Im Donbass wird die Evakuation der Zivilbevölkerung vorbereitet – das heizt den Konflikt weiter an

NEUE ZÜRCHER ZEITUNG: Die Anführer der beiden Separatistengebiete in der Ostukraine haben ihre Bürger zur Ausreise nach Russland aufgefordert und warnen vor einer bevorstehenden Eskalation. Der Kreml hat offenkundig kein Interesse an einer Beruhigung der Lage.

Die Zivilbevölkerung in den Separatistengebieten in der Ostukraine wird in Bussen nach Russland gebracht, 18. Februar 2022. | Alexander Ermochenko / Reuters
Die seit Tagen besonders angespannte Situation im Donbass hat am Freitagnachmittag eine neue Wendung mit potenziell dramatischen Konsequenzen genommen. Unerwartet riefen die Anführer der beiden selbstproklamierten «Volksrepubliken» Donezk und Luhansk, Denis Puschilin und Leonid Pasetschnik, nacheinander in kurzen Videobotschaften die Zivilbevölkerung ihrer kriegsversehrten Territorien auf, sich in der benachbarten russischen Region Rostow in Sicherheit zu bringen. » | Markus Ackeret, Moskau | Freitag, 18. Februar 2022

Pro-Russian separatists order mass evacuation of eastern Ukraine: Warnings of imminent assault by Ukrainian forces fuels fears Moscow is seeking to create pretext for invasion »

Number of Adults Who Identify as LGBT Has Doubled in Past Decade, Study Finds

ABC NEWS: The research also shows more than half of LGBT Americans say they are bisexual.

STOCK PHOTO/Getty Images
A new Gallup poll has found that the number of Americans who identify as something other than heterosexual has doubled in the last decade.

Currently, 7.1% of Americans consider themselves to have an LGBT identity, according to the study, which was based on aggregated 2021 data and included interviews with more than 12,000 U.S. adults. That figure is more than double from 3.5% in 2012.

Of the adults surveyed, 86.3% said they are straight or heterosexual, and 6.6% offered no opinion.

The study also revealed that while LGBT identification has been stable in older generations, it has risen significantly in younger generations. Over 20% of Gen Z adults -- those born between 1997 and 1999 -- identify as LGBT, followed by 10.5% of millennials, 4.5% of Generation X and 2.6% of baby boomers. » |Tony Morrison | Thursday, February 17, 2022

Gay : Mixed Reports / Gemischte Meldungen / Rapports mitigés

Image: Adobe Stock
Growing up gay in a Muslim household, my brothers said my coming out would ‘kill’ my parents: Queer Palestinian songwriter and filmmaker Zaher Saleh on how he uses music and film to explore the his struggle going up gay in an Arab household, the battle between his queer identity and Islamic faith, and how love, ultimately, always conquers all. »

Loved ones honour tireless defender of LGBT+ rights, Jonathan Cooper, after sudden and tragic death: Hundreds of mourners including Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer attended a memorial service at St Paul’s Cathedral for the LGBT+ rights campaigner and barrister Jonathan Cooper OBE. »

Pro-LGBTQ+ Companies Funded Florida Lawmakers Who Back 'Don't Say Gay': While companies donate to politicians for all sorts of reasons, these contributions don't square with these businesses' stated LGBTQ-friendliness. »

Brigitte Macron geht rechtlich gegen queerfeindliche Gerüchte vor: Politische Gegner*innen und russische Propaganda-Medien verbreiten derzeit Gerüchte, dass Brigitte Macron trans sein soll. »

Spanien: Staatsanwaltschaft ermittelt gegen homophoben Bischof: Bischof Bernardo Álvarez, der in der Vergangenheit Homosexualität mit sexuellem Kindesmissbrauch gleichsetzte, teilte im Fernsehen erneut gegen sexuelle Minderheiten aus. Dieses Mal hat das aber Konsequenzen. »

Cuba organise des milliers de réunions publiques pour discuter mariage pour tous et GPA : Sous le préau d'un collège de La Havane, des Cubains et des Cubaines sont invité·es à donner leur avis sur le nouveau Code des familles, qui dépoussière l'actuel, vieux de 47 ans. »

Stjepan Hauser : Song from a Secret Garden

Hauser performing Song from a Secret Garden by Secret Garden with the Zagreb Philharmonic Orchestra at his classical solo concert at the Lisinski Concert Hall in Zagreb, October 2017.

Elisabeth Fuchs, conductor
Filip Sljivac, piano

Filmed and edited by MedVid production
Sound and mixing by Morris Studio

L'accord secret du prince Andrew avec Virginia Giuffre

Feb 18, 2022 • Dans la foulée de l’annonce, ce mardi, de la signature d’un accord financier entre le prince Andrew et Virginia Giuffre, l'Américaine qui l'accuse d’agressions sexuelles en 2001 alors qu’elle était mineure, la presse britannique dévoile son montant, près de 12 millions de livres.

Maria João Pires Plays Chopin Piano Concerto No.1 in E Minor | Conductor: Emmanuel Krivine

Chamber Orchestra of Europe

"The Most Beautiful Gay Wedding" | Taylor and Jeff

Premiered 17 hours ago • OUR WEDDING VIDEO IS FINALLY HERE! This was the

Democracy Now! US News & World Headlines – February 18, 2022

Ukraine : «Si la guerre a lieu, elle sera d'une très haute intensité, avec un recours extrêmement violent à l'artillerie»

Photo prise au cours d'exercices militaires conjoints entre la Russie et la Biélorussie, le 17 février 2022. BELTA / REUTERS
LE FIGARO : ENTRETIEN - L'art de la guerre consiste à accroître le plus possible sa liberté d'action, rappelle le politiste et spécialiste de stratégie militaire Joseph Henrotin. Il estime que le déploiement des forces russes par le Kremlin n'a répondu qu'à cette seule logique: si la guerre éclate, celle-ci sera violente, prédit-il.

Joseph Henrotin est rédacteur en chef de la revue Défense et sécurité internationale et chargé de recherche au Centre d'analyse et de prévision des risques internationaux. Il est notamment l'auteur d'un Précis de stratégie militaire (ISC, 2018). » | Par Paul Sugy | Publié : jeudi 17 février 2022 ; mis à jour : vendredi 18 février 2022

On Contact with Chris Hedges: Richard Wolff & the Precarious State of the US Economy

Feb 13, 2022 • On the show, Chris Hedges interviews economist Richard Wolff on the precarious state of the U.S. economy and its consequences.

Times Have Never Been Better for Billionaires.

Feb 16, 2022 • These are very difficult times for working families. But for billionaires and the CEOs of large corporations, times have never been better. I’m on the Senate floor to explain why.

Ocasio-Cortez Asked If US Will Be a Democracy in 10 Years. Hear Her Answer

Feb 15, 2022 • In an interview with David Remnick of "The New Yorker," Rep. Alexandria-Ocasio Cortez (D-NY) says there's a "very real risk" the United States will not still be a democracy in a decade.

There's a Sickness at the Heart of British Democracy & It's Called Oligarchy | Peter Jukes

Nov 16, 2021 • Tory Corruption if just the tip of the iceberg...

Vladimir Putin: Crafty Strategist or Aggrieved and Reckless Leader?

THE NEW YORK TIMES: Analysts puzzling over the Russian leader’s intentions say that his troop buildup around Ukraine could be a convincing bluff, but also posit that he could have fundamentally changed during the pandemic.

President Vladimir V. Putin of Russia marked the 78th anniversary last month of the end of the Leningrad Siege in St. Petersburg. | Alexander Demianchuk/TASS, via Getty Images
MOSCOW — At this moment of crescendo for the Ukraine crisis, it all comes down to what kind of leader President Vladimir V. Putin is.

In Moscow, many analysts remain convinced that the Russian president is essentially rational, and that the risks of invading Ukraine would be so great that his huge troop buildup makes sense only as a very convincing bluff. But some also leave the door open to the idea that he has fundamentally changed amid the pandemic, a shift that may have left him more paranoid, more aggrieved and more reckless.

The 20-foot-long table that Mr. Putin has used to socially distance himself this month from European leaders flying in for crisis talks symbolizes, to some longtime observers, his detachment from the rest of the world. For almost two years, Mr. Putin has ensconced himself in a virus-free cocoon unlike that of any Western leader, with state television showing him holding most key meetings by teleconference alone in a room and keeping even his own ministers at a distance on the rare occasions that he summons them in person.

Speculation over a leader’s mental state is always fraught, but as Mr. Putin’s momentous decision approaches, Moscow commentators puzzling over what he might do next in Ukraine are finding some degree of armchair psychology hard to avoid. » | Anton Troianovski | Friday, February 18, 2022

Ukraine Crisis: Corruption Alert over Russians with £1.5bn of British Property

Igor Shuvalov has two properties in Whitehall Court through a Russian business he co-owns with his wife | ALAMY
THE TIMES: UK property worth £1.5 billion was bought by Russians with links to the Kremlin or accused of corruption, according to newly released figures.

Nearly £430 million of the property is in Westminster in London, and more than half is held by companies in Britain’s overseas territories and crown dependencies.

Transparency International, the campaign group that unearthed the figures, said the findings exposed how Britain had become a “global hub for money laundering”. It identified 2,189 companies registered in the UK, Britain’s overseas territories and crown dependencies that have been used in 48 Russian money-laundering and corruption cases.

In total, these cases involved funds worth more than £82 billion diverted from “rigged” procurement, bribery, embezzlement and the unlawful acquisition of state assets, Transparency International said. » | Matt Dathan, Home Affairs Editor | Friday, February 18, 2-22

Offer: Get unlimited digital access on any device. You can start your free trial here.

MORE TORY CORRUPTION :

The ultra-rich Tory donors with access to Boris Johnson’s tope team: In return for a £250,000 donation to the Conservatives, multimillionaires are being ushered into the heart of government as part of a secret ‘advisory board’ »

Six Tory donors given top cultural posts since Boris Johnson became PM: Conservative party is shown to have been given more than £3m by appointees to roles at museums and galleries »

Storm Eunice: Millions across UK Told to Stay Home as Severe Winds Hit

A screenshot from the accompanying article. | Getty Images
BBC: Millions of people have been told to stay at home as one of the worst storms in decades, Storm Eunice, hits the UK.

Rare red weather warnings - meaning there is a danger to life from flying debris - have been issued by the Met Office covering much of southern and eastern England, and south Wales.

On the Isle of Wight, exposed gusts of up to 122mph have been recorded.

Hundreds of schools are closed and travel networks are experiencing cancellations and major disruption.

Power cuts have left more than 50,000 properties in south-west England and south Wales without power.

BBC Weather said Eunice "could well be one of the worst storms in three decades". » | Malu Cursino & Adam Durbin | Friday, February 18, 2022

Elon Musk Criticised for Likening Justin Trudeau to Adolf Hitler in Tweet

THE GUARDIAN: Auschwitz museum says using photo of dictator is exploitative and ‘disrespects memory of all victims’

The American Jewish Committee said Elon Musk’s tweet was ‘unacceptable’ and demanded he apologise. Photograph: Susan Walsh/AP
Elon Musk has been criticised by the Auschwitz-Birkenau museum for comparing the Canadian prime minister, Justin Trudeau, to Adolf Hitler.

The chief executive of Tesla tweeted a meme that showed a photo of Hitler with the words “Stop comparing me to Justin Trudeau” above the image and “I had a budget” below. The tweet was later deleted.

Musk’s use of Hitler’s image “disrespects the memory of all victims and hurts many people”, said the Auschwitz-Birkenau museum, which is on the site of the Nazi concentrate camp where 960,000 people were killed.

“Using the image of Adolf Hitler & therefore exploiting the tragedy of all people who suffered, were humiliated, tortured & murdered by the totalitarian regime of Nazi Germany created by him is sad & disturbing,” the museum tweeted in reply to Musk.

The American Jewish Committee said the billionaire’s tweet was unacceptable and demanded he apologise. “Once again, Elon Musk has exercised extremely poor judgment by invoking Hitler to make a point on social media. He must stop this unacceptable behaviour,” it said.

“Musk may believe posting a meme comparing Justin Trudeau to a genocidal dictator who exterminated millions is an appropriate way to criticise policies he disagrees with. It is not. It never is. Musk must apologise and find other ways to voice his displeasure.” » | Rupert Neate, Wealth correspondent | Thursday, February 17, 2022

Gay : Mixed Reports / Gemischte Meldungen / Rapports mitigés

Image: Adobe Stock
Kuwait overturns cruel anti-trans law in ‘major breakthrough’ – but the fight is far from over: A court in Kuwait has struck down a law that criminalised trans people by forbidding the “imitation of the opposite sex”. »

TV has never been so queer, eye-opening GLAAD study finds: LGBT+ representation on broadcast TV is at an all-time high, a new GLAAD report has found. »

Gay bears struggling with internalised fatphobia and beard envy, groundbreaking research finds: In 2015, Nick McGlynn took his top off at a bear night for the first time – and he still remembers how amazing it felt. »

Don Lemon’s Sexual Assault Case Is Moving Forward — Here’s What We Know: This week, a federal judge set a date for a jury trial. »

Im epischen Rechtsstaat-Streit mit der EU erleiden Polen und Ungarn eine Schlappe

NEUE ZÜRCHER ZEITUNG: Das oberste Gericht der EU hat entschieden: Brüssel darf Mitgliedsstaaten Haushaltsgelder kürzen, wenn bei deren Verwendung rechtsstaatliche Grundsätze verletzt werden. Ob und wann das entsprechende Verfahren angewendet wird, ist aber noch fraglich.

Die Begeisterungsstürme liessen nicht lange auf sich warten. Von einem «historischen Erfolg» wollte die konservative Europaabgeordnete Monika Hohlmeier sprechen, als der Europäische Gerichtshof (EuGH) sein Urteil in den Rechtssachen C-156/21 und C-157/21 verkündete. Hier habe das oberste Gericht der EU ein «starkes Signal für Demokratie und Rechtsstaatlichkeit» gesetzt, freute sich die grüne Abgeordnete Terry Reintke.

Die Freude im EU-Parlament ist gross, dass die Luxemburger Richter am Mittwoch ein Verfahren für rechtens erklärt haben, mit dem zum ersten Mal Verstösse gegen die Rechtsstaatlichkeit finanziell geahndet werden können. Gemeint ist die sogenannte «Verordnung über die Konditionalität der Rechtsstaatlichkeit» – auch Rechtsstaatsmechanismus genannt –, die seit gut einem Jahr in Kraft ist. » | Daniel Steinvorth, Brüssel | Mittwoch, 16. Februar 2022

Dem Brüssel-Korrespondenten Daniel Steinvorth auf Twitter folgen.

Aus dem Donbass kommen beunruhigende Zeichen der Zuspitzung

NEUE ZÜRCHER ZEITUNG: Entlang der Frontlinie im Donbass intensivierten sich die Schusswechsel. Russische Truppen rücken in grenznahe Stellungen vor. Auch in der Diplomatie sendet Moskau wenig ermutigende Signale.

Russische Kampfpanzer bei Manövern in der Nähe der ukrainischen Grenze. | AP
Entlang der Frontlinie, welche die von Kiew kontrollierten Gebiete in der Ostukraine von den beiden durch Russland unterstützten Separatistengebieten Donezk und Luhansk trennt, scheint sich die Lage erheblich zuzuspitzen. Das ist heikel, weil aufgrund der militärischen Bereitschaft die Lage sehr schnell ausser Kontrolle geraten kann – mit unkalkulierbaren Folgen bis hin zum direkten Eingreifen russischer Truppen.

Die beiden Seiten beschuldigten einander, für die Verletzung der Waffenruhe verantwortlich zu sein. Die Lautstärke, mit der die Anführer der beiden «Volksrepubliken» die Kiewer Regierung beschuldigten, und das Gewicht, das der Kremlsprecher Dmitri Peskow diesen Entwicklungen zuschrieb, waren auffällig. Vonseiten der ukrainischen Regierung hiess es, in Stanizja Luhanska, direkt an der Frontlinie zu Luhansk, sei ein Kindergarten beschossen worden. Bilder in ukrainischen Medien zeigten ein Loch in der Aussenwand und Trümmerteile in einem Spielzimmer. Es sollen zwar keine Kinder, wohl aber Erzieherinnen verletzt worden sein. » | Markus Ackeret, Moskau | Donnerstag, 17. Februar 2022