Crise ukrainienne : Moscou voit une «chance» de compromis avec l'Occident

Moscou dément toute velléité belliqueuse, mais lie toute désescalade à une liste d'exigences. SPUTNIK / REUTERS
LE FIGARO : La Russie a déclaré lundi qu'il existait une «chance» de régler la crise ukrainienne par la voie diplomatique, au moment où les Occidentaux craignent que les tensions ne dégénèrent en conflit armé.

«Existe-t-il une chance de trouver un accord avec nos partenaires sur les sujets-clés ou s'agit-il d'une tentative de nous entraîner dans des négociations sans fin ?», a fait mine de demander le président Vladimir Poutine au chef de la diplomatie russe Sergueï Lavrov. «En tant que chef du ministère des Affaires étrangères, je dois dire qu'il y a toujours une chance», a répondu le ministre, dans un entretien avec Vladimir Poutine retransmis à la télévision. » | Par Le Figaro avec AFP | lundi 14 février 2022

Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall Tests Positive for Coronavirus

THE GUARDIAN: Clarence House says Camilla is self-isolating after Prince Charles contracted Covid last week

The Duchess of Cornwall has tested positive for coronavirus, Clarence House has announced.

A spokesman said: “Her Royal Highness the Duchess of Cornwall has tested positive for Covid-19 and is self-isolating. We continue to follow government guidelines.

The announcement follows that made on Thursday disclosing Prince Charles, 73, had tested positive for the virus.

The duchess, 74, carried out a string of engagements on the same day. She described herself then as “luckily” negative, saying of her testing regime during a visit to Thames Valley Partnership in Buckinghamshire: “I’ve taken it so many times.” » | Caroline Davies | Monday, February 14, 2022

Related.

La vie des frères Grimm - Au-delà des contes | ARTE

Feb 13, 2022 • Derrière les célèbres contes, deux hommes passionnés de langue, de littérature, mais également de politique. Les frères Grimm se racontent, dans un documentaire ancré dans l’Allemagne du XIXe siècle.

En 1837, les célèbres auteurs de contes Jacob et Wilhelm Grimm exercent en tant que professeurs dans la ville universitaire de Göttingen, en Allemagne. La période est trouble : quatre ans après l’adoption d’une Constitution accordant aux bourgeois et aux paysans le droit de siéger au Parlement et limitant son pouvoir, le roi Guillaume décède. Son frère Ernest Auguste, conservateur, n’est pas animé des mêmes convictions et abroge la Constitution. Les frères Grimm, entourés d’autres professeurs et intellectuels, entament une lutte politique acharnée.

Relation touchante

Constitué d’interviews de chercheurs, de reconstitutions et d’interprétations des textes par les mots des frères Grimm eux-mêmes, ainsi que d’illustrations poétiques de leurs contes, ce documentaire plonge dans l’univers germanique du XIXe siècle. Le travail de la réalisatrice Gabriele Rose éclaire le contexte historique, intellectuel et politique, mais témoigne avant tout de l’amour immense que les frères Grimm portaient aux langues et à la littérature. La relation touchante entre les deux hommes, leurs combats politiques et les coulisses de leur histoire familiale méconnue constituent les fils rouges de ce portrait vivant du duo le plus connu de la littérature allemande.

La vie des frères Grimm - Au-delà des contes
Documentaire de Gabriele Rose (Allemagne, 2020, 53mn)
Disponible jusqu'au 07/05/2022


Dieses Dokudrama ist hier auf Deutsch verfügbar.

Zarah Sultana Destroys Rishi Sunak

Feb 14, 2022 • “Rishi Sunak is taking the piss”

Chinese Censors Cut Gay References from Friends

THE TIMES: Outcry over ‘defiled’ version of hit American sitcom

Chinese censors removed scenes that referred to Ross’s ex-wife being gay | PAUL DRINKWATER/NBCUNIVERSAL VIA GETTY
Chinese censors have removed lesbian scenes and sanitised references to sex in Friends as the show is re-released on streaming sites, to the anger of the sitcom’s many Chinese fans.

The cuts have been so comprehensive that fans have complained that plots and some jokes now no longer make sense. They have called for a boycott and slammed the censorship as “defiling” the first season of the show, originally broadcast in 1994.

On Friday when several entertainment platforms, including Tencent Video, reprised the show, some fans were quick to notice the absence of several scenes, including those relating to the character Ross explaining that his ex-wife, Carol, is gay. Viewers also reported cuts or mistranslations of lines by LGBT+ characters or scenes that included mildly … » | Didi Tang, Beijing | Monday, February 14, 2022

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Why Is Turkey Rebranding as Türkiye? - BBC News

Feb 14, 2022 • Turkey is rebranding its internationally-recognised name as Türkiye. President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said the new name “represents and expresses the culture, civilisation, and values of the Turkish nation in the best way”. But the change is about more than phonetic pronunciation.

NZ Covid Outbreak ‘Like Nothing We’ve Experienced’, Ardern Says, as Cases Skyrocket

THE GUARDIAN: Virus-free for much of the pandemic, New Zealand is now reporting near-daily record case numbers

New Zealand’s prime minister has warned that the country is entering a new phase of its pandemic response that is “like nothing we’ve experienced to date”, as case numbers begin to explode.

“We are embarking for the first time in the two years since the start of the outbreak into a period where New Zealanders will see more Covid in the community,” Jacinda Ardern said on Monday.

“It is a period of disruption and, I know, of risk and will be like nothing we’ve experienced to date.” » | Tess McClure in Auckland | Monday, February 14, 2022

A letter to New Zealand, from Covid-ravaged Australia: Omicron has played out in a series of strange stages in Australia. Here’s what to expect when the wave hits »

Mauritius Formally Challenges Britain’s Ownership of Chagos Islands

THE GUARDIAN: Mauritian ambassador to UN raises country’s flag above atoll of Peros Banhos

Britain’s ownership of the Chagos archipelago has been formally challenged after the Mauritian ambassador to the UN, Jagdish Koonjul, raised his country’s flag above the atoll of Peros Banhos.

In a ceremony on Monday at 10.30am local time, Mauritian officials sang their country’s national anthem and the red, blue, yellow and green standard was raised up the flagpole.

Koonjul said: “We are performing the symbolic act of raising the flag as the British have done so many times to establish colonies. We, however, are reclaiming what has always been our own.” » | Owen Bowcott and Bruno Rinvolucri in Peros Banhos | | Monday, February 14, 2022

The Quiet Flight of Muslims from France

THE NEW YORK TIMES: All the talk of France’s presidential election campaign is about immigration. But it is the expanding emigration of French Muslims that points to a deeper crisis for the country.

PARIS — France’s wounded psyche is the invisible character in every one of Sabri Louatah’s novels and the hit television series he wrote. He speaks of his “sensual, physical, visceral love” for the French language and of his attachment to his hometown in southeastern France, bathed in its distinctive light. He closely monitors the campaign for the upcoming presidential elections.

But Mr. Louatah does all of that from Philadelphia, the city that he began considering home after the 2015 attacks in France by Islamist extremists, which killed scores of people and deeply traumatized the country. As sentiments hardened against all French Muslims, he no longer felt safe there. One day, he was spat on and called, “Dirty Arab.”

“It’s really the 2015 attacks that made me leave because I understood they were not going to forgive us,” said Mr. Louatah, 38, the grandson of Muslim immigrants from Algeria. “When you live in a big Democratic city on the East Coast, you’re more at peace than in Paris, where you’re deep in the cauldron.” » | orimitsu Onishi and Aida Alami | Sunday, February 13, 2022

Has Diplomacy Reached a Dead End? | Inside Story

Feb 13, 2022 • The latest diplomatic attempt between the United States and Russia to resolve tensions over Ukraine has achieved nothing. Presidents Putin and Biden exchanged warnings and concerns over the phone, but little else, while military activity continues on both sides.

Moscow has been massing troops in Russia and Belarus near their borders with Ukraine. The build-up is raising fears an invasion is imminent.

Ukraine is receiving Western support. Its biggest ally, the US, is sending 200 million dollars’ worth of military aid, including armour-penetrating missiles and ammunition.

Why is the crisis over Ukraine proving so hard to solve?

Presenter: Sami Zeidan. Guests: Pavel Felgenhauer, Defence and Military Analyst, and a Columnist at Novaya Gazeta; Matthew Bryza, Senior Fellow at the Atlantic Council, and a Former Diplomat and National Security Official at the White House; Glenn Diesen, Professor of International Relations at the University of South-Eastern Norway and Editor of 'Russia in Global Affairs'

Les Suisses acceptent de limiter presque totalement la publicité sur le tabac

Les Suisses ont voté ce dimanche au sujet de l'interdiction des publicités pour le tabac dans les lieux publics. Valentin FLAURAUD / AFP
LE FIGARO : Les Suisses ont donné leur feu vert dimanche dans les urnes pour interdire la publicité sur le tabac accessible aux enfants et adolescents, selon des premiers résultats officiels. La Chancellerie fédérale donne le «oui» gagnant à 54%, ainsi qu'à la majorité des cantons, les deux étant nécessaires pour que l'initiative populaire soit approuvée. Les résultats définitifs sont attendus en début de soirée. » | Par Le Figaro avec AFP | dimanche 13 février 2022

Plus sur cette histoire ici.

Swiss Approve Tobacco Ad Ban Long after Neighbours

BBC: Swiss voters have backed a ban on tobacco advertising anywhere young people might see it.

In effect, the Yes vote in the nationwide referendum will lead to a complete ban.

The move will bring Switzerland into line with its European neighbours, most of whom adopted strict rules on tobacco advertising years ago.

Despite its healthy, environmentally friendly image, Switzerland has the most lax rules on tobacco in Europe. » | Imogen Foulkes, BBC News, Bern | Sunday, February 13, 2022

Related.

Deutliches Ja: Volk nimmt Tabakinitiative mit 56,6 Prozent an: Das Schlussresultat liegt vor: Das Werbeverbot für Tabak zum Schutz von Kindern und Jugendlichen wurde angenommen. »

Just Hand-in-hand Through an Italian Street. That’s All! Hide Nothing!

Einfach Hand in Hand durch eine italienische Straße. Das ist alles! Nichts verstecken! / Juste main dans la main dans une rue italienne. C'est tout ! Ne cache rien !
Many thanks to Dancefloors & Magazines on Pinterest for this image.

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 new 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."

Military Gay Exploration, Lobotomy, & Electroshock Therapy | Beyond Stonewall | Smithsonian Channel

Dec 31, 2020 • In the early 20th century, the medical establishment became fixated with the idea that gay people could be “cured.” To achieve this, they turned to a litany of brutal practices: from electrotherapy to lobotomies.

Homosexualität

May 13, 2021 • Soll die Kirche Homosexuelle segnen?

The Observer View on How Europe Can Step Back from the Brink of War

THE OBSERVER – EDITORIAL: A united diplomatic front is the best weapon to persuade Vladimir Putin against invading Ukraine

‘It is of paramount importance that Vladimir Putin is forcefully reminded of the severe economic consequences Russia will face.’ Photograph: SPUTNIK/Reuters
Europe stands on the brink of war. The biggest conflagration since 1945 is now an all-too-real prospect. For many people, this seems incredible. How did we come to this? Are the terrible lessons of the Nazi era, of the Cold War invasions of Hungary and Czechoslovakia, of Bosnia, Kosovo and of previous suppressions of free peoples by tyrannical leaders all now forgotten? Hopefully not. And yet history, confounding reason, appears set to repeat itself.

As this dread maelstrom spins, the US, Britain and the Nato allies are united in three key respects. First, their intelligence services agree Russia has sufficient military capability around Ukraine’s borders to mount a full-scale invasion, seize the capital, Kyiv, and force a change of government that better suits Moscow’s interests. US president Joe Biden suggests an attack could come as early as Wednesday. Second, the western powers are unanimous in blaming this desperate situation on Russia’s president. Vladimir Putin, and only Vladimir Putin, they believe, will decide if, when, where and how an invasion takes place. At this point (and contrary to what Biden told the allies), it’s unclear whether Putin has made a final decision. This is crucial. It means he may yet be dissuaded. It also means he, pre-eminently, will be to blame if the worst happens. » | Editorial | Sunday, February 13, 2022

Ukraine : l'ambassadeur russe en Suède dit n'avoir «rien à foutre» des sanctions occidentales

L'ambassadeur russe en Suède, Viktor Tatarintsev. Capture d'écran YouTube
LE FIGARO : C'est ce qu'a déclaré Viktor Tatarintsev à un média suédois.

Moscou «n'en a rien à foutre» des risques de sanctions occidentales en cas d'invasion de l'Ukraine, a déclaré sans ambages l'ambassadeur russe en Suède. «Pardonnez-moi l'expression, mais nous n'en avons rien à foutre de toutes leurs sanctions», a indiqué Viktor Tatarintsev au Aftonbladet, dans un entretien diffusé tard samedi sur le site internet du journal suédois.

Les Occidentaux, États-Unis et Européens de l'ouest en tête, craignent que la Russie n'envahisse l'Ukraine voisine, et menacent Moscou de «fortes sanctions» économiques dans ce cas. «On nous a déjà imposé tellement de sanctions, et dans un sens elles ont eu des effets positifs sur notre économie et notre agriculture», souligne l'expérimenté Tatarintsev, qui parle couramment suédois et a occupé plusieurs postes en Suède. » | Par Le Figaro avec AFP | dimanche 13 février 2022

Amerikas Angst vor dem Abstieg – die Rivalen: China versus USA, Teil 2 I auslandsjournal

Feb 2, 2022 • Die China-Politik der USA: Alle Zeichen deuten auf verschärfte Handelskonflikte und zunehmende militärische Drohgebärden hin. USA-Korrespondent Elmar Theveßen und Annette Brieger zeigen, wie die wachsende wirtschaftliche Konkurrenz aus China die politischen Ziele der USA beeinflusst.

Künstliche Intelligenz, Computerchip-Produktion und erneuerbare Energien gelten als Zukunftsfelder, auf denen sich der Kampf um die technologische Führung im 21. Jahrhundert entscheidet. Mit China als Feindbild wächst der Druck auf die USA, die eigene Wirtschaft zu modernisieren. Hinzukommt ein drohender Krieg um den Inselstaat Taiwan.

Der Rust Belt, der sich seit Jahren im wirtschaftlichen Niedergang befindet, wird mit Hochdruck auf die Entwicklung von Zukunftstechnologien ausgerichtet. Elektromobilität und Halbleiterindustrien werden staatlich gefördert, um Abhängigkeiten von asiatischen Konkurrenten zu reduzieren.

Teil 1 dieses Dokumentarfilms befindet sich hier.

Chinas Angriff auf die Freiheit – die Rivalen: China versus USA, Teil 1 I auslandsjournal

Feb 1, 2022 • Innenpolitisch ist China kurz vor den Olympischen Spielen in Peking ein Land mit zwei Gesichtern. Das eine, das die Welt sehen soll, strotzt vor Kraft, Selbstbewusstsein und wirtschaftlichem Aufbruch. Das andere zeigt ein Land, das unter Wirtschaftskrisen und Versorgungsengpässen leidet, das die Macht Amerikas fürchtet und in den Nationalismus abgleitet.

Die China-Korrespondent*innen Ulf Röller und Stefanie Schoeneborn zeigen, wie Präsident Xi Jinping und die Kommunistische Partei die Olympischen Spiele nutzen, um das Land und das Volk noch stärker zu kontrollieren.

Auch Journalist*innen werden in ihrer Freiheit, zu berichten, zunehmend eingeschränkt. Wer Bilder jenseits der offiziellen Propaganda drehen will, wird massiv daran gehindert. Oft wird die Angst vor Corona missbraucht, um unliebsame Berichte zu verhindern. Trotz aller Widerstände gelingt es den ZDF-Korrespondenten, an Orte zu reisen und mit Menschen zu reden, die eigentlich niemand sehen und hören soll – ein Menschenrechtsanwalt, der nach dem Interview wieder festgenommen wurde. Eine Dragqueen, die für ein neues Bild von Männlichkeit kämpft. Eine Bloggerin, die zeigen will, wie rigoros Chinas Corona-Politik ist.