Wednesday, March 09, 2022

Guerre en Ukraine : ce sermon du patriarche Kirill qui célèbre la «guerre sainte» de Vladimir Poutine

Le patriarche Kirill de Moscou, primat de l'Église orthodoxe russe, à la cathédrale du Christ Saint-Sauveur de Moscou, le 27 février 2022. IGOR PALKIN / AFP

LE FIGARO : DÉCRYPTAGE - Dimanche 6 mars, le patriarche Kirill de Moscou a justifié la guerre en Ukraine par la nécessité de défendre la «sainte Russie» face à un Occident jugé décadent.

C'est un sermon qui a suscité de nombreux commentaires - souvent inquiets, sinon choqués - dans le monde orthodoxe. Quelques jours plus tôt, le primat de l'Église russe orthodoxe avait pourtant été sommé par certaines de ses ouailles de condamner la guerre de Poutine en Ukraine, ou a minima, d'appeler à la paix et à la réconciliation. L'occasion lui était fournie sur un plateau, le 6 mars, dimanche du Pardon, importante fête précédent le début du Carême orthodoxe.

Mais dans la cathédrale du Christ-Saint-Sauveur à Moscou, le patriarche Kirill, qui avait déjà béni les soldats russes le 24 février, jour de l'offensive en Ukraine, puis évoqué les «forces du mal» en référence aux «ennemis» de Poutine et du «monde russe», est allé plus loin encore. Dans cette homélie mêlant théologie et géopolitique, le primat de l'Église russe orthodoxe défend une guerre sainte qui ne dit pas son nom face à un Occident jugé décadent. Un sermon qui en dit long sur la proximité idéologique entre Kirill et Vladimir Poutine. » | Par Bénédicte Lutaud | mardi 8 mars 2022

Réservé aux abonnés

Si ce patriarche veut trouver la décadence, il n'a pas besoin de chercher plus loin que les propres oligarques et kleptocrates de la Russie ! – © Mark

À LIRE AUSSI :

Pourquoi le conflit en Ukraine est aussi une guerre religieuse : DÉCRYPTAGE - Vladimir Poutine instrumentalise les divisions entre les deux Églises orthodoxes d'Ukraine pour justifier l'invasion militaire du pays. Mais le sentiment national ukrainien pourrait l'emporter. »

How Isolated Is the Russian President? | DW News

Mar 9, 2022 • Western sanctions on Russia have hit its overall economy hard – but are also targeting members of President Vladimir Putin's inner circle. Here's a look at some of the men that are believed to be close to Putin.

Children under Rubble after Russian Airstrike on Maternity Hospital, Says Zelenskiy

THE GUARDIAN: Authorities say at least 17 wounded including women in labour as shelling again halts evacuations

Russian bombs have “completely destroyed” a children’s and maternity hospital in Mariupol, Ukrainian authorities have said, as shelling again halted mass evacuations from several cities, including the devastated southern port where conditions are described as “apocalyptic”.

As Ukraine’s foreign minister, Dmitryo Kuleba, accused Russia of “holding 400,000 people hostage” in Mariupol, much of whose population has been without power, heat, water or phone signal for over a week, the president, Volodymyr Zelenskiy, denounced an atrocity.

“Mariupol. Direct strike of Russian troops at the maternity hospital,” Zelenskiy tweeted. “People, children are under the wreckage. Atrocity! How much longer will the world be an accomplice ignoring terror? Stop the killings! You have the power but you seem to be losing humanity.” With video » | Luke Harding in Lviv, Julian Borger in Washington, and Jon Henley | Wednesday, March 9, 2022

Outspoken royals don't hide sympathies over Ukraine: With flowers, prayers, colour co-ordination and a few verbal punches, the Royal Family have been unusually outspoken about the Ukraine war. »

Britain Fears Russia Could Be Setting Stage to Use Chemical Weapons

THE GUARDIAN: Western officials say they have ‘good reason’ to be concerned about possible use of non-conventional weapons in Ukraine

Britain fears that Russia could be setting the stage to use a chemical weapon in Ukraine, after Kremlin officials alleged without firm evidence that the US had been supporting a bioweapons programme in the country.

Western officials said at a briefing on Wednesday “we’ve got good reason to be concerned about possible use of non-conventional weapons” by Russia, reflecting the experience of chemical weapon use during the Syrian civil war.

The concern arose partly because Russia’s foreign ministry had been engaged in “setting the scene” by making “false flag claims” about a biological weapons programme operating inside Ukraine.

Earlier on Wednesday, Russian foreign ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said Russia had documents showing evidence that the US had supported a bioweapons programme in Ukraine, involving plague, cholera and anthrax. Washington and Kyiv both denied the claims, which the US said were “absurd”. » | Dan Sabbagh, Defence and security editor | Wednesday, March 9, 2022

Children under rubble after Russian airstrike on maternity hospital, says Zelenskiy: Authorities say at least 17 wounded including women in labour as shelling again halts evacuations »

Blinken: 'Putin Will Fail and Russia Will Suffer Strategic Defeat' in Ukraine

THE GUARDIAN: US Secretary of State Antony Blinken just said that he believes that no matter Russia’s military might and any battle victories, that ultimately the superpower and its authoritarian leader Vladimir Putin will suffer “strategic defeat” in Ukraine.

“I’m convinced that Putin will fail and Russia will suffer strategic defeat” in Ukraine, he said, at an ongoing press conference with Britain’s foreign secretary Liz Truss, in Washington DC.

He signaled, however, that that does not mean Ukraine is going to win this military conflict, as the attacks on Ukrainian cities continue and Russia gathers its forces for whatever is the next stage of its offensive. » | Joanna Walters | Wednesday, March 9, 2022

To All the Homophobes in Russia, with Love!

An alle Homophoben in Russland, mit Liebe ! / À tous les homophobes de Russie, avec amour !

With many thanks to junebugweddings.com for this expressive photo.

Julio Iglesias, Stevie Wonder : My Love

Indubitably Warm; Unashamedly Luxurious

Indubitablement chaud ; sans vergogne luxueux / Unzweifelhaft warm; unverschämt luxuriös

With many thanks to GavinReynolds99 on Pinterest for this splendid photo.

La peur d’un rideau de fer pousse les Russes à l’exode

Lors d’une manifestation contre la guerre en Ukraine, un homme est arrêté par la police, dimanche à Moscou. ANTON KARLINER/SIPA

LE FIGARO : RÉCIT - En quelques jours, plusieurs dizaines de milliers de personnes ont quitté leur pays, dans lequel ils ne se voient plus d’avenir.

De notre correspondant à Moscou

Un matin de la semaine dernière, Anton Dolin, critique de cinéma connu en Russie, a trouvé, peinte sur la porte de son appartement moscovite, la lettre Z… Celle-là même qui figure sur les chars de l’«opération militaire spéciale» (1) en Ukraine. Le message de menace était clair. Dimanche, le rédacteur en chef de la revue L’Art du cinéma a quitté son pays. Il se trouve depuis en Lettonie où se tient Artdocfest, un festival international consacré aux documentaires. «Nous verrons ce qu’il se passera ensuite, écrit-il sur son compte Telegram. Je ne pouvais tout simplement plus respirer l’air de Moscou (…) alors que des gens étaient tués et mouraient en Ukraine», raconte-t-il.

Comme lui, ils sont des dizaines de milliers, depuis la date fatidique du 24 février, à avoir pris le chemin de l’exode: artistes, journalistes, cinéastes, jeunes entrepreneurs, cadres dans le domaine de la tech, et plus généralement des Russes issus de la classe moyenne urbaine dotés d’un bon niveau d’éducation. À la sidération des premiers jours, a succédé chez eux l’abattement, la crainte, le dégoût face à un climat répressif de plus en plus lourd - et puis le déclic qui soudain pousse à faire ses valises et à partir, dans la précipitation et sans point de chute assuré. » | Par Alain Barluet | mercredi 9 mars 2022

Gay : Mixed Reports / Gemischte Meldungen / Rapports mitigés

Image : Adobe Stock

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Gay Russian man ‘ashamed’ of his country says Putin ‘disconnected from reality’: A gay Russian man has said he feels “ashamed” of his country over its invasion of Ukraine – and believes it’s only happening because Putin is “scared of democracy”. »

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«Solche Therapien können Leben zerstören» – eine Betroffene erzählt: Nachdem der Regierungsrat eine Motion zum Verbot von Konversionstherapien im Kanton Bern abgelehnt hat, meldet sich nun ein Opfer einer solchen «Therapie» zu Wort. »

Guerre en Ukraine : Qui sont les « Kadyrovtsy », les troupes du président tchétchène ? : CONFLIT Connues pour leur brutalité et leur soutien indéfectible à Vladimir Poutine, les troupes tchétchènes sont venues prêter main-forte à l’armée russe en Ukraine »

Lyon : la ministre de l'Egalité vient soutenir la communauté LGBT engagée dans l'industrie cinématographique : La ministre déléguée de la Diversité se rend à Lyon jeudi 10 mars pour échanger avec les organisateurs du festival de cinéma queer Ecrans , créé il y a 12 ans. »

Costs of War Mount for Russia, and for Civilians in Ukraine

THE NEW YORK TIMES: Russia’s Central Bank limited withdrawals of foreign currency, hoping to shore up the plunging ruble as Western economic penalties take a serious toll. In Ukraine, efforts to evacuate civilians from battered cities resumed, but many remain trapped in the areas of heaviest fighting.

Ukrainian refugees using the ruins of a bridge connecting Irpin and the capital, Kyiv, as a westward escape route away from the area’s heaviest combat zones. | Felipe Dana/Associated Press

LVIV, Ukraine — With Ukrainian resistance holding firm and Western penalties seemingly toughening by the hour, the cost to Russia of its troubled, nearly two-week invasion mounted on Wednesday as its Central Bank limited withdrawals of foreign currency to protect the crashing ruble and the Kremlin’s spokesman accused the United States of waging an “economic war.”

Russia’s isolation continued to deepen as the European Union announced expanded sanctions, more international companies stopped doing business there and import bans threatened its primary commodities, oil and gas. Still, U.S. intelligence officials assessed that President Vladimir V. Putin would intensify his assault, which has so far failed to seize any of Ukraine’s biggest cities despite exacting a monumental toll on civilians.

An apparent Russian strike on a hospital complex in the southern city of Mariupol left destroyed buildings and wounded people being evacuated, according to several videos verified by The New York Times. The number of casualties from the strike wasn’t immediately clear. For the fifth straight day, an evacuation plan was drawn up for the besieged city, where an estimated 200,000 people are without heat and electricity, but local Ukrainian military leaders said active fighting would make escape impossible.

Here are the latest developments: » | Marc Santora and Shashank Bengali | Wednesday, March 9, 2022

Braucht Europa eine Armee? | Doku HD Reupload | ARTE

Mar 7, 2022 • Europa ist verletzlich und kann sich nicht mehr nur auf den Schutz durch den starken Partner USA verlassen. Doch warum war Europa eigentlich nie eine Militärmacht? Die Dokumentation blickt auf die Geschichte der europäischen Verteidigungspolitik zurück und beleuchtet die militärische Herausforderung, vor der die EU heute steht, um sich im 21. Jahrhundert zu behaupten.

Das Erstarken des Terrorismus, der Aufstieg Chinas zur Weltmacht und die Konflikte mit Russland – die weltpolitische Entwicklung der letzten Jahre führte zu neuen Rufen nach einer starken europäischen Verteidigungsunion. Lange Zeit war mangels konkreter Fortschritte davon kaum mehr die Rede gewesen, und angesichts des Wandels der internationalen Machtverhältnisse fühlte sich Europa verwundbar: Die EU konnte sich während der Trump-Regierung zur Gewährleistung ihrer Sicherheit nicht mehr auf Drittländer, insbesondere den amerikanischen Verbündeten, verlassen. Der Krieg in der Ukraine führt aktuell vor Augen, wie schlecht die EU derzeit militärisch dasteht. Trotz einiger Vorstöße ist die Europäische Union bis heute kein einflussreicher und anerkannter strategischer Akteur auf der Weltbühne. Daher gibt es nun erneut konkrete Bestrebungen zur Umsetzung eines großangelegten Sicherheits- und Verteidigungsprojekts, um die strategische Unabhängigkeit der EU zu sichern sowie die zentralen Werte Frieden, Demokratie und Multilateralismus. 2015 erklärte der damalige Präsident der Europäischen Kommission, Jean-Claude Juncker: „Eine gemeinsame europäische Armee würde der Welt zeigen, dass es zwischen den EU-Ländern nie wieder Krieg geben wird“. Auch die ehemalige Bundeskanzlerin Angela Merkel und der französische Staatspräsident Emmanuel Macron plädieren für eine „echte europäische Armee“. Doch die Vertiefung der gemeinsamen Sicherheits- und Verteidigungspolitik gestaltet sich schwierig und langwierig – so wie der gesamte Verlauf der europäischen Integration stets von Rückschlägen und Vorstößen geprägt ist. Noch nie haben Länder mit derart unterschiedlichen nationalen und politischen Traditionen den Aufbau eines gemeinsamen Verteidigungssystems angestrebt. Ohne weitreichende Einigung auf politischem und institutionellem Gebiet sowie bei der militärischen Führung droht das Projekt fehlzuschlagen. Aber muss Europa angesichts des weltpolitischen Drucks den Versuch nicht wagen?

Dokumentation von Jean Crépu (F 2019, 53 Min)
Video auf Youtube verfügbar bis zum 04/05/2022



Europa braucht dringend sein eigenes Militär und seine eigene Verteidigungsmöglichkeiten zu erbauen. Zudem muß Großbritannien dabei sein und einbezogen. Was nun geschieht mit Russland der Ukraine gegenüber ist ein zweifelloser Beweis dafür. Europa muß seine eigene Werte und sein eigenes Territorium verteidigen können. Europas Schicksal muß in seinen eigenen Händen sein. – © Mark

Stjepan Hauser : Benedictus (by Karl Jenkins)

HAUSER performing Benedictus from The Armed Man: A Mass for Peace by Karl Jenkins (Hendon Music Inc [BMI]) with Zagreb Philharmonic Orchestra and Choir Zvjezdice at his classical solo concert at the Lisinski Concert Hall in Zagreb, October 2017.

Elisabeth Fuchs, conductor
Filmed and edited by MedVid production
Sound and mixing by Morris Studio


French Cooking Academy with Stephane: Escoffier-style Onion Tart. The Old-fashioned Way of Making Pies and Tarts

Apr 16, 2020 • This Escoffier-style onion tart is an absolute blast from the past. It uses a soubise purée as a filling (which is based of béchamel and puréed onions) which is then cooked in a pie crust and served lukewarm.



Ingredients:

400 gm of home-made shortcrust pastry (or 1 roll of pre-made shortcrust)
600 to 700 gm of finely sliced onions.
150 gm of butter (100 gm to cook the onions and the rest after adding the Béchamel)
salt and pepper to correct the seasoning at the end
1 or 2 tbsp of heavy whipping cream (double cream) 37% fat content

For the Béchamel:

60 gm butter (for the roux)
60 gm plain flour (for the roux)
500 ml whole milk (full cream)
1 tsp of salt
1 pinch of black pepper
2 or 3 pinches of grated of nutmeg
1 small bay leaf

Note: The shortcrust pastry must be blind-baked before it can filled with the Béchamel mix.
To process the onions with the Béchamel you will need a stick blender or a food processor.

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

The Life of Putin's Ex-wife, Who Hated Being Russia's First Lady

Jul 23, 2017 • Little is known about Vladimir Putin's ex-wife Lyudmila Ocheretnaya. Reports say she hated serving as Russia's first lady, and the couple split up in 2013. | Views on YouTube: 3,052,023


Putin's ex-wife 'marries a toyboy' 21 years her junior as Russian president woos younger gymnast: Putin's ex-wife Lyudmila is barely seen in public but appears to have remarried / Dashing businessman is 21 years younger than her but known to be a friend »

Ehemaliger „Proud Boys“-Anführer angeklagt

Henry „Enrique“ Tarrio, damaliger Anführer der rechtsradikalen Gruppe „Proud Boys“, trägt während einer Kundgebung eine Mütze mit der Aufschrift „The War Boys“. | Bild: DPA

NACH STURM AUF KAPITOL

FRANKFURTER ALLGEMEINE ZEITUNG: Dem 38 Jahre alte Henry „Enrique“ Tarrio ist laut amerikanischem Justizministerium im Bundesstaat Florida im Zuge des Kapitol-Sturms festgenommen worden. Ihm wird unter anderem vorgeworfen, eine „Verschwörung“ betrieben zu haben.

Der frühere Anführer der rechtsradikalen Gruppe „Proud Boys“, Henry „Enrique“ Tarrio, ist wegen des Angriffs auf das US-Kapitol festgenommen und von der US-Justiz angeklagt worden. Ihm wird unter anderem vorgeworfen, eine „Verschwörung“ betrieben zu haben, um die Beglaubigung des Ergebnisses der Präsidentenwahl durch den Kongress zu verhindern. Zudem werden ihm die Störung eines amtlichen Vorgangs, Beschädigung von Regierungseigentum und die Behinderung der Sicherheitskräfte zur Last gelegt, wie das US-Justizministerium am Dienstag erklärte.

Der 38 Jahre alte Tarrio sei in seinem Heimat-Bundesstaat Florida festgenommen worden und werde noch am Dienstag (Ortszeit) vor einem Haftrichter erscheinen, erklärte das Ministerium weiter. » | Quelle: dpa | Dienstag, 8. März 2022

When Ukraine Needed US Backing, All They Got Was Donald Trump's Corruption

Mar 9, 2022 • Ali Velshi looks at how Donald Trump's personal abuse of the U.S. relationship with Ukraine contributed to Ukraine's vulnerability to Russian aggression, and talks with Lt. Col. Alexander Vindman (ret.), formerly a Ukraine expert on the National Security Council who testified in Donald Trump's first impeachment.


Trump was and remains a fool! A dangerous fool at that. How Americans can be taken in by that clown is beyond my comprehension. He has done so much damage to the stability of the world, including the stability of the European Union, for it was he who was four-square behind Brexit, which was the UK’s biggest mistake: it weakened the UK and it certainly weakened the EU,too; and at the very time both the UK and the EU need to be as strong as they can be. If Americans re-elect that clown, they will deserve all they get! The path ahead will be clear for China to ascend to pole position. Then, we will all have to pay the price of that! – © Mark

Donald Trump’s power is fading: Trumpism is the clear and present danger now: While the ex-president is beset by legal and financial troubles, his awful doctrine remains a malign and vigorous force in US politics »

L'affaire d'agression sexuelle du prince Andrew officiellement close après versement d'un règlement

Le prince Andrew. POOL / REUTERS

LE FIGARO : Virginia Giuffre avait déclaré avoir eu des relations sexuelles avec Andrew lorsqu'elle avait 17 ans, et donc mineure selon la loi américaine, après l'avoir rencontré par l'intermédiaire du financier américain Jeffrey Epstein.

L'action en justice pour agression sexuelle intentée à New York contre le prince Andrew par son accusatrice de longue date, Virginia Giuffre, a été officiellement abandonnée après un règlement financier, selon des documents judiciaires publiés mardi. En février, les parties avaient conclu un accord à l'amiable pour une somme non divulguée, épargnant au deuxième fils de la reine Elizabeth II l'humiliation publique d'un procès. » | Par Le Figaro avec AFP | mercredi 9 mars 2022

Mehr als 60.000 ukrainische Flüchtlinge in Deutschland angekommen

Mar 9, 2022 • Angesichts des Flüchtlingsstroms aus der Ukraine hat Bayerns Ministerpräsident Markus Söder (CSU) einen zentralen Koordinierungsstab gefordert. Bundesinnenministerin Nancy Faeser überprüft eine deutschlandweite Verteilung mit der Bahn und den Ländern. © REUTERS, DPA

Florida Lawmakers Pass Bill Limiting LGBTQ Discussion in School

REUTERS.COM: March 8 (Reuters) - Florida lawmakers on Tuesday passed a Republican-backed bill that would prohibit classroom discussion of sexual orientation and gender identity for many young students, rejecting criticism and student protests that characterized the measure as discriminatory and misguided.

The legislation, referred to by its opponents as the "don't say gay" bill, has stirred national controversy amid an increasingly partisan debate over what schools should teach children about race and gender.

Governor Ron DeSantis, who is seeking re-election this year, has indicated his support for what is formally called the "Parental Rights in Education" bill. He and other Republican politicians across the United States say they want to give parents more control over what young children learn in school.

Democrats say such policies will harm the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer community. The Florida measure bars classroom instruction in public schools on sexual orientation or gender identity for children in kindergarten through third grade, or from about ages 5-9.

It also prohibits such teaching that "is not age appropriate or developmentally appropriate" for students in other grades. Under the law, parents would be allowed to sue school districts they believe to be in violation. With video » | Gabriella Borter | Wednesday, March 9, 2022

Zelenskiy Says Threat Level at Maximum and Warns of Mass 'Humanitarian Catastrophe' without No-fly Zone

THE GUARDIAN: The Ukrainian president, Volodymyr Zelenskiy, has said that the international community would be responsible for a mass “humanitarian catastrophe” if it does not agree a no-fly zone and warned that the country is at maximum threat level.

“Russia uses missiles, aircraft and helicopters against us, against civilians, against our cities, against our infrastructure. It is the humanitarian duty of the world to respond,” he said in his daily televised address, reports Reuters. » | Léonie Chao-Fong (now); Miranda Bryant and Royce Kurmelovs (earlier) | Wednesday, May 9, 2022

Interview: Evgeny Lebedev: 'Russia Is Not a Homophobic Country'

THE GUARDIAN: From reciting Shakespeare to curating his private library of 500 scents, Independent and London Evening Standard owner Evgeny Lebedev makes an unusual newspaper proprietor. Now he's planning to unleash himself on viewers as a TV presenter

'I come from a family who had values, a very educated family, a sort of intelligentsia family' … Evgeny Lebedev. Photograph: David Levene for the Guardian

Britain's youngest media magnate has only just begun to talk when he gets distracted by his own fingers, and breaks off to sniff them. Inhaling delicately, he smiles to himself, and explains that he keeps a private library of 500 scented oils in an office, which he had been checking on before I arrived. "Professional perfumers tell me I've got a good nose, which I'm very proud about. I think smell is one of the most powerful things in the world. It's like a time machine. Most people don't realise that. If I smell lilacs, for example, I'm immediately transported back to my childhood, because there are a lot of lilacs in Russia."

I've never met a newspaper proprietor before, so for all I know this could be par for the course, but I doubt it. I was expecting Evgeny Lebedev to be like a businessman. In 2009 he bought the Evening Standard for £1, when circulation had slumped below 250,000 and the paper was losing money. Today it is distributed for free to 900,000 Londoners, and last year began turning a profit. The Independent was losing £20m when Lebedev bought it in 2010 – but having launched a hugely successful cheaper sister title, i, today he can claim combined daily sales of almost 400,000, which have reduced annual losses to nearer £5m. So obviously he must be a serious businessman.

But he's not a conventional capitalist, because when I ask if he couldn't have found a more lucrative way to invest £100m, he agrees. "There are certainly more profitable things. Definitely. But I can't honestly think of anything that could be more fun," he says. He's not an obviously political animal, either. His father, Alexander, is a former KGB spy turned billionaire oligarch and high-profile critic of Vladimir Putin's regime, but the 34-year-old is cagey on Kremlin politics. And although there has been talk of him running for mayor of London, he tells me: "To be honest with you, I find British politics quite boring." In fact, he is so unlike any recognisable professional type that the best way to think of Lebedev is probably as a character from an Evelyn Waugh novel. » | Decca Aitkenhead | Saturday, March 14, 2014

The strange world of Evgeny Lebedev »

Related.

Boris Johnson denies overruling spies’ concerns over Evgeny Lebedev peerage: PM says he did not intervene to get Russian-British newspaper owner into Lords after security risk warning »

Evgeny Lebedev: Don't call me an oligarch: Evgeny Lebedev is a Russian billionaire. As a child, he wanted to be a cosmonaut 'like all good Soviet children'. Today he owns a couple of British newspaper titles, dates glamorous women and has a pet wolf called Boris. But he's no ordinary playboy »

EVGENY LEBEDEV WROTE THIS IN THE 'EVENING STANDARD’ ON FEBRUARY 28TH APROPOS OF THE WAR:

President Putin, please stop this war: A personal plea to the Russian leader from Evening Standard proprietor Evgeny Lebedev »

Alexander Vindman: Ukraine Is “a Fight for the Future of the 21st Century” | Amanpour and Company

Mar 8, 2022 • Retired Lt. Col. Alexander Vindman joins Michel Martin today to discuss the current conflict in his homeland of Ukraine and his latest piece in Foreign Affairs Magazine, "America Must Do More to Help Ukraine Fight Russia." Vindman proposes a lend-lease program modeled on the one that provided arms and assistance to U.S. allies in Europe during WWII. He also discusses how Trump and the GOP empowered Putin, and what it is like to be sounding the alarm to no avail. Originally aired on March 8, 2022

Tuesday, March 08, 2022

"It's a Sign of Weakness" : Anderson Cooper on Putin's Law against Speaking the Truth in Russia

Mar 8, 2022 • Anderson Cooper joins us live from Lviv, Ukraine, and comments on Vladimir Putin's attempt to silence Russian opposition to his war and stifle reporting by news outlets like CNN.

Ukrainian Cities Brace for Possible Russian Assault | DW News

Mar 8, 2022 • An attempt to evacuate civilians from five Ukrainian cities seems to have largely failed. Moscow agreed to establish humanitarian corridors, but Ukraine claims Russian troops resumed shelling on the route leading away from the city of Mariupol.

Some residents of the northern city of Sumy have reportedly managed to flee. Ukraine's government shared this video, which shows Red Cross busses evacuating people before nightfall, when the ceasefire ends. Sumy has seen heavy civilian casualties. Local authorities say an airstrike last night killed at least 21 people.

Despite the increasing death toll, the Ukrainian military says that Russia is seeing major setbacks and its advance has slowed significantly.

DW speaks to Kira Rudyk, member of the Ukrainian Parliament.


Biden Bans Russian Oil Imports as Civilian Toll in Ukraine Grows

THE NEW YORK TIMES: The U.S. average gas price hit $4.17 per gallon. The Ukrainian president spoke to the British Parliament by telelink, as many of his people remained trapped in besieged cities. A humanitarian corridor allowed hundreds to escape one city.

A Ukrainian soldier who died in the battle against Russian forces was buried in Lviv on Tuesday. | Brendan Hoffman for The New York Times

Nearly two weeks into a grinding war that has denied Russia the quick victory it anticipated, the first enduring humanitarian corridor took hold in Ukraine on Tuesday as refugees across the country scrambled to flee, and President Biden raised the economic stakes for Moscow by banning the importation of Russian oil and natural gas into the United States.

Mr. Biden announced the latest sanctions against Russia on Tuesday morning, an escalation of economic penalties that could also have consequences at home and internationally.

The move shuts off the flow of Russian fuel into the United States and could raise gas prices, which have hit a national average of $4.17 per gallon, and further rattle global energy markets. In a coordinated move, Britain announced that it would phase out imports of Russian oil by the end of the year. The United States receives less than 10 percent of its energy resources from Russia.

In a speech streamed to a packed meeting of the British Parliament on Tuesday, President Volodymyr Zelensky of Ukraine underlined his country’s challenges, making a comparison to Britain’s situation in World War II. “We do not want to lose what we have, what is ours, just in the same way as you didn’t want to lose your country,” he said. “The question for us is to be or not to be,” he added, invoking Shakespeare’s “Hamlet.” The answer, he said, is “yes, to be.”

Here are the latest developments: » | Dan Bilefsky | Tuesday, March 8, 2022

Wie die USA ohne Öl aus Russland zurechtkommen wollen: Joe Biden wagt des Balanceakt. Amerikas Präsident stoppt Öllieferungen aus Russland – und versucht die Benzinpreise niedrig zu halten. »

McDonald’s, Starbucks, Coca-Cola and Pepsi suspend Russian operations: ‘Our values mean we cannot ignore the needless human suffering unfolding in Ukraine,’ says burger chain’s chief executive »

Zelenskiy Invokes Churchill as He Calls on UK to Do More to Help Ukraine

THE GUARDIAN: President tells Commons Ukraine will fight Russia ‘in the forests, the fields, the shores and in the streets’

Ukraine will not lose to Russia, vowed Zelenskiy. Photograph: Jessica Taylor/UK Parliament

The president of Ukraine echoed Winston Churchill and invoked the fight against Nazism as he made a direct plea to Britain to do more to help protect his country in the fight against the Russian invasion.

In an unprecedented and emotional speech broadcast live to the House of Commons, Volodymyr Zelenskiy channelled Churchill when he told a packed chamber: “We will continue fighting for our land, whatever the cost. We will fight in the forests, the fields, the shores and in the streets.”

Ukraine “will not lose” to Russia, he vowed. Zelenskiy, who received long ovations from MPs before and after his speech, also cited Shakespeare to describe the plight of his country under Russian invasion, saying it was a question of “to be or not to be”.

“For 13 days this question could have been asked but now I can give you a definitive answer. It’s definitely yes, to be,” he said, according to a translation of his speech, which was delivered in Ukrainian and broadcast live from Kyiv.

“And I would like to remind you the words that the United Kingdom has already heard, which are important again. We will not give up and we will not lose.” » | Peter Walker, Political correspondent | Tuesday, March 8, 2022


Zelenskiy brings down the house with his speech to the Commons: Looking tired, determined and painfully human, Ukraine’s president carefully makes the case for his country »

Trump and Putin (2/2) | DW Documentary


Part 1.

Trump and Putin (1/2) | DW Documentary

Aug 8, 2020 • Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin are two men with the same mission: They say they want to make their countries "great again." Trump was Moscow’s preferred candidate in the 2016 US election. But now, the Kremlin may be having second thoughts.

Donald Trump was elected to the US presidency on 9 November 2016, defeating Hillary Clinton, who was anything but popular with the Russian government. Yet a short time later, after relations between the two countries had become as bad as they’d been since the Cold War, Moscow may have been changing its mind. The relationship has been dogged by scrutiny in the US, in particular the Mueller investigation into Russian meddling in the presidential poll.

How will Russian-US relations develop now? What deals can Moscow offer to Trump, who thrives on bluster, bluff and berating opponents? And how does that square with Putin’s ambitions to make Russia a global superpower again?

This documentary examines the ebb and flow of Russian-US relations and the personal ties between the two presidents. Politicians, insiders and experts discuss what the two men have in common and the limits of cooperation between them. The filmmakers also talk to people such as the Deputy Chairman of the Russian Duma, Piotr Tolstoi. Journalists Evgeniya Albaz and Mikhail Sygar and Kremlin mastermind Sergei Karaganov round out the Russian perspective on the relationship between the two men and their countries.


Moldawien: Die Furcht vor dem russischen Bären | ARTE Reportage

Mar 8, 2022 • Seit Tagen kommen immer mehr ukrainische Flüchtlinge in das benachbarte Moldawien. Das kleine Land liegt zwischen Rumänien und der Ukraine, früher einmal gehörte es zur Sowjetunion, seit 1991 ist es unabhängig und eher in Richtung EU orientiert.

Allerdings fürchten viele Moldawier nun, das ihr Land als nächstes auf Putins Liste von wieder einzugliedernden Staaten stehen könnte. Trotzdem erfüllt die kleine Republik ihre humanitäre Pflicht, obwohl sie eines der ärmsten Länder Europas ist: 41.000 Ukrainerinnen und Ukrainer nahmen sie alleine in den ersten vier Tagen auf.

Video auf Youtube verfügbar bis zum 07/03/2025


How Hard Will Sanctions Hurt Russia's Oligarchs? | DW News

Mar 8, 2022 • Russian oligarchs have long enjoyed the European high life, with their yachts, jets and multi-million euro mansions dotted around the continent's beauty spots. However they're now the target of strict sanctions from the EU and other European nations, as well as the US, aimed at hurting Russia's richest and most powerful.

The "Lady M," is a luxury yacht worth around 65 million euros. The vessel was seized over the weekend on the Italian Mediterranean coast. The owner: Alexei Mordashov, one of the richest men in Russia is a major shareholder in the German tourism company TUI.

Yachts, airplanes, company shares and luxury real estate abroad are considered assets and therefore fall under the sanctions against the country.

On the Cote d' Azur, a mega-yacht owned by Russian billionaire and Putin supporter Igor Setchin was prevented from sailing. Literally at the last minute. It is valued at around 120 million euros.

Sanctions are hitting the richest Russians, such as Putin confidant and entrepreneur, Alisher Usmanov. His luxury yacht is one of the largest in the world, worth around 600 million euros. It’s docked in a shipyard in Hamburg and could soon be confiscated.

The US has also imposed sanctions on Usmanov and seven other oligarchs close to Putin. These include Nikolay Tokarev, the head of energy giant Transneft, as well as billionaire Arkady Rotenberg and his brother. There are also visa restrictions on 19 other Russian billionaires. Yevgeny Prigozhin is on the FBI's wanted list. He is known as Putin's cook, running a catering company that serves meals to the Kremlin. He is also believed to be one of the founders of the Wagner Group, a paramilitary unit that recently sent 400 mercenaries in an attempt to assassinate Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.


Der saudische Bösewicht lässt Biden zappeln

NEUE ZÜRCHER ZEITUNG: Der amerikanische Präsident nannte Saudiarabien im Wahlkampf einen «Paria». Um die Erdölpreise trotz harten Sanktionen gegen Russland zu zügeln, braucht er nun aber Riads Hilfe. Bidens Berater erwägen deshalb einen Besuch im Wüstenstaat.

Der saudische Kronprinz Mohammed bin Salman scheint nun die Gunst der Stunde nutzen zu wollen. | Leon Neal / Getty

Das Ende der Sowjetunion hat verschiedene Gründe. Eine wichtige Ursache war ein starker Zerfall der Erdölpreise Mitte der achtziger Jahre, nachdem Saudiarabien seine Produktion stark erhöht hatte. Moskau fehlte danach schlicht das Geld, um sein Imperium aufrechtzuerhalten. Die damalige amerikanische Regierung unter Präsident Reagan soll in Riad für diesen Schritt geworben haben, um nicht nur die Sowjetunion, sondern auch Iran zu schwächen.

Fast vier Jahrzehnte später wäre die saudische «Erdölwaffe» für die USA auch im Kampf mit Putins Russland ein wirksames Mittel. Dies umso mehr, als der Druck auf Präsident Joe Biden steigt, die Sanktionen gegen Russland vom Finanzsektor auch auf den Export von Erdöl und Erdgas auszuweiten. «Russland verdient keinen Cent mehr von den USA», twitterte der republikanische Minderheitsführer im Repräsentantenhaus, Kevin McCarthy, am Sonntag. Gleichzeitig kritisieren die Republikaner Biden dafür, die eigene Erdölindustrie durch Umweltauflagen einzuschränken. «Anstatt mehr einheimisches Erdöl zu produzieren, bevorzugt diese Regierung, mehr von Ländern wie Iran oder Venezuela zu kaufen», twitterte der Abgeordnete Pat Fallon. Washington schickt Delegation nach Venezuela » | Christian Weisflog, Washington | Dienstag, 8. März 2022

Is Putin Trying to Wipe Out Ukrainian Identity and Culture? | DW News

Mar 8, 2022 • Since the start of Russia’s invasion, Ukraine's museums, galleries and cultural institutions have been scrambling to protect their collections. Many have shipped pieces abroad, but this is becoming increasingly difficult. Heavy shelling has already caused considerable damage - so museum workers are staying behind to save what's left. Ukrainians fear for the survival of their cultural history and identity.

The nation's heritage is being packed up in boxes. The Andrey Sheptytsky National Museum in Lviv is Ukraine's largest art museum - its doors have been closed since the Russian invasion began. The museum already survived World War II, but whether it will survive this one unscathed is unclear. Its extensive collections are being packed away into the cellar.

Many of the city's sculptures have been carefully cloaked in foam wrap. Maybe a futile attempt to protect them, but better than doing nothing at all.

Empty walls fill the museum in Lviv. As this new chapter of Ukraine's history begins, hope and grief are constant companions.


Eric Zemmour visé par de nouvelles accusations d’agressions sexuelles et de comportements inappropriés envers des femmes

LE MONDE : Le candidat d’extrême droite est accusé de faits présumés lorsqu’il était journaliste, de 1999 à 2019. Son entourage accuse Mediapart de « recycle[r] » des témoignages.

Dans une enquête vidéo publiée par Mediapart mardi 8 mars au matin, huit femmes, dont certaines à visage découvert, accusent Eric Zemmour de comportements inappropriés et d’agressions sexuelles, pour des faits présumés allant de 1999 à 2019, lorsqu’il était journaliste. L’entourage du candidat d’extrême droite a réagi auprès de l’Agence France-Presse (AFP) estimant que « Mediapart veut faire un coup le jour de la journée [des droits] de la femme en recyclant des témoignages déjà sortis l’an dernier. Minable à cinq semaines du premier tour » de l’élection présidentielle. Le candidat a, lui, refusé de répondre aux questions des journalistes du site d’information. » | Le Monde avec AFP | mardi 8 mars 2022

LIRE AUSSI :

Eric Zemmour, du mépris des femmes à la hantise de l’immigration : L’équipe de campagne du candidat à l’élection présidentielle lui a fait comprendre qu’il valait mieux désormais éviter les propos misogynes, qui lui coûtent dans les sondages. »

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

Russian News Anchor Says Millions of Russians Feel Invasion Is a Catastrophe

Mar 6, 2022 • Russian news director and anchor, Ekaterina Kotrikadze, speaks to CNN's Fareed Zakaria about the state of the country's news media after her station, TV Rain, shut down due to the Russian government's crackdown on local media over unfavorable coverage of the war in Ukraine.

Russia: Thousands Arrested in Anti-war Protests

Guerre en Ukraine : Zelensky critique «ceux qui n'ont pas été capables de prendre une décision en Occident depuis 13 jours»

Le président ukrainien Volodymyr Zelensky. UKRAINE PRESIDENCY / AFP

LE FIGARO : Le président ukrainien s'en est pris à «ceux qui n'ont pas été capables de prendre une décision en Occident» depuis le début de l'offensive russe.

Le président ukrainien Volodymyr Zelensky a dénoncé mardi 8 mars les «promesses» non tenues des Occidentaux pour protéger l'Ukraine des attaques russes. » | Par Le Figaro avec AFP | mardi 8 mars 2022

President Zelenskyy's Exclusive Interview with David Muir: ABC News

March 8, 2022 : Streamed live 10 hours ago


The West needs to create a no-fly zone to help the Ukrainians. The West needs to find its mojo and defy and challenge the Russians. Putin will never be satisfied with Ukraine alone. After Ukraine, he will move on to the Baltic states or the previous Soviet satellites such as Poland and Rumania. The longer we delay, the worse it will be for the West. We need to grow a spine. War with Putin is what we will get whichever way we play it. Weakness never won any war We need to stand four-square behind the Ukraine. – © Mark

„Verpisst Euch! Geht nach Hause!“

ZIVILER WIDERSTAND IN UKRAINE

FRANKFURTER ALLGEMEINE ZEITUNG: Mitten im Krieg protestieren Tausende Ukrainer in besetzten Städten gegen die russischen Truppen – manch einer in Jogginghose und Schlappen. Die Menschen entlarven das russische Narrativ der „Befreiung“ als Lüge.

Aus den ersten zwölf Tagen des Krieges gibt es zahllose Beispiele dafür, in welch unmittelbarer Gefahr Ukrainerinnen und Ukrainer dieser Tage leben. Foto- und Videoaufnahmen zeigen sterbende Kinder in den Armen ihrer verzweifelten Eltern, auf der Flucht getötete Familien, zerbombte Wohnhäuser, Schulen und Kliniken, zerstörte Autos. Sie sind Zeugnis bewusster Angriffe auf Zivilisten durch die russischen Truppen. » | Von Sofia Dreisbach, Redakteurin in der Politik. | Montag, 7. März 2022

Russland ohne Zara und Co

Nach dem Rückzug zahlreicher großer Firmen stellt nun auch der Zara-Mutterkonzern Inditex wegen des Ukraine-Krieges den Betrieb in Russland bis auf Weiteres ein. | Bild: DPA

MODEHANDEL

FRANKFURTER ALLGEMEINE ZEITUNG: Beliebte Modekonzerne wie Inditex und H&M schließen Filialen in Russland und stoppen Lieferungen. Andere Händler wollen ihre Läden noch offen lassen.

Immer mehr Modehändler verlassen den russischen Markt. Der spanische Textilkonzern Inditex , zu dessen acht Marken Zara, Massimo Dutti, Bershka und Pull & Bear gehören, zog am Wochenende nach. Der Konzern traf damit eine wirtschaftlich schmerzhafte Entscheidung, denn Russland ist nach Spanien der zweitwichtigste Markt. Inditex teilte am Samstag mit, dass man derzeit die „Kontinuität der Geschäftstätigkeit und der Handelsbedingungen in der Russischen Föderation nicht garantieren kann und die Tätigkeit in den 502 Geschäften (davon 86 Zara) und über den Onlinekanal in dem Land vorübergehend einstellt“. Aktienkurs im Sinkflug » | Von Hans-Christian Rößler, Politischer Korrespondent für die Iberische Halbinsel und den Maghreb mit Sitz in Madrid; Stefanie Diemand, Redakteurin in der Wirtschaft. | Montag, 7. März 2022

For Foreign Fighters, Ukraine Offers Purpose, Camaraderie and a Cause

REUTERS.COM: LVIV, Ukraine, March 7 (Reuters) - Michael Ferkol, who once served as a supply specialist with engineer battalions in the U.S. Army, had been in Rome studying archaeology when he heard the Ukrainian president's appeal for foreign fighters.

Within days, Ferkol said, he presented himself at a military recruiting office in the western Ukrainian city of Lviv, hoping to be taken on as a frontline paramedic.

"I told them I wanted to triage patients," said the 29-year- old, who has no combat experience. "There was a Finnish guy there too, and he was like, 'I just want to kill Russians.'"

Ukraine has established an "international" legion for people from abroad and President Volodymyr Zelenskiy has publicly urged foreigners to "fight side-by-side with Ukrainians against the Russian war criminals" to show support for his country. Last week, Zelenskiy said that more than 16,000 foreigners had volunteered, without specifying how many had arrived.

Some foreign fighters arriving in Ukraine say they are attracted by the cause: to halt what they view as an unprovoked attack in a once-in-a-generation showdown between the forces of democracy and dictatorship. For others, many of them veterans of Iraq and Afghanistan, the Ukraine war also offers a chance to use fighting skills they felt their own governments no longer appreciated. » | Andrew R.c. Marshall | Monday, March 7, 2022

Monday, March 07, 2022

Guerre en Ukraine : minée par les inégalités, la Russie se dirige vers une récession historique

LE MONDE : Sous l’effet des sanctions imposées en réaction à l’invasion de l’Ukraine, le produit intérieur brut russe pourrait chuter de 5 % à 10 % cette année.

« Dès les premières sanctions, ma mère a dit : “Surtout, fais le plein de médicaments”, raconte Youlia, une ingénieure moscovite, qui préfère garder l’anonymat. Nous avons vite compris qu’elle avait raison : tout ce qui vient de l’étranger va bientôt manquer. » Pour protéger ses économies face à l’effondrement du rouble, la jeune femme de 31 ans s’est précipitée en magasin pour acheter une poignée de bijoux et un ordinateur. « Cela vaudra toujours quelque chose. » Son frère Ivan, lui, s’est tourné vers les cryptomonnaies. « Mais, moi, je n’ai pas confiance. Si notre économie s’effondre, ce n’est pas avec des sous virtuels qu’on achètera du pain. » » | Par Marie Charrel | dimanche 6 mars 2022

Article réservé aux abonnés

Don Winslow Films - #PutinIsLying

There are two wars raging:

1. The one on the ground in Ukraine.
2. The misinformation war Putin is waging.

Both must be won


Thousands Arrested across Russia at Anti-war Protests

Mar 7, 2022 • Police in Russia detained more than 4,300 people on Sunday at anti-war protests across different cities, according to an independent protest monitoring group.

With New Limits on Media, Putin Closes a Door on Russia’s ‘Openness’

THE NEW YORK TIMES: One of the paradoxical things about Vladimir V. Putin’s increasingly authoritarian rule of Russia was how relatively open society always remained.

For all the state’s control of media, people could read or watch what they wanted, including foreign newscasts like BBC and CNN. The internet was largely unfettered, a portal to the rest of the world. Unlike, say, China, you could criticize the president with some assurance that the police would not knock at the door.

Until now.

As the war in Ukraine grinds on, Mr. Putin has strangled the vestiges of a free press to justify an invasion that has been almost universally condemned — and with that moved closer to the stultifying orthodoxy of the Soviet Union. The result will be to isolate the country, as Mr. Putin has isolated himself, leaving it with a one-sided view of the world no longer subject to debate. » | Steven Lee Myers | Monday, March 7, 2022

Anita Lasker-Wallfisch in der Gedenkstunde für die Opfer des Nationalsozialismus im Bundestag

Jan 31, 2018 • Anita Lasker-Wallfisch, Überlebende des Holocaust, mit einer beeindruckenden Rede zum Gedenken an die Opfer des Nationalsozialismus am 31. Januar 2018 im Deutschen Bundestag. Quelle: Deutscher Bundestag


Deutscher Bundestag: Remembering the victims of National Socialism with Anita Lasker-Wallfisch.

WIKIPEDIA:

Anita Lasker-Wallfisch (English version)

Anita Lasker-Wallfisch (deutsche Version)

Les Ukrainiens unis par l’esprit de résistance face à la Russie

Des Ukrainiens préparent une barrière avec des sacs de sable, à Kiev, lundi 7 mars. GLEB GARANICH/REUTERS

LE FIGARO : REPORTAGE - Au coin des rues bombardées, dans les maternités ou leurs immeubles dévastés, femmes et hommes de tous les âges jurent de contrer l’ennemi.

Envoyé spécial à Irpin

La vieille dame, élégante dans son manteau de fourrure et sa toque, avance d’un pas lent sous le tonnerre des canons. Au milieu du flot d’habitants d’Irpin, qui fuient leur ville à la hâte sous les tirs dans une atmosphère d’apocalypse, elle est à bout de forces, mais refuse toute assistance. Calme, elle porte d’un bras son sac à main en cuir et de l’autre quelques provisions dans un sac en plastique avec une saisissante dignité. Des chiens apeurés par une rafale de kalachnikov courent entre ses jambes. Elle regarde devant elle, imperturbable. «Que Dieu nous garde, qu’il nous protège.» Machinalement, elle murmure une prière lorsqu’elle croise un soldat ukrainien ou un secouriste. Elle laisse derrière elle les ruines et les flammes de sa ville, écrasée par les bombes de l’armée russe et où les combats font rage depuis plus de dix jours, les forces ukrainiennes défendant pied à pied ce dernier verrou au nord-ouest de Kiev sur la route du centre-ville. » | Par Patrick Saint-Paul | lundi 7 mars 2022

Réservé aux abonnés

‘They Are Frozen’: Poland Praised for Generous Welcome to 1m Ukrainians

THE GUARDIAN: Volunteers leading response to growing number of people fleeing Russian invasion, as country announces £1.3bn fund for refugees

People wait for transportation after fleeing from Ukraine and arriving at the border crossing in Medyka, Poland, on Monday. Photograph: Louisa Gouliamaki/AFP/Getty Images

More than 1 million people have crossed from Ukraine into Poland since the Russian invasion began on 24 February, the Polish border guard has said.

Poland, which shares a 310-mile border with Ukraine, has taken in the majority of the 1.7 million people who have left their homes since the war began, with aid efforts largely operated by volunteers, as well as NGOs and municipalities.

“Traffic on the Polish-Ukrainian border is growing, today at 7am, 42,000 people arrived in Poland from Ukraine,” the border guard tweeted on Monday. Most people arriving in Poland have found short-term accommodation provided by citizens and private businesses.

Poland has announced plans to set up an 8bn zloty (£1.34bn) fund for people fleeing Ukraine, including the provision of a one-off payment of 300 zloty (£50) for each refugee. » | Karen McVeigh | Monday, March 7, 2022

Ukrainian refugees, meet Britain’s ‘hostile environment’. We should be ashamed: You could hardly imagine a frostier welcome for these desperate people. The comparison with Europe tells you everything »

"Boris Can Be Churchill If He Acts Now": Ukrainian Activist on the War against Russia | Red Box

Mar 7, 2022 • It's already one of the defining images of the conflict that has reshaped the world. Daria Kaleniuk, the Ukranian human rights campaigner, confronting Boris Johnson over NATO's refusal to impose a no-fly zone over Ukraine. With the west still refusing to yield to her calls, and president Putin's campaign of aggression escalating, Times Red Box Editor Patrick Maguire spoke to her about Britain's response to the conflict.

In Dubai wird der arabische Traum wahr

NEUE ZÜRCHER ZEITUNG: Immer mehr junge Menschen aus dem Nahen Osten zieht es nach Dubai. Die Stadt am Golf steht für ein Leben jenseits von Kriegen und Krisen. Und vor allem jenseits der Politik.

Die Wüstenstadt am Meer hat eine Sonnenseite, die viel individuelle Freiheiten lässt, aber auch Schatten der Armut. | Francois Nel / Getty

Marcel steht in einem Nachtklub im vierzigsten Stock eines Hochhauses. Unter ihm leuchten die Lichter von Dubai. Es ist Freitagnacht, der Klub ist voll. Marcel ist Libanese, aber Libanon sei am Ende, sagt er: «Das Land ist völlig zu Grunde gerichtet. Es gibt dort keine Zukunft mehr.» Seit ein paar Wochen arbeitet er deshalb in Dubai im Nachtklub B018. Immer wieder verschwindet er zwischen den Gästen in teuren Sneakers und Jeans, um dafür zu sorgen, dass in den Eiskübeln auf den Tischen der Nachschub an Gin- und Wodkaflaschen nicht ausgeht.

Das B018 ist der Ableger eines gleichnamigen Techno-Klubs in Beirut. Dort sieht der Klub aus wie ein Bunker und befindet sich an einem Ort, an dem im libanesischen Bürgerkrieg einst ein Massaker stattgefunden hat. Der neugegründete Ableger in Dubai befindet sich dagegen in einem Luxushotel. «Mehr braucht man über den Unterschied zwischen den beiden Städten eigentlich gar nicht zu sagen», sagt Marcel.

Tausende junger Libanesen haben in den vergangenen zwei Jahren ihr wirtschaftlich kaputtes Land verlassen. Viele von ihnen sind wie Marcel nach Dubai gegangen, in jene Stadt in den Vereinigten Arabischen Emiraten, die ihnen all das bietet, was es in der Heimat nicht gibt: Sicherheit, Arbeit, eine funktionierende Verwaltung. Und vor allem ein ganz normales Leben. » | Daniel Böhm, Dubai | Montag, 7. März 2022

Alle NZZ-Abonnements sind hier erhältlich.

LESEN SIE AUCH:

Der Araber der Zukunft: Was man an der Expo in Dubai über den Nahen Osten lernen kann: Die Weltausstellung in dem Golf-Emirat feiert Toleranz, Innovation und Optimismus. Mit der Realität im Nahen Osten hat das auf den ersten Blick wenig zu tun. Oder doch? Ein Streifzug durch ein Utopia im Wüstensand. »

Russia Has Long History of Homophobia

Aug 10, 2013 • CNN's Matthew Chance reports on new anti-gay laws in Russia.

Gabe Concas : Pork Tenderloin with Dijon Sauce

Oven Temp: 375°F for 20 min | Internal Temp. of Pork: 140°F

INGREDIENTS:

- 3-4 lbs Pork Tenderloin
- Salt/Pepper
- 1 Tbsp Olive Oil
- 1 Stick Butter (a “stick” of butter equates to 4oz or 113g)
- 2 Large Shallots
- 1 Tbsp Garlic
- 1/2 Cup White Wine
- 1 Cup Chicken Stock
- 1 Cup Heavy Cream | Known as double cream in the UK, but not extra thick double cream!
- 2 Tbsp Dijon Mustard
- 1 Tbsp Fresh Thyme
- 1 Tbsp Fresh Rosemary


Tchaikovsky: Piano Concerto No. 1, Op. 23 - Anna Fedorova | Live Concert HD

Oct 15, 2018 • Pianist Anna Fedorova and the Nordwestdeutsche Philharmonie led by Yves Abel perform Tchaikovsky's 'Piano Concerto No. 1' in The Royal Concertgebouw Amsterdam. The concert is part of the NPO Radio 4-series The Sunday Morning Concert.

Russia's First Gay Married Couple Had ro Run for Their Lives (HBO)

Sep 2, 2018 • Yevgeny Voitsekhovsky and Pavel Stotsko aren't just a married gay couple — they were the first married gay couple in Russia after their January marriage was officially recognized by a government official. But their bliss was short lived, and they were quickly forced to flee the country in fear for their lives.

The couple has been staying ever since in a small town in the Netherlands, where they spoke exclusively to VICE News.

Although gay marriage is illegal in Russia, Voitsekhovsky and Stotsko took advantage of a loophole earlier this year after discovering the government recognizes foreign marriages.

The couple wed in Denmark in January, seven years after they first started dating. On their return to Russia, they took their internal passports to a government office to be officially registered.

To their surprise, registering at the municipality office went off without a hitch. …


From the Archives: Putin’s Pride? Six Famous Gay Sons of Russia

CHANNEL 4 NEWS: Vladimir Putin’s anti-gay propaganda laws have sought to stifle homosexual expression – but Sochi’s opening ceremony featured some of the most prominent homosexuals in international history.


The Sochi 2014 Winter Olympics opening ceremony referenced prominent gay Russians from the field of literature, ballet, music and film – including Pyotr Tchaikovsky, Vaslav Nijinsky and Sergei Eisenstein.

Article Six of the Olympic charter states that “any form of discrimination with regard to a country or a person on grounds of race, religion, politics, gender or otherwise is incompatible with belonging to the Olympic movement”.

Channel 4 News lists below six, of the many, gay Russians that Vladimir Putin should be proud of: Pyotr Tchaikovsky » | Saturday, February 8, 2014

Tchaikovsky and the secret gay loves censors tried to hide: New volume includes once-hidden passages about the composer’s homosexuality »

How US Right-wing Views Putin amid Russian War on Ukraine

AL JAZEERA: Russian president has enjoyed support among US conservatives, but Ukraine attack now prompts criticism.

As Russia’s deadly invasion of Ukraine continues, a number of prominent American conservatives who had previously been complimentary of Vladimir Putin have been forced to confront past comments praising the Russian president. For years, Putin has enjoyed support from an unlikely coalition of elected Republican officials, conservative Christian leaders and right-wing television hosts, whose praise has ranged from admiration of his intelligence to his hardline position against progressive cultural ideas.

“The question of the American right’s support for Putin and Russia is a complex, many-layered issue,” Devin Burghart, president of the Institute for Research and Education on Human Rights, told Al Jazeera.

“There is an attraction to Putin’s hardline authoritarian stance and his aggressive foreign policy. Others are attracted to the brand of traditionalist Christianity Putin has expressed. Some like Putin’s attacks on the Russian LGBTQ community.”

In many ways, the American right’s Putin problem starts at the top.

Former President Donald Trump, who has voiced admiration for Putin for years, appeared to praise the Russian leader’s advances days before the invasion on February 24, calling the moves “smart” and “savvy”. “Putin is smart,” Trump also told a gathering in Mar-a-lago, Florida, on the eve of Russian forces’ all-out attack on Ukraine, which has killed hundreds of civilians and forced more than a million people to flee. “He’s taken over a country for two dollars worth of sanctions. I’d say that’s pretty smart.” » | Chris Moody | Friday, March 4, 2022

Putin: Redrawing Borders, Rewriting History | The Listening Post

Feb 26, 2022 • As news of Russia's invasion of Ukraine floods the airwaves, and with the prospect of a wider conflict brewing in Eastern Europe between Russia and the NATO alliance, we are dispensing with our usual format.

Guerre en Ukraine : Kiev dans la ligne de mire de l’armée russe

LE MONDE : REPORTAGE | A Irpin, située dans sa banlieue, au moins huit civils ont été tués par des frappes. L’armée ukrainienne craint soit un puissant assaut, soit un encerclement et l’instauration d’un siège.

Ils sont peut-être les derniers à pouvoir fuir Irpin avant que la ville tombe aux mains de l’armée russe. L’artillerie frappe à intervalles réguliers. Des combats à l’arme automatique s’engagent. Au nord-ouest de la capitale ukrainienne, Irpin est, dimanche 6 mars, en train de sombrer. Des combattants ukrainiens, dont beaucoup ont déjà quitté leurs positions pour se replier aux abords de Kiev, aident des familles à avancer vers la forêt ou à s’engouffrer dans les rares voitures encore disponibles. Ils ont déjà fait sauter le pont d’Irpin afin de ralentir l’avancée des chars russes vers la capitale. La conquête imminente du pont marquera officiellement l’arrivée de l’armée de Moscou à la limite administrative de Kiev.

Au-delà des raids aériens, des tirs de missiles et des incursions d’unités de forces spéciales qui rythment la guerre à Kiev depuis le 24 février – Moscou étant par ailleurs encore loin d’utiliser sa force aérienne contre la ville et les derniers jours ayant été relativement calmes –, l’arrivée de l’assaillant aux portes de la capitale signifiera sans nul doute une nouvelle étape dans l’offensive russe. L’armée ukrainienne craint soit un puissant assaut, soit un encerclement et l’instauration d’un siège. » | Par Rémy Ourdan (Kiev, envoyé spécial) | ;undi 7 mars 2022

Réservé aux abonnés

LIRE AUSSI :

Guerre en Ukraine, en direct : Emmanuel Macron dénonce le « cynisme moral et politique » de Vladimir Poutine : Dans une vidéo diffusée lundi, le président ukrainien a demandé l’intervention des Occidentaux. Il a aussi réclamé de nouvelles sanctions contre la Russie, en proposant notamment un boycott du pétrole. »

Nucléaire : la France envoie «des produits médicaux», dont de l'iode, à l'Ukraine

Le ministre des Affaires étrangères Jean-Yves Le Drian. OLIVIER DOULIERY / AFP

LE FIGARO : Le ministre des Affaires étrangères a annoncé la fourniture à l'Ukraine de produits médicaux pour se prémunir contre le risque d'un accident nucléaire.

La France a envoyé à l'Ukraine «différents produits médicaux», dont de l'iode, pour se prémunir contre le risque d'un accident nucléaire lors des combats avec l'armée russe, a indiqué dimanche 6 mars au soir son ministre des Affaires étrangères Jean-Yves Le Drian.

«Oui, on a envoyé différents produits médicaux», a déclaré Jean-Yves Le Drian sur la chaîne France 2, en réponse à une question sur l'éventuel envoi d'iode à l'Ukraine. «On a envoyé beaucoup d'équipements médicaux, ça en fait partie», a-t-il par la suite confirmé sur la chaîne France 5. Auparavant, l'ambassadeur de France en Ukraine, Étienne de Poncins, avait fait état, sur la chaîne BFMTV, de la fourniture dans les prochains jours de «2,5 millions de doses d'iode pour pouvoir parer à tout danger nucléaire». » | Par Le Figaro avec AFP | lundi 7 mars 2022

Moskau bezweifelt Österreichs Neutralität und droht Wien

Karl Nehammer (ÖVP) am 1. März in Wien | Bild: DPA

KRIEG IN DER UKRAINE

FRANKFURTER ALLGEMEINE ZEITUNG: Moskau weist die Kritik des österreichischen Kanzlers Nehammer am Überfall auf die Ukraine scharf zurück. Unterschwellig wird gedroht: Man werde das „künftig berücksichtigen“.

Zwischen Moskau und Wien ist am Wochenende ein scharfer Wortwechsel über die österreichische Neutralität ausgetragen worden. Das russische Außenministerium verbreitete eine Erklärung, in der der Bundeskanzler des „scheinbar neutralen Ös-terreichs“ hart kritisiert wurde. Er ha¬be in den vergangenen Tagen „einsei¬tige und empörende Aussagen“ zur Situation in der Ukraine getätigt und eine „emotionale antirussische Rhetorik“ gebraucht.

Dabei bezieht sich Moskau auf Äu¬ßerungen von Bundeskanzler Karl Nehammer (ÖVP) über die einseitige Entfesselung des Ukrainekriegs durch Russland, Kriegsverbrechen sowie Verbrechen gegen die Menschlichkeit. Ferner wird eine Bemerkung Nehammers kritisiert, die Neutralität sei Österreich nach dem Zweiten Weltkrieg durch sow¬jetische Kommunisten „aufgezwungen“ worden. In diesem Zusammenhang erinnert Moskau daran, dass die Rote Armee für die „Befreiung des Territoriums dieses Landes“, also Ös¬terreichs, einen hohen Preis entrichtet habe, mehr als 26.000 Soldaten seien dabei gefallen. » | Von Stephan Löwenstein, Politischer Korrespondent mit Sitz in Wien. | Sonntag, 6. März 2022