Monday, April 25, 2022

Thom Hartmann : Florida Atheist Moves to Ban the Bible

Apr 25, 2022 • A Florida Atheist, Chaz Stevens has Petitioned to Ban the Bible in the Miami-Dade and Broward Schools. As of July of 2021, more than 200 books have been banned in school districts all over Florida. It's one of the states with a high number of school book banning incidents in America. Stevens cites age inappropriateness, social-emotional learning, mentions of bestiality and rape, and "wokeness" as reasons to ban the Bible. Each reason is accompanied by a corresponding Bible excerpt. Stevens warns. "If they ignore me, doesn't that tell you something? The government can't pick and choose religion, but can they choose which books they review for banning and which ones they don't?"

Michael Bolton : Drift Away

Provided to YouTube by Columbia | Views on YouTube: 3,189,046

Handsome, Young and in Love.

Beaux, jeunes et amoureux. / Schön, jung und verliebt.

Many thanks to Pinterest for this loving photo.

A Handsome Man Showing Style and Insouciance

With many thanks to wattpad.com on Pinterest for this superb photo.

Dimitra’s Dishes : Date & Walnut Filled Kourambiedes: Greek / Cypriot Phoinikota

Jan 16, 2020 • Phoinikota are Cypriot kourambiedes, shortbread cookies, (without nuts in the dough) that are stuffed with a sweet surprise in their center. The most common fillings are either a date paste or an aromatic nut mixture. My favorite has to be the walnut filling because the cookies end up tasting like baklava.


Get the recipe here.

ABBA : Dancing Queen | Official Music Video Remastered

Views on YouTube: 597,339,909

Royal Couple Told of Antigua and Barbuda's Wish to Be Republic

The royal couple are on the third leg of their Caribbean tour | PA MEDIA

BBC: Antigua and Barbuda should "one day become a republic", its prime minister has told the Earl and Countess of Wessex during their Caribbean tour.

Gaston Browne said during a meeting with the royal couple, who are touring the region to mark the Platinum Jubilee, it was the country's wish to remove the Queen as head of state.

However Mr Browne acknowledged such a move is "not on the cards" currently. He also called for "reparatory justice" to compensate for slavery.

The earl and countess met Mr Browne and his cabinet at a meeting on Monday during the third leg of their Caribbean tour.

Mr Browne told the couple: "We continue to have the Queen as our head of state, even though I should say we aspire at some point to become a republic.

"But that is not currently on the cards so she will remain as head of state for some time to follow.

"We're not trying to embarrass you, we're just trying to build awareness." » | Andre Rhoden-Paul, BBC News | Monday, April 25, 2022

Twitter Agrees Elon Musk Takeover Deal

THE GUARDIAN: Tesla chief executive, the world’s richest man, wins fight to take over influential social network for $44bn

Elon Musk has described himself as a ‘free speech absolutist’. Photograph: Hannibal Hanschke/AP

Twitter has agreed to sell itself to Elon Musk, the world’s richest man, in a $44bn (£35bn) deal.

The deal puts the Tesla chief executive in charge of a company with 217 million users and an influential role in shaping the political and media agenda on both sides of the Atlantic. Twitter’s initial reluctance to accept a transaction appeared to fade after Musk confirmed a funding package for the deal and shareholders warmed to it.

Musk has signalled that Twitter will be overhauled under his leadership, including changes in content moderation, having described himself as a “free speech absolutist”. » | Dan Milmo, Global technology editor | Monday, April 25, 2022

Elon Musk kauft Twitter für 44 Milliarden US-Dollar: Der Investor übernimmt den Kurznachrichtendienst: "Freie Meinungsäußerung ist der Grundstein einer funktionierenden Demokratie" »

Elon Musk rachète Twitter pour 44 milliards de dollars : Le conseil d'administration, sous pression, a négocié avec le milliardaire dimanche et accepté son offre lundi soir. »

Elon Musk kauft Twitter: Nach zwei Wochen Verhandlungen hat der Kurznachrichtendienst nun bestätigt: Elon Musk übernimmt Twitter für rund 44 Milliarden Dollar. »

4 ways Twitter could change under Elon Musk. »

Less moderation could conflict with new European regulations. »

Related articles and video.

Les derniers secrets d’Adolf Hitler

Adolf Hitler. SWNS

LE FIGARO : D’innombrables publications se sont penchées sur le dictateur allemand. Deux ouvrages viennent compléter son portrait.

En 2017, une Autrichienne confiait à un professeur de l’université de Linz 31 lettres adressées à son arrière-grand-père par Alois Hitler, le père du Führer. Ces missives retrouvées permirent à l’historien, avec d’autres sources, d’écrire un livre (1). Cette biographie du père d’Adolf Hitler vise à éclairer l’enfance de ce dernier, en montrant en quoi le caractère du futur dictateur a été façonné par sa famille.

De fait, Alois Hitler était un père violent, autoritaire et inflexible, prédispositions qui ont pu influer sur son fils. Cependant, pour qu’un enfant insignifiant de la classe moyenne se mette à haïr la vieille Autriche des Habsbourg, épouse la cause du racialisme pangermaniste, prenne la tête d’un petit parti allemand, puis accède au pouvoir et mette le feu au monde, il faudra tout un processus sociohistorique. » | Par Jean Sévillia | vendredi 22 avril 2022

Réservé aux abonnés

British Antarctic Territory to Hold Its First Same-sex Wedding

THE GUARDIAN: Eric Bourne and Stephen Carpenter, who work on RRS Sir David Attenborough, hope to tie the knot on Monday

Eric Bourne (right) and Stephen Carpenter will be married at the British Antarctic Survey’s Rothera research station. Photograph: Rich Turner/British Antarctic Survey/PA

Two polar research ship crew members are to become the first same-sex couple to get married in the British Antarctic Territory.

Eric Bourne and Stephen Carpenter hope to tie the knot on Monday, although it may be pushed back because of the weather.

Bourne and Carpenter have been together for 20 years. They work on the Royal Research Ship Sir David Attenborough, one of the most advanced polar research ships in the world and one which that came perilously and unforgettably close to being called RSS Boaty McBoatface.

The wedding will be performed by the boat’s captain, Will Whatley, at the British Antarctic Survey’s main research station at Rothera on Adelaide Island, a place shared with numerous Adélie penguins and Weddell seals.

The pair are experienced seafarers and have travelled the world together on a variety of ships. » | Mark Brown | Sunday, April 24, 2022

Twitter Shares Rise as Reports Say Elon Musk Deal Close

BBC: Twitter's shares rose by about 4% in opening trade in New York on speculation the firm could agree a takeover deal with Elon Musk as early as Monday.

The board of the social media giant is reported to have met with Mr Musk over the weekend to discuss his $43bn offer.

Twitter had initially rebuffed the billionaire's approach.

But according to reports, Twitter is now in the final stages of negotiations with Mr Musk to buy the business.

Reuters, the news agency, reported that an announcement may come later on Monday after Twitter's board met and recommended a deal to its shareholders.

Shares rose almost 4% to $50.62 on the reports, but remained below Mr Musk's offer price of $54.20 a share. » | BBC | Monday, April 25, 2022

Twitter n’a pas besoin d’Elon Musk : En tentant de prendre le contrôle du réseau social, le patron de Tesla, libertarien assumé, veut en faire un espace de libre expression absolue, sans modération. Le risque est grand d’ouvrir ainsi la porte aux menaces, au harcèlement, aux propagandes en tout genre et au complotisme. »

Twitter Set to Accept Elon Musk Takeover Offer, According to Reuters »

L’Europe lance un plan d’interdiction massive de substances chimiques toxiques pour la santé et l’environnement

LE MONDE : La Commission européenne a publié lundi sa « feuille de route » pour éliminer des milliers de substances les plus dangereuses des produits de grande consommation d’ici à 2030.

Plastiques polluants collectés en Angleterre, en 2018. MONTY RAKUSEN/PHOTONONSTOP

La promesse d’une révolution. Après de multiples reports, dus notamment à la résistance acharnée de l’industrie, la Commission européenne publie, lundi 25 avril, sa « feuille de route » pour éliminer les substances chimiques les plus dangereuses pour la santé et l’environnement des produits de grande consommation. Pilier de la stratégie « zéro pollution » du Pacte vert européen, elle vise à « garantir un environnement sans substances toxiques » à l’horizon 2030.

Phtalates, bisphénols, PVC, parabens, éthers de glycol, retardateurs de flamme bromés, composés perfluorés (PFAS) … Ces polluants dits « du quotidien » sont partout : jouets, biberons, tétines, emballages alimentaires, vêtements, meubles, appareils électroniques, cosmétiques, peintures, produits d’entretien. Au total, plusieurs milliers de produits toxiques seront interdits dans les prochaines années.

« Ces restrictions visent à réduire l’exposition des personnes et de l’environnement à certains des produits chimiques les plus dangereux en visant un large éventail d’usages, industriels, professionnels et dans les produits de consommation », a commenté le commissaire européen à l’environnement, Virginijus Sinkevicius. Un engagement salué comme un tournant « historique » par les ONG et chercheurs qui alertent depuis plus d’une décennie sur les dangers de cette pollution protéiforme. Liste noire » | Par Stéphane Mandard | lundi 25 avril 2022

Article réservé aux abonnés

Democracy Now! US News & World Headlines – April 25, 2022

The World's Biggest Meat Company Is Built on Corruption and It's Growing in Australia | Four Corners

Apr 25, 2022 • You may not have heard of them, but JBS is the biggest meat company in the world. It controls a lot of the food you buy in the supermarket including beef, pork, lamb and salmon.

You'll even find their meat between your burger buns at McDonald's.

But despite its size and reach, JBS is a company built on corruption and bribery; tainted by charges and accusations of malpractice and environmental crimes.

While some foreign governments are holding the company to account, Australian politicians have given JBS the green light to grow

Why?


Johnson Takes On the Archbishop of Canterbury - BBC Newsnight

On Easter Sunday, the Archbishop of Canterbury, Justin Welby, described the government's plan to send asylum seekers to Rwanda as "opposite the nature of God".

But the Prime Minister hit back, claiming in a meeting with MPs that the Archbishop had criticised the Rwanda deal more than Russian president Vladimir Putin.

Labour leader Keir Starmer called on the Prime Minister to apologise for his comments, but Johnson refused.


TRACKS: Der Kampf gegen Putins Propaganda (IC3PEAK, Face, Meduza) | ARTE

Apr 1, 2022 • Seit Jahren wandern Russlands Kulturschaffende ab, es findet ein regelrechter "Kreativ-Exodus" statt. Russlands Krieg mit der Ukraine hat die Bewegung noch katapultiert. "Tracks" sucht und findet Stimmen und Aktionen des kulturellen Widerstands, bringt sie ans Licht und gibt ihnen eine Plattform. Eine russische Fassung der Sendung wird auch in der ARTE-Mediathek zu sehen sein.

Russische Rapstars wie Face und Oxxxymiron erheben ihre Stimme gegen den Krieg. Aber dafür mussten sie, wie zehntausende andere junge Oppositionelle, ihr Land verlassen. Die Artrocker IC3PEAK posten Protestvideos. Auch sie sind kurz vor Veröffentlichung des neuen Videos ausgereist. Wer sich gegen Putin stellt, ist dort nicht mehr sicher.

TikTok-Star Nikita Sass postet trotzdem mutig weiter seine Meinung und bleibt. Das trauen sich nur wenige. Es findet ein regelrechter „Kreativ-Exodus“ statt, denn seit dem Angriff auf die Ukraine haben sich auch im Land die Repressalien empfindlich verschärft.

Wo formiert sich kultureller Widerstand, und wie sieht er aus? Was machen die Geflüchteten im Exil? „Tracks“ sucht und findet Stimmen und Aktionen junger Kulturschaffender in Russland, der Ukraine, den USA und Deutschland. Ein dichtes Stimmungsbild der widerständigen Geister, die Putin ausspucken möchte „wie eine Mücke“. „Tracks“ verschafft ihnen Gehör, auch und vor allem in ihrer Heimat. Deswegen wird die Sendung auch in einer russischen Sprachfassung angeboten.

Musikmagazin (D 2022, 32 Min)
Video auf YouTube verfügbar bis 30/06/2022


Cool dank Kippe? Das Comeback der Zigarette | quer vom BR

Feb 28, 2022 • Lange war die Zahl der Raucherinnen und Raucher in Deutschland rückläufig: Doch mittlerweile qualmen hierzulande rund 31 Prozent der über 14-Jährigen. Die Zigarette – zu Recht als gesundheitsschädlich aus Restaurants, Bars und Werbung verbannt – scheint wieder gesellschaftsfähig zu sein. Film- und Serienstars greifen zur Kippe und auch in sozialen Medien wird munter geraucht. Manche Forschende meinen einen Grund für das Zigaretten-Revival gefunden zu haben: Corona. Viele Ex-Raucherinnen und -Raucher hätten im Stress der Pandemie wieder angefangen. Außerdem werde mehr draußen gefeiert, an Orten, an denen es kein Rauchverbot gibt. Ist die Raucherecke tatsächlich wieder der coolste Ort der Party?

Covid Outbreak in Beijing Prompts Panic Buying and Lockdown Fears

THE NEW YORK TIMES: Supermarkets stocked up as long lines formed. The Chinese authorities ordered mass testing to contain a rising number of cases in an affluent district of the capital.

Shelves at a supermarket began emptying out as shoppers rushed to stock up on Sunday following a coronavirus outbreak in the Chaoyang District of Beijing. | Carlos Garcia Rawlins/Reuters

BEIJING — Families in Beijing rushed to stock up on food. Supermarkets stayed open late. Residents endured long lines for mandatory testing. China’s stock markets plunged.

A fresh coronavirus outbreak in China’s capital has raised concerns that Beijing could become, after Shanghai, the next Chinese megacity to put life on hold to contain the spread of the Omicron variant. The central government has leaned heavily on lockdowns despite their high social and economic costs, in pursuit of the Communist Party leader Xi Jinping’s “zero Covid” strategy of eliminating infections.

On Monday, the Beijing government said that 70 coronavirus cases had been found in Beijing since Friday. Nearly two-thirds have been in the district of Chaoyang, which ordered all 3.5 million residents to take three P.C.R. tests over the next five days. In other cities, mass testing in response to initial coronavirus cases has sometimes been a prelude to stringent lockdowns, like the four-week one in Shanghai that has kindled widespread complaints from residents there. » | Keith Bradsher and Chris Buckley | Sunday, April 24, 2022

Rachel Reeves Promises Labour Will Close ‘Non-dom’ Tax Loophole

THE GUARDIAN: Shadow chancellor says it ‘isn’t right that those at the top benefit from outdated tax perks’

The Labour party has vowed to abolish the “non-dom” tax loophole used by the chancellor Rishi Sunak’s wife to save paying up to £20m in UK tax.

Rachel Reeves, the shadow chancellor, said it “simply isn’t right that those at the top can benefit from outdated non-dom tax perks” while ordinary people struggle with tax rises and the cost of living crisis.

Reeves on Monday said Labour was sending “a clear message” to the global super-rich: “If you make your home in Britain you should pay tax here – on all of your income.”

Labour’s pledge follows the revelation that Sunak’s billionaire heiress wife, Akshata Murty, had been registered as a non-domiciled person for nine years and was paying an annual levy in order to shelter her foreign income from HMRC.

The status meant she could legally avoid UK tax on annual dividends worth millions, which she collected from her family’s IT business empire. » | Rupert Neate, Wealth correspondent | Monday, April 25, 2022

Senior Cabinet Office director Anand Aithal has non-dom status: Revelation is likely to lead to further questions about the criteria for holding the favourable tax status »

Victorious Macron Vows to Unite France after Fending Off Le Pen Threat

THE GUARDIAN: President acknowledges divisions after historic 13 million votes for Le Pen’s anti-immigration party

The pro-European centrist Emmanuel Macron has vowed to unite a divided France after winning a second term as French president in a decisive victory against the far-right’s Marine Le Pen, who nonetheless won more than 13 million votes in a historic high for her anti-immigration party.

Macron became the first French leader to win re-election for 20 years, scoring 58.54% to Le Pen’s 41.46%.

Addressing a victory rally at the foot of the Eiffel Tower, where his supporters waved French and European flags, Macron vowed to respond “efficiently” to the “anger and disagreement” of voters who chose the far right.

“I know that a number of French people have voted for me today, not to support my ideas but to stop the ideas of the far right,” he said and called on supporters to be “kind and respectful” to others, because the country was riven by “so much doubt, so much division”.

He added: “I’m not the candidate of one camp any more, but the president of all of us.” » | Angelique Chrisafis in Paris | Monday, April 25, 2022


Les Européens soulagés après la réélection d'Emmanuel Macron : Cette réélection constitue «un signal fort en faveur de l'Europe» pour le chancelier allemand Olaf Scholz. Le premier ministre britannique Boris Johnson s'est dit «heureux de continuer à travailler» avec Emmanuel Macron. »

Sunday, April 24, 2022

heute journal vom 24.04.2022

Apr 24, 2022 • Erste Hochrechnungen französischer Fernsehsender zeigen, die Französinnen und Franzosen haben sich für ein "Weiter so" entschieden. Für Emmanuel Macron stimmten laut France 2 58,2 Prozent. Auf Marine Le Pen entfielen 41,8 Prozent der Stimmen. Macron ist damit der erste Präsident seit Jacques Chirac im Jahr 2002, der eine zweite Amtszeit antritt. Mehr dazu und weitere Nachrichten des Tages im heute journal.

Emmanuel Macron a été réélu président de la République avec 58,2 % des voix, selon les premières estimations

LE MONDE : La candidate d’extrême droite obtiendrait 41,8 % des voix, d’après les estimations d’Ipsos-Sopra Steria pour France Télévisions, Radio France, France24-RFI-MCD. Le taux d’abstention est estimé à 28,2 %

20 : 05 POUR APPROFONDIR : Emmanuel Macron remporte l’élection présientielle, selon les premières estimations, avec une abstention jamais vue depuis 1969

C’est la première fois qu’un président est réélu hors cohabitation. Les estimations ont été calculées par les instituts de sondage à partir de bureaux tests et seront affinées au cours de la soirée. » | LIVE EN COURS | dimanche 24 avril 2022

Emmanuel Macron wins French presidential election, projected results show: Incumbent predicted to get 58.2% of the vote against far-right candidate Marine Le Pen »

Macron wiedergewählt – Le Pen gescheitert: Emmanuel Macrons Vorsprung vor der Rechtsextremistin Marine Le Pen fällt kleiner aus als 2017. Doch zum ersten Mal in zwanzig Jahren haben die Franzosen einen Präsidenten im Amt bestätigt. »

Daniil Trifonov - Chopin: Concerto For Piano And Orchestra No. 2 In F Minor, Op.21 (Arr. by Pletnev)

Not Quite Your Thing, Mr. Johnson; and Certainly Not Your Colour!

Prime Minister Boris Johnson visited Gujarat Biotechnology University on Thursday | PA MEDIA

Some sartorial advice for you, Mr. Johnson: Pale, pasty skin cries out for some colour, especially in the turban, which is next to the skin! Never wear colourless garments, especially turbans, when one has pale, pasty, colourless facial skin tones!

Johnson vows to deepen trade ties with India after talks with PM Modi: Boris Johnson says India has agreed a "massive push" towards striking a post-Brexit trade deal with the UK. »

Endlich gibt es wieder Zinsen

Bild: THOMAS FUCHS

ANLEIHEN WIEDER ATTRAKTIV

FRANKFURTER ALLGEMEINE ZEITUNG: Zwei oder drei Prozent für Anleihen – das ist jetzt wieder normal. Sparer müssen dafür noch nicht einmal große Risiken eingehen.

Die Anleihemärkte stehen gewöhnlich im Schatten der Aktien. Doch jetzt sind sie mit voller Wucht in den Mittelpunkt der Aufmerksamkeit ge¬rückt. Dort tut sich unglaubliches, längst vergessenes. Die Renditen lassen in einem irren Tempo die vielen Jahre mit negativen Zinsen hinter sich. 2014 waren sie erstmals unter null gerutscht. Noch bis Ende Januar und noch einmal Anfang März notierten sie unter dieser Schwelle. Und jetzt nur wenige Monate später bringen sie fast ein Prozent im Jahr.

Das ist noch nicht viel, aber derart schnell steigende Zinsen haben Anleihen seit Jahrzehnten nicht mehr erlebt. Es ist wahrhaft eine heftige Trendwende, die sich da gerade ereignet. Denn die Sparer können sich erstmals wieder seit Langem mit Anleihen befassen. Es gibt wieder Zinsen aufs Geld – ein neuer Zustand, der eigentlich historisch der Normalfall ist. So haben wir es in der Schule gelernt. » | Von Dyrk Scherff, Redakteur im Ressort „Wert“ der Frankfurter Allgemeinen Sonntagszeitung | Sonntag, 24. April 2022

Ukrainians, Russians Mark Orthodox Easter in Time of War | DW News

Apr 24, 2022 • Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskyy visited Kyiv's St. Sofia Cathedral to record an Easter message on the holiest day of the Orthodox Christian calendar. At makeshift prayer venues and churches around the country, Ukrainians prayed for those fighting on the front lines, and for those trapped in places like the besieged city of Mariupol. DW Correspondent Rebecca Ritters visited one village north east of Kyiv that was under Russian control until a few weeks ago. The community there came together to build a makeshift chapel after Russian soldiers destroyed their church.

Like Ukraine, Russia is also a predominantly Orthodox country. President Vladimir Putin attended an Easter mass early on Sunday in Moscow's Christ the Savior Cathedral.

The service was led by the head of the Russian Orthodox Church Patriach Kirill, who said he hoped the conflict in Ukraine would end quickly. Kirill has strongly backed the Kremlin's war in Ukraine. His statements have splintered the worldwide Orthodox Church.


Desperate Boris Johnson Wastes Time Seeking a Trade Deal in India

Apr 24, 2022 • Whilst MP's debated whether Boris Johnson had deliberately misled the House, he flew to India in search of trade deals. With UK exports to India at £7.7 billion as against Belgium’s £18.8 billion, India is hardly a major market for the UK. Further, it appears that little progress was made in talks.

Any trade agreement eventually reached, the Indians have made clear, will require the UK issuing large numbers of visas for Indians wanting to come to the UK to work.

Since India has a large IT sector, it is likely that many of those wanting to visit the UK will be IT technicians who are likely to be prepared to work for much lower pay than current levels. In addition sourcing 'the brightest and the best' from countries such as India, Pakistan, Bangladesh and Nigeria, immigration is almost certain to increase.


Wahlen in Frankreich: Was wäre, wenn sie es wird

DER STANDARD: Ein Wahlerfolg für die Rechtspopulistin Marine Le Pen wäre politisches Dynamit für ganz Europa. Ihre Vorschläge für Verfassungsänderungen würden weiter gehen als jene in Polen

In den letzten Umfragen konnte Emmanuel Macron seinen Vorsprung auf Marine Le Pen leicht vergrößern, dennoch wurden die besorgten Appelle an die Wählerschaft häufiger: Ja, es gebe am Amtsinhaber sicher viel auszusetzen – doch die Alternative wäre bedeutend schlimmer.

Grünen-Kandidat Yannik Jadot rief dazu auf, "ohne Zögern, ohne Ambivalenz, in aller Klarheit" für Macron zu stimmen. Der Chefredakteur der Zeitung La Croix, Jérôme Chapuit, wandte sich direkt an seine katholischen Leser, die laut der Analyse des ersten Wahlgangs fast ebenso häufig für die Populistin wie für den Präsidenten gestimmt hatten. Le Pen liege auf der gleichen Linie wie Donald Trump und Wladimir Putin, sagte Chapuit per Video; spätestens seit dem Ukraine-Krieg wüssten alle, dass Nationalismus nur zu Spaltung und Gewalt führe. "Eine Art Staatsstreich" » | Analyse / Stefan Brändle aus Paris | Sonntag, 24. April 2022

Nice : un prêtre et une religieuse agressés au couteau dans l'église Saint-Pierre-d'Arène

LE FIGARO : Sur Twitter, le ministre de l'Intérieur Gérald Darmanin s'est voulu rassurant, affirmant que le pronostic vital des deux victimes n'était pas engagé.

Un prêtre et une religieuse ont été blessés à l'arme blanche ce dimanche 24 avril dans la matinée à Nice, selon des informations de Nice Matin confirmées au Figaro par le parquet de Nice. Les faits se sont produits dans l'église Saint-Pierre-d'Arène, située rue de la Buffa, au sud de la ville.

Vers 10 heures, un individu a pénétré dans l'église et s'est immédiatement dirigé vers le prêtre, lui assenant plusieurs coups de couteau - une vingtaine selon un journaliste du Point. Après quoi il s'en est pris à la religieuse, qui a été légèrement blessée. » | Par Nicolas Daguin | dimanche 24 avril 2022

«Was Marine Le Pen plant, kommt einem Staatsstreich gleich»

NEUE ZÜRCHER ZEITUNG: Die Rechtsnationalistin will Ausländer im Fall eines Wahlsiegs systematisch diskriminieren und französisches Recht über europäisches stellen. Diese Vorhaben verstossen laut Juristen aber gegen die Verfassung.

Le Pen will die Französinnen und Franzosen über eine Verfassungsänderung abstimmen lassen, um eine Art Inländervorrang festzuschreiben. | Chesnot / Getty

Marine Le Pen präsentiert sich gerne als Kandidatin des Volkes. Wenn dieses wählen werde, werde es gewinnen, rief die Kandidatin des rechtsnationalistischen Rassemblement national kürzlich bei einem Kampagnentreffen und forderte ihre Anhänger auf, am kommenden Sonntag nicht den Urnen fernzubleiben. Bei der einzigen Fernsehdebatte mit ihrem Konkurrenten Emmanuel Macron am Mittwochabend pries sie gleich zu Beginn das französische Volk, das unter dem amtierenden Präsidenten schwer gelitten habe.

Auf dieses «Volk» setzt Le Pen auch, um im Fall ihres Siegs eines ihrer umstrittensten Wahlkampfversprechen zu erfüllen: Sie will die Französinnen und Franzosen über eine Verfassungsänderung abstimmen lassen, um eine Art Inländervorrang festzuschreiben. Dadurch würden Franzosen gegenüber Ausländern beim Zugang zu Jobs, Sozialwohnungen und Sozialleistungen bevorzugt. Da das Vorhaben gegen EU-Recht verstossen würde, will Le Pen auch den Vorrang von französischem über europäischem Recht in der Verfassung verankern. » | Judith Kormann | Samstag, 23. April 2022

« Nous avons besoin d’une France qui défende nos valeurs européennes communes », plaident les chefs de gouvernement portugais, espagnol et allemand

LE MONDE : Antonio Costa, Pedro Sanchez et Olaf Scholz se prononcent, dans une tribune au « Monde », contre « une candidate d’extrême droite qui se range ouvertement du côté de ceux qui attaquent notre liberté et notre démocratie ».

Tribune.
L’Europe fait face à un changement d’époque. Dans une tentative de réécrire l’histoire, Vladimir Poutine a lancé une attaque brutale contre l’Ukraine et son peuple. Les images de Marioupol, Boutcha ou Kramatorsk nous rappellent les périodes les plus sombres de l’Europe. Mais l’agression de Vladimir Poutine va encore plus loin. Il a enfreint la règle la plus fondamentale de notre ordre de paix européen : ne pas redessiner les frontières par la force, comme nous l’avons fait tant de fois au cours de notre passé sanglant. Sa guerre vise les valeurs que la France et nos pays défendent : la démocratie, la souveraineté, la liberté et l’Etat de droit.

Néanmoins, les populistes et l’extrême droite dans tous nos pays ont fait de Vladimir Poutine un modèle idéologique et politique, se faisant l’écho de ses revendications nationalistes. Ils ont copié ses attaques contre les minorités et la diversité. Ils partagent son rêve d’une nation uniforme. Nous ne devons pas l’oublier, même si ces politiciens tentent aujourd’hui de prendre leurs distances avec l’agresseur russe.

A la lumière de ces éléments, le second tour de l’élection présidentielle française n’est pas, pour nous, une élection comme les autres. Le choix auquel le peuple français est confronté est crucial pour la France et pour chacun d’entre nous en Europe. C’est le choix entre un candidat démocrate, qui croit que la France est plus forte dans une Union européenne (UE) puissante et autonome, et une candidate d’extrême droite, qui se range ouvertement du côté de ceux qui attaquent notre liberté et notre démocratie – des valeurs fondamentales qui nous viennent directement des Lumières françaises. » | Antonio Luis Santos da Costa, premier ministre du Portugal depuis 2015, membre du Parti socialiste ; Pedro Sánchez Pérez-Castejón, Président du gouvernement espagnol depuis 2018, membre du parti socialiste ouvrier espagnol ; Olaf Scholz, Chancelier fédéral d’Allemagne depuis décembre 2021, membre du Parti social-démocrate | jeudi 21 avril 2022

Article réservé aux abonnés

Michael Settle: France Leaning to the Far-right Is a Stark Warning for All European Nations

Russian President Vladimir Putin, right, shakes hands with French far-right presidential candidate Marine Le Pen, in the Kremlin in Moscow, Russia, Friday, March 24, 2017. Le Pen has made multiple visits to Russia, as have her father, niece and other[s]

THE HERALD: A disunited France today goes to the polling stations to choose its new or not so new president but as voters in many cases hold their noses, Europe will be holding its breath.

A remarkable intervention ahead of the vote underlined people’s fears that the very future of the European Union could be at stake. In a joint article in Le Monde, the leaders of Germany, Spain and Portugal issued a stark warning to French voters and urged them to back Centrist Emmanuel Macron.

In a direct attack on his rival, Marine Le Pen, they highlighted her previous links to the tyrant in the Kremlin, saying people should not forget “populists and the Far Right in all our countries have made Vladimir Putin an ideological and political model…even if these politicians are now trying to distance themselves from the Russian aggressor”.

They added: “It is a choice between a democratic candidate, who believes France is stronger in a powerful and autonomous EU and a Far Right candidate, who openly sides with those who attack our freedom and democracy; fundamental values that come directly from the French Enlightenment.”

Macron, fiercely pro-EU, wants to strengthen the 27-member bloc while Le Pen, although she has ditched her Frexit ambitions, wants the EU to become more of an association of nation states. » | Michael Settle | Sunday, April 24, 2022

« Nous avons besoin d’une France qui défende nos valeurs européennes communes », plaident les chefs de gouvernement portugais, espagnol et allemand : Antonio Costa, Pedro Sanchez et Olaf Scholz se prononcent, dans une tribune au « Monde », contre « une candidate d’extrême droite qui se range ouvertement du côté de ceux qui attaquent notre liberté et notre démocratie ». »

The Observer View on Germany’s Response to the War in Ukraine

THE OBSERVER – EDITORIAL: German timidity is driven by self-interest as much as caution

German Chancellor Olaf Scholz addresses a press conference following a meeting with the state leaders on Ukraine in Berlin. Photograph: John MacDougall/AFP/Getty Images

Days after Russia’s invasion of Ukraine began, Olaf Scholz delivered a bombshell of his own. Addressing an extraordinary session of the Bundestag, Germany’s chancellor declared his government would boost defence spending by €100bn (£84bn), suspend the prized Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline from Russia and reverse a long-standing ban on transferring arms to conflict zones in order to help Ukraine.

The shock announcements, termed a “revolution”, were seen as evidence that Germany, and especially Scholz’s centre-left Social Democratic party (SPD), was definitively turning away from its postwar pacifist tradition. The fact Scholz also pledged to meet Nato’s 2% of GDP defence spending obligation was cited as further proof of a historic shift in Berlin’s thinking about its role in the world.

The resulting satisfaction, bordering on smug self-congratulation, evident in Washington, London and Warsaw, was compounded by the ensuing German debate about how to deal with Russia. Leading figures on the left and right conceded the post-Soviet policy of conciliating Moscow, rooted in the SPD’s famed cold war era Ostpolitik, had been fundamentally misconceived.

As millions in Ukraine flee merciless bombardment, and incontrovertible evidence emerges of war crimes by Vladimir Putin’s troops, this changed belief that Russia cannot be treated as a normal country with which it is possible to do business as usual is now widely accepted. Yet at the same time, Scholz’s revolutionary fervour seems to be waning. » | Editorial | Sunday, April 24, 2022

Saturday, April 23, 2022

How the KGB Shaped Vladimir Putin and His Russian Oligarchs | It's Complicated

Apr 21, 2022 • As Russia sent troops into Ukraine in February, countries around the world imposed severe sanctions on a group of influential Russian billionaires known as oligarchs. The intention being to turn the screw on Vladimir Putin’s war finances.

ut who are these oligarchs, and how does Putin manage them and their wealth? Through the stories of two prominent businessmen, Roman Abramovich and Mikhail Khodorkovsky, Josh Toussaint-Strauss examines how Putin’s days in the KGB have informed the way he controls his web of oligarchs and their fortunes


The Former Chancellor Who Became Putin’s Man in Germany

THE NEW YORK TIMES: Gerhard Schröder, who is paid almost $1 million a year by Russian-controlled energy companies, has become a pariah. But he is also a symbol of Germany’s Russia policy.

Laetitia Vancon for The New York Times

HANOVER, Germany — On the evening of Dec. 9, 2005, 17 days after Gerhard Schröder left office as chancellor of Germany, he got a call on his cellphone. It was his friend President Vladimir V. Putin of Russia.

Mr. Putin was pressing Mr. Schröder to accept an offer to lead the shareholder committee of Nord Stream, the Russian-controlled company in charge of building the first undersea gas pipeline directly connecting Russia and Germany.

“Are you afraid to work for us?” Mr. Putin had joked. Mr. Schröder might well have been, given the appearance of possible impropriety — the pipeline he was now being asked to head had been agreed to in the final weeks of his chancellorship, with his strong support.

He took the job anyway.

Seventeen years later, the former chancellor, who recounted the events himself in a pair of rare interviews, remains as defiant as ever. » | Katrin Bennhold | Saturday, April 23, 2022

Russia’s Drinking Problem | 2003

Feb 10, 2021 • Drinking Away the Pain (2003) - More and more Russians are turning to drink to help numb the pain of post-Soviet life.

Russians consume over half the world’s hard liqueur. Vodka is often cheaper than non-alcoholic drinks and beer is marketed as a soft drink. As a result, alcoholism has reached record levels, pushing down life expectancies for Russian men to just 58. “As a rule, the Russian drinks until he falls. Some continue drinking even when they’re lying down,” explains one man. Unfortunately there are few places alcoholics can turn to for help. “I lost my family, I lost my house, everything,” recalls one former alcoholic sadly. He’s one of the lucky ones - a church charity took him in. For most Russian alcoholics, the only refuge available is a humiliating night in a ‘sober-cell.’ “Russia has a very tragic history … we have permanently faced cataclysm. Alcohol helps weak people to escape,” explains theatre director Yuri Lubimov. Unless the quality of life for more people improves, Russians will continue to seek refuge in the most traditional of cures.


Arguing the Case for Gay Conversion Therapy - Victoria Derbyshire | 2015

Apr 23, 2015 • Gay conversion therapy has been labelled "potentially harmful and unethical" by various health organisations, including NHS England and the Royal College of Psychiatrists. Earlier this month President Obama called for an end to such therapies in the United States. So should it be banned in the UK? Patrick Strudwick, LGBT Editor at Buzzfeed, underwent gay conversion therapy whilst filming undercover. Mike Davidson is Director of the Core Issues Trust an organisation which recently ran a Gay Conversion Seminar in London.

‘We’ve Had Such a Terrible Response to Russia’ - Bill Browder

Apr 22, 2022 • Bill Browder was one of the biggest foreign investors in Russia until 2005 when he was kicked out of the country. He is now known for being one of Vladimir Putin’s fiercest critics.

He joins Krishnan to talk about his new book called Freezing Order - in which he details his mission to pursue justice for his lawyer and friend Sergei Magnitsky who died in a Russian jail.

Produced by: Nina Hodgson
Photo credit: Luke MacGregor


How London Became the Dirty Money Capital of the World | FT Film

Apr 22, 2022 • Russian oligarchs and companies have been investing in London for two decades, encouraged by British politicians of all stripes, but critics say the 'London laundromat' cleans dirty money from Russia and across the globe. The FT examines why it took Russia's invasion of Ukraine to put the issue in the spotlight and whether new sanctions and measures to tackle the problem go far enough

Guerre en Ukraine : isoler la hiérarchie de l’Eglise orthodoxe russe

LE MONDE : Rien ne justifie que le patriarche Kirill, soutien actif de Vladimir Poutine, ait droit à un traitement de faveur. Les responsables des autres religions doivent actionner le levier diplomatique vis-à-vis du dirigeant de l’Eglise.

Editorial du « Monde ».
La fête de Pâques orthodoxe, célébrée ce dimanche 24 avril, n’intervient pas au moment le plus harmonieux pour les églises de cette confession. Inévitablement, l’agression russe contre l’Ukraine, berceau du christianisme slave et important vivier de prêtres, fait aussi des dégâts dans les relations entre clergés.

Kirill, patriarche de Moscou et de toutes les Russies, est un pilier du régime du président Vladimir Poutine – ce n’est un secret pour personne – et fait abondamment écho à sa rhétorique sur une Russie rempart des valeurs chrétiennes traditionnelles dévoyées par l’Occident. Mais le soutien enflammé que le patriarche apporte à l’offensive militaire russe en Ukraine depuis février, y compris par des déclarations d’une virulence surprenante pour un homme d’Eglise, a causé des dissensions dans les rangs de l’orthodoxie mondiale. Kirill justifie l’invasion de l’Ukraine par sa dimension « métaphysique » ; pour lui, c’est une opération menée contre les « forces du mal » hostiles à l’unité du peuple et de l’Eglise russes. » | Éditorial | samedi 23 avril 2022

Curious Number of Russian Oligarchs Have Died Since Invasion of Ukraine

Apr 23, 2022 • Ali Velshi reports on four separate instances of Kremlin-connected, extremely wealthy Russians with ties to the oil industry who have died by suicide since Russia's war in Ukraine began.

Le Pen Closer Than Ever to the French Presidency (and to Putin)

THE NEW YORK TIMES: As elections approach Sunday, the far-right candidate is linked to the Russian president by a web of financial ties and a history of support that has hardly dimmed despite the war in Ukraine.

Marine Le Pen, left, the challenger for France’s presidency, and President Vladimir V. Putin of Russia at the Kremlin in March 2017. She has supported his annexation of Crimea. | Pool photo by Mikhail Klimentyev

PARIS — When Europe’s far-right leaders gathered in Madrid in January, they had no problem finding unity on the issues they hold dear, whether cracking down on immigrants or upholding “European Christian ideals.” But as Russian troops massed on the Ukrainian border, they were divided on one issue: the threat posed by President Vladimir V. Putin.

Marine Le Pen, the extreme-right challenger for the French presidency, objected to a paragraph in the final statement calling for European solidarity to confront “Russian military actions on the eastern border of Europe.” Even in a gathering of illiberal nationalists, she was an outlier in her fealty to Mr. Putin.

Now, on her campaign website, the leaders’ statement appears with that paragraph cut in an unacknowledged change to the text. This little subterfuge is consistent with an embrace of Mr. Putin so complete that even his ravaging of Ukraine has hardly diminished it.

Over the past decade, Ms. Le Pen’s party, the National Rally, formerly the National Front, has borrowed millions from a Russian bank, and Ms. Le Pen has supported Mr. Putin’s annexation of Crimea in 2014, as well as his incendiary meddling that year in the Donbas region of eastern Ukraine, where just this week Russia redoubled its offensive. Her support for Mr. Putin is one thing in a time of peace and another in a time of war. Russia, a nuclear power, has invaded a European state, and Ms. Le Pen is closer than ever to her cherished goal of becoming president of France, having narrowed the gap with President Emmanuel Macron before the decisive round of the election on Sunday. » | Roger Cohen | Friday, April 22, 2022

Russian Invasion of Ukraine Only 'a Beginning', Zelenskiy Warns

THE GUARDIAN: Russia’s invasion of Ukraine is only the beginning and comments by a senior Russian commander on Friday indicate Moscow will attack other countries too, Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskiy has warned in his latest nightly address.

This only confirms what I have said many times: the Russian invasion of Ukraine was intended only as a beginning, then they want to capture other countries » | Clea Skopeliti (now);Helen Livingstone (earlier) | Saturday, April 23, 2022

Friday, April 22, 2022

UK Plan to Fly Asylum-seekers to Rwanda Draws Outrage • FRANCE 24 English

Apr 14, 2022 • Britain's Conservative government has struck a deal with Rwanda to send some asylum-seekers thousands of miles away to the East African country, a move that opposition politicians and refugee groups condemned as inhumane, unworkable and a waste of public money. FRANCE 24's European Affairs Editor Catherine Nicholson tells us more.

Spürbare Freude

Palpable joy / Joie palpable

Vielen Dank fürs schöne Bild an JVLeite auf Pinterest.

Just Hold Hands!

Tiens juste les mains ! / Halte einfach die Hände!

With many thanks to Lara Rios Photography on Pinterest for this great photo.

Sur le front du Donbass, près de Donetsk, l’armée ukrainienne attend toujours la « grande bataille » promise par Moscou

LAURENCE GEAI / MYOP POUR « LE MONDE »

LE MONDE : REPORTAGE | Au nord-ouest de la capitale de la république autoproclamée prorusse, les soldats de la 6e brigade ukrainienne sont retranchés dans leur position creusée en 2015. Leur objectif : bloquer toute avancée ennemie et intercepter les groupes de reconnaissance.

La journée du jeudi 21 avril est calme et ensoleillée sur la position avancée de la 6e brigade ukrainienne « Grigorovich », 5 kilomètres à l’ouest de Donetsk. Donc propice à une pluie d’acier, ajustée par les drones russes et les caméras d’observation dardées sur cette position creusée en 2015. Mais, en dépit des promesses du Kremlin d’une « grande bataille du Donbass », l’intensité des bombardements reste inexplicablement faible sur le front sud. On distingue les instruments et leur emplacement dans l’orchestre infernal de la guerre. » | Par Emmanuel Grynszpan (Donbass (Ukraine), envoyé spécial) | vendredi 23 avril 2022

Réservé àux abonnés

Stevie Wonder : I Just Called to Say I Love You

Views on YouTube: 135,696,266

Gewinnt die Rechtspopulistin Le Pen? | ZDFheute

Timeshift: The Smoking Years | BBC

Jun 3, 2012 • Reported by Dr. Stephen Hamann (TRC International Affairs Consultant)


1922: Sight of Women Smoking A Cigar Shocks Paris: Two women who shared a Havana cigar in a Parisian restaurant reportedly caused a stir. »

Elsässer Bäckerofen. Ein uraltes und leckeres Rezept.

Apr 22, 2022 • Baeckeoffe wie es im Original heißt ist ein einfaches Gericht, welches früher zum Bäcker gebracht wurde um die Restwärme des Steinofens zu nutzen und so das Gericht über lange Zeit zu garen. Heute würde man es Slow Cooking nennen. Dieser Eintopf ist so unglaublich lecker, dass sich das Einlegen und die lange Garzeit unbedingt lohnt. Die die reine Vorbereitungszeit ist wirklich kurz.

Zutaten für 8 Personen:

1 kg Schweineschulter
1 kg Lammschulter
1 kg Rindfleisch aus dem Nacken
2 kg Kartoffeln
500 g Zwiebeln
300 g Karotten
300 g Lauch
4 Knoblauchzehen
1 Zweig Oregano
3 Zweige Thymian
3 Lorbeerblätter
2 Nelken
1 El Piment
2 El Pfefferkörner
2 El Salz

Teig zum Verschließen: Mehl mit Wasser verkneten.


Anderson Debates Texas GOPer on Reparative Therapy | 2014

Jun 12, 2014 • Anderson Cooper asks Bryan Hughes, a Texas state representative, about why the state GOP is embracing reparative therapy.

Democracy Now! US News & World Headlines – April 22, 2022

Can French Election Rivals Le Pen and Macron Reform Their Images? - BBC News

Queen Beatrix of the Netherlands

Beatrix: The Queen Who Gave Up the Crown: The life of Beatrix, a member of the Dutch royal house who reigned as Queen of the Netherlands from 1980 until her abdication in 2013.| Royal Documentary

The Debate: Le Pen Confirms Plan to Ban Muslim Headscarf in Public • FRANCE 24 English

Apr 20, 2022 • The far-right candidate has reiterated her pledge to ban headscarves in public spaces, calling them a “symbol of women’s submission”.

“I don’t attack a religion, Islam, which has every right to be in France,” she says. “The real issue is Islamist terrorism. We must pass legislation against the Islamist ideology that is attacking the very foundations of our Republic.”

“I’m not in favour of banning religious symbols in public. Secularism is a freedom,” Macron says. If Le Pen were to implement such a measure, “France, the cradle of the Enlightenment, would be the first country in the world to ban religious symbols in public.”


Macron May Keep the Presidency, but Le Pen Has Already Won

Christian Hartmann/Reuters

OPINION: GUEST ESSAY

THE NEW YORK TIMES: SEMUR-EN-AUXOIS, France — Marine Le Pen, the leader of France’s far-right National Rally, has worked hard during this election campaign to soften, even detoxify, her image. It seems to be working. “I think she’s full of good ideas,” Cyrielle Bernard, a 19-year-old who lives in this picturesque Burgundy town, told me one afternoon last week, chatting in the tobacconist shop where she works. Of all the candidates, she said, “I think she’s the most logical.”

President Emmanuel Macron won in Semur-en-Auxois in the first round of voting this month, but Ms. Le Pen took the larger Burgundy Franche-Comté region, with 27 percent of the vote over Mr. Macron’s 26 percent. Ms. Le Pen’s success comes from casting herself as the defender of the countryside and the working class, focusing on cost-of-living issues and defending social protections. She has also been helped by an image makeover in which she opened up about raising her children as a single mother and now combines tough talk on immigration with social media posts about her cats.

The stigma she has long carried in mainstream politics has been quickly wearing off, and people are supporting her more openly than ever before.

As I drove around rural Burgundy after the first round of voting this month, I came away with a strong sense that while Mr. Macron may well defeat her in the second round this Sunday, in many ways, Ms. Len Pen has already won. In the first round, she put Mr. Macron on the defensive and convinced almost a quarter of voters that she has their best interests at heart. In the second round, polls predict she could easily win more than 40 percent, potentially 10 points more than in 2017. » | Rachel Donadio * | Friday, April 22, 2022

* Ms. Donadio is a contributing writer for The Atlantic based in Paris. She is a former Rome bureau chief and European culture correspondent for The Times.

Thursday, April 21, 2022

Kuba: Solidarität zahlt sich auch aus | ARTE Reportage

Apr 21, 2022 • Kuba wird von einer Wirtschaftskrise heimgesucht, die Touristen bleiben aus wegen Covid, das Land ist isoliert durch die US-Sanktionen und doch gelang es ihnen, so lautet die offizielle Lesart, nicht nur die Pandemie auf der Insel in den Griff zu bekommen – sie halfen danach auch noch zahlreichen anderen Ländern, Covid-19 zu besiegen.

Seit 2020 entsandten sie 3.000 medizinische Fachkräfte in 42 Länder, darunter Mexiko, Andorra, Südafrika, Italien, Kuwait und Frankreich, um deren medizinische Teams zu unterstützen. Diese Politik der Zusammenarbeit ist seit über 50 Jahren eine der Stärken der kubanischen Diplomatie. Sie wurde von Fidel Castro erfunden und ist noch immer der Stolz seiner Nachfolger. Aber Kritiker stellen fest, dass die den Gaststaaten in Rechnung gestellten Missionen inzwischen zum größten Einnahmeposten im kubanischen Außenhandel geworden sind – 10 Milliarden Dollar im Jahr 2019, laut Welthandelsorganisation - und dass der Staat nicht mit ideologischem Druck spart, um die begeisterte, obligatorische und freiwillige Unterstützung der Ärzte zu erhalten. Theoretisch sollten die Vorteile, die er daraus zieht, den kubanischen Patienten zugutekommen, das aber bezweifeln die Kritiker stark.

Unsere Reporter durften dieses kubanische Vorzeigemodell einige Tage lang besichtigen: Revolutionärer Humanismus auf der einen Seite, ständige Kontrollen und berechnender Pragmatismus auf der anderen. Kuba ist eben immer noch Kuba...

Video auf YouTube verfügbar bis 26/03/2025


La Russie sanctionne 29 Américains, dont Mark Zuckerberg et Kamala Harris

Mark Zuckerberg et Kamala Harris font partie des 29 Américains sanctionnés par la Russie. AFP / NICHOLAS KAMM / AFP / MANDEL NGAN

LE FIGARO : Ces annonces interviennent en réponse aux sanctions prises par Washington contre Moscou pour son offensive contre l'Ukraine.

La Russie a interdit jeudi 21 avril l'entrée sur son territoire à 29 personnalités américaines, dont le dirigeant de Meta, Mark Zuckerberg, et la vice-présidente américaine, Kamala Harris, en réaction aux sanctions contre Moscou liées à l'Ukraine.

En outre, 61 personnalités canadiennes, pour la plupart des responsables gouvernementaux ou militaires, sont également visées par cette mesure. Ces citoyens américains et canadiens «sont interdits d'entrée en Russie pour une durée indéterminée», a déclaré le ministère russe des Affaires étrangères dans deux communiqués listant les noms des personnes visées. » | Par Le Figaro avec AFP | jeudi 21 avril 2022

La trágica historia del gran genio Alan Turing

Sophie Wilmès: Belgian Foreign Minister Resigns to Care for Sick Husband

Ms Wilmès said her husband has been diagnosed with "aggressive cancer of the brain". | GETTY IMAGES

BBC: Belgian Foreign Minister Sophie Wilmès says she will temporarily step down to care for her husband, who has been diagnosed with brain cancer.

Ms Wilmès, who also serves as deputy prime minister, will take leave until "the end of the summer", when her family will reassess the situation.

She says she made the move "in perfect consultation with the prime minister".

In a statement, Prime Minister Alexander De Croo said Ms Wilmès's choice "commands the greatest respect".

Mr De Croo added that the minister would not officially resign from government and that her powers would, instead, be temporarily transferred to other ministers by "a royal decree".

Ms Wilmès, who served as prime minister between 2019 and 2020, married her Australian husband Chris Stone in 2009.

A former Australian Rules footballer with St Kilda, he has been the vice-president of the Belgian branch of Australian Business in Europe since 2012. » | Matt Murphy, BBC News | Thursday, April 21, 2022

Frankreichs deutsche Kinder | SWR Doku

Apr 21, 2022 • Die französische Besatzungszone nach 1945. Kinder deutscher Mütter und französischer Väter werden ihrer deutschen Identität beraubt und zur Adoption nach Frankreich gebracht.

Nach 1945 kommen in allen vier Zonen Deutschlands Besatzungskinder zur Welt. Die Briten, Amerikaner und Russen betrachten diese Kinder als Privatangelegenheit der Deutschen, nicht jedoch die Franzosen. Sie sehen in den Kindern deutscher Mütter und französischer Soldaten einen "nationalen Schatz", der heimgeholt werden muss. Seit Jahrzehnten stagniert die Bevölkerung in Frankreich. Mit den Besatzungskindern hoffen Bevölkerungsexperten und Politiker, die demographische Entwicklung wieder ankurbeln zu können. Auf höchster Ebene wird ein ehrgeiziges grenzübergreifendes Adoptionsprogramm aufgelegt. Viele Mütter willigen ein. Sie befinden sich meist in einer prekären Lage, oftmals von der Familie verstoßen und ohne Einkommen. Mit der Gründung der Bundesrepublik kommt das Adoptionsprogramm allmählich zum Erliegen, Frankreich fürchtet zunehmend um den außenpolitischen Schaden, den es anrichten könnte. Um alle Spuren zu verwischen, fordert Frankreich Anfang der 1950er Jahre alle Akten aus den deutschen Ämtern an. Ein Grund mehr, warum es für die Betroffenen bis heute außerordentlich schwer ist, die verschiedenen Teile ihrer Biographie zusammenzufügen. Vor der Adoption ihrer deutschen Identität beraubt, wissen viele der Adoptivkinder bis heute wenig über ihre Wurzeln. Der Film begleitet zwei von ihnen bei ihrem Versuch, ihre ersten Lebensjahre in Deutschland zu rekonstruieren, und deckt dabei diesen historischen Skandal auf.

Diese Doku des SWR von Anja Unger lief zuerst auf Arte und am 14.3.22 im Ersten und trägt den Originaltitel: Frankreichs deutsche Kinder.

Alle Aussagen und Fakten entsprechen dem damaligen Stand und wurden seitdem nicht aktualisiert.


Joe Biden affirme que Poutine «ne réussira jamais» à occuper l'Ukraine

Une capture d'écran tirée de la vidéo d'accompagnement.

LE FIGARO : Le président américain Joe Biden a déclaré jeudi 21 avril que le président russe Vladimir Poutine «ne réussira jamais à dominer et à occuper l'ensemble de l'Ukraine», alors qu'il s'exprime depuis la Maison Blanche après avoir rencontré le Premier ministre ukrainien. Regarder la vidéo » | jeudi 21 avril 2022

Why This Gay Man Fled Russia | Queer 101 | The Advocate

Feb 22, 2018 • Eugene — who moved from St. Petersburg to Los Angeles a year ago — describes why he had to leave the only home he ever knew.

Russia Has a Long History of homophobia | 2013

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

La reine Elizabeth II fête ses 96 ans

LE FIGARO : La souveraine, qui a passé en février le cap des 70 années de règne, fêtera cette journée «de manière privée», au domaine royal de Sandringham, à 200 kilomètres au nord de Londres.

La reine Elizabeth II, doyenne mondiale des monarques en exercice, fête jeudi ses 96 ans, désormais largement retirée de la vie publique en raison de problèmes de mobilité. Des tirs de canons depuis la Tour de Londres et Hyde Park marqueront l'événement et une fanfare militaire jouera «Joyeux anniversaire» pour l'occasion.

Mais la reine, qui a passé en février le cap des 70 années de règne, fêtera cette journée «de manière privée», a précisé à l'AFP une porte-parole du palais de Buckingham. Elle s'est envolée mercredi en hélicoptère pour le domaine royal de Sandringham, à 200 kilomètres au nord de Londres. Selon la presse, elle y passera quelques jours à Wood Farm, la maison relativement modeste avec vue sur la mer du Nord qu'affectionnait tant son époux Philip, décédé l'an dernier. Regarder la vidéo » | Par Le Figaro avec AFP | jeudi 21 avril 2022

Queen celebrates 96th birthday in Sandringham: The Queen is celebrating her 96th birthday on Thursday in Sandringham. »

Democracy Now! US News & World News – April 21, 2022

Putin Issues Warning to West as Russia Test Launches Intercontinental Ballistic Missile (ICBM)

Apr 21, 2022 • CNN's Barbara Starr reports on Russia's test launch of the RS-28 Sarmat, an ICBM sometimes referred to as "Satan II."

Tory Donor’s 'Link' to Sanctioned Oligarch’s Secret London Property

Lubov Chernukhin, nee Golubeva | LONDON NEWS PICTURES

BBC: A major Conservative Party donor was listed as a director of a company secretly owned by a Russian oligarch close to President Putin.

The BBC has seen a document dated 2006 and signed "Lubov Golubeva", the maiden name of Lubov Chernukhin, a Tory donor.

Mrs Chernukhin says she "does not recall consenting in writing" to being a director of Suleiman Kerimov's firm.

Mr Kerimov, now sanctioned, previously denied any connection with Mrs Chernukhin.

Papers seen by the BBC appear to show that Mrs Chernukhin, then Lubov Golubeva, was appointed a director of offshore company Radlett Estates Limited, in 2005 - following its acquisition of a substantial property, 1 Radlett Place, in north London.

Another firm - Swiru Holding AG - was the sole shareholder of Radlett Estates. The directors of Radlett Estates were Swiss businessman Alexander Studhalter and Suleiman Kerimov's nephew, Nariman Gadzhiev.

Mr Studhalter was accused in a French court of being a so-called "straw man", or proxy, for Mr Kerimov - involved in hiding the oligarch's wealth. » | James Oliver, Steve Swann and Nassos Stylianou, BBC Panorama and BBC News | Thursday, April 21, 2022

These people have come a very long way in a very short time. It’s surprising how far one can come when a communist country collapses and the assets are stripped by the élite! When the Soviet Union collapsed, the masses were impoverished to enrich the super-priviliged few. – © Mark

$50bn Wiped Off Netflix’s Value as Subscribers Quit

BBC: Shares in Netflix have slumped by 35% after it revealed a sharp drop in subscribers and warned millions more are set to quit the streaming service.

It wiped more than $50bn off the firm's market value as experts warned it faced a struggle to get back on track.

Netflix faces intense competition from streaming rivals, but was also hit after it raised prices and left Russia.

Yet some cast doubt on its plans to boost growth, which include bringing in a free ad-supported service.

It also plans to crack down on password sharing, estimating that more than 100 million non-paying households watch the service this way.

In a sign of the unease, one of America's best known investors, William Ackman, ditched his $1.1bn investment in Netflix on Wednesday, taking a loss of more than $400m. » | Daniel Thomas, Business reporter, BBC News | Thursday, April 21, 2022

What Russians Think about LGBT?