LE FIGARO : Emmanuel Macron a tenu ces propos dans Le Parisien en réaction aux critiques de Mateusz Morawiecki sur ses entretiens téléphoniques avec Vladimir Poutine.
L'ambassadeur de France en Pologne a été convoqué vendredi 8 avril au ministère des Affaires étrangères à la suite des propos d'Emmanuel Macron accusant le chef du gouvernement polonais d'«antisémitisme d'extrême droite», a annoncé Varsovie.
«Suite aux déclarations contenues dans l'interview du président de la République française Emmanuel Macron au Parisien, le ministre (polonais, ndlr) Zbigniew Rau a décidé de convoquer l'ambassadeur de France», a indiqué sur Twitter, le porte-parole du ministère polonais des Affaires étrangères. Dans un entretien au quotidien le Parisien jeudi, le président français a accusé le premier ministre polonais Mateusz Morawiecki d'être «un antisémite d'extrême droite, qui interdit les LGBT», après l'avoir déjà accusé de «s'immiscer dans la campagne politique française», pointant sa proximité avec sa rivale d'extrême droite à la présidentielle Marine Le Pen. » | Par Le Figaro avec AFP | vendredi 8 avril 2022
Friday, April 08, 2022
France's Fearful Campaign | People and Power
Apr 7, 2022 • France's centrist President Emmanuel Macron is seeking a fresh term in office, with the first round of voting set for April 10.
For much of the campaign, with the left in apparent disarray, his main opponents from the populist far right have been steadily gaining ground - reshaping the national conversation around immigration, economic grievances and identity politics.
Then came the crisis in Ukraine, giving Macron an opportunity to show off his international experience and altering the electoral landscape once more.
Now, as polling day approaches, it seems likely that the second runoff round of voting on April 24 will be between Macron and Marine Le Pen of the far-right National Rally party.
So what has this complex, sometimes fearful, election revealed about the changing nature of French politics?
For much of the campaign, with the left in apparent disarray, his main opponents from the populist far right have been steadily gaining ground - reshaping the national conversation around immigration, economic grievances and identity politics.
Then came the crisis in Ukraine, giving Macron an opportunity to show off his international experience and altering the electoral landscape once more.
Now, as polling day approaches, it seems likely that the second runoff round of voting on April 24 will be between Macron and Marine Le Pen of the far-right National Rally party.
So what has this complex, sometimes fearful, election revealed about the changing nature of French politics?
Lithuania's Foreign Minister Discusses the Ongoing Russian Invasion of Ukraine
Ukraine War: West 'Spooked' by Kremlin and a 'Robust' Response Is Needed
Apr 8, 2022 • Tobias Ellwood MP tells Sky News the West has been "spooked" by Kremlin rhetoric, and a "robust" response is needed to stand up against the Russian government.
The Chair of the House of Commons Defence Select Committee said Ukraine needed greater weapon systems, and "daft" arguments about whether weapons were defensive or offensive needed to stop.
He said Putin seemed very secure in his job and wasn't "scared" of any war crimes or breaching of the Geneva Conventions.
The Chair of the House of Commons Defence Select Committee said Ukraine needed greater weapon systems, and "daft" arguments about whether weapons were defensive or offensive needed to stop.
He said Putin seemed very secure in his job and wasn't "scared" of any war crimes or breaching of the Geneva Conventions.
Ukraine Small Taste of What's to Come from Putin: Bill Browder
French Election: Far-right Le Pen Closes In on Macron ahead of Vote
BBC: The least a president might expect, when juggling a war in Europe with an election at home, is a bounce in the polls.
But Emmanuel Macron has discovered that all the energy he spent dealing with Vladimir Putin's war in Ukraine has been of little help in France's unpredictable vote.
"Nothing is impossible," President Macron has warned, as polls suggest his far-right rival is closer than ever before to winning the presidency.
A month ago, Marine Le Pen was trailing President Macron by 10 points and fighting for a place in the second round against him.
Now she's seen as the clear favourite to challenge him for the presidency after Sunday's first round. If she does make it through to the 24 April run-off, opinion polls suggest for the first time that a Le Pen victory is within the margin of error.
For this, the National Rally leader can thank two men once seen as dangerous for her campaign: her far-right rival, Eric Zemmour, and Russian President Vladimir Putin, now an international pariah. » | Lucy Williamson, BBC Paris correspondent | Friday, April 8, 2022
Suivez le dernier jour de campagne ici.
But Emmanuel Macron has discovered that all the energy he spent dealing with Vladimir Putin's war in Ukraine has been of little help in France's unpredictable vote.
"Nothing is impossible," President Macron has warned, as polls suggest his far-right rival is closer than ever before to winning the presidency.
A month ago, Marine Le Pen was trailing President Macron by 10 points and fighting for a place in the second round against him.
Now she's seen as the clear favourite to challenge him for the presidency after Sunday's first round. If she does make it through to the 24 April run-off, opinion polls suggest for the first time that a Le Pen victory is within the margin of error.
For this, the National Rally leader can thank two men once seen as dangerous for her campaign: her far-right rival, Eric Zemmour, and Russian President Vladimir Putin, now an international pariah. » | Lucy Williamson, BBC Paris correspondent | Friday, April 8, 2022
Suivez le dernier jour de campagne ici.
Ukraine War: Russia's Nobel Winning Editor Muratov Doused with Paint
BBC: Russia's Nobel Peace Prize winning journalist Dmitry Muratov says he has been attacked with red paint laced with the solvent acetone aboard a train.
"My eyes are burning terribly," said the editor of the Novaya Gazeta liberal newspaper, which has halted its operations after warning from Moscow over its Russia-Ukraine war coverage.
The male attacker shouted, "Muratov, this is for our boys," he said.
Novaya Gazeta is known for being highly critical of the Russian authorities.
Last month, it announced it was suspending its print and online operation "until the end of Russia's special military operation" in Ukraine - the official term Russia's media regulator Roskomnadzor says all media outlets in the country must use. Anyone who describes Russia's actions in Ukraine as a "war" faces heavy fines or closures. » | Thursday, April 7, 2022
Angriff auf Friedensnobelpreisträger Muratow: Der Chefredakteur der kremlkritischen Zeitung „Nowaja Gaseta“ wurde in einem Zug attackiert und mit Farbe überschüttet. Der Anschlag scheint im Zusammenhang mit der Berichterstattung über den Ukraine-Krieg zu stehen. »
'Putin Will Be Gone Soon': Exiled Russian Dissident Ilya Ponomarev • FRANCE 24 English
Fears Genocidal Language in Russian Media May Prompt More War Crimes
THE GUARDIAN: State news agency publishes article decrying ‘Ukrainianism’ as an ‘artificial anti-Russian construct with no civilisational substance’
RT editor-in-chief Margarita Simonyan claimed on TV that Ukrainian people ‘have turned out to be engulfed in the madness of nazism’. Photograph: Dmitry Feoktistov/Tass
Two days after Russia began its war in Ukraine, the state-run RIA Novosti news agency accidentally published an article celebrating the country’s lightning-quick victory over Kyiv, crowing that the “period of the split of the Russian people is coming to an end”.
After a bloody month of war, after the discovery of evidence of war crimes in cities like Bucha and Borodyanka, the language in that same publication has grown even more extreme, containing calls for societal purges and “re-education” that western officials said could provoke further abuses on the ground.
“Ukrainianism is an artificial anti-Russian construct that has no civilisational substance of its own, a subordinate element of an extraneous and alien civilisation,” wrote a RIA Novosti columnist earlier this week. The “re-education” of Ukraine could take a generation, he wrote, adding that “besides the highest ranks, a significant number of common people are also guilty of being passive Nazis and Nazi accomplices”. » | Andrew Roth, Moscow correspondent | Thursday, April 7, 2022
Russia-Ukraine war latest news.
And GOP / Trump propaganda from across the Pond: The G.O.P.’s ‘Putin Wing’ »
Video: Authoritarianism, Putin & the GOP Are a Threat »
Two days after Russia began its war in Ukraine, the state-run RIA Novosti news agency accidentally published an article celebrating the country’s lightning-quick victory over Kyiv, crowing that the “period of the split of the Russian people is coming to an end”.
After a bloody month of war, after the discovery of evidence of war crimes in cities like Bucha and Borodyanka, the language in that same publication has grown even more extreme, containing calls for societal purges and “re-education” that western officials said could provoke further abuses on the ground.
“Ukrainianism is an artificial anti-Russian construct that has no civilisational substance of its own, a subordinate element of an extraneous and alien civilisation,” wrote a RIA Novosti columnist earlier this week. The “re-education” of Ukraine could take a generation, he wrote, adding that “besides the highest ranks, a significant number of common people are also guilty of being passive Nazis and Nazi accomplices”. » | Andrew Roth, Moscow correspondent | Thursday, April 7, 2022
Russia-Ukraine war latest news.
And GOP / Trump propaganda from across the Pond: The G.O.P.’s ‘Putin Wing’ »
Video: Authoritarianism, Putin & the GOP Are a Threat »
Sunak’s Wife Potentially Avoided £20m in UK Tax
THE GUARDIAN – AN EXTRACT: Chancellor accused of ‘breathtaking hypocrisy’ …
Chancellor must ‘lead by example’
…
Akshata Murty, the chancellor’s wife, has potentially avoided up to £20m in UK tax by being non-domiciled, leading to Labour accusations of “breathtaking hypocrisy” against Rishi Sunak. The heiress has collected about 5.4bn Indian rupees (£54.5m) in dividends from Infosys, the India-based IT business founded by her father, over the past seven-and-a-half years, the period for which there is public data. Non-dom status for that whole period could have saved her about £20m in UK taxes.
The furore risks further damaging Sunak’s public image already battered by a mini-budget forecast to lead to the biggest drop in living standards since records began in the 1950s. » | Graham Russell | Guardian morning briefing | Friday, April 8, 2022
Related article here.
Chancellor must ‘lead by example’
…
Akshata Murty, the chancellor’s wife, has potentially avoided up to £20m in UK tax by being non-domiciled, leading to Labour accusations of “breathtaking hypocrisy” against Rishi Sunak. The heiress has collected about 5.4bn Indian rupees (£54.5m) in dividends from Infosys, the India-based IT business founded by her father, over the past seven-and-a-half years, the period for which there is public data. Non-dom status for that whole period could have saved her about £20m in UK taxes.
The furore risks further damaging Sunak’s public image already battered by a mini-budget forecast to lead to the biggest drop in living standards since records began in the 1950s. » | Graham Russell | Guardian morning briefing | Friday, April 8, 2022
Related article here.
Thursday, April 07, 2022
Channel Islands, 1940: When the Nazis Invaded England | Hitler's England | Timeline
Sign up to History Hit and get 50% off using the code 'TIMELINE here.
Habsburgs Allüren • Was die Öffentlichkeit nicht erfahren sollte
Jan 27, 2022 • Die Habsburger waren eine gediegene, strikten Traditionen verpflichtete Herrscherfamilie. Apart und geschliffen gaben sie die Aushängeschilder der Donaumonarchie. Doch im Schatten des Thrones gab es auch die schwarzen, verrückten und verliebten Schafe der Familie. Gekennzeichnet durch schräge Charaktere, eigenartige Vorlieben oder ungewöhnliche Freizeitbeschäftigungen. Die neue Dokumentation von Christian Papke spürt für „Erbe Österreich“ den habsburgischen Sonderlingen, ihren Lieblingsplätzen und bemerkenswerten Biographien nach.
Das liebe Geld. Auch wenn man meinen möchte, dass ein Herrscherhaus über unbegrenzte Mittel verfügen müsste, machte es den Habsburgern zuweilen das Leben schwer. Umso leichter fiel es manchen Mitgliedern des Herrscherhauses, das Geld mit beiden Händen auszugeben. Seine Träume zu realisieren und seinen Neid auf den herrschenden Bruder Franz Josef zu kompensieren, ließ sich Erzherzog Ferdinand Maximilian, der spätere Kaiser von Mexiko, einiges kosten. Dass seine Vorfahren aufgrund zahlreicher Kriege unter chronischen Geldnöten litten, ist bekannt. Dass man aber in der Hofburg trotz nicht unbeträchtlicher Apanagen, Gehälter, Reichtümer so wie Kaiserin Zita um Wohnbeihilfe ansuchte, ist wohl weniger geläufig. Vor allem die Affären und Unsittlichkeiten, die spätestens im 19. Jahrhundert zunahmen oder zumindest öffentlich wahrnehmbarer wurden, belasteten die Reputation des Kaiserhauses immer stärker.
Eines der Sorgenkinder des Kaisers Franz Joseph war Erzherzog Johann Salvator. Der mit Kronprinz Rudolf befreundete Militär, ein „Lausbub“ so Kulturhistoriker Hannes Etztstorfer, beschloss eines Tages ‚aus seiner Familie auszutreten‘. Er wollte seine Geliebte Milli Stubel, eine Tänzerin an der Wiener Hofoper, heiraten und in den Sonnenuntergang segeln. Allerdings misslang das Manöver, und das Familienmitglied des Herrscherhauses ging unter mysteriösen Umständen wohl bei Afrika samt Schiff und Geliebter unter.
Für einen anderen Skandal sorgte Erzherzog Leopold Salvator. Wie viele der habsburgischen Toskanalinie war er der Marine und Skandalen zugetan. Als er sich eines Tages in die Prostituierte Wilhelmine Adamovic verliebte und diese zu ehelichen gedachte, schickte ihn der Kaiser zunächst in eine Anstalt für Nervenkranke. Doch Leopold blieb bei seiner Entscheidung und heiratete. Scheiterte. Ließ sich scheiden. Heiratete eine zweite Halbwelt-Dame. Schlussendlich heiratete er noch ein drittes Mal. Aber schon längst war er kein Mitglied des Herrscherhauses mehr. Er hatte alle Ansprüche und Privilegien verwirkt.
Genauso wie seine Schwester Luise von Österreich-Toskana. Aus der dynastischen Ehe mit dem Kronprinzen von Sachsen floh sie mit dem Sprachlehrer ihrer Kinder. Sagte sich später auch von ihm los. Heiratete einen italienischen Komponisten, was ebenfalls misslang. Und schon längst war auch sie aus dem österreichischen Erzhaus geflogen.
Nur einer hatte ein Happy-End:
Der in Graz stationierte Feldmarschallleutnant Erzherzog Heinrich verliebte sich in die Sängerin Leopoldine Hofmann, die auch beinah Fenster an Fenster mit ihm wohnte. Um sie ehelichen zu können, trickste er in Bozen zwei Kirchenväter aus, heiratete heimlich und begab sich selbst ins Exil. Groß war die Überraschung, als der Kaiser ihn persönlich wieder in die Familie aufnahm. Schließlich hatte auch seine Majestät selbst mit seiner geliebten Sisi, der Kaiserin Elisabeth eine Frau mit extremem Charakter an seiner Seite, mit der nicht immer gut Kirschenessen war, und die unter anderem eine Reisetoilette in Form eines Delfins mit sich führte. Heinrich jedenfalls führte fortan in Bozen eine zurückgezogene und glückliche Ehe mit seiner Poldi und wurde zum Wohltäter der schmucken Südtiroler Stadt.
Das liebe Geld. Auch wenn man meinen möchte, dass ein Herrscherhaus über unbegrenzte Mittel verfügen müsste, machte es den Habsburgern zuweilen das Leben schwer. Umso leichter fiel es manchen Mitgliedern des Herrscherhauses, das Geld mit beiden Händen auszugeben. Seine Träume zu realisieren und seinen Neid auf den herrschenden Bruder Franz Josef zu kompensieren, ließ sich Erzherzog Ferdinand Maximilian, der spätere Kaiser von Mexiko, einiges kosten. Dass seine Vorfahren aufgrund zahlreicher Kriege unter chronischen Geldnöten litten, ist bekannt. Dass man aber in der Hofburg trotz nicht unbeträchtlicher Apanagen, Gehälter, Reichtümer so wie Kaiserin Zita um Wohnbeihilfe ansuchte, ist wohl weniger geläufig. Vor allem die Affären und Unsittlichkeiten, die spätestens im 19. Jahrhundert zunahmen oder zumindest öffentlich wahrnehmbarer wurden, belasteten die Reputation des Kaiserhauses immer stärker.
Eines der Sorgenkinder des Kaisers Franz Joseph war Erzherzog Johann Salvator. Der mit Kronprinz Rudolf befreundete Militär, ein „Lausbub“ so Kulturhistoriker Hannes Etztstorfer, beschloss eines Tages ‚aus seiner Familie auszutreten‘. Er wollte seine Geliebte Milli Stubel, eine Tänzerin an der Wiener Hofoper, heiraten und in den Sonnenuntergang segeln. Allerdings misslang das Manöver, und das Familienmitglied des Herrscherhauses ging unter mysteriösen Umständen wohl bei Afrika samt Schiff und Geliebter unter.
Für einen anderen Skandal sorgte Erzherzog Leopold Salvator. Wie viele der habsburgischen Toskanalinie war er der Marine und Skandalen zugetan. Als er sich eines Tages in die Prostituierte Wilhelmine Adamovic verliebte und diese zu ehelichen gedachte, schickte ihn der Kaiser zunächst in eine Anstalt für Nervenkranke. Doch Leopold blieb bei seiner Entscheidung und heiratete. Scheiterte. Ließ sich scheiden. Heiratete eine zweite Halbwelt-Dame. Schlussendlich heiratete er noch ein drittes Mal. Aber schon längst war er kein Mitglied des Herrscherhauses mehr. Er hatte alle Ansprüche und Privilegien verwirkt.
Genauso wie seine Schwester Luise von Österreich-Toskana. Aus der dynastischen Ehe mit dem Kronprinzen von Sachsen floh sie mit dem Sprachlehrer ihrer Kinder. Sagte sich später auch von ihm los. Heiratete einen italienischen Komponisten, was ebenfalls misslang. Und schon längst war auch sie aus dem österreichischen Erzhaus geflogen.
Nur einer hatte ein Happy-End:
Der in Graz stationierte Feldmarschallleutnant Erzherzog Heinrich verliebte sich in die Sängerin Leopoldine Hofmann, die auch beinah Fenster an Fenster mit ihm wohnte. Um sie ehelichen zu können, trickste er in Bozen zwei Kirchenväter aus, heiratete heimlich und begab sich selbst ins Exil. Groß war die Überraschung, als der Kaiser ihn persönlich wieder in die Familie aufnahm. Schließlich hatte auch seine Majestät selbst mit seiner geliebten Sisi, der Kaiserin Elisabeth eine Frau mit extremem Charakter an seiner Seite, mit der nicht immer gut Kirschenessen war, und die unter anderem eine Reisetoilette in Form eines Delfins mit sich führte. Heinrich jedenfalls führte fortan in Bozen eine zurückgezogene und glückliche Ehe mit seiner Poldi und wurde zum Wohltäter der schmucken Südtiroler Stadt.
British Sovereignty over the Falklands Is an Absurd Imperial Hangover That Must End
THE GUARDIAN – OPINION: Forty years after the war in the South Atlantic, common sense demands a negotiated settlement with Argentina
Port Stanley, Falkland Islands. ‘In 2012 it was estimated that British taxpayers paid more than £20,000 per islander for defence alone.’ Photograph: Marcos Brindicci/Reuters
This April is the 40th anniversary of the start of the Falklands war. Less well known is that it is the 41st anniversary of a final attempt by the British government to concede sovereignty over the islands to the enemy in that war, Argentina. Negotiations in New York were in progress, aimed at securing self-government for the islands under a long lease from Argentina. Had they succeeded, it could have avoided war, resolved an archaic imperial dispute, and brought the islanders peace with their neighbours.
This was not to be. The talks ran into opposition both on the islands and on the Tory backbenches in London. At the same time a belligerent military regime under General Galtieri seized power in Buenos Aires and had other ideas. In April 1982, the regime took the islands by force, only to be driven from them by a British taskforce two months later. No peace deal was reached and the Falklands became an embattled fortress in the South Atlantic, with troops, jets and warships on permanent station.
The war cost Britain about £2.8bn (£9.5bn in present value) and the islands’ defence costs upwards of £60m annually. In 2012 it was estimated that British taxpayers paid more than £20,000 per islander for defence alone, and approximately one-third of the population worked for the government. Unlike other former colonies such as Gibraltar, relations with the nearest nation-state are thin. Though living in a technically autonomous British overseas territory, the islanders are wholly dependent on Britain. » | Simon Jenkins | Thursday, April 7, 2022
This April is the 40th anniversary of the start of the Falklands war. Less well known is that it is the 41st anniversary of a final attempt by the British government to concede sovereignty over the islands to the enemy in that war, Argentina. Negotiations in New York were in progress, aimed at securing self-government for the islands under a long lease from Argentina. Had they succeeded, it could have avoided war, resolved an archaic imperial dispute, and brought the islanders peace with their neighbours.
This was not to be. The talks ran into opposition both on the islands and on the Tory backbenches in London. At the same time a belligerent military regime under General Galtieri seized power in Buenos Aires and had other ideas. In April 1982, the regime took the islands by force, only to be driven from them by a British taskforce two months later. No peace deal was reached and the Falklands became an embattled fortress in the South Atlantic, with troops, jets and warships on permanent station.
The war cost Britain about £2.8bn (£9.5bn in present value) and the islands’ defence costs upwards of £60m annually. In 2012 it was estimated that British taxpayers paid more than £20,000 per islander for defence alone, and approximately one-third of the population worked for the government. Unlike other former colonies such as Gibraltar, relations with the nearest nation-state are thin. Though living in a technically autonomous British overseas territory, the islanders are wholly dependent on Britain. » | Simon Jenkins | Thursday, April 7, 2022
Breaking: Russia Expelled from UN Human Rights Council
Beethoven Eroica & Schubert Unfinished | Daniel Barenboim & the Staatskapelle Berlin
Mar 24, 2022 • Beethoven’s Eroica as a symbol against the war in Ukraine: Daniel Barenboim, the Staatskapelle Berlin and the Staatsopernchor perform Ludwig van Beethoven’s Symphony No. 3 (“Eroica”), Franz Schubert’s Symphony No. 8 (“Unfinished Symphony”) and Mykhailo Verbytsky’s Ukrainian national anthem at the Concert for Peace. The proceeds of the concert will go to humanitarian aid projects for Ukrainians affected by the war
The Concert for Peace took place on March 6, 2022 at the Berlin Staatsoper Unter den Linden. It was supported by Christine Lagarde, President of the European Central Bank (ECB) and Joachim Nagel, President of the German Bundesbank. Proceeds from the Concert for Peace will go to the United Nations Ukraine Humanitarian Fund (UHF). Also present were German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, German Defence Minister Christine Lambrecht and German Finance Minister Christian Lindner.
Including :
Mykhailo Verbytsky (1815 - 1870)
Ukrainian National Anthem - composed on the poem “Ukraine has not yet perished” by Pavlo Chubynsky
The Concert for Peace took place on March 6, 2022 at the Berlin Staatsoper Unter den Linden. It was supported by Christine Lagarde, President of the European Central Bank (ECB) and Joachim Nagel, President of the German Bundesbank. Proceeds from the Concert for Peace will go to the United Nations Ukraine Humanitarian Fund (UHF). Also present were German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, German Defence Minister Christine Lambrecht and German Finance Minister Christian Lindner.
Including :
Mykhailo Verbytsky (1815 - 1870)
Ukrainian National Anthem - composed on the poem “Ukraine has not yet perished” by Pavlo Chubynsky
Russia's Largest Search Engine Hides Info on Ukraine War, Says Former Head of News
Londongrad: How the UK Became a Laundromat for Russian Oligarchs’ Dirty Money
Analyst Says Putin Has a Dark Reason for Keeping His Daughters a Secret
The Man at the Center of the French Election Isn’t Even on the Ballot
THE NEW YORK TIMES: PARIS — Like the rest of Europe, France is gripped by the war in Ukraine. Days from the first round of the presidential election here, the incumbent, Emmanuel Macron, hopes to prevail with what was, for much of the last two months, a muted campaign in which he posed as a steady hand in a time of global instability.
But for all the talk of a united West, the truth is that a noxious blend of oligarchy, nostalgia and bellicose nationalism is ever more ubiquitous on this side of the new Iron Curtain. In France, it is led by a buoyant and confident new right, represented in this election by Marine Le Pen, leader of the far-right National Rally; Valérie Pécresse of the ostensibly moderate Republicans; and Éric Zemmour, the pugilistic proto-fascist commentator turned candidate.
Yet their electoral showing this month may be but a sideshow in a broader attempt to remake French politics. Behind them all, to one degree or another, is someone not even on the ballot: the media mogul Vincent Bolloré. The scion of an old industrial family, Mr. Bolloré wields a fearsome agenda-setting power; his outlets, known for adopting the flair, tics and style of Fox News, play an outsize role in directing the national debate. The three candidates from the right — and much of the political class, in fact — recycle, in varying shades, messages that run on a loop on his networks. » | Harrison Stetler * | Thursday, April 7, 2022
* Mr. Stetler is a journalist who writes about French politics.
Rishi Sunak Faces Questions over Wife Akshata Murty's Non-dom Tax Status
BBC: Chancellor Rishi Sunak is facing calls to "come clean" on his family's financial affairs after it emerged his wife benefits from a tax-saving scheme.
Millionaire Akshata Murty has non-dom status, meaning she does not have to pay UK tax on income earned abroad.
Her spokeswoman said Ms Murty pays all legally required tax in the UK.
But Labour said it was not right that the chancellor and his family were "sheltering" from UK taxes.
Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer said Mr Sunak had "very serious questions to answer" and called for "complete transparency".
"If it now transpires that his wife has used schemes to reduce her tax, while he's been increasing taxes on working people, that's breathtaking hypocrisy," he said. He said it "just goes to show just how out of touch this chancellor is" at a time when taxes were increasing for millions of workers. » | Thursday, April 7, 2022
This is utter hypocrisy! For the wife of the Chancellor of the Exchequer, the man who sets the tax rates, to have a wife who avoids paying Her Majesty’s taxes is appalling in the extreme. Apart from anything else, the optics of this are terrible. Sunak should, and hopefully will, pay the price of these shenanigans. This couple clearly want the penny and the bun! © Mark
Related article here.
Akshata Murty’s non-dom status is totally legal – and perfectly toxic for Rishi Sunak: In failing to take the initiative over the tricky issue of his family’s wealth, the chancellor has dented his own brand »
Timothy Garton Ash: "Es ist das endgültige Ende der Nach-Mauer-Periode"
DER STANDARD: Die Ukrainer werden ihre Nation wieder aufbauen, aber nur mit dem Ausblick auf eine EU-Mitgliedschaft, sagt der Historiker im Gespräch mit Hans Rauscher
Hören Sie hier das Interview. Interview, Video / Hans Rauscher, Gerald Zagler, Vedran Pilipović | 7. April 2022
Rishi Sunak’s Wife Claims Non-domicile Status
THE GUARDIAN: Tax status allows Akshata Murthy to avoid tax on foreign earnings
Akshata Murthy earns an estimated £11.5m a year in dividends from her stake in Indian company Infosys. Photograph: Samir Hussein/WireImage
Rishi Sunak’s multi-millionaire wife claims non-domicile status, it has emerged, which allows her to save millions of pounds in tax on dividends collected from her family’s IT business empire.
Akshata Murthy, who receives about £11.5m in annual dividends from her stake in the Indian IT services company Infosys, declares non-dom status, a scheme that allows people to avoid tax on foreign earnings.
Murthy, the daughter of Infosys’s billionaire founder, owns a 0.93% stake in the tech firm worth approximately £690m. The company’s most recent accounts suggest that Murthy’s stake would have yielded her £11.6m in dividend payments in the last tax year.
Under UK tax laws, Murthy’s status as a non-dom would mean she would not have had to pay tax on the dividend payment from overseas companies. Infosys is headquartered in Bengaluru, India, and listed on the Indian and New York stock exchange. By contrast, UK resident taxpayers pay a 38.1% tax on dividend payouts. » | Rupert Neate | Wednesday, April 6, 2022
Rishi Sunak’s multi-millionaire wife claims non-domicile status, it has emerged, which allows her to save millions of pounds in tax on dividends collected from her family’s IT business empire.
Akshata Murthy, who receives about £11.5m in annual dividends from her stake in the Indian IT services company Infosys, declares non-dom status, a scheme that allows people to avoid tax on foreign earnings.
Murthy, the daughter of Infosys’s billionaire founder, owns a 0.93% stake in the tech firm worth approximately £690m. The company’s most recent accounts suggest that Murthy’s stake would have yielded her £11.6m in dividend payments in the last tax year.
Under UK tax laws, Murthy’s status as a non-dom would mean she would not have had to pay tax on the dividend payment from overseas companies. Infosys is headquartered in Bengaluru, India, and listed on the Indian and New York stock exchange. By contrast, UK resident taxpayers pay a 38.1% tax on dividend payouts. » | Rupert Neate | Wednesday, April 6, 2022
Wednesday, April 06, 2022
Putin 'Won’t Stop at Ukraine,’ US Must 'Be Ready to Stop' Him: Durbin
US UN Ambassador Wants to Suspend Russia From the UN Human Rights Council | Amanpour and Company
Les pays baltes cherchent à se sevrer du gaz russe
LE MONDE : Alors que la Lituanie a annoncé qu’elle ne consommerait désormais plus de gaz naturel provenant de Russie, ses voisins estonien et letton, ainsi que la Finlande se démènent pour y parvenir le plus rapidement possible.
C’est une proclamation d’indépendance un peu particulière à laquelle s’est livrée la Lituanie, ces derniers jours : celle d’un pays qui, il y a moins de dix ans encore, était totalement dépendant du gaz naturel russe, et qui vient de décider, en quelques semaines, de fermer définitivement le robinet. « Plus une molécule de gaz russe n’entrera dans le système gazier lituanien », a ainsi annoncé le ministre de l’énergie, Dainius Kreivys, samedi 2 avril, sur Twitter, tandis que la première ministre, Ingrida Simonyte, confirmait le lendemain que son pays ne « consommerait plus 1 mètre cube de gaz russe toxique ». » | Par Anne-Françoise Hivert (Malmö (Suède), correspondante régionale) | mercredi 6 avril 2022
Article réservé aux abonnés
C’est une proclamation d’indépendance un peu particulière à laquelle s’est livrée la Lituanie, ces derniers jours : celle d’un pays qui, il y a moins de dix ans encore, était totalement dépendant du gaz naturel russe, et qui vient de décider, en quelques semaines, de fermer définitivement le robinet. « Plus une molécule de gaz russe n’entrera dans le système gazier lituanien », a ainsi annoncé le ministre de l’énergie, Dainius Kreivys, samedi 2 avril, sur Twitter, tandis que la première ministre, Ingrida Simonyte, confirmait le lendemain que son pays ne « consommerait plus 1 mètre cube de gaz russe toxique ». » | Par Anne-Françoise Hivert (Malmö (Suède), correspondante régionale) | mercredi 6 avril 2022
Article réservé aux abonnés
January 6 Panel Receives Trump Lawyer Emails about Plan to Block Biden Victory
THE GUARDIAN: House panel receives 101 emails belonging John Eastman, concerning plans to obstruct certification of 2020 election result
John Eastman and Rudy Giuliani in Washington DC on 6 January 2021. Photograph: Jim Bourg/Reuters
The House select committee investigating the January 6 insurrection at the US Capitol has received a cache of emails belonging to Donald Trump’s lawyer, John Eastman, federal court documents filed on Tuesday show.
The 101 emails were released to the committee after Judge David Carter ruled In federal court in California last week that Eastman, a hard-right supporter of the former US president, had not made a sufficient claim to attorney-client privilege.
The cache of documents, sent between 4 and 7 January 2021, contains extensive communications between Eastman and others about plans to obstruct the certification of Joe Biden’s victory in the 2020 presidential election. » | Oliver Laughland | Wednesday, April 6, 2022
Clearly, Trump is a Putin wannabee. There's one simple solution. To use Trump's own words: Lock him up! – © Mark
The House select committee investigating the January 6 insurrection at the US Capitol has received a cache of emails belonging to Donald Trump’s lawyer, John Eastman, federal court documents filed on Tuesday show.
The 101 emails were released to the committee after Judge David Carter ruled In federal court in California last week that Eastman, a hard-right supporter of the former US president, had not made a sufficient claim to attorney-client privilege.
The cache of documents, sent between 4 and 7 January 2021, contains extensive communications between Eastman and others about plans to obstruct the certification of Joe Biden’s victory in the 2020 presidential election. » | Oliver Laughland | Wednesday, April 6, 2022
Clearly, Trump is a Putin wannabee. There's one simple solution. To use Trump's own words: Lock him up! – © Mark
German Police Raid Neo-Nazi Cells across Country
THE GUARDIAN: Four arrested after more than 1,000 officers swoop on homes of 50 suspects
Supporters of the Third Way, a far-right political party, gather for a rally earlier this month.Photograph: Jens Schlueter/Getty Images
German authorities have swooped on alleged neo-Nazi militant cells and arrested four suspects as the country pursues a forceful crackdown on far-right extremists.
In what Der Spiegel magazine called “the biggest blow against the militant neo-Nazi scene in the recent past”, the federal prosecutor’s office said more than 1,000 officers had raided the homes of 50 suspects in 11 states.
“The four men arrested are accused of membership of a rightwing extremist criminal organisation,” it said in a statement, adding that some had also received other charges, including grievous bodily harm.
Spiegel reported that one of the suspects was a non-commissioned officer in the German armed forces.
The suspects targeted on Wednesday were believed to belong to the far-right martial arts group Knockout 51, the banned Combat 18, named after the order in the alphabet of Adolf Hitler’s initials, the US-based Atomwaffen Division or the online propaganda group Sonderkommando 1418.
Germany’s centre-left-led government under chancellor Olaf Scholz took office in December pledging a decisive fight against far-right militants after criticism that the previous administration had been lax on neo-Nazi violence. » | AFP in Berlin | Wednesday, April 6, 2022
Bundesweite Großrazzia: Verfassungsschutz sieht wichtigen Schlag gegen Rechtsextremisten: Mit Razzien in elf Bundesländern sind Ermittler gegen mutmaßliche militante Neonazi-Netzwerke vorgegangen. Verfassungsschutzpräsident Haldenwang spricht von einem »großen Erfolg der Sicherheitsbehörden«. »
German authorities have swooped on alleged neo-Nazi militant cells and arrested four suspects as the country pursues a forceful crackdown on far-right extremists.
In what Der Spiegel magazine called “the biggest blow against the militant neo-Nazi scene in the recent past”, the federal prosecutor’s office said more than 1,000 officers had raided the homes of 50 suspects in 11 states.
“The four men arrested are accused of membership of a rightwing extremist criminal organisation,” it said in a statement, adding that some had also received other charges, including grievous bodily harm.
Spiegel reported that one of the suspects was a non-commissioned officer in the German armed forces.
The suspects targeted on Wednesday were believed to belong to the far-right martial arts group Knockout 51, the banned Combat 18, named after the order in the alphabet of Adolf Hitler’s initials, the US-based Atomwaffen Division or the online propaganda group Sonderkommando 1418.
Germany’s centre-left-led government under chancellor Olaf Scholz took office in December pledging a decisive fight against far-right militants after criticism that the previous administration had been lax on neo-Nazi violence. » | AFP in Berlin | Wednesday, April 6, 2022
Bundesweite Großrazzia: Verfassungsschutz sieht wichtigen Schlag gegen Rechtsextremisten: Mit Razzien in elf Bundesländern sind Ermittler gegen mutmaßliche militante Neonazi-Netzwerke vorgegangen. Verfassungsschutzpräsident Haldenwang spricht von einem »großen Erfolg der Sicherheitsbehörden«. »
Frédéric Chopin: Les Sylphides - 2. Nocturne in A♭ Major, Op. 32, No. 2 | Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra | Herbert von Karajan
Jul 31, 2018 • Provided to YouTube by Universal Music Group
Producer: Elsa Schiller
Producer, Recording Producer: Hans Weber
Studio Personnel, Balance Engineer: Günter Hermanns
Studio Personnel, Editor: Rolf Peter Schroeder
Composer: Frédéric Chopin
Arranger, Work Arranger: Roy Douglas
Producer: Elsa Schiller
Producer, Recording Producer: Hans Weber
Studio Personnel, Balance Engineer: Günter Hermanns
Studio Personnel, Editor: Rolf Peter Schroeder
Composer: Frédéric Chopin
Arranger, Work Arranger: Roy Douglas
„Würden Sie mit Hitler verhandeln?“
FRANKFURTER ALLGEMEINE ZEITUNG: Frankreichs Präsident Emmanuel Macron will den Dialog mit Wladimir Putin fortführen. Der polnische Regierungschef Mateusz Morawiecki greift ihn deshalb scharf an – schont aber Marine Le Pen trotz ihrer Verbindungen nach Moskau.
Mit Zurückweisung hat der französische Präsident Emmanuel Macron am Mittwoch auf Vorhaltungen des polnischen Ministerpräsidenten Mateusz Morawiecki reagiert. Wie der Elysée-Palast mitteilte, seien die Vorwürfe „inakzeptabel“. Morawiecki hatte Macron kritisiert, weil er den Dialog mit dem russischen Staatschef Wladimir Putin aufrechterhält. „Präsident Macron, wie oft haben Sie mit Putin verhandelt? Was haben Sie erreicht?“, sagte Morawiecki. „Würden Sie mit Hitler, mit Stalin, mit Pol Pot verhandeln?“, fragte der polnische Regierungschef am Dienstag in einer Rede in Krakau. » | Von Michaela Wiegel, Politische Korrespondentin mit Sitz in Paris. | Mittwoch, 6. April 2022
Ukraine : Macron dénonce les critiques «scandaleuses» du premier ministre polonais : Invité du 20 heures de TF1 mercredi soir, le président-candidat a vivement répondu à Mateusz Morawiecki, qui, selon lui, «s'immisce dans la campagne politique française». Et «assume totalement» de parler à Vladimir Poutine. »
French Cooking Academy: Stephane Shows Us How to Cook Perfect Madeleines at Home
May 25, 2018 • In order to get perfect-looking madeleines, you first need to use a recipe that works. Also, you need a metal madeleine baking tray. My madeleine recipe is for the plain madeleines, but once you master this recipe you can start adding extra flavourings like lemon or orange zest, chocolate nuggets, jam, or nuts. You can also vary the size: small madeleines, large madeleines and so much more. So just use your imagination and start inventing new ways on making delicious madeleines at home.
Did you know that madeleines are one the most famous little French cakes there are and have been mass-produced since the end of the 19th century. They became really popular during the Second World War.
Get the recipe here.
Did you know that madeleines are one the most famous little French cakes there are and have been mass-produced since the end of the 19th century. They became really popular during the Second World War.
Get the recipe here.
US Imposes Sanctions on Putin's Daughters and Russian Banks
I wrote this essay on March 1. I still stand by what I stated in the short essay. Dithering is wrong; and expecting Ukrainians to do all our fighting for us is simply wrong, immoral, and becoming increasingly untenable! – Mark | Read the short essay here.
Putin’s Daughters Targeted in US Sanctions against Russia
THE GUARDIAN: Joe Biden links new measures directly to accounts of atrocities committed by Russian forces in Bucha
Putin’s daughter Katerina Tikhonova, an academic at Moscow State University and acrobatic rock’n’roll dancer. Photograph: Evgenia Novozhenina/Reuters
The US has announced a new round of sanctions targeting Russia’s top public and private banks and two daughters of Vladimir Putin, following mounting global accusations of Russian war crimes in Ukraine.
The sanctions targeted Maria Vorontsova and Katerina Tikhonova, two adult daughters of Putin’s with his former wife Lyudmila Shkrebneva.
Also hit with new sanctions were the wife and daughter of the Russian foreign minister Sergei Lavrov and members of Russia’s security council, including the former president and prime minister Dmitry Medvedev and the current prime minister Mikhail Mishustin.
“These individuals have enriched themselves at the expense of the Russian people. Some of them are responsible for providing the support necessary to underpin Putin’s war on Ukraine,” the White House said.
“We believe that many of Putin’s assets are hidden with family members, and that’s why we’re targeting them,” a senior US official told reporters, referring to the two daughters.
The White House also declared “full blocking” sanctions on Russia’s largest public and private financial institutions, Sberbank and Alfa Bank, and said all new US investment in Russia was now prohibited.
New sanctions would be announced on Thursday on key Russian state enterprises, it said, aiming to hamper their ability to trade and move money through the global financial system. » | Jennifer Rankin in Brussels and agencies | Wesnesday, April 6, 2022
The US has announced a new round of sanctions targeting Russia’s top public and private banks and two daughters of Vladimir Putin, following mounting global accusations of Russian war crimes in Ukraine.
The sanctions targeted Maria Vorontsova and Katerina Tikhonova, two adult daughters of Putin’s with his former wife Lyudmila Shkrebneva.
Also hit with new sanctions were the wife and daughter of the Russian foreign minister Sergei Lavrov and members of Russia’s security council, including the former president and prime minister Dmitry Medvedev and the current prime minister Mikhail Mishustin.
“These individuals have enriched themselves at the expense of the Russian people. Some of them are responsible for providing the support necessary to underpin Putin’s war on Ukraine,” the White House said.
“We believe that many of Putin’s assets are hidden with family members, and that’s why we’re targeting them,” a senior US official told reporters, referring to the two daughters.
The White House also declared “full blocking” sanctions on Russia’s largest public and private financial institutions, Sberbank and Alfa Bank, and said all new US investment in Russia was now prohibited.
New sanctions would be announced on Thursday on key Russian state enterprises, it said, aiming to hamper their ability to trade and move money through the global financial system. » | Jennifer Rankin in Brussels and agencies | Wesnesday, April 6, 2022
Russian Teacher ‘Shocked’ as She Faces Jail over Anti-war Speech Pupils Taped
THE GUARDIAN: Fears of ‘Stalinisation’ of society after Irina Gen was called in by spy agency and prosecuted over recorded message
Irina Gen voiced her disapproval of the way Russian state media framed the bombing of a maternity hospital in the besieged city of Mariupol
When Irina Gen, a 55-year-old English and German language teacher in the Russian city of Penza, embarked on an anti-war speech in her classroom, little did she know she was being recorded by her own students.
“I just wanted to broaden my students’ worldview. I hoped to break through the propaganda that is being fed to this country. But look where it got me,” said Gen, who faces a long-term prison sentence for “discrediting” the Russian army after her message went viral.
On 18 March, Gen’s 13- and 14-year-old students asked her why Russian athletes were banned from participating in international competitions – a decision by the west that she said she tried to put in context.
“Until Russia starts to behave in a civilised manner, the non-admission of Russian athletes to competitions will continue forever … I think that is correct,” she said in the audio, which was first shared by Kremlin-linked Telegram channels. “Russia wanted to reach Kyiv and overthrow the government! Ukraine is, in fact, a sovereign state, there is a sovereign government … We are living in a totalitarian regime. Any dissent is considered a crime.” Gen also voiced her disapproval of the way Russian state media framed the bombing of a maternity hospital in the besieged city of Mariupol as a Ukrainian-style provocation. » | Pjotr Sauer | Wednesday, April 6, 2022
When Irina Gen, a 55-year-old English and German language teacher in the Russian city of Penza, embarked on an anti-war speech in her classroom, little did she know she was being recorded by her own students.
“I just wanted to broaden my students’ worldview. I hoped to break through the propaganda that is being fed to this country. But look where it got me,” said Gen, who faces a long-term prison sentence for “discrediting” the Russian army after her message went viral.
On 18 March, Gen’s 13- and 14-year-old students asked her why Russian athletes were banned from participating in international competitions – a decision by the west that she said she tried to put in context.
“Until Russia starts to behave in a civilised manner, the non-admission of Russian athletes to competitions will continue forever … I think that is correct,” she said in the audio, which was first shared by Kremlin-linked Telegram channels. “Russia wanted to reach Kyiv and overthrow the government! Ukraine is, in fact, a sovereign state, there is a sovereign government … We are living in a totalitarian regime. Any dissent is considered a crime.” Gen also voiced her disapproval of the way Russian state media framed the bombing of a maternity hospital in the besieged city of Mariupol as a Ukrainian-style provocation. » | Pjotr Sauer | Wednesday, April 6, 2022
Putin gegen die Welt | Biografie | ZDFzeit Doku
Mar 13, 2022 • Putin gegen die Welt | Die Biografie | ZDFzeit Doku Zwischen Kanzler-Kumpel und Kaltem Krieger: Wladimir Putin hat eine enge, aber komplizierte Beziehung zu Deutschland. Er schätzt Land und Leute, viele westliche Werte aber lehnt er ab. Dass der russische Präsident eine besondere Nähe zu den Deutschen verspürt, gehört zu den Gründungsmythen seiner Präsidentschaft. Er selbst hat kräftig daran geschraubt. Doch heute sind die beiden Länder so zerstritten wie lange nicht mehr.
Wer trägt Schuld an der erkalteten Beziehung? In dieser Frage sind die Deutschen gespalten, es scheint fast eine Glaubenssache. Die einen sind überzeugt: Tief im Herzen ist Putin eigentlich ein Verbündeter, der vom Westen nur provoziert wird. Die anderen sehen in Putin einen machthungrigen Autokraten, der Kriege anzettelt und Demokratien untergräbt. Unstrittig ist: Deutschland und Präsident Putin haben eine lange gemeinsame Vergangenheit. Er hat in der DDR gelebt und gearbeitet, spricht gut Deutsch und schätzt das Bier und die deutsche Pünktlichkeit.
Bei seinem Antrittsbesuch als russischer Präsident beeindruckt Putin 2001 die Abgeordneten des Bundestags mit jungenhaftem Charme und einer versöhnlichen Rede auf Deutsch, in der er das Ende des Kalten Krieges, mehr Demokratie für Russland und eine Annäherung an Europa verkündet. Viele Deutsche sehen seine Heimat- und Naturverbundenheit, seine Sportbegeisterung und seine hemdsärmelige Art mit Sympathie. Auch seine Geheimdienstzeit in Dresden und sein Engagement für enge deutsch-russische Wirtschaftsbeziehungen werden als Belege für seine Deutschland-Sympathie gewertet.
Doch für viele andere Deutsche sind die Träume einer engen deutsch-russischen Freundschaft inzwischen geplatzt. Für sie lautet die ernüchternde Bilanz: Putin kann mit den freien Demokratien des Westens nichts anfangen. Im Gegenteil, er sieht sie als Gefahr für seine Macht und unterstützt deshalb aktiv die Gegner liberaler Gesellschaften. Er nimmt keine Rücksicht auf westliche Werte, krempelt Russland zu einem autoritären Staat um und baut mit aggressiver Außenpolitik ein Gegengewicht zum Westen auf.
"ZDFzeit" taucht ein in die schillernde Biografie Wladimir Putins und analysiert, wie er es wirklich mit den Deutschen hält. Der Film stellt die unterschiedlichen Sichtweisen auf Wladimir Putin vor. Alte Weggefährten und Zeitzeugen kommen zu Wort, Spitzenpolitiker diskutieren die Frage, welcher Umgang mit Putin der richtige ist. Muss Russland weiter mit Sanktionen belegt werden, oder ist deren Abbau das Gebot der Stunde? Russische Insider wie Putins Spindoktor Gleb Pawlowski, die Präsidentschaftskandidatin Xenija Sobtschak und der erzkonservative Kreml-Vordenker Konstantin Malofejew ergänzen das Bild um die russische Perspektive auf die Entwicklung der Beziehungen zwischen Putin und den Deutschen.
Wer trägt Schuld an der erkalteten Beziehung? In dieser Frage sind die Deutschen gespalten, es scheint fast eine Glaubenssache. Die einen sind überzeugt: Tief im Herzen ist Putin eigentlich ein Verbündeter, der vom Westen nur provoziert wird. Die anderen sehen in Putin einen machthungrigen Autokraten, der Kriege anzettelt und Demokratien untergräbt. Unstrittig ist: Deutschland und Präsident Putin haben eine lange gemeinsame Vergangenheit. Er hat in der DDR gelebt und gearbeitet, spricht gut Deutsch und schätzt das Bier und die deutsche Pünktlichkeit.
Bei seinem Antrittsbesuch als russischer Präsident beeindruckt Putin 2001 die Abgeordneten des Bundestags mit jungenhaftem Charme und einer versöhnlichen Rede auf Deutsch, in der er das Ende des Kalten Krieges, mehr Demokratie für Russland und eine Annäherung an Europa verkündet. Viele Deutsche sehen seine Heimat- und Naturverbundenheit, seine Sportbegeisterung und seine hemdsärmelige Art mit Sympathie. Auch seine Geheimdienstzeit in Dresden und sein Engagement für enge deutsch-russische Wirtschaftsbeziehungen werden als Belege für seine Deutschland-Sympathie gewertet.
Doch für viele andere Deutsche sind die Träume einer engen deutsch-russischen Freundschaft inzwischen geplatzt. Für sie lautet die ernüchternde Bilanz: Putin kann mit den freien Demokratien des Westens nichts anfangen. Im Gegenteil, er sieht sie als Gefahr für seine Macht und unterstützt deshalb aktiv die Gegner liberaler Gesellschaften. Er nimmt keine Rücksicht auf westliche Werte, krempelt Russland zu einem autoritären Staat um und baut mit aggressiver Außenpolitik ein Gegengewicht zum Westen auf.
"ZDFzeit" taucht ein in die schillernde Biografie Wladimir Putins und analysiert, wie er es wirklich mit den Deutschen hält. Der Film stellt die unterschiedlichen Sichtweisen auf Wladimir Putin vor. Alte Weggefährten und Zeitzeugen kommen zu Wort, Spitzenpolitiker diskutieren die Frage, welcher Umgang mit Putin der richtige ist. Muss Russland weiter mit Sanktionen belegt werden, oder ist deren Abbau das Gebot der Stunde? Russische Insider wie Putins Spindoktor Gleb Pawlowski, die Präsidentschaftskandidatin Xenija Sobtschak und der erzkonservative Kreml-Vordenker Konstantin Malofejew ergänzen das Bild um die russische Perspektive auf die Entwicklung der Beziehungen zwischen Putin und den Deutschen.
W5: The Mind-boggling Wealth and Privilege of Russian Oligarchs
From Marylebone to Caribbean: wealth of Abramovich’s business partners revealed: Exclusive: Documents seen by Guardian show empire of Russian steel barons Alexander Abramov and Aleksandr Frolov »
Why Tracking Putin’s Wealth Is So Difficult: Amid speculation that oligarchs are holding cash and luxury assets for the Russian president, many of his extravagances can be traced elsewhere: the Russian state. »
Waffenlieferungen und Sanktionen – was ist Ihr Plan, Herr Bundeskanzler?
Autocracy Intensifies in Europe | The Mehdi Hasan Show
Fmr. Treasury Sec. Summers on Sanctions: “The West Has Cowered and Dithered” | Amanpour and Company
Ukraine: Bucha Atrocities Draw International Condemnation | DW News
Twitter Moves to Limit Russian Government Accounts
BBC: Twitter has limited content from more than 300 official Russian government accounts, including that of Russian President Vladimir Putin.
The accounts will no longer be recommended in timelines, notifications or elsewhere on the site, Twitter said.
The company said it would take action against any country which "restricts access to the open internet while they're engaged in armed conflict".
The platform has been severely limited in Russia since war began in Ukraine .
Currently Putin has two official accounts on the social media site: one in Russian and one in English. They have 3.6 million and 1.7 million followers respectively.
Twitter said allowing Russian government officials to post freely on the social media site, whilst simultaneously limiting the platform in Russia "creates a harmful information imbalance". » | ames Clayton, North America technology reporter | Tuesday, April 5, 2022
Ukraine War: Chanel Restricts Sales of Goods to Russians Abroad
BBC: French luxury giant Chanel has stopped selling its products to people who intend to take them to Russia, after shutting its stores in the country.
Moscow and some customers have accused the firm of being anti-Russian, and threatened to boycott the brand.
Chanel says it is just complying with European Union (EU) sanctions, which ban the sale to Russia of luxury goods priced at more than €300 ($327; £250).
Many Western firms halted operations in Russia after the Ukraine war started.
Chanel told the BBC that sanctions, imposed by the EU, as well as Switzerland, also prohibit the sale of luxury items to individuals who intend to use them in Russia.
The company said it "complies with all laws applicable to our operations and employees worldwide, including trade sanction laws".
"This is why we have rolled out a process to ask clients for whom we do not know the main residency to confirm that the items they are purchasing will not be used in Russia," Chanel said in a statement. » | BBC | Wednesday, April 6, 2022
Tuesday, April 05, 2022
La vie sans amour est réservée aux types secs et sobres !
Bei kaltem Wetter, gibt es nichts Eleganteres als einen Cape zu tragen! Elegant und salopp.
Stefan Aust: Ukraine-Krieg? "Wahnsinnig gefährlich! Dann stehen wir vor dem dritten Weltkrieg!"
WIKIPEDIA: Stefan Aust [D].
Stefan Aust [E].
Prime Minister Speaks Directly to Russian People: 'You Deserve the Facts'
CALLEkocht : Lammragout zu Ostern. Wenige Zutaten - einfach - lecker
Zutaten:
1 Lammkeule
6 Zwiebeln
4 Knoblauchzehen
3 EL Oregano
3 EL Paprikapulver
2 EL Tomatenmark
2 EL Pflanzenöl
Salz und Pfeffer
Trockener Rotwein
400 g Champignons
Das Grauen von Butscha: »Ich weiß nicht, wie ich das beschreiben soll« | SPIEGEL TV
Kremlin Propaganda Shields Russians from Horrors of Ukraine Invasion
The 'Culture War' of Gay Conversion Therapy - Victoria Derbyshire
Apr 23, 2015 • Gay conversion therapy is a fiercely-contested topic - advocates claim it's not harmful but it's been condemned by UK health organisations. BBC's Benjamin Zand gained exclusive access to a seminar in London which looked at controversial gay conversion therapies. There had been calls for the conference, which was billed as "exploring unwanted same-sex attractions", to be banned - with campaigners saying there should be no place in the UK for people to teach that being gay is something that's wrong and should be cured. Earlier this month President Obama called for an end to 'gay conversion therapies' in the States.
In the UK - gay conversion is NOT illegal - but various health organisations - including NHS England and the Royal College of Psychiatrists - describe the treatment as "potentially harmful and unethical". So should it be banned?
In the UK - gay conversion is NOT illegal - but various health organisations - including NHS England and the Royal College of Psychiatrists - describe the treatment as "potentially harmful and unethical". So should it be banned?
EU-Kommission geht wegen Verstössen gegen die Rechtsstaatlichkeit gegen Ungarn vor
NEUE ZÜRCHER ZEITUNG: Ungarn kassiert jährlich Milliarden aus dem EU-Haushalt. Aber geht das Land auch anständig mit dem Geld um? Die EU-Kommission meint Nein.
Der ungarische Ministerpräsident Viktor Orban und EU-Kommissionspräsidentin Ursula von der Leyen in einer Aufnahme von 2020. | Francois Lenoir / Reuters
(dpa) Ungarn muss sich wegen möglicher Verstösse gegen die Rechtsstaatlichkeit als erstes Land einem Verfahren zur Kürzung von EU-Mitteln stellen. EU-Kommissionspräsidentin Ursula von der Leyen kündigte am Dienstag im Strassburger Europaparlament an, dass ihre Behörde den ersten Schritt des sogenannten Rechtsstaatsmechanismus unternehmen werde. Darüber habe die EU-Kommission die ungarischen Behörden am Dienstag informiert. » | dpa | Dienstag, 5. April 2022
L'UE lance contre Budapest la procédure liant fonds européens et respect de l'État de droit : La procédure inédite permet de suspendre le versement de fonds européens en cas de violation des principes de l'État de droit. Utilisée pour la première fois, elle vise la Hongrie. »
(dpa) Ungarn muss sich wegen möglicher Verstösse gegen die Rechtsstaatlichkeit als erstes Land einem Verfahren zur Kürzung von EU-Mitteln stellen. EU-Kommissionspräsidentin Ursula von der Leyen kündigte am Dienstag im Strassburger Europaparlament an, dass ihre Behörde den ersten Schritt des sogenannten Rechtsstaatsmechanismus unternehmen werde. Darüber habe die EU-Kommission die ungarischen Behörden am Dienstag informiert. » | dpa | Dienstag, 5. April 2022
L'UE lance contre Budapest la procédure liant fonds européens et respect de l'État de droit : La procédure inédite permet de suspendre le versement de fonds européens en cas de violation des principes de l'État de droit. Utilisée pour la première fois, elle vise la Hongrie. »
Ukraine War: Zelenskyy Tells UN Security Council Russians Must Face War Crimes Trial
Apr 5, 2022 • Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has told the UN Security Council that Russians who are implicated in suspected war crimes in Ukraine must face justice.
Speaking via video link, he said Russia must be punished as “an example” to other countries who broke international law.
He also told delegates that Moscow was trying to turn Ukraine into a nation of “silent slaves”
Speaking via video link, he said Russia must be punished as “an example” to other countries who broke international law.
He also told delegates that Moscow was trying to turn Ukraine into a nation of “silent slaves”
Total Wealth of World’s Billionaires Has Fallen to $12.7tn, Says Forbes
THE GUARDIAN: Number of billionaires worldwide falls by 329 amid Russian sanctions, according to Forbes
The total wealth of the world’s billionaires has dipped from a record high last year amid a drop in global stock markets since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, despite the planet’s richest people still holding a combined $12.7tn (£9.7tn) in assets.
According to the annual Forbes magazine ranking of the world richest people, the number of billionaires worldwide fell by 329 to 2,668, with the total value of their combined assets falling slightly from $13.1tn on the 2021 list.
It said that Putin’s invasion of Ukraine – and the avalanche of sanctions that followed – sent the Russian stock market and the rouble plummeting, resulting in 34 fewer Russian billionaires on the list. Those from the country with billionaire status almost all saw their fortunes stagnate or decline, with their total wealth dropping by more than $260bn compared with a year earlier.
Forbes said the decline in the total number of billionaires from 2,755 to 2,668 was the largest since the 2009 financial crisis, but followed an increase of more than 600 in 2021 when global stock bounced back from pandemic lows.
Elon Musk, the maverick boss of Tesla and SpaceX, was named the world’s richest man for the first time with a $219bn fortune, up $68bn on the previous year because of the carmaker’s soaring share price.
Musk leapfrogged Amazon’s Jeff Bezos, whose fortune dropped to $171bn after a small decline in the company’s share price and donations to charity. Bezos’s estimated $1.5bn charitable gifts pale in comparison with his ex-wife MacKenzie Scott, who has given away $12.5bn to more than 1,250 organisations in less than two years. Scott, who collected a $38bn settlement in her divorce from Bezos in 2019, has fallen from the 22nd-richest person on the planet to the 30th with a $43.6bn fortune. » | Rupert Neate | Tuesday, April 5, 2022
The total wealth of the world’s billionaires has dipped from a record high last year amid a drop in global stock markets since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, despite the planet’s richest people still holding a combined $12.7tn (£9.7tn) in assets.
According to the annual Forbes magazine ranking of the world richest people, the number of billionaires worldwide fell by 329 to 2,668, with the total value of their combined assets falling slightly from $13.1tn on the 2021 list.
It said that Putin’s invasion of Ukraine – and the avalanche of sanctions that followed – sent the Russian stock market and the rouble plummeting, resulting in 34 fewer Russian billionaires on the list. Those from the country with billionaire status almost all saw their fortunes stagnate or decline, with their total wealth dropping by more than $260bn compared with a year earlier.
Forbes said the decline in the total number of billionaires from 2,755 to 2,668 was the largest since the 2009 financial crisis, but followed an increase of more than 600 in 2021 when global stock bounced back from pandemic lows.
Elon Musk, the maverick boss of Tesla and SpaceX, was named the world’s richest man for the first time with a $219bn fortune, up $68bn on the previous year because of the carmaker’s soaring share price.
Musk leapfrogged Amazon’s Jeff Bezos, whose fortune dropped to $171bn after a small decline in the company’s share price and donations to charity. Bezos’s estimated $1.5bn charitable gifts pale in comparison with his ex-wife MacKenzie Scott, who has given away $12.5bn to more than 1,250 organisations in less than two years. Scott, who collected a $38bn settlement in her divorce from Bezos in 2019, has fallen from the 22nd-richest person on the planet to the 30th with a $43.6bn fortune. » | Rupert Neate | Tuesday, April 5, 2022
Hungary Election: Viktor Orban's Victory Hailed by Putin
BBC: Hungary's nationalist Prime Minister Viktor Orban has been congratulated by Russian President Vladimir Putin after he won a fourth term by a landslide in the country's general election.
His right-wing Fidesz party had 53% of votes with almost 99% counted.
The opposition alliance led by Peter Marki-Zay was far behind with 35%.
The Kremlin says Mr Putin expressed confidence that the two countries could develop further ties "despite the difficult international situation".
In his victory speech, Mr Orban criticised Brussels bureaucrats and Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky, calling them "opponents".
Mr Zelensky has repeatedly criticised Mr Orban's ban on the transfer of arms to Ukraine, with which it shares a border.
Based on preliminary results, the National Election Office said Fidesz would have 135 seats, a two-thirds majority, and the opposition alliance would have 56 seats.
The victory will be Fidesz's fourth successive win since 2010. With video » | BBC | Monday, April 4, 2022
Putins tschetschenischer Vollstrecker
FRANKFURTER ALLGEMEINE ZEITUNG: Der Herrscher Tschetscheniens gibt sich als treuester Krieger des russischen Präsidenten. Seine Kämpfer gelten als besonders grausam und sollen auch in Butscha im Einsatz gewesen sein.
Ramsan Kadyrow hat sich einst als Wladimir Putins „Fußsoldat“ bezeichnet. Im Ukrainekrieg gibt der Herrscher der Nordkaukasus-Teilrepublik Tschetschenien mit seinen als „Kadyrowzy“ gefürchteten Kämpfern immer mehr den Chef einer Prätorianergarde, der Befehle des russischen Präsidenten auch gegen Abweichler aus eigenen Reihen schützt. » | Von Friedrich Schmidt | Dienstag, 5. April 2022
«Les soldats russes violaient sauvagement les femmes après avoir tué les hommes»: le récit de notre envoyée spéciale à Kiev
LE FIGARO : REPORTAGE - Boutcha, Irpin et Hostomel, au nord de Kiev, épicentres des exactions de l’armée russe.
En près de dix ans de métier, Kateryna Haliant n’avait jamais pleuré après une consultation. «C’est parce qu’on ne m’avait jamais raconté l’enfer», dit-elle. Cette psychologue clinicienne est l’une des quelques professionnels qui ont choisi de recevoir en consultation, gratuitement et de manière anonyme, des jeunes filles et des femmes affirmant avoir été violées par des militaires russes dans des territoires que ces derniers occupaient.
Les histoires se ressemblent, «comme si les Russes avaient planifié tout cela», juge Kateryna Haliant. «D’abord, le matin ou l’après-midi, les soldats vérifiaient qui vivait dans les maisons. Puis ils revenaient le soir, tuaient les éventuels hommes du foyer, pillaient l’argent et les objets précieux. Ils mangeaient et buvaient ce qu’ils trouvaient dans la maison et, quand ils étaient saouls, ils violaient les filles et les femmes. Même en présence d’enfants», raconte-t-elle, précisant que dans quasiment tous les cas connus par elle et ses collègues il s’agit de viols en réunion commis par des hommes de tous âges. » | Par Margaux Benn | lundi 4 avril 2022
Réservé aux abonnés
Putins Jünger: Russland-Demo in Berlin | SPIEGEL TV
En Suède, affluence record de volontaires sous contrat avec l’armée
LE MONDE : FACTUEL| Ces trois derniers mois, et particulièrement depuis le début de la guerre en Ukraine, le nombre de civils inscrits pour entrer dans la défense territoriale a explosé. Il faudrait remonter à 1940 pour voir pareil engouement.
En uniforme, un groupe de soldats casqués surgit d’un bosquet. Au signal de leur commandant, les militaires plongent à terre, deux par deux. L’un tient un lance-grenades antichar sur son épaule, pendant que l’autre le charge. Puis ils tirent sur une cible imaginaire et recommencent, jusqu’à ce qu’ils reçoivent l’ordre de battre en retraite. « L’objectif de l’exercice aujourd’hui est d’acquérir des réflexes », apprécie le lieutenant Carl-Johan Nyberg, chef de la défense territoriale de Scanie, dans le sud de la Suède.
En face de lui se tiennent une vingtaine d’hommes et une femme. Tous sont volontaires. Membres de « hemvärnet », la défense territoriale suédoise, ils passent ce premier week-end d’avril sur le champ de tir du régiment du sud de la Suède, à Rinkaby. En plus de se familiariser avec le lance-grenades, c’est aussi l’occasion, pour les derniers arrivés, de faire plus ample connaissance avec leurs compagnons de bataillon. » | Par Anne-Françoise Hivert (Rinkaby (Suède), envoyée spéciale ) | mardi 5 avril 2022
Réservé à aux abonnés
It’s Time to Confront the Trump-Putin Network
THE GUARDIAN – OPINION: A stunning number of Trump’s closest associates had deep ties to the Kremlin. The significance of this cannot be overstated
The most striking role of the Russian government in the 2016 US election was its many, many ties with the Trump campaign.’ Photograph: Joe Marino/UPI/Rex/Shutterstock
In 2014, the Putin regime invaded Ukraine’s Crimea. In 2016, the same regime invaded the United States. The former took place as a conventional military operation; the latter was a spectacular case of cyberwarfare, including disinformation that it was happening at all and promulgation of a lot of talking points still devoutly repeated by many. It was a vast social-media influencing project that took many forms as it sought to sow discord and confusion, even attempting to dissuade Black voters from voting.
Additionally, Russian intelligence targeted voter rolls in all 50 states, which is not thought to have had consequences, but demonstrated the reach and ambition of online interference. This weekend, British investigative journalist Carole Cadwalladr said on Twitter, “We failed to acknowledge Russia had staged a military attack on the West. We called it ‘meddling.’ We used words like ‘interference.’ It wasn’t. It was warfare. We’ve been under military attack for eight years now.”
As she notes, Putin’s minions were not only directing their attention to the United States, and included pro-Brexit efforts and support for France’s far-right racist National Front party. The US interference – you could call it cyberwarfare, or informational invasion – took many forms. Stunningly, a number of left-wing news sources and pundits devoted themselves to denying the reality of the intervention and calling those who were hostile to the Putin regime cold-war red-scare right-wingers, as if contemporary Russia was a glorious socialist republic rather than a country ruled by a dictatorial ex-KGB agent with a record of murdering journalists, imprisoning dissenters, embezzling tens of billions and leading a global neofascist white supremacist revival. In discrediting the news stories and attacking critics of the Russian government, they provided crucial cover for Trump. In her 2019 testimony… » | Rebecca Solnit | Wednesday, March 2, 2022
Eventhough this excellent article is a month or so old, I am posting it because it is very insightful and, in my opinion, a must read. It is particularly relevant for the French with their upcoming presidential elections, and of course for Americans, especially for Republicans who have great affection for Donald Trump! – Mark
In 2014, the Putin regime invaded Ukraine’s Crimea. In 2016, the same regime invaded the United States. The former took place as a conventional military operation; the latter was a spectacular case of cyberwarfare, including disinformation that it was happening at all and promulgation of a lot of talking points still devoutly repeated by many. It was a vast social-media influencing project that took many forms as it sought to sow discord and confusion, even attempting to dissuade Black voters from voting.
Additionally, Russian intelligence targeted voter rolls in all 50 states, which is not thought to have had consequences, but demonstrated the reach and ambition of online interference. This weekend, British investigative journalist Carole Cadwalladr said on Twitter, “We failed to acknowledge Russia had staged a military attack on the West. We called it ‘meddling.’ We used words like ‘interference.’ It wasn’t. It was warfare. We’ve been under military attack for eight years now.”
As she notes, Putin’s minions were not only directing their attention to the United States, and included pro-Brexit efforts and support for France’s far-right racist National Front party. The US interference – you could call it cyberwarfare, or informational invasion – took many forms. Stunningly, a number of left-wing news sources and pundits devoted themselves to denying the reality of the intervention and calling those who were hostile to the Putin regime cold-war red-scare right-wingers, as if contemporary Russia was a glorious socialist republic rather than a country ruled by a dictatorial ex-KGB agent with a record of murdering journalists, imprisoning dissenters, embezzling tens of billions and leading a global neofascist white supremacist revival. In discrediting the news stories and attacking critics of the Russian government, they provided crucial cover for Trump. In her 2019 testimony… » | Rebecca Solnit | Wednesday, March 2, 2022
Eventhough this excellent article is a month or so old, I am posting it because it is very insightful and, in my opinion, a must read. It is particularly relevant for the French with their upcoming presidential elections, and of course for Americans, especially for Republicans who have great affection for Donald Trump! – Mark
North Korea Would ‘Annihilate’ South If Provoked, Warns Kim Jong-un’s Sister
THE GUARDIAN: Warning points to a rise in tensions on the peninsula after the North conducted its first intercontinental ballistic missile test in five years
Kim Yo-jong, the influential sister of North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, seen here in 2018 speaking to former South Korean president Moon Jae-in. Kim berated Seoul for the second time in days. Photograph: Bae Jae-man/AP
The influential sister of North Korea’s leader, Kim Jong-un, has said the country’s nuclear forces would “annihilate” the South Korean military if it launched a pre-emptive strike against the regime.
Kim Yo-jong, who holds several senior positions in the government and ruling party, said the North had no intention of starting a second Korean war, but would respond if provoked and leave the South’s military in a state of “total destruction and ruin”.
Her comments after South Korea’s defence minister, Suh Wook, publicly discussed Seoul’s ability to “accurately and quickly hit any target in North Korea” with a range of weapons, as international unease grows over the North’s recent resumption of long-range missile tests. In another statement directed toward Suh on Sunday, she called him a “scum-like guy”. » | Justin McCurry in Tokyo and agencies | Tuesday, April 5, 2022
The influential sister of North Korea’s leader, Kim Jong-un, has said the country’s nuclear forces would “annihilate” the South Korean military if it launched a pre-emptive strike against the regime.
Kim Yo-jong, who holds several senior positions in the government and ruling party, said the North had no intention of starting a second Korean war, but would respond if provoked and leave the South’s military in a state of “total destruction and ruin”.
Her comments after South Korea’s defence minister, Suh Wook, publicly discussed Seoul’s ability to “accurately and quickly hit any target in North Korea” with a range of weapons, as international unease grows over the North’s recent resumption of long-range missile tests. In another statement directed toward Suh on Sunday, she called him a “scum-like guy”. » | Justin McCurry in Tokyo and agencies | Tuesday, April 5, 2022
Monday, April 04, 2022
Thomas Piketty Thinks America Is Primed for Wealth Redistribution
THE NEW YORK TIMES: In 2013, the French economist Thomas Piketty, in his best seller “Capital in the Twenty-First Century,” a book eagerly received in the wake of the 2008 economic collapse, put forth the notion that returns on capital historically outstrip economic growth (his famous r>g formula). The upshot? The rich get richer, while the rest of us stay stuck in the mud. Now, nearly a decade later, Piketty is set to publish “A Brief History of Equality,” in which he argues that we’re on a trajectory of greater, not less, equality and lays out his prescriptions for remedying our current corrosive wealth disparities. (In short: Tax the rich.) If the line from one book to the other looks slightly askew given the state of the world, then, Piketty suggests, you’re looking from the wrong vantage point. “I am relatively optimistic,” says Piketty, who is 50, “about the fact that there is a long-run movement toward more equality, which goes beyond the little details of what happens within a specific decade.” » | David Marchese | Photograph: Christopher Anderson/Magnum, for The New York Times | Friday, April 1, 2022
'Murderers, Torturers, Rapists': Zelensky Accuses Russia of ‘War Crimes’ Near Kyiv
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky in an address called the actions of the Russian military "war crimes", following reports of atrocities allegedly committed by the Russian forces in Bucha, near Kyiv.
Experts believe the violence was premeditated, consistent with Russian methods in past wars such as Chechnya, where brutalising civilians was seen as an effective method of crushing resistance.
After Kyiv sleeper suburb Bucha was liberated after being under siege for a month, those entering over the weekend found scenes from a horror movie that for local residents had been their final inescapable reality.
Experts believe the violence was premeditated, consistent with Russian methods in past wars such as Chechnya, where brutalising civilians was seen as an effective method of crushing resistance.
After Kyiv sleeper suburb Bucha was liberated after being under siege for a month, those entering over the weekend found scenes from a horror movie that for local residents had been their final inescapable reality.
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