Wednesday, April 13, 2022

Queen Elizabeth II and Britain's Leaders - Britain's Longest Reigning Monarch | DW Documentary

Apr 13, 2022 • On February 6, 2022, Queen Elizabeth II celebrated her 70th anniversary on the throne. No other head of state has been in power for so long. This film analyzes the fascinating relationship between the Queen and her prime ministers.

Winston Churchill was in love with his young queen. The relationship with Margaret Thatcher was difficult. Then there’s Brexiteer Boris Johnson - this film illuminates the very different relationships Queen Elizabeth has had with the many prime ministers who have served during her long reign. Filmmakers Katharina Wolff and Larissa Klinker examine Queen Elizabeth II’s role as the symbol of a centuries-old power structure in the United Kingdom. Although the British monarch has no direct political power, the prime minister travels from Downing Street to Buckingham Palace every week for a private audience.

In this film, personal secretaries, political experts and Buckingham Palace insiders reveal what is discussed at these private meetings and how much impact personalities have on the relationship between royalty and the government.

Using archival footage and personal accounts, the film shows how the queen accompanied her prime ministers through their time in office. Much has changed in the country in the 70 years of Elizabeth's reign. But one thing has stayed constant: Governments come and go, the Queen remains.


Abramovich Hit by Multibillion-pound Crackdown on Assets in Jersey and France

THE GUARDIAN: More than £5.4bn of Chelsea FC owner’s assets frozen in Jersey and 12 luxury French properties seized

The Chelsea FC owner was subjected to UK sanctions on 10 March after ministers accused him of having ‘clear connections’ to Putin’s regime. Photograph: Paul Gilham/Getty Images

Roman Abramovich has had more than £5.4bn of his assets frozen in Jersey and 12 luxury properties – including a near-£100m villa on the Riviera that was once the holiday home of King Edward VIII – seized by the French government.

The Royal Court of Jersey announced on Wednesday that it had imposed a formal freezing order on “assets understood to be valued in excess of US$7bn, which are suspected to be connected to Mr Abramovich and which are either located in Jersey or owned by Jersey incorporated entities”.

The Russian oligarch and Chelsea FC owner was also hit by another crackdown in France on the assets of individuals affected by sanctions. The economy and finance ministry announced on Wednesday that it had seized 33 properties owned by oligarchs who had been hit by sanctions, including a dozen belonging to Abramovich.

“They include homes, superyachts and helicopters, and add up to well over €25bn,” a French finance ministry source said. “There are 33 properties that have been frozen, including a dozen belonging to Roman Abramovich.”

Among the properties seized is Abramovich’s Château de la Croë villa in Cap d’Antibes, which has eight bedrooms, a 15-metre rooftop pool, gym and cinema. The villa, which was built in 1926, is set in 12 acres of manicured lawns overlooking the Mediterranean. High-end estate agents estimate the property is now worth £90m-£100m. » | Rupert Neate, Wealth correspondent and Pjotr Sauer | Wednesday, April 13, 2022

World Leader Describes Putin's Mindset during Meeting Yesterday

Apr 13, 2022 • CNN's Becky Anderson speaks with Austrian Chancellor Karl Nehammer, who met with President Vladimir Putin of Russia to confront him over his actions in Ukraine.

Eine Geschichte des Antisemitismus (3/4) | Doku HD | ARTE

Apr 13, 2022 • 1791 - 1945, dritte Folge: Freiheit, Gleichheit, Brüderlichkeit? Die Französische Revolution ließ die europäischen Juden auf ein Ende der Diskriminierung hoffen. Doch bald schon brachten politische Bewegungen und pseudowissenschaftliche Strömungen neue Formen des Judenhasses hervor – unter einem neuen Begriff: Antisemitismus.

Im 19. Jahrhundert tauchten neue, politisch und rassistisch motivierte Formen des Hasses auf Menschen jüdischen Glaubens auf. Ein neuer Begriff wurde dafür geprägt: Antisemitismus. Vorgebliche Kritik am aufstrebenden Kapitalismus des industriellen Zeitalters, die auf falscher Personalisierung und der Leugnung komplexer ökonomischer Zusammenhänge beruhte, wurde zum Kern des modernen Antisemitismus. Das sogenannte Weltjudentum war geboren und wurde gerne auch in Karikaturen angesehener großer europäischer Tageszeitungen dargestellt. Die sogenannte Dreyfus-Affäre (1894), als der aus dem Elsass stammende Offizier Alfred Dreyfus als Spion für das Deutsche Reich beschuldigt und zur Verbannung auf die Teufelsinsel verurteilt wurde, beförderte die Karikatur in ein neues Zeitalter und verlagerte den Kampf gegen den Antisemitismus in die Politik. Dieser Kampf nahm eine neue Dimension an, als mitten in Paris auf dem Boulevard Saint-Michel der ukrainische General Symon Petljura von dem jüdischen Anarchisten Schlomo Schwartzbard erschossen wurde. Während des Ukrainischen Unabhängigkeitskrieges war es zu Judenpogromen gekommen, der Attentäter machte Petljura dafür verantwortlich.

Autor und Regisseur Jonathan Hayoun ist M.A. in Politischer Kommunikation, jüdischen Wissenschaften und audiovisueller Produktion. Er war Präsident der UEJF (Union des Etudiants Juifs de France) und Regisseur des ARTE-Dokumentarfilms „Rettet Auschwitz!“ (2017).

Dokureihe, Regie: Jonathan Hayoun und Judith Cohen Solal (F 2022, 52 Min)
Video auf YouTube verfügbar bis 11/06/2022



Teil 1 & Teil 2

MPs to Question Chair of Appointments Panel over Evgeny Lebedev Peerage

THE GUARDIAN: Committee summons Paul Bew to give evidence on No 10’s role in Standard owner’s elevation to Lords

Evgeny Lebedev and his father have owned the Evening Standard since 2009. Photograph: Neil Hall/Reuters

The chair of the commission that advised on the appointment of the Evening Standard owner Evgeny Lebedev to the House of Lords has been summoned to give evidence to MPs when parliament returns next week.

Paul Bew, an Irish historian, will appear before parliament’s public administration committee on Wednesday to answer what its chair described as “very serious questions” about Downing’s Street’s role in the appointment.

“We will be holding an evidence session on the role of the House of Lords appointments commission with Lord Bew,” the committee’s Conservative chair, William Wragg, said in a letter to the Labour deputy leader, Angela Rayner. He said members would raise some of the issues regarding Lebedev’s elevation in the session.

Controversy has surrounded Lebedev’s peerage after it emerged that the commission expressed concerns about his elevation to the Lords and asked Downing Street to reconsider in March 2020, after advice from Britain’s spy agencies. The appointment went through only after it was resubmitted amid pressure from Downing Street. » | Dan Sabbagh | Wednesday, April 13, 2022

Democracy Now! US News & World Headlines – April 13, 2022

Im Amt nicht mehr tragbar

Rishi Sunak und Boris Johnson müssen Geldstrafen zahlen. | Bild: AFP

BORIS JOHNSON

FRANKFURTER ALLGEMEINE ZEITUNG: Der britische Premierminister muss Bußgeld zahlen, weil er wissentlich und willentlich gegen Corona-Auflagen verstoßen hat. Spätestens jetzt müsste die Konservative Partei erkennen, dass „Boris“ nicht mehr tragbar ist.

Es sind schon Menschen wegen weniger zurückgetreten. Aber die Erfahrung lehrt leider, dass der britische Premierminister an sich andere Maßstäbe anlegt als an Normalsterbliche. Boris Johnson muss, wie sein Schatzkanzler Rishi Sunak, Bußgeld bezahlen. Beide haben durch die Teilnahme an Feiern im Regierungssitz gegen Corona-Auflagen verstoßen. Das hat die Polizei festgestellt und entsprechende Strafbefehle erwirkt. » | Ein Kommentar von Peter Sturm | Dienstag, 12. April 2022

Lie, deny and move on – how much longer will the Johnson mantra plague British politics?: Partygate, bullying ministers, groping MPs and insider lobbying: the Tories have polluted our entire system of government »

Ukrainian First Lady: "Don't Get Used to Our Grief" | Amanpour and Company

Apr 13, 2022 • Christiane could not meet in person with Ukraine's First Lady for reasons of security. The responses of Olena Zelenska to a series of questions are voiced by a narrator in this exclusive conversation. Originally aired on April 12, 2022.

Aleksandr Dugin: The Far-right Theorist behind Putin's Plan

Apr 12, 2022 • In 2017, 60 Minutes spoke with the Russian political philosopher Aleksandr Dugin, who for decades has called for the annexation of Ukraine.

Steinmeier's Visit to Kyiv 'Not Wanted' | DW News

Apr 13, 2022 • German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier on Tuesday said a proposed trip to Kyiv had been rejected by the Ukrainian leadership.

Steinmeier had been planning to make a joint visit to Ukraine with Polish President Andrzej Duda and their Estonian, Lithuanian and Latvian counterparts "a strong signal of joint European solidarity with Ukraine."

But "that apparently wasn't wanted in Kyiv" Steinmeier said while visiting the Polish capital Warsaw.

Ukraine has previously been highly critical of the German president over his connections with Russia and the leading role he played as former foreign minister in improving relations with Russian President Vladimir Putin.



Ukrainekrieg: Selenskyj will Steinmeier nicht empfangen »

NATO-Erweiterung: Russland verlegt schwere Waffen an die finnische Grenze | WELT Analyse

Apr 13, 2022 • Eine von Finnland und Schweden in Erwägung gezogene Nato-Mitgliedschaft bringt nach Einschätzung Russlands keine Stabilität in Europa. "Wir haben wiederholt gesagt, dass das Bündnis ein auf Konfrontation ausgerichtetes Instrument bleibt und seine weitere Expansion dem europäischen Kontinent keine Stabilität bringen wird", sagt der Sprecher des russischen Präsidialamtes, Dmitri Peskow, in einer Telefonkonferenz mit der Presse. Finnland hat eine lange Grenze mit Russland.

Tuesday, April 12, 2022

Cigarette. Inhalation. Contemplation.

Zigarette. Einatmung. Betrachtung.

With many thanks to Death By Elocution for this expressive photo.

Ich liebe dich mehr als Worte sagen können.

Je t'aime plus que les mots ne peuvent le dire. / I love you more than words can say.

Mit bestem Dank an ginboysblog.tumblr.com für dieses entzückende Bild.

Disney Heir Comes Out Publicly as Transgender, Condemns Anti-LGBTQ Bills

Charlee Corra speaks at a Human Rights Campaign dinner on March 12 in Los Angeles. Randy Shropshire / Getty Images

NBC NEWS: Charlee Corra, a high school science teacher, regrets not having done more to advocate against Florida’s bill limiting LGBTQ classroom discussion.

Charlee Corra, a member of the Disney family, came out publicly as transgender and condemned anti-LGBTQ bills in a recent interview.

Corra, who uses "he" and "they" pronouns, announced that their family would match up to $250,000 in donations to the Human Rights Campaign, the nation's largest LGBTQ advocacy group, during the organization's annual gala in Los Angeles last month.

Roy P. Disney, Corra's stepfather and the grandson of Roy O. Disney, a co-founder of The Walt Disney Company, upped that amount to $500,000 last week.

“Equality matters deeply to us,” Disney said in a statement, according to the Los Angeles Times, “especially because our child, Charlee, is transgender and a proud member of the LGBTQ+ community.”

Disney also said the family was "heartbroken" when Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis signed the Parental Rights in Education Act, which critics have dubbed the "Don't Say Gay or Trans" bill because it prohibits classroom instruction of sexual orientation or gender identity with students in grades K-3 or in a way deemed developmentally or age inappropriate.

Corra, a high school biology and environmental science teacher, told the L.A. Times that the HRC gala was sort of a public coming out for them, since they had come out privately as trans four years ago. » | Jo Yurcaba | Monday, April 11, 2022

Brokeback Mountain: Reunion

Homosexualidad en la antigua URSS / Persecución

Jerry Springer Says Trump Is Actually Worse Than the Trashy Guests on His Show

Apr 12, 2022 • Longtime daytime TV host and former politician himself Jerry Springer said during a recent interview that Donald Trump was exactly like the guests on his show that would engage in the trashiest behaviors. The only difference, Springer said, is that none of those people suffered from the same delusions that Trump did in believing that he was a suitable person to run the country. Farron Cousins explains why Springer is right, and also why Springer is partially to blame for Trump.

Eine Geschichte des Antisemitismus (2/4) | Doku HD | ARTE

Apr 12, 2022 • 1144 – 1791: Von der ersten "Judennase" in der christlichen Malerei bis zur Vertreibung der Juden aus den großen Königreichen Europas, vom Stereotyp des "reichen Wucherers" bis zum "Antijudaismus ohne Juden": In fünf Jahrhunderten erreicht die schleichende Entmenschlichung der Juden auf drei Kontinenten eine neue Dimension.

Auf welchem Bild tauchte zum ersten Mal in der Malerei des Mittelalters eine auffallende Nase auf, mit der Menschen jüdischen Glaubens hinfort dargestellt werden sollten? Wie überschritt diese Stigmatisierung die Grenzen der Ikonographie, um zum ersten diskriminierenden Erkennungsmerkmal der Geschichte zu werden? Woher kommt das Klischee vom „reichen, wuchertreibenden Juden“? Wie wurde der Hass auf Juden zum politischen Werkzeug für ihre Vertreibung aus einem Großteil Europas?

In den von ihrer jüdischen Bevölkerung verlassenen Königreichen entwickelte sich ein neues, paradoxes Phänomen: ein Antijudaismus ohne Juden – obwohl schon lange keine Juden mehr in einer Region leben, blüht der Antijudaismus. Im Spanien der Inquisition kommt es zur Unterdrückung der Marranen, also jener Juden, die gewaltsam zur Konversion zum Christentum gezwungen worden waren. Im Osten Europas fanden Juden zunächst Zuflucht. Doch dann wurden antijüdische Bilder immer beliebter, und die Ritualmordlegenden erblühten in Polen. Die Episode kommt zum Abschluss mit der Französischen Revolution 1789, die für immer das Schicksal der Juden auf der Welt verändern wird.

Autor und Regisseur Jonathan Hayoun ist M.A. in Politischer Kommunikation, jüdischen Wissenschaften und audiovisueller Produktion. Er war Präsident der UEJF (Union des Etudiants Juifs de France) und Regisseur des ARTE-Dokumentarfilms „Rettet Auschwitz!“ (2017).

Dokureihe, Regie: Jonathan Hayoun und Judith Cohen Solal (F 2022, 52 Min)
Video auf YouTube verfügbar bis 11/06/2022



Teil 1.

Coming Out Colton | Official Trailer | Netflix

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

Saudis Give Billions to Jared Kushner; Turkey Suspends Trial of Saudis Accused of Killing Khashoggi

Apr 12, 2022 • We speak with Sarah Leah Whitson, executive director of Democracy for the Arab World Now (DAWN), about Turkey's recent decision to suspend the trial of 26 Saudi men accused of killing journalist Jamal Khashoggi in Istanbul in 2018. DAWN sued Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman and his alleged conspirators in the murder. Whitson says Turkey's move to turn over the case to prosecutors in Saudi Arabia shows "the Turkish government has decided that good relations — and in particular investment and trade with Saudi Arabia — is more important than pursuing justice for the murder of Jamal Khashoggi on Turkish soil." We also ask Whitson about news that a fund led by Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman has invested $2 billion in Jared Kushner's new private equity firm just years after Kushner helped push forward a $110 billion weapons sale to Saudi Arabia while his father-in-law was in office. She says the investment "exposes the corruption and lack of accountability in both the American system and the Saudi system."

Eine Geschichte des Antisemitismus (1/4) | Doku HD | ARTE

Apr 12, 2022 • Die Jahre 38 bis 1144: Wo nahm der Antisemitismus seinen Anfang, und wie hat er sich weiterentwickelt? Die erste Folge der Dokureihe untersucht die Wurzeln des Phänomens: von der ersten Welle antijüdischer Gewalt im antiken Alexandria über das goldene Zeitalter von al-Andalus und das Massaker von Granada bis hin zu den Kreuzzügen.

Wo nahm der Antisemitismus seinen Anfang? Warum konnte er sich weiterverbreiten? Warum entstand die erste große Welle antijüdischer Gewalt ausgerechnet im antiken Alexandria, als die Römer die Macht übernahmen? Wie setzte sich der Antijudaismus in den christlichen und in den muslimischen Zivilisationen fest? Wie konnte Granada nach einem 300-jährigen Goldenen Zeitalter auf der Iberischen Halbinsel zum Schauplatz eines Massakers werden, dem ersten Pogrom auf europäischem Boden? Warum kam es während der Kreuzzüge zu organisierten Judenpogromen? Der Gang durch das erste Jahrtausend erzählt nicht nur von den Anfängen des Antisemitismus, sondern auch vom beginnenden Kampf gegen diese Anfeindungen, vom Schutz der Juden durch die Karolinger, von der Unterstützung durch die maurischen Könige in Spanien bis zum Aufruf des Abts Bernhard von Clairvaux (1090-1153), der blutigen Judenverfolgung während der Kreuzzüge ein Ende zu bereiten.

Autor und Regisseur Jonathan Hayoun ist M.A. in Politischer Kommunikation, jüdischen Wissenschaften und audiovisueller Produktion. Er war Präsident der UEJF (Union des Etudiants Juifs de France) und Regisseur des ARTE-Dokumentarfilms „Rettet Auschwitz!“ (2017).

Dokureihe, Regie: Jonathan Hayoun und Judith Cohen Solal (F 2022, 52 Min)
Video auf YouTube verfügbar bis 11/06/2022


Democracy Now! US News & World News – April 12, 2022

What Neo-Nazis Have Inherited from Original Nazism | DW Documentary

Sep 21, 2019 • What resemblance do today’s ethnonationalistic ideologies bear to those which surged during the rise of the Nazis in the Weimar-era? Quite a lot, this documentary shows. Germany’s far-right neo-nazi scene is now bigger than at any time since National Socialism.

History may not repeat itself, but one can still learn from it. The years of the Weimar Republic were scarred by post-war trauma, political extremism, street fighting, hyper-inflation and widespread poverty. But they also saw economic boom, the establishment of a liberal democratic order and a parliamentary party system. Nobody could really imagine that the Nazis would brush aside the achievements of this young democracy just a few years later. But there were signs, warnings even that all was not well.

So how does that resonate today? How do today’s right-wing populist movements and parties achieve their political aims? Which slogans, images and stereotypes played a role then, and which ones are playing a role now?

The film also looks beyond Germany’s borders. How has Europe changed in the last few years and how have far-right movements been able to gain such influence? In the interwar period, democracies across the continent collapsed one after the other like a house of cards. What about today? Riding on the coat-tails of the political party the Alternative for Germany (AfD) the far-right has become a factor in both national and state parliaments, united by nationalist and often racist ideologies directly linked to those of the 1930s. At that time, global economic crisis and mass unemployment drove people straight into the fascists’ arms. So what will happen if crisis strikes now? Are our democracies and their achievements today any more stable than they were in the years before the Second World War?


Loved and Loathed: Raising a Gay Child in the Former Soviet Union

Oct 22, 2018 • It took eight years for Olena Globa to accept her son's sexuality, and the battle to overcome her prejudices set her on a new path: helping other Ukrainian families accept their gay children, too.


Read the full story here.

Vladimir Putin Is Now Purging His Own over War Failures

Apr 12, 2022 • Russian President Vladimir Putin is reported to be conducting a 'Stalinist' mass purge of Russian secret intelligence, dismissing about 150 Federal Security Bureau officers, including some who have been arrested, according to a Times of London report. The Morning Joe panel discusses.

Zelensky Says Ukraine Takes ‘as Seriously as Possible’ an Apparent Threat of Russian Chemical Weapon Use.

THE NEW YORK TIMES: President Volodymyr Zelensky of Ukraine in his latest address seized on an apparent Russian threat to use chemical weapons against the remaining defenders of Mariupol, as they prepare for what he called a “new stage of terror against Ukraine.”

Mr. Zelensky’s comments came after Eduard Basurin, a spokesman for the Kremlin-backed, separatist Donetsk People’s Republic, said on Russian television that Russia should bring in “chemical forces” to use in Mariupol, the besieged southern city. He said the remaining Ukrainian forces in Mariupol were dug in at a steel plant and that Russia should encircle it and “smoke out the moles.”

Referring to those remarks, Mr. Zelensky said in his latest video address, “We take this as seriously as possible.” The video was posted online Monday in the United States, and shortly after midnight on Tuesday in Ukraine. » | Jesus Jiménez | Monday, April 11, 2022

The Putin Files: Vladimir Kara-Murza

Oct 26, 2017 • Vladimir Kara-Murza’s candid, full interview on Putin and allegations of Russian interference in the 2016 US election.

Kremlin Critic Kara-Murza Reportedly Arrested In Russia

Apr 12, 2022 • Rachel Maddow revisits the years of advocacy by Vladimir Kara-Murza for democracy and against corruption in Russia, making him a prominent critic of Vladimir Putin and a target of his ire, and now, reportedly, the subject of detention in Russia.


Prominenter Putin-Kritiker in Moskau festgenommen: In Moskau ist der prominente Putin-Kritiker Kara-Mursa festgenommen worden. Der amerikanische Außenminister Blinken forderte seine unverzügliche Freilassung. »

Monday, April 11, 2022

French Elections: Macron and Le Pen Kick Off Presidency Run-off Campaigns

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

Claude Debussy : Arabesque No. 1

Yuja Wang – Rachmaninov: Prelude in G Minor, Op. 23, No. 5 | Live at Philharmonie, Berlin / 2018

Yuja Wang’s philosophy of music is both simple and profoundly complex. “I want to relate all life to music,” she recently told veteran British critic Fiona Maddocks. The Beijing-born pianist’s latest album for Deutsche Grammophon 'The Berlin Recital' captures the white heat of solo works by Rachmaninov, Prokofiev, Scriabin and Ligeti, a trio of Russians together with one of the late 20th-century’s greatest composers.

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

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

USA : l'inflation de mars attendue «extraordinairement élevée»

LE FIGARO : L'inflation du mois de mars aux États-Unis, qui sera publiée mardi, devrait être «extraordinairement élevée», a averti lundi la porte-parole de la Maison Blanche, Jen Psaki, lors de son point presse quotidien. » | Par Le Figaro avec AFP | lundi 11 avril 2022

Austrian Chancellor Confronts Putin over Ukraine War Crimes

THE GUARDIAN: Karl Nehammer becomes first western leader to hold face-to-face talks with Russian president since invasion of Ukraine

Karl Nehammer speaks during a news conference after his meeting with the Russian president.Photograph: Alexander Zemlianichenko/AP

Austria’s chancellor, Karl Nehammer, has said he told Vladimir Putin that “all those responsible” for war crimes must be brought to justice and warned that western sanctions would intensify as long as people kept dying in Ukraine.

After becoming the first western leader to hold face-to-face talks with the Russian president since the invasion of Ukraine, Nehammer said his trip to Moscow was not “a visit of friendship” and that the two had had a “direct, open and hard” conversation.

“I mentioned the serious war crimes in Bucha and other locations and stressed that all those responsible have to be brought to justice,” Nehammer said in a statement.

Russian media reported that the meeting, which took place at Putin’s official Novo-Ogaryovo residence just outside Moscow, was behind closed doors at Austria’s request. Speaking before the meeting began, Putin’s spokesman, Dmitry Peskov, said the two would discuss “the situation around Ukraine”, but declined to give further details. Peskov said he could not exclude that gas would be discussed as this was “very, very relevant for the Austrian side”, according to Russia’s Interfax news agency. » | Jennifer Rankin in Brussels | Monday, April 11, 2022

Österreichs Kanzler und sein Blick in Putins Augen: Beim persönlichen Gespräch in Moskau wollte Karl Nehammer den russischen Präsidenten „mit den Schrecken des Krieges konfrontieren“. Doch nach dem Treffen mit Wladimir Putin ist Österreichs Kanzler „eher pessimistisch“. »

New Russian War Chief Will Bring More Brutality in Ukraine, US Warns

THE GUARDIAN: Moscow promotes Alexander Dvornikov, who led Russian troops in Syria, as it regroups for Donbas battle

The newly appointed general in command of Russia’s military campaign in Ukraine is likely to usher in a fresh round of “crimes and brutality” against civilians, the US has said.

Jake Sullivan, the national security adviser in Washington, said the appointment of Alexander Dvornikov as theatre commander of Russian forces in Ukraine could not disguise the strategic failure of Vladimir Putin’s war so far. “Ukraine will never be subjugated to Russia; it doesn’t matter which general President Putin tries to appoint,” he told CNN.

Dvornikov’s appointment follows the withdrawal of Russian forces from around the Ukrainian capital, Kyiv. Dvornikov, 60, came to prominence at the head of Russian troops in Syria in 2015-16, when there was particularly brutal bombardment of rebel-held areas, including civilian populations, in Aleppo.

Sullivan said Dvornikov’s promotion would lead to more atrocities. “This particular general has a résumé that includes brutality against civilians in other theatres – in Syria – and we can expect more of the same” in Ukraine, he said.

“This general will just be another author of crimes and brutality against Ukrainian civilians, and the United States is determined to do all that we can to support the Ukrainians as they resist him and the forces that he commands.” » | in Kyiv and Ed Pilkington in New York | Sunday, April 10, 2022

Just a List of Terrible Things Rishi Sunak Has Done

Apr 7, 2022 • Fishy Rishi Sunak has had quite the fall from grace.

Dimitra’s Dishes: Greek-style Roast Leg of Lamb | Perfect for Your Easter Table


Get the recipe here.

Merkels Verhältnis zu Putin: Wie viel Verantwortung lastet auf der Ex-Kanzlerin? | Berlin direkt

Apr 11, 2022 • Die Kritik an der Russland-Politik der ehemaligen Kanzlerin Angela Merkel wird lauter: Hat sie Deutschland abhängig gemacht von Präsident Putin und russischem Gas?

Exclusive Access to Poland's Frontline amid Fears of Russian Invasion | 60 Minutes Australia

Apr 11, 2022 • On the border with Ukraine, war games have added urgency as the threat of a Russian invasion is dangerously close. Nine News correspondent Mark Burrows was granted exclusive access to the front lines by Major General Jaroslaw Gromadzinsk and Commander Colonel Peter Halys.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy: The 60 Minutes Interview

Apr 11, 2022 • Ukraine’s president speaks with Scott Pelley about Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, and recently uncovered alleged war crimes in Kyiv suburb of Bucha.


FULL INTERVIEW HERE.

Sunday, April 10, 2022

Ulrich Schmid | Endspiel in Kiew oder in Moskau? – Putins Ukraine-Krieg markiert eine Zeitenwende

Apr 10, 2022 • Der Krieg in der Ukraine dauert bereits Wochen. Putins Plan eines schnellen Sieges ist gescheitert. Einmal mehr wird klar: In Russland klaffen Sein und Schein weit auseinander. Und es fragt sich, ob die Jahre nach 1991 mehr gebracht haben als die Verfestigung einer neuen Diktatur.

Mit dem Slawisten Ulrich Schmid diskutiert der NZZ-Chefredaktor Eric Gujer über den Zustand von Putins Regime und der russischen Gesellschaft. Wieso verfällt das Land einmal mehr der Gewaltherrschaft. Warum ist der «homo sovieticus» noch immer nicht Geschichte? Und wie hat es die Ukraine geschafft, sich vom toxischen Erbe des Sowjetimperialismus zu befreien?


phoenix persönlich: Georg Stefan Troller zu Gast bei Michael Krons

Premiered Apr 8, 2022 • Er ist schon zu Lebzeiten eine Legende: der Schriftsteller und langjährige Fernsehjournalist Georg Stefan Troller, der beeindruckende 100 Jahre alt ist.

1921 in Wien als Sohn eines jüdischen Pelzhändlers geboren, muss Troller 1938 vor den Nazis fliehen und gelangt über Prag und Paris 1941 in die USA.

Als amerikanischer Soldat kehrt Troller nach Europa zurück, kommt 1945 nach München und dokumentiert als Fotograf den erschütternden Anblick, der sich ihm nach der Befreiung des Konzentrationslagers Dachau bietet.

1949 geht Georg Stefan Troller nach Paris, wo er seitdem lebt. Berühmt wird er mit dem Reportage-Format „Pariser Journal“ und der Portraitreihe „Personenbeschreibung“, wegweisend und stilbildend seine Art, sich mit einfühlsamen und subjektiven Fragen den Portraitierten zu nähern.

Für die Sendung „phoenix persönlich“ spricht Michael Krons in Paris mit Georg Stefan Troller über die prägendsten Momente seines Lebens, die Motivation für seine journalistische Arbeit und über die Frage, was Glück für ihn bedeutet.


Election présidentielle 2022 en direct : Emmanuel Macron en tête (28,1 %) devant Marine Le Pen (23,3 %) et Jean-Luc Mélenchon (20,1 %)

LE MONDE : Le président sortant devance la candidate d’extrême droite, également qualifiée pour le second tour, et le candidat de La France insoumise. Eric Zemmour est quatrième (7,2 %), devant Valérie Pécresse (5 %). Suivez en direct les résultats du premier tour de l’élection présidentielle 2022.

LIVE EN COURS ICI.


Erste Runde der Präsidentschaftswahl in Frankreich: alle Ergebnisse in der Übersicht: Hier finden Sie Hochrechnungen sowie laufend aktualisierte Ergebnisse und Grafiken zur ersten Runde der französischen Präsidentschaftswahl 2022. »

Fünf Jahre Macron – zehn Dinge, die Sie über seine Amtszeit wissen müssen: Als Überraschungskandidat der letzten Präsidentschaftswahl hat Emmanuel Macron den grossen Wandel versprochen. Welche Spuren hat er hinterlassen? »

Martha Stewart : Golumpki or Stuffed Cabbage Rolls

Apr 4, 2018 • Here, Martha and her mom share a Golumpki recipe that speaks to tradition and includes a couple of tips from Martha’s grandmother.


WIKIPEDIA: Gołąbki.

French President Macron Seeks Re-election

Apr 10, 2022 • A month ago, the French presidential race was offering little to quicken the pulse, with incumbent Emmanuel Macron expected to breeze through to another five-year term.

But far-right candidate Marine Le Pen has run a canny campaign capitalising on the cost-of-living crisis.

And now some are predicting that if she can make it through to the run-off between the two strongest candidates in a fortnight, she could even beat him.


Persia before Khomeini : The History of Iran in 15 Minutes of Perfectly-restored Film Material

Premiered Aug 27, 2021 • This documentary has been re-edited out from CHRONOS-documentaries "The Heirs of Cyrus the Great" (1974), "Politics of Oil" (1980) and super-8 home movies by Irmgard and Bengt von zur Mühlen.

Since the 1960s filmmaker-couple Irmgard and Bengt von zur Mühlen have been producing and directing documentaries about history and the countries of this world. Many of the more than five hundred films from the CHRONOS-company received international recognition (e.g. two Oscar nominations).


Shocking Intercepted Audio Reveals Talk between Russian Soldiers

Apr 9, 2022 • Shocking intercepted audio reveals conversation between Russian soldiers

J.S.Bach : "The Goldberg Variations" | Glenn Gould | 1955

Energie aus Saudi-Arabien: Und die Menschenrechte? I 3sat kulturzeit

Apr 10, 2022 • 81 Menschen hat Kronprinz Mohammed Bin Salman im Schatten des Ukraine-Kriegs hinrichten lassen - an nur einem Tag. Zeitgleich wurde der inhaftierte Blogger Raif Badawi nach zehnjähriger Haft freigelassen, doch wirklich frei ist er nicht: Er darf Saudi-Arabien weitere zehn Jahre lang nicht verlassen und nach Kanada zu seiner Familie reisen. Kurz nach der Massenhinrichtung der 81 Menschen, die zumeist den Schiiten angehören, reiste der britische Premierminister Boris Johnson nach Saudi-Arabien, um neue Öl- und Gasquellen zu erschließen, sollte Russland den Hahn abdrehen.

Und auch Bayerns Ministerpräsident Markus Söder (CSU) reist am Sonntag nach Saudi-Arabien und in die Vereinigten Arabischen Emirate. "Es wird eine Wasserstoffreise", sagte Söder der Deutschen Presse-Agentur in München. Und die Menschenrechte?

Im Interview mit 3sat-„Kulturzeit“ sagt Experte Guido Steinberg, dass die Betroffenheit des Westens angesichts der Hinrichtungen in Saudi-Arabien oft nur eine kurze Halbwertszeit hat. "Man muss dazu sagen, dass die Proteste nach der letzten Hinrichtungswelle Anfang 2016 beispielsweise doch sehr schnell abgeebbt sind. Also Saudi-Arabien hat die Erfahrung gemacht, dass der Westen das Königreich braucht und dass dann solche Hinrichtungen längerfristig nicht schaden."


Cuba : la diplomatie humanitaire | ARTE Reportage

Apr 9, 2022 • Cuba est une étrange petite île. Ravagée par une crise économique sans précédent, abandonnée des touristes qui assuraient sa survie, sous-équipée et isolée par un blocus aussi vieux que sa révolution, Cuba a réussi à maîtriser la Covid et en prime, à fournir au reste du monde une assistance médicale.

Depuis 2020 en effet l'île a envoyé environ 3 000 professionnels de santé en mission temporaire dans 42 pays, dont le Mexique, la principauté d'Andorre, l'Afrique du Sud, l'Italie, Koweit ou la France pour assister et renforcer leurs équipes médicales. Cette politique de coopération est un des points forts de la diplomatie cubaine depuis plus de 50 ans. Voulue par Fidel Castro, elle fait toujours la fierté de ses successeurs. Mais elle fait aussi grincer quelques dents... Ses détracteurs constatent que ces missions facturées aux Etats hôtes sontdevenues le poste le plus important du commerce extérieur cubain (dix milliards de dollars en 2019, selon l'Organisation Mondiale du Commerce), et que l'Etat ne lésine pas sur les pressions idéologiques pour obtenir l'appui enthousiaste, obligatoire et quasiment bénévole des médecins. Théoriquement, les bénéfices qu'il en retire devraient profiter aux patients cubains, ce qui est loin d'être le cas. Notre équipe a pu s'immerger quelques jours dans cette belle mécanique de communication : humanisme révolutionnaire d'un côté, contrôles permanents et pragmatisme calculateur de l'autre. Cuba est décidément toujours une étrange petite île...

Reportage d'Annabel Lecouffe-Robaglia (France, 2022)
Disponible jusqu'au 26/03/2025


Everything Changed When I Left Christianity: Dee the Humanist

Apr 7, 2022 • Dee escaped fundamentalist religion, and she's working to help others do the same.


Please note that I am not pushing any ideas here. I am posting this merely out of interest. For me, it is always interesting to learn how people cope with faith and also how they cope when they lose their faith. – Mark

Krieg am Kipppunkt: Widerstand der Ukrainer - Diese Optionen hat Putin noch | WELT Reportage

Apr 10, 2022 • Der krieg in der Ukraine tritt in eine neue Phase. Die russischen Truppen ziehen sich nach schweren Verlusten aus dem Norden der Ukraine zurück. Doch noch gibt Putin den Krieg nicht verloren. Seine geschundenen Truppen werden neu aufgestellt, bewaffnet und mit frischen Kräften verstärkt.

Die Kriegsziele müssen auch neu justiert werden. Es scheint, dass sich nun der Schwerpunkt der neuen Offensive auf den Donbass und den Süden der Ukraine konzentriert - vorerst.


Is Poland the Next Country in Vladimir Putin's Sights? | 60 Minutes Australia

Six weeks into Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, Vladimir Putin’s armed forces have distinguished themselves not by their skill but by their savagery. The dictator’s soldiers have committed horrific war crimes against hundreds, and more likely thousands of innocent civilians. But while he watches Ukrainians suffer, Putin is also planning his next moves. And it’s here his weapons of choice are secrecy and surprise. Across Ukraine’s western border, the people of Poland fear they’re the next to be targeted. But as Nine News correspondent Mark Burrows reports, if the Russian leader thinks the Poles are unprepared for battle, he should think again.

Far-Right France: The Battle for the Soul of France | Foreign Correspondent

The Stench of Entitlement Is Now Oozing from Rishi Sunak’s Home As Well As Boris Johnson’s

THE GUARDIAN: The chancellor’s family fortune was shielded from his own tax collectors – how could he expect the public not to be outraged?

Rishi Sunak and Akshata Murty: ‘You needed your smallest violin to accompany his lament that the couple were the victims of a ‘political hit job’.’ Photograph: Reuters

During the furore about who picked up the bill for the lavish makeover of the prime minister’s flat, the chancellor’s people made a big thing of declaring that there was no risk of Rishi Sunak generating a stink such as wallpapergate. The Treasury released a statement pointedly letting it be known that Mr Sunak had paid for the refurbishment of his family quarters in Downing Street from his own deep pockets. Shortly afterwards, an admiring Tory MP chuckled to me: “Rishi is rich enough to buy his wallpaper himself.”

After the many tawdry episodes associated with Boris Johnson, the idea that his next-door neighbour was scandal-free recommended Mr Sunak to Tory MPs as their next leader. The contrast between the two men – a cash-grubbing prime minister splattered with sleaze versus a chancellor advertising himself as the squeaky-clean, family man – also made Mr Sunak the more attractive figure to voters.

Although that was only a short time ago, it seems like ancient history. That was before the public was outraged to learn that his wife, Akshata Murty, the daughter of an Indian billionaire, has been using non-domicile status to avoid paying UK taxes on her massive overseas earnings. It transpires that the chancellor is truly a believer in lower taxes – so long as they are for his own family.

The first response to the uproar from Mr Sunak, his wife and their apologists was to protest that she was breaking no laws by exploiting this tax break for the mega-rich. That was revealing about them in itself, because it so spectacularly failed to understand why people would be angry even if the arrangement was legal. Some of the public may resent the great wealth of the Sunaks, some may admire it, some may care a lot that they enjoy stratospheric riches way beyond the dreams of most Britons and some may care not a bit. Nearly all of the public will have had a reasonable expectation that the Sunaks followed the tax rules that apply to the typical voter. » | Andrew Rawnsley | Sunday, April 10, 2022

Rishi orders hunt for 'Red Throat' leaker of billionaire heiress wife's non-dom tax status as he moves family out of Downing St and friends say he might quit politics COMPLETELY - while personal ratings plunge again: Rishi Sunak moves family out from No 11 flat amid public scrutiny over tax affairs / Friends of the Chancellor said he considered quitting the Cabinet over backlash / Opponents called on the White House to investigate his previous US green card / US rules say card holders should not be 'employed by a foreign Government »

A Popular British Politician Falls From Grace Over a Tax Scandal: Rishi Sunak was once considered a potential successor to Prime Minister Boris Johnson. Now he faces scrutiny over his wealthy wife’s tax status, and over holding an American green card while in office. »

Rishi Sunak’s Hopes of Becoming Prime Minister Are Over, Say Top Tories

THE OBSERVER: Senior party figures think the furore over the chancellor’s US green card and his wife’s tax affairs have put an end to his chances

Party figures think Boris Johnson will have to remove Sunak from his job in the next reshuffle.Photograph: Peter Cziborra/Reuters

Senior Conservatives have written off Rishi Sunak as a potential prime minister – and now believe Boris Johnson will have to remove him as chancellor in his next reshuffle – following the furore over his US green card and his wife’s tax affairs.

One former Tory minister told the Observer that the fear among Conservative MPs with small majorities was that the party was now in a “death spiral” with its two leading figures – the PM and chancellor – both having lost respect among voters.
“The worry is that this is symptomatic of a party in terminal decline and that we are in a death spiral,” said the ex-minister, after Sunak’s multimillionaire wife, Akshata Murty, agreed to pay UK tax on her global fortune, having avoided doing so under rules that apply to people who opt for non-domiciled status.

Referring to the entire controversy and revelations about the couple having had US green cards, the ex-minister added: “That is the concern of colleagues with small majorities.

“He has shown colossal naivety and the way he has arranged his affairs does not suggest he is even committed to the UK, but that he is keeping open the option of a career in finance in the United States.” » | Toby Helm, Political editor | Saturday, April 9, 2022

Rishi Sunak’s stunts and mistakes expose lack of political savvy: The chancellor’s constituents seem forgiving of the non-dom tax affair but it comes after a series of blunders that call his judgment into question »

Saturday, April 09, 2022

Genesis, White Jesus, and Debating the Resurrection (with Dr. Bart Ehrman)

Mar 29, 2022 • Dr. Bart Ehrman is a New Testament scholar, author, and educator. In advance of his upcoming debate with apologist Dr. Mike Licona, he joins us to talk about the Bible, Christ, and the April 9th online debate: "Did the Resurrection of Jesus Really Happen?"

Pakistan Parliament Ousts Imran Khan as Prime Minister

THE NEW YORK TIMES: The country will now face early elections after days of brinkmanship in which Mr. Khan tried to dissolve Parliament to head off the no-confidence vote.

Imran Khan, center, last month during National Day in Islamabad. He was ousted as Pakistan’s prime minister on Saturday, losing a no-confidence vote in Parliament. | Anjum Naveed/Associated Press

ISLAMABAD, Pakistan — Imran Khan, the former international cricket star turned politician who oversaw a new era of Pakistan’s foreign policy that distanced the country from the United States, was removed as prime minister early on Sunday after losing a no-confidence vote in Parliament.

The vote, coming amid soaring inflation and a rift between Mr. Khan’s government and the military, capped a political crisis that has embroiled the country for weeks and came down to the wire in a parliamentary session that dragged into the early morning hours. Pakistan remains in a state of turmoil as it heads into an early election season in the coming months.

Pakistan, a nuclear-armed nation with the world’s second-largest Muslim population, has struggled with instability and military coups since its founding 75 years ago. While no prime minister in Pakistan has ever completed a full five-year term in office, Mr. Khan is the first to be removed in a no-confidence vote.

The motion to oust Mr. Khan was passed with 174 votes, two more than the requisite simple majority. » | Christina Goldbaum and Salman Masood | Saturday, April 9, 2022

Bee Gees : Alone

Views on YouTube: 19,520,462

«Wir müssen ihn jetzt stoppen. Putin ist längst im Krieg mit der Nato»

Henry Nicholls / Reuters

NEUE ZÜRCHER ZEITUNG: Was sich seit dem Angriffskrieg gegen die Ukraine jeder fragt, beschäftigt Michail Chodorkowski seit zwanzig Jahren: Wie weit wird Putin gehen? In London spricht der ehemalige Erdölmagnat über Russland und den Mann, den er heute seinen Feind nennt.

Müsste er die wichtigsten Menschen in seinem Leben benennen, käme Michail Chodorkowski wohl nicht umhin, Wladimir Putin zu erwähnen, weit vorn auf der Liste. Vor zwanzig Jahren hatte der Kremlchef den elf Jahre jüngeren Oligarchen als den gefährlichsten im Rudel der jungen Wölfe ausgemacht, die binnen weniger Jahre die Industrie des Landes unter sich aufgeteilt hatten – und ihn in ein Straflager nach Sibirien geschickt. Das Bild sollte sich einprägen: ein Mann im Käfig, um den Mund ein feines, ironisches Lächeln.

Beide sind sie Kinder der Sowjetunion, aufgewachsen in «Kommunalkas», Gemeinschaftswohnungen, die ihre Familien sich mit anderen teilen mussten, der eine in Leningrad, der andere in Moskau. Beide wussten früh, was sie werden wollten: KGB-Spion der eine, Fabrikdirektor der andere. Ehrgeizig nutzten sie die vom System vorgespurten Wege. Doch dann kollabierte der Koloss, und das Fundament wurde zu Treibsand. Und wieder bewiesen beide, Wladimir Wladimirowitsch Putin und Michail Borisowitsch Chodorkowski, Talent und Findigkeit, um darin nicht nur zu überleben, sondern um darauf zu bauen. – Noch etwas haben sie übrigens gemeinsam: die Art, leise, fast zögerlich zu sprechen. Und in beider Wortschatz spielt «Verrat» eine grosse Rolle. » | Anja Jardine | Samstag, 9. April 2022

A Kiev, Ursula von der Leyen ouvre la marche de l’Ukraine vers « l’avenir européen »

LE MONDE : Le président ukrainien, Volodymyr Zelensky, a rappelé à la présidente de la Commission européenne la nécessité d’un embargo total sur l’énergie venue de Russie.

Le premier ministre ukrainien, Volodymyr Zelensky, reçoit des mains de la présidente de la Commission européenne, Ursula von der Leyen, un questionnaire qui servira de point de départ à une décision sur l’adhésion de l’Ukraine à l’Union européenne, à Kiev, en Ukraine, le 8 avril 2022. ADAM SCHRECK / AP

C’est une enveloppe aux couleurs des drapeaux ukrainien et européen. Vendredi 8 avril, au terme de sa visite à Kiev, la présidente de la Commission européenne, Ursula von der Leyen, a remis au président ukrainien, Volodymyr Zelensky, un questionnaire qui servira de point de départ à une décision sur l’adhésion de l’Ukraine à l’Union européenne. « Ce ne sera pas, comme d’ordinaire, une question d’années pour se faire une opinion, mais je pense une question de semaines », a-t-elle précisé lors d’une conférence de presse sur place.

En réponse, M. Zelensky a assuré sous les rires de l’assistance que le dossier sera renvoyé dans une semaine. Dans la soirée, lors de son adresse quotidienne aux Ukrainiens, le président a déclaré être convaincu que « nous sommes enfin sur le point d’atteindre notre objectif de longue date. L’Ukraine sera l’un des égaux dans la maison commune européenne. L’Ukraine deviendra membre de l’Union européenne ». » | Par Thomas d'Istria (Kiev (Ukraine), envoyé spécial) | Samedi 9 avril 2022

Article réservé aux abonnés

Verliebt!

Amoureux ! / In love!

Für dieses schöne Bild bedanke ich mich bei Wattpad auf Pinterest.

L'amour et l'affection battent toujours la haine et l'agressivité !

Liebe und Zuneigung schlagen immer Hass und Aggression! / Love and affection always beat hatred and aggression!

N'ayez jamais honte d'être exactement qui vous êtes ! Au contraire, soyez fiers ! / Schämen Sie sich niemals dafür, genau der zu sein, der Sie sind! Im Gegenteil, Seien Sie stolz! / Never be ashamed of being exactly who you are! On the contrary, be proud!

Very many thanks to Taksim gay sohbet for this delightful photo.

The Madness of Brexit Makes Us All So Much Poorer

Apr 9, 2022 • Brexit has resulted in new and often insurmountable barriers to trade with our nearest neighbours, the EU, the largest and wealthiest trading block in the world.

For individuals, small and medium sized enterprises in the UK selling to the EU is practically impossible because customers will not accept the extra inconvenience, delays and expense of dealing with a third country. Likewise, those in the UK now find it practically impossible to buy from the EU. This has already led to a fall of 15% of UK exports to the EU.

Now that workers from the EU are no longer able to come to the UK, we are experiencing extreme shortages of workers in agriculture, care homes, the NHS, hospitality and meat processing, all jobs which UK workers do not want to do.

Whilst UK farmers are planting less this year having been unable to harvest fruit vegetables and crops because of a shortage of workers, and pig farmers have had to cull healthy animals for the same reason, UK food production is likely to be reduced this year. At the same time, it is becoming more and more difficult for EU food producers to transport their produce to the UK. So an ever increasing number of people are realising that rising prices, confusion and general incompetence of the hapless government is not what they voted for.



As always, Mr Lambert, I agree with your assessment in its entirety. As for Farage, he makes me ill even to think of him. He reminds me of the expression I learnt in primary school: Empty vessels make the most sound! Alas, there are so many "empty vessels" in the Conservative Party these days. Truth to tell, the Conservatives and their Brexit-loving friends and colleagues have driven us all over a cliff. What amazes me is that the British in general are so complacent about the mess 'BoJo the clown' and his henchmen have got us into. Things are bad enough already; but as the old saying goes: We ain't seen nothin' yet! – © Mark

Why the French Are Fed Up (and What It Means for Macron) | The Economist

Apr 8, 2022 • The French are miserable. Normally this means defeat for sitting presidents, but Macron is still just about leading in the polls. So what's going on?

Understanding Vladimir Putin, the Man Who Fooled the World

THE GUARDIAN: The Russian president has always shown us exactly who he is. So why did it take the invasion of Ukraine for us to believe him?

All illustrations: Tim McDonagh/The Guardian

Vladimir Putin was annoyed – or maybe just bored. The Russian leader had been patiently fielding questions from a small group of international journalists in the restaurant of a modest hotel in Davos. Then one of the queries seemed to irritate him. He stared back at the questioner, an American, and said slowly, through an interpreter: “I’ll answer that question in a minute. But first let me ask you about the extraordinary ring you have on your finger.”

All heads in the room swivelled. “Why is the stone so large?” Putin continued. A few of the audience began to giggle and the journalist looked uncomfortable. Putin took on a tone of mock sympathy and continued: “You surely don’t mind me asking, because you wouldn’t be wearing something like that unless you were trying to draw attention to yourself?” There was more laughter. By now, the original question had been forgotten. It was a masterclass in distraction and bullying.

The year was 2009, and Putin had already been in power for almost a decade. But this was my first encounter with him in the flesh, during his visit to the World Economic Forum. Putin’s ability to radiate menace, without raising his voice, was striking. But so was the laughter of his audience. Despite the violence of his Russian government – as demonstrated in Chechnya and Georgia – western opinion-formers were still inclined to treat him as a pantomime villain.

I was reminded of this just before Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. In a televised meeting at the Kremlin with his closest advisers, Putin toyed with Sergei Naryshkin, the head of his foreign intelligence service – making the feared securocrat look like a stuttering fool. The pleasure he took in humiliating somebody in front of an audience was once again on display. But this time, nobody was laughing. Putin was about to plunge Europe into its biggest land war since 1945. Russian troops launched a full-scale invasion on 24 February. Within a month, more than 10 million Ukrainians had fled their homes, thousands of troops and civilians had been killed and the coastal city of Mariupol had been destroyed. » | Gideon Rachman | Saturday, April 9, 2022

La Russie poutinienne, malade d’une psychose impériale explosive

Le président russe, Vladimir Poutine (ici, en 2019, lors de la commémoration de la victoire de 1945), considère la fin de l’URSS comme la «plus grande catastrophe géopolitique du XXe siècle». Alexei Druzhinin/AP

Correspondante

LE FIGARO : GRAND RÉCIT - Des courants marginalisés après la chute de l’URSS sont sortis des caves et constituent le cadre psychologique et intellectuel du régime.

On a l’impression d’être dans un asile de fous, mais la scène se passe à la télévision russe, lors de l’émission vespérale de la première chaîne de télévision ORT, où tous les soirs, officie le présentateur vedette Vladimir Soloviev, propagandiste télévisuel en chef du pouvoir poutinien vêtu d’une longue vareuse de style néobolchevique, et entouré d’une série de «stratèges» chargés de dérouler la pensée du Kremlin. Le matraquage idéologique poutinien dure depuis deux décennies, mais depuis 2014, et surtout depuis le 24 février 2022, c’est devenu un spectacle surréaliste et fascisant, où les intervenants hurlent des invectives contre l’Ukraine et son «maître» américain, tout en affirmant que la Russie est victime d’un vaste complot occidental et assaillie de toutes parts. » | Par Laure Mandeville | vendredi 8 avril 2022

Réservé aux abonnés

Emmanuel Macron Is Playing a Dangerous Game

Ludovic Marin/Agence France-Presse — Getty Images

OPINION : GUEST ESSAY

THE NEW YORK TIMES: n 2017, Emmanuel Macron was “a meteor born under a lucky star.” A former banker without experience in elective office, he benefited during his first presidential campaign from President François Hollande choosing not to seek re-election, while the conservative candidate and front-runner, François Fillon, faced an embezzlement charge.

In 2022, the planets appeared to align once more, this time on account of international circumstances rather than national dynamics. As president of the European Union since January, Mr. Macron has enhanced his status as a legitimate interlocutor with Vladimir Putin, even if his attempts to end the Russian invasion of Ukraine have been unsuccessful. All opinion polls have shown Mr. Macron leading in Sunday’s first round of the presidential election, but his lead has been swiftly declining.

In his first campaign, Mr. Macron claimed to be “neither left nor right ,” a slogan that had seduced many who are weary of the old political divisions. Once elected, however, he quickly revealed what that meant in practice. Cutting taxes for the wealthy, shrinking the welfare state and hollowing out democracy, Mr. Macron drifted rightward, to the point of shocking some members of La République En Marche!, his party.

Far from changing course, Mr. Macron appears to be doubling down. In recent months, his appeal to the right-wing electorate has become ever more explicit, orienting his platform around two of the right’s traditional themes — control of immigration and stiffening of secularism. It may deliver him another victory. But Mr. Macron is playing a dangerous game. By absorbing his opponents’ views into his own platform, he risks bringing about a political landscape hazardously skewed to the right. » | Didier Fassin | Saturday, April 9, 2022

Didier Fassin, anthropologist and physician, is James D. Wolfensohn professor at the Institute for Advanced Study, Princeton, and director of studies at the École des Hautes Études en Sciences Sociales, Paris.

Friday, April 08, 2022

Boris Becker Guilty of Four Charges under Insolvency Act

GETTY IMAGES

BBC: Ex-tennis star Boris Becker has been found guilty of four charges under the Insolvency Act relating to his 2017 bankruptcy.

The former world number one was accused of hiding millions of pounds worth of assets to avoid paying his debts.

He was declared bankrupt in June 2017 over an unpaid loan of more than £3m on his estate in Mallorca, Spain.

Becker, 54, was acquitted of a further 20 charges at London's Southwark Crown Court on Friday.

He was cleared of nine counts of failing to hand over trophies and medals from his tennis career, including two Wimbledon men's singles trophies.

The six-time Grand Slam champion told reporters outside court he would not be commenting on the verdict.

He was found guilty of transferring hundreds of thousands of pounds from his business account after his bankruptcy, failing to declare a property in Germany, and concealing €825,000 of debt.

He could face a jail sentence carrying a maximum term of seven years for each count. » | BBC | Friday, April 8, 2022

Macron Calls Polish PM 'A Far-right Anti-Semite' in Row over Putin Talks

The French president is facing a closer than expected election race | REUTERS

BBC: French President Emmanuel Macron has called Polish PM Mateusz Morawiecki "a far-right anti-Semite who bans LGBT people", after being criticised for his talks with Russia's Vladimir Putin.

Mr Morawiecki compared Mr Macron's efforts to negotiating with Hitler.

The French president has held regular conversations with Mr Putin since the beginning of the conflict in Ukraine.

On Friday, Poland summoned the French ambassador over Mr Macron's comments, made to a French newspaper.

"How many times have you negotiated with Putin and what have you achieved?" Mr Morawiecki said on Monday.

"It's my duty to speak with him, we need it. I won't stop doing it, that's what allows us to take part in the negotiation," he said.

"By talking to him and to [Ukraine's] President Zelensky, we can help in the negotiation. At some point, there will be a ceasefire and peace will have to be built. It cannot be done without a guarantor, France is committed to be one of these guarantors."

It is not clear why Mr Macron accused Mr Morawiecki of anti-Semitism, although the Polish government has faced international criticism for laws making it harder for Jewish people to recover property lost during and after World War Two, as well as one making it an offence to link the Polish nation to Nazi crimes. » | BBC | Friday, April 8, 2022

Voici un article lié à celui-ci.

One of My All-time Favourites: George Michael: One More Try

Views on YouTube: 143,493,990


And this great song, too, of course.

Get Ready for a Scary Fortnight in French Politics: A Le Pen Presidency Really Is Possible

THE GUARDIAN: The race for the Elysée could end up as a horror story for anyone who cares about the wellbeing of France or Europe

A seemingly ‘kinder, gentler’ Marine Le Pen in Perpignan on Friday. Photograph: Lionel Bonaventure/AFP/Getty Images

The French election is straying from the script. It was meant to be a predictable remake. It has turned into a thriller. It could end up as a horror story.

A month ago, Emmanuel Macron seemed certain to be the first French president to win a second term in 20 years. After Russia invaded Ukraine, his poll ratings soared. He built a 12-point lead in a probable second-round match-up with the far-right candidate Marine Le Pen, and a 15-point lead over all other candidates in the first round.

But with that first round taking place on Sunday, Macron’s lead has all but evaporated. In the most recent polls, he only has a two- to five-point advantage over Le Pen in round one, and a two- to eight-point lead over her in the two-candidate runoff on 24 April.

Most French political analysts believe Macron will still prevail. Le Pen has magically evaded, so far, any reckoning for her long years as a Vladimir Putin sympathiser. In the second round of French elections, the presidential credentials of candidates are put to a greater stress test than in the multicandidate first round. » | John Lichfield | Friday, April 8, 2022

Breaking: Rishi Sunak's Wife to Pay UK Tax on Overseas Income

BBC: Chancellor Rishi Sunak's wife Akshata Murty has said she will pay UK taxes on her overseas income, following a row over her non-domicile status.

She owns £700m in shares of the Indian IT giant Infosys, founded by her father, from which she received £11.6m in dividend income last year.

As a non-domiciled (non-dom) UK resident she is not required by law to pay UK taxes on her overseas income.

But she told the BBC she did not want to be a "distraction" for her husband. » | Simon Jack, Business editor | Friday, April 8, 2022

Related articles here.

Sunak under pressure over holding US green card while chancellor: By holding cards chancellor and his wife undertook a legal commitment to ‘make the US your permanent home’ »

Michael Bolton : A Love So Beautiful

Provided to YouTube by Columbia | Views on YouTube: 9,996,730

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

Globalization Is Over. The Global Culture Wars Have Begun.

OPINION: DAVID BROOKS

THE NEW YORK TIMES: I’m from a fortunate generation. I can remember a time — about a quarter-century ago — when the world seemed to be coming together. The great Cold War contest between communism and capitalism appeared to be over. Democracy was still spreading. Nations were becoming more economically interdependent. The internet seemed ready to foster worldwide communications. It seemed as if there would be a global convergence around a set of universal values — freedom, equality, personal dignity, pluralism, human rights.

We called this process of convergence globalization. It was, first of all, an economic and technological process — about growing trade and investment between nations and the spread of technologies that put, say, Wikipedia instantly at our fingertips. But globalization was also a political, social and moral process.

In the 1990s, British sociologist Anthony Giddens argued that globalization is “a shift in our very life circumstances. It is the way we now live.” It involves “the intensification of worldwide social relations.” Globalization was about the integration of worldviews, products, ideas and culture. » | David Brooks, Opinion Columnist | Friday, April 8, 2022