Monday, April 04, 2022
Anne Applebaum: Autocracies Don’t Believe in Rules or Norms | Amanpour and Company
«Wir kämpfen aus Liebe, nicht aus Hass» – wie der russische Staat den Krieg in der Ukraine zu legitimieren versucht
NEUE ZÜRCHER ZEITUNG: Offiziell wird der russischen Öffentlichkeit ein unvollständiges Bild der «Militäroperation» in der Ukraine gezeigt. Der Versuch, Kriegseuphorie zu schüren, gelingt nur bedingt. Aber die Ideologie der Gewalt treibt einen Keil in die Gesellschaft.
Wladimir Putin tritt am 18. März an einem Konzert im Moskauer Luschniki-Stadion zur Feier des achten Jahrestags der Krim-«Rückholung» auf. Auch die «Militäroperation» in der Ukraine wird bejubelt. | Sergei Guneyev / Sputnik Pool / EPA
Seit mehr als fünf Wochen führt Russland einen Krieg gegen die Ukraine, der nicht «Krieg» heissen darf. «Militärische Spezialoperation zum Schutz der friedlichen Bürger im Donbass» ist der offizielle Name, der verbirgt, worum es sich eigentlich handelt: um einen Angriff auf das ganze Nachbarland, dessen Bevölkerung Wladimir Putin selbst als zum russischen Volk gehörig beschrieb. Die Verdrehung der Tatsachen ist kein Versehen und keine Relativierung. Die gesamte staatliche Propaganda über das Geschehen in der Ukraine trägt Orwellsche Züge. Sie ist ein Lügengebilde, das einen brutalen Krieg legitimieren soll.
Kampf gegen das Böse
Mit dem Donbass ist eigentlich die Ukraine gemeint, mit Militäroperation Krieg, und dieser ist nach russischer Lesart auch nur da, um den Frieden und die Freiheit zu bringen. Er sei Russland vom Westen, von den USA, «aufgezwungen» worden. Unter «Entnazifizierung» versteht Putin den Sturz der Regierung in Kiew und eine Art Säuberungswelle in der ukrainischen Gesellschaft; unter «Entmilitarisierung» die Zerschlagung und Unterwerfung des Landes. » | Markus Ackeret, Moskau | Montag, 4. April 2022
Seit mehr als fünf Wochen führt Russland einen Krieg gegen die Ukraine, der nicht «Krieg» heissen darf. «Militärische Spezialoperation zum Schutz der friedlichen Bürger im Donbass» ist der offizielle Name, der verbirgt, worum es sich eigentlich handelt: um einen Angriff auf das ganze Nachbarland, dessen Bevölkerung Wladimir Putin selbst als zum russischen Volk gehörig beschrieb. Die Verdrehung der Tatsachen ist kein Versehen und keine Relativierung. Die gesamte staatliche Propaganda über das Geschehen in der Ukraine trägt Orwellsche Züge. Sie ist ein Lügengebilde, das einen brutalen Krieg legitimieren soll.
Kampf gegen das Böse
Mit dem Donbass ist eigentlich die Ukraine gemeint, mit Militäroperation Krieg, und dieser ist nach russischer Lesart auch nur da, um den Frieden und die Freiheit zu bringen. Er sei Russland vom Westen, von den USA, «aufgezwungen» worden. Unter «Entnazifizierung» versteht Putin den Sturz der Regierung in Kiew und eine Art Säuberungswelle in der ukrainischen Gesellschaft; unter «Entmilitarisierung» die Zerschlagung und Unterwerfung des Landes. » | Markus Ackeret, Moskau | Montag, 4. April 2022
Orbán’s Victory in Hungary Adds to the Darkness Engulfing Europe
THE GUARDIAN: The pro-Putin nationalist managed to turn the war in Ukraine to his advantage in a win that deepens the EU’s troubles
Orbán won by telling Hungarians he would keep them out of this war, and that their bills would stay low due to his sweet gas deals with Putin.’ Photograph: Attila Kisbenedek/AFP/Getty Images
As I stood in a cold, disconsolate crowd in central Budapest late on Sunday night, listening to Hungarian opposition leader Péter Márki-Zay concede defeat in the country’s election, the Twitter feed on my phone filled with images of murdered Ukrainian civilians in the town of Bucha. Some of them had their hands tied behind their backs. Beside one murdered woman lay a keychain with a pendant showing the yellow stars on blue background of the European flag. The Ukrainian horrors are clearly far worse than the Hungarian miseries, but the two are fatefully connected.
It is a bitter irony that, just as we learn of some of the worst atrocities in Russian president Vladimir Putin’s war of terror against Ukraine, Putin’s closest ally among EU leaders, Hungarian prime minister Viktor Orbán, is re-elected partly because he turned that very war to his own political benefit. As well as exploiting all the advantages he has already built in to a heavily rigged political system, such as gerrymandered constituencies and overwhelming media dominance, Orbán won by telling Hungarians that he would keep them out of this war – and that their heating bills would stay low due to his sweet gas deals with Putin.
In his victory speech, the Hungarian leader listed the “opponents” he had defeated. They included the international media, Brussels bureaucrats and the Ukrainian president, Volodymyr Zelenskiy, who has criticised him fiercely for his opposition to the weapon supplies and further sanctions that Ukraine desperately needs. So he tells us exactly who his enemies are – and friend Putin has hastened to congratulate him on his famous victory.
If the Hungarian six-party opposition coalition led by Márki-Zay had won, Hungary would have become a staunch western ally in the face of Russian aggression, as other central European countries such as Poland and the Czech Republic are proving to be. “Russians go home!” some youngsters chanted at the very end of that disconsolate opposition wake in Budapest, recalling a slogan from the time of the Soviet invasion of Hungary in 1956. Walking back at midnight across a deserted Heroes Square, I recalled how in that very place in June 1989 I had heard a young, seemingly idealistic Orbán himself call for the withdrawal of Soviet troops from Hungary. Yet now the ageing cynic is flatly refusing to let western arms supplies pass through Hungary in order to help the Ukrainian army send the Russians home. I wonder what he sees when he looks in the mirror. » | Timothy Garton Ash* | Monday, April 4, 2022
* Timothy Garton Ash is a historian, political writer and Guardian columnist
As I stood in a cold, disconsolate crowd in central Budapest late on Sunday night, listening to Hungarian opposition leader Péter Márki-Zay concede defeat in the country’s election, the Twitter feed on my phone filled with images of murdered Ukrainian civilians in the town of Bucha. Some of them had their hands tied behind their backs. Beside one murdered woman lay a keychain with a pendant showing the yellow stars on blue background of the European flag. The Ukrainian horrors are clearly far worse than the Hungarian miseries, but the two are fatefully connected.
It is a bitter irony that, just as we learn of some of the worst atrocities in Russian president Vladimir Putin’s war of terror against Ukraine, Putin’s closest ally among EU leaders, Hungarian prime minister Viktor Orbán, is re-elected partly because he turned that very war to his own political benefit. As well as exploiting all the advantages he has already built in to a heavily rigged political system, such as gerrymandered constituencies and overwhelming media dominance, Orbán won by telling Hungarians that he would keep them out of this war – and that their heating bills would stay low due to his sweet gas deals with Putin.
In his victory speech, the Hungarian leader listed the “opponents” he had defeated. They included the international media, Brussels bureaucrats and the Ukrainian president, Volodymyr Zelenskiy, who has criticised him fiercely for his opposition to the weapon supplies and further sanctions that Ukraine desperately needs. So he tells us exactly who his enemies are – and friend Putin has hastened to congratulate him on his famous victory.
If the Hungarian six-party opposition coalition led by Márki-Zay had won, Hungary would have become a staunch western ally in the face of Russian aggression, as other central European countries such as Poland and the Czech Republic are proving to be. “Russians go home!” some youngsters chanted at the very end of that disconsolate opposition wake in Budapest, recalling a slogan from the time of the Soviet invasion of Hungary in 1956. Walking back at midnight across a deserted Heroes Square, I recalled how in that very place in June 1989 I had heard a young, seemingly idealistic Orbán himself call for the withdrawal of Soviet troops from Hungary. Yet now the ageing cynic is flatly refusing to let western arms supplies pass through Hungary in order to help the Ukrainian army send the Russians home. I wonder what he sees when he looks in the mirror. » | Timothy Garton Ash* | Monday, April 4, 2022
* Timothy Garton Ash is a historian, political writer and Guardian columnist
Biden Calls for Putin to Face War Crimes Trial over Civilian Killings in Ukraine
THE GUARDIAN: Western leaders prepare fresh round of sanctions against Moscow amid outrage over reports of killings in town of Bucha, near Kyiv
Joe Biden has called for Vladimir Putin to be tried for war crimes as western leaders prepared a fresh round of economic sanctions against Moscow amid mounting global outrage over claims of civilian killings by Russian soldiers in Ukraine.
The US president was responding to harrowing images broadcast around the world after the discovery over the weekend of a mass grave and bodies in civilian clothes, some with their hands bound, in the town of Bucha, near Kyiv.
“You may remember I got criticised for calling Putin a war criminal,” Biden told reporters at the Fort McNair army post in Washington. “Well, the truth of the matter – we saw it happen in Bucha – he is a war criminal.” With video » | Jon Henley and David Smith in Washington | Monday, April 4, 2022
Joe Biden has called for Vladimir Putin to be tried for war crimes as western leaders prepared a fresh round of economic sanctions against Moscow amid mounting global outrage over claims of civilian killings by Russian soldiers in Ukraine.
The US president was responding to harrowing images broadcast around the world after the discovery over the weekend of a mass grave and bodies in civilian clothes, some with their hands bound, in the town of Bucha, near Kyiv.
“You may remember I got criticised for calling Putin a war criminal,” Biden told reporters at the Fort McNair army post in Washington. “Well, the truth of the matter – we saw it happen in Bucha – he is a war criminal.” With video » | Jon Henley and David Smith in Washington | Monday, April 4, 2022
Alan Turing: The Scientist Who Saved the Allies | Man Who Cracked the Nazi Code | Timeline
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Elon Musk devient le premier actionnaire de Twitter
LE MONDE : Le milliardaire a racheté plus de 9 % des actions du réseau social, où il est l’une des personnalités les plus suivies.
Le PDG de Tesla et de SpaceX, Elon Musk, est désormais le premier actionnaire du réseau social Twitter. Des documents publiés le 4 avril par le régulateur de la Bourse américaine montrent que M. Musk a acquis 9,2 % des actions du réseau social, pour une valeur d’environ 2,9 milliards de dollars (2,62 milliards d’euros). Ce rachat, effectué le 14 mars en toute discrétion par le multimilliardaire, a créé la surprise – la valeur de l’action Twitter grimpait d’environ 25 % lundi, avant l’ouverture de la Bourse de New York.
M. Musk, très actif sur Twitter, est l’une des personnalités les influentes sur le réseau social – avec 80 millions d’abonnés, son compte figure parmi les dix plus suivis. Les messages, souvent moqueurs, parfois cryptiques qu’il y publie peuvent entraîner des fluctuations majeures dans le cours d’une action ou d’une cryptomonnaie. » | Par Damien Leloup et Alexandre Piquard | lundi 4 avril 2022
Elon Musk’s $2.9bn stake in Twitter comes with few upsides: The Tesla boss could lose focus on the electric car revolution if he gets sucked into disputes over social media and free speech »
Le PDG de Tesla et de SpaceX, Elon Musk, est désormais le premier actionnaire du réseau social Twitter. Des documents publiés le 4 avril par le régulateur de la Bourse américaine montrent que M. Musk a acquis 9,2 % des actions du réseau social, pour une valeur d’environ 2,9 milliards de dollars (2,62 milliards d’euros). Ce rachat, effectué le 14 mars en toute discrétion par le multimilliardaire, a créé la surprise – la valeur de l’action Twitter grimpait d’environ 25 % lundi, avant l’ouverture de la Bourse de New York.
M. Musk, très actif sur Twitter, est l’une des personnalités les influentes sur le réseau social – avec 80 millions d’abonnés, son compte figure parmi les dix plus suivis. Les messages, souvent moqueurs, parfois cryptiques qu’il y publie peuvent entraîner des fluctuations majeures dans le cours d’une action ou d’une cryptomonnaie. » | Par Damien Leloup et Alexandre Piquard | lundi 4 avril 2022
Elon Musk’s $2.9bn stake in Twitter comes with few upsides: The Tesla boss could lose focus on the electric car revolution if he gets sucked into disputes over social media and free speech »
French Election Opens Up as Marine Le Pen Surges
THE NEW YORK TIMES: President Emmanuel Macron’s belated entry into the campaign and his focus on Ukraine have left him vulnerable to a strong challenge from the right.
PARIS — At last, Emmanuel Macron stepped forth. The French president entered a vast arena this weekend, plunged into darkness and lit only by spotlights and glow sticks, before a crowd of 30,000 supporters in a domed stadium in the Paris suburbs.
It was a highly choreographed appearance — his first campaign rally for an election now less than a week away — with something of the air of a rock concert. But Mr. Macron had come to sound an alarm.
Do not think “it’s all decided, that it’s all going to go well,” he told the crowd, a belated acknowledgment that a presidential election that had seemed almost certain to return him to power is suddenly wide open.
The diplomatic attempt to end the war in Ukraine has been time-consuming for Mr. Macron, so much so that he has had little time for the French election, only to awaken to the growing danger that France could lurch to the anti-immigrant right, with its Moscow-friendly politics and its skepticism of NATO.
Marine Le Pen, the hard-right leader making her third attempt to gain power, has surged over the past couple of weeks, as her patient focus on cost-of-living issues has resonated with the millions of French people struggling to make ends meet after an increase of more than 35 percent in gas prices over the past year. » | Roger Cohen | Monday, April 4, 2022
The Observer view on the French election and rightwing populism: Emmanuel Macron is expected to win but voter support for Marine Le Pen shows the threat of the far right must be tackled »
PARIS — At last, Emmanuel Macron stepped forth. The French president entered a vast arena this weekend, plunged into darkness and lit only by spotlights and glow sticks, before a crowd of 30,000 supporters in a domed stadium in the Paris suburbs.
It was a highly choreographed appearance — his first campaign rally for an election now less than a week away — with something of the air of a rock concert. But Mr. Macron had come to sound an alarm.
Do not think “it’s all decided, that it’s all going to go well,” he told the crowd, a belated acknowledgment that a presidential election that had seemed almost certain to return him to power is suddenly wide open.
The diplomatic attempt to end the war in Ukraine has been time-consuming for Mr. Macron, so much so that he has had little time for the French election, only to awaken to the growing danger that France could lurch to the anti-immigrant right, with its Moscow-friendly politics and its skepticism of NATO.
Marine Le Pen, the hard-right leader making her third attempt to gain power, has surged over the past couple of weeks, as her patient focus on cost-of-living issues has resonated with the millions of French people struggling to make ends meet after an increase of more than 35 percent in gas prices over the past year. » | Roger Cohen | Monday, April 4, 2022
The Observer view on the French election and rightwing populism: Emmanuel Macron is expected to win but voter support for Marine Le Pen shows the threat of the far right must be tackled »
Moldova Fears They Are Next in Putin's Firing Line
The Enemies of Liberalism Are Showing Us What It Really Means
THE NEW YORK TIMES: “After three decades of dominance, liberalism is losing its hold on Western minds,” Matthew Rose writes in his powerful new book, “A World After Liberalism.”
Rose does not mean liberalism in the way we typically use the word. This is not about supporting universal health care or disagreeing with Justice Samuel Alito. Rose means liberalism as in the shared assumptions of the West: a belief in human dignity, universal rights, individual flourishing and the consent of the governed.
That liberalism has been battered by financial crises, the climate crisis, checkered pandemic responses, right-wing populists and a rising China. It seems exhausted, ground down, defined by the contradictions and broken promises that follow victory rather than the creativity and aspiration that attend struggle.
At least, it did. Ukraine’s refusal to bend the knee to Vladimir Putin has reminded the West that, for those who have not yet learned to take it for granted, life under liberalism is worth fighting for. But true renewal will require more than horror at Russia’s invasion or paeans to Ukraine’s courage. It will mean grappling with liberalism’s deficiencies and rediscovering its core radicalism. » | Ezra Klein, Opinion Columnist | Sunday, April 3, 2022
Bristling Against the West, China Rallies Domestic Sympathy for Russia
THE NEW YORK TIMES: China’s Communist Party is mounting an ideological campaign aimed at officials and students. The message: The country will not turn its back on Russia.
While Russian troops have battered Ukraine, officials in China have been meeting behind closed doors to study a Communist Party-produced documentary that extols President Vladimir V. Putin of Russia as a hero.
The humiliating collapse of the Soviet Union, the video says, was the result of efforts by the United States to destroy its legitimacy. With swelling music and sunny scenes of present-day Moscow, the documentary praises Mr. Putin for restoring Stalin’s standing as a great wartime leader and for renewing patriotic pride in Russia’s past.
To the world, China casts itself as a principled onlooker of the war in Ukraine, not picking sides, simply seeking peace. At home, though, the Chinese Communist Party is pushing a campaign that paints Russia as a long-suffering victim rather than an aggressor and defends China’s strong ties with Moscow as vital.
Chinese universities have organized classes to give students a “correct understanding” of the war, often highlighting Russia’s grievances with the West. Party newspapers have run series of commentaries blaming the United States for the conflict.
Around the country, the Communist Party has organized sessions for officials to watch and discuss the history documentary. The 101 minute-long video, which was completed last year, does not mention the war in Ukraine but argues that Russia is right to worry about neighbors that broke away from the Soviet Union. It describes Mr. Putin as cleansing Russia of the political toxins that killed the Soviet Union. » | Chris Buckley | Monday, April 4, 2022
While Russian troops have battered Ukraine, officials in China have been meeting behind closed doors to study a Communist Party-produced documentary that extols President Vladimir V. Putin of Russia as a hero.
The humiliating collapse of the Soviet Union, the video says, was the result of efforts by the United States to destroy its legitimacy. With swelling music and sunny scenes of present-day Moscow, the documentary praises Mr. Putin for restoring Stalin’s standing as a great wartime leader and for renewing patriotic pride in Russia’s past.
To the world, China casts itself as a principled onlooker of the war in Ukraine, not picking sides, simply seeking peace. At home, though, the Chinese Communist Party is pushing a campaign that paints Russia as a long-suffering victim rather than an aggressor and defends China’s strong ties with Moscow as vital.
Chinese universities have organized classes to give students a “correct understanding” of the war, often highlighting Russia’s grievances with the West. Party newspapers have run series of commentaries blaming the United States for the conflict.
Around the country, the Communist Party has organized sessions for officials to watch and discuss the history documentary. The 101 minute-long video, which was completed last year, does not mention the war in Ukraine but argues that Russia is right to worry about neighbors that broke away from the Soviet Union. It describes Mr. Putin as cleansing Russia of the political toxins that killed the Soviet Union. » | Chris Buckley | Monday, April 4, 2022
Hungary Election: PM Viktor Orban Criticises Ukraine's Zelensky as He Wins Vote
Read the article here.
Hongrie : le parti d'Orban arrive en tête des législatives : Le dirigeant souverainiste hongrois Viktor Orban a remporté dimanche une quatrième victoire d'affilée, bien plus facilement que prévu, à l'issue de législatives à l'ombre de la guerre en Ukraine. »
„Ein gewaltiger Sieg“: Viktor Orbán hat wieder eine Zweidrittelmehrheit – und verhöhnt die EU. Sein unterlegener Herausforderer ist schockiert und bezeichnet das Ergebnis als undemokratisch. »
Sunday, April 03, 2022
Prominent Gay Conversion Therapist Comes Out and Leaves Wife of 30 Years | Good Morning Britain
To Russia with Love from the “Decadent” West.
Wales and Scotland Vow to Press Ahead with Trans-inclusive Conversion Therapy Bans
PINK NEWS: The devolved governments in Wales and Scotland have expressed their commitment to banning “draconian” conversion therapy in all forms, in spite of Boris Johnson.
Johnson was widely condemned after first U-turning on plans to ban conversion therapy, before changing tack and promising that a ban would be forthcoming – though reportedly, it will now not include trans conversion therapy.
After initially stating that the government would pursue non-legislative measures against conversion therapy, a spokesperson told PinkNews on Friday (1 April): “The government has a proud record on LGBT rights, and the prime minister is committed to bringing forward legislation to ban conversion therapy.
“The content, scope and timing of the proposed bill will be confirmed in due course.” Representatives for Wales and Scotland have both released official statements affirming their commitments to banning conversion therapy in the wake of the two U-turns.
Though Scotland is not affected by Boris Johnson’s plans – the UK government had already said its ban would be for England and Wales only – a minister said in a statement that the practice has “no place in our society”.
Christina McKelvie, minister for equalities and older people, said: “Conversion practices that try to change a person’s sexuality or gender identity are harmful, discriminatory, and have no place in our society. » | Emily Chudy | Friday, April 1, 2022
The Guardian View on the Russian Orthodox Church: Betrayed by Putin’s Patriarch
THE GUARDIAN: Patriarch Kirill of Moscow has given theological cover for Vladimir Putin’s murderous assault on Ukraine
Kirill’s militant fusion of ethno-nationalism, authoritarianism and religious identity is beyond the pale.’ Photograph: AP
In 1934, as Adolf Hitler consolidated his grip on power in Germany, a courageous group of Protestant pastors resisted attempts to create a pro-Nazi unified Reich Church. In what became known as the Barmen Declaration, they asserted the absolute separation of church and state, rejecting the “false doctrine” that “the church in human arrogance could place the Word and work of the Lord in the service of any arbitrarily chosen desires, purposes, and plans”.
It is a measure of these disturbing times that last month hundreds of Orthodox Christian clergy, scholars and lay people felt the need to issue a similar declaration, excoriating the complicity of the Russian Orthodox Church (ROC) in Vladimir Putin’s invasion of Ukraine. Their document, entitled A Declaration on the “Russian World” Teaching, condemns Patriarch Kirill of Moscow for providing theological cover for a barbarous and illegal war.
Kirill, who had close links with the KGB in Soviet times, has described Mr Putin’s leadership as a religious miracle. As bombs have rained down on Ukrainian cities, he has asserted that it is “God’s truth” that the people of Russia, Ukraine and Belarus should be reunited as one spiritual people. During a sermon delivered in Moscow last month, he portrayed the invasion of Ukraine as part of a “metaphysical” struggle against a decadent west – a civilisation deemed to have capitulated to materialism, moral relativism, globalisation and the promotion of homosexuality. Having become a vassal of the sinful west, Ukraine must be saved and restored to “Holy Rus”. This kind of conflation of race, nation and the church, the authors of the “Russian world” declaration point out, has previously been condemned as a heresy by the Orthodox tradition. » | Editorial | Sunday, April 3, 2022
In 1934, as Adolf Hitler consolidated his grip on power in Germany, a courageous group of Protestant pastors resisted attempts to create a pro-Nazi unified Reich Church. In what became known as the Barmen Declaration, they asserted the absolute separation of church and state, rejecting the “false doctrine” that “the church in human arrogance could place the Word and work of the Lord in the service of any arbitrarily chosen desires, purposes, and plans”.
It is a measure of these disturbing times that last month hundreds of Orthodox Christian clergy, scholars and lay people felt the need to issue a similar declaration, excoriating the complicity of the Russian Orthodox Church (ROC) in Vladimir Putin’s invasion of Ukraine. Their document, entitled A Declaration on the “Russian World” Teaching, condemns Patriarch Kirill of Moscow for providing theological cover for a barbarous and illegal war.
Kirill, who had close links with the KGB in Soviet times, has described Mr Putin’s leadership as a religious miracle. As bombs have rained down on Ukrainian cities, he has asserted that it is “God’s truth” that the people of Russia, Ukraine and Belarus should be reunited as one spiritual people. During a sermon delivered in Moscow last month, he portrayed the invasion of Ukraine as part of a “metaphysical” struggle against a decadent west – a civilisation deemed to have capitulated to materialism, moral relativism, globalisation and the promotion of homosexuality. Having become a vassal of the sinful west, Ukraine must be saved and restored to “Holy Rus”. This kind of conflation of race, nation and the church, the authors of the “Russian world” declaration point out, has previously been condemned as a heresy by the Orthodox tradition. » | Editorial | Sunday, April 3, 2022
‘What Would This Ukrainian Like for Her 100th Birthday? That Putin Will Die’
THE OBSERVER: Elderly citizens in Kyiv who have lived through Hitler’s Holocaust and Stalin’s Holodomor fear that history is repeating itself with Russia’s invasion
Olha Punyk, 69, has tried to shield her 99-year-old mother, Anna Bahatelya, from the worst news about the war. Photograph: Sviatoslav Medyk/The Observer
Ninety-nine years and eight months old, Anna Bahatelya has survived every ordeal a tumultuous century of Ukrainian history has thrown at her.
Born in August 1922, four months before the proclamation of the Soviet Union, Bahatelya lived through the Holodomor, when Joseph Stalin’s regime visited an artificial famine on large areas of Ukraine by confiscating its grain stocks. She survived the second world war, even after spending two years in a Nazi slave camp in Austria.
She has outlived the Soviet Union and then made it through the difficult 1990s, when the Ukrainian economy left many in poverty. This January she survived a vicious bout of Covid, despite being unvaccinated. Now, four months short of her century, she faces yet another challenge: Vladimir Putin’s war on her country.
“Now again, the people are suffering,” she said at her home on the outskirts of Kyiv, where she lives with her 69-year-old daughter, Olha Punyk.
Speaking loudly, with an imploring tone and the cadence of poetry, Bahatelya gives sharp and clear recollections of the various ordeals she has been through, but grew angry when asked about the Russian president, making a rude hand gesture and calling him: “The worst man in the world.” » | Shaun Walker in Kyiv | Sunday, April 3, 2022
Ninety-nine years and eight months old, Anna Bahatelya has survived every ordeal a tumultuous century of Ukrainian history has thrown at her.
Born in August 1922, four months before the proclamation of the Soviet Union, Bahatelya lived through the Holodomor, when Joseph Stalin’s regime visited an artificial famine on large areas of Ukraine by confiscating its grain stocks. She survived the second world war, even after spending two years in a Nazi slave camp in Austria.
She has outlived the Soviet Union and then made it through the difficult 1990s, when the Ukrainian economy left many in poverty. This January she survived a vicious bout of Covid, despite being unvaccinated. Now, four months short of her century, she faces yet another challenge: Vladimir Putin’s war on her country.
“Now again, the people are suffering,” she said at her home on the outskirts of Kyiv, where she lives with her 69-year-old daughter, Olha Punyk.
Speaking loudly, with an imploring tone and the cadence of poetry, Bahatelya gives sharp and clear recollections of the various ordeals she has been through, but grew angry when asked about the Russian president, making a rude hand gesture and calling him: “The worst man in the world.” » | Shaun Walker in Kyiv | Sunday, April 3, 2022
The Power of Gentle Touch: How Does Touch Affect Our Mental and Physical Health? | DW Documentary
Apr 2, 2022 • Touch shapes us as humans. Indeed, touch is fundamental to what makes us social beings. Touch influences how we perceive stress and pain, who we trust and who we fear. How does this work? And what happens to us in the absence of touch?
Gentle touch is vital for us humans. It creates the first contact with the world for newborns, giving us a sense of security and belonging. Touch influences our immune system, and on our feelings for our fellow human beings. Especially strong feelings, such as love or compassion, can be better conveyed through touch than through words, facial expressions or gestures.
Given how important touch is, it’s no surprise that humans have a highly specialized system devoted exclusively to perceiving gentle touch stimuli. Why does the touch of a stranger feel so different from that of someone we are emotionally close to? What is happening in our brain - and what role does the brain play in all this?
In an era of social distancing, touch research is becoming increasingly relevant. How does it affect us, and our relationships, when we are required to keep our distance? Researchers explore what role touch plays in our physical and emotional well-being, and what the consequences are when touch is missing.
Gentle touch is vital for us humans. It creates the first contact with the world for newborns, giving us a sense of security and belonging. Touch influences our immune system, and on our feelings for our fellow human beings. Especially strong feelings, such as love or compassion, can be better conveyed through touch than through words, facial expressions or gestures.
Given how important touch is, it’s no surprise that humans have a highly specialized system devoted exclusively to perceiving gentle touch stimuli. Why does the touch of a stranger feel so different from that of someone we are emotionally close to? What is happening in our brain - and what role does the brain play in all this?
In an era of social distancing, touch research is becoming increasingly relevant. How does it affect us, and our relationships, when we are required to keep our distance? Researchers explore what role touch plays in our physical and emotional well-being, and what the consequences are when touch is missing.
Ungarn gespalten zwischen West und Ost - Das System Orbán | auslandsjournal
Mar 31, 2022 • Ministerpräsident Viktor Orbán kämpft um die Macht. In Ungarn ist alles auf ihn ausgerichtet: Presse, Wirtschaft und Rechtsstaat. Die Opposition hat es schwer, gegen diesen Machtapparat anzukommen. Doch der Widerstand wächst – im eigenen Land und in der EU. Unsere ZDF-Osteuropa-Korrespondentin Britta Hilpert und Korrespondent Wolf-Christian Ulrich berichten über die aktuelle Lage in Ungarn und darüber, wie das System Orbán das Leben der Menschen in Ungarn beeinflusst.
Ohne zu zögern nimmt Ungarn geflüchtete Ukrainer*innen auf. Das Land, welches eigentlich für eine harte Migrationspolitik bekannt ist, zeigt sich gastfreundlich und hilfsbereit. Die Nähe zu Russland, die Orbán vor dem Krieg pflegte, wird nun überlagert durch Nachbarschaftshilfe – zum eigenen Machterhalt.
Und doch sind die Beziehungen zu Russland für Ungarns Ministerpräsidenten wichtig. Orbán gehört deshalb zu den Bremsern bei EU-Sanktionen gegen Russland. Der Außenminister und Träger des russischen Freundschaftsordens schließt ungarische Hilfe für die Ukraine gar aus.
Um gegen Ministerpräsident Orbán anzukommen, hat sich die Opposition mittlerweile zusammengeschlossen. Vereint wollen sie für ein liberales Ungarn einstehen – ohne russischen Einfluss und Korruption. Denn es sind immer die gleichen wenigen Leute, die in Ungarn das große Geschäft machen.
Putin-Freund Orbán steht unter Druck. Wird sein System das überstehen?
Ohne zu zögern nimmt Ungarn geflüchtete Ukrainer*innen auf. Das Land, welches eigentlich für eine harte Migrationspolitik bekannt ist, zeigt sich gastfreundlich und hilfsbereit. Die Nähe zu Russland, die Orbán vor dem Krieg pflegte, wird nun überlagert durch Nachbarschaftshilfe – zum eigenen Machterhalt.
Und doch sind die Beziehungen zu Russland für Ungarns Ministerpräsidenten wichtig. Orbán gehört deshalb zu den Bremsern bei EU-Sanktionen gegen Russland. Der Außenminister und Träger des russischen Freundschaftsordens schließt ungarische Hilfe für die Ukraine gar aus.
Um gegen Ministerpräsident Orbán anzukommen, hat sich die Opposition mittlerweile zusammengeschlossen. Vereint wollen sie für ein liberales Ungarn einstehen – ohne russischen Einfluss und Korruption. Denn es sind immer die gleichen wenigen Leute, die in Ungarn das große Geschäft machen.
Putin-Freund Orbán steht unter Druck. Wird sein System das überstehen?
Putin's Antithesis: How Does Zelenskyy's Political Communication Work? | DW News
Is Germany Complicit in Putin's War in Ukraine? | DW News
Mar 31, 2022 • Defense Minister Christine Lambrecht said Germany was "facing the consequences" of the new reality triggered by Russia's invasion of Ukraine. She stressed Europe's need to have the US as an ally and friend. Despite the major pivot to increase defense spending in line with NATO goals and strengthen its own military in the wake of the Russian invasion of Ukraine, she said Germany's first choice would always be dialogue. "We will never presume to go it alone. We will always remain closely integrated in the European Union, in NATO, in the United Nations," Lambrecht added. Lambrecht praised US President Joe Biden's leadership in the global political crisis triggered by the Russian invasion of Ukraine, adding that Europe needs the US as a friend and ally.
Germany's Economy Minister Robert Habeck said on Friday that the country is planning to almost completely end Russian energy imports by the end of the year. Habeck, a member of the Green Party, said the plan meant that a considerable amount of progress would be made in a short space of time, as the West is rushing to wean itself off Russian energy amidst the invasion of Ukraine. Before the war began and the subsequent heavy sanctions targeting Russia, Germany received 50% of its coal, 55% of its gas, and 35% of its oil from Moscow.
Verwandt.
Germany's Economy Minister Robert Habeck said on Friday that the country is planning to almost completely end Russian energy imports by the end of the year. Habeck, a member of the Green Party, said the plan meant that a considerable amount of progress would be made in a short space of time, as the West is rushing to wean itself off Russian energy amidst the invasion of Ukraine. Before the war began and the subsequent heavy sanctions targeting Russia, Germany received 50% of its coal, 55% of its gas, and 35% of its oil from Moscow.
Verwandt.
How Putin’s Demand for Ruble Payments for Gas Will Play Out (w/ Richard Wolff)
Ukrainischer Botschafter attackiert Steinmeier
FRANKFURTER ALLGEMEINE ZEITUNG: Der Top-Diplomat der Ukraine in Deutschland, Andrij Melnyk, wirft dem Bundespräsidenten eine zu große Nähe zu Russland vor. An der deutschen Abhängigkeit von russischer Energie habe Steinmeier eine Mitschuld.
Bundespräsident Frank-Walter Steinmeier hat nach Ansicht des ukrainischen Botschafters in Deutschland, Andrij Melnyk, eine höchst bedenkliche politische Nähe zu Russland. „Für Steinmeier war und bleibt das Verhältnis zu Russland etwas Fundamentales, ja Heiliges, egal was geschieht. Auch der Angriffskrieg spielt da keine große Rolle“, sagte Melnyk dem „Tagesspiegel“ vom Sonntag.
Deutschland habe weiter zu viele Eigeninteressen in Bezug auf Russland, etwa die Abhängigkeit von Gas, Öl und Kohle. Schuld daran sei auch Steinmeiers Agieren als Kanzleramtschef und später als Außenminister, sagte Melnyk der Zeitung. „Steinmeier hat seit Jahrzehnten ein Spinnennetz der Kontakte mit Russland geknüpft. Darin sind viele Leute verwickelt, die jetzt in der Ampel das Sagen haben“, sagte er und nannte namentlich den außenpolitischen Berater von Bundeskanzler Olaf Scholz (SPD), Jens Plötner, und den Staatssekretär im Auswärtigen Amt, Andreas Michaelis. Hinzu kämen viele wichtige Botschafter. „Das alles macht einen Unterschied“, sagte Melnyk. » | Quelle: dpa/AFP | Sonntag, 3. April 2022
Saturday, April 02, 2022
Young People Struggling amid Inflation Are Entitled, Says CEO Worth about $400m
THE GUARDIAN: BlackRock’s Robert Kapito is right about the entitlement problem in the US: we have a very entitled generation of executives who seem to think sacrifice is just for poor people
Robert Kapito, the president of asset management behemoth BlackRock, earns about $20m a year and is worth in the region of $400m. You can buy a lot of fancy trinkets with that kind of money but, alas, it doesn’t seem to purchase much self-awareness. We are in the middle of a cost of living crisis, with low-income households disproportionately affected by the highest inflation in 40 years. People are struggling to heat their homes thanks to surging energy prices and worrying about feeding their families thanks to rocketing food prices. Kapito’s reaction to all this? To complain to a bunch of energy executives about how entitled young people are and how it’s about time they learned a thing or two about how tough life is.
“For the first time, this generation is going to go into a store and not be able to get what they want,” Kapito recently said at an energy conference in Texas in reference to inflation. “And we have a very entitled generation that has never had to sacrifice.” Young people too entitled, says CEO worth $400m » | Arwa Mahdawi | Saturday, April 2, 2022
What a disgusting comment! What a disgusting man! – Mark
Robert Kapito, the president of asset management behemoth BlackRock, earns about $20m a year and is worth in the region of $400m. You can buy a lot of fancy trinkets with that kind of money but, alas, it doesn’t seem to purchase much self-awareness. We are in the middle of a cost of living crisis, with low-income households disproportionately affected by the highest inflation in 40 years. People are struggling to heat their homes thanks to surging energy prices and worrying about feeding their families thanks to rocketing food prices. Kapito’s reaction to all this? To complain to a bunch of energy executives about how entitled young people are and how it’s about time they learned a thing or two about how tough life is.
“For the first time, this generation is going to go into a store and not be able to get what they want,” Kapito recently said at an energy conference in Texas in reference to inflation. “And we have a very entitled generation that has never had to sacrifice.” Young people too entitled, says CEO worth $400m » | Arwa Mahdawi | Saturday, April 2, 2022
What a disgusting comment! What a disgusting man! – Mark
Stunning Images inside Russian Grocery Store Show Dire Situation
Dancing, Loving, Uniting…
Dimitra’s Dishes: Koulourakia: Greek Easter Butter Cookies/ 2 Ways!
Get the recipe here.
«Frankreich ist Brigitte Bardot und Topless-Sonnenbaden – nicht Schleier und Burkini»
NEUE ZÜRCHER ZEITUNG: Die Wiederwahl des französischen Präsidenten Macron scheint wahrscheinlich. Aber fast jeder dritte Franzose will seine Stimme einem Kandidaten der extremen Rechten geben. Warum?
Sie fühlen sich fremd in der eigenen Heimat. Sie erkennen ihr Land nicht mehr. Sie sehen es im Niedergang begriffen. «Frankreich muss Frankreich bleiben.» Dieser Satz fällt mehr als einmal an diesem Sonntagmorgen auf dem charmanten Markt in der Rue Cler im wohlhabenden 7. Arrondissement von Paris. Er kommt von Anhängern des Präsidentschaftskandidaten Éric Zemmour. Inmitten von Obst und Gemüse, bunten Schnittblumen und einer grossen Auswahl an Käse verteilen sie Passanten dessen Wahlprogramm.
«Frankreich ist Brigitte Bardot und Topless-Sonnenbaden – nicht Schleier und Burkini», sagt eine 50-jährige Wahlhelferin im Deux-Pièces. Sie wolle weiterhin ihren Hintern zeigen und Schmuck tragen dürfen. Sie lacht ob ihrer Aussage, schiebt aber nach, sie meine das ernst. Die junge Kollegin neben ihr, mit auffälliger Fendi-Sonnenbrille, nickt: «Stellen Sie sich vor, in einigen Quartieren gibt es Cafés, in denen Frauen der Zutritt verwehrt bleibt.» In diesen Stadtteilen gebe es fast nur Muslime, fügt eine andere Wahlhelferin an, viele seien ja nett, aber: «Es ist nicht unsere Kultur.» » | Nicole Anliker und Nina Belz (Text) und Karin Hofer (Bilder) | Samstag, 2. April 2022
Ces oligarques russes qui font trembler les journalistes et les écrivains britanniques
LE FIGARO : DÉCRYPTAGE - Le premier ministre Boris Johnson souhaite en finir avec les lois du pays sur la diffamation qui entravent depuis des années la liberté d’enquête sur ces proches de Poutine.
Un beau matin de printemps, Catherine Bolton, ancienne correspondante du Financial Times à Moscou, découvrait dans sa boîte aux lettres londonienne un courrier de l’oligarque russe Roman Abramovitch. Le milliardaire propriétaire de Chelsea portait plainte contre la journaliste pour diffamation, après la publication de son livre Putin’s People. Son enquête, qui met en lumière les personnalités qui gravitent autour des cercles de pouvoir de Vladimir Poutine, affirmait qu’il avait acheté le club de football en 2003 sur ordres du président russe. Défendu par Nigel Tait, associé du cabinet britannique Carter-Ruck, l’oligarque lui réclamait plusieurs millions de livres de dommages et intérêts.
«À coups de lettres, de coups de fil menaçants et de procès, les oligarques russes, aidés par de grands cabinets d’avocats anglais, empêchent depuis des années la publication de nombreux articles sur eux dans les journaux. Ces entraves à la liberté d’expression doivent cesser», témoignait Catherine Bolton la semaine passée, devant la commission parlementaire des affaires étrangères. Jusqu’à ce que la guerre en Ukraine bouleverse le climat politique, la population anglaise méconnaissait l’histoire des oligarques russes implantés dans les quartiers chics de la capitale, comme Knightsbridge et Belgravia. En grande partie parce que mener des enquêtes sur ces personnalités représente un risque financier de taille. Les rares rédactions qui s’y sont essayées, comme le Financial Times, The Guardian ou The Economist, ont été condamnées par les tribunaux à payer des millions de livres en diffamation. » | Par Claudia Cohen | vendredi 1 avril 2022
Réservé aux abonnés
Le pape François condamne « l’agressivité puérile et destructrice » de Vladimir Poutine, sans le nommer
LE MONDE : En visite à Malte samedi, le pontife argentin a déclaré que l’hypothèse de son déplacement à Kiev est « sur la table ».
Le pape François s’exprime lors de sa visite à Malte, le 2 avril 2022. ANDREW MEDICHINI / AP
En route pour Rome, vers l’an 60, l’apôtre Paul avait fait naufrage près de la côte maltaise et avait été recueilli par les autochtones, qui l’avaient bien accueilli et qu’il n’avait pas manqué d’évangéliser. Samedi 2 avril, le pape François, successeur de Pierre, est arrivé à Malte pour une visite de deux jours dans un archipel où la pratique catholique, bien qu’encore très répandue, est comme ailleurs en Europe en recul, un mouvement accentué par la pandémie de Covid-19. La foule qui se massait le long du trajet, à partir de l’aéroport, puis devant le palais présidentiel, témoignait cependant que l’empreinte catholique demeure très forte.
L’annonce de l’Evangile, placée par le pontife argentin au cœur de la nouvelle Constitution du Vatican, promulguée le 19 mars, devait initialement être l’un des thèmes majeurs de ce voyage méditerranéen. La guerre en Ukraine lui a un peu volé la vedette. Le chef de l’Eglise catholique a consacré au conflit près de la moitié du long discours qu’il a prononcé à son arrivée, comme à chaque déplacement à l’étranger, devant les responsables politiques du pays, samedi matin.
Depuis l’invasion de l’Ukraine, le 24 février, François a multiplié les objurgations à faire cesser « cette cruauté sauvage », « cette violente agression contre l’Ukraine », « cette guerre répugnante ». Mais il s’était, jusqu’à présent, refusé à incriminer nommément la Russie ou Vladimir Poutine, conformément, fait-on valoir à Rome, à la tradition diplomatique du Saint-Siège, soucieux de ne pas être enrôlé par les parties en conflit et de maintenir une capacité de parler avec tous. « Le pape n’est ni un journaliste ni un politique. Il est le pape et il agit en pape », a twitté l’un de ses proches, Antonio Spadaro, directeur de la revue jésuite La Civilta Cattolica. » | Par Cécile Chambraud (La Valette (Malte), envoyée spéciale) | samedi 2 avril 2022
Article réservé aux abonnés
En route pour Rome, vers l’an 60, l’apôtre Paul avait fait naufrage près de la côte maltaise et avait été recueilli par les autochtones, qui l’avaient bien accueilli et qu’il n’avait pas manqué d’évangéliser. Samedi 2 avril, le pape François, successeur de Pierre, est arrivé à Malte pour une visite de deux jours dans un archipel où la pratique catholique, bien qu’encore très répandue, est comme ailleurs en Europe en recul, un mouvement accentué par la pandémie de Covid-19. La foule qui se massait le long du trajet, à partir de l’aéroport, puis devant le palais présidentiel, témoignait cependant que l’empreinte catholique demeure très forte.
L’annonce de l’Evangile, placée par le pontife argentin au cœur de la nouvelle Constitution du Vatican, promulguée le 19 mars, devait initialement être l’un des thèmes majeurs de ce voyage méditerranéen. La guerre en Ukraine lui a un peu volé la vedette. Le chef de l’Eglise catholique a consacré au conflit près de la moitié du long discours qu’il a prononcé à son arrivée, comme à chaque déplacement à l’étranger, devant les responsables politiques du pays, samedi matin.
Depuis l’invasion de l’Ukraine, le 24 février, François a multiplié les objurgations à faire cesser « cette cruauté sauvage », « cette violente agression contre l’Ukraine », « cette guerre répugnante ». Mais il s’était, jusqu’à présent, refusé à incriminer nommément la Russie ou Vladimir Poutine, conformément, fait-on valoir à Rome, à la tradition diplomatique du Saint-Siège, soucieux de ne pas être enrôlé par les parties en conflit et de maintenir une capacité de parler avec tous. « Le pape n’est ni un journaliste ni un politique. Il est le pape et il agit en pape », a twitté l’un de ses proches, Antonio Spadaro, directeur de la revue jésuite La Civilta Cattolica. » | Par Cécile Chambraud (La Valette (Malte), envoyée spéciale) | samedi 2 avril 2022
Article réservé aux abonnés
Why Do Trump and Putin Get Along So Well? | Michael McFaul | TEDxStanford | 2017
Jun 2, 2017 • During his tenure as U.S. Ambassador to Russia under President Obama, Stanford Political Science Professor Michael McFaul lived with death threats against him and his family. Since returning to the U.S., McFaul has been banned from returning to Russia, but at home he is one of the most sought-after observers of what he calls the Trump-Putin “Bromance.” His take on Russia today is both insightful and troubling. But as he says, “Diplomacy is not a popularity contest.”
Michael McFaul is Professor of Political Science, Director and Senior Fellow at the Freeman Spogli Institute for International Studies, and the Peter and Helen Bing Senior Fellow at the Hoover Institution. Dr. McFaul served for five years in the Obama administration, first as Special Assistant to the President and Senior Director for Russian and Eurasian Affairs at the National Security Council at the White House (2009-2012), and then as U.S. Ambassador to the Russian Federation (2012-2014). He has authored several books, including Advancing Democracy Abroad: Why We Should, How We Can and, with Kathryn Stoner, Transition.
This talk was given at a TEDx event using the TED conference format but independently organized by a local community.
Michael McFaul is Professor of Political Science, Director and Senior Fellow at the Freeman Spogli Institute for International Studies, and the Peter and Helen Bing Senior Fellow at the Hoover Institution. Dr. McFaul served for five years in the Obama administration, first as Special Assistant to the President and Senior Director for Russian and Eurasian Affairs at the National Security Council at the White House (2009-2012), and then as U.S. Ambassador to the Russian Federation (2012-2014). He has authored several books, including Advancing Democracy Abroad: Why We Should, How We Can and, with Kathryn Stoner, Transition.
This talk was given at a TEDx event using the TED conference format but independently organized by a local community.
Konversionstherapie: der Versuch, queere Identität auszulöschen
heute 19:00 Uhr vom 01.04.2022
Undercover Investigation Exposes Current Face of Gay Conversion Therapy | 60 Minutes Australia
How Conversion Therapy Affects Your Mental Health
Conversion Therapy Survivor Describes Treatment as 'Torture' | CBC News
Former Ambassador to Russia: Putin ‘Very Upset’ about Ukraine War Failures
Truth to Power: Cost of Living Crisis: Brexit Identified as a Major Factor
Michael Lambert: Cost of Living Crisis as Government Wastes £Billions
Apr 2, 2022 • Whilst the biggest cost of living crisis approaches, the government wastes billions through incompetence and mismanagement.
The Bounce Back Loan scheme was designed to help businesses survive the pandemic. It involved lending out $47 billion without any checks and with the government guaranteeing all loans. Already £4.9 billion has been written off due to fraud.
The buying of PPE at the start of the pandemic was a disaster, with friends of Tory politicians with no experience of buying PPE being given priority. The NHS calculates that the cost of some PPE being unsuitable, some being unusable and some out of date, as well as much that was sold at twice the normal price, has cost them as much as £20 billion. £7 million per week is being spent on storage and much of the stock is being incinerated.
The test & trace for which £37 billion was budgeted appears to have been as good as useless and this has been confirmed by the Public Accounts Committee.
The Bounce Back Loan scheme was designed to help businesses survive the pandemic. It involved lending out $47 billion without any checks and with the government guaranteeing all loans. Already £4.9 billion has been written off due to fraud.
The buying of PPE at the start of the pandemic was a disaster, with friends of Tory politicians with no experience of buying PPE being given priority. The NHS calculates that the cost of some PPE being unsuitable, some being unusable and some out of date, as well as much that was sold at twice the normal price, has cost them as much as £20 billion. £7 million per week is being spent on storage and much of the stock is being incinerated.
The test & trace for which £37 billion was budgeted appears to have been as good as useless and this has been confirmed by the Public Accounts Committee.
Friday, April 01, 2022
Two New Secret Abramovich SuperYachts Discovered! | SY News
Antigua confirms Roman Abramovich owns 2 yachts moored on island Caribbean nation launched investigation after FT revealed boats’ ties to sanctions-hit Russian oligarch
Antigua’s minister of foreign affairs Paul Chet Greene said the island’s government had requested information on whether the owner of the BVI company, Wenham Overseas Limited, is on Britain’s sanctions list, in light of “persistent allegations by the Financial Times that the vessels could be owned by Mr Roman Abramovich”. The letter then confirmed that the British High Commission had provided Antiguan authorities with a letter “from the Financial Investigation Agency of the British Virgin Islands which states the beneficial owner of Wenham Overseas Ltd is Roman Abramovich”.
Antigua’s minister of foreign affairs Paul Chet Greene said the island’s government had requested information on whether the owner of the BVI company, Wenham Overseas Limited, is on Britain’s sanctions list, in light of “persistent allegations by the Financial Times that the vessels could be owned by Mr Roman Abramovich”. The letter then confirmed that the British High Commission had provided Antiguan authorities with a letter “from the Financial Investigation Agency of the British Virgin Islands which states the beneficial owner of Wenham Overseas Ltd is Roman Abramovich”.
heute journal 31 березня 2022
Folgen des Ukraine-Krieges: Kommt ein Energieimport-Embargo? | maybrit illner vom 31.03.22
Gerard Depardieu: Kremlin Responds to Actor's Putin Criticism
BBC: The Kremlin has hit back after French actor Gerard Depardieu accused Russian President Vladimir Putin of "crazy, unacceptable excesses" in Ukraine.
Depardieu said the Russian people were not responsible for their president's behaviour. Mr Putin's spokesman, Dmitry Peskov, said the actor probably did not completely understand the situation in Ukraine and offered to explain it.
Depardieu left France for tax reasons and took Russian citizenship in 2013.
He received his Russian passport from President Putin in person in the Black Sea resort of Sochi.
At the time, the actor and the president shook hands and hugged each other, with Depardieu describing Russia as "a great democracy".
In 2015, Ukraine banned him from entering the country for five years after he supported Russia's annexation of Crimea. » | Friday, April 1, 2022
Hongrie: Viktor Orban prêt pour quatre ans de plus
LE FIGARO : DÉCRYPTAGE - Le premier ministre hongrois sans discontinuer depuis 2010 est donné favori, dimanche, des législatives.
À en croire les sondages, il n’y aurait plus aucun suspense. Viktor Orban, à la tête de son parti ultraconservateur, le Fidesz, est donné vainqueur par l’intégralité des enquêtes d’opinion. Certaines anticipent même une très large victoire du premier ministre, qui brigue un quatrième mandat consécutif depuis son retour au pouvoir en 2010. «Je n’arrive pas à me souvenir d’un moment où les étoiles ont été si bien alignées à 19 jours des élections», s’est amusé Viktor Orban, illustrant toute la confiance qui habite ses troupes.
Pourtant, ces élections législatives avaient été annoncées comme inédites. Pour la première fois en douze ans, les six principaux partis de l’opposition, incluant les socialistes, les écologistes, les sociaux-démocrates, les libéraux ainsi que l’ancien parti d’extrême droite recentré idéologiquement, se sont unis au sein d’une seule et même coalition. Après les défaites aussi sèches qu’humiliantes de 2014 et 2018, où le Fidesz s’était systématiquement imposé avec une majorité des deux tiers au Parlement, ils avaient accepté d’enterrer la hache de guerre dans le seul but de déloger Viktor Orban du pouvoir. » | Par Thomas Laffitte | vendredi 1 avril 2022
Strained Relations at EU-China Summit: Europe Urges China Not to Side with Russia | DW News
Micky Maus wird zum LGBTQ-Aktivisten
NEUE ZÜRCHER ZEITUNG: Ein neues Gesetz in Florida verbietet den Unterricht über Geschlechtsidentitäten bis zur dritten Klasse. Disney hat deshalb die Spenden an die Republikaner eingestellt und will die Vorschrift bekämpfen. Im Internet entlädt sich ein konservativer Shitstorm.
Das symbiotische Verhältnis zwischen den Micky-Maus-Erfindern und der Republikanischen Partei in Florida steht vor eine Zerreissprobe. | Alisha Jucevic / Bloomberg
Die Beziehung zwischen der in Florida dominierenden Republikanischen Partei und der Walt Disney Company gestaltete sich bisher weitgehend harmonisch. Schliesslich ist der Unterhaltungsriese mit seinen Vergnügungsparks einer der grössten Arbeitgeber im Sunshine State und ein Touristenmagnet. Während die Politik den Konzern mit Steuerentlastungen und anderen Privilegien unterstützte, revanchierte sich die Traumfabrik mit grosszügigen Parteispenden. Gemäss dem «Orlando Sentinel» soll Disney seit Jahresbeginn 2021 mindestens 2,2 Millionen Dollar an politische Kandidaten und Komitees in Florida überwiesen haben. Rund 80 Prozent dieser Gelder seien an die Republikaner und konservative Kreise gegangen.
Am Montag jedoch unterzeichnete der republikanische Gouverneur Ron DeSantis ein neues Gesetz, welches das symbiotische Verhältnis zwischen den Micky-Maus-Erfindern und der konservativen Mehrheitspartei in Florida vor eine Zerreissprobe stellt. Offiziell heisst die neue Regelung «Gesetz für elterliche Rechte in der Bildung». Ihre Gegner sprechen jedoch vom «Sag nicht schwul»-Gesetz, weil es den Unterricht über sexuelle Orientierungen und Geschlechtsidentitäten vom Kindergarten bis mindestens zur dritten Klasse verbietet. Hält sich eine Schulbehörde oder ein Lehrer nicht an diese Vorschrift, können Eltern gegen sie klagen. » | Christian Weisflog, Washington | Freitag, 1. April 2022
Disney's opposition to gender identity law angers DeSantis: Florida’s tetchy Republican governor Ron DeSantis is threatening retaliation against the state’s largest private employer Disney after it pledged to work to overturn the state’s controversial new “don’t say gay” law banning gender identity discussions in schools. »
Die Beziehung zwischen der in Florida dominierenden Republikanischen Partei und der Walt Disney Company gestaltete sich bisher weitgehend harmonisch. Schliesslich ist der Unterhaltungsriese mit seinen Vergnügungsparks einer der grössten Arbeitgeber im Sunshine State und ein Touristenmagnet. Während die Politik den Konzern mit Steuerentlastungen und anderen Privilegien unterstützte, revanchierte sich die Traumfabrik mit grosszügigen Parteispenden. Gemäss dem «Orlando Sentinel» soll Disney seit Jahresbeginn 2021 mindestens 2,2 Millionen Dollar an politische Kandidaten und Komitees in Florida überwiesen haben. Rund 80 Prozent dieser Gelder seien an die Republikaner und konservative Kreise gegangen.
Am Montag jedoch unterzeichnete der republikanische Gouverneur Ron DeSantis ein neues Gesetz, welches das symbiotische Verhältnis zwischen den Micky-Maus-Erfindern und der konservativen Mehrheitspartei in Florida vor eine Zerreissprobe stellt. Offiziell heisst die neue Regelung «Gesetz für elterliche Rechte in der Bildung». Ihre Gegner sprechen jedoch vom «Sag nicht schwul»-Gesetz, weil es den Unterricht über sexuelle Orientierungen und Geschlechtsidentitäten vom Kindergarten bis mindestens zur dritten Klasse verbietet. Hält sich eine Schulbehörde oder ein Lehrer nicht an diese Vorschrift, können Eltern gegen sie klagen. » | Christian Weisflog, Washington | Freitag, 1. April 2022
Disney's opposition to gender identity law angers DeSantis: Florida’s tetchy Republican governor Ron DeSantis is threatening retaliation against the state’s largest private employer Disney after it pledged to work to overturn the state’s controversial new “don’t say gay” law banning gender identity discussions in schools. »
Dimitra’s Dishes : Orange & Almond Olive Oil Paximadia: Vegan Biscotti
Get the recipe here.
'The Last Straw': Former Oligarch on Renouncing Russian Citizenship
Amerikanische Reisepässe mit „X“ als Geschlecht möglich
FRANKFURTER ALLGEMEINE ZEITUNG: Vom 11. April an können Amerikaner sich im Reisepass als drittgeschlechtlich eintragen lassen. Damit sei ein Meilenstein erreicht, sagt Außenminister Blinken.
In den Vereinigten Staaten können Bürger von diesem Monat an auf dem Antrag für einen neuen Reisepass die Angabe „X“ für ein drittes Geschlecht auswählen. Damit habe man einen weiteren Meilenstein dabei erreicht, „allen Bürgern unabhängig von ihrer Geschlechtsidentität besser zu dienen“, teilte Außenminister Antony Blinken am Donnerstag mit. » | Quelle: DPA_Basis | Donnertag, 31. März 2022
Conversion Therapy: Ban to Go-ahead but Not Cover Trans People
BBC: The government insists it will ban so-called conversion therapy for gay or bisexual people in England and Wales - but not for transgender people.
It comes hours after it had said it would drop the ban entirely.
The announcement that it would explore "non-legislative measures" to prevent the practice prompted a furious response from LGBT groups and many MPs.
According to NHS England, conversion therapy tries to change someone's sexual orientation or gender identity.
A senior government source has told the BBC the ban will feature in the next Queen's Speech.
Just hours earlier, a government spokesperson had said the ban would be dropped and they would instead review ways to stop conversion therapy practices through existing law and "other non-legislative measures".
But news that ministers are now only planning to ban conversion therapy for cisgender people - those whose gender identity is in-line with their biological sex - has been met with criticism from some MPs and charities.
The Rainbow Project, said any ban that didn't include transgender people was "not a real ban". Labour MP Nadia Whittome said it was "still not good enough", before adding: "LGB comes with the T, and the Tories are not on our side". » | Sophie Gallagher & Josh Parry, BBC News | Friday, April1, 2022
Related.
What are LGBTQ+ conversion practices and why is there a push to ban them?: Boris Johnson performed two U-turns on Thursday about Tory pledge to ban LGBT conversion practices »
As a lesbian woman, I was subjected to conversion practices. We must protect trans people against this abuse: Trans people are nearly twice as likely as lesbian and gay people to undergo interventions that range from prayers to forced rape »
It comes hours after it had said it would drop the ban entirely.
The announcement that it would explore "non-legislative measures" to prevent the practice prompted a furious response from LGBT groups and many MPs.
According to NHS England, conversion therapy tries to change someone's sexual orientation or gender identity.
A senior government source has told the BBC the ban will feature in the next Queen's Speech.
Just hours earlier, a government spokesperson had said the ban would be dropped and they would instead review ways to stop conversion therapy practices through existing law and "other non-legislative measures".
But news that ministers are now only planning to ban conversion therapy for cisgender people - those whose gender identity is in-line with their biological sex - has been met with criticism from some MPs and charities.
The Rainbow Project, said any ban that didn't include transgender people was "not a real ban". Labour MP Nadia Whittome said it was "still not good enough", before adding: "LGB comes with the T, and the Tories are not on our side". » | Sophie Gallagher & Josh Parry, BBC News | Friday, April1, 2022
Related.
What are LGBTQ+ conversion practices and why is there a push to ban them?: Boris Johnson performed two U-turns on Thursday about Tory pledge to ban LGBT conversion practices »
As a lesbian woman, I was subjected to conversion practices. We must protect trans people against this abuse: Trans people are nearly twice as likely as lesbian and gay people to undergo interventions that range from prayers to forced rape »
Boris Johnson Ditches Conversion Therapy Ban in Shameful U-turn
PINK NEWS: Boris Johnson has ditched his long-promised conversion therapy ban.
ITV News reported that an official briefing document confirms Johnson “has agreed we should not move forward with legislation to ban LGBT conversion therapy”.
This is despite a ban on the practice being announced in the Queen’s Speech last year, and the government running a major consultation on the issue.
A government spokesperson confirmed: “Having explored this sensitive issue in great depth the government has decided to proceed by reviewing how existing law can be deployed more effectively to prevent this in the quickest way possible, and explore the use of other non-legislative measures.”
Theresa May first promised to outlaw the practice in 2018.
The leaked document suggests the U-turn will be announced in May’s Queen’s Speech, and that the Ukraine war could be used as justification. . » | Reiss Smith | Thursday, March 31, 2022
This is indeed shameful! It shows us clearly that the man is duplicitous, unprincipled and weak. – Mark
Related article.
Thursday, March 31, 2022
Putin Critic Mikhail Khodorkovsky: Putin Realizes 'There Can Be No Military Solution' | DW Interview
Boris Johnson Ditches Plans for Ban on LGBT Conversion Practices
THE GUARDIAN: Leaked document forces government to announce change in approach despite repeated promises
A protester holds up a sign during a Reclaim Pride protest last year. Photograph: Vuk Valcic/Sopa Images/Rex/Shutterstock
Boris Johnson has ditched plans for a legal ban on conversion practices despite repeated promises for such a move, Downing Street has confirmed.
The government announced the change of policy after it emerged in a leaked document obtained by ITV News.
A government spokesperson said: “Having explored this sensitive issue in great depth the government has decided to proceed by reviewing how existing law can be deployed more effectively to prevent this in the quickest way possible, and explore the use of other non-legislative measures.”
Conversion practices attempt to change or suppress a person’s sexuality or gender identity and Johnson and his predecessor Theresa May promised to make it illegal.
The move to drop plans for a legal ban was condemned by the Liberal Democrats. The party’s equalities spokesperson, the MP Wera Hobhouse, said: “This is not just yet another U-turn from the Tories, but giving the green light to a form of torture in the UK. This is an utter betrayal of the LGBT+ community. » | Heather Stewart and Harriet Sherwood | Thursday, March 31, 2022
This is proof that BoJo is not only a clown; but he is a contemptible clown! Conversion therapy is not only very dangerous; it is also ineffective and unenlightened. BoJo, you are a disgrace to your party; moreover, you are unworthy of the leadership position you hold. You have ditched the ban on conversion therapy; now it is time—high time—for the country to ditch you! – © Mark
Boris Johnson has ditched plans for a legal ban on conversion practices despite repeated promises for such a move, Downing Street has confirmed.
The government announced the change of policy after it emerged in a leaked document obtained by ITV News.
A government spokesperson said: “Having explored this sensitive issue in great depth the government has decided to proceed by reviewing how existing law can be deployed more effectively to prevent this in the quickest way possible, and explore the use of other non-legislative measures.”
Conversion practices attempt to change or suppress a person’s sexuality or gender identity and Johnson and his predecessor Theresa May promised to make it illegal.
The move to drop plans for a legal ban was condemned by the Liberal Democrats. The party’s equalities spokesperson, the MP Wera Hobhouse, said: “This is not just yet another U-turn from the Tories, but giving the green light to a form of torture in the UK. This is an utter betrayal of the LGBT+ community. » | Heather Stewart and Harriet Sherwood | Thursday, March 31, 2022
This is proof that BoJo is not only a clown; but he is a contemptible clown! Conversion therapy is not only very dangerous; it is also ineffective and unenlightened. BoJo, you are a disgrace to your party; moreover, you are unworthy of the leadership position you hold. You have ditched the ban on conversion therapy; now it is time—high time—for the country to ditch you! – © Mark
Rachmaninov Piano Concerto No 2, Evgeny Kissin HD
Aufgeklärte Menschen in der modernen Welt nennen es normal, Liebe füreinander auszudrücken; Wladimir Putin und sein Freund, der Patriarch der russisch-orthodoxen Kirche, nennen es Dekadenz!
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FRANKFURTER ALLGEMEINE ZEITUNG: Der Vatikan und der Papst setzen auf Moskaus Patriarchen Kirill als Friedensstifter. Doch Russlands Orthodoxe Kirche ist eng mit Putin und dem Kreml verbunden.
Am 8. März appellierte Kardinal Jean-Claude Hollerich, Vorsitzender der katholischen Bischofskonferenzen der EU, an Patriarch Kirill: Das Oberhaupt der russisch-orthodoxen Kirche solle auf die Moskauer Machthaber einwirken, damit diese eine „diplomatische Lösung des Konflikts“ in der Ukraine suchten, auf der Grundlage von „Dialog, gesundem Menschenverstand und Respekt für das Völkerrecht“. Neun Tage später erhielt der Erzbischof von Luxemburg eine Antwort von Metropolit Hilarion, dem Leiter des Außenamts der russisch-orthodoxen Kirche, die man als Absage werten muss.
Zwar ist die Rede von „dramatischen Ereignissen auf dem vielgeprüften Boden der Ukraine“. Doch sei „ganz offensichtlich, dass der gegenwärtige Konflikt nicht mit immer neuen öffentlichen Erklärungen gelöst werden kann“. Wie sonst das russische Außenministerium, fordert Hilarion eine „Absage an die Sprache der Ultimaten“. Man habe ein „besonderes Gebet für die baldige Wiederherstellung des Friedens“ in der Ukraine in die Liturgie aufgenommen, schreibt der Metropolit zwar. Doch was darunter aus Moskauer Sicht zu verstehen ist, hatte wenige Tage zuvor Pa¬triarch Kirill klargemacht: Er übergab Viktor Solotow, dem Leiter der Nationalgarde, während eines Gottesdienstes in der Moskauer Christ-Erlöser-Kathedrale eine Ikone der Muttergottes, welche „die jungen Krieger inspirieren“ solle. Solotow sagte, die Ikone werde „die russische Streitmacht schützen und unseren Sieg beschleunigen“. » | Von Friedrich Schmidt, Politischer Korrespondent für Russland und die GUS in Moskau. | Donnerstag, 31. März 2022
Um weiterzulesen, muß man abonniert sein. Hier sind die beliebtesten Abonnements der Frankfurter Allgemeineren Zeitung.
Eine Reise durch das Baltikum | Reportage HD | ARTE
Putin Authorizes Draft of Nearly 135,000 into Russian Military
How Long Will Russian Forces Continue to Hold Positions? | Ukraine Latest
Mar 31, 2022 • The shelling has not stopped in Ukraine, even after Russia announced it would scale down its military activity.
It's thought Russia now wants to focus on securing control over the Donbas region in the east of Ukraine. Ukrainian President Volodymr Zelenskyy says his forces will fight for ''every meter of land''.
This comes as the US says its intelligence suggests Russian President Vladimir Putin is being misled by fearful advisors about his military's poor performance in Ukraine. Intelligence reports from the British defense ministry say Russian forces continue to hold positions to the east and west of Kyiv and that the outskirts of the Ukrainian capital are likely to see heavy fighting in the coming days.
Bombings have continued unabated in the besieged port city of Mariupol. Ukraine's deputy prime minister says a convoy of 45 buses is on its way to the city to try and evacuate civilians - after Russia said it would pause fighting there today. Previous attempts to open a humanitarian corridor from Mariupol have failed.
It's thought Russia now wants to focus on securing control over the Donbas region in the east of Ukraine. Ukrainian President Volodymr Zelenskyy says his forces will fight for ''every meter of land''.
This comes as the US says its intelligence suggests Russian President Vladimir Putin is being misled by fearful advisors about his military's poor performance in Ukraine. Intelligence reports from the British defense ministry say Russian forces continue to hold positions to the east and west of Kyiv and that the outskirts of the Ukrainian capital are likely to see heavy fighting in the coming days.
Bombings have continued unabated in the besieged port city of Mariupol. Ukraine's deputy prime minister says a convoy of 45 buses is on its way to the city to try and evacuate civilians - after Russia said it would pause fighting there today. Previous attempts to open a humanitarian corridor from Mariupol have failed.
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