major was the prime minister of Britain from 1990 to 1997. This is an edited version of a speech, “In democracy we trust?”, given at the Institute for Government on 10 February 2022

John Major’s scathing attack on Boris Johnson: key charges: From eroding trust in democracy to assaults on civil rights, former Tory PM’s speech is comprehensive in its charges »

Russland - Geknebelte Freiheit | Doku HD | ARTE

Feb 10, 2022 • Alexei Nawalnys überraschende Rückkehr in die Heimat im Januar 2021 machte der Welt deutlich, dass es ein anderes Russland als das des Wladimir Putin gibt: ein Russland der Unzufriedenen. Vertreter dieser Kräfte sind in dem Dokumentarfilm Olga, Alina, Aidar und Wladimir. Fast ein Jahr lang begleitete sie Stéphane Bentura mit der Kamera. Welche Ziele verfolgen sie?

Schon seit mehreren Jahren werden Oppositionelle in Russland immer stärker unterdrückt, unter dem Vorwand der strengen Aufrechterhaltung von Gesetz und Ordnung. In Wirklichkeit handelt es sich dabei um maßgeschneiderten Druck zur Legalisierung einer Repression, die sich nicht als solche bezeichnen will. Viele Unzufriedene schwanken zwischen Angst und Entschlossenheit, und manchen bleibt nur Gefängnis oder Exil – wie in den schlimmsten Zeiten der Unterdrückung sowjetischer Dissidenten.

Hört man die schrecklichen Leidensgeschichten der ehemaligen politischen Gefangenen, die in EU-Ländern aufgenommen wurden, hält man es kaum für möglich, dass 30 Jahre nach dem Untergang der UdSSR noch immer eine solche Gewalt existiert. Wie jedoch sehen die Narrative des anderen Russlands aus, das weiterhin an Putin glaubt und der Propaganda des Staatsfernsehens erliegt? Dank seines rhetorischen Talents und des Medienrummels um seine Person gelingt es dem russischen Präsidenten weiterhin, die Öffentlichkeit, teilweise auch die westliche, davon zu überzeugen, dass er populär, bescheiden und unersetzlich ist. Der Dokumentarfilm deckt auf, welche Sichtweise der Kreml über seine Medien verbreitet.

Russland sieht sich als Opfer der "Russenfeindlichkeit" des von ihm verteufelten Westens und verauslagt nach eigenen Angaben zum Schutz vor einer potenziellen NATO-Invasion 4,3 Prozent seines Bruttoinlandprodukts. In Deutschland betrug der Anteil der Militärausgaben am BIP im Jahr 2020 1,4 Prozent. Das erinnert an die finstersten Zeiten des Kalten Krieges zwischen den Vereinigten Staaten und der Sowjetunion.

Ein im Pariser Exil lebender russischer Wirtschaftswissenschaftler hat jedoch eine viel einfachere Erklärung parat: Er vermutet, diese Militarisierung verschleiere nur das Ausmaß der Korruption, die Verschwendung der Einnahmen aus den russischen Gasexporten und Putins nicht gehaltene Versprechen zur Verbesserung der sozialen und wirtschaftlichen Lage. Was bleibt also 30 Jahre später von der Sowjetunion? Mit Putins idealisiertem Russland, das sich auf den Sieg von 1945 beruft, und den Unzufriedenen, die der Präsidentenpartei den Namen "Partei der Gauner und Diebe" gaben, koexistieren zwei Russlands: Das eine lebt in der Vergangenheit, das andere ersehnt eine andere Zukunft.

Dokumentation von Stéphane Bentura (F 2021, 53 Min)
Video auf Youtube verfügbar bis zum 16/04/2022


Voici le même documentaire en français.

Putin and Xi against the West: Democracy under Pressure? | To the Point

Feb 10, 2022 • Have Russian President Vladimir Putin and Chinese leader Xi Jinping joined forces against the West?

Certainly, China has been using the Winter Olympics for a massive display of its political and economic might. Russia, meanwhile, continues to flex its muscles in the war of words over the future of Ukraine. Diplomatic efforts to ease the situation are in overdrive, including missions to Moscow and Washington.

So, this time round on TO THE POINT, we ask: Putin and Xi against the West: Democracy under pressure?

Our guests: Sudha David-Wilp (German Marshall Fund); Didi-Kirsten Tatlow (DGAP); Vladimir Esipov (DW)

La revanche de Camilla, future reine consort d’Angleterre

Le prince Charles et Camilla assistent à une cérémonie d’accueil maorie, lors d’une visite en Nouvelle-Zélande, le 20 novembre 2019. EyePress News/EYEPRESS via Reuters Connect
LE FIGARO : ENQUÊTE - Dans une lettre au parfum de vœu testamentaire, Elizabeth II a solennellement adoubé Camilla Parker Bowles, amante puis épouse du prince Charles. Longtemps détestée par l’opinion publique et tenue pour responsable de la mort de Lady Diana, la roturière deviendra souveraine aux côtés de son mari, après le décès de la reine.

Londres
Longtemps, ce fut le diable pour une partie des Britanniques. Des ménagères la poursuivaient avec leur Caddie quand elle faisait ses courses au supermarché. Au théâtre ou au pub, elle était huée, insultée. Camilla était tenue pour responsable de la mort de Diana. Le week-end dernier, pourtant, l’épouse du prince Charles a été solennellement adoubée par Elizabeth II. La mal-aimée honorée par une reine si populaire. Le chemin parcouru est spectaculaire. » | Par Arnaud De La Grange | Publié : mercredi 9 février 2022 ; mis à jour : jeudi 10 février 2022

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No Amount of ‘Reboots’ or Reshuffles Can Hide the Truth: Johnson Is Finished

THE GUARDIAN – OPINION: The prime minister is good at creating distractions – but the parallels with Thatcher’s 1990 downfall are clear to see

Illustration: Sebastien Thibault/The Guardian
Looking back on the 1990 ousting of Margaret Thatcher as Conservative prime minister, her chief whip Tim Renton concluded that Thatcher had lost power because she “had ceased having an open mind” about how to unify her party or to govern. “She only wanted to have her own friends around her and she had come to identify No 10 and the job of prime minister with herself,” wrote Renton. “Anyone who stood in her way … was to be dispensed with. They were not of the right faith.”

Boris Johnson is not in the same league as Thatcher as a successful prime minister and much else. She lasted 11 years in Downing Street and won three general elections. He has been prime minister for two and half and has won just once. She possessed ideological conviction in spades. His only serious interest is in himself.

Yet all the evidence from the so-called reboot of Johnson’s government in the wake of the lockdown party scandals is that this prime minister is now making many of the same mistakes that Thatcher did more than a generation ago. Like her, Johnson surrounds himself with flatterers. Like her, he has come to identify the Conservative government with himself rather than the party or the electorate. Like her, he ostracises those who are not true believers – which in this case means believers in him. There are, of course, some differences. Yet the outcome will be the same. » | Martin Kettle | Wednesday, February 9, 2022

John Major Launches Scathing Attack on Boris Johnson: 'The PM Broke Lockdown Rules'

Feb 10, 2022 • Boris Johnson and Downing Street officials broke lockdown laws and misled the public with “brazen excuses” and “unbelievable” claims, the former prime minister Sir John Major has said this morning.

In a scathing speech directly challenging the Prime Minister's approach to truth and the 'partygate' saga, Sir John said the Government had looked “distinctly shifty” in its approach.

Sir John, a former Conservative Party leader, argued that the UK’s reputation overseas was being “shredded”, undermining its attempts to influence world affairs. Mr Johnson is in Brussels today.

Sir John also indicated that Mr Johnson should resign if he deliberately misled Parliament over 'partygate', saying that convention “must always” be followed.

Boris Johnson Broke the Law over Parties, Says Sir John Major

THE TIMES: Tory grandee lambasts ‘shifty’ government in wide-ranging attack

Sir John Major said that the prime minister broke lockdown rules and had to be ousted if he lied to parliament | DOMINIC LIPINSKI/PA
Boris Johnson “broke lockdown laws” and then sent his ministers out to “defend the indefensible”, Sir John Major claimed today as he launched a stinging attack on the prime minister’s integrity.

In a speech in London, the former prime minister said that Johnson had made the government “look distinctly shifty” and had eroded public trust in British democracy that “cannot be brushed aside”.

He suggested that if Johnson was fined by police for breaking lockdown rules he must resign or Tory MPs must remove him from office. » |Oliver Wright, Policy Editor | Steven Swinford | Thursday, February 10, 2022

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Starmer Blames PM’s Savile Slur for Inciting Mob that Accosted Him

THE GUARDIAN: Labour leader says he was never accused in public of being ‘paedophile protector’ before Johnson remark

Starmer told the Times Johnson used a ‘deliberate slur without any basis in fact’. Photograph: Leon Neal/Getty Images
Keir Starmer has blamed Boris Johnson’s slur about Jimmy Savile for inciting a mob that accosted him outside parliament on Monday.

The Labour leader said he had never before been accused in public of being a “paedophile protector” until the prime minister falsely accused him, a week before the attack, of failing to prosecute Savile when he was director of public prosecutions (DPP).

In an interview with the Times, Starmer said Johnson had used a “deliberate slur without any basis in fact”. He added: “The PM knew exactly what he was doing. It is a conspiracy theory of violent fascists that has been doing the rounds for some time.” With video » | Matthew Weaver | Thursday, February 10, 2022

'Don't Say Gay': White House Denounces New Florida Bill

GETTY IMAGES
BBC: The White House has said a new bill in Florida that would ban discussion of sexual orientation in primary schools is "designed to attack" LGBT students.

Governor Ron DeSantis has signalled his backing for the measure and it appears to have enough support to pass through the state's Republican-led legislature.

Activists have dubbed it the "Don't Say Gay" bill and warn it will stigmatise LGBT people and issues.

But its proponents say the legislation is about protecting parental rights.

The proposal was introduced in the state House of Representatives last month. An identical version advanced in the state Senate on Tuesday.

At a news conference, White House press secretary Jen Psaki said: "Every parent hopes that our leaders will ensure their children's safety, protection, and freedom."

"Today, conservative politicians in Florida rejected those basic values by advancing legislation that is designed to target and attack the kids who need support the most." With video » | BBC | Wednesday, February 9, 2022

L’Amérique latine, nouvelle terre de conquête pour la Chine?

La forte présence de la Chine de Xi Jinping en Amérique latine n’est pas sans conséquence sur l’environnement .POOL/REUTERS
LE FIGARO : DÉCRYPTAGE - En vingt ans, la Chine est devenue l’un des principaux partenaires des pays latino-américains, bouleversant leur économie.

La Chine a, depuis l’épidémie de Covid-19, encore augmenté son influence en Amérique latine. Alors que les pays occidentaux se concentraient sur la fourniture à leurs populations de matériels médicaux et de vaccins, Pékin proposait aux pays latino-américains son aide. Le premier à en bénéficier fut le Venezuela. Dès mars 2020, des livraisons de matériel médical sont arrivées à Caracas. La Chine a poursuivi son effort vers la Bolivie, l’Équateur, l’Argentine. «Nous voulons remercier la République populaire de Chine de la rapidité avec laquelle elle a répondu à nos demandes», a déclaré le ministre des Affaires étrangères mexicain, Marcelo Ebrard, en 2020. En décembre 2021, le gouvernement de Xi Jinping a fait une seconde donation de vaccins au Nicaragua, après que ce pays a rompu ses liens diplomatiques avec Taïwan. La pandémie «a été très importante pour la Chine, car cela lui a fourni un nouveau moyen pour renforcer sa présence dans la région», expliquait à la BBC Pepe Zhang, membre du centre pour l’Amérique latine Adrienne Arsht. » | Par Patrick Bèle | Dimanche 6 février 2022

Réservé aux abonnés

Stjepan Hauser : Nocturne in C Sharp Minor

HAUSER performing Nocturne in C sharp minor by Frédéric Chopin with London Symphony Orchestra Filmed by Medvid production

Coming Out Colton | Official Trailer | Netflix

Nov 29, 2021 • This is Colton Underwood's story of self-discovery coming out as a gay man, including addressing his past and embracing his place in the LGBTQ community. Watch as the former professional football player and star of The Bachelor embarks on his personal journey to a new reality.

Freude in der Tat!

Joy indeed! / Joie en effet !
Ich danke wisterialaneflowers.com auf Pinterest für dieses schöne und ausdrucksvolle Bild.

It’s Cocktail Hour: It’s Absolut. o’Clock Again!

via GIPHY

Justin Timberlake - Can't Stop the Feeling | Stormtroopers Dance Moves & More | Tradução | HQ

Time to boogie!

Ex-Pope Admits Errors in Handling of Abuse Cases - BBC News

Feb 9, 2022 • In a letter released by the Vatican, the former pontiff asked forgiveness for any "grievous fault" but denied personal wrongdoing.

A German report into the Catholic Church alleged that he failed to act over four child sex abuse cases.

Then known as Josef Ratzinger, he was archbishop of Munich from 1977 to 1982. The report by a German law firm alleges that abuse continued under his tenure, and that the priests accused of carrying out the abuse remained active in church roles.

Before the report was released in January, Pope Benedict had denied he had attended a meeting in 1980 about sexual abuse cases when he was archbishop of Munich.


„Zu wenig, zu spät, zu allgemein“: Enttäuscht bis entrüstet: Das sind die meisten Reaktionen auf einen Brief Benedikts XVI., in dem er sich für Fehler im Umgang mit Missbrauchsopfern entschuldigt. Nur sein Privatsekretär springt ihm bei. »

The Original Royal Rebel: Celebrating Princess Margaret’s Life and Legacy

TATLER: Twenty years on from her death, Princess Margaret’s compelling yet complex life still fascinates. Glamorous and beautiful, she was quick-witted, mischievous – and haughty, often receiving a bad press. Those close to her remember the warmth and wildness of the Queen’s sister

A CECIL BEATON PORTRAIT FOR THE TATLER MARKING PRINCESS MARGARET’S TRIP TO TRINIDAD | Rights Managed
Her Royal Highness Princess Margaret Rose was the daughter of a king and the sister of a queen. She never forgot this and she never let anyone else forget it. Being royal, at a time when being royal mattered more than it later did, defined her in ways beyond anyone’s control. She was the last of a breed but also, in a sense and up to a point, the first of a new breed, too.

She was a household name in England from well before the Second World War until the rule of New Labour. She could be chillingly regal, putting people down with an icy hauteur; but she might also traipse down to Bermondsey Market looking for bargains or play the piano and sing huskily with a cigarette in a holder, a large Scotch at her elbow and a bevy of adoring friends gathered round. She was a friend of poets and playwrights and prima ballerinas but often went out of her way to be nice to quite ordinary people. You might even say, in a perverse way that some refused to accept, she walked with kings yet kept the common touch. » | Tim Heald | Wednesday, February 9, 2022

Simply Recipes: Irish Beef Stew

Get the recipe here.

Democracy Now! Yop US News & World Headlines – February 9, 2022

Belarus Military Drills to Begin as Russia Ratchets Up Ukraine Tensions

THE GUARDIAN: Satellite imagery shows much Russian hardware has been moved to locations close to Ukraine border

Russia and Belarus will begin 10 days of joint military drills on Thursday, setting in train one of the most overtly threatening elements of the Kremlin’s buildup of forces around Ukraine’s borders.

Valery Gerasimov, the head of the Russian general staff, arrived in Belarus on Wednesday to oversee the drills.

Russia has moved up to 30,000 troops, two battalions of S-400 surface-to-air missile systems and numerous fighter jets into Belarus for joint training exercises with the Belarusian army. Satellite imagery shows much of the hardware has been moved to locations close to the border with Ukraine.

The Russian president, Vladimir Putin, reportedly told France’s Emmanuel Macron this week that the troops would leave Belarus when the exercises ended on 20 February. Even if that does happen, the drills show that Belarusian dictator, Alexander Lukashenko, is a firm ally in Putin’s Ukraine policy. » | Shaun Walker in Kyiv | Wednesday, February 9, 2022

Britische Parlamentarier warnen vor weiteren Brexit-Folgen

Lastwagen stehen am 11. Januar am Hafen von Dover im Stau. | Bild: DPA
KRITISCHE BILANZ
FRANKFURTER ALLGEMEINE ZEITUNG: in Bericht von britischen Parlamentariern listet die negativen Folgen des Brexits auf: erhöhte Kosten, Papierkram und Verzögerungen an der Grenze. Und sie rechnen mit weiteren Konsequenzen.

Britische Parlamentarier haben eine kritische Bilanz des Brexits gezogen und vor weiteren Folgen gewarnt. Die Hauptauswirkungen des EU-Austritts für britische Unternehmen seien „erhöhte Kosten, Papierkram und Verzögerungen an der Grenze“, stellte der Rechenschaftsausschuss in einem am Mittwoch vorgestellten Bericht fest. Neue Importkontrollen, die seit Jahresbeginn greifen, könnten die Lage weiter verschlechtern. » | Quelle: dpa | Mittwoch, 9. Februar 2022

Offspring of Italy’s Last King Sue State in Battle to Reclaim Crown Jewels

THE GUARDIAN: King Umberto II descendants take legal action over treasure kept in Bank of Italy deposit box for 76 years

Umberto II, right, with his wife, Princess Marie José of Belgium, in 1930. Photograph: Sueddeutsche Zeitung photo/Alamy
The descendants of Italy’s last king are suing the Italian state in their fight 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 legal action comes after the offspring of King Umberto II failed to reach an agreement with the bank to return the jewels, which comprise more than 6,000 diamonds and 2,000 pearls mounted on brooches, necklaces and tiaras worn by various princesses and queens during the monarchy’s 85-year existence.

The first hearing will take place on 7 June at the court of Rome, said Sergio Orlandi, the lawyer representing Umberto II’s son, Vittorio Emanuele di Savoia, and three daughters, Maria Gabriella, Maria Pia and Maria Beatrice. » | Angela Giuffrida in Rome | Wednesday, February 9, 2022

Related.

WIKIPEDIA: Monarchy of Italy

The Italian Monarchist.

Canada: Ottawa Declares State of Emergency as Truckers Blare Horns against Covid-19 Restrictions

Feb 7, 2022 • The mayor of Ottawa has declared a state of emergency to help deal with an unprecedented 10-day occupation by protesting truckers that has shut down much of the core of the Canadian capital.

The protesters, who first reached the capital on Jan 29, have parked their big rigs on city streets and put up tents and temporary shacks - paralysing the capital to the consternation of officials and the mounting frustration of many residents.

The demonstrations began as protests by truckers angry with vaccine requirements when crossing the US-Canadian border, but have morphed into broader protests against Covid-19 health restrictions and the government of Prime Minister Justin Trudeau. Locals have complained of the ceaseless sound of air horns and of being harassed, insulted or blocked by the protesters.

The truckers and their supporters have dug in, however, saying the protests will continue until the Covid-related restrictions are lifted.

Police on Sunday announced new measures to stop people from helping the protesters keep up their sit-in.

US Seizes $3.6 Billion in Cryptocurrency Linked to Bitfinex Currency Exchange Hack | DW News

Feb 9, 2022 • The United States Justice Department said on Tuesday that authorities seized more than $3.6 billion (€3.2 billion) and arrested a New York couple accused of conspiring to launder billions in cryptocurrency.

Federal law enforcement officials said the recovered sum was linked to the hack of the Bitfinex virtual currency exchange in 2016. This was the department's largest seizure to date. The two suspects were arrested in Manhattan on Tuesday morning. They are accused of using sophisticated techniques to launder the stolen money and conceal the transactions. The couple is scheduled to make their initial appearances in federal court later on Tuesday. They face federal charges of conspiracy to commit money laundering and conspiracy to defraud the United States.

In the 2016 hack, about $71 million in stolen bitcoin was transferred to an outside digital wallet, officials said. The stolen bitcoin is valued today at more than $4.5 billion (€3.9 billion). Investigators located a wallet containing more than 2,000 bitcoin accounts and followed the trail to accounts at a dark web marketplace called AlphaBay. The marketplace was dismantled by the Justice Department in 2017. Authorities said they obtained access to files within an online account controlled by Lichtenstein, which contained the private keys to the wallet that was used to receive and store bitcoin stolen in the 2016 Bitfinex hack. The keys allowed agents to lawfully seize and recover more than 94,00 bitcoin, the Department of Justice said in a statement. Authorities say they tracked the stolen funds to more than a dozen accounts controlled by Lichtenstein, Morgan and their businesses. Millions of dollars were cashed out through bitcoin ATMs and used to purchase gold, non-fungible tokens (NFTs) and Walmart gift cards, prosecutors said.


Related.

US Married Couple Arrested for Allegedly Conspiring to Launder $4.5bn in Bitcoin

THE GUARDIAN: Husband and wife, a rapper on TikTok, are accused in the US’s biggest-ever cryptocurrency theft case

The US justice department has announced the unraveling of its biggest-ever cryptocurrency theft case, seizing a record-shattering $3.6bn in bitcoin in a saga that has captivated the internet.

US officials said on Tuesday the recovered sum was linked to the hack of Bitfinex, a virtual currency exchange whose systems were breached by hackers nearly six years ago.

Ilya “Dutch” Lichtenstein, 34, and his wife Heather Morgan, 31, both New Yorkers, were arrested in Manhattan on Tuesday morning, accused of relying on various sophisticated techniques to launder the stolen cryptocurrency and to conceal the transactions.

They face charges of conspiring to commit money laundering as well as to defraud the United States. The case was filed in a federal court in Washington DC.

“The message to criminals is clear: Cryptocurrency is not a safe haven. We can and we will follow the money, no matter what form it takes,” said the deputy attorney general, Lisa Monaco, on Tuesday. » | Samira Sadeque and agencies | Wednesday, February 9, 2022

Boris Johnson's Leadership Past Point of No Return, Says Big Tory Donor

Billionaire Tory donor calls for Boris Johnson to resign: John Armitage, who has given £3.1m to the Conservatives, says PM has gone ’past the point of no return’ »

Crise en Ukraine: Emmanuel Macron en première ligne face à Vladimir Poutine

Le président français est le premier chef d’État occidental à avoir rencontré son homologue russe (ici, lundi, au Kremlin) depuis le début de la crise ukrainienne. SPUTNIK/via REUTERS
LE FIGARO : DÉCRYPTAGE - Lundi soir à Moscou, le chef de l’État a proposé des «voies de convergence» au président russe.

Ils se sont vus pendant plus de cinq heures, éloignés de plusieurs mètres, chacun à un bout d’une immense table blanche et ovale. Mais cette distance imposée par le président russe n’avait pas forcément de signification politique. Vladimir Poutine, qui redoute le Covid et avait exigé de la délégation française quatre tests PCR négatifs pour pouvoir venir en Russie, avait réservé le même sort, la semaine dernière, à son ami Viktor Orban, le premier ministre hongrois.

Emmanuel Macron est un président qui aime prendre des risques. Et qui ne renonce jamais devant l’obstacle, même quand il est jugé infranchissable pour le plus agile des chevaux de course. Il est donc allé à Moscou pour rencontrer l’ours du Kremlin, qui depuis l’automne dernier met l’Europe en tension en massant plus de 100.000 hommes aux frontières de l’Ukraine, ancienne république soviétique dont il ne digère pas l’indépendance. C’était la première négociation directe entre le président russe et un dirigeant occidental de premier plan depuis la montée des tensions en décembre. Sur les terres de Vladimir Poutine, dans ce Kremlin si chargé d’histoire, de secrets et de coups tordus, cette septième rencontre avec le président russe, qui s’ajoute à seize coups de téléphone, sera peut-être la plus importante. Pour l’avenir de l’Ukraine. Pour la sécurité de l’Europe. Et pour le bilan international du président, à quelques semaines de la présidentielle. » | Par Isabelle Lasserre | mardi 7 février 2022

Secrets of The Queen Mother: The Reluctant Queen - British Royal Documentary

"Benedict at Least Mis-characterized What He Knew" | DW News

Democracy Now! Tope US News & World Headlines – February 8, 2022

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

Russie, le poison autoritaire | ARTE

Feb 8, 2022 • En Russie, la chasse aux opposants au régime s’intensifie. Rencontre avec ceux qui osent défier Vladimir Poutine au péril de leur vie et révèlent l’envers du décor d’un pays mis en coupe réglée.

Poutine et sa bande, au tribunal !" Les Russes, et surtout les Moscovites, ont été toujours plus nombreux à défiler ces derniers mois contre un pouvoir jugé liberticide. Plus que jamais, la Russie apparaît comme une nation divisée entre ceux qui font profil bas devant l’autoritarisme de Poutine, voire le soutiennent, et ceux qui le combattent, souvent au péril de leur liberté. La répression policière s’est en effet nettement accrue, tandis qu’une justice aux ordres d’une machine étatique programmée pour détruire toute velléité contestataire couvre les arrestations arbitraires et souvent absurdes, les séjours en prison et les mises au ban de la société. Mais qui sont ces citoyens ordinaires qui font trembler l’autocrate du plus grand pays du monde et prennent tous les risques, jusqu’à devoir s’exiler, pour réclamer une Russie à visage humain ?

Dictature postmoderne

Pendant près d’un an, le réalisateur Stéphane Bentura a suivi ceux qui, souvent jeunes et instruits, ont fait leur figure de proue d’Alexeï Navalny, empoisonné puis emprisonné dès son retour surprise à Moscou en janvier 2021. Journaliste pourchassée, simple manifestante d’un jour, prisonniers politiques victimes de tortures ou économiste en exil, ils racontent comment ils sont ou ont été la cible d’un matraquage qui va crescendo, sous couvert d’une application stricte de la loi et de l’ordre. "C’est une dictature postmoderne, avec une façade pseudo-démocratique, des parodies d’élections et de procès", assène Vladimir Kara-Murza, vice-président du mouvement Russie ouverte, victime de deux tentatives d’empoisonnement. Pour beaucoup, cette férocité répressive vise à masquer l’ampleur de la corruption, le gaspillage de l’argent du gaz russe et les promesses socio-économiques non tenues de Vladimir Poutine. Des témoignages clés qui aident à dissiper le mirage de la nouvelle puissance russe.

Documentaire de Stéphane Bentura (France, 2021, 53mn)
disponible jusqu'au 16/04/2022

«Carrie Antoinette», l’épouse controversée de Boris Johnson

Carrie et Boris Johnson, en mars 2020, à Londres. Lock Stephen/Lock Stephen/I-Images/ABACA
LE FIGARO : RÉCIT - Dans une biographie non autorisée, Carrie Johnson est décrite par ses détracteurs comme une intrigante à Downing Street.

Correspondant à Londres
Elle a gagné un drôle de surnom, venu de l’autre côté de la Manche. Carrie Johnson, l’épouse du premier ministre britannique, est appelée «Carrie Antoinette» par certains de ses détracteurs. Ils entendent ainsi moquer un goût du luxe que l’on a prêté à la reine de France… Et en plein «Partygate», une biographie non autorisée vient nourrir leurs reproches.

L’auteur du livre, Lord Ashcroft, est l’une des plus grosses fortunes de Grande-Bretagne et un grand donateur du Parti conservateur dont il fut un temps le numéro deux. Celui qui a trouvé «fascinante» la trajectoire de Carrie Johnson n’est pour autant pas tendre avec celle qu’il accuse de vouloir «tout contrôler» à Downing Street. De jouer les premiers ministres bis. Pour Michael Ashcroft, Carrie «empêche tout bonnement Boris Johnson de gouverner la Grande-Bretagne aussi efficacement que les électeurs le méritent». Elle serait son mauvais génie. » | Par Arnaud De La Grange | Publié : lundi 7 février 2022 ; mis à jour : mardi 8 février 2022

Réservé aux abonnés

Gay Kiss on Live TV Evades Singapore’s Ban on LGBT Content

THE GUARDIAN: Video clip of two men kissing in Beijing bar during Channel News Asia report hailed as ‘act of revolution’

Two men are seen kissing behind the Channel News Asia reporter during a live broadcast from Beijing. Photograph: CNA/YouTube
It was a Singaporean news report on the Winter Olympics opening ceremony, live from a Beijing bar filled with eager fans. Yet it was two men – who burst into the view of the camera, sharing a dramatic kiss – who stole the show.

The clip has since gone viral in Singapore, where broadcasting codes restrict content that promotes LGBT “lifestyles”, and where sexual relationships between men are outlawed.

The kiss does not feature in a version of the report published by Channel News Asia (CNA) on its website. But on TikTok a clip of the kiss has been viewed more than 825,000 times. “This is actually an act of revolution,” one user wrote. It has also been shared widely on Weibo, a popular social media platform in China. » | Rebecca Ratcliffe, South-east Asia correspondent | Tuesday, February 8, 2022

Chris Hedges – On Contact: The Gig Economy

Feb 5, 2022 • On the show Chris Hedges discusses the gig economy to Louis Hyman, Professor of Economic History at Cornell University.

After the end of World War II two generations of workers in the United States were blessed with a period of unprecedented prosperity. Wages for the working class were high. Jobs were stable and came with benefits and health insurance. Unions protected workers from abuse by the business elites. Taxes on the wealthiest individuals and corporations was as high as 91 percent. The public school system provided a quality education to the poor and the rich. The nation’s infrastructure and technology were cutting edge and unrivaled. But by the 1970s it all began to go south. Wages stagnated. Income inequality grew, until by 2008 the top wealthiest 10 percent of Americans received 87 percent of the economic growth, compared with 29 percent from 1933 to 1973. The good industrial jobs vanished. In their place rose the temp or gig economy, one where wages were low, the jobs were not secure and did not provide benefits, unions were emasculated and the nation’s great democratic institutions, along with its infrastructure, crumbled into decay. What went wrong? How did it happen? And what does it mean for our future?

Louis Hyman is Professor of Economic History at Cornell University, and author of Temp: The Real Story of What Happened to Your Salary, Benefits and Job Security.

Kinzinger: Trump Was the 'Worst President America Has Ever Had'

Feb 7, 2022 • Speaking out after being censured by the Republican National Committee, Rep. Kinzinger (R-IL) shares with New Day what he will tell his son about former president Donald Trump

Peter Thiel verlässt Facebook – für Trump

Der deutschstämmige Investor Peter Thiel | Bild: AP
DEUTSCHSTÄMMIGER INVESTOR
FRANKFURTER ALLGEMEINE ZEITUNG: Peter Thiel hat eine prägende Rolle in der Geschichte von Facebook gespielt. Nun will sich der Investor noch stärker in die Politik einmischen – und Donald Trumps Agenda unterstützen.

Der deutschstämmige Investor Peter Thiel wird den Verwaltungsrat von Meta Platforms verlassen. Wie der Mutterkonzern des sozialen Netzwerks Facebook am Montag nach Börsenschluss mitteilte, will sich Thiel bei der kommenden Aktionärsversammlung nicht mehr zur Wiederwahl stellen. Vorstandschef Mark Zuckerberg gab keine direkte Begründung, sagte aber, es sei ihm immer klar gewesen, dass Thiel irgendwann „andere Interessen“ verfolgen wolle. » | Von Roland Lindner, New York | Dienstag, 8. Februar 2022

Britain’s Failure to Tackle Russian Dirty Money Has Enabled Putin’s Aggression

THE GUARDIAN: If Boris Johnson is serious about helping Ukraine, the most resolute action he can take is at home

We cannot be blind to the situation where wealth with direct links to Vladimir Putin’s regime has been allowed to proliferate here in the UK.’ Photograph: Sergei Savostyanov/AP
The prospect of war in our continent is more than enough to avert our gaze from the latest Whitehall troubles.

However, a prime minister who has found it so hard to speak the truth throughout his career surprised us all with a hard dose of it when he stood before parliament last week to address the situation in Ukraine, saying: “Ukraine asks for nothing except to be allowed to live in peace and to seek her own alliances, as every sovereign country has a right to do.” It was a sentiment echoed by the leader of the opposition, by my own party’s Westminster group leader, Ian Blackford MP, and by every other SNP MP who responded to the statement.

As someone who has spent my life campaigning for the sovereign right of the people of Scotland to determine our own futures, sovereignty is a principle fundamental to my own worldview. To see such pressures being exerted on a state that has resolutely set itself on a path to integration with the liberal democratic order is unspeakable. Like any European country, Ukraine must be free to organise its governance and security alliances as it sees fit. » | Nicola Sturgeon * | Tuesday, February 1, 2022

* Nicola Sturgeon is first minister of Scotland and leader of the Scottish National party

‘A 1938 Moment’: Lithuanian PM Warns about Russian Troops in Belarus

THE GUARDIAN: Ingrida Šimonytė says threats from Moscow and Beijing mean west cannot be mired by self-doubt and division

Ingrida Šimonytė: ‘I know Putin was probably feeling very happy because he feels an important guy.’ Photograph: Toms Kalniņš/EPA
The security landscape of the Baltic states and eastern Europe may be changed permanently if Russian troops amassed on the Ukraine border start to integrate with Belarusian troops, Lithuania’s prime minister has said.

“This is a 1938 moment for our generation,” Ingrida Šimonytė said in an interview. “Neutrality helps the oppressor and never the victim.”

Šimonytė, who is due to meet Boris Johnson on Tuesday, is one of the European politicians most willing to make a case for democracy and expose the methods of autocracies.

Her stance has led her country of only 2.8 million people on to the frontline of ideological conflict not only with Russia but also China.

Belarus is threatening to block potash exports to her country, and China punished Lithuania for the opening of a Taiwanese representative office in Vilnius by cutting trade and pressing companies to pull out of Lithuania. The UK has joined Lithuania to take China to the WTO over its behaviour.

Šimonytė said the twin threats from the superpowers showed it was necessary for the west not to be mired by self-doubt, internal divisions and self-satisfaction. “The first response is not to be afraid but to speak up,” she said. “We never see the masses on the streets demanding more autocracy.” » | Patrick Wintour, Diplomatic editor | Tuesday, February 8, 2022

Ukraine : Macron dit avoir obtenu de Poutine «qu'il n'y ait pas d'escalade» : Le président français Emmanuel Macron a assuré mardi avoir «obtenu» lors de ses discussions avec Vladimir Poutine «qu'il n'y ait pas de dégradation ni d'escalade» dans la crise russo-occidentale liée à l'Ukraine. »

Turkey’s Doctors Are Leaving, the Latest Casualty of Spiraling Inflation

THE NEW YORK TIMES: Doctors, worn down by grueling hours and violence, are emigrating in rising numbers, undermining one of President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s signature achievements.

ISTANBUL — Anxiety rose after an assistant doctor died last fall when she plowed her car into the back of a truck after a long shift.

Then there were the growing cases of violence. An assistant doctor abandoned his career after a patient stabbed him in the stomach and hand. A pregnant nurse was hospitalized after being kicked in the belly.

The worsening economy and soaring inflation, which has reduced some doctors’ salaries close to the level of the minimum wage, has brought many to a tipping point, driving them in growing numbers to search for better opportunities abroad.

Their departures are a sad indictment of President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, who burnished his own reputation by expanding universal health care over his 18 years in power. It was one of his signature achievements. For many of his supporters, that action alone remains their main reason to support him.

But the strains of those overhauls wrought by Mr. Erdogan, in addition to those brought by the pandemic — and now galloping inflation — have undermined the very professionals on whom the health system depends.
Doctors complain of a grinding workload, diminishing returns for their work, a drastic loss of respect for the profession under Mr. Erdogan, and an increase in physical violence from their own patients.

More than 1,400 Turkish doctors left their posts to work abroad last year, and 4,000 over the past decade, according to the Turkish Medical Association, the largest association of medical professionals in the country. Many more are preparing applications and have requested certificates of good standing from the organization, officials said. » | Carlotta Gall | Monday, February 7, 2022

Stjepan Hauser : "Live in Zagreb" | Full Classical Concert

HAUSER performing his favorite classical music pieces with the Zagreb Philharmonic Orchestra at his classical solo concert at the Lisinski Concert Hall in Zagreb, October 2017.

Elisabeth Fuchs, conductor

Special guests:

Choir Zvjezdice
Lana Trotovsek, violin
Petrit Çeku, guitar

70-Jahre-Thronjubiläum: Die Queen bricht alle Rekorde

NEUE ZÜRCHER ZEITUNG: Vor siebzig Jahren bestieg Elizabeth II. den Thron, nun kann sie als erste britische Monarchin das Platinjubiläum feiern. Mit ihrem Wunsch, Charles’ Gattin Camilla möge dereinst Königin werden, richtet sie den Blick in die Zukunft – doch ans Aufhören denkt die 95-Jährige nicht.

Die Queen ist für die Briten ein Anker der Stabilität in unruhigen Zeiten. | Imago
Als erste britische Monarchin der Geschichte hat Königin Elizabeth II. am Sonntag auf Schloss Sandringham in Norfolk ihr Platin-Thronjubiläum feiern können. Der Königspalast hatte in den letzten Tagen Bilder veröffentlicht, welche die Jubilarin vor einer grossen Torte oder bei der Entgegennahme von Glückwünschen von Kindern zeigen. In einer eigens für das Jubiläum verfassten Mitteilung an die Nation blickte die 95-jährige Queen nicht nur auf ihre 70-jährige Herrschaft zurück, sondern richtete den Blick auch in die Zukunft.

Es sei ihr aufrichtiger Wunsch, dass die Gattin von Kronprinz Charles, Prinzessin Camilla, dereinst als «Queen consort» an der Seite ihres Sohnes stehe und somit Königin werde. Damit beendete Elizabeth die Spekulationen, Charles könnte Camilla nach seinem Aufstieg auf den Thron bloss zur «Princess consort» machen – da die Bevölkerung das Andenken an Charles’ erste Frau Diana hochhält und eine Ernennung Camillas zur Queen womöglich nicht goutieren würde. » | Niklaus Nuspliger, London | Samstag, 5. Februar 2022

Related links here and here.

Royal Nod for ‘Queen Camilla’ Caps Years of Image Repair: Queen Elizabeth II has put to rest decades of speculation by giving Prince Charles’ wife, Camilla, what some see as her “stamp of approval.” »

Wintersturm «Roxana» sorgt für heftige Winde und starken Schneefall: Mehrere Swiss-Maschinen müssen am Flughafen Zürich durchstarten

NEUE ZÜRCHER ZEITUNG: Für die Alpennordseite gilt eine Sturmwarnung der dritthöchsten Gefahrenstufe. Das Sturmtief «Roxana» sorgt in der Schweiz am Sonntag und in der Nacht auf Montag für Windböen von Orkanstärke.

fbi./ine./dho. Am Sonntagabend und in der Nacht auf Montag ist ein Wintersturm über die Schweiz gezogen. Der Bund warnte deshalb vor heftigen Winden und starkem Schneefall in grossen Teilen des Landes. Er hat die Gefahrenstufe 3 von 5 ausgerufen, was eine erhebliche Gefahr bedeutet. » | fbi./ine./dho | Montag, 7. Februar 2022

Democracy Now! Top US News & World Headlines

Stjepan Hauser : Panis Angelicus

Hauser performing Panis Angelicus by César Franck with Zagreb Philharmonic Orchestra and Choir Zvjezdice at his classical solo concert at the Lisinski Concert Hall in Zagreb, October 2017.

Elisabeth Fuchs, conductor
Arrangement by Hauser and Filip Sljivac Filmed and edited by MedVid production
Sound and mixing by Morris Studio

Cancer du poumon : quels sont les signes d'alerte ?

LE FIGARO : NOS CONSEILS SANTÉ - Ce cancer se développe généralement en toute discrétion, en particulier chez les fumeurs. Plus il est pris tôt, meilleur est le pronostic. D'où l'intérêt d'être attentif à certains symptômes.

C'est un diagnostic qui, quand il est posé, fait l'effet d'une bombe. De tous les cancers, le cancer du poumon est sans doute l'un des plus redouté. Ce cancer, qui concerne environ 45.000 nouvelles personnes chaque année en France, est réputé pour être particulièrement difficile à soigner. Connu pour son mauvais pronostic (20% de survie à 5 ans), il a la réputation d'être difficile à soigner… Du moins, quand il est pris en charge tardivement. Car une intervention à un stade précoce peut complètement changer la donne. D'où l'intérêt d'être attentif au moindre signe évocateur de cette maladie, surtout si l'on a beaucoup fumé. » | Par Cécile Thibert | vendredi 4 février 2022

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